Disclaimer: The series 'Lost' and all of it's characters belong to JJ Abrams and ABC. The story, Taylor McCarthy, and any other characters not found on 'Lost' belong to me.

CHAPTER ONE: A Phone Call
"I hate surprises, Freckles."

On the top floor of the freshly built apartments on San Fernando road and Olive, James "Sawyer" Ford had just fallen asleep. He had literally stayed up half the night counting sheep - his sleeping schedule had never been quite normal since the crash. It was hard enough trying to get to sleep in the middle of downtown Burbank, but being stranded on an island with danger lurking in every corner had allowed him to develop a tendency to stay awake, to stay alert and watch for predators. Finally, however, after counting exactly six-hundred and twenty-three sheep, Sawyer had fallen asleep.

It was only too convenient for the phone to ring right at that moment.

Mother fuck, Sawyer thought, suppressing the urge to throw the phone out his bedroom window. Picking it up quickly, he growled an angry "Hello!" into the receiver.

"Sawyer?" came a female voice from the other end. He recognized it immediately.

"Kate, do you have any idea what time it is?" Sawyer grumbled, wondering who in their right mind would call someone at three in the morning.

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep," Kate said lazily, not sounding very apologetic at all. "Could you?"

"Well, even if I could, I'm not right now, am I," Sawyer replied icily, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "What do you want, anyway? I gave you this number for emergencies, so what the hell--"

"The rest of us are getting together this weekend," Kate interjected, cutting him off. "You know, like a reunion type thing."

"You call that an emergency?"

"Sawyer..."

"I'm going to sleep now, Kate."

"Sawyer..."

"What!" Sawyer growled, almost ready to slam the phone down and rip the cord out of the wall. "I'm too tired right now to be lectured about what an asshole I am for not wantin' to go to some little tea party of yours! I haven't slept properly in weeks, and the one night that I finally catch a break is the one where you decide to stay up all night callin' random people at three in the goddamn morning!"

"There's no point in a get-together if not everybody is around to actually get together!" Kate argued. Sawyer let out a groan of frustration, slumping backwards into his pillow.

"If you hadn't noticed, I wasn't exactly Mr. Popularity back there!" Sawyer exclaimed. "They wouldn't care if I was there or not."

"I think you'd be surprised."

"I hate surprises, Freckles." Sawyer heard a small giggle from the other end of the phone, and couldn't help but smile a little. "And besides, I might steal the silverware."

"I'm sure they'll live without a couple forks," Kate replied. "So, will you go? You know you want to..."

"Actually, Freckles, I know I don't want to, but if it means that much to you, I'll go."

"Really?" Kate said, sounding slightly surprised. "Wow, I thought I'd have to beg a little more than that before you caved."

"I'd say anything to make you get off the damn phone with me right now."

"You haven't changed."

"Did you expect me to?"

"Eh, not really."

"Say 'hi' to the Doc for me. 'Night."

"Bye."

Sawyer hung up the phone, feeling relieved. He was suddenly more tired than he had been a couple minutes ago, probably because talking to, or even just thinking about Kate Austin was exhausting. It always had been, even back when they were stranded together on an island in the middle of nowhere - two outcasts in a group of people they just did not fit in with. Kate, however, was more adaptable, and soon found her place among them, but Sawyer? Sawyer just didn't have the people skills. It wasn't as if he cared much, though. He'd pick solitude over popularity any day, even if that meant losing the girl.

Sawyer knew Kate never would have picked him over Jack Shephard anyway. Jack was a doctor, a top surgeon. Jack was charming. Jack had a great sense of humor. Jack was Jack, and Jack was perfect. Jack welcomed Kate with open arms, treated her like she was queen of the island, stuck with her after finding out she was a criminal, never severed ties after they were rescued, and celebrated with her when she was acquitted. Sawyer stood by and watched, not because he was that kind of person, but simply because he was tired of pursuing Kate. Because none of his attempts were successful. Because talking to, or even just thinking about Kate Austin was exhausting.

And now he had just agreed to attend a "get-together" with her and the other survivors of flight 815, where he would be forced to talk to her, and be around her.

Bet it was the Doc's idea, he thought, sleep beginning to overcome him. That fucker always hated me.

A/N: Reviews give me endorphins, and we all need endorphins.