Thanks everyone for the reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Can't think of anything else to write because my sisters are distracting me.

CHAPTER 11

Kate's mind was far elsewhere as she trekked behind Jack through the jungle. She didn't want to have to do this. Having Jack get what she wanted from Sawyer wasn't right. But it was the only way she could think to go to get the case from Sawyer. If Jack made him give it up then she was sure to be able to get what she wanted out of it after they opened it up.

And it wouldn't be anything new. She'd done this kind of thing before. It was just like those times. She did what she had to and got what she needed. It was just like always.

But guilt was still slowly gnawing away at her insides. It felt somehow strange inside of her. It had been a long time since she had really felt guilty for anything. It was strange to be feeling it now. And it was only Sawyer. He was just like her. He conned people into getting what he wanted. They were alike in that way. He'd done some of the same things she'd done. There was no reason to feel guilty

But guilt was guilt and it wasn't going anywhere. Since it wouldn't go away she'd just have to ignore it. Guilt wasn't going to stop her from getting what she wanted. The old Kate hadn't died when the airplane went down. She had just disappeared for a while. She was back now. Ready to do what she had too.

He didn't know why he thought that this was the thing she had wanted from the case. It was just a feeling he had. But somehow he knew that this little thing was the reason she wanted the case.

After Michael had broken the lock and gotten him, Sawyer had taken the case back to his tent and gone through it. It was obvious that it had belonged to the Marshal. The guns in it made that clear. What he hadn't known at first was how Kate had known what was in the case and why she wanted it so much. But the answers were slowly starting to make themselves present in his mind.

He was sure this was what Kate had wanted. But he still wanted to know why. Curiosity was a strong thing and it just happened to be one of his weak points. Especially when it came to her. He wanted to know what it meant to her.

Pocketing the small object in his pocket he rearranged the rest of the stuff back in the case before closing it. Seconds later he could see Kate and Jack heading down the beach towards him.

Figures. She went running off to get the doc's help, Sawyer muttered in his mind as he stood up; leaving the case lying on the ground as he did. Jack and Kate were soon inside his tent.

"What can I do for you two?" Sawyer asked flashing them one of his smiles.

"Look, Sawyer I'm sure you know why we're here." Jack started. "It would be really nice if you could just hand over the case instead of turning this into something it doesn't have to be."

Sawyer held Jack's gaze as he leaned down and grabbed the case. Slowly he handed it over to him. "Here you go, doc."

"That's it?" Jack's face was disbelieving as his hand closed over the case. Taking it as the question hung in the air between them. "You're going to hand it over. Just like that?"

"Yeah, doc. Just like that. Let's just say I'm feelin' kind of generous today." Sawyer's eyes strayed to a silent Kate as he spoke. "Don't expect it to last though. Now if you'll excuse me I've got some place to be." With those last words Sawyer started away from them.

"That was easy." Jack said as soon as Sawyer was gone.

"Way to easy. Check inside to make sure everything's in there." Kate said stepping up beside him.

Jack kneeled down onto the sand and opened the case. Inside were the four guns, a couple of small boxes, and a few other small items. "Looks like everything's in here. Four guns. Some boxes of ammo. Some papers."

"Anything else in there?" Kate's head was looking over his shoulder. Her eyes searching the case desperately.

Jack turned his head slightly to look at her. "Was there anything else in the case that you want to tell me about, Kate?"

Kate ignored him and began searching through the case. It wasn't in it. She knew it had been in here. The Marshal had put it in there. Sawyer must have taken it. Frustrated Kate ran a hand through her hair and stood up. Turning she headed in the direction Sawyer had gone.

"Kate, what's going on?" Jack called as he closed up the case.

Kate ignored him her eyes intent on Sawyer. "Sawyer." She called after him.

He stopped and turned around. "Something I can do for you, Sassafras?"

"I want it back." She said firmly. "And I want it back now."

"You want what back?"

"Don't play games with me, Sawyer. You know what I'm talking about." Kate looked as if she were ready to come at him.

"Sorry, Freckles. I'm afraid I can't help you."

Seconds later she was barreling into him and they were both tumbling into the sand. Her on top of him. Sand flew into both their hair and faces. Her face was a mask of fury as she sat above him.

"Where is it?" The next thing she knew Sawyer had rolled them over and he was on top.

"Like hell I'm going to tell you. Ouch!" Sawyer let out a cry of pain as her head slammed into his face. Muttering curses he rolled off of her and got to his feet. Kate scrambled up as well.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Jack asked stepping in between them with his arms raised. A couple of other people who were on the beach had gathered around and were looking on the growing fiasco with interest.

Kate said nothing as her chest rose and fell rapidly. Her breath was coming out in short puffs as she stared at Sawyer. He was glaring back at her.

"Yeah," Sawyer said mockingly to Kate, "why don't you tell everyone what's going on?" Kate remained quiet. "That's what I thought." He said walking away. Kate stood where she was staring at the spot where he'd just been.

Her breathing sounded much too loud to her ears. Why was it whenever someone was trying to sneak around everything always sounded ten times louder? Every movement of hers had her freezing in fear that it would wake Sawyer up from his sleep. She needed to find it before he woke up.

So far she wasn't having much success. She'd gone through his stuff and hadn't found a thing. Or at least she hadn't found what she was looking for. So far the only things she had found were things she would rather have not seen at all. It was amazing some of the stuff Sawyer had collected since they'd become stranded on the island. He really was a packrat.

Cursing silently in her head Kate turned her attention to the small bag lying next to Sawyer's airplane seat. It seemed logical that he'd keep it close to him. Slowly Kate inched toward it hardly breathing. Keeping one eye on Sawyer she grabbed it and opened it.

The hand that wrapped around her wrist caused her to yelp and drop the bag in shock. Her eyes leapt up to Sawyer's face to see his eyes open and watching her. Pulling her hand from his grab she moved to get up at the same time she was backing away. Sawyer saw her intent and tried to grab her. They both went towards the ground with him landing on top of her.

"Get off me." Kate growled glaring up at him.

Sawyer grinned. "I had a feeling you'd show up. Guess I was right."

"I'm going to get it back eventually, Sawyer. I won't stop until I do." She said looking up at him determinedly.

His grin was gone. "Why does it mean so much to you?" He asked, holding her captive beneath him.

Her voice was low, but strangled. "Why can't you just let it go, Sawyer? Give it up this one time? Please, just let me have it."

"Alright. If you want it to be that way. Just answer one little question for me. Then you can have it. If you had to tell me or the doc the truth. Tell one of us everything who would it be?" Sawyer asked looking down at her completely serious.

"Why do you need to know that?" Kate asked him brokenly.

"It's not that hard a question, Sweetheart. Me or him? It's that simple."

She looked away from him, avoiding his eyes. "I, I don't know." She whispered.

"Answer the damn question."

"Jack." The word burst forth from her lips as if it pained her to say it. Her last whispered words sounded as if they were being torn from her. "I'd choose Jack."

She captured every detail of his face as it changed slowly. So many emotions ran over his face. The look on it was burned permanently into her brain. She would never be able to forget it from her mind. Then his mask dropped over it and his face was a picture of calm control. Like her words hadn't fazed him in the least. If only that had been true.

He released his hold on her and got slowly to his feet. Reaching into his pocket he grabbed the object and pulled it out. Sawyer looked at it silently before dropping it down onto the ground. It lay between them. A small sign of the large invisible wall that now stood between them.

His eyes went to her face and their eyes met. The look in them seared her to the core. He didn't say a thing. Just turned and walked away.

Kate looked down at the ground. It was a small plastic airplane. A little toy one, a kid would play with. Something so harmless and yet the cause of many of the bad things she'd done in her life.

Kate grabbed the plane and lifted it up into the air as if she were flying it. As she looked at it the tears started to come. Slowly at first they came out in silent sobs until they started to rack her body. She leaned her head down on her arms and cried. Cried because of all the old memories starting to come back to her. Cried because of all the wrong things she'd done in her life. Cried because Sawyer had just taken something inside of her with him. Leaving a large empty hole.