Station Six: The Orchid [Alex]

[Alex Linus]

"Uh, yeah - of course I think it's strange." She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Only two of them, he had said. Which two? Were they one of the ones she had helped before? Maybe Claire, or Hurley, or Kate? Or that freak John Locke?

"Oh, of course - Jacob." Alex muttered under her breath with an eyeroll. He was the one her father and Richard always talked about, the one who she could never know or never get to talk to. Frankly, it just ticked her off - why the hell couldn't they tell her?

She nodded. "That's good. I want to see everyone again - those who are left that it." She said in almost a bitter tone. But she was also looking forward to see just who was left on the beach.

[Richard Alpert]

"Jacob mentioned Ford directly." The one they had held in the cages. Wonderful. This was going to go wonderful, Richard thought silently as they moved along through the jungle quickly. Exiting into a clearing, the Island felt less claustrophobic for a second as the green grass of one of the valleys met Richard's eyes.

"Oh, of course, Jacob."

Richard ignored the sound of the younger girl's voice. He couldn't and didn't have time to get into that with Alex. "If you don't trust Jacob, then trust me. I wouldn't lie to you." However, he found himself biting his inner cheek for the briefest of seconds. "And before you mention the incident at Mittelos, I didn't lie to you. I told you that you were going back to the Island one way or the other."

When Alex spoke of wanting to see everyone, Richard looked up from the grass as he walked, and over to Alex beside him. "I gave you that gun for the purpose of protecting yourself; I don't want you going off on the Survivors. What happened to Karl and your mother wasn't their fault, as much as I'd like to say it was."

[Alex Linus]

"Hey, I never said I didn't trust him. I just find him.... a bit weird. I've never seen him, so I'm starting to think you and dad are hearing voices inside your head." Alex told him carefully, toying with the gun again. Of course, the safety was on, as she didn't want to end up shooting herself or Richard. "And I know you weren't lying. I just have to get over the fact that I'm going to be stuck in this place for the rest of my life."

"And I never said I wanted to kill anybody, either. I'd like to blame the survivors too, but when in real life, it's the mercenaries and Charles Widmore who killed Karl. And if they killed my mother too, well, that just adds to the list I'm going to get them back for." Alex continued, staring off into the dark trees as she replaced the gun in her pants.

[benlinus]

It had been a long and tiring journey back to the Island, and what Ben wanted at that moment, more than anything, was to see his daughter and then finally get some rest. But there was no time for that right now; there was trouble brewing. He could feel it in the air as he moved deftly through the thick of the trees toward the Orchid Station, his soft-soled shoes barely making a sound over the dirt and grass. That was first priority -- secure the Orchid, make sure it hadn't been infiltrated by any undesirables. Richard would undoubtedly have already been there, but still, better to be safe than sorry.

He was almost there, by his estimate, when he heard voices a little way off. Ben stiffened, crouching down, making himself as small and invisible as possible while he listened, but only for a few seconds. Because he immediately recognised the voices as those of Richard and Alex -- the latter's presence putting the hint of a smile on his face -- and they sounded casual. Tense, to a certain extent, but still casual, which meant that there was no immediate danger of death.

Satisfied, Ben straightened, brushed himself off lightly and made his way out into the open, making sure to call as he went, "Richard, Alex. It's me." Don't shoot me, he added mentally. He usually said it out loud, but that was to Mikhail. Ben sincerely hoped that his daughter and his second-in-command knew better.

[Richard Alpert]

"I can tell you everything about the past, Alexandra, but I can't tell you anything about what the future holds. And if I was hearing voices, Alex, I would have gone inside a good long while ago."

When Alex said she didn't want to kill anyone, Richard nodded, approving her choice. "That's good, because I really don't want you to kill anyone either." Alex didn't need that with her. Richard already carried that cross to bear, someone as innocent in all of this as Alex. "Besides, when this is all over, I'm sure you'll get--"

However, a sound from the brush made Richard stop, extending his hand out to stop Alex. He instantly brought the gun up, leveling it at the bush as his fingers readied on the trigger, until he heard Ben's voice. He didn't lower the gun until he saw Ben's face, and then, it was slowly until he placed the gun back in the waistband of his pants.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up." Richard hadn't been surprised to see Ben; he was surprised that he hadn't been there sooner.

[Alex Linus]

Alex, again, had to resist rolling her eyes. A bunch of nonsense, really, in her opinion. Sighing, she continued in step with Richard, brushing hair out of her face gently.

"Yeah, well, if I ever have to kill someone or need someone killed, I'm sure I can always come to you for that." She added after Richard had spoken. But she stoped when his arm flew out to stop her. When she heard the sound in the bush, her hand rested on her gun, but Richard of course already had his out.

Her eyes widened briefly when she saw it was Ben. She dropped her hand from her gun and ducked under Richard's arm, runnign toward him and throwing her arms around him in a hug - she thought he had died.

She pulled back after a moment, and slapped him hard in the arm.

"You nearly got me KILLED!"

[benlinus]

Richard had been expecting him; Ben wasn't surprised. After the decades the two men had known each other, had been in their mutually beneficial relationship, they'd learned how each other's minds worked -- not completely, because that was impossible, but as much as any person could know another person's mind. "I'm not late," Ben replied to Richard's implication, a humorless smile playing about his lips. "You're early."

He was about to inquire as to the current situation when Alex deftly ducked under Richard's arm and enveloped Ben in a hug. After a moment's hesitation -- it had been a long time since his daughter had been on good enough terms with him for hugging -- Ben returned the hug gratefully. This was all he really needed, his Island and his daughter. Everything important in his life was now safely in order again, at least for the moment, and for the first time in a long time he felt strangely content.

When Alex pulled away and scolded him, smacking him in the arm, Ben gave her a paternal look of patience. "I am sorry about that, Alex," he said. "I really don't think the situation could have gone any other way. And at any rate, you're safe now." He reached out and tousled her hair, a rare show of affection, then turned to Richard, suddenly businesslike. "Have you secured the Orchid?" He really didn't need to ask -- of course Richard had -- but there were certain protocols that went with being a leader, and Ben was always careful to follow them.

[Richard Alpert]

"Two mercenaries were waiting in the upper part of the Orchid. They've been dealt with." Richard replied to Ben as the younger man turned to him. "I've heard gunshots off in the distance--"

The sound of rustling bushes made Richard turn sharply, gun drawn, until he saw two of his group, a man and a woman, holding their guns tightly. Richard lowered the gun, looking at the two. "Is everyone at the Temple?"

"Everyone that wished to go, sir. Two are still at the Barracks and we have various stationed around the perimeter of where the mercenaries were. The children are at the Temple." The male spoke, nodding his head to Alex and Ben. "Sir." he told Ben before looking back at Richard. "We took three out on the way to the Temple. Two died, one is still alive."

Richard's brows narrowed deeply at the mention of the Temple and mercs being anywhere near it. "Kill him. Take Rebecca, get the word back to those at the Temple, tell them to kill the merc they have. Get as much information as you can before you kill him, do whatever means nessesary to extract that; I doubt anyone else is around to hear his screams. I want you two to stay at the Orchid until you hear from me. Go." With a slight nod of his head towards where the Orchid was, Richard watched as the two rushed off in seperate directions, one to the temple and the other to the Orchid.

The thought of the mercenaries getting close to the Temple turned Richard's stomach a bit, however, he didn't let it show. He did however turn to Ben, looking at the man seriously. "We've had some...troubles since you left. I've sent most of the group to the Temple, the rest, as he said, are scattered around the Island. The mercenaries managed to kill three people before the group initiated an attack wave. If we're lucky, we can get information out of the one they have alive."

Then the thought of what Jacob told him hit his brain, and he pursed his lips for mere seconds before continuing. "Jacob has alerted me on some...very interesting news. It seems that we're no longer alone on the Island. There are Oceanic Survivors on the beach."

[Alex Linus]

Alex glared at her father for a moment. He did have a point - she was safe now. But she still wanted to know about her mother and the rest of everyone else.

She looked up as two people came from the forest. She had seen them among Richard's ranks before, so she didn't even bother reaching for her gun. She simply just tuned them out - still trying to focus on the questions in her head. Who was left alive? How had the survivors gotten back to the island? Were they there to hurt them?

She folded her arms over she chest, playing with a frayed end of her shirt absentmindedly. She missed Karl. Why'd they have to kill him? Was Richard counting him in one of the three killed? She figured her dad would be happy - no chance of her getting pregnant and dying now. Yippee.

"You better hope they kill them, Richard." Alex said suddenly, glancing in his direction. "Because if your people don't kill the mercinaries left on this island, I will kill them myself. I will hunt them down, and kill them." She stated in a serious tone. She looked to Ben before he could even ask.

"They killed Karl, Dad. And as far as I know, mom's dead too."