Author: dleduddet
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Lost or any of the characters. I only own the creativity for this fic.
Summery: Set at the end of "Not in Portland". Kate, Sawyer, and Carl arrive back on the beach and Kate deals with whether or not she should keep her promise and rescue Jack. Jack however, hatches his own escape plan.
Pairings: Kate/Sawyer, a little tiny bit of C/C
Note: Well, this is my first Skate fic but hopefully you'll enjoy it. The idea has been floating around in my head since the end of the "mid-season" finale but now that I have a lead from the "mid-season" premier I'm finally getting around to writing it. Please read and review! Enjoy!
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The castaways on the beach awoke with the sun as it came over the distant mountains of the island. Waking up early was the only choice in this place, though there was not much to do.
Charlie sat up, bleary eyed and tired next to Claire who was still asleep. He pushed himself up off the ground and stumbled sleepily over to the cradle containing his favorite little person, Aaron.
"Hey buddy!" The Brit whispered as he picked up the baby. He kissed Aaron on the forehead and patted him on the back. Turning to his right, he saw Jin emerge from his make-shift tent.
Jin turned behind him and reached a hand out to his wife to help her to her feet. He kissed her good morning and smiled at her. It felt good to be a better husband, and now that her father wasn't there, he could be the best.
Sun, who was leaning on Jin with her arms around his neck, looked over her husband's shoulder. She noticed Sayid walking up the beach.
Sayid was thinking to himself. They hadn't been able to rescue Jack, Sawyer, and Kate. It wasn't the first time that one of his plans had failed, but he felt that he needed to do something more to find them. People needed the doctor. Sayid took a bite out of the mango in his hand. It wasn't exactly bacon and eggs but it would have to do for breakfast.
Sayid looked ahead and waved to Rose who was standing at the tarp they used to collect water.
Rose waved back to Sayid and chuckled to herself. It often surprised her how people she probably never would have talked to back home could be so friendly with each other in these circumstances. Rose bent over and picked up another water bottle and dunked it under the water. Bernard had a cold and she knew he should be drinking a lot of water.
Rose looked out at the ocean, deep in thought. But she saw something strange. Tripping in the sand, she made her way toward the edge of the beach with her hand shading her eyes. She wasn't the only person who had noticed the strange shape in the water either. People were gathering at the shore as it got closer and closer.
"What do you think it could be?" asked a pretty voice with an Australian accent and Rose turned to see Claire standing next to her.
"I don't know, child." She answered in her motherly way. "All sorts of strange things in this place. It's still too far away for me to see."
"It looks like a boat." Exclaimed Sayid. He was also shading his eyes and leaning over to squint into the sunlight.
"It is a boat!" shouted Charlie. "A sail boat!"
Everyone erupted in excited chatter. Was it just another fluke like the time Desmond's boat came back? Or were they finally saved?
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"I can see the island." Kate exclaimed and poked Sawyer hard in the ribs. He jerked his head and snorted.
"Ouch! Damn, Freckles! You tryin' to get your fingers stuck in my chest?"
Kate ignored him and looked down at Carl. He was still sleeping and she saw him twitch slightly and move his head back and forth.
The three of them had been sailing all night. After landing on the other side of the island, they had decided to get back in the boat and try to sail around to the other side, back to the camp.
All night Kate had been worrying about Jack. She knew she could never forgive herself for leaving him with the Others. She had been tossing ideas of how to save him back and forth in her head ever since the moment she promised she wouldn't. Jack knew she wouldn't just let him stay there. But she had promised anyways.
Sawyer stared at the back of Kate's head trying to read her thoughts. He knew she probably wasn't thinking about him. Her thoughts had probably drifted back to thinking about Jack. Jack. Jack. Jack. All anybody ever thought about was Jack.
The small boat was drifting ever closer to the island and he knew he should confront her now. There would be no time later.
"Hey Freckles?"
"Hmm?" She didn't turn her head.
"You thinkin' bout Jacko?"
He saw her head drop and she looked down into the boat. She thrust her arm out and let her hand drag in the water. She had such pretty hands.
"Uh… yeah I was."
Sawyer didn't answer. He was still staring at her hand in the water.
"Sawyer?"
"huh? Wha-?" He shook himself out of his mesmerized state.
"I said yeah." She turned to face him.
"Oh. Yeah. You want to rescue him don't ya?
"yeah."
"You promised you wouldn't, Thelma. We can't be going Jackass huntin' now. They just let us go. You wanna get caught again?"
"Sawyer. You know he would try to get you back. I can't just leave him over there. They'll do… horrible tests and things on him. Look at Carl!"
Sawyer sighed. "Look. I would go get him back, but you know we're no match for them! Do you want to end up in that cage again, Kate?"
Kate looked up. Sawyer never called her by her first name.
"The cages weren't so bad." She said and blushed. She giggled when she saw Sawyer blushing too.
"You know," he said "we don't have to be in a cage to uhh… have a little fun."
"I-" Kate started to say, but turned her head when she heard a voice in the distance. She hadn't realized how close they had gotten to the island and now she could see all the survivors in a group on the beach. Sawyer stood up, waving his arms and yelling.
"WOO! The great adventurers are back, baby!" He yelled and Kate laughed.
Sayid and Desmond ran out in to the shallow water to meet the boat. Sawyer jumped down and helped push it onto the shore.
All at once the group of survivors rushed forward to greet the boat, asking questions, and pointing at Carl.
"Everyone calm down!" shouted Sayid over the commotion and taking charge of the chaos. He looked at Kate and Sawyer and then down at Carl who was finally awake.
"Who is he?" asked Sayid calmly, looking back up to Sawyer.
"This," said Sawyer, bending over and heaving Carl over his shoulder "Is Carl."
"We rescued him from the Others." Kate explained. "He's not well. They were doing all these… tests and..." Kate rubbed the heal of her hand over her eyes and Sawyer put his free arm around her.
"Look," he sighed "We'd love to chat with y'all, can you give us a little while."
"Of course." Answered Sayid, speaking for the group.
Kate and Sawyer exchanged a look and began to walk toward Sawyer's old shelter with Carl in tow.
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Well what do you think? I should have chapter two up pretty soon. Please review!
