A/N I might as well stop apologizing for the long waits between chapters. We should all just admit I'm hopeless. Anyway. I'm looking for this fic to be about three more chapters, just so y'all know.

Jin shrugged on his long black coat with relief. The day was finally over. Hours at his new job crawled on and on, making the two weeks he had been in Chicago feel like months. He worked in a ugly brick building, a drab, dimly lit office with identical cubicles on every floor. Here he would sit for a whole day trying to be polite to the idiots who worked beside him. He had no respect for them, and it was certain they had none for him, judging by the joking behind his back that he was sure was about him. Everyone looked down on him because of his flawed English and his melancholy manner. He would like to see them learn Korean, he thought bitterly. He would like them to repeatedly try running away from murderers and thieves, leaving behind his loving, loyal wife, the one person who had stuck by him through it all. How would they like it, those obnoxious Americans?

Jin shook his head, trying to rid himself of the depressing thoughts that had so often plagued him. The day was over, he could finally go and write his letter.

He stepped out of the door, and a chilling rain immediately began to drip on his shoulders and head. His patience was definitely being tested today. Shoving his hands in his pockets dejectedly, he trudged down the busy sidewalk to the small, quiet café he had visited every evening since he had arrived. This was where he routinely wrote his letter to Sun. A place loud and occupied enough that he wouldn't get too down on himself, but not so bustling that he couldn't think.

The bell above the entrance jingled merrily as he stepped into the café. The happy chatter of the place seemed to contradict his mood immensely, so much so the Jin considered going back to his apartment to write. But he sat down at a table in the corner, and pulled out the small pad of paper that had been in his deep pocket. Setting it down, he bent over it and began.

Dear Sun,

Your aunt and I have been well, though bored and anxious to go home from our vacation. The hotel is not what we expected; it is lonely and ugly. It has not been very exciting, though we haven't yet met anyone we do not like. That is all we can really ask for. We still aren't sure how long we will be here, but when we are through, we will come to visit as soon as possible. We hope you are well,

Uncle Minh

Jin read carefully over his coded letter. It was brief but reassuring, as always. The vacation was his escape from Mr. Paik. By 'hotel' he meant 'city'. The people he didn't like were, of course, anyone trying to follow him and threaten him.

He wondered for the millionth time if it was wise to send these to Sun. Why not, he answered himself. No name, no return address, no real information. And who would read them except for Sun anyhow?

Before he could change his mind, he folded the letter closed and walked through the rain to the post office, which was luckily just a block away. Dropping his reassurance to Sun into the blue mailbox, he felt a bit of relief himself. Knowing it would calm Sun a bit calmed him too.

Now he would have to go back to his makeshift home, his small infested apartment; rats, cockroaches and mold were his company there. He was afraid to spend more money on an apartment that was temporary. And he wasn't being paid very much from his new boss anyway, he thought grimly.

The sky was darkening, from both the rain and the night. He looked at his watch, his one valuable object. It shone cleanly at him, and though he'd seen it a million times, he admired it for a moment. It was 6:15.

Walking down the street uninterestedly, Jin looked straight ahead. It was unusually quiet on the streets of Chicago. Even the brightly lit stores looked empty.

Then Jin saw something, or rather someone out of the corner of his eye that made him start. Down a dirty alleyway was a man lighting up a cigarette. He was kind of tall, with tattered jeans and a plain T-shirt. His shoulder-length blonde hair partially covered his face, but Jin was struck by how remarkably like Sawyer he looked.

The Sawyer look-alike didn't see Jin, he was focused on his lighter. When he was satisfied, he turned back and began walking farther down the alley, away from Jin.

He wanted to shout out to the retreating man, but didn't want to look like a fool if it wasn't Sawyer. Curiosity got the better of him, and Jin began down the dark alley himself, hoping to get a better look.

But the man turned a corner and went out of sight.

Jin stopped, debating with himself if he should go on. It didn't look particularly safe down there, and what were the chances that it was Sawyer? He decided to go back to the street, but as he spun around, was surprised to see himself facing someone who he didn't really want to face.

He had never seen him before, this maliciously grinning man. He looked like he was in his late twenties or so, but it was hard to tell through the grime and the dark, scraggly beard.

Feeling the beginnings of panic, Jin tried to sidestep him, but the stranger shoved him roughly against the crumbling wall.

Shouting something Jin didn't understand, he forcefully punched him in the eye. Jin cried out.

"What? What do you want?" Jin shouted back, fear now pouring into him. Who was this man? Had he been following him? Was he one of Paik's men?

"Gimmee your wallet." The man growled, his fists clenched, ready to strike out again.

As Jin fumbled for his leather wallet, he heard the man say, "And I really like the watch you were showin' off a second ago."

Jin handed him his wallet, trying not to let him see his shaking hands. The man still stood there, still grinning insanely. One of his front teeth was missing.

"Watch?" the thief prompted expectantly, his hand out in front of him as if he was a greedy child.

Not my watch, Jin begged silently.

"I do not have –"

But he was roughly pushed again, followed by another punch, this one in the stomach. Jin doubled over, clutching his stomach protectively. He had hit his head on the wall this time, and he wondered if he was bleeding. He stood up straight after a moment, and looked the man in the eye.

"I do not have a watch." He said clearly, but he was already wondering what the use was. The thief had obviously seen his watch.

The man was getting irritated. He raised his hand again, Jin braced himself, but the blow never came. Instead, the thief froze, and turned to his side, suddenly afraid.

Puzzled, Jin turned to see what had stopped him.

A pistol was steadily being pointed at the thief's heart. "Careful there, Bandito." A strong southern voice said. Jin couldn't help but smile. It was Sawyer, all right.

The thief put his hands up, and slowly and wordlessly backed away. When he was about ten feet from Jin, he spun around and ran, stumbling as he went, until he turned the street corner.

Sawyer lowered his gun and chuckled. "Weeeeell."

He glanced over at Jin, who was trying to hide his astonishment.

"Never thought I'd see you again." He drawled, obviously amused. "Thought you and your darlin' wife'd be back in Taiwan by now."

Jin reached up and dabbed at his forehead. He was bleeding. "Korea." He corrected, stepping away from the wall.

If anyone else had made the nationality mistake Sawyer had just made, Jin would have been offended. But considering the circumstances, it was all right.

"And I never really saw you as the kind of person who would save my life, but…"Jin joked, his panic subsiding.

Sawyer raised his eyebrows, a faint smile on his face,and put the gun in his pocket, pulling his shirt down over it. Jin decided not to ask what exactly Sawyer was doing, so casually keeping a gun in his pocket.

"I guess we're square now, huh?" Sawyer said after a moment.

"What?"

"You saved my life that night on the raft." He explained. "I'd a drowned." He grinned sheepishly. Then he lowered his eyes as if embarrassed and scuffed the ground with his boot.

Jin slid down against the wall and sat. "What are you doing in Chicago?"

Sawyer stood awkwardly for a moment, then sat down too, feet still firmly planted on the ground, legs slightly apart. He rested his elbows on his knees. "Business." He said briefly. "You?"

Jin actually considered telling Sawyer the whole story of Paik and his escape from Korea, the threatening phone calls, and his second run away. Surely Sawyer could relate somehow. He seemed the type to run away from things too, though he knew it wasn't because he was a coward. But Jin silently reprimanded himself. He should involve no one in this. That's what he'd thought even about Sun for a long while. It would only cause bad things.

"Business." He finally said, just as briefly. He wondered idly what Sawyer's 'business' was.

"How's the lady?" Sawyer asked mock-reverently, but Jin knew he meant nothing by it.

Jin smiled; hoping his face didn't reflect his inward pain. "She is good. She misses home, I think. I-"

"You speak good English." Sawyer said abruptly, seemingly just realizing that Jin wasn't blubbering on in Korean any longer.

"Thank you. If I have to live in America, I should learn its language."

"Have to?" Sawyer repeated questioningly, but when Jin did answer, realizing his error and afraid to say more, he let it go.

"Goin' to the wedding?"

Jin furrowed his brow. It took a moment for him to realize what he was talking about.

"Ah. Claire and Charlie's. No, I will still be here. Are you?"

Sawyer ran his fingers through his hair. "I sure would love to have a blast from the past, but this little meeting has been enough for me, thanks." He said with a note of sarcasm.

Jin suddenly noticed how bizarre this whole experience was. Ten minutes ago, he was walking down the street, bored and lonely. Then he was mugged and beaten up. Now he was sitting on the ground and having a normal, amiable conversation with Sawyer, of all people.

Sawyer seemed to notice the oddness of it at the same moment.

"Well, this is just so touching." He drawled, smiling as he did so. "But I got to be somewhere. Glad I could save your life." He stood up, wiping the seat of his pants and nodding at Jin.

Jin stood up and held out his hand. Sawyer shook it. Sawyer touched his finger to his forehead briefly in a kind of salute, and headed toward the corner of the alley he had previously been going down. Then he turned.

"Hey." He called to Jin. "What was in your wallet?"

Jin grinned. "Three dollars."

Sawyer chuckled again, then turned and kept walking, talking over his shoulder. "Mugging: three dollars. Running into your old buddy from whack job island: priceless."