Tracker, Chapter 12 (Skate, Others)

[shennydenny.livejournal.com]

Title: Tracker, Chapter 12
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 12


He was high above the island, looking down at the mountains and rivers below and he could see all of it; some parts were in deep shadow and his eyes could not penetrate the darkness to see what lay beneath. He was suddenly closer to the ground; he could make out their beach, the caves, the golf course. He could make out the people, scurrying like ants going about their business in a tropical island ant farm. A corridor of light illuminated a stretch of the island, and he zoomed in closer again, now he could distinguish one ant from another, he could see the Beechcraft burning; he could see Ana and Jack next to the stream, Jack was stretching and smiling, Ana was yawning and smiling back. He saw himself, sitting crosslegged in the sand on the teepee beach, arms spread wide, face turned to the sky. He descended gently into himself, his arms dropped and he smiled at the sun as he stood, brushing his pants off; he faced the jungle, knowing the path they had to take.

* * * * *

Jack was in a better mood. Last night, sitting sleeplessly by the fire he had run Ana's words through his mind, over and over; knowing she was right didn't make the truth any easier to swallow but Jack was tired of feeling miserable so he made a decision; just like fear, he would let the misery take over for five seconds, just five seconds, and then he would get on with his life. One...he thought about Kate, running to him after the cave-in, throwing herself on him in relief; Two...she was bending over, teasing him about his tattoos while she fastened his pack around him; Three...he couldn't see her, but he could feel her hands, shaking, as she stitched him up after the crash; Four...she swung the golf club, knocking the ball within feet of the hole; Five...she raised her hands to his face, kissing him. And that was that. He felt-lighter; like a huge weight had been lifted from his heart. Smiling at the glittering sky above, he'd closed his eyes and slept.

He'd been awake for a while now, staring blankly at the morning sky. There was no need to rush; where were they going? There was no trail according to Locke; Michael and Jin had been tied to a tree and then they vanished. Well, that made perfect sense, just like every other thing on this damn island. He knew Locke was gone, he supposed that he'd gone looking for a trail or something to indicate where to go, and he rolled over on his side and found Ana watching him. "Hi."

"Hi yourself." She didn't drop her gaze. "Sleep good?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I did, actually." He stretched a little and sat up, looking around the campsite. "You?"

Ana sat up, yawning. "Yeah. I'm still not used to sleeping on the damn ground, though." She smiled, rubbing her neck ruefully. Jack grinned, looking at her thoughtfully. "What?"

"It's just weird. I can't really think about you being here the same amount of time as us. It's like you just crashed, and I need to show you the ropes, like you're the new kid in school. I keep forgetting you've been through just as much as we have." She smiled sadly and he continued. "Plus, if you think about it, I've known you longer than anyone else on the island. That makes it even weirder."

"That's true." She said. "We met before the island, though. We're like Adam and Eve." She meant it as a joke, but his expression told her he didn't find it funny. She was about to ask him why when Locke came into the camp, smiling and breathless and Jack jumped to his feet.

"Did you find anything?"

"Yes, I found a trail." He hesitated. "It was hidden by some brush. We need to go, now."

Jack was ready for action. "Let's go, then," he snapped, grabbing his pack. "We're all ready." He looked over at Ana, who already had her pack on and was ready to go. She slid her club into her belt, and stared at John, who gazed back at her; he was lying. There was no trail. She cocked her head at him, questioning him. He didn't answer.

Ana started to feel a little uneasy. She understood Locke's faith in the island; he had been bound to a wheelchair in the airport, in the real world. She couldn't imagine how he felt, to wake up and be made whole again, though she wanted desperately to find out. But he was lying, she could tell. So where was he taking them?

She glanced at Jack but he was already looking ahead, ready to be on the trail. A cloud of insects buzzed around his ankles,and he shuffled his feet, not looking and Ana glanced down and gasped; the cloud had formed itself into a grotesque gargoyle and it snapped at Jack's heels as he started walking. "J-jack-" she stammered, horrified. He glanced back, alarmed at the tone of her voice and he found her staring at his shoes. He glanced down, but there was nothing there.

"What?" She was still gazing at his feet in horror, and it was starting to creep him out. "What? Did I step in something?"

Ana snapped out of it. "No," she said, looking up at Jack. He could still see traces of terror in her eyes, but he didn't ask. "I just thought I saw something." The gargoyle was gone.

Jack nodded his head. "Yeah," he said, stepping up onto a stony ledge, "That happens a lot around here." He stopped and turned back to her. She was numb, frozen in place. "You coming?" He held out his hand to her.

She smiled and regarded it. "Yeah," she said, finally, shaking the vision of the snapping gargoyle from her mind. "I must be losing it." She took Jack's hand, and glanced up the trail. Locke was standing and watching them, a peculiar grin on his face. He disappeared into the brush as Jack helped her up onto the ledge.

* * * * *

It's a beautiful damn mornin', Sawyer thought to himself as he rested on the fallen log, flexing and moving his injured arm gently. It was painful, but a pleasant sort of pain; he could feel the unused muscles pulling and straining even at the slight movement. He clenched and unclenched his hand- at least that was working reasonably well. He wouldn't be arm-wrestling anytime soon, but it was good to know he was healing.

That wasn't why it was such a beautiful morning, though. He'd woken in the dark to Kate busily undoing his belt; the fire was low and glowing, the embers reflected in her eyes like fireflies when she looked up to find him awake, staring at her. "Were you plannin' on wakin' me up for this Freckles?" He whispered to her, grinning.

"I didn't think it would be necessary," she whispered back, sliding over him. He gripped both hands around her waist, holding her down; she bent low and kissed him, hard, her hair falling like a veil around them, hiding them from the world. She rocked against him, his mouth holding hers, keeping her pulled tightly against his chest; she finally cried out, softly, and he felt her tense, then shudder and relax and he followed quickly, letting out a soft groan of his own.

They didn't move or speak for a few minutes, quietly catching their breath. Finally Kate moved, sighing. She slid off of him and reached for her jeans, returning his silent gaze. Grey dawn was just peeking over the trees, and Sawyer found himself wishing that time could stop, freeze them into this moment so he could watch her, look at her, be with her just like this forever. The simple act of pulling on her jeans entranced him; she was so fluid, so natural. She belonged on the island, not in the real world; Sawyer was not really surprised to realize that he didn't want to be rescued anymore. The island was his home as long as she was here.

Eko walked into the clearing, nodding at Sawyer. "Cowboy."

"Ed." Sawyer nodded back, still smiling happily to himself and flexing his arm.

Eko nodded to the other end of the log Sawyer was sitting on. "May I?" he asked.

Sawyer glanced over at him, warily, then smiled. "Sure, have a seat." He scooted over a bit.

Eko smiled and sat, watching Sawyer stretch and move his shoulder. He'd heard the soft moans and cries from the camp this morning; no wonder the Cowboy was so happily excercising his arm. Kate was motivation enough for anyone.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sawyer caught Eko watching him. It was creepy. He scooted a few inches more. Freak.

"How is your arm?" Sawyer was still a little uncomfortable. The guy saved his life, sure, but the staring was unnerving.

"Better. You starin' at me for a reason, Shaft?"

Eko dropped his gaze, smiling. "I am sorry, I was lost in thought. I did not mean to stare."

Sawyer relaxed. "Yeah, well, that's okay. Anyway, I owe you for savin' my life, you know, so, uh...thanks." He gave Eko a genuine smile of gratitude.

Eko nodded. "You are welcome." He did like the Cowboy. He looked around the clearing. "Where is Kate?"

Sawyer grinned before he could stop himself. "She went to pick some fruit."

"Ah, yes," Eko said knowingly. "The jungle does increase one's appetite." Eyes twinkling, he smiled at Sawyer, who looked a little embarrassed. But not too much. "She is beautiful."

Jealousy reared its head and Sawyer glared warningly at Eko, who smiled. "Yeah. She is. But she's spoken for, so don't get any ideas." His fists clenched instinctively and Eko laughed, shaking his head.

"No, my friend. I am a Catholic priest; as such I am required to take a vow of celibacy." Sawyer was gaping at him blankly. "That means I do not-"

"I know what it means," Sawyer snapped, standing up. Celibacy? How is that even possible? It made Eko seem even creepier. "I just don't get it."

"Sadly, many do not. Not everyone is suited for the life, but I have received great rewards for my sacrifice."

Disbelief was written all over Sawyer's face. "I still don't get it. But if it works for you, hey...that's just more ladies for me."

"Oh, really?" Sawyer cringed and ducked his head as Kate smacked the back of it as she walked past him into the glade, dropping her bag of fruit on the ground in front of him. "Hello, Eko." She nodded a greeting, he smiled and nodded back. She was sweaty; damp tendrils of her hair stuck to her face and neck and there was a smudge of dirt on one cheek and Sawyer reached out and tried to wipe it off; instead it smeared even more. "Why do you need any more ladies?" She asked, laughing at him. "I thought I was more than a handful?"

He flexed his hand proudly, showing off his progress. "Well I got two hands now, sugar, and I ain't sure you can fill 'em both." He grinned at her wickedly, and she rolled her eyes, bending down to the bag of fruit at his feet. He enjoyed the view for a second, then added, "Well, I take that back, darlin' I believe you can."

She snorted, raising up and handing him a mango. "You're disgusting," she said, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She tossed another mango to Eko, then took one out for herself. They all ate quietly for a minute. Kate tossed away the core of her fruit and wiped her hands on her jeans. "So, Magellan," she asked Sawyer, "Which way we headed?"

He didn't know. He chose and pointed in a random direction. "That way."

Kate followed his finger and smiled. "Good choice. That's back to the beach."

He threw her a disgusted look and she tried hard not to laugh at him; but God he made it so easy. "Well, then you choose, Jungle Jane."

"This is your show, Sawyer, I'm just along for the ride." He gave her a dirty little smile and she looked away, blushing a little.

"If I may," Eko broke in, "I think I can help here. I know where to go."

Kate and Sawyer swiveled around, having forgotten Eko was there. They looked at each other, then at Eko. Kate said, "You don't know what we're looking for, how can you know where we need to go?"

"You are looking for Michael and Jin," he said, staring evenly at Sawyer. "You are looking for salvation. I can help you with both."

Sawyer was staring at him like he was a madman. "I don't need no help finding salvation, Padre. And I can find Mike on my own." He put his arm around Kate, drawing her close; Eko was getting weird and he wasn't gonna let him anywhere near her. He pushed her a little behind him.

Kate was amused at Sawyer's gesture. He was protecting her; shielding her and it was so sweet. She wasn't really worried about Eko, he was strange, true, but no more so than Locke. She imagined that Sawyer was shaken by Eko using his real name- she said it to herself. James. She shook her head. Nah, didn't fit him.

Eko was smiling at them again. "Very well. At least let me give you this advice. What you seek is to the East." He pointed. "But be very careful; go cautiously and quietly. I will not be far, if you need me." He smiled at them one more time, then vanished into the jungle.

They stared at the spot where he had disappeared. Kate shook her head. "Sawyer, I am never taking my clothes off out here again."

He glanced down at her, grinning. He flexed his hand again, dimples deepening, and growled softly. "We'll see about that."
* * * * *

Comments

[ajzkitten69.livejournal.com]

Haha, I adore Kate's last line. It made me giggle. And Sawyer's sexy.

[shennydenny.livejournal.com]

Is he EVER. Whew! Sexy jerk with a heart of gold....my favorite :) Thanks!