Disclaimer: I don't own the show LOST or any of its characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.

A/N: For a while I was worried that I had lost all of my writing passion for this show, but it turned out that I had more than enough ideas, but just didn't have the time to work them all out. Fortunately, I had this week off and decided to finally finish this story. It has been done before, but I'd still like you to read it. :)

Runaway

I run; you won't stop the chase, and you won't get away with loving me.

Air-conditioning, a TV with a limited number of channels and a variety of vending machines out in the hallway, that was about all the motel had to offer. Reasonable considering the money Kate paid for it, money that wasn't hers, though she no longer wasted sleep on the guilt. She had become used to living off of borrowed money, taking only what she thought she might need to disappear again for a while, making due with as little money as she could for as long as she could.

The motel she had picked out lay secluded, the only road's surface cracked as a result of years of neglect, and the nearest town still miles away. It was the perfect location for someone who wanted to stay out of the public's eyes. Her face hadn't been on the news for a couple of weeks, but she couldn't be careful enough, even though, over the last week or so, she had become the least bit careless. It was the fallout of staying inside most of time.

She hadn't colored her hair in a while and she had stopped wearing the dresses, making due with just her oversized sunglasses, feeling comfortable enough in her old clothes. Today it was a pair of dark blue jeans with a rip at one of her knees and a plain red t-shirt. Her flip-flops lay by the bed, together with the large weekend bag she had bought along, literally living out of a bag. Unpacking was something she never did; she was hardly ever in a place long enough to do so, and when she did manage to stay somewhere for a longer period of time, it just didn't feel right. Her clothes looked out of place when they were folded up neatly and put away in drawers, and her hair no longer looked right in its natural shade.

She had gotten used to her on-the-go lifestyle, comfortably so even. She had trouble remembering what her life had been like before because it had never been normal. It had been screwed up from the beginning and there had never been anything to salvage from it, although she sometimes wished that there had been something there worth saving. Her eyes were glazed as she went through her memories like another would flip through the pages of a magazine. Most didn't mean anything to her and were just there, stacked up like a couple of boxes in the back of her mind, while only some meant a little more, and just a few were worth reminiscing about.

An abrupt knock on the door roused her, just one, though another one followed when she wasn't up quick enough. ''Who is it?'' she asked while getting off the bed.

''It's a friend, sweetheart.''

She opened the door right away, recognizing the Southern influenced accent, her eyes unhesitatingly falling on is ever so charming owner. She couldn't help eyeing him; she hadn't seen him since their department from the island, and he was wearing something that wasn't so different from what he had always walked around in back there: faded and ripped jeans and a white button up shirt, one that was carelessly done up. The faintest of stubble brought back a handful of delightful memories while his stylishly messed up hair prompted images of the sun rising over the beach. She concealed a smile and feelings she forgot she had.

''Told ya it was a friend.''

''A friend wouldn't turn me in,'' she quickly accused.

''Who said anythin' 'bout turning you in?''

Kate's stare was doubtful as she did a swift scan of the motel's parking lot, worried that she wouldn't be able to get away.

''I'm not gonna turn you in, Freckles,'' Sawyer heedfully told her after having sighed and pushing his sunglasses up into his hair, allowing her to really look at him for the first time. ''Are you gonna invite me in already or what?''

Kate looked away for a second before looking back at him and opening the door further. She gestured towards the room with her hand and let him in, wasting no time in closing the door once he was.

''Nice place you've got here,'' he observed when haven taken a very fast look around the room. ''Couldn't afford anythin' fancier?''

Kate shrugged and turned around, one hand going through her loose curls. ''It's low key.'' She dropped her hand and looked around the room herself. ''It's comfortable.''

''It should be, though it sure don't look it.'' Sawyer flashed her a knowing smile. ''You've been here for a while, haven't you, Babycakes? Say, for about a week?''

Kate wrapped one arm around her stomach while the hand of her other nervously went for the throat, her gaze unfaltering. ''How did you find me?''

''I hired a private investigator,'' Sawyer explained. ''One I paid to keep quiet about your hideout,'' he dismissed her unasked question with a disregardful shrug of his shoulders, causing her heartbeat to slow back down.

She waited for him to sit down on the bed before lowering herself down into the chair across from him and asking her next question, ''So, if you didn't came to turn me in, why are you here? Did you come to check up on me or something?'' she joked, even though the words didn't come out the way she wanted them to.

Sawyer looked away and smiled, briefly touching his chin with his thumb before letting his eyes linger on hers again. ''What if I did?''

Kate shyly looked away and shrugged, bringing one knee up to her chest, comfortable enough to be so vulnerable in front of him. They had gone through a lot. ''Well, if you did, I'd have to tell you that I'm doing okay, and that you didn't have to waste your money or your time to check up on me.''

''It wasn't any trouble.''

She wanted to smile, but didn't, despite that she was really happy that he had gone through all the trouble to come and see her. It meant something. Again a hand went through her hair, her expression serious. ''What do you want, Sawyer?''

''I wanted to see you, Sassafras.''

''You went through all of the trouble just to see me?''

He nodded and she shook her head. ''I don't buy it.''

''That hurts after all we've been through.''

''Just tell me what you came here for,'' Kate demanded from him, bringing her leg back down and placing her foot next to the other on the worn carpeting.

''It's like you guessed, I came here to see how you were doin'.''

''And?'' Kate crossed her arms.

''And,'' he drawled on for a few seconds, ''I just thought you'd like to have dinner with me?''

''A date?'' she asked in disbelief. ''You seriously came here for a date?''

''At my place,'' he added.

''What?''

''You didn't let me finish, sweetheart.'' Sawyer got up from the bed. ''I want you to come and have dinner with me at my place.''

Kate rolled her eyes at the absurdity of the suggestion. ''Sawyer, I can't risk going on a road trip to your place just for dinner.''

''What if it wasn't just dinner?''

Kate shook her head and leaned back in the chair, throwing him a look. ''No.''

He chuckled. ''I think you got me wrong, Freckles. Plus, I'm a devoted man now; I got me a girl.'' The smile he worse was a proud one and she couldn't think of anything but to smile back, though somewhere inside she knew that she was jealous. She turned her eyes from him as another memory she hoped she wouldn't remember was added to the pile. He took it as something else and crouched down in front of her. ''Hey, Kate,'' he said, getting her attention by placing a hand just above her knee. ''I know you're worried about being caught, but I guarantee that you'll be safe.''

''You can't guarantee anything.''

Sawyer responded with a slight nod. ''Maybe not, but I can promise you that I'll do my best not to let anythin' happen to you,'' he reworded his former statement. ''I'll keep you safe, Freckles.''

She kept silent for a long time before agreeing with a nod. ''Okay. Just let me change.''

He grinned and got back up. ''If you insist.'' He went to sit down on the bed again, but Kate stopped him, placing her hands on her knees and pushing herself up out off the chair. ''Get out, Sawyer.'' Again, he grinned, but did begin to make his way over to the door. ''I'll be outside.''

When the door closed behind him, she quickly changed into a blue sundress—though keeping the flip-flops—and pulled a brush through her hair. She put on her big Hollywood glasses, the kind that covered half of her face, as a finishing touch. She threw her scattered belongings into her bag, dropped off her key, and headed to Sawyer's pickup truck.

She exchanged a look with him through her sunglasses as he opened the passenger's side door for her. He took her bag from her, and waited for her to get in before closing the door. He threw the bag in the back and got in himself.

Kate placed her hand on his as he reached for the air-conditioning. ''Can we open the windows instead?''

It was a simple question with a deeper meaning, one he accepted with a nod. ''Whatever you want, just as long as you keep them glasses on 'till we get on the highway.''

''Got it.'' She pushed her shades further up her nose and reached to roll down the window, turning her head and hiding a smile as he pulled out off the parking lot.

They were on the road for maybe an hour and they didn't say a word, not because they had nothing to say—they had plenty to say—but because they were comfortable for the time being. The road he had taken had been deserted, with the exception of the occasional car, and left her worry free for the moment as well.

Finally, he turned onto a dirt road and eventually drove onto a driveway, dirt as well, parking in front of what looked like a renovated plantation house, white and yellow with a porch. It was lovely old-fashioned and so uncharacteristically Sawyer, though the woman that came out on to the porch as soon as he had killed the car surprised her even more. He had mentioned her, but to actually see her, and her honey blond hair, sky blue eyes, and sun kissed features, was a whole other thing.

The woman descended the few steps leading up to the porch as Sawyer got out off the car, Kate moving more slow in her movements.

''Hey baby,'' Sawyer greeted and kiss her on the cheek.

''Where have you been?'' Her eyes remained on Kate. ''Who is she?''

''That's Kate, honey,'' he told the woman, amazing Kate with how upfront he was to her. Things had been different between them.

The woman kept throwing glances at Kate, so she removed her sunglasses and took a step forwards. ''Hi, I'm Kate.'' She held out her hand to the young woman, who took it after exchanging another look with Sawyer. ''Melanie. Mel for short,'' she offered kindly, though pulling her hand back instantly.

Sawyer let go of the woman and glanced at Kate. ''I'll go get your bag.''

Kate nodded, shifting her sunglasses from one hand to another, before turning to Melanie again. ''It's nice to meet you.''

''Uh huh.'' Melanie didn't wait for Sawyer as she turned and went back into the house, leaving Kate with a bad feeling.

''Don't worry about her. She'll come around.'' Sawyer assured. ''Come on.'' He hurried up the steps, waiting by the door until she had passed him before going in himself.

-x-x-x-

Dinner was too quiet and uncomfortable, and Kate didn't miss the looks Melanie kept giving Sawyer and how he pretended not to see them.

Melanie was the first to leave the table and excuse herself to do the dishes.

Kate opened her mouth to speak, but Sawyer didn't giver her a chance to. He pushed his chair back and got up. ''Come on, I'll show you your room.''

She nodded and left her seat as well, not even bothering to help with the dishes; it wouldn't be appreciated anyway.

''Is everything okay?'' she tried.

''Just peachy.''

He turned his back to her and she left the conversation for what it was: unfinished.

-x-x-x-

Still early in the evening, when Kate was about to take a shower and change, she heard the argument that took place between Melanie and Sawyer only a room away. The walls weren't thin enough for her to hear anything, though she didn't even try to; instead, she zipped up her bag for the second time today, deciding that she wasn't welcome.

She snuck through the hallway, down the stairs, where she paused only shortly to take Sawyer's keys from where he had left them on the dresser, and out the door.

She got into the truck, dumped her bag on the passenger's seat, and put the key into the ignition, starting the car. She didn't turn the lights on, though did when she heard the creaking of the front door.

''Goin' somewhere, Freckles? With my truck?''

Kate contemplated just taking off, but decided against it and turned off the car with a sigh. She opened the car door. ''I was going to return it.''

''Oh, well, in that case…''

She jumped from the car, leaving the door open as she approached him. ''Fine, then you take me back.''

''Back? To the motel?'' he informed.

She nodded. ''Yes.''

''Why?''

''Because coming here with you was wrong.''

''Oh, it wasn't wrong, Kate.''

''I'm not welcome here, Sawyer. She,'' she started while gesturing towards the house, ''Melanie obviously doesn't want me here, and who can blame her, really?'' She shook her head. ''I don't even know why I came. I don't even know why you took me here when you knew that she wouldn't appreciate it.''

''That's a damn good question,'' he remarked. ''I don't think I have an answer to that one.''

''What do you mean you don't have an answer for that?!''

''I mean,'' Sawyer said in a hushed tone as he moved closer to her, ''I've gone through all this trouble to find you, and when I saw you this crazy idea just popped 'nto my head. And I didn't discuss you staying with us with Mel because she didn't know I had been looking for you in the first place.''

Kate shook her head at his words. ''Sawyer, you can't do that. I would be pissed too if my boyfriend brought home another girl, especially one that was wanted.''

''Wanted, huh?'' Sawyer raised an eyebrow and Kate cracked a smile, though she managed to make it disappear soon enough and continue on with her preaching. ''This is not good for you.''

''I don't care.''

''Yes, you do.''

''How do you know? How do you know I'm not just using her?''

''Are you still that guy?'' she wondered out loud. ''Because after all that happened on the island, I don't believe you are.''

''You're still that girl,'' he let her know, though it didn't hurt like he had intended. They were always trying to hurt each other.

''So I didn't get a second chance,'' she faced her situation. ''I made my choices, but you did get a second chance, and you should take it. I'll be fine.'' She searched for his eyes in the dark. ''I've been fine, without you around to protect me. So just take me back to the hotel.''

''Stubborn.''

''Either you take me, or I am taking your car.''

''I would stop you.''

She found his eyes. ''Would you?''

Sawyer sighed, frustrated, but gave up arguing with her. ''Get in.''

They both did, and he drove her back in the same silence as before, the windows closed this time.

Back at the motel, Kate got out off the car and wanted to open the door to the backseat, but Sawyer stopped her, saying, ''I got it.''

She went ahead to get back her key while he got her bag for her. He handed it to her at the door of her room, their fingers lightly touching.

''It was nice seeing you again,'' she made known, wanting a few seconds more with him.

''Nice enough to give me a proper goodbye?''

''Sawyer…''

''I'm talkin' 'bout a hug, doll, just a hug,'' he made clear, though he really wanted more. He always had.

She lowered her head, but looked up at him again, and got up on her tiptoes to give him a hug. There was something definitive about it, so she took her sweet time, as did he.

''Take care, sweetheart,'' he said when reluctantly letting go of her. ''And good luck.''

''You too''

''Luke ain't got nothin' to do with it.'' He smiled. ''Alright, see ya.'' He lifted his hand up as a final farewell and began walking backwards.

She whispered a ''bye'' and watched as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned around.

She closed the door, not wanting to see him walk away.

When she unzipped her bag, she found some money and a cell phone number. She smiled and stashed both away with much care.

Please review? (: So...? I'm extremely curious to what you thought of this, because I wrote several short stories this week and this is one that I was pretty pleased with. It's also one of the few pairings that I hold close to my heart, so I really hope you liked this. Like I said, I wrote a few more short stories this week, since I had the time, so if you're interested, they are listen on my profile page. Thanks. :)