Chapter 36- Fairytales
"Kate!" Jack yelled.
Kate paused at the door, her hand slid away from the handle and then she turned around to face Jack. "Yes,"
"Are you sure you don't want me to go with Sawyer?" He asked. The cold October air brought clouds of smoky mist from his mouth as he spoke.
Kate rubbed her hands together. "I'm fine Jack, Sawyer and I will take care of the truck."
Jack glanced into the car where Sawyer was lighting a cigarette. Sawyer paused once his eyes connected with Jack's, he then rolled down the window.
"What's wrong Jackass? Why you holding up freckles? We got a truck to sink, and a hotel to check in. Come on Doc, don't you got something better to do than bother my girl?"
Kate turned around to face Sawyer, "Grow up,"
Sawyer blew Kate a kiss, "I'm only telling the truth baby, now Doc what else do ya want?"
Jack placed his hand on Kate's arm and then gently pushed her aside so he could approach the car. "Now what's your plan again Sawyer? You know you can't just rush into this without one."
Sawyer smirked, "I thought we went over this shit Doc?"
Jack looked away irritated, "Then lets go over it again."
"Jack," Kate said.
Jack turned around, "I don't want Sawyer to put you in danger, he doesn't think when…"
"Hold on there cowboy, what do ya mean I don't think?" Sawyer killed the ignition, and then opened his door. "Just because I ain't a doctor, and just because I don't come from L.A. don't mean you're better than me,"
"Sawyer, stop!" Kate yelled.
"No if he wants to fight then we can." Jack crossed his arms and stared back at Sawyer daringly.
"I had it up to hear with your attitude Jacks, you think you're on cloud nine because you got Belle…or what ever the fck you call her to fall in love with you, but let me tell you, it ain't gonna last, she's not like you, she…"
"You don't know me Sawyer," Kate snapped.
"I know you better than this asshole does pudding," Sawyer smiled wickedly back at Kate, and then focused his attention back on Jack, "You're tryin' to conjure up a fairy tale prince charming that doesn't exist, you don't know nothing about Sassafras,"
"Shutup Sawyer!" Kate screamed.
"I like tough women, because I can handle them, I can handle secrets and lies, cuz I have my own, but Doc what do you know about Kate, do you even know why she was wanted in the first place?"
"That doesn't matter now, do I ask you why "your friends" want us dead? No, Sawyer I don't."
Sawyer shifted his eyes between Kate and Jack. "Fall in love, be foolish, I ain't gonna stop you, but who's to say we're gonna live through this?"
Kate closed her eyes, and then reopened them. The smell of burning wood wafted to her nose, and the chilly air made her legs tremble. "Let's just go Sawyer,"
"Have it your way pumpkin," He laughed.
"Hey Sawyer," Jack growled as Sawyer headed back towards the drivers' door.
"What hero?"
"And you wonder why you're alone," Jack spat.
Sawyer opened his mouth but then stared out at the moon with an angry expression. "Fck you Jack,"
Kate opened the door, and then put on her seat belt. She leaned across the drivers' seat to open Sawyer's door. "Just get in,"
Sawyer spit on the ground, and then hopped in the car. "Why do you like him?"
Kate watched as Jack went inside. If only she could love him how she wanted too, without holding herself back.
"He don't love you sweetheart,"
Kate placed her hand against her cold cheek, and then watched as Sawyer backed out of the driveway. "How do you know that? You don't, so just shut up,"
"What! Why you being all snappy with me!" Sawyer exclaimed.
"Because there is a time and a place for everything, and you just don't know when to keep quiet Sawyer! I try to understand you but God! Why do you have to always get in Jack's face like that…and not only that but how dare you talk about me like that to him."
"What did I say?" Sawyer turned on the radio, and then turned some country music up on full blast.
Kate turned it down all the way.
"Hey, that was Keith Urban!"
"I don't care who it is, I don't like country, and at the moment I don't like you." Kate tried to ignore how childish that sounded. She crossed her arms angrily and then turned away from him.
"That was real smooth freckles," Sawyer chuckled, "I almost forgot we were grown ups here, can I make it up to you with a push on the swings?"
"How about I swing my fist into your face?" Kate snapped.
"Me getting in Jack's face really got you wound up," Sawyer rubbed underneath his chin. "So that's what gets under your skin…or at least that's what you want me to believe."
"What are you talking about?" Kate asked watching a series of trees that were just beginning to lose their leaves.
"It's October, and almost time for Halloween," Sawyer's eyes widened playfully, and he accented his southern accent further.
"What does that have to do when anything."
"Halloween is the only time when people can masquerade as someone else without having to have an excuse…I think everyday should be Halloween, at least in our cases,"
"I'm not pretending to be anything other than myself,"
"Yeah you are,"
"What do you know,"
"A lot, ya didn't know I won my spelling bee in third grade did ya?"
Kate laughed, "Yeah okay Sawyer,"
"I did!" He insisted.
"Well then where are your ribbons, and how come you can't speak proper English spelling bee champ?"
"Because I…hell, I'm from Tennessee, haven't you heard of the southern drawl."
Kate nodded, but kissing Jack was still fresh in her mind.
"Well anyways, I did win a spelling bee, but that's not what's important love bug…"
"Love bug? And you were joking Jack and I for our nicknames?"
Sawyer sighed exaggeratedly. "Can a man finish?"
Kate shrugged, "Go ahead,"
Sawyer tapped his hands on the steering wheel, "Well anyways, what I was trying to say is I see how you act around him. You don't act the same around me."
"What are you trying to say?"
"You're two different people Kate, there is this one side of you that just wants to please Jackass Doctor 90210, and then there is another side of you that's selfish…you don't give a damn…"
"Please,"
Sawyer nodded, "I know about you, There is a part of you that doesn't want to fall in love with Jack because you're scared he's gonna die…and you don't want to get your little heart broken."
Kate sat in silence. She slightly raised her chin, and then looked up at the dark night painted with stars in thought.
"Jack hasn't been on the run like us, did you see how he almost fell apart after he killed that man. Jack can't handle it, you see Freckles, if we killed that man that tried to kill us, then we would categorize it as procedure, but not Jacko. He takes it to the heart."
"I would care,"
Sawyer laughed, "Who are you foolin? That man tried to kill us."
"I would care, but it wouldn't eat me up inside, because my main priority would be running away," Kate whispered.
"You and me both,"
"You talked like you killed a man before," Kate said.
"I have," Sawyer turned away from Kate. "Have you freckles,"
"No," She lied.
"Tommy boy?"
Kate winced just at the mention of Tom's name. She had been so unfaithful to him with Jack. How could she be so willing to give him up after she killed him. Kate swallowed down a lump in her throat, that was almost as bad as killing Jack, and then falling in love with someone else. Maybe she was as heartless, as Sawyer made her out to be.
"You loved him right,"
"Sawyer…"
"Just answer me," He leaned forward and then stared at the side of Kate's face. "Just answer me,"
"Watch the road,"
"Not until you…" Sawyer's words were lost as the front end of Taylor's car crashed into something.
Kate screamed loudly.
The glass broke with force as something was propelled into the air and then onto the windshield. Blood trickled down as "it" fell forward onto the ground with a sickening thud.
Sawyer jerked the wheel to the right, the car ran over "it" once more.
Kate screamed once again. The car shook violently as the front wheels ran over "it" once again. Sawyer immediately reached for the gear and then shifted it into park.
"What the hell was that!" He yelled.
Kate placed her shaking hands to her mouth. She couldn't stop them from shaking, through it all tears now stained her cheeks. Kate swallowed down a wad of nervousness in her throat. Her heart was beating so fast, she couldn't calm it even if she tried.
Sawyer opened the door.
"Wait!" Kate screamed.
"What!" He yelled.
Kate's eyes darted frantically as she looked back at Sawyer, "I…I'm scared, what if that was a person,"
"It wasn't no person, it had to be a deer,"
"Did you see it?" Kate asked nervously.
Sawyer shook his head, he made a move to step outside but Kate grabbed him by the arm.
"I swear I saw a man." She blinked away the tears that were starting to fall down her face.
"We didn't hit no man!" Sawyer yelled angrily as if he was trying to convince himself that that was the case.
Kate let go of his arm, as she stared back at his face. He looked scared, almost bewildered in a sense. Sawyer kept his eyes on Kate's.
"I hope we didn't…" He looked down.
Kate placed her balled fist to her mouth, "We ran over something with the car."
Sawyer looked down and then slowly backed away from the car. His stomach was in his throat, and his legs were wobbling so badly he felt as if he was going to fall. Kate's door opened.
"Get back in the car Freckles!" He ordered. Sawyer stared down the darkened street in fear that someone would drive past. The only light that lit the dirt road came from a sinister series of light poles down the street. The moon had disappeared behind ominous black clouds, and the tree braches rattled.
Kate slowly walked over towards the figure slumped on the ground. "Oh," She gasped. Kate turned away, tears were in her eyes, and she felt as if she was going to be sick. She wrapped her arms around her body, She felt so cold…so cold. Kate tried to erase the image of the figure curled up on the street. His legs oddly sprawled in opposite directions, and his arms stretched across the dirt road. "Is he… is he breathing!" Kate asked almost hyperventilating.
Sawyer clenched his jaw, and looked on in fear. Just as he felt he was about to lose his balance, he grabbed onto the hood of the car. His hands slipped, and then he looked and saw the blood on his hands. "Dammit," He wiped his hands along the pajama pants, and then closed his eyes trying to forget.
Kate placed her hand to her mouth. "Is he breathing?"
Sawyer couldn't move. He was frozen in fear, and regret. If only he had kept his eyes on the road.
Kate ran over to the man on the ground. Her hands shook violently as she lowered herself down. She struggled to fight the sobs that tried to escape her mouth every time she tried to touch the man. She couldn't because she was too scared. Tears slid down the side of her face, as she looked back at his bloody face. Tire marks were indented on his police uniform, and he was struggling on the ground. As blood spilled from his wounds, he slowly opened his eyes.
Kate stared back at him frantically. "It's going to be okay,"
Sawyer reached in his pocket. He needed a cigarette. He cussed loudly when he didn't find any. "Not now, not now!" He stalked over to the driver's door, and then frantically looked around for a pack of cigarettes.
"He's hurt Sawyer!" Kate screamed.
Sawyer tuned her out. This wasn't happening, it was just some bad dream. He would wake up, and that man wouldn't be on the floor twisted and contorted in an unnatural position with his blood spilling like water.
The man's eyes slowly closed.
Kate grabbed onto his sleeves, "Just hold on, we'll get you help," She stared back at the young African-American male with tears of regret, and pain. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry,"
He started to cough up blood.
Kate placed her shaking hand to her mouth, and then started to fall apart. She couldn't take it, he was dying in front of her, they had to save him. He was innocent, he had nothing to do with their situation. He was innocent, and he was dying because they had hit him. She couldn't let him die, she just couldn't.
Kate got up.
"Please…don't…" He coughed up some more blood.
"Oh God, Sawyer, help me!" Kate screamed.
Sawyer flicked the lighter, but the flame wouldn't come. He tried again, but his hands were shaking too much. All he could see was that man…coughing up all that blood. After the lighter failed him for the third time, he hurled it out into the cold night air. Sawyer then placed his hands against the dashboard of the trunk, and then placed down his head. His eyes blinked rapidly as he felt the tears starting to stream down. Kate was screaming for his help, but he couldn't go to her. He couldn't move, or watch as that innocent man died in Kate's arms.
"Sawyer, help me!" Kate screamed. The man's blood now stained Taylor's beautiful dress. She got up, and the tried to reach for the man's arms, but her hands were shaking so badly, and he weighed more than her. Kate fell to the ground scraping her knees. The least they could do was drop him in front of a hospital. Her stomach, and her mind was heavy with remorse, and gut wrenching pain. What if this man died? What if he had a family? Kids, a wife!
Kate forced herself up. She wasn't going to let this man die. They had hit him, she couldn't just leave him on the road like some deer. Even though every muscle in her body burned from the exhausting physical labor of caring this man she kept on going.
"I…I…just…it hurts," He moaned painfully.
"I'm going to get you help, it's going to be okay," Kate said as reassuringly as she could muster even though she was in a state of hysterics.
The man started to struggle.
"I'm trying to help you, please don't fight me!" Kate screamed.
He wasn't struggling, but instead he was going into shock. His body started to convulse violently as Kate tried to lead him towards the truck. His eyes rolled back in his head, and then his mouth dropped open.
Sawyer looked up. He saw the man convulsing, and dying in Kate's arms. And then he saw her, blood staining her dress, and tears spilling down her cheeks like she had been the one that had killed him. Sawyer's eyebrows lowered over his eyes, and then he walked over to Kate. "Let him go,"
"What!" Kate screamed.
"I killed him, not…"
"He's not dead, we can still take him to the hospital and…."
The man's arms started to swing around wildly. Sawyer ran over and tried to steady the man in his arms, as Kate helped out as well.
"What's happening, what…"
"Hold on," Sawyer yelled to the man. "Hold on!"
Kate didn't even have time to notice the sudden change in Sawyer.
"Keep him still," Sawyer ordered.
"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Kate screamed helplessly.
The man opened his mouth as he struggled, "I…I…was all she had left…she doesn't have…" More blood came up.
Kate mouth's dropped open and then she started to cry harder. Her stomach heaved with every sob that escaped her throat.
"She doesn't have…." His eyes closed, and then his body grew rigid. "She doesn't have no one no more,"
Sawyer looked back at Kate with an empty expression stretched across his face. "He's dead,"
Kate closed her eyes and breathed in the cold air as she wrapped her arms around her body. "He had a family out there."
"He's dead now." Sawyer stood up. He walked away, with his back to Kate. "We have to go."
Kate still sat on the ground, glancing back at the body as if he would wake up. Jack wouldn't just give up, he wouldn't leave this man on the side of the road without trying. If Jack was here, he wouldn't give up, he just wouldn't. Kate placed her hands on the man's shoulders, and then started to shake him gently at first, and then as she grew more frantic with more force.
"Get up, Get up!" She cried.
"Kate, he's dead!"
"Shut-up Sawyer!" Kate screamed pointing her hand at him. "I asked for your help, but you didn't help me until it was too late! So just shut-up!"
Sawyer looked away. It was his fault. "I tried to help,"
"Get up, please, you have family out there, I'm sure they need you…" Kate's lips trembled as she struggled to revive the dead man, who she was reminded was a cop as her hands ran along his badge.
Sawyer glanced down the street once again with tears welled in his eyes. A lamp light flickered out down the street, and then another one. He turned away, and then focused on Kate once again. "He's dead…He's dead,"
Kate slowly let go and then looked down at him. "We've killed an innocent man."
"Now we have to bury him." Sawyer responded trying to hold in his emotions.
"No!"
"We're fugitives Kate! What the hell do you expect us to do! Bring the jolly dead cop to the police station and then turn ourselves in for fleeing the authorities, and for murder now!"
Kate shook her head, "We can't just bury him…he has a family Saw…"
"We have to Kate! If we leave him on the street then they will trace the hit and run back to us, we can't just leave him here, we have too…shit," Sawyer winced painfully. "We have to get out of this open area!"
Kate watched as Sawyer dragged the man towards the trunk, she closed her eyes as she watched him grab a blanket from the back.
"Help me wontcha!" He barked.
Kate shook her head, "No,"
"Dammit Kate!" Sawyer yelled. His face was reddened and he was starting to feel the emotional toll of killing this man start to weigh on his shoulders. Sawyer picked up the body and then brought it into the trunk. The man's wallet fell out of his starched blue pants. After the body was in the trunk, Sawyer bent down to grab the wallet.
Kate watched him as Sawyer slipped the wallet into his pocket.
Sawyer put up his wall. The mask of an uncaring man, that didn't care that he killed a cop, when he did. "Jack was right, you shouldn't have come,"
Kate glanced down at the comforter that was tossed over the body.
Sawyer opened the door, "Get in,"
Kate slowly walked towards the car, "We're not burying him, what if his family wants to bury him properly…"
"What are we gonna do then bring him to Jack? Yeah, let's see how that one flies over, we can't tell Jack about this, he can never know." Sawyer turned on the ignition, and then shifted the car into drive with shaking hands.
"His blood…" Kate said in a trance.
Sawyer drove away. As if someone had answered his worries, rain started to fall, and the blood on the dirt began to mix and dilute in puddles.
Sawyer turned on the windshield wipers, and then quickly wiped away a tear before Kate saw it. If only he had been looking, then this cop wouldn't be dead in the trunk soaking up the rain through a comforter.
Jack looked through Sawyer's stuff.
"Hiya, watcha looking for Mr. Jack?" Chloe asked.
Jack smiled nervously, "Oh, I was just looking for my um…toothbrush, Sawyer likes to take things and I think he took mine."
Chloe made a cute gagging noise, "Eww, Sawyer's nasty, mommy tells me it isn't good hygiene to use someone else's toothbrush."
"Can you not tell Sawyer that I was looking for it, I'll just get a new one."
Chloe nodded, "Promise,"
Jack nodded in appreciation. "Anyways, I don't want to use a toothbrush that Sawyer used."
Chloe giggled and then bounced towards Jack. "Would you use a toothbrush that Kate used!"
Jack smiled thoughtfully to himself. "Maybe,"
"A brush?"
"Yes,"
"Her lipstick?"
"No," Jack said quickly.
Chloe playfully pointed at Jack, "I was trying to get you, but you're too smart."
Jack started to put Sawyer's books back into a book bag that he had never seen before until now. Jack had been almost positive that Sawyer had taken Sarah's engagement ring.
"Are you looking for something else?" Chloe asked.
"No, just my toothbrush, but I don't want it anymore,"
Chloe narrowed her eyes at Jack, "What about a ring? A pretty ring that Kate could wear when she gets married to a hero." She giggled and then pulled Jack's ring from behind her back.
Jack's mouth dropped, "Where did you get that,"
Chloe stared back at Jack with big green eyes, "I thought Mr. Sawyer had stolen my Goodnight Moon story because I saw him steal some of mommy's romance novels, and he even took a bible so I thought he took mine too."
"He took a Bible?" Jack laughed.
"He snatched it really quick, and then threw it in his bag, I saw him, and he told me that he wasn't going to read it though." Chloe held her hand out to Jack, "Ask Kate to marry you,"
"What," Jack said bending down to Chloe's height.
"Ask Kate to marry you."
"Why do you want me to marry Kate so badly?"
"Because she looks so sad when you're not around. But when you come, viola! She smiles, mommy noticed it too, and we were talking about it. I don't know why Kate is sad, but she needs a prince to save her," Chloe thought it over. "All princesses need to be saved Jack,"
Jack placed his hand on Chloe's shoulder, "You're a very wise little girl, where do you get it from?"
Chloe hugged Jack with her little arms, "My mommy, she's sad sometimes too…and it makes me sad, and when I see Kate looking the same way, it makes me even sadder."
"I try as hard as I can to make Kate happy…"
Chloe leaned away from Jack and then sat down on the floor Indian style. "What's wrong with her? Have you given her chocolate? That always makes me happy when I'm sad." Chloe's eyes widened, "I have a bag of chocolate, "It's all my favorite kinds but if that will make Kate happy then she can have em'!"
"Thanks Chloe but…"
"That won't work…ohh poo," Chloe placed her cheeks against her balled fists. "What about flowers, paintings, kisses?"
Jack smiled, "We'll see, but…"
"She seemed happy with you kissed her, do it again."
"Kate might not be ready yet."
"But she likes you Jack, I know it!" Chloe exclaimed.
"I like her too,"
"Then I'll pray tonight, I'll pray that you and Kate end up together, and then live happily for the rest of your lives, with tons of kids, no drama…" Chloe leaned forward and winked, "And no Sawyer, I'll make him stay here with mommy and me, but if I had it my way so would you and Kate."
"Thanks," Jack said looking down.
Chloe got up and ran away, seconds later she returned with a bag full of assorted chocolates, "Please give these to Kate, I have to go nighty night,"
Jack gently took the bag of chocolates from Chloe, "Thank you,"
Chloe nodded, "Your welcome and goodnight Jack, tell Kate and Sawyer I said goodnight too, whenever they come back."
(Thanks for the reviews Lindsay, Kristen, Sunny102, Nikki-da-latina, XxLauraxX, Orlando-crazy, Rain1657, Austin B., and October Sky last chapter! A slightly dramatic chapter this one, but this wasn't a random death, it will effect what's going on in North Carolina, and also Jack and Kate's relationship, as well as Sawyer. I'll update soon. Peace everyone.)