Hey guys thanks for reviews. They mean a lot. This is the last chapter till next Friday. I'm going on vacation. Hope you enjoy it. Bye. )

CHAPTER 7

This was stupid. Really stupid. He had come waltzing in like he belonged in here and then just sat down. And he hadn't said a word to her yet. He was still sitting, seeming to be perfectly comfortable with letting the silence continue to stretch.

She would swear he was doing this just to irritate him. Sending a glare his way she crossed her arms. Her glare, if he saw it which she was pretty sure he had, didn't seem to faze him in the least. In fact if she was seeing correctly it almost seemed as if he were trying not to let a grin escape him.

She tried to contain the slowly rising urge to scream out loud in frustration. This was getting them nowhere. And it was driving her nuts.

"This is completely pointless." The irritation in her voice coming through strongly.

"Well, then why didn't you say so, Sweet Cheeks? I was beginning to think we were playin a game of who can stay quiet the longest. Guess I would've won if we had been." He drawled grinning.

"Please." Kate said rolling her eyes. If she had been standing she would have had her hands on her hips. "What are you? Like twelve?"

"Not even close, Cupcake. But that's no reason for you to be a sore loser about it. Not everyone is good at being quiet."

"I don't believe this. Are we really having this conversation? Did you come all the way over here to harass me, Sawyer?"

"Well I figured since you wouldn't be able to go anywhere if you wanted to get away it would be a perfect time too."

She smiled slightly and shook her head. "Thanks. Though I am kind of surprised you haven't come by before."

There it was. Out in the open. It would be pretty hard for him not to hear the question behind her comment. The question she'd been dying to know the answer too. If only he would take the bait and answer it.

Sawyer looked down at the ground. "Well, haven't really seen a reason too. The good doctor's been goin in and out of here so much lately I figured you pretty much had all the company you needed."

"Jack?" She asked disbelievingly. "The reason you haven't come by at all is because of Jack?"

"Somethin wrong with that, Sassafras?" He asked challengingly.

"No I guess nothings wrong with it. It's just," Kate's gaze seemed to sharpen, "since when have you been afraid of Jack?"

"Afraid of Dr. DoRight?" Sawyer looked up at her with a look that clearly said he thought she was losing her mind. "You've got to be kiddin me, Sweetheart."

"Well then," A satisfied smirk spread over Kate's face, "that can't exactly be the reason you've been avoiding me now is it."

"Who says I've been avoiding you?" His eyes strayed away from her. He looked as if he preferred looking at anything, but her.

"I'm the one who say's so. And you're doing it right now. You won't look at me."

He finally raised his head and their eyes clashed. At a first glance everything seemed normal. But she could see something lurking deep in the depths of his blue eyes. Something that he was trying to keep hidden. Something that made her desperately want to know what it was.

"Why haven't you come by, for real this time, Sawyer?" She asked softly; her eyes never leaving his.

He got up slowly to his feet and walked over in front of her. Kate tilted her head back so she could look up into his face.

"Why do you wanna know so damn much?" His voice was low. Soft, but with an edge to it.

"Why are you trying so hard to keep it from me?" Her tone was even, but direct.

"I'm not keepin anything from you. He muttered his eyes hardening.

"Sawyer, just….."

"Hey, Kate is there anything……" Jack trailed off as he entered the tent and his eyes landed on Sawyer. "Oh, sorry." He looked back and forth between the two. "Am I interrupting something?"

Sawyer moved back away from Kate. "No doc. Not interrupting anything at all." He flashed his trademark smile at Jack.

"Actually," Kate started, glaring at Sawyer, "you did interrupt something, Jack."

"No he didn't. From where I'm standin he's got perfect timing."

Kate's words came out through gritted teeth. "Yes he did."

"Do you want me to go or stay?" Jack asked uncertainly his eyes bouncing from one to the other.

"Stay." Sawyer said at the same time Kate said, "Go.

"Right, well I think I'll just grab what I came here to get and leave." Jack said inching towards the medical supplies lying close to where Kate was sitting.

"I think I'll be taking my leave too." Sawyer started. "Nice visit, Freckles. Let's do it again some time, shall we?" He started to walk away grinning.

"Get back here, you asshole. We weren't done talking yet. If you don't get back here I'm going to kill you." Kate yelled after him.

He paused mid step and looked over his shoulder. "And how exactly are you going to do that, Sweet Cheeks?"

Kate looked desperately around her till her eyes fell on the book someone had dropped off for her to read while she was currently unable to go anywhere. With a murderous glint in her eyes she picked it up and threw it hard after Sawyer. Seconds later the book collided with Sawyer's head with a loud thump.

"Ouch." He cried grabbing the back of his head. He turned back towards her. "Bitch."

"Coming from you that doesn't really hurt me." She said smiling sweetly. "As soon as my foot's healed I will be coming after you."

"Yeah, well I'll keep that in mind." Bending down he picked up the book she'd thrown at him. "And I'll keep this too." He continued walking off down the beach muttering under his breath.

"You want to tell me what that was about?" Jack asked looking at her.

"Not really." Kate sighed and leaned back against her seat.

"If you change your mind, I'll be around." Jack said as he started to leave.

"I know." Kate said softly. Her eyes looked off into the distance at the ocean. "I know."