RP3 Part Two "One Year Later"

Emma's unborn baby was restless and woke her up early. Strolling seemed to soothe him, so she headed outside in the early morning light. She grabbed her gun just in case she met any undesirables, but the village seemed peaceful this morning. At least it was quiet until she heard a door slam heavily and Sawyer stormed out of his house. Emma clutched her gun but didn't pull it out of her pocket. She had nothing personal against Sawyer. In fact, he had tried to save Desmond before he died, and she was grateful for that.

"Sawyer!" she yelled to him, and motioned for him to join her.

He saw her and changed course to meet her. She noticed him clutch his gun as well, unsure of where they stood with each other, but he didn't draw it out.

He met her in the middle of the courtyard. Emma reached towards him with an open hand. He accepted it, and they both acknowledged the unspoken truce by releasing their guns.

"What's happening around here, Sawyer? Does Ben have anything planned?" she spoke in a low voice as she glanced uneasily around them.

"Nothing that I know of," he replied. "He's got other things on his mind. Sophie has disappeared."

Emma raised an eyebrow in surprise. Christian might appreciate that information.

"And what's on your mind this early in the morning?" she asked cautiously.

Sawyer's face reddened in anger. "Zoe and I had a fight. It doesn't concern you." he growled.

Emma nodded her understanding. "Okay. But if you need to talk...I'm here."

Sawyer seemed to reconsider. "What do you know about Locke's whereabouts?" he asked.

"Why?"

"Because Zoe is looking for him, and she won't tell me why."

"I have no idea where he is," she responded innocently. "But I'll keep my eyes and ears open, okay?"

Sawyer nodded, and continued on his way.

*****
Emma left a note for Jack to find when he woke up. He wouldn't be happy, but this was something she had to do. She watched Zoe's door until she slid out and scurried into the jungle. Emma followed her from a safe distance.

Zoe staggered out of the bathroom, sure she had finished being sick. Her head was hot and she felt slightly feverish, but still brushed off that it was anything serious. She went back to the kitchen and filled up a glass of water, swigging the whole glass at once.

"Sawyer?" She called out around the house in case he had come back and she hadn't heard. She knew she had to find him. But she would have to go see Ben first, and after finding him, see about fixing the problems she and Sawyer were having.

Zoe ran into her room. Baby Charlie was sound asleep. She scooped him up gingerly, kissing him on the forehead.

"Lets go see Uncle Ben." She whispered to him softly, and left the house. She walked across the village to Ben's and knocked on his door. He opened it, slightly suprised at who his visitor was. He allowed her in, closing the door.

"Hello Zoe." He greeted, turning to face her.

"Ben." Zoe nodded, giving him a quick glance over. He looked drained. Tired, worried and stressed. "You look terrible."

"Thanks." Ben replied slightly sarcastically. Then he studied her. "You don't look so grand yourself."

"Yeah, well, I'm just coming down with a slight fever. Nothing serious, just a cold really." Zoe replied, taking a seat., still cradling Charlie.

"Ben, I know you have enough on your plate with Sophie missing, and that it's difficult to go find her when you have Molly to care for. I'm worried about her too. But sitting around doing nothing isn't going to get us anywhere. So I propose to you that you look after my Charlie, and continue looking after Molly. I will go find her." Zoe explained to him. Ben eyed her suspiciously.

"What are you really upto?" He asked. Zoe sighed and rolled her eyes.

"That's not important. I will find Sophie, and yes, your suspicions are correct, I am upto something as well, but I am going to incorperate finding Sophie too. I know you have Richard off finding her, but she is my friend, and I do worry about her." Zoe replied, standing back up and putting Charlie in his arms.

"You know, since I claimed my son back, he has been missing you. Maybe I should be thinking about choosing his godparents soon." Zoe hinted as she made for the door. Ben looked at her bewildered as he held Charlie Jr in his arms. Zoe was almost out the door.

"Zoe." Ben called. Zoe stopped at the door, having just opened it. "Thanks, after what's been done, I am glad you can still be civil with me." Zoe nodded.

"I suppose it's only due to Christian and Mel that you're on my side?" Ben quiried. Zoe closed the door again and approached Ben.

"I'm not on sides Ben." She said seriously to him. "Yes, I am not happy Christian was willing to kill my children in order to kill me and Sawyer in the purge. But I don't want them to die, and as much as it will pain you to face up to this, Jacob holds responibility for it. For some reason, Christian has it in his mind to be rid of you. I don't know, maybe it's because he feel threatened by you for his wife Mel, even though you are very much happily married with Sophie. Men, I don't think I'll ever fully understand them and their obsession to be in power."

Ben remained silent listening to her.

"But I think you and I both know who is really responsible for everything that has happened. Who is really responsible for all of our losses. Jacob." Zoe continued. "And that is how I've come to realise that killing each other doesn't actually get us anywhere. I killed Mikhail, and you know what? I regret it. Not because I forgive him. Because it didn't make any difference. It didn't bring Charlie back."

"What are you getting at?" Ben asked curiously.

"It's not Christian who you should be fighting. He's a mere pawn in this game. It's Jacob, and the sooner he is rid of this world, the safer we will all be." Zoe replied darkly. Ben's eyes widened at the realisation of what Zoe was getting at.

"Jacob is a very powerrful man. He won't go down easily." Ben warned. Zoe shrugged, not caring.

"Mel's alive Zoe." Ben added, making her pause again from heading out the door. Zoe turned on her heel.

"What?!" She asked in disbelief.

"I believe Jacob brought her back, and she's going after Sophie. She's going to kill her." Ben added.

"AND YOU'RE JUST STANDING HERE?" Zoe shrieked. "You Benjamin Linus, are unbelievable." She then stormed out the house, sprinting straight for the jungle. Zoe was in a daze from disbelief from what was happening. She didn't even notice Mel until she crashed into her, both of them falling to the ground, Zoe cutting her lip on a tree root sticking out the ground. Zoe stood up, just as quickly as Mel did.

"Mel, you've got to stop what you're doing. You can't kill Sophie." Zoe warned her seriously.

"You're too late." Mel smiled wickedly. "I just shot her. She's dead." Zoe's face fell with disappointment.

"You completly stupid cow! What exactly have you achieved by killing her?!" Zoe shouted.

"I didn't just kill Sophie, I killed our good friend Locke too." Mel laughed.

"You're insane!" Zoe exclaimed.

"Shoot her!" Zoe heard someone whisper furiously. "She's dangerous Mel, she's going to kill you, and then she is going to kill you're children."

Without hesitation, Mel lifted her gun and aimed at Zoe,

"Don't listen to him Mel! I have no intention on killing anybody!" Zoe said sternly. But Mel didn't hesitate. She aimed briefly, and fired. Zoe staggered backwards. Mel had shot her in the heart. Logically, Zoe would be on the jungle floor dead. But she wasn't she was standing straight now, facing Mel. Confused at first, both on her face and Mel's. Then it clicked.

"Mel, you of all people should know you can't kill people who are already dead." Zoe smirked. The colour from Mel's face whitened, and she ran towards Zoe, pushing past her, and through the jungle, back towards the village. Zoe let out a laugh, both with relief and satisfaction. So there was a flaw in Jacob bringing those that had been desitned to die, back to life.

Zoe continued on through the jungle, running again to find Sophie and John.

From her vantage point in the jungle's foliage Emma watched in horror as Mel aimed at Zoe's heart and shot. Her horror turned to shock as Zoe mocked Mel, then continued running through the jungle as though nothing had happened.

Emma struggled to understand how Mel and now Zoe could still be alive. And Locke? Had he survived Mel's attack as well? If he was truly dead, then Mel had taken care of her business for her and she felt relief that she wouldn't have to take a human life. So far in her time on this island, she had survived without killing anyone.

But she had to see Locke for herself; he had survived shootings many times before, and she knew it would take something supernaturally strong to finally finish him off. Her doubt got the better of her, and Emma slipped through the jungle and regained sight of Zoe. She continued to follow her as closely and as silently as possible without giving her presence away.

Zoe continued through the jungle, slowing her pace a little, after gaining a painful stitch. She pause for a moment to catch her breath. The hairs on the back of her neck pricked, and she couldn't help but think she was being watched. She wipped round, looking all around her surroundings, but saw nothing.

Taking a heavy breath, she looked at her bullet wound. She felt something damp on her back. She reached round to touch it, it didn't feel like water. It felt a little denser. Then she found it. A hole. The bullet hadn't just got her heart, it had gone through the otherside too.

She looked at her hands, which were now covered with blood, wiping them rapidly on her trousers before pressing on through the jungle, millions on questions burning in her mind, hoping she would find John soon to get at least some of them answered.

Emma followed Zoe until she reached a clearing. There lay John Locke, stunned and bleeding but still very much alive. Zoe approached him cautiously.

Emma watched and waited. She finally knew how she would trap John, and how she would punish him for killing Desmond. It wasn't going to be easy, and she would have to wait her turn, but she would make it happen. She crouched silently in the tall grasses waiting for her chance. But first, Zoe had to get her own answers out of him.

"Jacob!" Mel cried as she fell into the cabin, exhausted. She pulled a chair from under the table and collapsed into it.

Jacob appeared and smiled warmly at Mel, "Hello Mel."

Mel looked at him desperatley, "Please, I'll do whatever you want me to. Just give me some answers."

****************************************************

"I had quite a visit from your wife a few hours ago Christian." Ben said as he sat across from Christian, Juliet, and Jack.

Christian's head shot up and his red eye narrowed, "Don't you dare come in here and talk ill about her. She just died for crissakes."

Ben shook his head, "That is what I was getting at. Mel is not dead."

"What?" Juliet said hopefully.

"She came to my house not too long ago. Looked like she had been rolling in the dirt. I'm sure if you go look at her grave you'll find it empty."

Without speaking Jack ran out of the house. They were all silent until he returned. He was white as a sheet, "He's right." he whispered. Her body is gone."

Christian stood and grabbed Ben's collar, "Where is she?" he asked dangerously.

Ben looked at him calmly, "She's gone, out into the jungle on a murderous rampage which I am sure she has finished by now and to find some answers."

Christian released Ben and turned to Juliet and Jack, "We have to find her."

They were nearly to the door when Ben's voice stopped them. "That's not all." he called. "She's lost her memory."

Christian turned slowly and saw the smirk on Ben's face as he continued, "She doesn't remember ever being married to you."

****************************************************

"How am I alive?" Mel asked Jacob.

"To let you remain dead would have been a waste." Jacob said matter-of-factly.

"You couldn't have woken me up, I don't know, before they buried me?"

Jacob smiled at her frustration, "Your struggle made you stronger."

"Speaking of stronger, why am I?"

"Do you remember when I told you that when you needed help the most, then it would come?"

Mel thought back to the conversations she'd had with Jacob, "No, this doesn't have something to do with a war does it?"

"You really have forgotten everything haven't you? It seems in order to channel your new found strength you had to give something up, in this case, your memories."

"So you made me the slightest bit stronger to fight in a war that I don't remember and really want nothing to do with?"

Jacob nodded.

"You told me to shoot John Locke, why?"

"Do not worry Mel, he is not dead."

"Then why tell me to kill him?"

"To see if you would listen."

"I seem to remember Ben being able to control me like that before, so now it's you?"

Jacob reached acoss the table and took her hand, "Don't fret, dear Mel. There will be no more deaths on this island."

"What do you mean?"

"After the purge this island was left with very few lives. Why would I want to risk any more deaths? We need men and women here to help the island flourish again."

"So, you're not going to let anyone else die?"

"That is correct."

Mel's face fell, "Does that mean Sophie is still alive?"

"Yes, Richard as well."

"Wonderful." Mel said sarcastically. "You said there was a war going on. I thought people died in wars."

"That doesn't mean they must remain dead."

Mel shook her head, trying to clear it, "I'm more confused than ever. But thank you for answering my questions. Are you still going to pull the whole talking to me in my head thing?"

"From time to time perhaps, if you are needed."

Mel nodded, "I guess I owe you for bringing me back." Mel stood and walked over to Jacob. She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye Jacob."

"Farewell Mel." he smiled, "Until your next set of questions."