Lost belongs to JJ Abrams and crew. I'm just borrowing for some non-profit fun. After Sawyer and the others return to the island, he finds Kate has finally chosen Jack. Post Exodus II. (The events that lead up to previously posted stories –Incarceration, Interim, Ineffable) Enjoy!

Lost – Infected

By Mystic

July 2005

Chapter 10

Maggie bounced off the rock into the water. She tucked her legs under her just before breaking the surface and splashed. Kate and Sun laughed, sunning themselves on the sand. Kate glanced over at Sun and sighed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a boat," Sun responded, touching her growing stomach. "I don't know how you and the others did it."

Sun's would be baby four on the island. The last was born two months before, a beautiful healthy little girl, to Steve and Tracey. Kate was worried for Sun, Jack thought her body might not be big enough for a natural birth. Kate frowned and looked away, knowing he shouldn't have told her that, but he wanted her to be prepared. He told Sun and Jin as well. Maggie paddled to shore and went around to the rock again, giggling when Sawyer yanked her off and swung her around in the air.

"Well, good afternoon, ladies," he drawled, holding Maggie upside down against his chest. Her feet hung over his shoulder and she grinned at her mother.

"Sawyer, put her down, she just had lunch," Kate warned.

He swung her right side up and planted her on the ground. "Go puke on your momma," he told the girl who rushed towards the women with a squeal and sat on her mother's lap. Maggie hugged Kate, laying her head on her shoulder as she continued to smile up at Sawyer, who grinned back, amused. Kate reached over and grabbed a blanket from her bag, wrapping it around Maggie and snuggling with her, rubbing the girl's nose with her own.

"So, newest Mamasita to hit the beach, how's it feelin'?" Sawyer sat next to Sun, who adjusted her t-shirt over her exposed belly. "Awe, nothing I ain't seen before. I delivered that one," he pointed a finger at Maggie, who buried her head in her mother's shoulder with a laugh.

"I feel just fine, Sawyer." Sun grinned and Sawyer held out a hand, looking at her as if to ask permission before laying it on her stomach. She nodded and he placed his hand on her belly gently, concentrating and then smiling.

"Jin said the baby was kicking up a storm, you two must be excited."

"Scared, actually," Sun frowned, looking at Kate who lowered her head, holding Maggie. She felt almost lucky when she had her daughter with her. So many things could have gone wrong that day. Locke could have killed her, Sawyer could have screwed something up, she could have screwed something up. But the real danger, she knew – because Jack had told her – was she could have died of blood loss.

Jack had been worried, asking her every hour that first day about how she was feeling. He let on to the others she was fine, but in reality, for several hours, he wasn't so sure. Kate remembered him bringing Maggie in and telling her to hold her. She remembered him crying when she didn't have the strength to. He told her she could die. He'd put the girl on her chest and she remembered he stayed with her until she slept and he was there when she woke. Kate glanced up at Sawyer, who chuckled at Sun.

The man gave Sun's shoulder a firm rub, "No worries, in a few months, Maggie'll have herself a new little cousin and we can teach Jin new words like 'diapers stink' and 'sonny, listen here!' and it'll be great." Sun smiled, watching Sawyer nod his head towards Kate. "So when you kicking out a second?"

"Second?" Kate shouted with a laugh.

Sawyer let his head roll to the side, and she watched long strands of blond hair falling from behind his ear. He needed a haircut. "Yeah, I heard you and Doc talking about it the other night."

Maggie raised her head. "That was what the private talk was about?" She looked at Sawyer. "Momma's face got all red and daddy made me go outside. Said they were having private talks."

"Naw, that was fighting," Sawyer corrected.

"Momma says fighting's bad, right momma?" Maggie pouted her lip, looking confused.

Kate nodded, standing. She felt Maggie wrap her legs around her waist and cling to her neck like a monkey. The girl was getting good at holding on. Kate strapped on her backpack, then lifted Sun off the sand and she nodded towards the caves, not far from them.

"We should be heading back, it's starting to get late."

Sawyer ducked his head, blocking their path. "Freckles, it's only afternoon."

Sun went around him, knowing she wasn't the one he was there to see. Watching her leave, Kate frowned. "She shouldn't be in the jungle on her own."

"No black smoke, no ominous messages or sounds in months. Think the others've gone dormant."

"Then they could wake back up at any moment," Kate reasoned.

"The others are bad," Maggie offered, frowning.

Kate shoved past Sawyer, knowing her daughter would have nightmares now. In her last one, Sawyer had become infected and had hurt her. Jack had told her again and again that Sawyer was fine, that nothing would happen to her. Sawyer was her uncle, he told her, he'd never hurt her.

…

Finis