Quickie:

SassyLostie - Well he seems like he'd be the kind of person to sleep in if he could.
bonboni - You asked if Kate really is pregnant. Well, it seems that's the question on everyone's mind right now.

Well...this is quite a chapter.

Chapter 26

When Sawyer got back, it was already dark. He'd brought home some groceries and a few other things he'd been meaning to get. As he walked in and looked around, he didn't see Kate anywhere at first. He dropped the bag off on the kitchen table and started to look around for her. He found her asleep on the couch, curled up. He watched her chest rise and fall with each breath she took. A few curls fell in her face. He wanted to brush them away, but he was afraid to touch her.

He wished he knew what was going on with her, why she wouldn't speak to him. What had he done? Did she think he forgot about her? Maybe he was overreacting, he thought. She had just gotten out of jail, so it would of course be awkward and nerve racking. Finally snapping out of his trance, he sighed and went to the pantry to get a blanket. He came back and draped it over her, and started back into the kitchen. Kate's eyes fluttered open.

"Sawyer?" she said softly.

He stopped, and turned around. Her voice shot through him, almost sending chills down his spine. He took a deep breath and a few steps back toward her. He wondered how long she'd been awake and if she'd noticed him staring…

"Yeah?" he said, softly.

"You never came."

Her words felt like a blow to the face. He noticed her head shaking and she was clearly fighting the urge to cry.

"You said you would," she said, finally sitting up and looking at him. "But you didn't."

He scratched his head and sat next to her. She tossed the blanket off her, over the back of the couch, and watched him, waiting for a response.

"I tried. Believe me, I did."

She nodded and smiled weakly. "But you gave up."

"No!" he looked at her, shocked to hear that. "No, I never did."

"Oh cut the crap, Sawyer," she said, rolling her eyes. "I know there was someone here with you."

He heard her voice quivering. He swallowed and shook his head. He couldn't tell her about Ana. At least…not right now.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," he lied.

"I was the one who called. And when it wasn't you, but some girl who picked up, I hung up."

He paused, trying to understand what she was talking about. Then it hit him. Damn, he thought to himself. That meant she heard him flirting with Ana. He mentally kicked himself. He'd never get around it now.

"That wasn't some girl. It was Ana-Lucia," he said, trying to assure her.

She sharply turned to face him, glaring. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something, but she spoke first.

"Ana-Lucia?" she repeated.

"Wait. No. That came out wrong."

She looked down at the floor, bewildered, her jaw slightly dropped. She pressed her lips together and got up, shaking her head in disgust.

"It ain't what you think, Freckles."

She walked away from him to the front door. He followed her quickly. She pulled the door open sharply and meant to slam it back closed, but he caught it. He opened it, and followed her out, keeping up with her easily.

"Kate, just lemme – "

"No. I don't want to hear it Sawyer," she said, heading for the road.

He grabbed her arm, turning her around.

"Get off - "

"Just wait!" he said, firmly.

She stared at him, sad and angry. She tore her arm out of his grasp.

"I can't," she shook her head, swallowing.

She looked at the sky, taking a deep breath. He watched her.

"I've been waiting. I'm tired of waiting for you!"

His throat was dry. He stared at her, unable to speak.

"I'm done," she whispered.

She turned around and started walking again. This time, he didn't follow her. He only stood and watched her walk. He wanted to go after her. To lift her up in his arms and bring her back inside and keep her for his own. But something stopped him. He couldn't make himself move. He only watched her run. As always.

She walked along the dirt road, finally letting her tears fall. She breathed heavily, wanting to look back, but forcing herself not to. She looked down at her feet and suddenly saw double. She stopped and tried to grab for something but there was nothing there. She fell to her knees, watching the world spin around her. She felt lightheaded, and kept trying to grab for something to hold onto. She blinked a few more times, but then everything fell silent, and darkness overtook her…

When she finally woke up, the first thing she saw was fire. She closed her eyes again, and when she reopened them, she still saw the fire, dancing along the logs. After a moment, she realized it was just the fireplace in Sawyer's house. How did I get back here, she wondered. Last she checked, she was pretty sure she'd been heading away from the house.

Her head was throbbing with pain. She rubbed it and tried to stretch her arms but they were wrapped in a blanket. When she tried to pull them out, she found something else was limiting her movement – Sawyer's arms. She turned her head and his hair brushed against her cheek. Her stomach fluttered, and she was thankful that he was asleep. She sat up a little straighter still in his arms, trying her best not to wake him. She wished she could remember what had happened that they'd wound up here. She tried to think…

He watched her curiously when she stopped walking and reached her hand out only to grab a handful of air. The second she fell to her knees, he cursed and started running toward her. By the time he got there, she'd already passed out. He tried shaking her gently and tapping her face lightly, but she wouldn't wake. He looked up. He couldn't let her stay out here. It might be spring, but the nights were still chilly. He slid an arm beneath her, around her back and under her legs, carrying her back to the house, slowly. He held her close to him, trying to keep her warm, wondering why she was suddenly so cold.

When he got inside, he laid her on the couch. He found the blanket he'd put on her before and wrapped it around her tightly. Knowing she'd be safe there, he went out back to the shed to gather some wood to start a fire. In twenty minutes, he had a fire going steadily. But he didn't think that was enough. He picked her up again, keeping the blanket on, and sat with her in front of the fire, against the back of the couch.

She sighed, giving up trying to think. Whatever had happened, now was her chance to get away. Her chance to run. She pushed the blanket down off her, careful to move as little as possible. She maneuvered in his arms so that she was sideways now, but her hair brushed against his face. He woke with a start, tightening his hold on her. He looked around for a minute, then saw her and his hold loosened again. She looked away. She wouldn't look at him. She couldn't.

"Hey," he said softly. "How you feelin'?"

"I'm fine."

"Scared me there for a minute, Freckles," he said, sweeping a curl behind her ear.

She tilted her head away. "Sawyer, stop."

She lifted his arms off of her and got up, looking down. He looked up at her, quizzically. She turned her back to him, staring at the door, taking a long quivering breath.

"We're done," she said softly.

His pulse quickened. "No…No we ain't." He tried not to let his panic show. "This ain't it. Kate, you gotta lemme explain."

She shook her head.

"It ain't what you think!"

"SAWYER!" she shouted. "WE'RE DONE!"

And with that, she walked out the front door, closing it behind her.