Lost belongs to JJ Abrams and crew. I'm just borrowing for run. Walt has a toothache and some unexpected help comes his way. Pre "Born to Run" and no spoilers for anything.

Lost – Tooth Fairy
By Mystic
May 13th 2005
Things seemed to hurt less when you put cold water on them. Walt swished the cool spring water around in his mouth, but it didn't help any. It almost made the pain worse. Unbearable even. He knew he should have told his father. But he knew what happened when he told his mother. She brought out the string. Walt hated seeing the string. Even the first time, when he was five and a half, and he saw her go into her closet, into her sewing kit, and come back out with the black thread in her hands, he knew it was bad.

Now he touched the tooth that ached him gently, feeling it budge just a little. He was scared to move it, but he did. It's what his mother told him, the more often you moved it, the easier it would fall out and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't need the string. Walt sat on a rock and pressed it forward, feeling it pull just a tad out of the gum and he shivered, letting it slide back into place as he rubbed his hands on his jean shorts.

"What are you doing out here? Does your dad know you're out here?" The voice was so sudden and loud that he jumped off the rock and tripped, falling onto his back end painfully.

He watched Kate wince apologetically as she jumped towards him and held out her hand, helping him off the ground and brushing him off slightly. Walt pulled away from her touch and scowled at her. "Why do you scare people like that?"

She held her hands together, staring at them and bit her bottom lip. "Sorry," it emerged in a whisper he thought was out of character for her. Walt cocked his head to the right and studied her. He didn't often get a chance to. She was usually off in the jungle, or chasing after Jack like some lost puppy dog. Now she had her long curls pulled up into a bun and was wearing the dirty grey shirt. Walt wondered if she just got that dirty, or if she just didn't know how to wash her clothes. Her green eyes came up quickly and caught him, and she smiled. "So, you gonna answer my question?"

Shrugging, Walt sat back on the rock. "Just wanted to be alone…" he trailed. "You understand that, don't you?"

Kate looked away and then grinned back at him. "Usually when someone wants to be alone, it's because they're in trouble."

"You understand that too."

She lowered her eyebrows.

"You know secrets; I know secrets." He shrugged again and glanced away from her.

Kate shook her head against her questions and watched the way he narrowed his eyes when his finger brushed over one spot on the top lip. "You alright, Walt?"

"Fine."

"You're not a good liar."

"You would know," he spat.

She seemed taken aback and started to turn and walk away, but he called her name. Turning, Kate didn't budge, just gave him a curious look, one he was used to getting, but not from her. She usually smiled at him and touched his head or his shoulder and continued walking. Kate raised an eyebrow at him, as if to prompt him to speak.

"How did you get loose teeth out when you were younger?"

"I usually got them knocked out of me."

"Oh," he said silently.

Kate turned now, taking a few steps towards him and kneeling. "Which one, Walt?"

He covered the distance between them and opened his mouth, touching his forefinger to a tooth just before his molars and Kate watched him press it away from him and then he winced and let it go. "I hate wiggling."

"You'll get crooked teeth if you don't."

"You sound like my mom."

She smiled. "Just telling you the truth, Walt."

"I like that you do that," he told her, putting his finger back on his lip. She shook her head, not understanding. "You don't treat me like some kid. Everyone else here does that."

Kate touched his chin, nodding her head so he'd open his mouth again. "To them you are just some kid." She pressed her thumb against the tooth and raised an eyebrow when he winced. "We could do this the hard way or we could…"

"What the hell are you two doing?" Sawyer said lazily. He smiled at them.

"Loose tooth," Kate said, her hand dropping to her side. Sawyer came up and bent over, looking into Walt's mouth and he creased his forehead.

"How'd your teeth come out when you were a kid?" Walt asked curiously.

Shrugging, Sawyer balled up his fists and threw two punches at the air. "Too many fights in school to know I ever had loose teeth… they just flew out with the blows."

Walt looked at Kate and she shrugged. "You guys had violent childhoods." His eyes remained on Kate.

Sawyer shook his head. "Naw, I'd say mine was alright actually. You know, we could just tie a string…"

"NO!" Walt shouted with Kate.

"Damn Freckles, didn't know you had such an aversion to the 'door slammin' method."

She shook her head. "My dad tried the string on my front teeth. I'd rather have them punched out."

"Violent's right," Sawyer said nudging Walt with an elbow. He pointed at Walt's mouth. "Open up there big guy."

Walt looked at Kate who seemed to start shaking her head, but he opened his mouth anyways. Sawyer put a dirty finger on the tooth Walt pointed out. Then he put a thumb and he yanked, holding the white object in the light. Walt gave a shout and clapped a hand over his mouth as he began to bleed.

"SAWYER!" Kate threw her bag down and pulled a rag out of it, giving it to Walt to cram against the new hole in his mouth. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

"What?" He asked as she shrugged her bag back on her shoulders and lead Walt towards the caves. Sawyer shrugged his shoulders and then frowned, pocketing the tooth. It's what his dad would have done if he'd been such a whiner.

Walt sat at the edge of a bonfire holding a bottle of water. His mouth had stopped throbbing and between Jack and Kate, they'd stopped the bleeding. Kate wished she had sugar; Jack wished he had gauze. Walt liked Kate's method better. No one had ever treated his wounds to sweets. They compromised, she jammed a mango in his mouth and then Jack jammed a clean rag in after he'd swallowed juices and stopped panicking.

The log creaked and rocked as Sawyer stepped on and then over it, taking a seat next to him. "Hey," Sawyer said gruffly, rolling something up in his hands. He slapped Walt on the leg with it and Walt took it in his hands.

"What's this?" Walt asked, unrolling it.

"What's it look like?" His tone was annoyed and Walt smiled.

It was a comic book.

"Saw you reading the other one. Your pop tossed it in the fire."

Walt glanced up at him.

"Sorry 'bout yankin' your tooth out."

"It's ok." Walt flipped through the pages. "Where'd you get it?"

"Out of some kid's luggage. It's not a bad read actually. If you're into comic books." He shrugged and tried to look disgusted, but Walt knew better. Sawyer probably had a collection as a kid.

Walt looked at the images. "This one's in English," he sighed happily.

Sawyer stared at the fire. "How's your mouth?"

"Good."

"Doc and Freckles fix you up?"

Walt nodded.

"They're good for that."

Walt nodded again.

"Anyways. I'll leave you alone."

Watching Sawyer stand and walk off, Walt thumbed the edges of his new comic book. He remembered the change his mother used to leave under his bed. He went to sleep with the comic tight in his grasp and he awoke to three more and a mountain of mangos.

Finis