Tracker, Chapter 31 (Skate, others)
Title: Tracker, Chapter 31
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 31
Ana took her time after Jack left, towel drying her hair and savoring the feeling of being clean; after almost two months on the island with no way to really wash it felt absolutely wonderful to feel real skin, not just layers of dirt. The effect was going to be spoiled a little by putting her dirty clothes back on so she wrapped the towel around herself and went back into the bunk room, rifling through the dressers, hoping to find something to wear long enough to at least rinse her clothes out and let them dry; there was soap and hot water (maybe!) and that was better than nothing.
The drawers were mostly empty, just an odd sock and dust bunnies, she sighed in frustration as she opened the last drawer. She didn't really want to walk around the guys in just a towel, especially not Jack. What had happened between them had been...fantastic; she smiled to herself and pulled out a pair of blue satin jogging shorts and a t-shirt with a picture of John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever, the one where he's got his finger pointing in the air. She snorted and shook her head; this was going to be almost as bad as the towel. What the hell kind of geeks had been living here anyway? The guy probably wore polyester leisure suits open to his navel with gold medallions roped around his neck. She hesitated, then drew the shorts on under the towel, they were loose but they'd stay on. Shaking her head at the t-shirt again she glanced around then dropped the towel and pulled the shirt on quickly, almost dreading that Jack would walk in. And hoping he'd walk in.
She left the bunks and, once in the hall, turned away from the reference room; she was sure Jack was there and she didn't want to see him just yet. The shower hadn't eased her much, in fact it had whetted her appetite more than anything. She didn't...trust herself around him and she had the funny feeling he felt the same way. There was a door ahead, she was pleasantly surprised to find a kitchen. There had been toilet paper and soap, maybe there would be food! She ran to the cabinets, throwing them open; there were moldy boxes and a few rusty cans and evidence of mice also. Disappointment washed over her, she hadn't realized how much she missed food until she thought she might have some. She glanced around and her eyes lit on a refrigerator. The power had been on, maybe...
She didn't dare to open the door but she took a deep breath and pulled on the handle of the fridge, it opened with a pop. The light was on. She held her breath and peeked inside, eyes widening in surprise.
Beer. And it was cold. To hell with food, she thought, and she picked up one of the icy cans. She closed her eyes and pulled the tab, it hissed and popped deliciously. She smiled and took a sip. Oh, shit. It was the best thing she'd ever tasted. It was slightly flat and it tasted like the can, but it was cold beer. She shuddered with pleasure for the second time that day.
The fridge didn't yield anything else of value, there was a bunch of fuzzy stuff and a few murky jars, two beers and a few sodas. She shut the door, shrugging- the beer was a score anyway. There was a huge freezer a few feet away, but she noticed the plug lying out of the socket and decided not to investigate that.
Still holding the beer, she wandered back to the bunk room, intending to wash out her clothes, instead she found herself lying on one of the bunks, can balanced on her stomach, staring at the bottom of the bed above her. Her thoughts wandered to Jack, of course, she kept replaying the shower over and over. I wonder what he's thinking about, she wondered to herself, grinning. Her eyes wandered over to the wall and she noticed something sticking up between it and the mattress. Reaching over she plucked out a large envelope; opening the clasps on it and sliding out a large pile of paper, she opened it up into a...map.
She nearly dropped the beer in surprise before setting it on the floor and looking closely at the map. It was the island, she was sure, the northeastern area was familiar to her. Sighing, she folded it back up and picked up the can, draining the last of it and tossing it into the trash.
Jack didn't turn around when she came into the room, but Michael looked up and snorted when her saw her clothes. "Nice look." Locke smiled too, and added, "That's a great movie." They looked at each other and busted out laughing. Ana glared at them both but that just made them laugh harder. She turned away in disgust, the clothes really were horrible. Jack was staring at her, and as she caught his eyes, he nodded. "Nice outfit." He wasn't laughing.
For a minute she forgot why she had come in the first place, the envelope wobbled in her fingers and threatened to drop then she snapped out of it and thrust the map into Jack's hands. "I found that in the bunks. It was between the wall and bed."
Jack pulled the map out and unfolded it, his eyes widening. "Locke, I think you should see this." Ana hurriedly cleared a table off and they spread the map out on it, their eyes glued to it. It was a topographical map, and most of the island was shaded a dark green ringed with white, with a few blue lines trickling from the northeast; brown ridges ran like parentheses down the island roughly north to south; Locke studied it for a second, then pointed to a spot in the southwestern area of the island. "That's where our camp is." He smiled. "There's the hatch." Jack looked closer; there was a dot and a tiny label: Swan Station. He met Locke's eyes and they scanned the map, looking for more little labels. They were printed darkly and hard to see on the green background, but Locke found the Arrow Station, and the drains; but there was no Zoological Research Center anywhere. "Funny."
Jack pointed to a spot on the northwestern edge of the island; it was close to the beach, but still in the jungle. Locke read it and they exchanged glances. Catching their looks, Ana leaned in and read the label Jack was pointing to. "Shark Station?"
* * * * *
"Hello, Katherine."
Kate glanced up, smiling; she was sitting just inside the tree line, knees drawn up under her chin watching the beach. Sawyer was sitting by the fire, staring into it moodily, but Kate could tell even from here that the anger and craziness was gone. "Hi, Eko." She nodded towards Sawyer. "I saw you talking. Is...Is he okay?"
Eko smiled gently at her. "Yes." He squatted down, arms balancing on his knees, and Kate turned her gaze back to the beach. The letter was burning in her pocket; she wanted to rip it into a thousand pieces and throw it to the wind, but she knew deep down for it to mean something it had to be Sawyer's action, not hers. Eko touched her gently, bringing her eyes back to his with a shock. "Katherine," he whispered, and his voice was different, it had an urgency to it, not his usual calm tone. "This is very important, you must listen. James is special. He is very special. You must protect him, no matter what."
Her shoulders tensed and she stared at Eko with fear and a little disbelief. "Protect him from what?"
"From everything. From everyone. But mostly from himself." He stared into her eyes. "I know you feel badly for what you did, but believe me, you did the right thing. He will forgive you for it. You saved him, Katherine, by making him stay. But you saved more than him." She stared at him, wondering how to take that. Eko was whispering now, his hand on Kate's, she could feel her skin tingling a little unpleasantly at his prolonged touch. "Stay close to him, no matter what. Don't let him do anything...rash."
Kate shook her head. "I can't! I can't control him, you know. It's not like that."
Eko removed his hand and Kate was a little relieved. "He listens to you, Katherine." He stood, his easy demeanor returning in a flash. "Now, go to him. He needs you, a little more than you know, I think. A little more than he knows. Will we see you at the Center in the morning?" Kate was gazing at Sawyer, her eyes glowing, and Eko smiled, nodding. "Maybe in the afternoon, then."
Kate smiled without taking her eyes from Sawyer, and nodded. "Yeah." She sat there for a while after Eko had gone, thinking about what he had said. She found it a little funny that she believed Eko without hesitation after her reaction to Sawyer's 'dream'; it wasn't that she didn't believe Sawyer, it was that she didn't want it to be true because that meant that he was still out of her reach.
She stood, finally, and walked slowly out onto the beach. Her heart lurched as he looked up at her; he didn't smile or speak, he just gazed at her, that curious light shining in his eyes, but hurting too. She suddenly felt protective of him; she never wanted him to feel pain ever again. Her heart steeled with resolve as Eko's words echoed in her head, she was going to protect him, no matter what. No matter who. She stopped a few feet away, her arms crossed, meeting his gaze and holding it fiercely.
They stared at each other for a long time, finally Sawyer slid his eyes away from her, looking back into the fire. "You held a gun on me, Freckles."
"I know." She took a step closer. "You didn't give me a choice."
He didn't answer for a second, then he looked back up into her eyes. "I know."
She pulled the letter from her pocket, and walking up to him, she held it out, her hand shaking before she hesitated and pulled it back a little. "Sawyer, you've got to promise me you'll never try to do anything like that again. Please."
He hadn't reached for the paper in her hand. He'd run Eko's words over and over in his head, especially the part about the James passage. I never know what could happen tomorrow, he thought. I could find him or I could not, but I am going to enjoy every single second of her while I wait and see. He still needed to find him, to end it, but the crazy drive was gone, he could bide his time, hell, he had been for years. It was a small island, they were sure to cross paths again and when they did he was going to finish the job and say goodbye to Sawyer forever. Both of them. He held her eyes again; "I won't."
She extended her hand. "Then here it is. Take it back."
He stared at it for a minute; her hand was shaking. "No," he said softly. "I think you should keep it." He gave her a meaningful look. "I need to get used to not having it on me."
Her eyes filled with tears and she threw herself on him, kissing him hungrily. He caught her, and returned the kiss, glorying in the feel of her in his arms, the soft comforting weight of her, holding him, hugging him. He groaned a little as she met his tongue with hers, and she tore at his clothes in a frenzy, wanting to feel him against her. "Wait," he said, hoarsely, and he pushed her away, gently. "Wait." He reached over to his pack and unzipped it, sheepishly pulling out a blanket.
She rolled her eyes. "You weren't expecting anything, were you?"
He snorted. "Like you weren't thinkin' the same thing, sweetheart." He spread the blanket out and she took the opportunity to shed her clothes; he stopped and watched her as she drew her tank top over her head; the moonlight was shining on her and she was cast into shadow. His heart stopped in dread for a second, but she caught him watching and smiled, slowly, teasingly sliding her jeans down. His heart started to beat wildly as she removed her jeans, then hooked her thumbs into the waist of her panties and slid them down, slowly, holding his eyes. He threw his clothes off, quickly and grabbed at her, tickling her as she shrieked playfully and tried to get away. He let her go and she ran towards the surf, skipping into the waves; she went in waist high and dove in, surfacing gracefully a few seconds later. Sawyer was captivated by her, the moonlight glistening on the droplets beading on her skin as she reached up and pulled her hair back from her face.
"Come in, Sawyer!" she called to him, teasing, "Or is it too cold?"
It wasn't cold at all, in fact, the water was deliciously warm as he waded in to where Kate waited for him, smiling, shining in the moonlight. She lifted her arms to him and he pulled her close, kissing her salty skin, then her salty lips. She wrapped her legs around him and the water buoyed her up; Sawyer let it do its thing as his hands caressed her and she kept her hands tightly wrapped around his neck. She was warm, too, warmer than the water and he held her close, the waves making the rhythm for them as he rocked into her gently. They were there for an eternity, just the sound of the waves and wind and their ragged breathing. His lips slid to her throat, and he could hear her breath coming in little gasps against his ear; it excited him and he groaned against her as she spasmed and shuddered with him in ecstasy.
They didn't move afterwards, she kept her hands wrapped in his hair and he kept his hands around her waist, his forehead leaned against hers. They kissed, softly and gently, taking their time, enjoying it as the waves rocked them slowly together. Sawyer felt himself stir again; the urgency of the kiss increased. Kate felt it too and she started to pant excitedly as they began to move together again; Sawyer carried her out of the surf, stumbling a little in the sand, and laid her on the blanket.
He moved gently into her, then stopped; holding himself above her, he asked, "Would you really have shot me, Freckles?"
She smiled, and bit her lip; "Yeah." She laughed; it vibrated through him, making him groan softly. "And I think I would have liked it a little, too."
He laughed too, and kissed her, then leaned his head against hers. "Thanks for making me stay," he whispered, moving gently against her. She moaned softly, shuddering a little, then panted, "You're welcome."
He pulled back a little and looked at her, in awe that she was there; he suddenly felt...joyful. He held it and her tightly in his hands, unwilling to ever let them go.
* * * * *
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 31
Ana took her time after Jack left, towel drying her hair and savoring the feeling of being clean; after almost two months on the island with no way to really wash it felt absolutely wonderful to feel real skin, not just layers of dirt. The effect was going to be spoiled a little by putting her dirty clothes back on so she wrapped the towel around herself and went back into the bunk room, rifling through the dressers, hoping to find something to wear long enough to at least rinse her clothes out and let them dry; there was soap and hot water (maybe!) and that was better than nothing.
The drawers were mostly empty, just an odd sock and dust bunnies, she sighed in frustration as she opened the last drawer. She didn't really want to walk around the guys in just a towel, especially not Jack. What had happened between them had been...fantastic; she smiled to herself and pulled out a pair of blue satin jogging shorts and a t-shirt with a picture of John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever, the one where he's got his finger pointing in the air. She snorted and shook her head; this was going to be almost as bad as the towel. What the hell kind of geeks had been living here anyway? The guy probably wore polyester leisure suits open to his navel with gold medallions roped around his neck. She hesitated, then drew the shorts on under the towel, they were loose but they'd stay on. Shaking her head at the t-shirt again she glanced around then dropped the towel and pulled the shirt on quickly, almost dreading that Jack would walk in. And hoping he'd walk in.
She left the bunks and, once in the hall, turned away from the reference room; she was sure Jack was there and she didn't want to see him just yet. The shower hadn't eased her much, in fact it had whetted her appetite more than anything. She didn't...trust herself around him and she had the funny feeling he felt the same way. There was a door ahead, she was pleasantly surprised to find a kitchen. There had been toilet paper and soap, maybe there would be food! She ran to the cabinets, throwing them open; there were moldy boxes and a few rusty cans and evidence of mice also. Disappointment washed over her, she hadn't realized how much she missed food until she thought she might have some. She glanced around and her eyes lit on a refrigerator. The power had been on, maybe...
She didn't dare to open the door but she took a deep breath and pulled on the handle of the fridge, it opened with a pop. The light was on. She held her breath and peeked inside, eyes widening in surprise.
Beer. And it was cold. To hell with food, she thought, and she picked up one of the icy cans. She closed her eyes and pulled the tab, it hissed and popped deliciously. She smiled and took a sip. Oh, shit. It was the best thing she'd ever tasted. It was slightly flat and it tasted like the can, but it was cold beer. She shuddered with pleasure for the second time that day.
The fridge didn't yield anything else of value, there was a bunch of fuzzy stuff and a few murky jars, two beers and a few sodas. She shut the door, shrugging- the beer was a score anyway. There was a huge freezer a few feet away, but she noticed the plug lying out of the socket and decided not to investigate that.
Still holding the beer, she wandered back to the bunk room, intending to wash out her clothes, instead she found herself lying on one of the bunks, can balanced on her stomach, staring at the bottom of the bed above her. Her thoughts wandered to Jack, of course, she kept replaying the shower over and over. I wonder what he's thinking about, she wondered to herself, grinning. Her eyes wandered over to the wall and she noticed something sticking up between it and the mattress. Reaching over she plucked out a large envelope; opening the clasps on it and sliding out a large pile of paper, she opened it up into a...map.
She nearly dropped the beer in surprise before setting it on the floor and looking closely at the map. It was the island, she was sure, the northeastern area was familiar to her. Sighing, she folded it back up and picked up the can, draining the last of it and tossing it into the trash.
Jack didn't turn around when she came into the room, but Michael looked up and snorted when her saw her clothes. "Nice look." Locke smiled too, and added, "That's a great movie." They looked at each other and busted out laughing. Ana glared at them both but that just made them laugh harder. She turned away in disgust, the clothes really were horrible. Jack was staring at her, and as she caught his eyes, he nodded. "Nice outfit." He wasn't laughing.
For a minute she forgot why she had come in the first place, the envelope wobbled in her fingers and threatened to drop then she snapped out of it and thrust the map into Jack's hands. "I found that in the bunks. It was between the wall and bed."
Jack pulled the map out and unfolded it, his eyes widening. "Locke, I think you should see this." Ana hurriedly cleared a table off and they spread the map out on it, their eyes glued to it. It was a topographical map, and most of the island was shaded a dark green ringed with white, with a few blue lines trickling from the northeast; brown ridges ran like parentheses down the island roughly north to south; Locke studied it for a second, then pointed to a spot in the southwestern area of the island. "That's where our camp is." He smiled. "There's the hatch." Jack looked closer; there was a dot and a tiny label: Swan Station. He met Locke's eyes and they scanned the map, looking for more little labels. They were printed darkly and hard to see on the green background, but Locke found the Arrow Station, and the drains; but there was no Zoological Research Center anywhere. "Funny."
Jack pointed to a spot on the northwestern edge of the island; it was close to the beach, but still in the jungle. Locke read it and they exchanged glances. Catching their looks, Ana leaned in and read the label Jack was pointing to. "Shark Station?"
* * * * *
"Hello, Katherine."
Kate glanced up, smiling; she was sitting just inside the tree line, knees drawn up under her chin watching the beach. Sawyer was sitting by the fire, staring into it moodily, but Kate could tell even from here that the anger and craziness was gone. "Hi, Eko." She nodded towards Sawyer. "I saw you talking. Is...Is he okay?"
Eko smiled gently at her. "Yes." He squatted down, arms balancing on his knees, and Kate turned her gaze back to the beach. The letter was burning in her pocket; she wanted to rip it into a thousand pieces and throw it to the wind, but she knew deep down for it to mean something it had to be Sawyer's action, not hers. Eko touched her gently, bringing her eyes back to his with a shock. "Katherine," he whispered, and his voice was different, it had an urgency to it, not his usual calm tone. "This is very important, you must listen. James is special. He is very special. You must protect him, no matter what."
Her shoulders tensed and she stared at Eko with fear and a little disbelief. "Protect him from what?"
"From everything. From everyone. But mostly from himself." He stared into her eyes. "I know you feel badly for what you did, but believe me, you did the right thing. He will forgive you for it. You saved him, Katherine, by making him stay. But you saved more than him." She stared at him, wondering how to take that. Eko was whispering now, his hand on Kate's, she could feel her skin tingling a little unpleasantly at his prolonged touch. "Stay close to him, no matter what. Don't let him do anything...rash."
Kate shook her head. "I can't! I can't control him, you know. It's not like that."
Eko removed his hand and Kate was a little relieved. "He listens to you, Katherine." He stood, his easy demeanor returning in a flash. "Now, go to him. He needs you, a little more than you know, I think. A little more than he knows. Will we see you at the Center in the morning?" Kate was gazing at Sawyer, her eyes glowing, and Eko smiled, nodding. "Maybe in the afternoon, then."
Kate smiled without taking her eyes from Sawyer, and nodded. "Yeah." She sat there for a while after Eko had gone, thinking about what he had said. She found it a little funny that she believed Eko without hesitation after her reaction to Sawyer's 'dream'; it wasn't that she didn't believe Sawyer, it was that she didn't want it to be true because that meant that he was still out of her reach.
She stood, finally, and walked slowly out onto the beach. Her heart lurched as he looked up at her; he didn't smile or speak, he just gazed at her, that curious light shining in his eyes, but hurting too. She suddenly felt protective of him; she never wanted him to feel pain ever again. Her heart steeled with resolve as Eko's words echoed in her head, she was going to protect him, no matter what. No matter who. She stopped a few feet away, her arms crossed, meeting his gaze and holding it fiercely.
They stared at each other for a long time, finally Sawyer slid his eyes away from her, looking back into the fire. "You held a gun on me, Freckles."
"I know." She took a step closer. "You didn't give me a choice."
He didn't answer for a second, then he looked back up into her eyes. "I know."
She pulled the letter from her pocket, and walking up to him, she held it out, her hand shaking before she hesitated and pulled it back a little. "Sawyer, you've got to promise me you'll never try to do anything like that again. Please."
He hadn't reached for the paper in her hand. He'd run Eko's words over and over in his head, especially the part about the James passage. I never know what could happen tomorrow, he thought. I could find him or I could not, but I am going to enjoy every single second of her while I wait and see. He still needed to find him, to end it, but the crazy drive was gone, he could bide his time, hell, he had been for years. It was a small island, they were sure to cross paths again and when they did he was going to finish the job and say goodbye to Sawyer forever. Both of them. He held her eyes again; "I won't."
She extended her hand. "Then here it is. Take it back."
He stared at it for a minute; her hand was shaking. "No," he said softly. "I think you should keep it." He gave her a meaningful look. "I need to get used to not having it on me."
Her eyes filled with tears and she threw herself on him, kissing him hungrily. He caught her, and returned the kiss, glorying in the feel of her in his arms, the soft comforting weight of her, holding him, hugging him. He groaned a little as she met his tongue with hers, and she tore at his clothes in a frenzy, wanting to feel him against her. "Wait," he said, hoarsely, and he pushed her away, gently. "Wait." He reached over to his pack and unzipped it, sheepishly pulling out a blanket.
She rolled her eyes. "You weren't expecting anything, were you?"
He snorted. "Like you weren't thinkin' the same thing, sweetheart." He spread the blanket out and she took the opportunity to shed her clothes; he stopped and watched her as she drew her tank top over her head; the moonlight was shining on her and she was cast into shadow. His heart stopped in dread for a second, but she caught him watching and smiled, slowly, teasingly sliding her jeans down. His heart started to beat wildly as she removed her jeans, then hooked her thumbs into the waist of her panties and slid them down, slowly, holding his eyes. He threw his clothes off, quickly and grabbed at her, tickling her as she shrieked playfully and tried to get away. He let her go and she ran towards the surf, skipping into the waves; she went in waist high and dove in, surfacing gracefully a few seconds later. Sawyer was captivated by her, the moonlight glistening on the droplets beading on her skin as she reached up and pulled her hair back from her face.
"Come in, Sawyer!" she called to him, teasing, "Or is it too cold?"
It wasn't cold at all, in fact, the water was deliciously warm as he waded in to where Kate waited for him, smiling, shining in the moonlight. She lifted her arms to him and he pulled her close, kissing her salty skin, then her salty lips. She wrapped her legs around him and the water buoyed her up; Sawyer let it do its thing as his hands caressed her and she kept her hands tightly wrapped around his neck. She was warm, too, warmer than the water and he held her close, the waves making the rhythm for them as he rocked into her gently. They were there for an eternity, just the sound of the waves and wind and their ragged breathing. His lips slid to her throat, and he could hear her breath coming in little gasps against his ear; it excited him and he groaned against her as she spasmed and shuddered with him in ecstasy.
They didn't move afterwards, she kept her hands wrapped in his hair and he kept his hands around her waist, his forehead leaned against hers. They kissed, softly and gently, taking their time, enjoying it as the waves rocked them slowly together. Sawyer felt himself stir again; the urgency of the kiss increased. Kate felt it too and she started to pant excitedly as they began to move together again; Sawyer carried her out of the surf, stumbling a little in the sand, and laid her on the blanket.
He moved gently into her, then stopped; holding himself above her, he asked, "Would you really have shot me, Freckles?"
She smiled, and bit her lip; "Yeah." She laughed; it vibrated through him, making him groan softly. "And I think I would have liked it a little, too."
He laughed too, and kissed her, then leaned his head against hers. "Thanks for making me stay," he whispered, moving gently against her. She moaned softly, shuddering a little, then panted, "You're welcome."
He pulled back a little and looked at her, in awe that she was there; he suddenly felt...joyful. He held it and her tightly in his hands, unwilling to ever let them go.
* * * * *