Tracker, Chapter 19 (Skate, Others)
Title: Tracker, Chapter 19
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skate, Jana, others
Disclaimer: I don't own LOST
Summary: Set during S2, immediately post-WKD, Kate, Sawyer and several other characters go off into the jungle after Michael, learning secrets of the Island along the way.
Spoilers: Season 2
A/N: Tracker is an extremely lengthy, multi-chapter fanfic that I wrote during Season Two. I plan on posting a couple of chapters a day if I can, so please check back! By the way, blame kirvash if you get hooked on it. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 19
Shannon's crucifix swung gently in the ocean breeze. He missed her terribly; this was the only place he could feel her spirit. In two months he had lost the two women he loved; Shannon to Ana-Lucia's bullet, and Nadia to the real world. Sayid was beginning to despair that they would ever be rescued; this was his punishment for all of the bad things he had done in his life.
He was whispering silent prayers to Allah as he sat beside her. He prayed for Shannon, for all of them, even Ana-Lucia; she needed all the help she could get. She hadn't told him the whole truth the day Shannon was shot; she had been holding something back when he asked her what happened to the man who shot her. She was another tortured soul condemned to this place, and Sayid could sympathize; he understood it had been an accident, though that didn't lessen his grief or his hatred of Ana. At least for the moment; he wouldn't hate her forever. It wasn't in his nature.
The bushes rustled behind him though he didn't stop his prayer to look. If it was his time to go, then Allah would take him; he didn't need to see what was coming.
"Sayid." He finished his prayer before he opened his eyes.
"Hello, Danielle." He turned to look at her; she had her rifle cocked carelessly over her arm, and she looked different since Sayid had seen her last. She looked almost normal, as if the insanity had taken leave of her for a while. "Why are you here?"
"How is he? The one who came back yesterday?" Sayid gave her a quick glance of surprise. "Did he live?"
"Yes, he did. How did you know about him?" He stood quickly and she tightened her grip on the rifle reflexively. He held his hands out to reassure her. "Easy."
She smiled tightly. "I saw Them bringing him through the jungle. He looked like he was hurt badly. What did They do to him?"
Sayid sighed. "I was hoping you could tell me."
Danielle looked away. "I came here for a reason, Sayid. I have heard whispers in the jungle. They say They are coming for Michael. Not today, but soon. Walt wants him." She looked back at Sayid, a little guilt in her eyes. "I am sorry I did what I did to them," she said sadly. "But I had no choice. They offered me something I could not refuse."
Sayid understood immediately. "Alex?"
Danielle didn't answer for a second; she looked like she was struggling with something. "Yes. They let me see her, talk to her." Her eyes were glistening, and she looked almost happy; Sayid supposed she would, and he understood why she turned Michael and Jin over to Them. He would have done the same thing if it was his daughter.
"It was Alex who met Locke and Eko in the jungle, wasn't it." It wasn't really a question. He knew Locke was lying; but he felt that discretion was the wisest choice at the moment. He could catch up to Locke when no one else was around; with everyone's nerves on edge a confrontation would not have been very productive.
"Yes. I sent her. I felt...guilty." She looked sad, and Sayid felt a wave of pity for her. "Michael will never find him, Sayid. He should stop looking before he is killed or...worse."
Sayid studied her; she was holding something back. "Do you know where Walt is, Danielle? Where is he?" She knew; he could tell. His voice rose a little as he pressed her. "Where is he? Where on the island?"
Danielle stared at him for a moment; the insane light began to glow in her eyes again and she spoke in almost a whisper. "He is everywhere and nowhere. He is the island."
"What does that mean, Danielle?" She didn't answer, and Sayid knew he wasn't going to get one. "Please, tell me!"
"I will try to warn you, Sayid, when they are coming. I will send Alex, like I did yesterday to Eko." She turned and started to leave; then she stopped and glanced back at Sayid. "Keep watching, Sayid. For any signs of the sickness."
"What signs would they be, Danielle?"
She paused. "You will know." She was gone in a moment.
Sayid stared after her, confused. He sighed and glanced longingly at Shannon's grave; he didn't want to leave, but Jack had to know about this. He reached down and gently kissed the cross that marked her tomb. "I'll be back," he whispered, and with one last look he went to find Jack.
* * * * *
"Are you sure you wanna do this, Sawyer?" Kate was standing in front of him, holding a mirror face down against her chest. Sawyer was sitting up in the bunk bed while Jack changed the bandages on his back; he hissed a little as they peeled from the still-raw wounds.
"Just lemme see, Freckles. I've already seen the rest of me, how bad can it be?" Her expression said it was bad; Sawyer grimaced and reached out for the mirror. She held it and backed up. She didn't want him too see; he had stitches over one eye, his forehead, and from his hairline to the side of his cheek and most of his face was black and blue. The swollen eye had gone down, thank goodness, but it was still puffy and red. She wasn't sure why she was so reluctant to let him look; he could see the rest of his body and it was just as bad. "Doc, help me out here?"
The animosity between Sawyer and Jack was almost non-existent. They seemed...friendly and Kate was thankful; lately there had been so much tension and hostility between them it was hard to be comfortable. But it was easy today, Sawyer couldn't help but be a smart-ass but his barbs hadn't been too sharp, his sarcasm a little less acidic and Jack, for his part, had actually laughed at some of them. Kate was tense, at first, waiting for a fight, but as they joked back and forth she found herself relaxing; she was in a state of wonderment at the two of them, Jack and Sawyer, the two most important men in her life together, at ease, sociable.
"Kate, let him look." Jack sighed, as he dabbed at the lashes on his back. Jack had never seen a real case of injury from whipping, but he was pretty sure this is what it would look like. Sawyer's skin was shredded in criscrossing stripes; Jack had done his best to clean and stitch them so they wouldn't scar, but he was afraid there would be some permanent damage. The other wounds were not as bad; there wouldn't be much scarring at all from those. He was actually enjoying Sawyer's company, and Kate's; there was an easy camaraderie that had never been there before. Little stabs of jealousy still pricked him when Kate would kiss Sawyer, or look at him with that Secret Kate smile; they were fleeting though, and he couldn't be angry at them- they just glowed.
Kate sighed. "Okay, Tex, don't say I didn't warn you." She reluctantly handed him the mirror and covered her eyes with her hands; she didn't really want to see this. He took a deep breath then lifted the mirror up.
"Awww, shit," he snapped, throwing it down on the bed. "I look like damn Frankenstein." She couldn't help giggling a little. Sawyer threw her a disgusted look and picking the mirror off of the bed he lifted it up, slowly, hesitantly, then looked at it again. "Damn." He looked so forlorn Kate went to him and cupping her hand under his chin kissed him softly. He responded, flicking his tongue gently against hers; she met him halfway. A soft groan escaped Sawyer's lips and she felt her body tingle.
"Hey, I'm working here," Jack said, laughing a little. "Do you mind?" Kate pulled away from him with an embarrassed little smile as Sawyer grinned at her and took her hand.
"Well, yeah, Doc, I do mind." His fingers began to massage her hand lazily. "Me and Freckles have some unfinished business." She gazed at him, her hand on fire from his touch; she suddenly agreed wholeheartedly with Sawyer. She did mind.
"Well, not that this is a topic I really want to discuss, but how in the world would you even consider it, Sawyer?" Jack asked, unfolding some gauze pads and covering Sawyer's back with them. "I mean, you've got cuts and bruises everywhere."
Sawyer grinned wickedly at Kate. "Not everywhere."
She rolled her eyes at him and pulled her hand away. "How would you know?"
"That was the first place I checked, sweetheart." His dimples were dazzling. She couldn't get her breath properly. She suddenly wished Jack would leave for God's sake; but what would they do then? There was no door to the bunk room and people were in and out constantly.
As if to prove her thought Hurley walked in. He paled perceptibly as he saw Sawyer. "Dude." Sawyer glared at him a little and Hurley dropped his eyes. "Sorry, man, you just..." He swallowed, and Sawyer cocked his head questioningly. "Sorry."
Sawyer grinned at him. Nothing could dampen his mood today, Kate was all that mattered. They hadn't mentioned what passed between them yesterday; the actual words weren't necessary. They knew and that was enough. He still wondered what had happened to him because he didn't remember anything at all. He had strange nightmares but they weren't focused or coherent, just random images and sounds and blurs; for some reason they scared the hell out of him. They didn't stay with him long, and with Kate next to him, touching him, holding him, he didn't think much about them anyway. "Don't sweat it, Sta-puff. It ain't as bad as it looks."
Hurley looked a little relieved. "Yeah, well," he hesitated, "What you did was really great, man." Kate smiled a little at Sawyer, he looked genuinely shocked at the compliment. She flashed a grin at Hurley, too; he was absolutely right.
Sawyer still looked stunned. "Yeah. Thanks." He smiled uncertainly at Hurley, like he was just learning how. Kate covered her laugh with her hand.
The alarm sounded, and Hurley jumped a little. "That's my cue, dudes. Later!" He strolled out the computer to enter the code. Sawyer watched him go, still a little bewildered.
Jack finished up the bandaging and stood, stretching. "Ok, Sawyer, you're good until tomorrow. Kate, keep those stitches clean and it would probably be a good idea to get him up and walk around a little, carefully. I-"
Sayid came running in, breathless. "Jack, we need to talk."
* * * * *
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skate, Jana, others
Disclaimer: I don't own LOST
Summary: Set during S2, immediately post-WKD, Kate, Sawyer and several other characters go off into the jungle after Michael, learning secrets of the Island along the way.
Spoilers: Season 2
A/N: Tracker is an extremely lengthy, multi-chapter fanfic that I wrote during Season Two. I plan on posting a couple of chapters a day if I can, so please check back! By the way, blame kirvash if you get hooked on it. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 19
Shannon's crucifix swung gently in the ocean breeze. He missed her terribly; this was the only place he could feel her spirit. In two months he had lost the two women he loved; Shannon to Ana-Lucia's bullet, and Nadia to the real world. Sayid was beginning to despair that they would ever be rescued; this was his punishment for all of the bad things he had done in his life.
He was whispering silent prayers to Allah as he sat beside her. He prayed for Shannon, for all of them, even Ana-Lucia; she needed all the help she could get. She hadn't told him the whole truth the day Shannon was shot; she had been holding something back when he asked her what happened to the man who shot her. She was another tortured soul condemned to this place, and Sayid could sympathize; he understood it had been an accident, though that didn't lessen his grief or his hatred of Ana. At least for the moment; he wouldn't hate her forever. It wasn't in his nature.
The bushes rustled behind him though he didn't stop his prayer to look. If it was his time to go, then Allah would take him; he didn't need to see what was coming.
"Sayid." He finished his prayer before he opened his eyes.
"Hello, Danielle." He turned to look at her; she had her rifle cocked carelessly over her arm, and she looked different since Sayid had seen her last. She looked almost normal, as if the insanity had taken leave of her for a while. "Why are you here?"
"How is he? The one who came back yesterday?" Sayid gave her a quick glance of surprise. "Did he live?"
"Yes, he did. How did you know about him?" He stood quickly and she tightened her grip on the rifle reflexively. He held his hands out to reassure her. "Easy."
She smiled tightly. "I saw Them bringing him through the jungle. He looked like he was hurt badly. What did They do to him?"
Sayid sighed. "I was hoping you could tell me."
Danielle looked away. "I came here for a reason, Sayid. I have heard whispers in the jungle. They say They are coming for Michael. Not today, but soon. Walt wants him." She looked back at Sayid, a little guilt in her eyes. "I am sorry I did what I did to them," she said sadly. "But I had no choice. They offered me something I could not refuse."
Sayid understood immediately. "Alex?"
Danielle didn't answer for a second; she looked like she was struggling with something. "Yes. They let me see her, talk to her." Her eyes were glistening, and she looked almost happy; Sayid supposed she would, and he understood why she turned Michael and Jin over to Them. He would have done the same thing if it was his daughter.
"It was Alex who met Locke and Eko in the jungle, wasn't it." It wasn't really a question. He knew Locke was lying; but he felt that discretion was the wisest choice at the moment. He could catch up to Locke when no one else was around; with everyone's nerves on edge a confrontation would not have been very productive.
"Yes. I sent her. I felt...guilty." She looked sad, and Sayid felt a wave of pity for her. "Michael will never find him, Sayid. He should stop looking before he is killed or...worse."
Sayid studied her; she was holding something back. "Do you know where Walt is, Danielle? Where is he?" She knew; he could tell. His voice rose a little as he pressed her. "Where is he? Where on the island?"
Danielle stared at him for a moment; the insane light began to glow in her eyes again and she spoke in almost a whisper. "He is everywhere and nowhere. He is the island."
"What does that mean, Danielle?" She didn't answer, and Sayid knew he wasn't going to get one. "Please, tell me!"
"I will try to warn you, Sayid, when they are coming. I will send Alex, like I did yesterday to Eko." She turned and started to leave; then she stopped and glanced back at Sayid. "Keep watching, Sayid. For any signs of the sickness."
"What signs would they be, Danielle?"
She paused. "You will know." She was gone in a moment.
Sayid stared after her, confused. He sighed and glanced longingly at Shannon's grave; he didn't want to leave, but Jack had to know about this. He reached down and gently kissed the cross that marked her tomb. "I'll be back," he whispered, and with one last look he went to find Jack.
* * * * *
"Are you sure you wanna do this, Sawyer?" Kate was standing in front of him, holding a mirror face down against her chest. Sawyer was sitting up in the bunk bed while Jack changed the bandages on his back; he hissed a little as they peeled from the still-raw wounds.
"Just lemme see, Freckles. I've already seen the rest of me, how bad can it be?" Her expression said it was bad; Sawyer grimaced and reached out for the mirror. She held it and backed up. She didn't want him too see; he had stitches over one eye, his forehead, and from his hairline to the side of his cheek and most of his face was black and blue. The swollen eye had gone down, thank goodness, but it was still puffy and red. She wasn't sure why she was so reluctant to let him look; he could see the rest of his body and it was just as bad. "Doc, help me out here?"
The animosity between Sawyer and Jack was almost non-existent. They seemed...friendly and Kate was thankful; lately there had been so much tension and hostility between them it was hard to be comfortable. But it was easy today, Sawyer couldn't help but be a smart-ass but his barbs hadn't been too sharp, his sarcasm a little less acidic and Jack, for his part, had actually laughed at some of them. Kate was tense, at first, waiting for a fight, but as they joked back and forth she found herself relaxing; she was in a state of wonderment at the two of them, Jack and Sawyer, the two most important men in her life together, at ease, sociable.
"Kate, let him look." Jack sighed, as he dabbed at the lashes on his back. Jack had never seen a real case of injury from whipping, but he was pretty sure this is what it would look like. Sawyer's skin was shredded in criscrossing stripes; Jack had done his best to clean and stitch them so they wouldn't scar, but he was afraid there would be some permanent damage. The other wounds were not as bad; there wouldn't be much scarring at all from those. He was actually enjoying Sawyer's company, and Kate's; there was an easy camaraderie that had never been there before. Little stabs of jealousy still pricked him when Kate would kiss Sawyer, or look at him with that Secret Kate smile; they were fleeting though, and he couldn't be angry at them- they just glowed.
Kate sighed. "Okay, Tex, don't say I didn't warn you." She reluctantly handed him the mirror and covered her eyes with her hands; she didn't really want to see this. He took a deep breath then lifted the mirror up.
"Awww, shit," he snapped, throwing it down on the bed. "I look like damn Frankenstein." She couldn't help giggling a little. Sawyer threw her a disgusted look and picking the mirror off of the bed he lifted it up, slowly, hesitantly, then looked at it again. "Damn." He looked so forlorn Kate went to him and cupping her hand under his chin kissed him softly. He responded, flicking his tongue gently against hers; she met him halfway. A soft groan escaped Sawyer's lips and she felt her body tingle.
"Hey, I'm working here," Jack said, laughing a little. "Do you mind?" Kate pulled away from him with an embarrassed little smile as Sawyer grinned at her and took her hand.
"Well, yeah, Doc, I do mind." His fingers began to massage her hand lazily. "Me and Freckles have some unfinished business." She gazed at him, her hand on fire from his touch; she suddenly agreed wholeheartedly with Sawyer. She did mind.
"Well, not that this is a topic I really want to discuss, but how in the world would you even consider it, Sawyer?" Jack asked, unfolding some gauze pads and covering Sawyer's back with them. "I mean, you've got cuts and bruises everywhere."
Sawyer grinned wickedly at Kate. "Not everywhere."
She rolled her eyes at him and pulled her hand away. "How would you know?"
"That was the first place I checked, sweetheart." His dimples were dazzling. She couldn't get her breath properly. She suddenly wished Jack would leave for God's sake; but what would they do then? There was no door to the bunk room and people were in and out constantly.
As if to prove her thought Hurley walked in. He paled perceptibly as he saw Sawyer. "Dude." Sawyer glared at him a little and Hurley dropped his eyes. "Sorry, man, you just..." He swallowed, and Sawyer cocked his head questioningly. "Sorry."
Sawyer grinned at him. Nothing could dampen his mood today, Kate was all that mattered. They hadn't mentioned what passed between them yesterday; the actual words weren't necessary. They knew and that was enough. He still wondered what had happened to him because he didn't remember anything at all. He had strange nightmares but they weren't focused or coherent, just random images and sounds and blurs; for some reason they scared the hell out of him. They didn't stay with him long, and with Kate next to him, touching him, holding him, he didn't think much about them anyway. "Don't sweat it, Sta-puff. It ain't as bad as it looks."
Hurley looked a little relieved. "Yeah, well," he hesitated, "What you did was really great, man." Kate smiled a little at Sawyer, he looked genuinely shocked at the compliment. She flashed a grin at Hurley, too; he was absolutely right.
Sawyer still looked stunned. "Yeah. Thanks." He smiled uncertainly at Hurley, like he was just learning how. Kate covered her laugh with her hand.
The alarm sounded, and Hurley jumped a little. "That's my cue, dudes. Later!" He strolled out the computer to enter the code. Sawyer watched him go, still a little bewildered.
Jack finished up the bandaging and stood, stretching. "Ok, Sawyer, you're good until tomorrow. Kate, keep those stitches clean and it would probably be a good idea to get him up and walk around a little, carefully. I-"
Sayid came running in, breathless. "Jack, we need to talk."
* * * * *