I don't know what to tell you to expect from this story. Originally it was going to work out in one part, but now it looks like it might be maybe three parts minimum. It went from a simple idea and has developed into something I don't really understand, but I let it come out. I'm afraid to read it until it's done, so I apologize for any horrific typographical errors.

Without further ado...

Title: Of Saints and Sinners - Part 1
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Jack/Sawyer
Word Count: 1,779 (11,325 overall)
Warnings: S2 finale spoilers, captivity fic, adult language and situations.
Summary: The Others need cooperation, and Sawyer is giving them anything but, so it's up to Jack to remedy the situation.

+++

The last thing he remembered seeing before darkness took over was Sawyer's stubborn gaze looking over Kate at him. His demeanor remained defiant as the woven bags were pulled over their heads, but even after he couldn't see anymore, Sawyer's face seemed to be burned into his retinas, never leaving as Jack felt his body getting shoved forward, down the wooden pier, and across the island. They would stop every now and then, and Jack could tell that they were intentionally traveling in circles to mess up his sense of direction, and he almost laughed as they seemed to be giving him more credit than was due. Jack tried listening to see how many of them there were, but it was always silent aside from the noises of the jungle. He never really wondered about where they were going, instead wondering if Sawyer and Kate were there with him or not.

Jack tried speaking one time, but the gag made his mouth dry, so it wasn't more than a gurgle in the back of his throat, but something hard and heavy made instant contact with the back of his head, causing black spots to dance across his already dark world. He didn't try saying anything again, knowing that a concussion wouldn't do anything to help his situation.

After what had seemed like three days of walking, Jack heard what sounded like a door being opened before being thrown to the ground, the door shutting behind him with the distinctive sound of a bolt being locked in place. He could feel the dirt floor, soft and cool against his bare arms as Jack tried hoisting himself up into a sitting position and ended up kneeling, his hands still being bound and the thick fibers of the bag still tickling against his face. Jack tried untying his hands but the ropes were so tightly bound that he couldn't get his fingers underneath the loops to try and loosen the knots. He then tried taken the bag off his head, but he couldn't get his hands in front of his body, and reaching from behind would've required dislocating his shoulders.

So in the darkness, Jack waited, trying to hear hints of the outside world, and sleeping when he got sick of that. He'd explore his enclosure to keep the blood circulating to his legs, walking backwards and grasping out in the dark until his fingers brushed against the wooden walls of what seemed to be a hut. It was circular and about five strides across, held together by ropes much the same as the ones that held his hands together. The ropes seemed to have a double purpose since they kept the enclosure together as well as blocking out light and sound. Jack at least hoped it also blocked out sound. He'd rather think he couldn't hear who was outside than think he was stuck somewhere with absolutely no one around.

Jack heard the door open, but before he could do anything, he got knocked on the back of the head again, falling to the ground unconscious. When he came to, the bag was gone, he was no longer gagged, and even though his hands were still tied, it was looser and looped around a wooden poll that ran the circumference of the hut, allowing Jack to walk around in circles and use his hands more freely, but still keeping him restrained to the wall. On the opposite side from the door, Jack noticed a cup of water, and what looked like dried fish.

The delivery of food and water came to be how Jack kept track of the days. It always came when he was sleeping, and the fact that the noise didn't shock him awake made Jack think they were drugging him. He got one meal a day, always water and usually fish, but sometimes there was fruit or boar and one time Jack could've sworn it was chicken. The time spent between eating and sleeping Jack spent thinking, walking around the hut in aimless circles, thinking about Kate, Sawyer, and escape. He doubted digging out would be a problem, but he still needed to get the ropes off his wrists. Jack wondered how much time it would take before he gave in and just started gnawing at his bindings.

He wondered where they brought Kate and if she'd managed to escape yet. He thought about Sawyer and if he was giving them hell. For all Jack knew, one or both of them could be in huts just like his right nearby.

One day Jack woke up with the sense that he wasn't alone, sitting up quickly to see the girl was with him, more food than usual on a tray held out in front of her. "This stuff is clean," she said, "I promise."

"What do you want?" Jack asked, wincing from the sound of his own voice. It was dry, broken, and his throat was sore.

"We need your help," the girl replied. She put the tray in front of Jack before backing off and sitting a few feet away. "One of your friends isn't behaving and is in serious trouble."

Jack watched her and he sipped slowly at the water, savoring that this bottle was actually cold instead of warm and stale like the water he usually got. "Why should I help you?" Jack asked, breaking off pieces of fish and eating them with his fingers. "Your people have attacked us, killed us, threatened us, and now kidnapped us, all the while saying you're the good people. We didn't ask to end up on this damn island."

"Your people have done all of that to us, as well, but we haven't tortured any of you, so I suppose that's the difference."

"You don't call this torture," Jack scoffed, looking around his surroundings and at his bound hands in particular. His wrists were red and starting to feel a little raw, and then his neck and shoulders were in pain from having to sleep with his arms hanging in the air.

"We had to make sure you wouldn't try and fight us. Our groups are weary of each other, Jack, and despite all that's passed, we have to try and live together." Jack got the vague impression that the girl was quoting him from back when they first crashed, and it made him wonder if they really had been being watched this whole time. "If you're willing to help, you need to say so now. I only have a small window to move you."

Jack considered his options. The girl was half his size, so if he chose to run, there was no way she could stop him. There was the risk that there were more of them outside, though, and he knew they had guns. It could be a trap of some sort that they wanted him to willingly walk into, but Jack was already trapped, so what would be the point in trapping him further? Unless it was to try and get more of their people. Sayid, at least, was out there somewhere, looking for them. Maybe they caught him already? Or they really just needed his help. The girl had said that someone was in serious trouble. What did that mean? Jack found himself with the mental image of Kate and Sawyer hanging over a cliff, Henry holding the ends of the ropes and saying he could only save one.

"I'll help," Jack decided. If one of them was nearby, then the other should be, as well, and if he could spend some time with Kate or Sawyer and figure out what was going on, they might have a chance to escape. He quickly finished off the food and water, not surprised when the girl pulled out a woven hood to place over his head. They didn't want him to figure out where they were or regain his sense of direction. "What's your name?" Jack asked as the bag got pulled back over his head.

He could sense her hesitate, like no one had ever asked her name before. "Alex."

"How long have you been on the island?"

"I've always been here," Alex replied, her voice sounding distant even though she was right behind him, loosening the knot on one of his wrists and then retying it away from the rail. Alex pulled on the bindings, and Jack rose to his feet, letting her direct him outside the hut. He couldn't tell when they got outside because the hood kept his vision dark and unable to smell fresh air through his own breath. "Your friend James is hurt. We have our own doctors, but he won't let anyone near him."

James... That's what Locke had started calling Sawyer. "What did you people do to him?"

"Nothing. He's done it all to himself. James is like when you catch a bear in a trap - thinks his motions will help free him, but they're actually hurting him more." Jack again got the sense that he was being walked in circles to make sure he couldn't find his way from his own hut to wherever they were keeping Sawyer. "We need to keep his hands bound so he doesn't attack us. Also needed to leave the hood on since he's not sleeping and we're having a hard time bringing him food and water."

"So on top of the physical injuries he's thirsty, hungry, tired, and pissed off. No wonder you need my help."

"We brought all the supplies you might need in there already. We need cooperation from both of you before we can continue."

Jack wasn't sure he wanted to know what Alex meant by continuing. "What about Kate?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen her." They stopped and Jack felt like there was something in front of him. He heard a bolt being unlocked that sounded exactly like the one on his own hut. "Please be quiet as we open the door. James might lash out if he knows we're here, and I don't think you'll be able to help until we leave."

"What happens when we cooperate?"

"That's not my decision to make," Alex said, but it sounded like she was in front of him, which meant someone else was now holding Jack's bindings. How long ago the change had happened, he had no idea. Jack waited for the sound of the door to open or to feel the hood coming off, but neither was happening. A few moments later, Jack felt something smash into the back of his head, and he felt at least two people stopping his fall before darkness overtook him.

Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6