Also, I have a word or two to say to people who enjoy flaming: If you're going to flame, don't be a coward. Those who flame anonymously are chickens. The end.
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
-CHAPTER SEVEN-LOOSE ENDS-
As time passed, things changed. Life settled into somewhat of a routine for the castaways. Everyone mostly learned to live with each other and some actually liked it better than life off the island, despite the creepy things that had been found in the jungle, or disturbing information about the others.
So far, only Sawyer and Charlie knew Kate and Jack's secret. They both knew that eventually everyone else would find out, and after a while it would probably go around how Kate got to be pregnant.
As the days grew closer together, Kate grew bigger and Jack grew more nervous by the minute. Eventually everyone would find out about him and Kate... the baby was coming... what if the baby died? What if Kate died? Jack shuddered to think of losing Kate. She was the only person in the world who really cared whether he was alive or dead.
And what if they ever actually got off the island? Kate was going to jail. What was he supposed to do then?
As Jack and Kate changed, Sawyer remained the same. He was at loose ends. He was mad at Jack and Kate and mad at himself. But mostly mad at himself. Why do I care so much, he asked himself over and over again. Why did I care?
Each day he saw Jack he grew angrier and angrier and was overcome with the thought of shoving his head in the spring and counting to a million or accidently-on-purpose dropping something large and heavy on Jack. He kept it all inside and tried to forget. But it was hard to forget her, and her smile...
Stop doing that, Sawyer told himself. Kate has Jack. She doesn't need me. You're all alone, just get over it.
Sawyer was leaning against a tree in the caves. He closed his eyes and smacked his head against the trunk of the tree.
He suddenly stood up. Why torture himself? He went out of the cave and onto the beach. He looked around. Hurley and Charlie were playing backgammon together. Sun and Jin were blabbing away in Korean. Claire was rocking her baby and making friendly conversation with Locke. Saiid was telling a group of girls one of his long-winded war stories that generally bored Sawyer very greatly. Rose and Shannon made friendly conversation. Shannon patted Vincent's head as she spoke.
And there, in the midst of it all, were Jack and Kate, standing side by side and staring out into the waves. They were both smiling. Kate laughed at something Jack just said.
Sawyer grew more envious by the minute. Then, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Hey everyone, didn't ya hear? Someone's expecting a new bundle of joy! You wanna take a stab at whose it is?" he blurted out these words, barely hearing himself say it.
"Sawyer," Jack whispered. "No..."
"Why, it's Doctor Jack and Katie's, all rightie! Someone's been mighty busy, eh?"
"Sawyer, DON'T!"
"Pipe down, Jacko. Now, tell me, does she do it as good as she kisses, because-"
His words were interrupted by Jack's fist, which went straight across his mouth.
"Leave her alone, Sawyer. You're jealous." Jack hit him again. "I told you to keep it quiet!"
He hit Sawyer across the face one last time, then as he reached back to punch him once more, a hand pulled him back.
"Don't hurt him."
It was Shannon.
Both Jack and Sawyer looked a little stunned. Shannon? Since when did she care about anyone but herself, least of all, Sawyer?
Shannon pulled Sawyer's arm. "C'mere, I need to talk to you."
Sawyer shot one last look of disgust at Jack and allowed Shannon to pull him away.
He didn't really look at Shannon until they had walked three feet into the jungle behind him. Then he really looked at her- in her eyes, her blue eyes, he saw a look of despair. Her blond hair fell into her face. She wasn't smiling, but she still had a pretty face. One hand was still on Sawyer's arm.
"Um..." he said.
"Yeah, listen. I know how you feel about Jack and Kate."
"Yeah, right." said Sawyer.
"No, really, I do." Shannon kept her gaze locked on Sawyer's eyes as she spoke. "I dated this guy for almost a year before I found out he was already married." Shannon half-smiled.
Sawyer smiled too. "Yeah." he said. "I get a big head sometimes."
"Sometimes?" Shannon said with a real smile. Then she looked down and saw that her hand was still on Sawyer's arm. She pulled it away and giggled nervously.
Sawyer took her hand. "You, uh..." This was a bit awkward. "You wanna take a walk?"
Shannon looked down at her hand, clasped in his, then at his eyes again. "Okay."
-CHAPTER SEVEN- LOOSE ENDS-
It was late now. Jack was sitting in the caves, stabbing the fire with a stick. He was very sick of hearing, "Congratulations, Jack," from everyone on the damned island.
"Hey."
Jack only smiled when he saw who the speaker was.
"Forget about Sawyer," said Kate, sitting down beside him and holding her expanding abdomen. She was well into her third month by now, and she had more of a stomach than she had before.
Jack kicked a stone nearby. "I know," he said. "I shouldn't care. And it's not like I don't want the others to find out about us, but..." he searched for words. "that wasn't exactly how I wanted them to find out."
Kate smiled. Jack kissed her gently.
He looked around. "Where is he, anyway? I haven't heard a wisecrack in at least four hours."
Kate smiled. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since this morning."
"I'm going to sleep," she declared. She kissed Jack's cheek. "See you later."
" 'Night," he said. He tossed his stick in the fire and followed Kate to the place where the two of them slept every night.
-CHAPTER SEVEN-LOOSE ENDS-
Sawyer pulled his head back. "We shouldn't be doing this."
"Why not?" Shannon said.
"What about Saiid?"
Shannon looked confused. "What about him?"
She smiled. So did Sawyer. Then, he kissed her again.