Hey all. This is a one shot set after the end of the third season, when the rescue boats have arrived.
It is of course Skate, even if that isn't very obvious right away.
It includes the ending of Jate, skate arguements, skex, and Sawyer talking about Cooper, so come on... why not read? and while you're at it, make my day and review as well!
My WIP lost fic, Loyalty should be updated shortly.
"Kate" the doctor's sudden approach startled her, but she turned to face him with a smile on her face
"Hey Jack" He was hovering by the doorway, looking strangely nervous, and she took a step back, perching on the end of her bed, "Come in"
"Thanks" he barely glanced at her standard issue bedroom, which was smaller than the one in the hatch had been, his eyes fixated on her face. They were aboard the first of three rescue ships that had arrived to take them to safety, freedom, and in her case, another lifetime to be spent avoiding capture.
"So how's things with Sawyer?" he asked, looking away from her for the first time since entering
"The usual" in truth, the pair hadn't spoken since he'd departed to the beach with Juliet at his side instead of her. Kate had spotted him at the beach prior to this, but had made no effort to speak to him, still feeling betrayed by refusing to take her with him on the rescue mission that mad been her idea. She had lost sight of him during the rush to the rescue boats, and chances were that they weren't even on the same ship.
"What about you and Juliet?" she asked, remembering their earlier kiss, and the mixed emotions she'd felt upon witnessing it.
"She wants me to come home with her. To meet her sister and her family…" he didn't sound extremely enthusiastic about the idea,
"Are you going to go?"
"That depends…"
"On me?" she guessed correctly with a heavy heart, knowing that this was decision time. He nodded, and took a single step closer to her, and his eyes met hers again.
"I love you." To Kate, the words sounded as awkward as earlier, and once again she found herself unable to return the sentiment, staring at the ground resiliently. He took her hesitation for what it was, and nodded, looking disappointed.
"He's three doors down" There was no one else he could be referring to, other than Sawyer, and she felt guilty at the pain it must be causing him to tell her this, and what it would take to watch her leave. She opened her mouth to protest, to deny that Sawyer had been on her mind when he'd made his proclamation, before she realised, what did it matter? He'd know she was lying as well as she did, and in the long run, he'd still have to watch her go to him.
"I'm sorry" was all she could say, before walking swiftly out of her bedroom, and towards the little door three doors down.
She pushed through the door into Sawyer's bedroom without pausing to knock. It was identical to hers, in size and shape, the only thing that made it distinctly his was the copy of Watership Down tossed carelessly to one side of the dresser. He'd been sitting on the bed when she'd entered, staring at the door, and her sudden appearance startled him, his head jerking up when the door opened. She saw him run a tired hand over his face, before he stood and smiled
"Well howdy, Freckles" he sounded forcibly cheerful, like he had during her first night in the cages, almost as if he felt it was his duty to be happy, "Lookin' for me?" She nodded once, and moved closer to him as Jack had done to her moments before, and before either of them knew exactly what they were doing, their lips clashed in the now familiar way. Her hand rose to his shirt buttons, but this time, he caught it, and pulled back, a harsh expression on his face.
"What did the doc do this time?" she knew how he could feel like that, but that didn't prevent the indignation rising in her,
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I saw him going into your room." One moment passed and then another, the only noise in the room being their own semi laboured breathing. One final beat and he let go of her hand that he had still been holding to that point and took a step backwards.
"Get out" the coldness in his tone made her doubt her own righteousness in this particular fight, and she turned without a word and walked back towards her own room.
She'd barely closed the door and made it to her bed when it had opened again, and he was standing there, resting on the doorpost.
"Kate…"
"He told me he loves me." She blurted out, knowing that if she didn't tell him now, she never would
"And?" she had never heard him sound this vulnerable, and it occurred to her now that if she really wanted to hurt him for ever doubting her, she could do so now so very easily.
"And I came straight to you." As if she had flicked a switch inside him, he was suddenly across the room and standing close to her again, kissing her, smoothing her hair down and pressing her against the bed. Her hand rose to his face, and felt something distinctly wet. Feeling a sense of déjà vu, she asked
"Are you crying?"
"No" he mumbled, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw that they were dry, but filled with lust and with love. She squirmed away from any attempts he made to distract her, and kissed his cheek, tasting the salt water there.
"But you were" this time he didn't' deny it, but whispered one word before kissing her again
"Later."
Around six, they were both flat on their backs, staring at the white ceiling about their heads and breathing heavily. Her hand was caught in his, and his thumb was trailing delicately over hers, but apart from that, their two bodies were completely separate. Upon hearing a clatter in the corridor, Sawyer glanced at the small clock by the bed
"It's dinner time. You hungry?"
"Nope"
"If we both don't turn up, people will talk."
"Let them." She saw the flicker of a smile pass over his face at her comment before it disappeared, and she recalled his earlier tears
"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked
"I was just thinkin'… after this, we deserve a holiday" she snorted, and he turned to face her, "I'm being serious. Come away with me."
"Where to?"
"Disneyland."
"What?" she had to laugh at the thought of him on the fairground rides, "Why?"
"Because you said you'd never been."
"I don't believe you remembered that." She was genuinely touched, and he shrugged, looking half embarrassed,
"We don't have to… I just thought-"
"No. I want to." Her smile broke through and he looked relieved. The silence returned and his rhythmic stroking of her hand resumed
"I'm sorry" he finally said, "If you're pregnant… It doesn't have to be a bad thing."
"Somehow Sawyer, I don't see you as the parenting type" she laughed, knowing the same was true for herself.
"I could be. For you."
"I know."
Kate knew that it was now or never… she could either use this amiable, contended Sawyer to discover why he'd been so upset earlier, or she could leave him happy now, and risk never knowing.
"You were crying… Was it my fault?" once again, she chose the selfish option
"No." she thought that was all he had to say on the matter, before he turned to face her, and she saw that the earlier tears had now returned and were threatening to break free, "It was something that I did."
"What was it?"
"I killed someone."
"I know." Her voice was surprisingly steady for a confession of this calibre, "Me too, remember?"
"I killed someone else. A couple of days ago."
"Who? An other?"
"No. Locke's father."
"Why?"
"He killed my parents" she recalled the letter that James Ford had written to the mysterious real Sawyer, and knew at once that she couldn't blame him for this. Not when she'd murdered Wayne to save her mother.
"I didn't want to do it" he went on, "But he wouldn't shut up, and I couldn't get away. And then he ripped up my letter, and I just…" the first tear broke through and his voice faltered. His free hand rose to wipe it away impatiently, while she squeezed his other reassuringly, "I love you" he whispered, but it was a ghost of the only other time he'd said it, when he'd been so confident that she loved him back that he'd added a 'too', so uncaring that he was about to face death, because she was by his side.
"Sawyer… James… I love you too" she mumbled, more to get his attention than anything, but she was surprised at the ease the words flowed off her tongue, after so many months of indecision
"I was startin' to think you'd never say that" he gave a short noise that sounded more like a cough than a laugh, but with these circumstances, she couldn't exactly blame him for being more reserved than usual,
"I know. There was a time I thought I'd never say it either" To ruin the moment, her stomach growled loudly, and Sawyer sat up suddenly
"Where are you going?"
"Dinner." he brushed the tears from his eyes, and she saw a familiar twinkle there, "Come on, you might even be eating for two now."
Well that's it. Please press the big blue button!