This chapter is a long time coming, and i wanted to say that i have a lot more in mind. Lots of great Skate romance i think in the future. i am going to post chapter 10 almost immeadiatly. have already written it, and am polishing it right now. please review, good, bad or ugly, and i think everyone sincerely for their great support!

Chapter 9

Sayid sat in the last booth of the dingy diner. It was just after the lunch rush, and the place was still busy with customers. He purposely sat in the smoking section, anticipating Sawyers arrival. When the young waitress came to see if he needed anything, he ordered a coffee, barely glancing up from the newspaper he had spread over the yellow tinged linoleum tabletop. At his rudeness, the waitress spared him an annoyed snort, before quickly walking away. The noise caught his attention and he glanced up just to see her retreating form. She was young based on the bounce in her step. Pale, by the back of her legs. But what caught his attention the most was the way the light caught her blonde hair. It was golden among the smoke, and ugliness of the restaurant. It made him think of Shannon.

Beautiful Shannon. She was young, just like that waitress. Every night he thought of her as he lay in his small apartment. Every night he remembered "that" night; that single beautiful night he spent with her. And then the following day that she was taken from him. The same way he thought of "that" night, he remembered the weight of her lifeless body in his arms as he carried her back to camp to be buried next to her brother.

Even with his life so rapidly different then it used to be, Sayid still blinked back tears as the waitress brought him his coffee. He purposely smiled at her, and she blushed.

That's the way Sawyer saw his friend as he entered the diner. : Smiling charmingly at a blonde waitress.

As she rushed past Sawyer, Sayid suddenly noticed his arrival and stood to shake his hand. A wealth of knowledge and history passed between their eyes, as they greeted each other without words.

"Tortured anyone lately Ali?"

Long used to his language, Sayid slanted him a dry look.

Sawyer chuckled, as the waitress brought another cup of coffee for him. They both drank it black, sizing each other up from across the booth.

"So…." Sayid prompted.

"So…." Sawyer repeated, nodding his head slightly.

Rolling his eyes, Sayid leaned in closer, and dropped his voice. "What the hell is going on Sawyer? Why the abrupt phone call, making me hike half way across New York to this disgusting place?" When Sawyer didn't answer immediately, he continued "Don't tell me you got in trouble again with those Mexicans, Sawyer, what did I tell you….?"

"It's not that for God sake" Sawyer said fiercely. He paused…. "It's worse."

Sayid took a calm sip of his coffee, his eyes revealing nothing. He sat for a moment, thinking.

"What do you need?" he suddenly asked.

"Just like that? No questions?"

"Is it still really that hard for you to believe that people might do you a favor as a friend, James?"

Sawyer blinked at the use of his name. The new people in his life, from the island, had actually become Sawyers friends. Well, as close to friends as he had ever had. It still made him nervous; to have people in his life that had grown to like him, then respect him. After the rescue, he had unexpectedly changed. He did favors for Sayid, and Ana. Even though neither had seen each others since the rescue, they were Sawyers friends.

However, that didn't mean that he didn't keep the façade of his former self. "Don't call me that Sayid."

He still wasn't ready to give up on finding the man who ruined his life. Until he gave that up, or confronted it, in whatever way fate chose, he couldn't, no wouldn't, drop the use of that name.

They sat in silence for a moment. Sawyer wouldn't look at Sayid, and Sayid stared at him intensely, smirking.

"I need you to fingerprint something."

"Fingerprinting powder is very hard to come by…."

Before Sayid could finish the sentence, Sawyer pulled out the small vial Ana had given him and set it on the table. Sayid took it and held it up to the fluorescent light. It was stark black and fine. "Where did you get this?"

"Not important…..what is important, are these." Sawyer pulled out the envelope containing The Wolf's letters. He set them on the table, and wanted to spit on them.

Sayid opened the seal and took one out, scanning it quickly. He looked at Sawyer for confirmation. Sawyer nodded at the threat, and Sayid replaced the letter.

"Who?..."

"Kate."

"Kate" Sayid repeated to himself.

"Someone has been sending her those, off and on for the last few months." Sawyer laughed bitterly, "She wouldn't have told me or anyone about them, until I forced it from her. Damn stubborn woman."

Sayid noticed the look in his eyes, and raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Ok…what else?"

"We need a place to hide out. Somewhere outside the city, but close enough I can get here if I need to. I have cash, but we can't use my name, or hers."

"Okay." Sayid agreed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah... what?" Sawyer replied, his voice dripping with attitude.

"What will happen when Kate wants to call you James?"

"Listen, Ali…" Sawyer threw in the nicknames he used so often "…why do suddenly interested in my affairs? Dontcha got a woman yet?"

The look on Sayid's face was quick, so quick, that if Sawyer hadn't known him so well, you might have missed it. Grief washed over Sayid, quickly, white hot, like lightning. Sawyer regretted his words. But what the hell? Sayid had cornered him. He knew goddamn well Sawyer still didn't acknowledge James, so what the hell was he carrying on about? He was sick of Sayid always trying to psycho analyze him. He used the jab, knowing that Sayid would quickly shut down, and it had worked.

"Look…." Sawyer said, taking a scalding sip of his coffee. It was too hot, and burned his mouth and throat. He savored the pain.

However insignificant it was, Sawyer always savored pain. It reminded him of who he really was. "I shouldn't have….."

"No...its okay. Shannon died a long time ago." Sayid laughed bitterly, "I was only with her one night…."

"Sometimes, it only takes a moment."

Sayid looked up in surprise at the comment. It seemed so unlike Sawyer, to say something so….soft, and deep. Amused, if not slightly disturbed, Sayid excused himself to use the pay phone in the back of the diner. He needed to make a call regarding the house that was needed.

Fifteen minutes, after forcing down two cups of bad coffee, when Sawyer was ready to jump out of the booth to find him, Sayid returned. Sitting back down, he slipped a piece of paper across the table. With the scratchy handwriting all over it, Sawyer could barely read the address, but he put the paper in his pocket and smiled across the table.

"Thanks Sayid."

Sayid deliberately made eye contact. Holding Sawyers gaze for a moment. "You're Welcome."

As he began to slid out of the booth, Sayid caught his arm. "Be careful Sawyer. Kate has a second chance, don't drag he into something. "

Sawyer laughed slightly. "Brother, she's the one who has dragged me. You can reach me on my cell with the fingerprinting."

Sayid nodded, and watched his friend hurry out of the diner. He took one of the letters out again, and read the creepy message. On a sigh, he got up, dropping a twenty on the table, and winked at the blonde waitress as he left the restaurant.

All her bags were stacked near the door. Kate was pacing the living room, stopping once in a while to stare out the apartment window to the city streets below. She contemplated calling Jack, but decided against it, not knowing how she would explain her sudden….trip. Jack hadnt bothered to call her either, which showed