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Post by Ethan Rom on Feb 18, 2007 16:45:35 GMT -5
"And even if some people think Sawyer's good-looking, he's made it abundantly that he's not a good man. Not by any stretch of the imagination. People will learn who they can rely on around here. Just as I've done,"
He smiled warmly at her. He again suppressed the urge to kiss her, and realized something.
People will learn who they can rely on
She couldn't reply on him. He lied to her. He was lying to her right now. Every other word was a lie to her beautiful face.
"Gwen, I'm...I'm not much of a better person than Sawyer is. I'm really not." he said, his face downcast slightly, his eyes avoiding hers. "Just...understand that, I'm not a good guy. Keep that in mind, so when I let you down, it won't be too much of a shock. I'll talk to you later. Thank you for helping with my wounds."
With that, he abruptly turned and left.
***Ethan leaves for his shelter***
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Feb 18, 2007 17:08:00 GMT -5
Gwen just stood there, confused. "You're welcome," she said, even though he'd already gone. He'd been helpful to her, kind and understanding, encouraging and empathetic. No one was perfect, but she'd seen enough to believe that he was a good guy. Whatever happened with Sawyer was a misunderstanding, and he'd assured her it wouldn't happen again. After all, hadn't she given him the same speech about not being a saint and inevitably letting him down? He was there for her when no one else was, and she felt sure he would continue to be; that was all she needed to know.
She breathed in deeply, returning her pillow to its original place and laying her head down against it. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the repetitive, calming sound of the waves outside.
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Feb 22, 2007 23:47:00 GMT -5
“Hey, Havers, wake up.”
She felt someone’s hand on her shoulder, vigorously shaking it. “Mmm-mmm,” she exhaled, her protests muffled by the pillow.
“It’s the middle of the afternoon,” a male voice informed her. “You shouldn’t be sleeping.”
“I’m off the clock,” she whined, still refusing to open her eyes.
“Yeah, I got that. And don’t get me wrong, I like the way you look in your uniform. But I think you’ll agree that the casual look is better for both of us.”
That voice. It was impossible. She opened her eyes to see Eric, dressed in jeans and a button-down blue shirt, his brown eyes smiling down at her. Not in his pilot’s uniform, ripped to shreds and suspended in a tree.
She sat upright and rubbed her eyes. “No, no. This isn’t real,” she insisted.
“I admit, most women have to be happy with just the fantasy of having me in their tent—“
“No, you’re dead. I saw you die.”
He looked at her in disbelief. “Uh, as if I’d give up the chance to take a tropical vacation on the company dime? I’m not stupid. You are always so grouchy when you wake up. Is that a British thing, or just a you thing?”
Gwen just sat there speechless, lightly smacking her cheeks to see if it would wake her up. Her subconscious wouldn’t subject her to such torture, would it.?
“So the Sayid guy’s got me on food rationing detail. And by the way, thanks again for volunteering me. But I think he’ll allow me a fifteen-minute break. There’s something you gotta’ see.”
She just shook her head sadly. This wasn’t real.
“Are you comin’ or not?” he asked, pausing at the edge of her shelter. “I could always ask the blonde chick with the long legs instead. What’s her name? Sharon?”
Like hell. “Fine, I’m coming.” She quickly but reluctantly got to her feet and began following him. To the treeline, deeper into the jungle. Further than where they’d picked the fruit from the trees.
He advanced easily and smoothly forward, as if there was nothing to it, while she struggled with the unfamiliar vegetation and undergrowth in their path. “Eric, where are you taking me?”
“We’ll be there in a sec. You’re not gonna’ believe this place. We’ve been here for four days; we haven’t even begun to see all the amazing things on this island.”
Her eyes remained watchful for any movement, any sign of that thing. “Eric, there’s something out here. Something dangerous.”
“Oh, right, a pack of velociraptors? Or was it a T-Rex? No more Jurassic Park for you. I know you only watch it for Sam Neill, anyway."
"Not true," she countered. "Jeff Goldblum is also very dishy in that film."
"Fair enough," he agreed. “So...word on the Coconut Cortex is that you had a fight with Ana-Lucia.”
“How did you know that?”
“The island’s not that big, Gwen. People talk. And potential girlfights get a lot of attention around here. But then again, we don’t have much in the way of entertainment. You wanna' tell me what happened?"
“She was angry with me, for not telling everyone about the plane being off-course. It was like she was blaming me for everything that went wrong.”
“Are you sure? ‘Cause it’s more likely that you were blaming yourself and just doing the whole transference thing onto Ana-Lucia. And besides, I was the pilot. It’s my job to take the heat for the crash. How many times do I have to tell you that?”
Her brain was screaming to cease and desist. This whole scenario was false. She needed to wake up. “Eric, stop!" she cried suddenly. "Please...just stop walking. This isn’t real. As much as I might want it to be, with every fiber of my being, it’s not. I have to accept the truth that you’re gone and you’re not coming back.”
“Gwen, I’m right here.”
“No, you’re not. I saw you die. Kate, Jack, Jasmine…they were all there. We saw that thing pull you from the cockpit, and we couldn’t save you—“
He stepped closer and gently brushed her hair from her face, placing his hand aside her face. “Wow, that palette of Dr. Peppers packed one hell of a punch, didn’t it?”
She looked into his eyes and put her hand on top of his. She could feel the warmth of his touch. He was standing right there with her. Alive. And maybe she could convince herself that everything that came before was a dream. That this was the reality. This was how it should be.
“Come on, Havers, we gotta’ go," he advised. "We’re losing daylight.”
She ceased her arguing and simply followed him, finally arriving in a clearing. The sunlight peeked through the tree canopy above, dancing on the ground below.
“What do you think?” he asked proudly.
She stepped forward into the clearing, noticing that there was no sound. Not even the birds or frogs that had become like background noise. It felt wrong somehow. “What is this place?”
“This is where you die,” another male voice declared.
She swirled around to see Ethan, staring her down. Where did he come from?
“Geez, Ethan. Spoil the surprise, why don’t you?” Eric said, casually strolling past her toward Ethan.
“But that’s…Where did…?” she stammered, trying to understand. “Eric, how do you know him?”
“Come on, Gwen. You know Ethan and I are tight. I mean, he’s helping you get over your unresolved feelings for me, isn’t he?” He walked over to Ethan and put his arm around him, as if they were the best of friends. “By the way, thanks, man. ‘Preciate it,” he said to Ethan.
“No problem,” Ethan assured him, not taking his eyes off Gwen.
She began to step backward. She needed to get out of here. “I don’t understand.”
“You will,” Eric told her. “This island has a purpose for everyone. Mine was to die. And yours is…well, pretty much the same. Only your death allows you to be a sacrifice. Sounds classier that way.”
“No. I’m not going to die here. I have to…”
“To what, Gwen? Go back to your empty house? You turned your back on your family. There’s no one waiting for you. The island is the only thing you have. And believe me, the only thing you’ll do of any significance here is to give up your life.”
“This is insane," she insisted, shaking her head. "I’m dreaming. I know this is all a dream.”
Eric sighed. “I was afraid she might be difficult,” he said to Ethan.
“I’ll take care of it,” Ethan said flatly. Before she even had time to react, he was in front of her, his hand clasped tightly around her throat. She futilely tried to pry herself free, her knees buckling beneath her as everything went black.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gwen bolted upright, gasping for air. Her hands scrambled to her throat, finding nothing there but her silver cross necklace. She looked around as her heartbeat and breathing slowly returned to normal. She was still in her shelter. She was alone. But she felt far from safe.
She laid back down on the pillow, now afraid to close her eyes.
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Post by Severin on Feb 28, 2007 17:26:01 GMT -5
***Sev enters***
"Hey." he whispered gently. "Hello, Gwendolyn?"
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Feb 28, 2007 19:28:35 GMT -5
She raised her head at the sound of another crisply English accent, feeling somewhat closer to home as she saw the gentleman standing just outside her shelter. "No, no," she corrected, sitting up and giving him a warm practiced smile. "Gwendolyn is my great aunt; I'm just 'Gwen'."
She tried to remember whether she'd spoken to him before but couldn't. She seemed to recall him returning with the hiking party that morning. But then again, there were several people around the fuselage at that point; he could have just been another bystander.
"Can I help you with anything, sir?" she inquired, trying to blink away the exhaustion and the uneasy feeling that her dream had just left her with.
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Post by Severin on Mar 1, 2007 11:23:44 GMT -5
"Can I help you with anything, sir?"
"No, I just...sorry, my name's Severin. I'm a friend of Ana's, and I know you two haven't really been getting along, and...well, I just want to apologize on behalf of Ana. She's just dealing with everything that's happened." he replied with a slight, friendly smile.
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Mar 1, 2007 11:42:04 GMT -5
She pursed her lips, considering his words. "Ah, I see. The officer's hired herself a PR person. Probably a wise move," she remarked.
Then her expression softened. "Look, you don't have to apologize for anything, Severin. I know we're all under a great deal of stress. What happened back there with Sawyer...it was a misunderstanding," she said. "I can't promise that it won't happen again, as it seems there needs to be a brawl at least once a day around here, but...I'll do my best."
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Post by Severin on Mar 1, 2007 11:58:39 GMT -5
"I can't promise that it won't happen again, as it seems there needs to be a brawl at least once a day around here, but...I'll do my best."
"Well, maybe people will learn to get along. Who knows, we might eventually see Sawyer and...Ethan, isn't it? We might see them as good friends eventually." he suggested. "Although...that's amazingly unlikely."
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Mar 1, 2007 12:13:54 GMT -5
"Well, that's a bit of an understatement," she sighed. "And Sawyer isn't interested in being anyone's friend, believe me. Ethan just thought he was helping me. I honestly wish I'd never said anything. Actually practice some of that British repression that we're supposed to be so terribly good at."
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Post by Severin on Mar 1, 2007 12:18:30 GMT -5
"And Sawyer isn't interested in being anyone's friend, believe me. Ethan just thought he was helping me. I honestly wish I'd never said anything. Actually practice some of that British repression that we're supposed to be so terribly good at."
"British repression, of course. Which we practice in between drinking our tea and polishing our bowler hats." he laughed. "It is nice, though, to hear a familar voice. Or a familar accent, at least."
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Mar 1, 2007 12:31:36 GMT -5
"Exactly," she agreed, laughing with him. "Of course, I should warn you I'm one of those evil expatriates. I've lived in Los Angeles ever since university. Grew up in north London, lived in Somerset for a while and things were lovely...till things with my family went pear-shaped."
Eager to shift the focus off herself, she asked, "So whereabouts are you from?"
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Post by Severin on Mar 1, 2007 12:40:16 GMT -5
"I'm from Suffolk, but I've spent quite a while...traveling around, my job kind of calls for it, or...called, for it." he explained. "Then I moved to London...until everything went pear-shaped with my family."
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Mar 1, 2007 12:48:39 GMT -5
She nodded slowly in sympathy. "Yes, my job calls for a rather large amount of travel as well," she smiled. "Sometimes I think that's why I chose it. So that my longest relationship with anyone is the length of a trans-Pacific flight. Anything longer, I start to get restless," she confided.
"So were you in Australia on business?"
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Post by Severin on Mar 1, 2007 12:55:56 GMT -5
"So were you in Australia on business?"
"In a way, yes. I was collecting an inheritance." he said, nodding. "One of those distant relatives in another country you didn't know exists, but apparently was kind enough to leave you a collection of family heirlooms."
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Mar 1, 2007 13:02:23 GMT -5
"In a way, yes. I was collecting an inheritance. One of those distant relatives in another country you didn't know exists, but apparently was kind enough to leave you a collection of family heirlooms."
"Really?" she quirked an eyebrow. "An inheritance? Are you sure you want to be telling me this? I could be one of those scheming gold-diggers. Y'know, Oceanic doesn't pay very well..."
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Post by Severin on Mar 1, 2007 13:06:40 GMT -5
"An inheritance? Are you sure you want to be telling me this? I could be one of those scheming gold-diggers. Y'know, Oceanic doesn't pay very well..."
"Yes, before I know it, you'll have seduced me on a flight, taken my money and sold your amazing story to The Sun, complete with catchy title." he smiled. "Sorry to disappoint you, I got a total of an old diary, a collection of spoons and a dog that got run over almost as soon as it entered my care."
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Mar 1, 2007 13:17:56 GMT -5
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she said quickly. "About the dog, I mean. And I wouldn't sell any story to The Sun. Complete rubbish. Hello magazine, maybe..."
She paused for a moment, wondering if she should even breach the subject. But he'd brought it up first. "Ana-Lucia...what do you know about her?"
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Post by Severin on Mar 1, 2007 13:22:16 GMT -5
"Ana-Lucia...what do you know about her?"
He paused, biting his lip slightly as he decided on his answer. "I know that she's a good person inside, even if she makes...bad choices, misjudgments." He took a step forward. "If you want me to talk to her for you..."
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Gwen Havers
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Post by Gwen Havers on Mar 1, 2007 13:46:22 GMT -5
"Oh, Good Lord, no," she said quickly. She didn't want Ana to think she was losing any sleep over the continued hostility between them. That would be like letting Ana win.
"It's just...if you want to stay on friendly terms with Ana, it's probably best to avoid any mention of my name altogether. Ever since that transceiver hike this morning, she's been on the warpath."
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Post by Severin on Mar 1, 2007 13:53:59 GMT -5
"It's just...if you want to stay on friendly terms with Ana, it's probably best to avoid any mention of my name altogether. Ever since that transceiver hike this morning, she's been on the warpath."
"Ana isn't that bad, she's a kitten, really. A kitten with exceptionally sharp claws, but a kitten. It's not a problem, though, I won't talk to her if you don't want me to." he replied. "On the warpath...is that why she attacked your friend?"
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