Author's Note: Thanks everyone for the reviews! I'm glad you think I develope plot lines, Shannon Michelle lol. Here's the new chapter, hopefully full of more well written Skater madness and plot lines XD

Chapter Six

Several dull throbs greeted Sawyer as he reached the surface of consciousness. A groan escaped his lips as his head began to throb. He slowly cracked his eyes open and wished he hadn't. Bright sunshine bared down on him and he quickly closed his eyes as the throbbing in his head grew worse. He waited for the throbbing to simmer down and tried opening his eyes again. He blinked several times, his eyes watering as they became adjusted to the light. He felt a big lump on the left side of his head and something dry that had trickled all the way down his neck. It took him a while to figure out what it was and why he was tasting his own dry blood on his cracked lips. He finally remembered a skinny guy kicking his ass in a storm. He tried moving his arms and cried out as searing hot pain shot up his right arm. His arms were behind his back, tied around the tree he now leaned against. He cursed mentally as he took in deep breaths, even those causing him pain. When the pain in his arm became another dull, throbbing ache, he slowly moved his eyes back and forth, taking in his surroundings. He was still in the jungle, but he couldn't be sure if he was still in the same place. He thought back to the skinny guy and wondered where he was. He then thought about the reason why the guy kicked his ass in the first place. It was because he tried to hit the guy with a limb so the guy wouldn't hurt Kate . . .

Kate! A voice in his head shouted, making him wince.

'K-Kate . . .' he muttered, gasping as it hurt him to say even a simple word.

Dammit, I think the shrimp broke a rib, Sawyer thought as he took in slow breaths. Make that two.

'Kate . . .' he tried again.

This is useless. She's never gonna hear me, even if she is close, he thought.

There was a few minutes of silence. Then someone called out his name, someone that sounded very much like Kate.

Think you've been proven wrong, jackass, the same voice that had shouted iKate commented inside Sawyer's head.

'Kate,' Sawyer said, licking his lips and looking around again as much as his head would let him.

'I'm . . . I'm behind you,' Kate said.

'You . . . okay?' Sawyer asked.

'I-I think so. That, that guy . . . I thought it was over. Your cry woke me up though. Where . . . where are we?' Kate asked.

'Can't tell . . .' Sawyer said. 'Can you . . . move . . .?'

'Not yet, but I think I can untie myself. Hold on . . .' Kate said.

Sawyer heard her moving around. She let out a few frustrated curses and then untied herself. A few minutes later she was slowly making her way over to him. He looked up and saw she was still wearing his jacket, which was now torn in several places. She looked cute in it though, he noted. He couldn't ponder more on the subject though, as he saw her clutching her side. There was also a big, swollen knot on her head that was already a dark bluish-purple.

'Oh my . . . God . . .' she said, taking in his appearance.

'It that bad . . . sweetheart?' he asked, trying to chuckle, but started coughing instead.

'You're covered in blood,' she said.

'Ya don't say,' he said, looking up at her as his coughing subsided.

He was surprised to see the hint of worry in her eyes and voice. Since when did she start caring for him? He knew she had tried to pity him once, but he never thought she had cared about him before.

'You untie me . . . freckles?' he asked.

'Yeah,' she said, hurriedly walking back behind him.

He felt her tugging at the vine that bound him. She gently tugged this way and that, trying to loosen the knot. He grunted in pain as she tugged a bit too hard on his hurt arm. She surprised him by quickly saying "Sorry" and sounding like she actually meant it. She started tugging again and after a few more minutes, she had the knot loosen more. He felt her trying to untie it for another minute or two. Then she finally had it undone. She took hold of his right arm and slowly helped him move it back in front of him. His arm had gone stiff from being behind his back for so long. He cried out as his muscles tightened painfully into a big cramp.

'Can I help?' Kate asked, kneeling down beside him, wincing in her own pain.

'N-No . . . no . . .' he said, clutching his hurt arm with his good one.

If I could just get my damn arm to stop cramping and my meatballin' head to stop pounding, then we might be in business, he thought as he clamped his eyes shut, trying to will his head to at least stop hurting. The longer his arm cramped though, the harder his head throbbed in protest. After a few minutes of painful groans, his arm seemed to be finally un-cramping. The pain seemed to be lessening ever so slowly. He finally lessened the grip on his arm a few minutes later and finally let go of it completely.

Kate had remained silent the whole time Sawyer had had his fit of pain. Now she moved closer, looking at Sawyer's arm to make sure his temporary 'bandage' was still there. It was, although now it was stained dark red instead of being its original dark blue color.

'Are you okay?' Kate asked, not wanting to examine his head, but knowing she had to.

'Just peachy . . .' Sawyer replied, trying to sound sarcastic, but his voice only wavered instead.

'You lost a good amount before, but now you have multiple wounds,' Kate said, putting her hand on his unshaven chin, making him move his head to the right.

'Who made you the doctor?' Sawyer asked, taking in ragged breaths and looked down towards the ground.

'I did. Now, hold still,' Kate said.

He blinked several times and gritted his teeth in pain as her fingers lightly touched his face by his left eye. She tried moving her fingers up, to determine exactly where he had been hit. Everything was swollen and there was so much blood that she couldn't tell. This was much worse than the head wound Sayid had given him when he had tried to torture Sawyer. She tried touching one spot, but he quickly grabbed her hand as he let out a groan. He pulled her hand a few inches away from his face.

'Too sore . . . for comfort . . . s-sweetheart,' he said, looking up at her and trying to smile.

'We need to find someone soon. You lost a lot of blood and if that guy's planning on coming back-' Kate began.

'What about you?' Sawyer asked, letting go of her hand and moving his towards her face.

He lightly touched her cheek with his finger tips. It was her turn now to wince in pain and grasp his hand.

'You're the one that's worse off,' Kate said.

'I'm fine here . . . Doctor Sweetheart,' Sawyer said, smiling a weak, lop-sided smile.

Kate felt a smile tugging at her lips and couldn't suppress it. She loosened her grip on his hand until they were palm to palm. She linked her fingers with his. She smiled again as she saw the surprise look in his eyes. He looked at their hands and then back up at her. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came. He settled for a content sigh. Pain replaced the surprise lookin his eyes though as another tremor of throbs pounded his head. He closed his eyes and opened them a few seconds later as the throbs receded to dull aches. It melted her hear to see him like this. His left eye had almost closed up on him due to the big, bloody knot on his head. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, having feelings for him and letting them partly show. He was a self-centered jerk. A jackass too caught up in himself. He wasn't what she needed, but that made her want him even more. All the things he said to her made her so mad at times . . . and yet, he was the first to break her defenses around her heart so quickly. She knew he was dangerous, hell, he had been a con-man after all. But she had seen a glimpse of another side to him, his true side. If she could only help him see that side of himself . . . Help him keep that side before his cold shell known as Sawyer came back. She knew she might be fighting a losing battle and knew her heart would probably be broken, but she didn't care. She wanted to at least try.

'We really need to move somewhere else,' Kate said, breaking the silence and eye contact between them.

'Babe, I think . . . my movin' days . . . are over,' Sawyer said, still looking at her.

'Well then, I'll just have to help you,' Kate said, un-linking her hand from his.

'This'll be something . . . worth seeing,' he scoffed.

'Come on, then,' Kate said, standing up slowly.

Kate reached out a hand towards him. He looked at her hand and then back up at her.

'You're serious,' he said.

'Why wouldn't I be?' Kate asked, waggling her hand in front of his face.

He still looked at her, a bemused smile appearing on his battered face. He finally reached out his left hand and grabbed her hand.

'Hold on,' he said as he moved his legs and tried to stand up.

Kate had planted her feet firm in the ground but he still managed to almost drag her all the way back down to the ground. His head started swimming uncontrollably as he stood half way up and great big black spots filled his vision. His legs started to buckle again.

'Lean on the tree!' Kate said, grabbing his left forearm with her right.

Sawyer backed up into the tree and leaned on it, willing himself not to pass out. Everything kept spinning and he closed his eyes. After a few minutes he opened them again. His head was still slightly swimming, but everything was thankfully still and certainly not spinning upside down.

'C'mon, Sawyer. Got your footing? We have to go. I thought I heard something,' Kate said, looking behind Sawyer and then back at him.

'L-leave me. I'll . . . slow you down . . .' he panted.

'I'm not leaving you,' Kate said stubbornly, holding onto his arm firmly.

Some branches farther behind Sawyer snapped. Kate looked up quickly, trying to see anyone. She couldn't.

'C'mon, now! I'll drag your ass if I have to,' Kate said.

'Kate . . . go . . .' Sawyer said, trying to push her hand off of him. 'It's the least . . . I deserve . . .'

'Stop that. You can change, I know you can. Now come on. I'll make a deal with you. If you get off that tree and we get out of here, I'll do almost anything for you,' Kate said, knowing what his reply would probably be.

'Even . . . a kiss?' Sawyer asked, a lop-sided grin appearing on his face.

Kate should have been a psychic. She looked at him and he only stared back at her, that stupid grin on his face.

'Even a kiss,' she said, holding his gaze.