Quick Note: Sorry for the long hiatus, and yes, I am having a good holiday. I have had a few reviews, and I've turned on anonymous ones, in case that was what was stopping you before (I didn't know it was off, sorry). Well, I'm sure you're all waiting for the Skate reunion. I've spent days thinking of how to write this. I hope you like it.

Also, was anyone wondering where Finn had got to? Well, she's back. Mainly because I need to put her back in somewhere, and here seemed good. Now, I know this isn't the usual style of the story (this isn't a flashback, even though I'm due for one), but like I said, I've had this chapter in my head for days. And I want to bring another female character into the story – anyone care whether it's a castaway or newbie, or should I just do the writing?

I also made up a new word. Articulable. Which apparently isn't real, but it worked. Very proud of myself for that. On with the chapter, I'm rambling...

Chapter Ten

Sawyer heard the door unlock, and stood up. He knew he didn't have a chance at fighting or escaping – he'd tried enough times – but it made him feel a little better. His cell, though he wasn't to know it, was different from Kate's, in that it was isolated. He had no idea how much time had passed, but he was scared, and that made him angry. Mostly, he was scared about Kate. He'd been knocked out, and hadn't seen what had happened to her. He didn't know where he was, or where she was. No-one had spoken so much as a word to him, despite threats, taunts, and reciprocal silence. He hadn't tried asking nicely. If they wanted to be polite, they'd gone the wrong way about it.

Also, the food was crap.

When the door opened, he wondered vaguely if he should try attacking the guard again – he had done that the first few times, but not for a while now, and they probably wouldn't be expecting it.

But before he could make up his mind, a flash of something brown was leaping towards him, and he felt himself pushed backwards. For a moment, he tried to raise his hands in defence, and then suddenly, his mind made sense of the tangle of brown hair pushing into his chest.

There was nothing to do but sit down again and wrap his arms around her and hold her for as long as he could. He didn't know why she was here now, after all this time, but he knew he wasn't going to let her go again.

He felt a slight dampness in his shirt, and he realised she was crying. With a shock, he felt his own eyes moistening, and he blinked rapidly. He looked down again, as Kate looked up. He opened his mouth to say something, but never got the chance.

She was pressing her lips against his, hungrily, desperately, as if she were drowning and this was the last source of oxygen left to her. Somewhere between bouts of shock and delight and anger, Sawyer realised that there weren't any words in existence that could express what he was feeling now. Nothing articulable, anyway – the intensity of their kisses might come close.

Finn looked around her, pleased. This place was nice. As in, furnished, painted walls, luxuries, and really nice people. Incredible. They left her alone most of the time, which was good, but not always alone – every now and then they came and asked her weird questions. She figured it was worth it.

The one she saw most often was named Ben. She liked him – he was always patient, and he listened to everything she had to say. He also kept telling her she could trust him – that was good. Easier than trying to work out for herself who to trust. Simply, she had one task – to trust this man. To answer his questions, and have everything she wanted provided for.

She heard a commotion outside, and looked up, interested. But no-one came to talk to her about it, so she let the spark of curiosity fade into oblivion.

It might have been much later that Ben came back in. He was frowning. Finn couldn't help but to shrink back, just a little. He noticed, and his face came up into a smile.

"Finn, can I ask you something?" he asked. She nodded. This was how the questions always started.

"Do you remember how you got here?" he asked. She considered for a moment.

"Through the jungle," she said after a pause. He repressed a sigh.

"The jungle is very big – do you know from which direction?"

"From that way," Finn said, pointing to the east. He just stopped himself from frowning again.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded, very certain.

"Definitely. I came off the boat, onto the beach, through the jungle for a while on a that direction –" She tilted her arm to show him more clearly. "And then I met you, and we came along this direction, and we arrived here. So now, the beach I came from is that direction." She pointed east again, and Ben suddenly realised that, even without knowing the terms, she had used vector addition to calculate where she was from her starting point. He nodded thoughtfully, and gave her another smile. She smiled back, very pleased with herself.

As he left, Ben couldn't help but think that this deal may very well be worth it.

"You okay?" Kate asked, yet again. Sawyer stroked her hair.

"Fine. Now stop talking," he replied, catching her in another kiss. They were lying together on his bed, though they couldn't do anything more than kiss, very aware of the guard outside the door. Kate let herself sink in beside him. She knew it couldn't last, that they would be separated again soon enough – but she wouldn't let herself think about that time. Sawyer, however, wouldn't even admit that this would end. He would fight them to the death if need be, but they weren't taking Kate away from him again.

"What do they want with us, Freckles?" he asked, sighing slightly. She twisted a little guiltily.

"They want to use us to find their way around the island," she said.

"Tough chance," he muttered, and her face flushed a little. He was sharp enough to notice it.

"What did you tell them, Kate?" he asked, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"They wanted to know where the Others' camp is," she replied. She felt him relax a little, but not much.

"Is that all?"

"I think so," she said evasively. He didn't press the matter, but pushed his mouth towards hers again. She broke away, still distracted.

"You don't have to help them," he said, and she looked towards him. Her chest ached, and she wondered if there was any way of explaining to him that she did.

"Yes I do," she tried.

"Not for me you don't," he insisted. "I don't deserve you anyway."

"Yes you do," Kate reprimanded. "And what else can I do?"

"Say no," he suggested, and she thought of what would happen if she did that. Russ wouldn't protect her. They'd both end up dead, or worse.

"I can't," she said. He lifted her chin up, and forced her to meet his eyes.

"They hurt you?" he asked. She remembered for a moment the tearing pain Daryl had inflicted upon her, the way he had twisted her arms around…

"No," she lied. Her eyes flickered away from his, and she cursed silently. Why couldn't she lie to him? She could lie to anyone else. But not him. He put an arm around her.

"Tell me, Kate. What happened?"

"Nothing," she insisted, glad that her voice didn't waver like it was threatening to. He sighed.

"If they laid a finger on you, I'll –"

"I know you will," Kate interrupted. "I know what you'll do. And then they'll kill you."

Sawyer was momentarily dumbstruck. Her reasoning pierced him like a blade, and once more he felt like crying. Her answer, being as much as to reassure him that she loved him, also proved that they had hurt her. He wasn't sure he wanted to know anything else. He didn't want to know how, or why.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear. "I'm sorry, Kate. I'll get us out of here…"

He waited for the inevitable – for her to question him, 'how?' But she didn't. Maybe she wanted to believe in him. Maybe she didn't want to hurt him even more, by reminding him of just how helpless she was.

Anything else they wanted to say was interrupted when they heard the key in the door. Sawyer's grip tightened around her, drawing her closer. Kate reluctantly pushed him away again.

"I have to go," she whispered. He wanted to kill whoever came through that door to take her away. She knew it, too. "Don't," she whispered. "You'll get us in more trouble. I might be able to convince them to let me come back."

"I don't trust them," he replied fiercely. The guard waited patiently, as Kate stood up, Sawyer still holding her arm.

"Neither do I," Kate reassured him. "But we don't have much choice."

"I'll kill every single one of them, if that's what it takes to keep you safe," he said, his deep blue eyes burning with passion. She leaned to him, and kissed him once more, lightly.

"I love you. I'll be all right."

"I love you, Kate," he replied. With every atom of his being protesting, he watched her walk out, and saw her smile sadly at him as the door closed again. He didn't understand how she could be so complacent. What he did know, was that he had to do whatever it took to get her away. No price was too high for her safety.