Before Sawyer left the Pearl Station in the middle of the night, Juliet handed him a walkie. They could never talk on it without risking being overheard, but they worked out a simple code system to pass on tone messages. They were both to check in twice a day at the same time; if the other did not answer the first time, it would be assumed they could not get alone to check in.

Things were starting to spin out of control and getting more difficult to predict. Seth was dead, killed by Rousseau's trap (Scott and Boone were spared). It was likely that Ethan would take Claire in a couple of days and this time she might not be able to escape. Charlie might be killed. Boone was pushing Jack and Sayid for another group to search for tail section survivors.

Before turning in at his tent in the beach, Sawyer checked to make sure the case of guns was still in the hiding spot. He was exhausted, and he was asleep within 2 minutes of lying down.

The next morning, when his eyes started to open, his first image was Sayid hovering over him with a metal rod."Good morning" was the Iraqi's words before Sawyer was knocked out.


Sayid and Boone dragged Sawyer to a tree and tie him. No one else is around. Just like in the original timeline, Sayid dumps water in his face to get him to come to. But this time he isn't interested in any missing inhalers.

"What the hell are you doing, Sayid?" What did I do to deserve getting tortured by you this time?

"After the pilot died, a lot of people were turning to look for you, as if you were our leader." Sayid sneered. "But you were no where to be found. You were gone for hours. And last night, it was the same story. You were missing.

"As it turns out, Kate is a tracker. It appears you did a pretty good job of covering your tracks, but not good enough. We were able to follow your movements and guess what we found this morning?"

Boone brings the Halliburton into view. Sayid pulls out the gun Sawyer handed him a few days before.

Uh-oh.

"You remember a few days ago, you handed me a gun, "Sayid continued. "I found it odd that you seemed to think I would need it and even odder that you would hand a gun to a total stranger.

"I have one bullet left in this gun."

"Sawyer, why did you hide this case out in the jungle?" Boone asked.

"I think the answer to that question is obvious, " Sayid said. "I am willing to bet there are more guns or other weapons in that case. Where is the key?"

"Sayid, I know how this looks, but I ain't here to hurt nobody."

Sayid punches him in the jaw. "Liar! Where is the key!?"

Sawyer shakes off the blow. "I don't know where the damn key is."

Sayid does not blink and says "Boone, please bring over Sawyer's back pack. There is no key in here but I did find out something else interesting."

Sayid reaches in and pulls out the walkie.

"Who have you been talking to, Sawyer?"

"Like I said Sayid, this isn't how it looks."

Sayid stands and walks over to finish making his bamboo spikes.

"Let me guess Sayid. You are going to insert those underneath my fingernails. You won't learn anything but it sure as hell will clear up my sinuses."

Sayid's eyes widen, like how in the hell did he know that?

Boone got in Sawyer's face. "Did you have something to do with the pilot's death Sawyer?"

"No, Metro! I brought him out of the jungle our first day here! Why in hell would I kill him?!"

"Who else is on this island? How do you know them? Where are the rest of those traps like the one that killed our pilot?!"

Sayid starts to apply the spikes. Sawyer screams but does not talk.

After several minutes of this, Boone can't take it anymore. "Sayid, maybe we should stop."

"Boone if you can't watch this I understand. But leave me to do what I have to do."

"To do what Sayid!?" Sawyer yelled. "You ain't got any proof that I've done anything wrong!"

"I have my suspicions and that is enough! Boone, please go."

Sawyer would only state his innocence, but other than that he wasn't talking. He wasn't going to say anything that would put Juliet in danger. He didn't know what time it was, but he figured he had missed at least the first scheduled communication with her through the walkie.

Sayid continued to beat him with his fists the way he did to Ben in another reality in the hatch.


Several hours later, Boone returned after he found Jack and Kate. Sayid had finished taking a break before he poured another bucket of water in Sawyer's face to wake him again.

"Are we going for yet another round, Ali?"

He pulls out the gun intending to point it at Sawyer's face.

"Sayid!," Jack yelled. "Stop it! What are you doing?"

Sayid presented him with the evidence and Kate and Jack looked confused.

"Sayid, I thought you were going to talk to Sawyer, not start torturing him!" an appalled Kate said. "Jack, didn't you say Sawyer saved your life the other day?"

"Yes, he pulled me from falling off a cliff. Sayid, look ... I know this looks suspicious, but Sawyer has been an asset around camp since day one. This has not appeared to be the actions on anyone who means us any harm. We are not savages."

Sayid ignored that last comment. "Yes, he has almost been too much of an asset. Jack, I tell you he is hiding something. There are obviously other people on this island.

"He is not talking, but he is going to stay right where he is until he starts giving answers."

Sayid starts to walk toward Sawyer ready to resume the torture, but stops when he hears a gun cocking sound.

"Sayid! Put That Gun Down Now!"

Boone, Jack and Kate turn to the sound of the unfamiliar female voice. Sayid turns as well, gun still in hand, but collapses when a taser dart hits him in the neck.

Juliet puts away the taser and moves toward the standing trio aiming a gun and a glare that appears even more deadly.

"Kate, untie James. Right now. Right. Now."

Jack, kick that gun over to me."

"Who are you?" Jack and Boone ask together, both their hands raised.

Juliet shakes her head in disgust. Jack, I am so disappointed in you. "James is moving heaven and earth to keep you all safe and you allow this? … Jack, I am not going to make that request again. Kick that gun over to me. Now."

A nervous Boone kicks the gun over to her.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Jack said. "You weren't on the plane. Do you know us?"

I thought I did.

Kate finished untying Sawyer, who is still in the process of coming around. Juliet backs her away and moves toward her man. "Now, I want you three on your knees, with your hands behind your head."

Juliet keeps an eye on them while she puts her free arm around Sawyer to hold him. "Oh, James. I'm so sorry. … It's over, baby. I got you."

A bruised and bloodied Sawyer wearily looks up at Juliet. "H-Hey, sunshine. I guess Boone and Sayid thought I still had the damn inhalers."

"What are you going to do with us?" Boone asked.

"As soon as James has recovered, he and I are going to leave you people … to yourselves."


Juliet allows Jack to look at Sawyer's wounds. When he was finished, Juliet backed him away with the others. Sayid was awake but he was not about to make a move with that gun pointed at him.

Once he had gathered himself a bit, Sawyer takes off one of his shoes and reveals the key to the gun case. He opens it and pulls out and loads one of the four guns. Sayid looks stunned and dejected.

"So, Diana Prince …" Sawyer slowly gets up and whispers to Juliet, "is your invisible jet nearby?"

"No, but let's go find your boat," Juliet whispered back with a smile. She now regretted that she did not leave on The Elizabeth with Sawyer on the first day after they reunited. At this point, she could not go back to the barracks. Ben was starting to get suspicious, the only good news being his suspicion was misplaced in that she was in rendezvous with Goodwin.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, James," whispered Juliet, caressing Sawyer's face with her free hand. "As soon as you are ready, let's go to the boat and leave. I don't want them to destroy our lives again when we have been given another chance."

"Julie, I love you" Sawyer whispered back. "Getting you home safe is my absolute priority and if you want to leave now, then we're gone. The hell with these yahoos.

"But that said, I think I should mention a couple of things. Not that I am one to want to defend the Doc, but I don't think he knew anything about this. Except for Boone, Sayid was on his own.

"Ethan is going to take Claire soon. It's only a matter of time before they figure out he isn't on the manifest and the result this time will probably be worse than it was last time.

"Then there is the hatch. I've hidden it so they can't discover it easily, but Desmond is down there alone. Sooner or later he will go nuts, and when that happens ... In 100 days or less, most or all of these people will be wiped out just like the last go 'round.

"I know you are very angry at them right now. But shouldn't we at least clue them in on what they are facing? That will improve their odds of surviving."

Juliet sighed. He was right. They can't just go, not like this. "Ok, James, but Ben is going to figure out sooner or later that I am on this part of the island. Maybe he'll even remember that we were together from his childhood. We can't stay here long. I won't risk losing you."

"Who is that woman?" Kate whispered to Jack while Juliet and Sawyer were obviously planning something out of ear's range. "She doesn't look like the French woman I imagined after hearing that radio message.

Jack nodded. "She can't be. She's too young to be here after 16 years and too well dressed for someone who has been marooned here that long. This is something else. … It doesn't add up. He was on the plane with us and she was not. But look at them together."

Sawyer moves towards them with his gun ready, with Juliet at his back. "Ok, listen up. I know you are all probably wondering who my lady friend is. We will explain what you want to know in due time.

"But for now all you need to know is this – As you have already guessed, she was not on the plane. She and I have known each other for a long time. We trust each other with our lives and we have been acting in your best interests since the plane crashed - which we had nothing to do with by the way, Sayid.

"But Sayid is right with his suspicions when he thinks there are people on this island who do mean you harm. Hell, all of us harm. We have no choice but to start trusting each other.

Sawyer kneels down next to Sayid. "You want to torture someone who deserves it, Abdul?"

He hands him a gun and another one to Jack. Sayid and Jack look at each other, stunned.

"Go find Ethan."

Author's note: Yes, I abandoned this story three years ago, after real life got into the way and deciding that I had written myself into a corner. But like the Oceanic 6, this story is going to come back to the island after 3 years.

I've recently come back to this site, reading the works of several outstanding Suliet stories since the show ended and you all inspired me to get back to this. If you want me to continue, please let me know.