Title: Reload

Author: Crimson Coin

Rating: T. This is a tough one. T for teen possibly bordering on R for violence.

Copyright: This fan fiction is by no means intended to infringe on any copyright. I do not own the characters nor the series lost. My ideas are my own.

Genre: Drama/Romance

Pairing: The romantic pairing is Juliet/Sawyer – as per canon.

Summary: After a life of crime, Sawyer must prove himself worthy of an afterlife with Juliet. A continuation from the series finale.

Juliet arrived home a little before six. She put down her bag and kicked the door closed. Relieved, she flicked on the lights and played the messages on her answering machine.

BEEP

"Juliet, it's your mother. I'm calling to remind you that you're bringing pasta salad to the party on Sunday. Now don't forget or else we'll have nothing to eat with the chicken other than your Aunt's corn salsa and you know how I hate to only have one side dish. I mean what if someone doesn't want corn salsa. And your pasta salad is so delicious. Only don't over cook the pasta this time. Last time it was a little mush and it just wasn't tasty. It needs to be firm, al dente. Remember, eight to twelve minutes, no more. And cut the onions smaller. See you Sunday, love you."

BEEP

"Juliet, it's your mother again. Don't put your hair up when you come to the party, you're so much prettier with it down. Rose's son, Danny, will be there. You remember Danny, don't you? I told you about him last week. He's a lawyer in Boca and he's so handsome. I think you two would really like each other and have a lot to talk about. Rachel told me you're bringing somebody to the party which is nice dear, it is. She said he's a cop but that doesn't mean you can't talk to Danny. Just to see, you know, you may just hit it off with him. And he's a lawyer, that's right up your field, you're a doctor and he's a lawyer. And you haven't been seeing that cop boy too long. I'm your mother, dear, just looking out for you because I love you."

Juliet rolled her eyes and tossed the movies from the video store on the coffee table.

BEEP

"Juliet, it's Rachel. I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened, but I lost your key to the apartment. I thought I had it but it must have fallen off at the gym or the grocery store or something. Not that that's a big deal. Your lock sucked anyway. It was so finicky like I had to put the key in and jerk it to the right then do a jig and say the magic word for the thing to open. I'm sure you can smooth it over with your super to replace the lock. Bat your eyes or something, he has a thing for you anyway. See you Sunday."

She called down to the superintendent and after a few minutes and even some flirting, she managed to convince him to change her locks the next day. She would be home, it made sense. Voicing concerns about crime and being a woman alone in an apartment it wasn't safe to have a key out there with the name of the apartment complex on it. That got his attention and he agreed to change the lock the next morning.

She quickly showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a knit short sleeved top. She didn't have time to pull on a pair of socks when there was a knock on her door. "Be right there?"

"Take yer time."

She smiled at the sound of James sweet southern drawl. This was a situation she never would have guessed. Juliet Burke, esteemed researcher and doctor, attracted to a rough southern cowboy. She opened the door and smiled at him. "Hey, there."

"Hey yerself," He smirked and stepped inside, closing the door as he ducked his head to kiss her, hands on her waist as he slowly backed her up against the closet just past the front door.

She easily followed his lead and chuckled against his lips. "I see what you have in mind."

"Bad plan?"

"Mmm, no." She kissed him again a few long moments before pulling back to hug him. "You look more rested. Can you really feel more rested after only a few hours of sleep."

He nuzzled her throat. "Probably not. It's a second wind. I'll collapse after a couple hours."

She chuckled. "Alright, what do you want to eat tonight?"

He groaned. "Baby, that ain't a fair question."

She rolled her eyes and paused a moment then whispered to him. "Soon, James, I …"

"Shhh," kissed her silent then watched her. "Well you promised me pizza, so I say pizza. And I love meat." He grinned. "I know ya may not want the mega meat pie, but at least some type a meat on it."

She smiled, ever grateful that he never pushed her. She hugged him tightly in gratitude then slipped from his arms to walk into the kitchen. "I have a menu from a place down the block if you want them to deliver."

"Sounds great to me. I'm payin'." He entered the den and picked up the movies. "So what did we get. Animal House, The Big Lebowski, Caddyshack and … Hellraiser? Damn, blondie, ya certainly have an interesting selection. Ok so … " he held the three comedies in one hand and the horror in another. "Which a these things is not like the other?"

She laughed at him. "I love horror movies, what do you want. You don't have to watch it if you don't want to, I'll just watch it tomorrow without you then. Plus those comedies, I thought you could use something mindless and funny."

He smirked at that and nodded then tossed them down again. "Good choices. So you're not a rom com kinda gal?"

"If you mean that watching when harry met sally gets me going? Then no."

"Ah," he pressed his lips together, hiding a smile and his brow lifted playfully. "Hellraiser gets you goin'? Kinky."

She brought the menu to the couch and sat, legs crossed and smacked him with the menu. "Oh come on, James, don't you remember high school? Sneaking into a horror movie with a girl and have her yelp at a scene and then curl into you for protection."

"Well, yeah, but I don't picture you as a yelp and cuddle kinda girl."

She laughed. "No, I'm not. I don't need to yelp to cuddle." She quirked a brow, flirtatious and then glanced at the menu. "Alright, Mr. Ford, pick your pizza."

He sat beside her and plucked the menu from her hands. "Let's see. Well what don't you like on your pizza?"

"Anchovies."

"Me neither. What else?"

She shrugged casually. "Anything else I'd eat really. Oh but no pineapple. Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff. Just fruit doesn't belong on pizza."

He chuckled, gently. "Naw, I agree there. Alright ya like sausage? What about sausage, peppers and onions."

"Sounds perfect." She handed him the phone. "You call."

He shook his head at her and took the phone. "Pawnin' off the work to the man. Typical." He grinned as she huffed and walked back into the kitchen.

She opened the fridge as he ordered the pizza and grabbed the two liter bottle of soda. She returned to the couch with the soda, two cups, a stack of napkins and two plates. "I know what you're thinking. Beer? But not tonight, ok?"

He appeared confused, brow furrowed. "I could really use it."

"I know." She sat and slid her fingers along his forearm to take his hand. "That's why. You looked off today. I don't want you to resort to that. It's not a solution."

"Ya think I don't know that? It helps with the edge."

"Then let me take the edge."

That was unexpected. Curious, he tilted his head, eyeing her. "Ya don't know what that means. I mean, when the day is rough …"

"Oh, and you think I don't know about rough days?" She laughed. "Trust me, James. I know all about rough days. And yes, sometimes I like a glass of wine to calm the nerves. But you were more than nerves today. You were a man livid and on a mission. Stay clear headed with me tonight, ok? For me."

He appraised her a long moment then squeezed her hand. "It ain't easy though, ya know? I mean all this shit I'm goin' through and what I'm tryin' to do and I can't even tell ya. It's hard sometimes. Workin' in homicide. Some people … they're sick bastards."

She listened patiently, thumb brushing the back of his hand.

He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "I just … I saw the girl on the slab in the morgue. She was younger than me and … maybe your age. I just had to see you." He chuckled. "Ugh, that sounds so damn sappy."

"It does."

He glanced to her and eyed that familiar teasing smirk and the way her eyes held his playfully. "You know, alotta guys would be intimidated by you. Ya don't make it easy always apprasin' and eyein' up and down and ya got this stare that just goes right through me."

"Does that bother you?"

He scoffed and shook his head at the knock on the door. He stood to answer it and glanced back. "Creepy part is, it turns me on." He turned back to the door. "Freakin' scary, ain't it."

She laughed when he opened the door and pulled a twenty from his pocket to pay for the pizza. He carried the pizza back to the coffee table and set it down, then sat beside her.

"I don't think it's freaking scary," she smirked. "I like that I turn you on."

James grabbed the movies and picked one of the comedies, popping it into the DVD player before rejoining her on the couch. He took the remote to start the movie then reached for a slice of pizza. They ate, watching the movie, laughing and joking. James hadn't felt so relaxed in weeks. She just got to him, made him laugh, forget his troubles and just lose himself in the time he spent with her. He couldn't imagine how amazing it would be to lose himself in her completely. And damn, he'd been dreaming of that for the last few weeks.

She was smokin' hot with a killer smile and the best damn legs he'd ever seen. He only had a small glimpse of them, but he knew. Somehow, he knew. He argued to himself it was because her slacks and jeans were always tailored to leave little to the imagination. But he could picture those legs in his mind wrapped around his …

"James?"

"Huh?" He shook his head of the distraction and looked to her. "What?"

She pointed to his chest where the plate he held was dripping grease onto his buttoned down shirt. She hid a smile.

He bolted up. "Ah, shit!" He put the plate on the table then unbuttoned the shirt. He walked into the kitchen and pulled off the shirt.

She laughed. "Wait, wait." She stood to help him. "Here, give it to me. I'll treat it and put it in the wash."

He sighed, frustrated and shook his head. "Sorry I was just thinking and …"

"About your case?"

"Uh … yeah."

She smiled in understanding then walked towards her bathroom and opened a long shuttered door, exposing the washer/dryier. She treated his shirt then tossed it into the washer. She included a few of her own items then turned it on. "I'd offer you a shirt but mine wouldn't fit you."

He returned to the couch, shirtless and looking just comfortable.

"You know," she stood in the kitchen, watching him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you did that on purpose to sit there shirtless. But you looked too surprised and pissed at the stain to be acting."

"I could be a good actor, you know."

"You're not a good actor. I can see right through you." She cleared the pizza as James picked the second movie.

"You know since I'm shirtless, I think it's only fair that you're shirtless too."

"It doesn't work that way."

"Bullshit, it should work that way."

She laughed. "It takes more than that to get my top off." She returned to the couch. "Which did you put in?"

He grinned and leapt over the coffee table to sit on the couch again. "The horror movie. I'm bankin' on a yelp and cuddle. Then I'll get yer top off."

She relished the movie, eyes wide as she watched. "I've seen this so many times, but I always thought it was so cool how they did the puppetry." As the movie progressed, they stretched out on their sides, laying together, spooned on the couch, he to the back, she in front. He draped a casual arm over her waist as they propped themselves up slightly with the cushions. She traced random patterns on his hand with her fingers, snuggling closer.

He smirked victoriously and pulled her tighter, watching the movie carefully. He was expecting a lively debate about something regarding this movie and he was going to be ready for it.

The washer buzzed and she paused the movie then got up to see to it. He watched her the entire way and waited patiently for her to come back. When she did, he reached for her and he tugged her back down in front of him. She seemed nervous, a little unsure but soon settled right back against him and started the movie again.

At the end of the movie, she smiled and glanced back at him. "James, wasn't that …" then trailed off. He was fast asleep. Her eyes softened and she reached up to gently stroke her fingers along his brow then down his jaw. She kissed him sweetly, very softly then slowly disentangled from his arms. She turned the movie off and turned the lights down. She covered him with a blanket from the back of the couch then cleared the dishes.

"Mmm, leavin' me alone?"

She chuckled softly. "You fell asleep. I was going to let you. You need it."

"Come back to bed. It felt good to have ya here."

"What time do you go in tomorrow?"

"Mmm, ten." He stretched and sighed, scratching his chest. "I guess I should go home." He stood and walked toward her, collecting his shirt from the hanger on the door leading to the hall and the bedrooms.

She watched him almost intensely as if debating. She desired him. To hold him. His arms around her had sparked feelings within her that she had not felt in years. All she wanted was to pull him into that room, to the bed. No, she couldn't. This was the heat of the moment. It was the now, in the morning she would regret it. Wouldn't she? How could she ever regret him? He'd been so patient, so caring so perfect. Wasn't he? She still knew little of his past, he never spoke of it. Did that even matter?

He grinned. "I can see the wheel turnin' in that head a yours. Thanks for cleanin' my shirt. No sign a stain."

"Will you come by tomorrow?"

"I can." He grinned. "I work til 7, as long as nothing keeps me late. I'll call ya at 6 to let ya know for sure." He watched her then cupped her cheek. She looked away but he turned her eyes back to his.

He kissed her once, then again. "Sleep tight, Darlin'. Dream a me."

She smiled for him and he took her hand as he walked to the door. "Goodnight, James."

"Goodnight, Blondie."

Author's Note: And yet another chapter. This one is short but the next one is longer and the one after, longer than that. Less drama, more romance here and the same in the next two chapters. Hope you enjoy. I love reviews so send them my way, please. I like to know if people are reading, especially liking.