RP3 Part Two "One Year Later"

"Christian, you're staring." Mel smirked. He'd been watching her for the past ten minutes.

"I'm trying to discover your secrets." he replied honestly.

Mel left her chair and sat next to him on the couch. "And?"

He sighed, "Nothing so far. You're like a closed book."

"Maybe I don't have any secrets."

Christian looked at her sidways and they both started laughing, "Darling, the day when you no longer have any secrets is the day I will become a very happy man."

Mel looked down, "Are you not happy now?"

"Of course I am!" Christian assured and pulled her close to him. "But I know you keep things from me and I can see you still care for him."

He didn't need to say his name, they both knew he was talking about Ben.

"And yes, he's been hiding out somewhere on the island for the past few months but I can't help but feel that I'll turn around one day and find that you have run after him."

"I had no idea you felt that way. You always seem so confident."

"I'm confident in what I feel for you and I know, to an extent, what you feel for me."

"Wow." Mel breathed.

"What?"

"It's refreshing to hear such an honest answer." she smiled as she looked up into his eyes.

"I know that you don't like some of the things that you've had to do for Jacob, but you are doing wonderfully. He's always been impressed by you."

"Ah, I think you are forgetting the time he told me to kill Sophie. I didn't listen to him then. I doubt he was happy about that."

"He wasn't. And you'll likely have to deal with that in the future."

"Sophie?"

"Yes, he gave you that task for a reason. We'll see it come to play in the future, I'm sure."

"Great, and here I was hoping I would never have to see that woman again."

Christian chuckled and pulled her up from the couch. "Speaking of people you never want to see again..."

Mel looked at him close before saying, "No! I won't do it."

"Darling, you must." Christian said patiently. They'd had this arguement many times in the last few months.

"Why do I even have to talk to that man. You know I think he is a lunatic. I don't want anything to do with him."

"We need him Mel. He will play a very big part in what is to come."

"Then you talk to him Christian. Talk all you want."

"I have. But you need to as well. You have to play your part."

"I have done everything that you and Jacob have asked me to. I've checked off your little list of who lives and dies. I've lied to the people in this village I don't how many times. When will I have done enough?"

"Darling." Christian soothed as he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her hair. "In just a few short months this will all be a memory. Then we can live our lives in peace."

"Do you promise?" Mel whispered. She knew that she was supposed the hate Christian and wait patiently for Ben to return but it was getting harder every day. Ben still hadn't come back like he promised he would and Christian was constantly there for her. She allowed herself to sink deeper in his embrace. "Do you?" she asked again.

"I promise. I will make this island safe for you if I have to do it myself. But first, you have to talk to John Locke."

"He has never liked me. He picked Sophie over me more than once. He's tried to kill me before Christian."

"He won't hurt you darling, I will protect you. All you have to do is talk to him."

"Okay." Mel finally answered shakily. "I'll do what you and Jacob want me to. I'll convince John Locke that he needs to kill more than half the people on this island."

Zoe shut the door behind her, making her way down the path towards the dimly litted house not much farther ahead. She had reverted to wearing her dark denim jeans and low cut top. She was nervous, and already feeling the palms of her hands slightly sweat, completly oblivious to what the fate of the village and it's people were soon to be.

Zoe stopped at the porch steps, breathing rapidly and heavily, feeling slighty stupid for getting so nervous over something so stupid as she hesitated. She slowly made her way up the steps, pausing outside the door. She raised her hand that was not posed into a fist, she heard cluttering of glasses. She closed her eyes, took a final deep breath and then knocked on the door loudly.

Zoe jumped at the sound of a glass smash, as it was so unexpected, which was then followed by the door opening, and a tall gorgeous Alabamaian man, wearing light blue jeans and a casual shirt witht the top buttons undone, his long blonde hair flopped neatly to one side.

"Sorry I'm late." Zoe started aplogetically. "Had - er - a baby crisis."

"And here was me thinking you weren't going to come." Sawyer smiled cheekily. "Come in, make yourself at home. I just gotta er - clean up some mess in the kitchen. Dropped a wine glass." He added almost sheepishly. Zoe grinned at him and slipped her way through the door into the living area.

Looking across the room to the dining table, Zoe noticed how much effort Sawyer had gone to. Taken by suprise at the linen cloth laid over the table followed by neatly arrange cutlery, plates and dishes.

"You didn't have to go to this much trouble." Zoe blushed as she stood infront of the table.

"It was no trouble!" Sawyer called over to her from the kitchen as he cleared up the glass. Zoe held out her hand and stroked it along the table, following the patterns on the linen cloth before halting at one of the chairs, drawing it out and sitting down.

Sawyer soon appeared, with a box of wine and two glasses.

"It tastes just as good." He assured her as he poured her a glass and handed it to her.

"Thanks." Zoe replied greatfully, and imediatly took a sip. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Um...just something basic. I never really was much of a cook..." Sawyer replied, blushing a little. "Just chicken and some veg..."

"Smells good." Zoe complimented as she took another sip. "This wine is good too. Another dharma special?" She chuckled slightly. Sawyer nodded beaming at her. Then there was a ding sound.

"That'll be dinner." He informed her and disappeared into the kitchen again. There were more sounds of cluncking china.

"So - do you ask the girls round often?" Zoe called into the kitchen from where she sat.

"Um - no, not really." Sawyer called back. Zoe smiled to herself a little smugly, but the thought of Kate was still on her mind. Was he perhaps rebounding?

Sawyer came back into the room, holding two plates piled with food. He set them down at their places before sitting down himself.

"Why do you ask?" He asked.

"Just curious." Zoe smiled suspiciously before helping herself to gravy. "Thanks for this Sawyer, it looks lovely."

"My pleasure." He grinned.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After dinner with light conversation, Sawyer and Zoe had moved onto the sofa to continue their conversation.

"...I don't blame you for what you did. If it were me, I would have killed the son of a bitch too." Sawyer continued. Zoe bit her lip briefly. The mentioning of Mikhail and her banishment from the village was still fresh in her memory. Like it only happened yesterday.

"You really did love him didn't you?" Sawyer said softly, looking at her with empathy in his eyes. Zoe looked away from him and down in her wine glass and went quiet.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." Sawyer started quickly.

"No, no, it's not your fault." Zoe replied looking up at him, deep into his eyes. Ocean blue. She leaned in closer, slowly towards him. Sawyer reciptated, leaning in closer to her, and they kissed passionatly. Zoe moved into his body and he took her roughly, sliding her top off over her head subtly, picking her up with both his arms, and carried her swwiftly into his bedroom....

Emma escaped to the stables every chance she got. She had given up riding when she found out she was expecting, but still wanted to spend time with her favorite horse. She was brushing Mr. Darcy when Christian approached her.

"It seems you haven't held up your end of the bargain," he said.

"I don't recall any bargain," she replied haughtily.

"Let me refresh your memory." Christian could be very smooth, and persuasive, when he wanted to be. "I gave you something you wanted that would fulfill your debt to Ben. You promised you would locate him for me, and you haven't done that."

"I never promised you anything," she snapped.

"I could make life very difficult for you, Emma." His face darkened.

Emma's anger was rising. "If you're working for Jacob, like everybody says you are, then why don't you know where he is? Why doesn't Jacob know? Leave me out of it."

Christian grabbed Emma's wrist. She cried out as he dug his fingernails into her skin.

"Jacob said you had to be the one to find him. We'll take care of getting him back to the island, but you must do the background work."

"And what do I get out of it? Will you promise that Jack and I will be left alone? That we'll have your protection when this 'war' happens? If you promise that, then I'll locate Ben for you."

"You and Jack have nothing to worry about," he smiled easily. "You'll come through it just fine."

Emma glared at him fiercely. "Then I'll do it."

Emma poked through the wreckage of The Flame station. Barely anything had survived the explosion - it looked like it was going to be a useless attempt. Just when she had just about given up finding any kind of viable communication equipment, she spotted an intact metal trunk. It opened easily.

She knelt before the trunk and pulled out a number of entangled wires, batteries...and an emergency satellite phone. She turned it on. It was already tuned to a specific frequency. She gasped when she heard a familiar voice coming through the phone. There was no doubt about it; the voice belonged to Richard.

Zoe's eyes flickered open slowly as she woke up in Sawyer's arm, her head resting on his chest and his arms wrapped around her body. She smiled as she heard Sawyer's heartbeat. She looked up at him. He was still asleep.

However, as if sensing she was watching her, a broad smile spread across his face before his eyes opened.

"Mornin' starshine." He whispered. Zoe smiled back at him and leaned in and kissed him.

"Morning." She replied and sat up and grabbed one of the bed sheets, wrapping it around herself andd got out of bed.

"Hey - where are you goin'?" He asked curiously. Zoe glanced back at him with a smirk.

"Just to get a drink." She replied flirtatiously.

"Don't you worry about that." Sawyer replied, and he reached out and pulled her down onto the bed, kissing her. He pulled away momentarily. His nose touching hers.

"I was thinkin' you might like breakfast in bed." He said to her. Zoe smiled, her top teeth rested on her lips as she smiled warmly. She knealt back her head onto one of the pillows.

"Hop to it then!" She replied cheekily, and as he got up, she spanked his bottom. He turned round raising both eyebrows at her.

"Cheeky!" He enthusiastically before grabbing his dressing gown and leaving the bedroom. Zoe glanced out the window. It was another bright sunny day. She felt a slight pang of guilt for not being there for her children first thing in the morning, but Juliet had insisted she would be okay with looking over them from night till morning if needed.

Zoe rested her hands behind her head, staring up at the ceiling, smiling, never having been so happy in such a long time, longing in hope that it would never end.

Sophie woke up finding herself in a hosipital bed. She sat up feeling dizzy and scooched to the side of the bed letting her feet touch the cold tiles from underneath her. She started to hear laughing as she looked across the room seeing Christian standing there joking and flirting with the nurse. She watched him talk then looked at his pager before heading off down a corridor. Sophie jumped of the bed and followed him. She watched as he entered a room and then watched through the window. There she saw was her own mother laying after just giving birth to her daughter. Her daughter that was herself. Sophie!.

She saw Christian take the child off her "Beautiful girl." he said as held the baby in his arms. "Were just gonna take her to an incubator, don't worry its normal. Your baby will be fine." he said taking off again down the corridor. Sophie instanly followed behind him as she watched him go to another room. Sophie sneaked in and then Christian peered out the door then shut it, locking it behind him.

He placed the child on a table and pulled out an injection with some kind of serum in it. Preparing it up he took the childs leg and got a vein and injected the stuff into her.

"What are you doing! Stop!" Sophie screamed. But he couldnt hear her. The baby cried and cried then he picked her up rocking her in his arms to calm and sooth her down. Unlocking the door he shouted to a nurse and asked them to take her to the baby unit.

Shutting the door behind him. He sat at his desk poured out some whisky in glass. Took a sip. Sophie went over to the injection to see if there was any clues to what he had just done. She instantly recognisied the logo on it. It was Dharma. She watched as he rang somebody.

"Shes been done!" he answered. "No the mother hasn't named her yet." he replied. "Fine i will get on it straight away." he hung up then rested back in his chair as he drank more of his whiskey.

......................................

Sophie gasped and shot right up from her bed. Finding herself back at home back in her bed. All of this must of been a dream she thought. Or maybe Jacob is trying to tell her something?