Paddling through the rough waters as fast as they could, Sawyer and Kate were finally getting away from it all. Getting away from the hell that they had endured during the past week. Their hearts felt lighter and they knew that they were almost back. They were almost home.

"Freckles, check on the kid. That's a pretty nasty bruise I gave him." You could hear the slight shakiness in his voice, which was even weird for his tough exterior to be releasing. He still felt ashamed of how he had accidently hit the teen with the butt of his gun. It wasn't his fault that he had ran out of the jungle and scared the living shit out of him.

Kate turned around and looked at Sawyer for the first time since they had left land. She heard the worrisome tone in his voice and, strangely enough, enjoyed seeing him acting so protective for someone other than her. Slowly and carefully, Kate crawled over to the semi-conscious boy and began to check if he was alright.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Uhh.. " Kate couldn't remember his name. She was never good with them.

"The name's Karl, and yes, I'm fine!" The boy suddenly jerked up and just barely knocked Kate out of the boat, if it weren't for Sawyer grabbing her to steady her. Karl seemed to be dizzy and acting almost as if he were drunk.

"Hey jungle boy, you mind sitting down while me and Freckles here try to get us back on some land?" Sawyer was beginning to become angry, but acting more like his normal nick-name self. "Don' know if it's just me, but I'm sure sick of these shark-infested waters!"

Karl seemed to calm down after Sawyer mentioned "shark". He layed back down and quickly passed out.

Kate began to paddle again, but she knew she would have to stop sometime soon. Her energy level was decreasing fast and she was weak and starving.

"Got a surprise for ya, Freckles." He grinned and pulled out a dirty fish biscuit. Kate had knew she could get so excited over a polar bear treat in her life. Sawyer split the biscuit into two, but sparing some of his portion for when-or if- Karl woke up.

As the two munched on the biscuits, the silence between them was too much for Kate. It was the first time since they had been laying together back at the cages, that they had time to just sit there and speak.

Kate was reminiscing back to at the cages, when Sawyer was kneeling in front of her, about to give up his life for her. Sawyer saw the look on her face and his curious-nature wanted into her mind.

"What'chea thinkin' 'bout, Freckles?", he said, to break the silence. Kate hated how he could always tell when she was thinking deeply about something, usually him. "Wonderin' what ol' Doc is up to on Hell Island?"

Kate had almost forgotten about Jack. She felt horrible about leaving him behind, but in the back of her mind, she felt like he knew about her and Sawyer. About.. what was happening between them. Kate needed to ask Sawyer. She needed to know.

"Why did you just give up, Sawyer? Why didn't you fight.. back at the cages. You could have killed Pickett. We could have gotten away but you just.. just let him.." Kate's voice began to split. She could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Sawyer sighed. He knew this was coming. "I had no choice, Freckles. Couldn' let them take you away from me…"

"So you thought it would be better if they took you!?" Her anger was beginning to spill out. It had built up inside of her for so long. She couldn't think of a better place to unleash it than in the middle of the ocean and with the only other person who also had a temper so strong.

"Your life is more important than mine! I done so many things that I regret Freckles, bet the devil would be even be ashamed of me down there. "

Kate barely heard the last part. All she could think of was "your life is more important than mine". How could he think that? Sure, he had a rough history, but hell, so did she! "He's done so many good things," thought Kate. Sacrificed his shoulder for his friend's child, saved a man's life, protected and helped others around camp. Tears were slowly seeping down her cheeks now. Not of anger, but of sadness. Of how he could ever think that his life was pointless.

Slowly, Kate crawled near him and held her hand to his cheek, caressing the stubble and scars that were there. She kissed him slowly but passionately, letting him know that he ment the world to her. Sawyer could feel her hot tears on his face now.

Foreheads leaning against one another, she whispered "Don't ever think that your life isn't important. Ever." She made sure that he was looking directly into her eyes.

He could tell the sincerity in her eyes staring back at him. "I love you."