Chapter Three

Sawyer stood in the same place for ten minutes, waiting for something to happen. He'd expected something to occur after he'd challenged the island. The smoke monster, Benjamin Linus, Locke, Jacob…a polar bear, something!

"Sawyer," Kate addressed him carefully. Her heart had broken for him when he lost Juliet and she didn't want to upset him further but they had to leave. Sayid, Hurley, Jin, and the others had probably flashed with them and the sooner they found out if they we're all back in the same year again, the better. Kate glanced at Jack for some help with the situation but he just shook his head. None of them were prepared for such a loss. "Sawyer, she wouldn't want you to do this to yourself."

Kate winched, knowing she had chosen the wrong words but her comment did manage to get Sawyer's attention. "How the hell would you know what she would want Kate?"

"I know that she loved you, so much…and she would want you safe. If we stay here, who knows what could happen. We have to find everyone else, help those that are…" she trailed off with a frown.

"Those that are still among the living, freckles?"

"Sawyer, I'm sorry. I didn't…"

James put a hand up to stop her, his shoulders lowering in defeat. "I know you didn't. Lets just get moving."

Kate nodded, allowing Sawyer to walk in front of her and Jack as they headed in the direction of the hatch. It was the best place to start searching for answers. Jack was quiet the entire time and Kate considered he too was mourning the loss of Juliet. Before they'd left the island three years ago Jack had felt something for Juliet. It was understandable that he'd grieve. "I'm going to miss her too," Kate whispered. She and the blond hadn't gotten off on the wrong foot in the beginning, but they had grown to have a mutual respect for one another.

"That's not what I was thinking about. I mean, I was but…there's more to it."

Kate stopped, staring into Jack's eyes the way she had seconds before he'd dropped the bomb down the hatch. "What were you thinking?"

Jack shifted nervously, reaching out his hand to intertwine his fingers with Kate's. "I was thinking how it could have been you. If I had lost you back there I…."

Kate drew a shaky breath, Jack's confession causing her to tear up. "I'm not going anywhere."

Jack nodded, his face mere inches from Kate's. He started to lean in and so did she when Sawyer's southern draw broke the spell. "Hugo!"

Jack and Kate shared one last look before running in Sawyer's direction. When they reached him they saw Miles, Hurley, and Sayid twenty feet in front of them. Except, Sayid wasn't moving and their was a somber mood in the air. Much the same as when Juliet had been sucked down into the hatch. "What happened?" Jack asked.

"He didn't make it," Miles confirmed. "He lost too much blood. He was gone before the flash."

Sawyer shook his head, angry with Jack for his stupid plan. If they hadn't gotten off that damn sub Sayid and Juliet would still be breathing. Hell, he'd be halfway to freedom with the woman he loved if God forsaken destiny or whatever Locke and Jack called it hadn't come a'knockin.

"Dude, where's Juliet?" Hurley asked, looking behind Jack and Kate expectantly. When their oversized friend Saw the sadness in Sawyer's expression his head fell. "Oh." Hugo kicked at the dirt in front of him, memories of losing Libby rushing back to the surface. This island kept taking people from them and it didn't make any sense. "So, uh…what do we do now?"

[Flashback to 2006]

None of this made since to Jack. Juliet hadn't mentioned anything about a pregnancy before. She was in the operating room while he was opening up Ben from behind and the blood hadn't effected her at all. Not all expecting women had fainting spells, but still. Jack barely knew this woman and he wasn't sure yet if he trusted her, but the child inside of her deserved a fair chance. Not that Jack understood how Juliet would survive if he did help her. Hadn't she told him she was brought here to stop pregnant women from dying on this island? If Juliet had conceived a baby of her own here how did she think the outcome would be any different?

After a half hour of carefully stitching and medicating Juliet's injuries, Jack was able to stabilize her. That was another mystery - She had walked away from him in tears but perfectly healthy. Not even five minutes later she was wounded. Had the others turned on her? He had so many questions for her when she woke up. Which happened sooner than he'd anticipated. The anesthetics he'd used must not have been strong enough.

"James," Juliet moaned. "James…" Jack frowned, not sure who she was asking for. He'd met no James since his captivity in Otherville. Sawyer's real name was James but Juliet had only met him once and she'd help a gun to him and Kate at the time. "It's Jack," he told her as Juliet's eyes opened and focused on his figure standing above her. "Try to stay still."

Juliet inhaled slowly, calming her body the best she could. "Is the baby…"

"You're both ok."

Juliet managed a small smile through the pain and thanked Jack for helping her. "You're welcome. But because I helped you, you're going to tell me what just happened."

Juliet was silent, unsure of how she was going to get herself out of this one. Her mind raced to her past self lying unconscious in the jungle a near half hour ago and she wondered if she'd woken up yet. Juliet had to find a way out of here before she was discovered. "I…"

Jack looked down at her expectantly, unwilling to relent. And to make matters worse he continued his interrogation by asking her another question she couldn't answer. "And who the hell is James?"