Chp 7

"You'll get back to where you came from."

-Lord Of The Flies-

-William Golding-

Juliet starred down the upstairs corridor, balancing a laundry basket on her hip. She looked with a sense of dread at the forbidden door. Suddenly she let out a laugh.

"Forbidden door," she admonished herself, "Come on Juliet, you're a doctor, a woman of science."

But then she thought about all her experiences on the island. The things she heard of, the things she saw, and she swallowed hard as the fear tore through her again.

"No," she said shaking her head, "It's just a draft. I'll find it and then get Jack to fix it."

She smiled picturing Jack in his weekend jeans, a hammer in hand. She stifled a giggle, her husband could wield a scalpel like Michelangelo could a chisel, but give him a hammer and the whole house would likely fall down on them. Perhaps she would call James, when Jack was at work of course. Yes, she thought, she'd call James but first she had to find the draft.

She stood before the door and could already feel the icy wind cutting through it. Her son started to cry but she ignored the high pitched wail, her hand on the knob when the door bell rang.

"Who could that be?" she wondered and grabbing Christian from his crib, headed downstairs. She opened the front door and her eyes widened.

"What, what are you doing here?" she asked.

……

"That was," Claire searched for words.

"The best sex of your life?" Sawyer chimed in stretching his body out on the bed.

"I don't know if I'd go that far," she teased, curling up to him, "But it was definitely okay."

"Okay!?" Sawyer cried, "What are you talking about?"

Claire giggled as she settled into the crook of his arm.

"Well don't get to comfortable little Mama, I've got to get back to work soon," he said stroking her blonde hair.

Claire sighed; she had to get back to the Pagan shop as well.

"Can I take a quick shower?" she asked.

"Sure, mi casa et su casa," he said and watched her walk away and into the bathroom.

Sawyer's face clouded over. Looking at the rumpled sheets, he had a feeling of dread come over him. He knew sleeping with Jack's little sister was not going to go over well. As he thought about the Doc's reaction a knock came on his door, startling him out of his thoughts. He sauntered over and without looking through the peep hole he opened the door.

"Hey Sawyer, we need to talk."

…..

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jack demanded to know as he threw the clipboard onto the counter top beside him.

"I have a message for you," she said, "From Ben."

"From Ben?" Jack laughed, "I'm not interested in what he has to say."

"It's very important Jack," she stated still sitting on the examining table.

"I said I'm not interested," Jack reiterated.

"But Jack," she started.

"Go back Cindy," he told her firmly, "Go back to the island and tell Ben to go to hell!"

Cindy slid off the table. She was nervous. Jack's sudden bursts of anger always confused and scared her. She recalled his rage in the cage that day she asked about Ana Lucia, and she approached him tentatively.

"It's about your son," she said, "Christian is in danger."

Jack grabbed the former flight attendant by both arms and pinned her against the wall.

"Don't ever mention my boy's name again!"

….

"May I come in Juliet?"

Juliet held onto her child closely.

"No Richard, you may not," she told him in a clear voice even though her heart pounded in her chest.

"Okay then," he said with a half smile, "I just wanted to discuss some things with you, if there's a better time."

"What things?" Juliet demanded to know as Aaron came waddling in to see who was at the door.

Richard Alpert looked over her shoulder.

"Claire's baby is getting big," he said kneeling down, "Hey there little man."

Aaron turned and ran back into the kitchen.

"He's shy," Richard said chuckling as he got back up to face Juliet.

"He has good sense," she replied curtly.

"Actually, that's what I came to talk to you about. Aaron and your son, Christian," he told her in a serious tone.

…..

Sawyer starred at the woman standing in his doorway. He looked her up and down, and ever though she wore a thick coat he could tell.

"You're pregnant," he said simply.

She nodded. He looked once over his shoulder, heard the water from the shower still running and turned back.

"And what do you want from me?" he asked.

She chuckled but shook her head, "Nothing Sawyer. I just thought."

"You thought what Kate?" he asked her.

"I thought you might want to know, that's all."

"Now? You come and tell me now. It's been months since you left."

Kate sighed, "I had to go, I was on the run," she explained.

"You ran alright," he spat.

"Look," she said softly, reaching out for him when Claire stepped out into the main room.

"Don't you own a comb?" Claire asked before stopping in her tracks, holding a towel around her body.

"Kate," she said in shock.

Kate stared back at the Aussie, dripping wet and naked in Sawyer's apartment. She looked back at Sawyer.

"Guess things have changed," she said then changing her mind added, "Or not."

Turning from her old lover she walked away.