Tell me what you thought about when you were gone

And so alone

The worst is over

You can have the best of me

We got older

But we're still young

We never grew out of this feeling that we won't give up

Jumping to conclusions

Made me fall away from you

I'm so glad that the truth has brought back together me and you

The Best of Me

-The Starting Line

She was sitting on the porch waiting for him when he pulled in her driveway early the next morning. He watched with a grin when she jumped off the porch step and headed toward the truck before he had even stopped moving. Ophelia barked in recognition and pulled at her chain in the back.

He exited his truck just in time to watch Kate's jean clad butt disappear over the side of the truck bed.

"Good to see you too, Freckles." He teased as he watched the two friends reunite. He couldn't decide who was more excited to see who. Ophelia's tail was waving hard enough to knock out an unsuspecting victim while Kate gushed about how much she missed her, 'baby.'

Ophelia licked Kate's cheek and Kate giggled.

"Anyway, it doesn't seem to me like you need any coffee." Sawyer muttered under his breath.

"It's good to see you too, Sawyer." He imitated a female voice. "Oh really? I hope you're not using me for my dog." Then answered himself before switching back to the imitation. "Oh no, I would never do that." He continued his private conversation as he leaned back into his truck and grabbed a cup of coffee. "Of course not, I never thought you would, Freckles. But there have been rumors and I just wanted to make sure."

By this time Ophelia had stopped barking and seemed to be settling back down. "Don't believe them, Babe." He muttered, continuing his impersonation of her as he closed the door.

Kate's snort caught his attention. Both she and the dog were watching him.

"Babe?" She questioned. "Really?"

He simply shrugged.

"Is that my coffee?" She pointed and he hesitated.

"I don't know. I go out of my way to bring you coffee and what do I get?" He gestured toward the dog. "Not as half as much as that mutt."

"Hi." Kate smirked and leaned over the edge of the truck bed to try and grab her coffee from him.

He stepped back with a smirk of his own and held the coffee just out of her reach.

"Hi yourself." He teased and watched as she stood up and sat on the edge of the truck bed, swinging her legs over the side to hang down the front. She braced herself with her hands and cocked her head to the side.

"What do I have to do to get my coffee?" She asked.

"I haven't decided yet." He admitted as he took her in. She was wearing a dark washed jean, worn through on her right knee. On her feet a pair of beat up flip flops, navy and rubber, that looked like they had seen one too many outings, but seemed right at home on her. The nail polish that had clung so stubbornly to her toes for weeks now, was gone and he could picture her picking at it mindlessly to remove it. The image made him smile.

"What?" She questioned and he shook his head and handed her the cup of coffee.

"Nothing." She rolled her eyes and took a cautious swallow.

"Mmm. This is perfect. Thank you." He shrugged and went back to studying her. Her shirt was a cute girlie number. Something he wasn't yet all that accustom to seeing her wear. Since they had met up again, most of the time spent with her, involved a tee shirt and a pair of jeans. True, he had seen her dressed up on a few occasions, but nothing this simple yet feminine. It was white with eyelets covering most of the shirt. Held up with small straps in a navy floral print that contrasted nicely against her freckled shoulders. The same fabric was repeated in a strip down the front of the shirt and along the bottom edge. Three white buttons rested between her breasts, drawing his eyes to them only marginally better than the seam that circled the shirt just under them. Not that she needed any help in that department. The shirt was also cut low enough to show a hint of cleavage when she moved. He wasn't objecting.

"What are you staring at?" She asked him after a moment. His eyes seemed to have glazed over a bit and she looked down at her shirt fearing she had spilled some coffee or had some unsightly spot. Her free hand brushed at the fabric, tugging and pulling in search of the offending item.

Her quest, however, only managed to unsettle her on the side of the truck and before she realized what was happening, Sawyer stepped up between her legs and used his body to keep her from tumbling over the side.

"Thanks." She murmured and watched as he took the cup from her hand. Her hair hung in two partial braids, as if she had given up with the idea halfway and just tied it off and called it good. Curls hung freely, tangling together and begging for his fingers to free them. And because she was Kate, bits and pieces escaped and curled around her face, refusing to be bound with the rest. She looked like a tomboy woman child. Just rough enough around the edges, just sweet enough to keep. His Freckles.

"Ok, seriously, what's going on with you?" Kate asked after a moment. He hadn't stepped back. Instead he had rested one hand on her thigh with his warm body cradled between her knees. This in and of itself was not odd, however. They often found themselves in the same position when they hung out at his place or even hers. It wasn't uncommon for her to find herself sitting on a counter with him holding out a spoon for her to taste something, or reaching behind her for a dish. What was uncommon was for him to drift off and get lost in his head, or to stay standing there with no intention of moving.

It was a good question. What was going on with him? One he would probably have to evaluate later. He was already running behind schedule. After falling asleep on her the night before, he had forgotten to set any alarms and had awakened to Ophelia whining to go out twenty minutes after he would have liked to have been up. His phone on the pillow next to him had run completely dead. He had barely had time to hop in the shower after taking Ophelia out and throw on some clothes before walking out the door to go pick up her coffee on his way to her place.

"Nothing." He took a sip of her coffee and she rolled her eyes and stole it back from him. "Come on. We're running late." He tugged a pigtail. "These belong on little girls." He added as he stepped back.

She stuck out her tongue and Ophelia barked in agreement. Somehow when the three of them got together, his dog always seemed to side with Kate. Any other time and she was completely devoted to him. And though he would never tell Kate, he thought she had done a remarkable job of picking the perfect dog for him. Even if she seemed to prefer Kate. He wouldn't hold it against the dog, most of the time he preferred Kate as well.

"Is that an invitation? Cause, Honey, I'm not sure we have the time for a quickie if we don't want to get caught in traffic." He teased and she rewarded him with a slug to his arm.

"That was for last night." She smiled sweetly and slugged him again. "And that was for just now."

"Son of a Bitch. Why are you so violent, Woman?"

"Oh, but Baby, it's only for you." She teased. He placed his hands around her waist and lifted her down from her perch, setting her on the ground in front of him.

"It's nice to know you save something for me. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside." Placing his hands on her shoulders he turned her around and gave her a shove. "Now get in the truck so we can get out of here."

"Bossy." She muttered under her breath, then handed him the cup of coffee again. "I left my sweater on the porch, let me go grab it first." She called over her shoulder as she hurried back to her porch.

"Alright, be quick about it though." He called out after her as she picked up a navy half sweater and pulled it on, the sleeves resting just above her elbows.

"I'm not the one who was twenty minutes late." She taunted as she picked up her purse and shoved her cellphone into her tight low slung jeans, then started back to the truck.

"Hmmm. Well, someone kept me up on the phone all night." He fired back as he walked around the truck and opened the door for her.

"Did you get a new girlfriend?" She paused in front of the open truck door and questioned innocently.

"Nah, it's this girl I met ages ago. Annoying as hell, but I can't seem to shake her." He smirked as he handed her her coffee. She matched his smirk before responding.

"Sounds like this asshole I know. I think he thinks he's funny." She took a sip of her coffee again, hiding behind her cup. He rolled his eyes and gestured toward the truck, indicating she should get in.

"Maybe we should hook them up. It might get them off our backs." He suggested softly as he watched her climb in and settle.

"It's an idea, but I don't think it would work." Kate answered as she set her cup in the travel holder that the coffee shop had provided for him on the seat next to her. "I imagine she has a lot of baggage." She continued, this time meeting his eyes with a sad smile. He sighed and she blew at a strand of hair that had escaped and seemed determined to get in her eyes.

"Eh, I bet she's worth it though." He answered honestly and brushed the hair away from her eyes, his hand resting ever so briefly on her cheek.

"You know, sometimes you can be surprisingly sweet." Her voice was soft and choked through emotion. It was times like this when she played with the idea that maybe this time they could work. Times like this when she thought that maybe she was wrong. Maybe they had been working toward this all along. That Jack and Juliet could have just been pit stops along the road. That maybe, just maybe, they would always find themselves back here after everything was said and done.

"And sometimes you can be surprisingly sane." He teased as he stepped back and slammed the door.

She rolled her eyes to herself, and her silly thoughts. Yeah, they could work... until he opened his mouth. Kate watched as he ran around the front of the truck and opened his door, climbing in to join her.

"I have an idea. Why don't we chain you up in the back and Ophelia can ride up front with me? I think she would make a better traveling companion." She shot back as he buckled up and turned the key.

"Dogs ride in the back." His answer was quick and left no room for argument. Kate smiled as she pulled her seatbelt on then looked over her shoulder out the window where Ophelia was watching them both.

"Sorry girl, I tried."

He laughed then backed out of her driveway.

The first few hours of the trip went by quietly. Kate, despite her earlier enthusiasm, found keeping her eyes open to be difficult. The handful of hours she had spent sleeping the night before were little help against the blur of the freeway lines. When it started to rain twenty minutes into the ride she made him pull over and put Ophelia in the front with them. Ophelia, who hadn't seemed to mind the rain at all, sat where she had once been. Kate slid over on the seat and pressed her body against the side of his.

She fiddled with the thermostat for a bit, claiming that she was cold, but he thought maybe she was more concerned about the dog than actually cold. Especially when she kept asking if he thought Ophelia sounded as if she was congested. Luckily though, the warm air blowing from the vents and the patter of the rain on the truck seemed to lull both Kate and the dog into sleep in remarkable time.

He smiled as Kate's head bobbed next to him, and a cute little snore tried to escape. She would kill him if he teased her about it later, which was probably why he had every intention of doing so.

He had expected her to be all nerves and jitters, so it surprised him when she nodded off. Especially after her argument of the night before. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that even he was a little uneasy about the situation. Not because he was afraid like Kate was, but because if things didn't go well between the two women it could get ugly fast. Well, and maybe he was a little unnerved by what Cass could tell Kate, though he was sure that she had spent three years telling Kate all kinds of stories. In fact, one day he would have to ask Kate just how much she knew about him. Cassidy didn't know a lot of things, but she had more than enough to embarrass the hell out of him.

Maybe putting the two of them together wasn't such a good idea after all.

The warm air was stifling in the closed off cab, so he reached over and turned down the dial on the heater. Kate's warm body next to his only increased the stuffiness of the truck so he cracked his window and let the fresh smelling air blow in.

Kate murmured something that sounded halfway like an objection then turned sideways and rested her head against the back of the seat, her legs trying to come up and fold under her. Finding that there wasn't enough room she moaned and woke. Her eyes opening slowly, objecting to the light.

She watched him for a moment, his eyes focused on the road ahead of them. His strong arms resting on his denim covered knees. His face relaxed as the rest of his body. He wore a simple red tee, that seemed to accent the muscles in his chest in a very nice way, his leather jacket slung over the back of the seat. Every once in awhile he would hum to the music playing quietly on the radio, the swish of the windshield wipers in the background.

She was familiar with the way the wind tangled in his hair, her fingers itching to brush it free and trace the line of his jaw. Learn him again, discover all his new scars. The cold air blowing in the window chilled her, but she didn't want to move. Didn't want to risk discovery. There was something calming about the way he gripped the wheel, confident and in control. Something soothing about the sound that slid passed his lips, the slight twang in his voice when he murmured along to a word or two of the song playing on the radio. The sound of the rain on the roof, his fingers tapping along on the wheel. The swish of the water under their wheels. The click of a blinker as he switched lanes.

Washed clean. She let the rain fresh air in, making her feel new again. Making them feel pure and innocent. Her stomach had been in a mess of knotted confusion since waking up. She still hadn't decided if going to clear the air between Cassidy and herself was a good idea or just a way to punish herself. Part of her was terrified to witness Sawyer and Cassidy together.

What if what they had resembled what she shared with Sawyer? Would she be okay with that? And why did it matter? It shouldn't, she shouldn't be possessive of him. Shouldn't feel a little jealous or envy the other woman. And she never had in the past. But the idea that he could sit and talk with Cassidy for hours scared her. That maybe what she had with him wasn't so special after all.

Maybe it was only normal for Sawyer to act as he did with her. Again, that thought shouldn't be such an upsetting one. She was more than okay with him dating other women, so why was it that when he was friends with a woman, the idea terrified her.

Why was she still so afraid he would leave her... or worse... replace her?

The rain blew in the window and every now and then a cold drop hit her face or arm. She tried not to shudder and give herself away.

"Aren't you cold with the rain blowing in on you?" She asked softly after a moment causing him to jump.

"Jesus, Freckles. Warn a man next time." She chuckled as she pulled his jacket down and wrapped it around her arms. "I'm fine. Are you still cold?" He asked as he watched her burrow into his jacket. She took a deep inhale and smiled.

She was being silly. He wasn't going to replace her and even if what he had with Cassidy was similar, it could never be the same.

"I was, but I'll be fine now."

He thought maybe she meant more than she said, and he studied her out of the corner of his eye, waiting to see if she would open up and tell him what was running through that crazy mind of hers. But she didn't say anymore and he let the subject lie untouched. One day she would tell him, he knew.

"I thought maybe we could stop for breakfast in a little bit. There's a halfway decent place bout an hour from here." He suggested a moment later and reached around her back to grab the edge of his jacket and tuck it around her. His arm staying behind her.

"Ok." She agreed and cuddled closer stealing his body heat.

"We can put the dog in the back you know. It's barely raining now and I think I have a tarp somewhere back there." He suggested as she tried to find a comfortable position.

"Maybe in a little while. I'd feel bad knowing she was out there in the cold." He smiled and hugged her to him, his arm running up and down hers, the friction warming her slightly. She settled into him, wondering idly why the little nook he created with his body was always ten times more comfortable than any bed.

"My little ice cube." He murmured. She groaned at his comment and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. It itched, she justified.

It didn't take her long to fall asleep again, this time using him as a pillow.

The next time she woke was to the car slowing and then coming to a stop.

"Hey, Sleepyhead." He whispered and traced a finger down her cheek. She groaned and turned her head to bury her face in the hollow of his neck. "It stopped raining and we've stopped for breakfast."

"Hmmm. Sleep." She moaned. He laughed and her stomach gurgled in response to his suggestion of food.

Ophelia barked and nudged Kate's back.

"I hate you both right now." She muttered into Sawyer's neck then realized exactly where she was and sat up quickly.

"Sorry." She spit out, her cheeks bright red as she refused to make eye contact.

"What for? You didn't drool on me did you?" He looked down and pretended to be offended at the suggestion but finding no drool just shrugged it off instead. "Come on. I'm starving."

He popped his door open and climbed out. Ophelia tried to make a run for it, climbing over Kate's lap to get out. Kate shoved against the dog, trying not to get trampled as Sawyer stood by laughing.

"Get off." She huffed and pulled herself out from under the dog.

"Good Girl." Sawyer teased and Kate gave him a death glare as she gathered her purse and climbed out the other door, making sure to slam it behind her.

"Hey, be careful. Betsy didn't do anything to you." He put his hand on the truck, a wounded look on his face. "It's ok Baby, I won't let her hurt you." He murmured and stroked the side of the truck.

"And I'm the silly one?" Kate raised an eyebrow as she met him on the other side of the truck. "At least Ophelia is actually alive."

Ophelia barked and ran to the other side of the truck, picking up the scent of the food being cooked inside the restaurant, eager for a treat of her own.

"Sorry Girl, you have to wait in the truck." Kate said sadly as Sawyer walked around the truck and let the back down so she could get in. Kate watched as Sawyer called to the dog and climbed in the back himself. Ophelia simply stared back and forth between the two of them, unsure who to follow.

After a few minutes of Ophelia barking and not moving, Kate climbed up onto the truck and called to the dog and Sawyer got out, intending to grab her collar and direct her toward the truck. Instead Ophelia thought it was a game and ran from him. Kate laughed and Sawyer stopped the chase to glare in her direction.

"You have to admit it's funny." Kate called out.

"Son of a Bitch." He called out as he chased after the dog. Kate only laughed harder as Ophelia once more faked left and Sawyer darted after her.

"Come on, Ophelia. Here Girl!" Kate called again, taking pity on him a few minutes later.

"I dare you." Sawyer growled at the dog, not amused in the least. He made a move to grab for her and she took off again, this time in the correct direction. Unfortunately, Sawyer tripped and fell flat on his face.

This time he didn't turn to glare at Kate who was laughing her head off in the back of his truck, instead he swore up a storm, annoyed.

"Bad Girl." Kate giggled. Yeah, like the dog was gonna believe it was bad when she used that tone. He was pretty sure not even Kate thought it was bad. In fact he would bet that Kate was still busy trying to contain her laughter.

He pulled himself up and brushed his shirt off. It was covered in mud. He supposed it was a good thing he had a sweatshirt in the back of the cab. Stupid dog. If she had just been in the back where she belonged none of it would have happened.

"You coming?" Kate asked and he turned around to see that while he had been making a fool of himself, Kate had secured Ophelia in the back of the truck and was climbing out as she spoke.

"Yeah, just a sec." He flung open the door and dug around behind the seat for a minute, then pulled free a wrinkled old hoodie. Kate turned up her nose as he sniffed it.

"What? I'm covered in mud." He pulled the tee shirt off and Kate flushed. Surprised at her body's immediate reaction to his naked skin, she turned her back on him and took a deep breath trying to block out the pounding in her ears.

Sawyer bit back a smirk as he pulled the sweatshirt on. It was nice to know that she was still affected by him. Sometimes he felt very much alone in his attraction to her.

"Come on." He stepped up behind her and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Let's get something to eat."

After breakfast Kate begged to be allowed to drive. He refused to grant her request and she found herself once more delegated to the passenger seat. She thought it might have had something to do with her teasing him over their meal about his face plant and not being able to catch his dog. This time Ophelia stayed in the back as well, probably as punishment for playing hard to get.

The rest of the drive was rather uneventful. She dosed a bit, resting her head against the window. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. They talked about nothing important.

She tried to ask about his manuscript, having left the topic alone since the morning she had found out about it. But he quickly brushed her off and she granted his request for a topic change.

Before she knew it they were pulling up at a small house in the middle of suburbia, complete with 'white picket fence,' which technically was more of a stucco cement wall to match with the architecture of the neighborhood but the feeling applied. The truck hadn't even come to a stop when Clementine came bursting through the front door.

"Daddy!" She called out. Kate watched as he threw open his door and climbed down just in time to catch the little girl as she jumped into his arms.

"And how is my little princess?" He asked.

"I missed you. Did you bring my present?"

Ophelia barked and Clem's eyes shot to the back of the truck. She squirmed against her father's hold and Sawyer set her down and watched as she ran to the side of the truck. Cassidy's garage was behind her house, and Sawyer had pulled up just enough to block the view into the truck with the house, so Kate turned around and watched through the back window, crouching down slightly. Unintentionally hiding.

"Is that for me?" Clementine asked, jumping up and down and trying to climb up into the truck.

"She better be staying at your house, Sawyer." Cassidy called out as she came outside to see what the ruckus was all about.

"Hello, Cass. I brought a present for you too." He said softly as Cass stepped up beside him. Kate cowered in the corner of her seat, still not exiting the vehicle.

"It better not be the size of a house, with four legs." She muttered. He laughed.

"Daddy! I wanna see the dog! What's her name?" Clem demanded when she realized she wasn't yet tall enough to get onto his truck by herself.

"She's in the truck. I think she's afraid to come out. Be nice." Sawyer warned as he stepped over to lift Clem into the back of the truck.

Cassidy sent him a confused look then stepped around him to look in the truck. She smiled.

"Katherine Anne Austen, get that scrawny ass out here and say hello. I promise we don't bite!" Cassidy yelled toward the truck and Kate blushed in embarrassment.

"It's good to see you brought her." Cassidy whispered softly.

"She thinks you're mad at her." Sawyer murmured as Kate climbed out and closed the door.

"Bullshit." She whispered, then raised her voice to ensure Kate heard. "She's afraid I'm going to tattle on her."

"You don't have anything to tattle on." Kate said softly as she stepped around the truck.

"Auntie Kate!" Clem yelled in excitement. "Look what Daddy got me!"

"Actually, your Auntie Kate helped pick her out." Sawyer explained as he climbed in the truck with his daughter and the dog.

"Did you have to pick the biggest damn dog there?" Cassidy asked then stepped over to where Kate hesitated. "It's really good to see you and I promised Sawyer I'd behave. So get over here and give me a proper greeting." Cassidy wrapped an arm around Kate's shoulders and Kate turned toward Cass and wrapped her arms around her friend's neck.

"I'm sorry." Kate murmured.

"Don't be. You don't have anything to be sorry for."

Kate pulled back and raised an eyebrow.

"I do expect to know everything, however." Cassidy smirked and nodded toward Sawyer and their daughter who was currently occupied by Ophelia's slobbery kisses. "And I expect to be called, and kept caught up."

"There really isn't anything to tell..." Kate hesitated, she cast her eyes back up at Sawyer and Clementine. Sawyer had his back to them and was unhooking the dog. Clementine was clapping with excitement.

"You are full of shit, and I don't expect you to spill everything in front of him." Cassidy then raised her voice again. "Because you and I both know he's listening."

"I am not." Sawyer fired back with one of his classic shit eating grins. He had to admit to himself that he was suddenly very interested in just what Cassidy could get out of Kate.

"Play with your daughter and your dog. Kate and I are going to catch up."

"Her name is Ophelia." Sawyer defended the dog causing Kate to smile. He grinned back at her.

"Classy. You think of that one yourself?" Cassidy taunted stepping back from the truck and Sawyer helped Clementine down as Ophelia hopped down next to them and began sniffing at Cassidy's feet.

"Nah, she was already named. But I thought, he could enjoy a Shakespeare reference." Kate confessed. "He always had his nose in a book on the Island, so..."

"Don't buy a word out of her mouth, Kate is more in love with this dog than Clementine is." Sawyer objected and watched as Clem knelt on the ground next to the dog, her arms wrapped around Ophelia's neck.

"You two are sickeningly sweet." Cassidy said as she grabbed Kate's arm. "Let's leave these guys out here."

Sawyer laughed at the look that crossed Kate's face as his ex pulled her along. She was begging for his help and he could only shrug. Cassidy was going to get her way no matter what, and he had a feeling that Kate would thank him later.

Kate took a deep breath and followed. There was no way she was getting out of this conversation.