Chapter #4

Kate knew that she was lying on the ground. She could tell that from the cold irregular hardness pressing into her back. Yet her eyes remain opened, had she fallen? Where was she? Disoriented Kate struggled to stand leaning against a tree for support. She must have fainted she concludes. She had been feeling dizzy earlier; she should have brought more water she knew. Kate had run into the jungle after Jack on a whim, not thinking. A chill of night air pushed up against her spine. Where was she? The wilderness of the island seemed uninviting now, dark and dank. As she stepped forward her footsteps felt hollow against the underbrush and bramble of the forest floor.

Without warning in the dark corner of the somber jungle a quick flash of light sparked, catching Kate's attention. Immerging from the darkness a puff of dry smoke materialized followed by a man's silhouette outlined in the smoke.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him.

"Sawyer!"

Sawyer stood proudly among the trees flashing that cocky smile Kate was all too familiar with. Then with an indifferent gesture he leaned back against the trunk of a large tree. "Hey Freckles, Did you miss me?"

He looked rugged and sun burnt, probably from the long hours on the raft. Kate smiled, it was good to see him. Any company in this silent wilderness was greatly welcomed. "Is everyone okay? When did you make it back? What happened? How did you find me?" Kate's questions came faster then she could ask them.

"Everyone's fine they are all back at the beach." He said intrepidly, "The stupid raft isn't working so we had to come back."

"But Walt," Kate argued, "he seemed really beaten up."

"Yeah," Sawyer agreed, "poor kid fell in the ocean during a storm. We were all really relieved to see him here alive. Michael had been going mad."

Kate smiled, "I'm relieved to see you all back here alive."

"Whose dumb-ass idea was it anyways to take that dinky raft out to the ocean like that?" Sawyer complained.

Kate shrugged an I-don't-know shrug, still just thankful that they were safe.

"It was as pointless as donating slim-fast to Somalia"

It felt good to laugh, Sawyer always had that effect on her. She had been tense and worried all afternoon and yet she began to feel better just seeing him there.

"Why are you so far out here anyway Freckles?" He asked engagingly, beginning to circle her. Kate caught a look in his eye that made her a little nervous.

"Walt said Jack came this way. And I just got lost, I think,' She replied, "I fainted and then it was dark and I couldn't remember which way I came."

"Well it's a good thing I'd come around then, eh."

Kate nodded. Something about this confrontation felt awkward. Just as she thought it a rain drop hit her cheek, and then another. The island sometimes did this began to rain for no apparent reason.

"You didn't say goodbye." Sawyer's eyes seemed wild, as he approached her. She stepped back. "It's private here." He said above the rain as it grew louder. "I don't think anyone would hear you if you screamed."

"What?"

Suddenly Sawyer had her by the wrist. Quickly she twisted away from him pushing him back with force. Kate was not one to take any form of cruelty lightly.

"What are you doing?" She screamed over the rain now pouring over them like heavy sand.

"What's wrong Freckles," Sawyer jested snatching her arm up, "We already made out. Besides I know you want it."

"Let go of me!" Kate protested with bold eyes threatening him away.

Kate knew that Sawyer had done some pretty horrible things in his life, but so had she and she never thought him capable of this. Kate partially hoped it was all still some kind of a joke and half waited for him to crack a smile and back off. But then he came at her again.

Twisting her wrist hard Sawyer pushed Kate down against the trunk of a tree. She thrashed against him, to no avail. He was much stronger than she remembered and no amount of struggle loosened his grip it just seemed to entwine them more.

"Sawyer," She pleaded looking up into his heated eyes, "Don't do this."

Deftly Sawyer held both of Kate's wrists above her head with one hand. She fought wildly against it exhausting herself with kicks and thrashing. Kate could never remember him having such force. Reaching down with the other hand Sawyer undid the top button of her shirt.

Kate's voice choked up inside of her.

Suddenly Kate felt Sawyer's weight lift off of her as he toppled over to her side pounding against another tree. She breathed a breath she didn't know she had been holding. And saw as a figure in the rain lifted Sawyer off the ground and hit him again.

Kate's eyes focused through the rain at Jack as he picked Sawyer from the ground again and pushed him back away into the wilderness. Rather than retaliate sawyer ran.

I felt like some kind of cheesy movie moment or harlequin novel, watching Jack gallantly knock the snot out of Sawyer. Normally Kate hated physical violence, but this time she felt no remorse for him. In truth, it actually made her hot seeing Jack there as his muscles and tattoos showed though his wet shirt.

"Kate." He said reaching down to help her up. "Are you alright?"

It was odd having him see her vulnerable like this, she had been afraid of vulnerability for so long, but as he stood over her pressing his wet palm against hers it felt safer than anything. She stood into the rain letting it run down her fingers. She watched the water run down his face and trickle past his lips. If he didn't kiss her now, she thought, she would die.

"Yeah." She heard herself say unable to look past his lips to his eyes.

His lips parted letting some of the rainwater in, "Kate I need to tell you something."

Pressure built inside of her, she wanted to go to him, hold him, but she also needed to hear what he had to say. And she knew that he needed to say it aloud.

His face shook and the rain fell from him gently. "I don't know what you feel or how you even feel; All I know is that I've been too busy being responsible to realize that I am miserable without you." Stooping down his eyes met hers, "Kate I love you."

Kate forgot to breathe.

A tense moment passed as they both stood watching the rain drip from each others faces. Kate fixed her eyes again on his lips begging them with her will power to come to her. She nodded and they obeyed. Forcefully Jack took Kate's face in his hands and took her lips into his kissing her fully. Kate didn't hold back but returned the kiss. Leaning into her level his craving for her intensified, as he pushed her back against the tree behind them. Kate felt her back thud against the rough wet bark of the tree and didn't care about the giant bruise that would be there tomorrow. In fact it exhilarated her more and she felt herself smile under his kisses. She would have never guessed Jack to be this intense, but she loved it, needed it. The tension had been pent up for so long. Her head arched back as she felt Jack's lips lower to her jaw line and neck. If she died this very moment she would not have cared.

Kate felt her fingers rake through Jack's stubble hair. She could not get enough of him. His fingertips felt like raindrops on her skin as his hands crept down her face to her neck and then to her shirt. The buttons came off slowly, too slow. Kate reached up, grabbed at her shirt collar, and tore downwards. The wet fabric didn't tear as well as she had planned but the buttons broke off nicely and the pesky shirt lay now a few feet away.

"Hold on." Jack stepped back and smiled taking a backpack from his shoulders, and pulling his shirt up and over his head. Jacks chest glistened with rainwater as it drizzled down his chest and abs.

'Wow,' Kate thought with a smile, 'He'd make a good nudist.'

From the bag Jack pulled out a thin airplane blanket and spread it across the forest floor. Then with a charming gesture he pulled Kate right down along with it. She smiled at the thought that he may have planned this and went right for his lips again sucking the honey flavor from them.

Making love to Jack was everything Kate had imagined it to be. Their rhythm was in sync and natural. He was gentle and yet intense, and afterwards he held her tight to him as they fell asleep their under the stars of the island.

Just before feeling her self fall asleep Kate heard Jack whisper so quietly that only the smallest hairs on the back of her neck heard him. "We should have done that along time ago." Jack he said. Kate bit her kip trying to keep from smiling wide.