Author's Note: Well, well, well, I think I'll forever be cursed by getting only three reviews twice in a row. Hope I'll have more this time around!

Anne: Thank you, thank you for the review. Sayid and the others reactions? You'll have to wait until the eight chapter, unfortunately. Hope you stick around for it! I guarantee you won't want to miss it!

Mony19: Glad you like that he's opening up to Kate. I didn't want him to open up too much to her, because that just doesn't seem like Sawyer to me. He takes his time in telling people things )

Unwanted Souless Freak: I get a kick out of every review you write to me, lol. Well, in the seventh chapter you kind of get into Sayid's head for a few seconds and you can see why he reacted differently and went to someone else for their opinion. It all has to do with what happened in Confidence Man that's haunting him. Ya know, almost killing someone when he said he would never do it again and everything.

Well, here it is, the sixth chapter! Enjoy!


Chapter Six
The Plot Thickens

Whatever had been on Kate's mind vanished when she heard Sawyer say those six words. Of all the things she had expected him to say, that was the last on the list. The silence between them was over bearable as she tried to think of something to say.

'I . . . I'm sorry,' she said lamely, kicking herself mentally.

'Don't be. It happened a long time ago,' Sawyer said, but Kate saw the pained look in his eyes.

'But-'

'I'm over it, Kate,' Sawyer said, but she could tell he wasn't.

'So, what about those voices? Some shit, ain't it?' Sawyer asked when she said nothing, adopting a joking voice.

Kate sighed. 'Sawyer . . .'

Sawyer wouldn't listen to her, but only kept on.

'Them voices, they must love makin' fun of country folks. Oh yeah, everyone laugh at the redneck 'cause his daddy shot up his mama and then shot himself too. What fun!' Sawyer shouted bitterly.

'Sawyer,' Kate said sternly.

'What? Did it ever occur to you why I don't like talking about my parents, huh?' Sawyer demanded, advancing toward her.

'Just calm down,' Kate said, taking a few steps backwards.

'Oh, I am calm. Calm as can be, sweetheart. It's those damn voices you need to be calmin' down! They won't leave me the hell alone. I even dream about those damn voices whispering in my ear, thinkin' they know everything,' Sawyer said.

So, that's one of the things he dreams about, Kate thought.

Ask him what else he dreams about, a voice in the back of her mind whispered.

Kate batted that voice away and tried another approach.

'You said the voices won't leave you along?' she asked.

'Damn right they don't. This is thefourth time I've heard 'em.' Sawyer said.

'Fourth time?' Kate asked, surprised.

'Yeah, "fourth" time,' Sawyer said.

'What did they say the other three times?' Kate asked.

'That you ask too many questions,' Sawyer said.

'You're funny, you know that?' Kate said.

Looks like he's closing up again . . . Kate thought. It was worth a try though . . .

'Just repeatin' what the voices said,' Sawyer replied, then thought of something. 'That and they say you have a turquoise butterfly tattoo on your lower back right above that sweet ass o' yours,' he said, breaking out into a sly dimpled smile.

'What?' Kate asked, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. 'How do you know that?'

'I know and see all, sweetheart,' Sawyer said, that smile still plastered on his face.

'You pervert!' Kate said, taking her book bag off and slinging it at him.

'Hey, hey! You asked!' Sawyer laughed, easily catching the book bag.

Kate turned around, trying to convince herself she was mad.

And to think I was trying to get him to open up about his parents just a few minutes ago, Kate thought.

'Aw, now, freckles, don't be mad,' Sawyer said, walking up behind her.

Kate didn't say anything; too busy having a war with her conscience in her mind.

To hell with it. I can never stay mad at him for long, Kate finally thought, ending the fight.

'I'm not mad, just disappointed,' she said.

'With who?'

'With myself for not being able to find you when you were looking,' Kate said as she turned to face him, a smile on her face.

It was now Sawyer's turn to be surprised.

'Oh, ho ho,' Sawyer laughed as he put Kate's book bag on one shoulder.

Kate continued to smile, turned back around, and began walking again.

One day I'm going to actually get something out of him . . . One day . . .


'You're sure that this is Sawyer's?' Sayid asked Michael, looking at the letter.

'Positive. Look, man, it's even addressed to him at the beginning,' Michael said.

'I can see that,' Sayid said, re-reading the letter for the third time. 'I just don't want to jump to conclusions.'

'Well, what do you think we should do then?' Michael asked.

'I think we should talk to Jack about this first,' Sayid said. 'Then we can see if we can't approach Sawyer about this quietly.'

'You know he's probably gonna argue and put up one hell of a fight,' Michael said.

'That's what I'm afraid of,' Sayid said.

'Well, let me go back to the raft to tell Charlie and Claire that I'll be a little longer and then I'll meet you at the caves. You can keep the letter too since you'll probably get there first,' Michael said.

'All right. See you there,' Sayid said as he folded the letter and put it in his back pocket.