Ten years later….she updates! I'm incredibly sorry, my fic muse morphed into an art muse :rolleyes:. But I'm back. I hope.
Chapter 25
A loud wail from the baby interrupted the moment and Sawyer swore in irritation, staring daggers at the child.
"Hell, don't that thing ever shut up?"
"I'm sorry! I don't know how to stop him. I don't know anything! I wasn't even meant to look after this baby!" Claire was dangerously close to tears, and she forced them away, unwilling to let her grief endanger her child's life, balanced in her arms, as her shoulders started to tremble. Charlie shot Sawyer a dirty look as he made his way towards the mother and child.
"Hey," Charlie started hesitantly, a wide smile spreading, eyes gleaming. Sawyer looked away from the pair and rolled his eyes, before he caught Kate's hard stare.
"Don't you start, woman." His voice was gruff but there was no malice in it, even a hint of wry amusement. Kate rolled her eyes back at him mockingly, before turning away and leaving Charlie and Claire to their reunion in private.
Sayid, Locke and Michael emerged through the clearing, carrying a struggling man, the Other who had attempted to steal the baby. Sawyer looked at the nets, but which one to use? All had some Others trapped underneath, and what if they were just faking it, ready to pounce the moment the net was lifted? Sayid surveyed the situation quickly, and gestured at the net with only one Other underneath. Sawyer warily made his way towards it, berating himself for needing Sayid's direction.
Damn Captain Falafel. Coulda worked it out myself.
It wasn't easy but eventually they had used the heavy netting to trap the Other safely under. The sheer weight of the netting forced him downwards, but he had one last parting shot.
"Don't think this is over," he snarled. "It's only just beginning. We will succeed. It is a matter of time, and this island has plenty of it."
Sawyer couldn't resist a swift kick to the Other's head; visions of what They had done to Kate conjured up unbidden. The Other fell into unconsciousness with a muffled yelp. Sayid looked at Sawyer knowingly, pityingly. Then his gaze fell on Boone.
He knelt down next to the body, hovering his hand a few inches above his face. Kate noticed and ran away, violently retching in the nearest bush. She shivered, and placed her palms on a tree, leaning against it. She lip quivered as tears blinded her. Sawyer strode over to her but she pushed him away. He refused to be sidelined, drew her into his arms. Sayid took this all in, but said nothing.
"Shannon will be devastated," he said softly. "He was…changed, yes?"
"Yeah," Sawyer answered, when Kate made no move to. He swallowed, and drew Kate a little closer. She clung to him slightly, but for once Sawyer didn't mind.
"I will take care of him; you do not need to worry any longer. My main mission has found itself at a most sorrowful end." Sayid gently brushed Boone's eyes, ensuring the eyelid's closed, the hauntingly sinister smile stiffened into an eternal pose.
Michael, finally done with securing the nets, made his way over.
"God…" he whispered, the harsh probability of Walt's fate suddenly all too real. "I have to go now. I have to find Walt."
"Don't worry, we'll find your boy." Locke's soft ethereal voice cut into the conversation. "The island will allow you to find what you are looking for if you are willing to pay the price."
Sawyer fought the violent urge to punch someone, something, at the "price" Kate had had to pay.
"Alright then," Locke began, his eyes twinkling, a disturbing contradiction to the subject matter. "I propose myself, Michael and Sawyer continue on the search for Walt whilst Sayid can transport Boone back to his sister, and Charlie can help Claire with the baby."
"What about Kate?" asked Claire. "Can she- is she…"
"Yes, Claire, I think it would be a good idea for Kate to remain with you."
Kate wanted to protest, she wanted to go to find Walt, but most of all she didn't want to be separated from Sawyer. But she was tired, and aching, and guilt-ridden, so she passively complied by not complaining.
"I think it would be a good idea to take a break here before continuing along our separate ways, yes?"
Muttered agreements followed and they split off into twos and threes. Kate and Sawyer remained by the tree, until Sawyer remembered that Kate had thrown up nearby and gently tugged her along, just out of sight of the others.
"Don't go." Kate's voice was quiet, but the abrupt change in tone made Sawyer pause.
"Why the hell not?" he spat tiresomely, squinting down at her through the suddenly blazing glare of the sun. He was itching to move, anywhere. He was getting antsy from just sitting around, and yearned to get moving. He didn't notice the tone of her voice, at first.
Kate looked at him wearily, and Sawyer could practically see her retreat back into herself. The sad vulnerability she had shown was quickly replaced with a masked indifference, and Sawyer cursed himself when he realised how she had opened up to him, only for him to turn around and bark at her.
"Freckles…"
"No, it's fine. You should go. I was just being stupid." The scratchy hoarseness of her voice only added to the guilt Sawyer felt and he gritted his teeth, willing himself to stay calm.
"Look, they got enough people. I'll come with you."
"Don't make any concessions for me Sawyer." Not wanting to be a burden and annoyed that she had thought he had come for her, when it seemed he was willing to risk his life for anyone, gave way to an irrational jealousy, and as a result, her stubborn streak emerged. She dug her toes in, ready to argue against him, when in reality, all she wanted to do was agree. But she didn't want him to feel obligated to.
"I ain't going, all right? I'm comin' with you, so stop with your looks and let's get going."
"Walt needs more help than I do." Kate bit her lip as she baited him, a perverse need overtaking all rationality. A need to see how far she could push before he would shove. It didn't take long.
Sawyer growled in frustration.
"Good God sweet cheeks, you just can't let it rest, can you? I did not trek through the fcking jungle for days without hardly any food or water just to turn round and leave you in the middle of fcking nowhere! I don't know why I wanted to go along to find the runt anyway, it's not like I care about no thing or no one but myself. Or you. Because you, Freckles, are inside my head," Sawyer's voice dropped to a hiss and the intensity of his voice shook Kate.
He grabbed her upper arms, then loosened his grip when her body tensed automatically from the pain that flared up. They looked into each other's eyes, a silent battle for control.
"I don't know why, and I don't care. Sometimes being away from you hurts, and I don't have a damn clue why. It wasn't supposed to be this way. I'm not allowed – I'm not supposed to love. I don't deserve it." Sawyer's voice was still in the fierce hiss he had started with, but it wavered from time to time, and Kate had never loved him more. Gathering this was as close as he came to proclaiming love she ignored the jolt of pain when she lifted her arms and crushed herself against him, body to body, mouth to mouth. They kissed hungrily, wildly. There was no delicacy, no peace in this kiss. It was pure need.
Sawyer backed Kate up against a tree, a muffled cry of mixed pleasure and pain erupting from Kate inside his mouth. Sawyer went to retreat, but Kate drew him back in, hooking her foot around his leg, preventing any further movement. He cupped a hand over her cheek, slipping his other around her waist, propping her up. He moved to kiss the crease of her mouth, and planted tiny kisses down her neck, across her collarbone. Ragged gasps and soft cries from Kate spurred him on, and he spent extra attention on the hollow of her neck, sucking and kissing, ever so mindful of the bruising just above. He was as gentle as was possible in their frenzied passion. The heady mixture of pleasure tinged with a dull pain sent tingles down her spine and she sighed, ecstatic, eyes closed involuntarily.
"Hey Sawyer! We're moving off, you ready?" Michael's voice cut through the passion like a knife and Sawyer reluctantly pulled himself away from Kate's embrace, running his hand down her arm to clutch at her hand, unwilling to totally break away from the electricity of her touch. He squeezed it once, reassuringly, as he turned to face Michael.
"Sorry Mike," he began gruffly, feeling bad for letting him down. These feelings constantly surprised him; he wasn't sure why all of a sudden he was so accommodating to other people's needs.
Must be her. Ain't it always?
"S'alright, man, I figured you'd stay. No hard feelings. Get the girls back safely, alright? And…and say hi to Vincent for me."
"Sure thing, Mikey. Good luck." Sawyer inclined his head, but Michael had other ideas. He stepped forward and slapped him on the back in a manly hug, before stepping back again. Michael and Locke went to leave before Michael stopped, and turned.
"Oh, and Sawyer? Don't call me Mikey."