Birthdays? I've forgotten such a thing [Ben]

[Richard Alpert]

The sounds of the strings filled the room, scratching slightly from the record player, and Richard watched as the little girl slept. The sounds outside the house in the late evening weren't many, and the record covered them so Alex could sleep. Richard couldn't remember the last time he had seen a young child, next to Ben when he had been in the woods all those years ago. But Alex, she was a giant ball of young energy. She had celebrated a birthday not long ago, there had been a cake, and Richard had smiled and told her, 'Happy Birthday'. Richard hadn't had a birthday in...how long had it been? He wasn't sure, but Alex didn't question that, nor did she question when he had brought her a doll he had bought in Los Angeles. She was too young to understand the elements of the Island. He wondered if she would ever understand.

Ben had asked him to watch over Alex, and he took the request to heart. He protected her from the other members of the group, from the members of the Hostiles that now looked to Ben as a leader instead of him, but if they ever crossed Richard, he'd show them that he still held power. He knew deep down that he held more power than Ben, that Ben was simply a pawn, but the man seemed find with that, as was Richard.

She had finally gotten to sleep, after nearly 30 minutes of frustration. He moved, lifting blanket to cover her more before he moved, lifting the needle off the record. The music instantly stopped, leaving Richard in silence with the sleeping child.

A sound made him frown, and his head snapped over, looking towards the sound. He stepped lightly, his footsteps silent until he came upon the living room, seeing Ben entering. He hadn't asked where Ben had been; it hadn't mattered at the moment.

"She's sleeping."

Richard didn't want to mention to Ben that when Alex had first came into Ben's life, he had spoken to Jacob, and Jacob had high interests in the small girl. She had been born on the Island, that alone made her very special. Another reason why Richard chose to protect Alex; Jacob wanted to keep Alex and Ben as close as possible.

"Are you ever going to tell her?"

[ben]

Ben had his things to do. He hadn't really ever spoke of the jobs that he was given, however he did them without question to Jacob. After all, Jacob had paid particular interest in Ben ever since he was a child, and to this day he still wondered why. Jacob hadn't ever explained it to him, and always left Ben coming up with ideas on the matter himself. He had been spending more time down in the bunker, watching over the many screens, noting down different appearances of wildlife he had forgotten what time it was. It was pretty late, but Ben's work was just as important.

After packing his gear up back in his backpack, Ben locked the observation room and tucked the key safely in his pocket. Even as he approached the steps of his house, he had to wonder how little Alex was going. She was only a very small child, just turned 3. A joy to have around, she didn't know any different. As it was pretty late, Ben tried desperately not to make any sound as he opened the front door and closed it behind. Even walking through the house to her room, he tried being as silent as possible.

Richard was one whom Ben could alway trust. He knew things which Ben hadn't the slightest, even when he was a child, Richard was there for Ben. Seeing his mother, if Richard hadn't of talked with him about it, Ben's mind would have already been fucked. Placing his bag down, Ben glanced over Richard's shoulder to see a slumbering Alex, and even when Richard confirmed she was sleeping, Ben nodded and stepped away walking back to the kitchen to put on the kettle.

"Thank you for looking after her," Ben answered finally, his back turned against Richard as he was fixing two cups of coffee. He wanted to ignore the previous question, he even had trouble trying to decide if he was going to tell her when she was old enough to understand, or not. Deep down, Ben always knew that he wasn't going to tell her about her mother and the past, he would keep letting her believe that he is her biological father and that her mother had died upon giving birth. It seemed like the only lie he could continue with - as it had happened to his own mother upon his birth.

"No," Ben finally answered pointedly, pouring the boiling hot water into the mugs and stirring the coffee, sugar and milk around. "And no one else will be telling her either." Ben turned around his eyes wide as he placed the coffee down on the table and sat, indicting to Richard to do the same.

[Richard Alpert]

"You're welcome."

Richard glanced back at Alex, sleeping silently, and then he turned back to look at Ben as he placed two cups of coffee on the table. He arched an eyebrow as Ben told him that no one would be telling her either. He sat down, silent as he lifted the cup to his lips, taking a slow sip of the hot liquid. He silently contemplated what he was going to say. "I think," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "That sometime in the future, you'll have to tell her. Whether you like it or not, it's something that you'll have to do. Of course, I'm not going to be the one to tell her because it's not my place to. However, for her to stay with you, for her to love you...she's going to have to know."

Richard hadn't protested when Jacob had told Richard about Alex, about a child born on the Island that he was supposed to gather. That Ben was supposed to raise. However, Richard knew, sooner or later, Alex was going to wonder. Silently lifting the cup to his lips once again, he blew on the coffee beore he took another sip. "You do realise if Jacob wants you to know, you'll have to tell her, right?"

The last time Richard had spoke to Jacob, it had been to tell him about a traitor in the midsts of the Others. Richard had easily taken care of the man; he wasn't even sure Ben knew. "I don't know if you know or not," Richard started, choosing the change the conversation, "but Matthew's dead. Jacob alerted me to some...problems that we had with Matthew, and I took care of it." He felt himself take in a breath, and let it out in a sigh. "According to Jacob, Matthew had planned on taking Alex for some sort of ransom to get off the Island. Apparently, he didn't want to stay here. He denied the entire thing, of course." But even as Richard watched the breath escape Matthew's lungs in death, he hadn't questioned Jacob. Even he didn't have the nerve to question Him.

[ben]

Understandably, there was some tension between Ben and Richard when it came to Jacob and the orders of the Island. Ben knew that he was basically the only man on the Island who had a connection with Jacob, but at the same time Richard was just as important. Biting his pride somewhat, Ben was always a little less demanding and dictating when he was around the oldest male on the Island.

Hesitantly, Ben raised the coffee to his lips before flicking out his glasses, putting them on his face and pulling across a the latest newsletter of the Island. Waiting for Richard to join him at the table. The things he spoke of, Ben knew a little about. Jacob had in fact mentioned something to him regarding Matthew - however Ben didn't ask any more questions. "I know something of it," he replied indifferently, continuing to flick through the news letter. Avoiding talking about Alex, at least for the time being. The matter of the fact was, Ben knew that he would have to tell her, but not until she asked the first question and perhaps in the right situation, he would tell her all that he knew and some parts which he knew but knew better than to tell her.

Richard and Ben had almost a fatherly/son relationship going on for a while, especially when he was younger. Richard had always been there for Ben, and realizing that it was Jacob's plan to begin with, Ben was particularly attached to him as a child. In his older years, killing off his good for nothing father, Ben was content with being along. Richard's company was just a plus these days, being there to look after Alex while he had to go do some work for Jacob. This relationship they had going was close enough to know that Richard wasn't going to let Ben get away without answering some questions he stated earlier about the little girl.

Taking off his glasses and looking at Richard, Ben drew a deep breath. "I realize that she'll want answers sooner or later, but right now... I'll let her be a child who has a loving family around her. Until she's old enough to understand what had to be done, I'll explain it to her." Ben's tone wasn't angry by all means, he just stated clearly where Ben stood in Alex's life and where Richard should stand too. Without showing it, or saying it, Ben was slightly threatened by Richard but still holding the up-most respect for the man. This was a task given to Ben by Jacob and no one was going to stand in his way when it came down to it.

[Richard Alpert]

Watching as Ben brought up the newspaper up, Richard blinked, listening as Ben spoke of Matthew. Whispered had gone through the camp about Matthew, and Richard had ignored them all. When Ben spoke of Alex once again, Richard brought the cup up to his lips, taking a sip before setting it down on it's saucer. "Of course. No one should be denied a childhood or the chance to experience life." Moreso, life free from the dangers of the Island. Richard could feel the threatening emotions, but also the respect that the younger man held for Richard. The way it should be, Richard thought silently. Jacob had told him all those years ago to speak to Ben, speak to one of the outsiders and gain his trust. Ben being a child had helped place an impression on him, and he remembered how captivated the young Ben had been when Richard had spoke to him. That had been almost 30 years ago.

"She wanted to go into the jungle today." Richard told Ben, moving to stand to fill his cup once again. "I took her about a half a mile in." He knew that one day, he'd take her to the Black Rock or to the Caves, or the green lush medows overlooking where the Hostile camp had once been so long ago. She would learn how to navigate the jungle as well as Ben and he knew.

"She enjoyed it."

[ben]

Placing his glasses back on his nose, he continued reading the paper with little interest. It was just a simple distraction, something to show he wasn't particularly interested in the conversation, however Ben didn't want to be completely rude. Richard was probably the only friend he had, other than his adopted daughter which he loved, but even the three year old couldn't hold an adept conversation other than ponies and castles.

Ben didn't really had a problem with Richard taking Alex to wherever she wanted to go. He hadn't really the time to take her anywhere lately, he was too busy with his studies and long meetings with Jacob to really spend much more time than just a bedtime story with her. As sad as it was, Richard had taken the position of baby-sitter for the time being. "That's good," he said licking his finger and turning yet another page. "I trust she doesn't know where she's going?" he added, raising his eyes over the edge of his glasses to look at Richard.

Three year olds always have the tendency to wander off without anyone noticing. Slightly afraid that she'll take it upon herself to walk around willy-nilly, without himself or anyone else on the Island noticing was going to be a bit of a problem. There was no doubt that when she's older she'll be able to find her way around the Island and find her way home, but a three year old? Ben inwardly shuddered thinking of the damage the child could do if she was found where she shouldn't be, if she was caught in a troublesome place with no way of escaping.

Certainly there were dangers on the island, and Ben wasn't ready to accept the little girl finding them out at this stage.

[Richard Alpert]

"Do you really think, Benjamin, that Jacob would let anything happen to Alex? The child that was born on this Island?"

Richard's eyebrow raised in questioning as he looked at the man from where he stood, pouring another cup of coffee. "The only reason things happen on this Island is because Jacob wants them to. He wanted me to find the young boy from the insane mother and judge him accordingly, I did that. He wanted me to find you, I tracked you down instantly. Jacob wished for you to take Alex from the French Woman, we did just that. There isn't a thing that Jacob doesn't know about."

However, Richard knew it was parental issues that Ben had, and with the vast and wide stretch of the jungle, the dangers that lurked about. And truely, there were dangers. The Island was alive, and the Island could be very, very cruel.

"Besides," Richard said, sitting back down at the table. "you walked out into the jungle by yourself and made out fine. She has your cunning, and she has your patience." And Richard didn't want to face Jacob, should something happen to Alex. "Even at this young age, she's very special and He knows that."

[ben]

Barely looking up to see as Richard stood, revealing about Jacob not letting the Island hurt little Alex, was just grand. "Why, thank you Richard for yet another outstanding observation, your judiciousness judgment on Jacob's plan for my daughter, it is greatly appreciated." Ben reeled with distain in his voice. The sarcastic words that just seemed to spill out of his mouth and onto the table so easily. Although the movement of Richard didn't throw Ben off course from his paper, he continued reading as if nothing was said.

It was hard, being a parent when he hadn't any sort of training on it. Not that he would have accepted training it was given to him, however Jacob never said to him the reason why he was to be Alex's father. However, knowing prior that she was born on the island, Ben had his own interests in seeing why this girl was so special. AND he wasn't short of being stupid enough not to realize this. Richard, pointing it out to him was just another hinderance on his patience. But Ben was a very patient man, and he wasn't about to loose it all just for the painfully obvious statements from the other man.

Pulling the mug to his lips he blew on the steam before taking a sip. Ben might have been selfish, but he had grown particularly attached to the little girl and she had to him. She hadn't any knowledge that he wasn't her real father, but it didn't seem to matter. The mutual love they shared was just interesting to witness to a man who hadn't any parental relationships before. Perhaps this was why Ben took to her so much, she was his family. The only family he could trust, other than Richard and Jacob. But truly, how far could that take one person?

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Alex wandered into the kitchen where Richard and Ben had been sitting. Hearing her small feet patter against the wooden floor, Ben looked up and smiled at his daughter, "What are you doing up?" he asked, getting up from the table and walking over to the three year old. "I heard noises..." she replied with sleepy yet worried eyes. Squatting down besides her, he tilted his head to the side and placed a caring hand on her back, lifting her up to his side. When he was around her, he wasn't Benjamin Linus at all. His whole face seemed to change into a loving parent, his eyes soft and a small curl of a smile upon his lips.

"Well, the noises aren't going to hurt you," he answered her, walking back over to the table and sitting back down where he had previously been sitting. The child sat on his lap as she leaned back against his chest, her lazy sleepy eyes scanning over Richard. This was a normal thing to witness, Ben and Richard were rarely separated, and she hadn't known anything different.

[Richard Alpert]

His expression remained motionless as Ben snapped at him, only letting one eyebrow cock slightly at the man's tone. His eyes remained trained on Ben, resisting the urge to add to Ben's fire. "I don't have to mention to you the things I've had to give up during my time on the Island with Jacob, Ben." Richard said evenly, his voice a calm, icy tone. "I'll remind you of one simple thing. We're all expendable. If Jacob believes that Alex is no longer needed--"

Alex's footsteps made Richard's head turn, and he didn't want to believe that Jacob didn't need Alex anymore, because although she hadn't been his own, nor did he have the emotional connection as much as Ben did, he still cared for Alex. He turned from Ben speaking to Alex, taking a sip of his coffee, until they filled his view once again. He felt himself smile again as he saw the young girl.

"Then He'll do what He wishes." Richard finished, the smile dropping for only a moment, before looking at the young girl with once again, a smile. His voice was no longer cold and icy, but slightly amused. "Now, I seem to remember someone telling me that they would sleep." It almost felt foreign to Richard, speaking to Alex, yet through all his years, all his time on the Island and the earth, he found that he could adapt to any situation and make it his own, and Alex was no different. Thankfully, he didn't have to explain to Alex why he was the way he was. At least, not now. And perhaps she would never ask, never question it. "Whether they heard noises or not. I seem to remember there being another birthday doll in the bargan somewhere."

Richard remembered a time when Ben had been small, when he had asked him if he had a birthday. Richard replied simply that he couldn't remember anymore and that it didn't really matter anyway. But to Alex, to Ben, it mattered. It was moments ticking by, life slipping away.