Lost Video Island

[SuperKC]

Morelight have been working on an outline for a lost fanfic for quite some time now. This is a long one, so be prepared people. I'm thinking the first part may be posted as early as next week. It's set after the episode What Kate Did.

[marcus]

Ooooh cool looking forward to it.
_________________

It's official - Aislynn is 36. Add a 0 to the end of that and you've got a full circle.

[Polarbear]

ew Jate (hope it's not about Jate.)

I'll look out for it though nice title.
_________________

[SuperKC]

*stabs*

Paul! It's not a SHIPPER fic.

It's an epic action/adventure story! NINETEEN CHAPTERS, WHAT?!

You KNOW I'm a Jack/Kate shipper though.

[Polarbear]

I know.. I can cope with sprinkles of Jate just as long as it isn't totally about them.

By they way I am looking forward to this fic! It would be cool to know more about it though. A pic of Jate is all I got. Is it going into season 3 before it starts?
_________________

[SuperKC]

No it's not "totally about them" at all. It is going to be a kind of AU fic only NOT REALLY. It takes place after "What Kate Did." Everything thereafter will come from the brains of Geoff and myself.

It could be considered a "season 3" type fic as it's fairly long and a deviates entirely from the story that season 2 eventually told. Is that good? Haha, or do you need more. You can probably tell that I'm trying to not give too much away. I definitely think that it's going to be an "edge of your seat" type story. We've got a lot of surprises laced throughout. You won't be disappointed.

[Polarbear]

You had me at no jate.. you had me at no jate.

It sounds cool! I'll read it for sure.
_________________

[SuperKC]

[Spiral Static]

Sounds awesome! Can't wait to read it.

[MovieGuy]

You wouldn't have had to go through that little argument thing if Sawyer was on the pic


Looking forward to reading it.

[Polarbear]

Exactly my thoughts Colin. Why isn't Sawyer on the pic? He got captured too
_________________

[SuperKC]

You have to disregard that. In this story none of that ever happened. You'll understand soon little Padiwan. (Did I spell that right? I've never seen Star Wars.)

[SuperKC]

Title: Forsaken
Chapter: Settling (1 of 1
Authors: Kingpin Tales (Morelight and SuperKC)
Offsite Feedback: kingpintales@gmail.com
Summary: Our story pics up three months after What Kate Did.
Characters: Every-freakin-body.
Pairings: Various - Jack/Kate, Sawyer/Kate, Sayid/Ana, Sayid/Nadia...
Disclaimer: This is <strong>fan</strong>fic.
Rating: 14+
Chapter Theme Song: The Places that You've Come to Fear the Most - Dashboard Confessional


CHAPTER 1: SETTLING

"See anything, Holiday?" Sawyer pulled up a spot of dirt next to Jack who sat hunched between two large protruding roots at the base of a tree on the perimeter of camp. Jack loosened his grip on the 9mm Beretta in his hands and glanced down towards his boots, half irritated and half embarrassed. "You are aware that we stopped keepin' watch a long time ago, aintcha, Jack?"

It had been three months - three months since the survivors from the tail section of the plane had arrived at their camp, three months since those tearful reunions and their uneasy and painful burial of Shannon. They had become so accustomed to loss, so accustomed to being afraid every waking moment. But it had been three months, and nothing – there had been no sign of Walt or the Others during their periodic hunting parties, no whispers from the jungle, no attacks, no monster… no nothing. Somehow the silence was more unsettling than all the rest that they had dealt with since the crash. Three months. Ninety days. Two-thousand one hundred and sixty hours. And they waited. Still, that uneasy quiet that permeated from the jungle brought the survivors a kind comfort they had not known in months. Some of them, however, had seen far too much.

"I had a feeling." Jack said casually, as he hoisted himself up from his position and slipped the weapon into its familiar place beneath his belt loop. "It's passed."

"Gotta learn to let go of that hero complex, Doc." Sawyer said, rising. "Case you haven't noticed, there ain't nobody need saving much these days."

Jack laughed. "Would this be a good time to mention seeing you out here two mornings ago doing exactly the same thing?"

Sawyer smiled, his dimples shrouded in an unusual shade of embarrassed crimson as he shrugged. "Okay. You got me.”

Jack flashed an impish grin, chuckling slightly until Sawyer punched him roughly in the shoulder in his defense. “So easy,” Jack mumbled as he turned towards camp.

It wasn't their choice, but a small minority of the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 had become the established protectors of their tribe. They carried with them the burden of whatever mysteries lay deep in the dense vegetation of the jungle. They kept watch. They punched numbers into a machine hidden deep inside the ground. They whispered amongst each other secrets that would have seemed impossible to them only months before – secrets that carried with them questions that no one could answer. Eventually, even they found themselves lulled into sleepy submission by the company of their fellow survivors and the tastes and smells of their lush green refuge.

As Sawyer followed Jack into camp, he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. It was as though the electricity in the air had changed rapidly. It was the same feeling he used to get as a kid, just before lightening would strike not ten feet outside his bedroom window. He jerked around suddenly, checking the path behind him.

"What is it?" Jack asked. It was sobering how quickly the mood could change out there in the jungle, how easily the mirage of safety melted away at the slightest hint of danger.

"Nothin’," Sawyer finally said quietly in the gruff voice he reserved for those moments when he didn't quite trust his own words. "Just thought I felt something is all." At that moment, the skies blackened, and it began to rain.

* * * *

"Let me help you with that." Sayid reached down and lifted the heavy bag at Ana Lucia's feet.

"Don't." She reached for the bag, but he quickly shifted it away from her reach. "I said give it here!"

"Haven’t you gone far enough?" Sayid was steadfast. Ana Lucia had strayed away from the group since reuniting with the rest of the survivors. Apart from Jack, none of the other survivors could even look at her. She figured they wouldn’t notice much if she made herself scarce. She filled a single pack with a few supplies about a month after Shannon's funeral. She started small. At first just moving down the path towards the caves a little further each day. On her first real hike, she had been looking for fresh fruit and caught Sayid following her. Never offering much of an explanation, he usually hung back, but she was always instinctively aware of his presence. Every once in a while she’d return to camp for a few days, just to throw him off. But it never worked.

"Look, I appreciate the sentiment Sayid, but I don't need a stalker." She once again made a grab for the bag, and this time Sayid responded by sitting on it.

“Dammit! It’s too early in the morning for this shit.” Ana tossed the staff she’d been using to the ground. This wasn’t the first time, and she knew by now that they’d be at it for a while.

“I agree,” said Sayid after taking a swig from his canteen. “In fact, this has become quite tiresome.” Each day she moved farther from camp, and every day he followed her. Every day she continued to hate herself for the mistake she had made, and every day he forgave her a little more for it. After Shannon's death, he had been heartbroken. It was something he had not felt in a long time – not since Nadia. He had also been filled with a rage that he knew from the moment that he laid eyes on Shannon's shooter would never find a suitable release. He could not deny that he saw within her the same hollow soul that he saw within himself. And so, coupled with his need to forgive and to ensure that no more lives were needlessly lost, he abandoned the group and followed her without any regard to where she might lead him.

"You don't get it, do you?" She spoke slowly, enunciating every word. "I want to be left alone."

"But, moving away from the group will not help you. It will only make you more vulnerable,” said Sayid, gravely. “You will die out here Ana Lucia. Solitude is a dangerous thing. We know what the Others are capable of." He paused when she winced. It wasn’t that long ago that she had mistaken Shannon for one of them. "You know that we have to go back,” he continued. “We’re only a half a day’s hike from camp.”

"Thanks, but I can take care of myself." She tried to hide behind her words, but in that moment, she realized how futile that was. "Keep the bag." She said abruptly. "I don't need it." She turned then and walked away with nothing in hand, determined not to be bested by the persistent Iraqi.

"You've forgotten these." Sayid said, and pulled out a bottle of pills from his pocket as he stood up.

Ana Lucia stopped dead in her tracks as she heard the rattle of the pills against the plastic container – her fallback plan.

"How did you know?" She asked, her voice dropping to a level Sayid hadn't heard in all of their interactions.

"Jack." Sayid said simply and began moving slowly towards her. "He came to me yesterday and mentioned that his medical supplies had been looted when you returned to camp a few days ago. He said it looked as though the person went to great lengths to make it look as though nothing had been taken, but upon closer inspection he found that something had. He says these are very powerful – deadly in the wrong dosage. Tell me, Ana. What were you planning to use these for?"

She was quiet. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the sting of tears that beckoned just behind her lids. One more second and they would release themselves from their prison and she would be found out. "It's not what you think." She said finding her lips already tasting of that salty sadness.

"I think it is, Ana." He was behind her now, his breath on her neck, his warmth threateningly close. She turned – her eyes shut tight – and collapsed onto his frame. It felt safer than she imagined it would, less like giving in and more like letting go. As she let go of the weight of all that she had been carrying, it began to rain.

* * * *

“It’s been doing this for days,” Libby said as she ducked into one of the more stable bamboo huts that had gone up all around camp in the past few months. This particular shelter was at the center of camp, far back from the shoreline at the forest’s edge. They started small, with modest, yet sturdier shelters for individual sleeping. After a short time, they built larger community huts. At first it seemed like giving in and at times it seemed silly, but on days like today she was grateful for it. The skies had opened up that morning and hadn’t yet let up by mid-afternoon.

“Tell me about it,” said Rose, who was sewing up a hole in a men’s blue t-shirt, which was so frayed that the patch job hardly seemed worth it. But given the circumstances, nothing was taken for granted. Rose had proven to be quite the seamstress and the castaways welcomed her need to stay busy. “I thought the rainy season had passed.” She chuckled. “Yeah, right.”

“Has anyone seen Michael?” Libby asked. “Is he in the hatch again?”

“I don’t think so.” Rose said. “I saw Jack heading to the hatch a little while ago – said he was going to relieve Sawyer. He didn’t mention Michael.”

Jin, who was waiting for his shirt to be sewn, spoke up. “Michael?” He asked, affirming her question. He walked to the doorway and pointed to a cluster of rocks situated a quarter mile down the beach. “There,” he said. “All day.” Michael and Jin had just returned again with a small search party three days prior. There had still been no sign of Walt, and Michael had required stitches for a deep gash on his left side due to a fall. It would be a while yet before they could continue the search without the risk of opening the wound up again.

Libby smiled. Jin’s English was getting better and better each day. “Thanks. I’m gonna go check on him. He shouldn’t be out there in this.”

* * * *

Michael stood behind a large boulder, staring towards the ocean. He was soaked from head to toe, and was shivering unconsciously with his arms crossed and that same faraway expression on his face.

“Jesus,” Libby said in a hushed voice when she saw him. “Michael!” She yelled as she hurried toward him. “What the hell are you doing? Michael?” She brushed her wet hair out of her face and stared at him. He didn’t respond or look away from the water. In fact, he didn’t even move. There were days when he got like this. The longer he went without so much as a sign from Walt, the further he withdrew. At first, he would obsessively type messages on the computer in the hatch. But there had been no word since their first contact. She had been working with him, but it always seemed worse just after a hunting party.

It thundered above her and she looked to the sky, squinting. The rain was heavy and relentless. She breathed in deeply, filling her lungs as though she had just emerged from under water. “Michael,” she said quietly through the rain, looking back at him. “Michael, come with me please. We need to get you out of the rain.” She slipped her hand into his and tugged forcefully, yet ineffectively. “Come on.”

“Libby,” Michael said so suddenly it almost startled her, his eyes fixed on the ocean. “You have to know that I won’t leave without him.”

Furrowing her brow in confusion, she asked, “leave? Michael, I don’t understand.”

Michael tipped his chin in the direction of the water, as if the answer were simple. Libby turned her gaze then towards the foamy and violent swells, but the storm had destroyed any visibility. For a moment, she thought that he must be hallucinating, but that was before she saw it. The rain made it difficult to see, but the dark shape in the distance was definitely a boat… no, a ship. Lots of lights along the side in rows meant it had several decks. This thing was big and unless her eyes were playing tricks on her, she was sure it was headed straight for them.

* * * *

It was not how she would have planned it at all if she were the planning type. In a bunk bed stuffed down the mouth of some musty hidden shelter and tucked away from the four corners of the earth on Mystery-frigging-island, the sound of imminent doom pulling them from their post-coital bliss.

"Turn it off," Sawyer mumbled and reached for her as she struggled to pull on her shorts. “Get back here, Freckles.”

"Sawyer!" She hissed, pulling herself out of his reach. “Let go! The numbers!" Kate laughed as he thrust a pillow over his head. No. It had not been what she had imagined, but Sawyer had worked his way under her skin, there was no denying that. It was the way he said things that made her hate herself – behind the biting wit, she knew he felt the same. She knew that he was the last person on this island that would ever judge her, nor would he ever let her forget who she really was – a fugitive just like him. After a last look in his direction, she hurried down the hall and was halfway there before she realized her shirt was buttoned crookedly. She began re-adjusting the blouse when Jack appeared at the end of the hall, carrying a backpack and calling for Sawyer.

The claxon was deafening – a one second pulse of noise with a half a second pause. "Sawyer? What’s going on?” Jack looked down the hall and his eyes fell on Kate, who blushed violently. He ignored her disheveled state and offered a nonchalant, “Oh hey, Kate.” He knew that she and Sawyer had been spending a lot of time together, but he hadn’t realized. He didn’t want to think about it. The two of them had barely spoken in the past three months. The fact that they were avoiding each other was a hotly discussed topic between the rest of the castaways. He turned away dropping the pack in a corner and composing himself for a moment before heading on. “I’ll take care of it.” He disappeared from sight and she followed him out into the control room.

"Jack," she started. "I can explain."

"Explain what?" he asked as he swiveled around in the rolling chair. He hammered the execute button roughly and the number tiles flipped back to the familiar 108 and the hatch resumed its usual silence. "Everyone's had a few close calls. It isn’t an easy schedule to live by." He stood and headed for the library, content to leave it at that, but she was hot on his tail.

"That's not what I meant." She admitted, feeling the awkwardness of the situation multiply with every word. She tried to ignore the fact that she was dangerously close to actually talking about this, and swallowed hard.

"Look, Kate." He turned to face her and she nearly bumped into him. His closeness still made her nervous, though she wasn't quite sure why, so she took a step backwards. "I'm well aware of the situation with you and Sawyer. Just because you have a job to do doesn't mean you're not human, okay? I get it. I'm not your boss."

"Jack," she said painfully as she attempted to make eye contact, but he averted her gaze. This was the game they played, ever since that kiss – one whose meaning she still wasn't certain of. "Jack." She finally said again, this time sternly. "You know as well as I do that I'm not talking about the numbers. You've been avoiding me. I'm not stupid, you know? We can only play “Who Can Pretend it Never Happened the Longest” so many times before it becomes exhausting. People are talking, Jack. Talking about us.” She paused and then uttered five words which made him look up. “We can’t do this anymore.”

"We have to," those words came out as a plea and he finally looked at her, this time allowing her to see the pain he wanted so much to hide. "Sawyer is my friend. Jesus, I never thought I'd say that,” he said those last words as if to himself, “but it's true. He trusts me and I know that something happened between us out there and the truth is that I have been avoiding you because of it. I can't…" he trailed off.

"Jack?" She asked. Part of her needed to have this conversation, but part of her wanted out.

"I can't allow myself to deal with that,” he continued. “Because if I do…" he ducked his chin and moved slightly closer before lifting his head again and looking at her in a way that made her feel almost violated. The look was enough. He didn't have to finish his sentence. She knew.

“Jack,” she started.

“Kate,” he uttered her name quietly. “Just… please?” He drew in a shaky breath as he turned to the side and focused on the wall in front of him. “Let me have this, okay?”

Tears stung the corners of her eyes as she gave a barely perceptible nod. They stood there for a few moments, not looking at one another, not speaking. Jack stared blankly ahead and Kate shifted her gaze to the floor, the gentle hum of the hatch enveloping them. Kate began to wonder if she had ever heard a louder sound, but their trance was interrupted by heavy footsteps.

“Jack!” Locke’s panicked voice echoed throughout the hatch and Locke came barreling in after. They took a step apart and Kate wiped her eyes. Locke noticed none of it. He stopped for a moment and caught his breath. “Come quickly! You have to see this!”

* * * *

"I can't." Ana Lucia and Sayid had been walking for quite some time and it was starting to get dark. She stopped and tossed her bag to the ground as they entered a clearing in the jungle.

"What do you mean, you can't?" Sayid asked, concerned. They had talked about this. She was going to return to camp and he wouldn’t tell Jack it was her who took the pills. It was a deal.

“Just," she exhaled as she sat down on the ground, “can't."

"It's not that much farther. We had a deal," he said in his matter of fact tone.

"Don't remind me Sayid," she warned. "And I don't mean ever. Just…" she glanced at him tentatively. "Not tonight, okay? I can't face them right now. I just have to do this at my own pace."

"This isn't some kind of trick, is it?" Sayid asked honestly. "You say you'll come tomorrow and I come back for you in the morning to find you gone?"

"Please," she rebutted. "If it were that easy to give you the slip I would have done it a long time ago. I swear. You're like a Sherpa or something."

"I hope that is a compliment." He chuckled.

"Depends on how you take it." She almost smiled, but thought better of it, reaching nervously for her canteen instead. "Anyway," she said after taking a long swallow. "You're not really gonna hike all the way back tonight are you? We can just make camp here." She reached into her bag and tossed him some driftwood she’d rolled into a piece of tarp earlier. "Better get started on the fire. It'll be dark soon."

* * * *

Sayid stood next to a tarp he had tied between a small group of trees at the perimeter of the clearing for shelter, just in case it should rain at night. Underneath, he had rigged a few ropes to dry some of their things. He double-checked the last knot, glancing at Ana. She sat on a downed branch by the fire, bundled up in a pink sweater he recognized from the spare clothing pile they had at camp. The color made her look different, but actually suited her. It was an unusually chilly night in the jungle. That afternoon's heavy rainfall diminished the humidity and the clearing before them offered a steady chilling breeze.

Sayid gave Ana a sideways glance when he finished with the knot and sat beside her. "Why did you keep going, Ana?" He asked. "What are you so afraid of?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she said quietly in a trancelike voice, seemingly mesmerized by the dancing flames.

"Ah," he sighed, “you are on to me."

"Not exactly." She said assuredly. "But a few days ago I was leaving camp again, you kept asking me to stop but your voice…" she trailed off.

"Yes?" He asked.

"It sounded like you wanted me to keep going."

"Maybe, I did." Sayid shrugged. "I can't be sure."

“What does that mean?" She asked.

"I was afraid of myself, Ana." He admitted.

She looked at him then and held his gaze, waiting for him to continue.

"I am not the best at letting go. I have a way of holding onto things – my anger mostly - for much longer than it is good for me. When I first arrived here, I thought all of that was behind me. I was wrong. I could easily justify it, but that would be dishonest. Being out here with you, well, that’s all a part of letting that go."

"I don't think I get it."

"When someone becomes real to you, you are able to accept their flaws and mistakes much more easily. I needed you to become real to me, Ana. You had to be something fallible, something human. I don't know if this makes any sense at all." He said with a hint of desperation in his voice.

His statement seemed to make her distraught and he searched her eyes for answers. "I don't deserve forgiveness," she finally said. "Not from you, of all people.” She stood up and shook her head, avoiding his gaze as she paced back and forth like a caged animal.

"Yes you do,” he said sincerely. “We all do.”

“How can you be so forgiving?” She asked. She stopped pacing at this point with her back to him. She took in a shaky breath before saying what she said next. “I killed the woman you loved.”

"There is no other way,” he said simply. “Your innocence requires it.” At his words, Ana let out a soft cry and buried her head in her hands. He watched her for a long time and then stood up and put his arms around her, pulling her in comfortingly. Her shoulders shook slightly against him. She looked up from her tear-soaked hands and he brushed the hair from her eyes, which were puffy and red, but now filled with a relief that only came with self-forgiveness.

“Thank you,” Ana whispered quietly and the sincerity of the words resonated deep within him. “Thank you.” She said again. He felt his chest tighten up and he leaned forward.

She placed her hand gently on his chest, keeping him at arm’s length for a second longer and whispered, “Wait, how do we do this?” It wasn't a question of logistics. He knew exactly what she meant. But he didn't answer in words, only action. He kissed her. It was somehow an appropriate end to his quest. She deepened the kiss, parting her lips at his urging momentarily before she pulled away.

"Sayid, I…" she started.

"Can't. I know." He answered, without forcing her to finish her statement.

"Sayid!" The sound of Libby’s voice pierced the night sky. “Ana Lucia!”

Sayid stood quickly and Ana wiped her tears as Libby came into view of the clearing and began running towards them. "Oh, thank God! Jack said I might find you guys here." She gasped, out of breath by the time she reached them.

“Libby, please,” Sayid said, handing her his canteen. "Drink this. Take a moment to catch your breath. What's happened?"

Libby waved away the offer and caught her breath momentarily. "You have to come – come now. Get your things."

She began gathering their things which hung on the clothesline, completely oblivious to their confused expressions. Sayid grabbed her arm forcefully, pulling her out from under the tarp. She seemed to be in some kind of daze. "Libby!" He shouted. "What is going on?"

That's when she smiled. He didn't think he'd ever seen her do it, but here she had come in the middle of the night traipsing through the jungle like a madwoman and now she was smiling at him. "There's a ship." She said finally. "We're being rescued."

[Aislynn]

Hey, I didn't realize this was posted here until I saw the link in your sig! Sorry about that! The new post light thingie let me down somewhere along the way!

Anyway, (and sorry to repeat what I told you before but it's all still true )...

The main thing that I noticed is just that it's very well written. Reading it was much more akin to reading a novel or a story rather than the average fanfic. You really seamlessly blended description, dialogue and character touches all together and that's a more difficult trick that it might seem.

Of course, I had my SKATE! fangirl squee moment, though I know you won't be going there when all is said and done. But it still was a great thrill all the same...

I'm really looking forward to reading more! Great job!

So sorry again that I didn't comment sooner! *glares at new post light thingie*

[SuperKC]

Thank you so much Aislynn. Like I said it means so much coming from the Auntie herself. Haha. Hopefully the rest of it will exceed expectations.