Title: Hot Child

Author: Lazuli

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Lost is owned by that glorious bastard, J.J. Abrams. Love you, sugarplum.

Summary: A mercilessly hot day on the island inspires Shannon Rutherford to "take a day off". Swims, laziness, and hanging around the men of the island seem like a perfect way to pass the time. More importantly, she wants to know why Sayid has been avoiding her…

Chapter 9

"…Caught Between Them"

It was actually pretty funny, once she thought about it. At the core, it was your typical boy-meets-girl scenario, with a little of the clichéd opposites-attract-mistaken-love-jealous-of-the-other-boy thrown in for fun. Something out of a Nora Ephron movie that women would sit and giggle over, loving the absurdity, but secretly wishing that it might happen to them. That Jude Law or John Cusack would stumble across their path, full of witty remarks and playful banter and deep kisses and the bright neon flash in the girl's head going, "HE'S THE ONE!" That the whole movie would be about the joyful pursuit, no matter what obstacles stood in the way. Sultry secretaries, mischievous children, and screaming bosses were no match for the power of love.

And of course, it'd end with a kiss. A beautiful, touching, earth-shattering kiss set to a soundtrack of Mozart, or John Williams, or Sarah McLachlan. Anything to make her and her friends grab tissues and wail away at how friggin' cute life was, and how they'd give anything for a man like that. She smiled along, and nodded with the rest of them. How could she not? It was a storybook romance, with a fairytale ending. Everybody wanted one of those. And she was kind of living one.

Except not.

Shannon's story was a little different. Sure, it was still the "boy-meets-girl" circumstances, but throw in a devastating plane crash, an island that had more secrets than the U.S. Government, attacking polar bears, crazy Frenchwomen, murderous Island strangers, a rumbling monster in the jungle, a group of survivors who couldn't be more different from each other, and oh yeah. Her step-brother with whom she'd done things they could get thrown in jail for.

With everything that had happened around them, Shannon thought it was a miracle that she'd had the time to even think about a relationship. Who has time for love in the middle of the ocean on a deserted tropical island? Yet, no matter how much she tried to avoid it, it had crept up on her. Sayid and his beautiful smile, and his passionate eyes, and the way he made her feel when he laughed out loud and shook his head. She liked him so much that the mere thought of hurting him made her want to cry.

That's why she couldn't bear to meet his eyes now. But she had to do this.

The four of them, Sawyer, Claire, Charlie, and Shannon, stood on the outskirts of the beach, where the sand met the forest. The bright light of the bonfire illuminated their faces, casting their shadows onto the trees behind them. Before them lay the group of survivors, all paused, all eyes on them. It was a frozen tableau, and Shannon wished she had a camera.

"Too bad for you, Doc," Sawyer lifted a bottle of Jack Daniels into the air, "Guess I've got all the luck when it comes to sniffing out booze."

"Where'd you find that?" Jack's tone had an edge to it. After learning from Kate that Sawyer had a stash of small airline liquor bottles, he'd marched over to Sawyer's tent and hauled the other man into the woods. They'd been gone for almost a half hour, but when they came out, they looked exhausted and bloody. Sawyer had stalked off into the distance, while Jack quietly collected the small bottles and retreated to the caves, wiping his bloody lip. Everyone was so used to them fighting, no one had really given it a second thought. No one except Shannon.

Sawyer's eyes were mean. He tightened one hand on the bottle. The other held Shannon's.

"Doesn't matter," he chortled, "It's mine, and I'm only sharing it with the people I like. Well, two of them, anyways," he nodded his head at Claire, "Sorry, Mama, but I ain't that much of a bastard to let you have some." Claire smiled.

"You're too generous," she retorted. Charlie reached down and took her hand.

"Sorry we're late," he announced, "Girls took a bit of a time to get ready."

"And how," Sawyer agreed, and looked at Shannon. She was dressed in a black bikini, with a sheer black sarong tied low on her waist. Claire had pulled her hair into a rough updo, using a few bobby pins the girls had found in Shannon's tent, and Shannon had used generous amounts of eyeliner and red lipstick to give herself a sultry and smoky tone. Hey, if she was going to do this, she was going to do it right.

However, she didn't want to look like a total fool for being the only one to dress up, so she'd had a crack at Claire too, opting for pink shades to pull out the softer tones that motherhood had given the Australian. Then, to Claire's utter dismay, Shannon had stolen one of Locke's knives and cut a drastic neckline in one of Claire's favorite pink shirts. When Claire had protested, Shannon only needed to point out how Charlie's eyes would bug after seeing her cleavage. Claire had blushed like a schoolgirl, and immediately shut up. The result had its desired effect, and once Charlie stopped stammering about how great she looked, Claire mouthed a silent and excited "Thank you!" to her friend. In true fashion,after she emerged from the cave,Sawyer looked Shannon over, smirked, and took her hand.

At first, she was worried about what would happen once they appeared holding hands. Now, she was incredibly grateful for the support that he was sending her. Without him, Shannon probably would have run away. Just standing between Sawyer and Charlie was empowering her in ways that she never thought possible.

"So, where are we sittin'?" Sawyer took a swig from the bottle, "Or are we makin' this thing up as we go?" He passed the bottle to Shannon, who took a sip. Charlie took a generous gulp, and shook his head.

"Come on," he muttered, and the four made their way to the main 'table'. As they sat down, the chatter began to pick up again, and Shannon saw more than a few heads repeatedly turn and look at them.

"Something sure does smell wonderful," Claire tentatively said, appraising the situation. Jack and Kate looked furious, Hurley watched with rapt fascination, Michael, Sun, and Walt looked more than a little confused, and Boone, who had joined the group, looked more than a little enraged. Sayid was staring down at his plate, his fists clenched at his side.

Hurley coughed. Things would get out of hand unless he stepped up. "Yeah, that's thanks to Locke. He and Boone caught a boar, and we're about ready to carve it up. You guys want some fruit?" He passed a plate down to the newcomers, who dug in.

"Mmmm…" Charlie sucked at his fingers, trying to trap any wayward juices, "Crikey, that's delicious. Here you go, Shan." Shannon picked off some fruit with trembling fingers, which was not missed by the ever-perceptive Sawyer.

"Sticks, you look a little jolted," he said, and swung an arm around her shoulders. At the mention of Shannon's nickname, Sayid had lifted his head.

"Have some JD, it'll calm you right down." Tilting her head back, Sawyer pressed the bottle opening to her lips and poured the harsh liquor right into her mouth. No stranger to straight alcohol, Shannon took the swig like a true drinker, wiping her mouth afterwards.

"Sawyer!" she sputtered, "You jerk! Are you trying to kill me via alcohol poisoining?" Sawyer laughed, and the two others joined in. He winked at her discreetly. Shannon remembered his words as they trekked down the path: In order to make Sayid jealous, the four of them would have to show the luau that they were having, quite literally, a blast. She knew that she'd have fun with the others anyways, but keeping up appearances was proving to be somewhat difficult.

"So when did you four get to be such good pals?" Kate asked, her voice even, though her eyes betrayed the irritation she really felt. Charlie pretended to sit back and muse for a bit.

"Well, once upon a time," he started, ignoring the snorting and giggling of his friends, "it was REALLY bloody hot out."

"Terribly hot," Shannon piped.

"Burn the hair of a man's chest kind of hot," Sawyer drawled.

"…cook an egg off the side of a road hot," Charlie continued, telling the story as if he were relating an amazing adventure, "And there were three courageous heroes who decided to brave the consuming heat, and not flock off to the caves like a bunch of ninnies…"

"More like Sticks all but taped her lazy ass to the beach and refused to move," cracked Sawyer.

"Shut up," Shannon kicked his leg.

"…so instead, after a brief interlude of dunking the heroine repeatedly, the three heroes engaged in a rousing splash fight that tested strength, endurance, and how had the biggest bollocks when it came to bitch-slapping a grown man face first into the water…" Shannon raised her hand, and took another drink, "Yes, thank you, Shannon. Unfortunately, I've gained a rather nasty sunburn on my back that's turned into quite the bastard when I lean to the left…." He trailed off, and with lightning speed, smacked Claire's raised hand away, who squealed when he attempted to tickle her.

"I told you so," Jack reminded him, "Don't you remember this morning? And if you start whining about aloe, I'm not going to listen."

"I've got the boy covered, Jackass," Sawyer grinned at him, "Lent him some of my finest aloe this afternoon. That bitch oughta be gone in a day."

"…after the splashing, we foraged into the forest in search of the caves, for boredom had gripped our souls with an evil clamp. On our way, we encountered man, beast, and nancy boy alike," he waved to Boone.

"That's not funny," Boone growled. Sawyer's lip twitched, but he contained himself.

"We finally entered the caves, and after one of the heroes escaped to find out the welfare of the lovely Claire," Charlie paused to kiss Claire's hand, who acted like her heart was fluttering, "the other two roused the troops in yet another water battle, where Sawyer was beat down like the little bitch he was by a TEN YEAR OLD BOY." Walt jumped up and did a powwow dance. Sawyer glared at him.

"Don't think I ain't got something special planned for you, kid," he threatened. Walt immediately sat back down, hiding behind his father, who again, was not amused at Sawyer's attempt to threaten his son.

"…so Sawyer was beat down, blah blah blah, tossed and dunked, blah blah blah, threatened by Jack with a knife for being a pervert, which we all knew anyways, and had to be rescued by a woman. Pathetic," he shook his head, "Anyways, after the three heroes were reunited, they decided to join forces and learn how to hunt from a true master," Charlie stopped and a wide smile spread across his face, "A lesson that I truly will never forget."

Boone made a sound of disgust. Sawyer and Shannon busted out laughing. The others looked confused, but kept quiet.

"Oh, come on, Boone," Shannon took another drink, then tilted Sawyer's head back by grabbing his hair, "It was only a game." She poured the liquor down his throat, mimicking his earlier actions. He swallowed every drop, then shook his head and passed the bottle to Charlie.

"You're one dangerous mamacita," Sawyer gasped, and squeezed Shannon closer to him.

She still didn't look at Sayid.

Charlie took another swig, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "Jesus Sawyer, you've really been holding out on us," he took another small sip, then continued, "Where the hell was I…oh yeah…after that lovely demonstration of prowess and stealth from our resident Jungle Hunter apprentice, we spent the rest of the afternoon in each other's company, picking up this lovely bird on the way," he put his arm around Claire affectionately, who scoffed.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear the 'bird' part, and focus on the 'lovely' instead," she responded.

"So now you're all best buds," Michael commented, "Well, I can't say I saw it coming, but anything to get this moron off our backs is well appreciated," he motioned to Sawyer, "No offense."

"None taken," Sawyer replied pleasantly, and taking the bottle from Charlie, he tossed it to Michael. The other man stared at it for a second, before taking a sip and making a face.

"Thanks," he said, and tossed it back. Sawyer caught it, and offered some to Hurley, who took a small sip while discreetly trying to not look at Jack.

"There ya go, Hurley," Charlie cheered him on. Hurley was quiet for a second.

"Not bad," he finally said, and passed it to Boone, who, even though he looked pissed, took a gulp.

"Can I have some?" Walt asked excitedly, reaching out his hand.

"NO!" The adults shouted simultaneously. He scowled. "Fine. You didn't have to yell it."

"We need that for medical reasons," Jack said, his eyes on Sawyer. Sawyer rolled his eyes.

"One little taste for everyone," he argued, "Before it's sacrificed to your noble cause, King Arthur." He grabbed the bottle and looked at Sun.

"Any for you, gorgeous?" he leered at the Korean woman, who looked affronted, and shook her head. Kate followed her lead, before Sawyer could even say anything to her. He bit his lip, and turned to Jack.

"I know what you're going to say," he muttered, "Guess that leaves one more. What about you?" he gestured to Sayid. The Iraqi man's stare looked more deadly than a sharpened sword.

"No," his voice was clipped, but it clearly expressed thedistastehefelt for Sawyerunderneath.

"Boar's done!" Locke's chipper voice cut through the group. Hurley scrambled to his feet.

"Sweet!" he said, glad for any excuse to be away from the tension filled group, "I'll help!"

The night passed, and the beach was once again filled by the sound of the guitars. Charlie, delighted to have found other musicians on the island, instantly ran back to the caves for his guitar, and returned huffing and puffing to sit down for a jam session with the equally pleased Spanish couple. Soon, the soft Spanish twang was joined by the rocking sound of Charlie's eager guitar, and the survivors found themselves clapping along and cheering to the music. A few even started to shimmy and dance, when Walt proclaimed, as official Island Chiefs should do, that anyone who danced would be thrown into the ocean. Good-natured shouts followed this declaration, and Walt only ceded when Kate and Claire threatened to tickle him to death.

"What a night," Shannon breathed, looking out at the inky black ocean from her spot on the beach with Sawyer and Claire. The soft waves lapped onto the shore, the sounds lulling her into a calm and peaceful mood. The others had gone to a huge bonfire a little ways away, where attempts at dancing were well-underway. Next to her, Claire yawned and stretched her arms above her head.

"Can you pass me some of that fruit?" she asked Sawyer. The object of her inquiry didn't respond, so she rolled her eyes and plopped back down on the beach. Shannon propped herself up on her elbows and looked at her "date", who was preoccupied with looking at something else. She followed his gaze to where Jack and Kate stood with the other survivors, laughing as Locke attempted the foxtrot with an amused Rose, who swatted him every time he jokingly tried to step on her feet.

Shannon felt an instant pang of pity. She pulled herself to a sitting position next to Sawyer, whose face was tinged with more than a little hurt. Reaching out, she touched his shoulder. Startled, his pained eyes met her sympathetic ones.

"You're too good for her, anyways," she whispered. He dropped his gaze to the sand..

"No, I'm not," he angrily ground his teeth, "and that's the problem," he looked back at Kate, "You don't know her, Sticks. The stuff she's been through. She needs someone like the Doc in her life because he'll be good for her." He picked up a few wayward twigs and crushed them between his fingers.

"You're wrong," Shannon argued heatedly, "Sawyer, I used to think that you were the biggest jerk in the entire world. Now that I somewhat know you better, I think you're one of the coolest people I ever meet. You're sarcastic, you're strong, you've got my back, and," a tiny smile appeared, "You're a good friend." It was hard to not repress a grin at that. She reached out and took his hand.

"Maybe she does need someone like him," Shannon continued, "But she'll have to live the rest of her life knowing she passed up being with one of the greatest guys in the entire world, and it'll suck. Trust me."

At this small speech, Sawyer looked back at Shannon, "You know what, Sticks?" he asked, squeezing her hand.

"What?" she asked, curious. He broke out in a genuine smile.

"I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I'm sort of jealous of Sayid now," she giggled.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because," Sawyer continued, "He's about to get one of the damn near greatest girls on the planet." A genuine smile broke out when he finished, and Shannon squealed and launched herself at him, giving him a huge hug.

"Promise me we'll still be friends?" she pleaded. He laughed.

"That's a promise I aim to keep, darlin'," he answered, "Now, hows about we move onto the second stage of this little plan?" Shannon jumped to her feet, and pulled him up with her. Claire noticed them getting up.

"Where are you two going?" she asked, her eyes widening. They reached down and pulled her up beside them. Sawyer nodded to the dancers, and waggled his eyebrows. The girls looked at each other and snickered. No matter what happened, Sawyer would always be counted on to be a troublemaker.

"Ladies?" Sawyer gallantly offered them both an arm, and the threesome made their way to the bonfire. Reaching the outskirts of the group, Claire politely disentangled herself from Sawyer, and went to sit next to a beaming Charlie. He looked up and caught Sawyer's eye, who winked. Charlie smirked, and started a faster beat, invoking the Spanish couple's earlier Latin-flavored music. They took their cues from him, and followed along to the quick beat, strumming with grace and showing off their phenomenal talent. More people started shimmying to the beat, including Jack and Kate. Sayid, however, didn't move from his spot next to Boone and a clapping Sun. Sawyer scoped this all out with one quick glance, then turned to Shannon.

"Well, I'm never gonna let a lady stand by while there's dancin'," he proclaimed loudly, and led her to the front of the crowd, "Charlie! I want you to start strummin' like your handsare on fire!" Charlie whooped and picked up an even faster pace,while Sawyer whirled Shannon around him to hoots and hollers from the others. He twirled and dipped her, before bringing her back up, grabbing her hand, and leading her around the fire in a fast dance.

"Never figured you for a dancing man, Sawyer," Jack called out sarcastically, where he and Kate had stopped to watch the two more flamboyant dancers strut around.

"You kiddin'?" Sawyer yelled back, "Been drilled into me since I was a boy. If there's one thing we Southern men can do damn good, it's dancin'," he dipped Shannon again and winked lasciviously at her, "Well…that and other things." She blushed at the blatant sexual comment, and smacked him.

"Pervert," she yelled, and spun away from him. Helaughed and loped after her, picking her up in his arms and starting their dance all over again, pressing his body even closer to hers.

"Guess you'll have to find out for yourself later tonight," he responded loudly, grabbing her hips and shimmying them in rhythm with his. Shannon's heart skipped a beat, and she saw Sawyer's eyes move ever-so-slightly to his right, where she just knew Sayid was standing. She didn't dare look at him herself, so she watched Sawyer's reaction to see what he saw. It had been just what she'd thought it would be, because Sawyer's eyes darkened, and a hint of fear came over them. His smile wavered slightly, before he turned back to her and spun them to the other side of the fire.

"Holy shit, Sticks," was his muttered fast response to her questioning eyes, and he rocketed them over to Claire, who waited with bated breath for any news.

"Come on, Preggers, don't think I'll let you sit this one out, too," Sawyer teased, and whispered urgently to Shannon, "You go over there and stop him from killing me." He whisked a confused but joyous Claire out, careful of her pregnant stomach. Shannon stood to the side, catching her breath. Inside her mind, a vicious tug-of-war had started, her need to see Sayid and finally confront him with her feelings, versus the part of her that wanted to run into the jungle and hide among the trees so no one could find her. Maybe she'd get lucky and be eaten by the polar bear.

Shannon felt something nudge her ankle. She looked down to see Charlie, who simply mouthed the word, 'Go", and nodded his head enthusiastically. Pausing for a moment, she stared through the bonfire, where Sayid had left Boone's side, and was staring out into the ocean, separated from the others. She took a deep breath, straightened, her back, brushed the sand off of her hips, and started forward. Passing a jubilant Claire attempting to do the Macarena while a baffled Sawyer looked on, she made her way to the outskirts of the crowd, and walked the little ways to where an expressionless Sayid stood. She tried not to make a lot of noise while approaching, but she knew it was hopeless to sneak up on a former soldier. Sure enough, she saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

"What are you doing over here," she teased, her heart fluttering. He didn't face her.

"Merely looking," Sayid responded, still preoccupied with watching the endless inky sea. She turned, and tried to pick out the exact spot his eyes rested on.

"Looking for anything in particular?" she asked, her eyes sparkling, "Seems to me there's nothing out there but a whole lot of black." Sayid laughed, but it seemed empty. Shannon suddenly felt awkward. She felt useless against the concrete walls he had erected around himself, protecting his thoughts from others.

"I am looking for a ship," he explained gruffly. Shannon looked confused.

"Odd time to be looking for rescue," she remarked, "Especially since we've got our little party going." He shook his head slightly.

"There's no odd time to be looking for rescue," his voice got lower, "I'm looking for a ship. Or a plane. Or a raft. Or any blinking light in the sky that may suggests other forms of life," At this point, Sayid abruptly turned to her, his countenance suddenly desperate. Shannon was frightened, but she managed to hold his fiery gaze.

"Anything that will get me off this island," he let out in a strangled voice, "Because after seeing you with him," Sayid's voice broke, but he held on to the last shred of dignity he had, "Being here is the worst form of torture I can ever imagine."

Shannon gasped, and brought her hand to her mouth. His outright declaration had stunned her. Finally, after all the flirting, the looks, and the events of the day, it had come to this. Everything she had hoped for had culminated in this moment, and she would be damned if she let it pass. The walls he had constructed were down, and he was exposing his soul to her. The final admittance of his feelings was something she was determined to take hold of, and she wouldn't let anything get in her-

"Now what the hell is going on over here," a voice boomed directly behind her. She jumped, and turned. Sawyer was striding towards her with a huge smile on his face, while Claire waddled behind as the rest of the group watched in curiousity. Shannon could see Charlie quickly put down his guitar and start heading towards them at a fast pace.

"Sawyer!" he called out warningly, but the other man paid him no mind, and just walked right up to Shannon and Sayid and threw a 'possessive' arm around her.

"Well, lookee here," Sawyer said loudly, "I'm sorry, am I interruptin' something special?" Shannon looked frantically at Sayid, who had started to shake in rage.

"I don't think this is the best time," she said through gritted teeth, trying to throw her friend the hint. He laughed, and whispered in her ear.

"This is what I like to call 'twisting the final screw'," he said, and turned back to Sayid. The shorter man fixed an irate and furious glower on Sawyer.

"If you know what is good for you," he managed to say, spitting each word out as if it were a dagger, "You'll walk away from this situation. Right now." Sawyer pretended to be shocked, and held his other hand to his heart.

"Now is that any way to talk to Shannon's date?" he responded, and swiveled his gaze to Shannon, who was trembling, "You gonna let him talk to me in that way, Princess?"

"Shut up," she hissed. Sawyer didn't respond, and looked back at Sayid.

"You see, it's not like you've got a little tag that says, 'Property of Sayid' anywhere on her body," he chortled, "But there's always other places I can look."

"Sawyer," Sayid whispered dangerously, "You are treading on a very thin piece of ice."

"I think," Sawyer said, with an overly exaggerated thinking pose, "That….you're kind of jealous that I came with Sticks tonight."

"Jesus Christ, Sawyer, you're such a prick," Kate and Jack were walking towards them, and Kate looked angry.

"What are you so worked up about, Freckles? You think I'm lying?" he didn't bother to look at her, just kept his gaze on Sayid, clearly asking him the same question. When the other man didn't respond, Sawyer grinned. Time for the last resort.

"Fine," he said, "Then I guess it won't matter if I do…this."

In one quick motion, in front of the entire crowd of survivors, Sawyer slightly bent Shannon back, and gave her a passionate kiss full on the lips.

End Chapter Nine

Author's Notes: Heh.

Next Chapter will be the final one. Thanks for the wonderful reviews. Please leave lovely little messages for Mommy to find.