Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to ABC and Lost

Authors note: I'm probably going to go down the whole 'pregnancy storyline' route, but if I do Kate and Sawyer haven't found out that pregnant women die yet.

This is my first fic so please review.

The walk back to the beach took longer than expected, everyone was exhausted, muddy and pissed off. The radio Naomi had said would work didn't, hope was gone. They were still on the island.

Kate walked just ahead of the group, she was eager to get back. Jack was walking just behind her, she could hear him panting as they climbed the steep slope back down the hillside. Perhaps she should walk with him, talk to him? At least say a few words. But all she could think of was Sawyer. What the hell was his problem, she'd offered to go with him and he'd said no…he never said no, he was always eager for her to help, to come with him, they were a team.
The pregnancy. It had to be, there was no other reason for his strange behaviour. She had told him about the possible pregnancy as they stopped to fill up their water bottles, he'd walked away from the group and she had followed.
He was so distant, and she was worried, she confronted him, splashed him with water and still…nothing, he was so out of it.
Part of her was ashamed to admit she thought he might be happy, but she quickly dismissed that thought, he was Sawyer, she told herself, he kept no attachments, he needed nothing or no one. A baby wasn't what he wanted, a voice in the back of her head taunted her, perhaps he didn't want her either.
She used to be like that, always running, she needed nothing either, she was free, she walked her own path and she walked it alone. Well that was before the island, she was attached now whether she liked it or not. She hated to admit to herself that she needed him, he was unreliable and a complete jerk sometimes...but she needed him, like he'd said; they were a team. The conman and the fugitive, it was ironic but it worked.
And now she contained the small life buried deep within her, there were no more pregnancy tests on the island, but she didn't two blue lines to tell her, she could feel it, a small warm glow that pulsed in the tombs of her body. As much as it scared her, it was a comfort, a constant companion. And a part of him, that was always with her.

He felt numb, he kept replaying the shooting over and over in his mind. His soul felt burned and charred, the mindless hate was returning, his self destruction was back, stalking him. Zeke deserved to die, he told himself over again like a mantra hoping that some small part of his being would believe it, and it could spare him just little of the pain, of the guilt.
Bernard and Jin were sat further down from him, drinking their dharma beer, the mood of the beach was solemn, that after a great victory when time is needed just to retreat back and repair broken souls from within, but they were also optimistic, they had won this battle with no loss to life. Jin and Bernard had fought to protect their women, the women they loved. But who had he fought for, for Kate? Had he fought to protect her? No. He'd done it for himself as he always did. He took another long drink of the beer.
He wondered where she was, he hoped she was safe, that she was with Jack, he would look after her. He'd protect her, he was the better man. Even as he told himself that he knew he didn't believe it, Kate was meant for him, there would be no other after her, she was 'the one'. And the thought of losing her ripped his heart to tiny shreds.
She had mentioned the pregnancy, he knew she would in time, they had being avoiding it for far too long. In another place, another time, he would have being glad she was pregnant, that he and the woman he lived for had created a tiny new life together, that Kate's body would contain two heartbeats and one of them he had help make, but it would never work here, alone, with no hospitals.
He could see Juliet working on her tent, trying to repair some of the tarp, he remembered Hurley telling him she was some sort of fertility doctor, did she know how to deliver a baby? There was no way on earth he would let Jackass do it, hell.. He would let damn Desmond deliver it before he ever would Jack. He scolded himself for even thinking of it, he didn't know for certain she was pregnant, there was no point imagining it. He took another gulp of the stale beer.

"Whoa, dude. Steady on the beer." Hurley walked up to him, looking remarkably cheerful.

Sawyer just drank ever more.

"I was just talking to Jack on the walky-talkies, everyone's ok, they're coming back now."

"I guess that's it then, we're getting rescued," more drink, "Great."

"Err. Well, not exactly man."

"…What you mean not exactly?" Please God don't say there's only enough room for five of us on the rescue boat, Sawyer thought.

"Well, the radio from the English chick, it didn't work. Sooo, we're all still screwed." Hurley laughed at Sawyer's expression.

"Son of a bitch." he said, shaking his head.

It was dark when Kate and the rest of the castaways finally got back to the beach, they were hungry and exhausted. But happy and pleased to be back. Sun and Jin shared and emotional reunion, he pulled her into a tight embrace then knelt down and whispered something in Korean while stroking Sun's small stomach.
Jack met up with Sayid and they shared knowing looks, each knowing that victory had come at a price, Naomi's body rested in one of the unused tents.
Claire sat with Hurley, holding baby Aaron to her chest and murmuring soothing words to try and get him to settle, there was no sign on Desmond and Charlie, she hoped they were both ok.
Kate scanned the beach looking for Sawyer, there was no sign of him, she decided she would ask Hurley, who was now counting food supplies in the island kitchen.

"Where'd you get the ride?" She smiled, turning her head towards the blue dharma van

"Oh, that old thing. I found it in the jungle a few weeks ago. Me, Charlie, Jin and Sawyer…oh and Vincent took it for a spin."

"..Sawyer?" She curled her nose, "He never mentioned it."

There was a small pause, and Hurley looked at her.

"Do you know where he is…I…I haven't seen him, yet."

"Sawyer? I think he's in his tent."

"Ok." She took a deep breath and started her walk to his tent, she could feel butterflies twisting in her stomach, it was ridiculous to be so nervous, maybe she wasn't nervous, maybe it was the baby. She didn't even like thinking about the baby when she was near Sawyer, he seemed to be able to tell what she was thinking and feeling, he knew her so well. If that was the case they he would of already suspected that she might be pregnant, then why was his reaction as it was, couldn't he of at least had time to plan a reaction, at least pretend not to act so cold, so cruel.
She walked up to his tent, she had the ridiculous notion that perhaps she should knock first, but she dismissed the thought, how do you knock on a tent, and she doubted that he had company, and if he happened to be naked…well it wasn't like she hadn't seen him in that state before. She could feel her heart beat starting to race just thinking about the times she had seen him naked, of all the things he did to her. The way he thoughts were racing, talking would be the last thing on her mind.

She gathered her courage, pulled open the tarp and…

…the tent was empty.