I own my storyline only

SAWYER

Sure, I felt a bit annoyed when Jackass dragged her away from me, even though I shouldn't. I shouldn't let her effect me like this. I can't help it. She'll be back soon anyway, least she'd better be. If I find out shes been making out with doctor do-right...dunno what I'll do.

He pondered all this while Claire yanked his hair.

"Keep still!" she said crossly while he rolled his eyes and snapped back

"Thought you said you could cut hair? Seems to me like you just rip it out"

"Well, If you'd just keep still! I'd better get a lot of peanuts for this Sawyer!" she said snipping away at his hair. He had been VERY specific. Not too short, not above the jawline, not to annoying... the list was endless.

"You'll get you damn peanuts ok?" he muttered. "Dunno why you want them anyway, they taste disgusting"

"Charlie said he would try to make me some peanut butter with them.." she said

"Ahhhh I get it." he smirked "Loverboy's gonna makeyou some peanut butter. Young love, so sweet."

"Shut up!" claire replied smiling. "and keep stil!"

"Alrighty, I'm keeping still woman! anyway, I'm just saying whats blatantly obvious to everyone else"

She stopped for a moment. "Is it really that obvious?" she asked seriously

"Damn woman, you stupid? EVERYONE knows how he adores you and the kid. It's sickening."

"You think so?" she asked.

"Yeah. I mean where is he now? looking after turnip head right? like I said, he is sickeningly in love with you"

She carried on snipping.

"Thanks Sawyer," she said. He looked up at her surprised but she tapped him and said "Keep still!"

He growled and muttered something along the lines of;

"Damn lovebirds"

She laughed and awnsered, "You're a fine one to talk about lovebirds... everyone knows"

"What?" he said genuinely confused "Everyone knows what?"

She looked at him slightly surprised and replied simply with "Oh nothing...there you go! done!"

He looked in a craked mirror that shannon had given him for a pair of shoes he found. He looked a lot better.

"Thanks" he said cheerfully. "Peanuts are in that suitcase" he said pointing to abattered old blue suitcase thrown in the corner.

"And...what were you gonna say? what does everybody know?" Claire looked up and sighed

"Fine I was going to say that..."

She broke off as Locke came running to the beach saying he had found somebody.

KATE

She picked up the wood that Jack had cut and made off to the pile with him a few yards behind her. She looked up and say it was getting darker and there was only them left.

"Jack, we should hurry and get back soon" she suggested.

phew. I'm so tired, I really want to get back to camp. I want to get away from Jack too, being truthful. All he has said is, how am I? what have I been doing? or moaning about Sawyer...

"Yeah" Jack agreed. "It IS getting dark anyway"

She looked at him gratefully but turned quickly when she heard a noise in the bushes.

"Jack..." she said fearfully. "What's that?"

He looked around and said worriedly "I don't know Kate..."

Suddenly out of the bushes came 4 men with guns pointed at them both.

Kate screamed and looked at Jack who was looking shocked too.

"Who are you?" he asked, not daring to move.

"Thats not really your concern is it?" sneered one of the men. "Don't even think about moving" the other growled.

"What do we do?" the small one asked. "We only need one of them"

"We'll take one and one only. The man can give the message to the others"

Jack jumped at one of the men pushing him to the floor, wrestling for his gun. The other man knocked Jack out with his gun and kicked him.

What do I do! I should go back to camp and get help.

Seeing this as her chance to run, Kate ran in the opposite direction swatting flys out of her eyes and ran as fast as she could through the undergrowth and shrubs.

"Hey!" yelled the smallest man "Get her now! she's escaping!"

Suddenly the other 3 realised that Kate had indeed escaped and set off after her, running at top speed.

Kate turned round a rock and sat back against it, praying they wouldn't spot her. She saw two of the men running past shouting.

Are they Gone? she thought to herself breathing heavily.

Suddenly a voice whispered in her ear "Gotcha babe"

She screamed as arms held her arms behind her back. She flailed about desperate to get free and kicked with all her might. She heard the man swear heavily and then she felt a blow to the head. She felt dizzy and flow and as she blinked, everything turned black.

"Sawyer..." was the words on her lips as she fell to the floor.

SAWYER

Sawyer got up and walked over to where the commotion was. Locke had found somebody while he was out hunting. Sawyer pushed through the crowd and looked in shock as he saw Jack on the floor unconscious

"Ah" said Locke said "Finally somebody who can help me. Sawyer you're strong enough to carry Jack to the tent are you not?"

Sawyer agreed reluctantly and helped carry Jack to the medical tent where shortly Sayid, Hurley, Charlie and Michael joined them.

"Oh look the whole governments here" Sawyer muttered.

Everyone ignored this comment and Michael turned to Locke and said;

"So what happened locke?"

Locke sighed and said "I don't know, I just found him there. There appeared to be a struggle. I think somebody else might have been withhim"

Then Sawyer's mind clicked. How could he forget?

"Wait! Freckles? where is she? She was with him!" he shouted.

"Kate?" asked Charlie confused

"Yes! she was with him!" Sawyer said worriedly. Everyone looked shocked at his sudden outburst but locke said

"I didn't see her there, maybe she got away from whatever was chasing them?"

"Or maybe.." said hurley darkly "She did it to him? She was the fugitive after all"

Sawyer looked at him incredulously "You're not actually suggesting she did this?" he said

Michael looked up at him "Look mate, he's right. She could have done for all we know, and she could have run off after she realised what she'd done"

Then charlie butt in, "Come on guys, sure Kate was the fugitive but from what I've seen, she's a good person. I can't see her doing this."

Sawyer looked at him gratefully and he looked at him with what seemed...respect.

"It's possible that she DID do it though" hurley muttered.

Suddenly Jack moaned and his eyes blinked into focus.

"Hey Jack you okay?" said Locke

"I'm okay actually" he said as he struggled to sit up. "Except my head, I'm fine"

"What happened?" asked Locke and everyone waited with baited breath

"Well I was putting Logs onto the pile with Kate, whenthese guys came out with...guns they attacked us. I attacked one of them-"

"Smart move" hissed Sawyer

"and got knocked out. Did Kate make it? where is she?" he asked.

"Nobody knows..." Charlie said.

"Told ya she didn't do it. Damn assholes the lot of ya!" Sawyer yelled and walked out of the tent angrily.

"Whats with him?" Jack asked.

"He's been like this since...he found out that Kate was missing" Charlie said uncomfortably

"So he really does care... well we need to find her and fast."

Everyone agreed to this. Partially because some of them cared, others because they felt guilty after what they saidabout Kate being the one who did it.

Shortly later after having a cigarette Sawyer came in and listened to what they were talking about. Everyone looked up at him briefly then looked at Jack again.

Shortly Sawyer grew bored. We need to get Kate not sit around talking... If they don't come up with something quick, I'll go get her myself.

He looked at Jack who now looked fine apart from a bump on his head. Grasped in Jack's hand was a piece of orange paper which he hadn't opened yet.

"What's the paper in your hand for Jackass?" he asked calmy and everyone looked at him like he was crazy. Who cared about paper?

"I dunno" Jack frowned and opened it up wrinkling his head in confusion. As he read it his eyes widened in shock and he turned pale. Without a word he handed it to Sawyer who read:

Survivors,

We have taken one of your people. A girl. If you ever want to see her alive, You must bring the newborn child to the clearing and trade. If not the girl will die. She is unconscious and will be tied and kept prisoner until the trade. We will not seriously harm her unless you disagree to our terms.

You must bring the child to the clearing. Only one person may desposit the child there. You have 4 days to considerour proposition. Give the child at midday and she will be handed back to you.

We do not hesitate to tell you that if the child is not given, the girl WILL die.

4 days survivors...