A/n: It's been incredibly long! for which I am sorry. But since tonight marks the new eppis of Lost, I decided to update! yay! Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I hope people are still reading...sigh. I don't know How long I'm going to take these chapters for...I'm kinda dragging the story out. But whatever. I'm extremely excited for next chapter because it's my fav eppi. Or atleast one. U shall see coning in the next chapter and many new flashbacks. yay! fyi. I like reviews. they make me smile hugely!

Chapter 9: Falling Down Again

Finn sat in his tent waiting for Sawyer. He was anxious to get started. Yesterday as Sawyer and him waited for Sayid to shoot the flare up Sawyer had invited Finn to play a new game of cards with him.

Sawyer had told him to come around whenever, so Finn decided to leave a few minutes after his mother went fruit picking. Usually he loved going picking with his mother, but he wanted to play cards with Sawyer and he knew how much Kate hated Sawyer. He couldn't fathom why, Sawyer was awesome and he knew the coolest stuff too.

Finn smiled thinking of the stories Sawyer had told him once Kate had left to find Jack. As he sat there thinking he suddenly heard a sound from outside the tent. Finn tensed up and hopped to God it was Sawyer instead of a wild boar or something equally scary.

The tent opened slowly and Finn stood up.

"I've got sand and I'm not afraid to use it, loser!" Finn shrieked as the tent flap opened all the way and revealed a muscular man with choppy brown hair. He was wearing a grey shirt with a chinese character on it. Finn let out a large breath of air when he realized it was a member of the camp. Finn thought his name was Ben or Boo or something.

"Aren't you Kate's kid?" Boone asked after he got over his initial surprise of seeing a kid in Sawyer's tent.

"What are you doing?" They asked in unison.

"I'm waiting for Sawyer." Finn said confidentaly.

"Oh! Yeah. Me too." Boone stuttered.

Finn smiled and nodded.

They waited in a similar fashion for a few minutes until they heard footsteps approaching. Boone stiffened and Finn smiled as Sawyer yanked open the 'door' and walked through to see them waiting.

"Finn?" Sawyer asked surprised then turned to Boone who had gone pale.

"What are you doing in my stuff, boy?" Sawyer growled low.

Boone stuttered and Finn looked between the two.

"N-nothing...just came."

Sawyer glared at him then motioned for them to go outside.

Finn stood up too.

"I'll deal with you in a minute, buck-o." Sawyer said pointing at the child.

Finn sighed heavily and sat down in his previous spot. Boone looked over at the kid then followed Sawyer out of the tent.

Finn jumped when he heard bone on skin then curled in a ball when he heard a yelp of pain. Suddenly Sawyer came back in the tent.

"Now where were we?" he chirped sitting beside the boy. Finn looked at Sawyer then the flap.

"Where's Boo?"

"You mean, Boone? That prick?"

"What's a prick?"

Sawyer's face screwed up then he sighed.

"It's...it doesn't matter. Now what do you want?"

Finn frowned, "you said yesterday I could come over whenever and we could play a new card game."

Sawyer nodded, "right. Ok. Well. This game is called Gin Rummy? You ever play it?"

Finn shook his head and Sawyer got card from a small stash under the sand.

"Get ready for this. It's gonna blow you mind, Huckleberry."

Finn winced at the name, but waited all the same for Sawyer to deal.


13 games later, Finn had Sawyer beat by two games.

"How the hell are you beating me when I've played for a shit load years longer?"

Finn giggled, "I'm cute."

Sawyer smirked and rolled his eyes getting ready to deal the 14th game when Jack came barging in.

"What the—" Sawyer started when Jack starts tearing the suitcases apart.

"Where is it?" Jack demanded glaring at Sawyer and openly ignoring Finn who winced at the tone.

"Hey Doc. Long time no see." Sawyer casually replied smirking at the doctor.

"Where is it?" Jack repeated.

"Where's what?"

"The girl's asthma medicine. Shannon. Her inhalers."

"Oh that." Sawyer paused then looked at Finn whose eyes had gotten huge. He wondered vaguely if he should kick the kid out before things got physical.

"You attacked a kid for trying to help his sick sister." Jack stated.

"No I—"

"it's like hitting Finn—" Jack started to say.

"Hey!" Sawyer shouted angrily.

"I would never hit him!" Sawyer added glaring at Jack and standing up.

"Finn, I think you should go find Kate now." Jack said quietly clenching his fists.

Finn looked back and forth between the two then finally stood up.

"You don't have to leave, Finn." Sawyer said glowering at Jack. Jack returned the glower in kind and Finn found himself looking foward to exiting the high-testosterone tent.

"B-bye. Mom's probably looking for me." Finn said stumbling out of the tent. He had no intention of hearing the sick sound of flesh hitting flesh again.

Once was enough.


Kate had now avoided Sawyer for 3 weeks successfully. She had taken up all of her time with either school work, Tom, or the diner. She couldn't see him. Not after she had realized what she really thought of him.

She had realized she was—gasp—in love with him.

She denied it of course. But that creeping realization kept coming upon her with a vengeance. She had realized after she had written his name all over a sheet of paper. She had realized when he had opened himself to her, if only for a minute. She had realized she was in love with him when she told him stuff not even Tom knew.

She had realized.

And she was scared shit-less.

After all, she had never really experienced love, not even with Tom. Well, to be more accurate, she loved Tom, but she saw him more as a sibling, a protector, someone to hang out with. Sawyer was totally different, he was the complete opposite of Tom. And oh so wrong for her. But she had always had a thing for the bad boys, ever since she had seen James Bond.

Kate sighed angrily and leaned against her headboard for once not doing something. And not doing something usually equaled thinking about Sawyer. She jumped out of her reverie when she heard the doorbell ring. She was caught a little off-guard, wondering who in the world it could be. After all no one came to her house, except Tom. But he had stopped after Wayne had gotten angry and drunk one night. She went downstairs and opened the door not knowing who to expect.

Whoever it was though, she didn't expect Sawyer of all people.

"Hey." he aggressively greeted pushing past her and into the house.

"Come on in." Kate said sarcastically as he looked around her house.

"What's up with you?" Sawyer asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Kate replied playing dumb.

"You've been avoiding me."

"I have not."

"Have too."

"You're so self centered."

"You've been avoiding me."

"I have not!"

"You so have!" Sawyer yelled slamming a fist against the wall.

Kate jumped and turned away.

"Sorry." Sawyer muttered taking a deep breath in and a deep breath out.

"It's fine." Kate shot back.

They were quiet a few minutes when Sawyer finally broke it.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you avoiding me?"

Kate goaned and walked away from him.

"I'm. Not."

"You. Are. A. Liar."

Kate smirked at him.

"Fine. I'm avoiding you. Are you happy?" Kate mocked sighing heavily.

"You're just saying that." Sawyer said smirking.

Kate smiled back at him.

"What do you want?" she asked after a long pause.

"Nothing. Just came by to say howdy."

Kate smiled, "howdy, back cowboy."

Sawyer chuckled. "Howdy, cowgirl."

They stood in her living room smiling at each other.

They only had eyes for the other pair.


"What do you want? Kate asked coming up behind Sawyer as he chopped wood. She had just heard the entire story first from Finn who came into the tent looking sullen from being interupted in their game of Gin Rummy. Then by Jack who had been pacing back and forth pissed off behind recognition.

"Excuse me?" Sawyer asked stopping to chop wood and turn to her.

"What do you want, Sawyer?" Kate asked inhaling deeply and walking towards him.

"Freckles, I got so many answers to that question, I wouldn't even know where to start."

"What do you want for the inhalers?"

"Ah. Good questions. Hang on a tick."

He swung his axe to cut another piece of wood then turned to her smiling. Kate couldn't help sweeping her eyes over his muscular sweaty chest. She gulped trying not to let her nerves show.

"A kiss ought to do it." Sawyer said smirking at her.

She looked up into his twinkling eyes and inhaled air.

"What?"

"A kiss. From you, right now."

"I don't buy it." Kate whispered shaking her head. "What's so good about kissing me? You've kissed me before Sawyer. Hell we've done a lot more then kiss in the past."

"I know." Sawyer said still grinning.

"But all I want is a kiss."

"I don't buy it." Kate repeated.

"Buy what?" Sawyer exclaimed.

"The act. I never have. And I never will. You try to hard. I ask you to help a woman who can't breathe, and you want me to kiss you? Nobody's that disgusting. Even you. I know you Sawyer. You aren't disgusting."

"Who says? I haven't seen you in almost five years Kate. Who knows how disgusting I've become."

Kate shook her head, "you aren't disgusting."

And she stood up and walked away before he could retort anything else.


Kate sat at the entrance to her tent watching as Finn built a sand castle and Sawyer read a piece of paper at the opening of his tent. She went back to their conversation earlier and she wondered briefly why he had asked for a kiss.

He could just kiss her.

Hell, they had just kissed.

And so much more.

Obviously.

Why would he want a dumb kiss?

She continued to muse over this until she looked over and he was gone. Instead she saw Sayid and Jack dragging something with long legs, a muscular torso and—oh my god—blonde hair.

Sawyer.

She stood up, told Finn to stay put and ran over to Jack and Sayid.

"What are you doing?" Kate snapped.

"Jack?" she spat watching as they dragged the man away.

"This was Sawyer's choice not mine." Jack snapped causing her more anger.

"Jack! Jack! Stop! If you do this!" she threatened loudly.

She turned back to Finn and saw him watching the spectacle. She groaned in frustration and walked over to him scooping him up and carrying him to Claire and Charlie down the beach. After begging Claire she ran back to Sawyer, Jack, and Sayid. Even from down the beach she had heard the screams of agony. Each one ripped at her heart. When she came back she negotiated with both Jack and Sayid to let her talk to him.

Alone.

"I'm here." she said quietly bending beside him.

"Where is it?" she added looking at him sadly. He was beaten pretty badly and she could see blood on the ground beside him. She would never admit it, but her heart was screeching open with heavy cuts as every drop of blood hit the ground.

She hated seeing him hurt.

It hurt her.

So much.

"Happy to tell you as soon as I get that kiss." he panted.

"I don't get you Sawyer." Kate said. "I just, don't."

"Well, I don't get you either Freckles."

Kate smiled softly. "Just tell me where the inhalers are."

"Kiss me." Kate sighed heavily.

"Sawyer..."

"Kate..." he replied as the leaned towards each other.

They hadn't shared a kiss since that night they had found each other again. It seemed like forever since their lips had touched. But their style was the same. And it was just as passionate as always. Kate knew deep in her ripped heart that she was, once again, falling for the jackass.

And that wasn't good.

Not good at all.

(A/n: reviews? pwease!)