Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated to ABC or "Lost." These characters are the sole property of their writers and producers, but the plot is entirely my own. The lyrics which became the inspiration of this ficlet is "This Love," from Maroon 5's album "Songs about Jane."

The timeframe of this story is little while after the events of "Eggtown." The Oceanic 6 are currently on their way back home.

It was the last night. Tomorrow morning, at approximately 6:42 AM the ship would dock in Fiji. From there, shuttles would take them to the international airport. From there, they were fly wherever they liked.

Sawyer lay on the cramped double bed in his cabin, his fingers intertwined behind his head, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. At the foot of his bed, he had neatly placed his worn messenger bag and a Dharma duffel bag he had salvaged from the hatch. It was surprisingly difficult for him to sift through all the belongings he had accumulated over the course of three months and decide what would have to stay on the island. Some of his original clothing maintained sentimental value by sheer fact that it survived the flight. It was neatly folded in the bottom of his duffel bag. He was surprised how reluctant he felt to part with his growing collection of books. In fact, he ended up throwing out a bulky pair of hiking boots in order to make room for some of the new novels he acquired from Ben's house.

He was still having trouble readjusting to the feel of a bed at night. Although he relished lounging and reading in a cushy piece of furniture, he was never quite able to fall completely asleep. Over the last few nights, the only way he was able to get any rest at all was by wrapping himself in the comforter and sleeping on the floor. Considering that the next morning he would be embarking on a 26 hour flight to LAX, he decided that he would just stay in the bed. If anything, it would give him time to think.

Almost on cue, there was a soft knocking on the door. Sawyer sat up instantly, his heart thumping heavily. Even though he knew they were off the island, his instincts were still trained to react to sudden noises. It was not a coincident that he also recognized the knock. "Come in?"

The sound of the doorknob turning and gears clicking was deafening. The rusty hinges creaked noisily as the door eased opened. A figure emerged from the shadows, but he knew who it was already.

"Kate..."

She squeezed her lithe body through the doorframe and stood, her back pressed against the door. She stared at him, doe-eyed and visibly nervous. Over the last few days, he had seen a lot of her, albeit from a distance. There were some tense incidents in which they stole furtive glances at eachother, only to look away and pretend to be engaged with what they were doing. They hadn't spoken to each other since she returned to the beach after that fateful night in the bedroom. The thought alone made him wince.

He took a moment to drink her in. She was wearing a floral print sundress. Judging from the way it hung on her body, it seemed as if somebody with higher hips and narrower shoulders had stretched it out from prior wear. If he had to guess, he would wager that she borrowed it from that new redhead, Charlotte. Although the cut wasn't the most flattering, the femininity of the dress suited her well, and the soft colors of the fabric complemented her skin and hair. He admired her appreciatively.

"Sawyer…" She shifted uncomfortably under the intensity of his gaze. She tried again. "James… can I come in?"

He'd be lying if he were to say he was completely surprised to see her, but he tried to look as nonchalant as possible. He scooted back against the headboard of his bed, gesturing for her to join him. He couldn't help but smirk when her eyes widened in panic, darting around for any alternatives. Obviously, she hadn't thought about the fact that the bed was the only piece of furniture in the tiny cabin.

Reluctantly she took a seat at the edge of the bed, taking care to pull down the hem of her skirt. He crossed his arms and exhaled audibly. His glare was making her uncomfortable, but at the moment, he really didn't seem to care too much. She continued to avoid eye contact, which only intensified the thick silence between them. He would have scowled for much longer, except he was beginning to get tired and curiosity got the better of him. Finally, he cleared his throat. Visibly startled, she couldn't help but turn to look at him.

"I'm not gonna try anythin' Kate. 'Specially not with that mean southpaw of yours." In a weak attempt to break the ice, he smiled at her congenially, but not without sarcasm.

Fortunately, she was responsive to the gesture and laughed. It instantly brightened the relative dimness of the room. "Look…"

From the moment she started, he could tell from her body language that she felt more relaxed. He also surmised that she had wanted to have this talk for a while now, but she had no idea how to start. He patiently waited for her to continue. "I know things have been a little… weird since we saw eachother last."

He scoffed loudly.

She nodded in acquiescence and corrected herself. "Okay, really weird. But I really want to know… why are you doing this? Why'd you change your mind?"

Sawyer sighed loudly, slumping back against the headboard.

She continued, her voice quavering slightly. "It's just… I wanted to make sure it wasn't because… you know."

He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "What do you want me to say Kate?"

She scooted closer to him, so she was peering at his face. Gently she tried to ease her hand into his. "I just wanted to make sure you were doing this for the right reasons."

He laughed throatily, a sound that filled the room. "And what, pray tell would be a 'right' reason? One that doesn't involve you, right?"

Her eyebrows furrowed, puzzled. He chuckled again, sardonically. "Yer just so damn cute when yer flatterin' yourself, Freckles."

She wasn't sure what she was expecting tonight, but his harsh tone stung more than she expected. She wasn't even sure what he meant, but she dropped his hand immediately.

His own reaction was immediate. "Hey, what did I tell you about makin' this about you? You were the one that walked out on me, remember? If I recall correctly, I was the one that got slapped in the face. Literally. So don't give me that hurt puppy look."

He swung his legs off the bed and circled so he was facing her. "You really wanna know why I'm on this boat? I may not have anythin' waiting for me back home. But if you leave, Kate? I have even less of a reason to stay."

He exhaled sharply. She swallowed, looking up at him with anticipation. Her eyes were wet but eager. Despite his bitterness, he really never stood a chance when she looked at him like that.

He crouched down and leaned in closely so he could speak softer, gentler. "Now I know that once you step on your plane, and I step on mine, we'll probably never see eachother again. I understand that, and I accept it. But the fact is, somehow… if by some random twist of fate… the odds are just much better if we're in the same hemisphere."

Silent tears were streaming down her face, and she had to look away. She couldn't bear seeing the sincerity in his eyes, the resignation in his voice. She shook her head, sniffing quietly. "James… we can't."

He sighed, frustrated and peeved again. "Goddammit, you can't what, Kate? What? What is it about us, about me, that makes it so hard for you to believe that we could possibly have a chance?"

After a few more sobs, she regained her composure. She answered, her voice hollow but steady. "I'm sick of running, James. I can't do it any more."

For a moment he was speechless. Absently he ran a hand through his hair "What the hell does that even mean? You don't want to run?"

She gently held the bridge of her nose, and he could tell she was getting impatient. Her tone was growing more defensive. "You just don't get it do you, Sawyer? I'm already a wanted fugitive, I don't want to be a conman's girlfriend. I don't want that life."

She almost spit those words: "conman's girlfriend." If he wasn't so shocked by the notion, it probably would have hurt. But at the moment, he was more dumbfounded at the realization that the two of them were on such drastically different wavelengths.

"Kate…are you fuckin' serious? What the hell makes you so damn sure that things are gonna be that way? Or did it never occur to you things could be different?"

He started numbering off points on his fingers. "We're miracle survivors of a plane crash. We're gonna be celebrities when we get back. There'll have sponsorships, publicity spots, VIP treatment, you name it. I won't have to con. Hell, I won't even be Sawyer anymore. I don't need to be."

He realized he was probably sounding pretty condescending. In desperation, he added, "I wasn't lyin' when I said I don't have any ties. We could go anywhere you wanted…"

It all sounded so pretty. Like a fantasy, even. She shook her head vigorously, unwilling to believe. She spoke slowly but with conviction. "You con, I run. Tiger never changes its stripes."

A lump rose in his throat, and he physically couldn't speak. No breath came out. She could see that he was crushed, and it was breaking her heart to keep going. "I…I talked to Jack. He told me I could hide at his place until--"

"No. You stop right there." The tone of his voice had changed drastically. It was soft now, menacing. She couldn't help but sit transfixed as he interrupted.

"You wanna shack up with Jack? Fine, it's not like I'm surprised. But at least have the courtesy to call it for what it is. Don't feed me some bullshit about how you want some God damn stability. I offered that to you at the house, and I offered that to you just now."

He raised his voice as his temper began to flare, his poise wavering. In a moment of weakness, he finally asked the question that had been plaguing the back of his mind for months. "For God's sakes, Kate! When the hell am I goin' to be good enough for you?"

He regretted the words as soon as he said it.

She quickly stood up from the bed and headed for the door. "This was a bad idea…I shouldn'tve come."

"Wait." A strong hand wrapped forcefully around her wrist, pulling her close to him. She could feel his warm breath on her forehead. Feel his chest rise and fall against hers. "I didn't mean that. Don't go."

He leaned in close to her, his long blonde hair cascading around her face. The stubble of his chin tickled her skin, their noses barely brushing against eachother. He leaned in close, growling into her ear. "Stay. Stay with me Kate."

The sensation of his voice in her ear sent a trail of chills down her neck. The touch of his skin set her own afire. She shut her eyes, expecting him to sweep her up in his powerful embrace, preparing herself for letting him, but he didn't. He didn't push. He didn't even move.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and they were in the exact same position. His blue eyes fixated on hers, staring hungrily. Longingly. He whispered again. "Don't you even want to find out?"

Her lip quivered as she tentatively edged millimeters closer, closing the minute gap between them. She licked her lips as she softly, gingerly opened her mouth in invitation. She felt his wet, chapped lips sweep gently against hers. For a few brief moments, she allowed herself to sink into his touch, his scent, his taste.

Then, she pulled away. Her eyes were shining with fresh tears. She whimpered, "I can't do it, James. I'm so sorry."

She came up on her toes to hug his neck tightly with her free arm. She felt his arms wrap around her back, reciprocating with a passion and tenderness she knew she didn't deserve. Burying her head into his shoulder she whispered, "Goodbye, James."

To Sawyer, it felt like slow motion. She pulled herself away from him, opened the door, looked back at him once more, and the last thing he could remember was the sound of the door clicking shut.

Whispered goodbye and she got on a plane
Never to return again, but always in my heart
This love has taken it's toll on me
She said goodbye too many times before
Her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice, cause I won't say goodbye anymore

A/N: The next two chapters of this story have been in my mind for a few months now, but after the events in "Eggtown," I felt compelled to take it in a slightly different direction. I'm not quite sure how I want to end this story, but I do know that I want to focus on what Sawyer does in the future. Now that Season 4 has started, I will try to keep it somewhat consistent to canon, while also taking various liberties. All reviews are greatly appreciated.