Chapter Nine
Slowly and quietly as he could, Sawyer made his way to kitchen, instinctively grasping the gun he procured earlier from the guard. Kate followed closely behind echoing his steps. Neither one breathed, each too nervous to remember.
Again, Kate mentally kicked herself for falling asleep last night. How could Sawyer not make sure that the abandoned house was actually abandoned? From appearances, that would seem to be the case but that didn't necessarily mean that no one else had chanced upon this abode to use as a hiding place as well. But Kate didn't allow herself to become too perturbed with Sawyer's mistake. He didn't know any better. This was probably only one of few areas of life that he had little experience with. And being angry would be pointless as nothing could change their situation now.
Both Sawyer and Kate had now reached the doorway, each taking opposite positions along the wall. They silently listened to see if they could detect any additional signs of life from within the room. But they were only rewarded with silence in return.
Sawyer motioned Kate to open the door while covered her from behind. Anxiously, Kate clasped the rust-spotted knob beginning to turn it gradually. The hinged squeaked ominously as the heavy door swung open easily with a light push. Kate peered around the frame before she entered. Seeing nothing, she advanced carefully to investigate further, disappearing from Sawyer's view.
He waited apprehensively with baited breath for a reaction from Kate. His mind frantically urged him to follow her through the door but his body was too rigid with fear to move. Seconds passed that felt like minutes. The muteness from within the kitchen continued endlessly. Never had Sawyer experienced the amount of dread that washed over him.
"It's okay Sawyer. You can come in," Kate's voice drifted back full of relief.
Taking a deep breath, Sawyer entered the kitchen to find Kate standing at the counter gently petting a brown tabby cat with the remnants of the broken glass strewn around the two. The cat was lovingly purring leaning into each stroke of Kate's hand. By the looks of it, the cat hadn't eaten for awhile and its coarse fur indicated a life outdoors. Kate smiled as Sawyer entered the room.
"He must have broken the glass looking for food. The poor thing," Kate said empathetically as she scratched the cat's ears.
"And he can find food back outside," Sawyer told Kate with a scowl.
"You're not being serious? It's just a cat, Sawyer."
"Yeah, well, I'm more of a dog person myself. And what if someone notices their cat's missin' and comes lookin' for it. What'd we do then?"
"I can't believe you think letting the cat stay here is risky. After you didn't check the house to make sure it was empty?" Kate replied, amused with Sawyer's sudden sense of cautiousness.
Kate stood with her hands on her hips looking at Sawyer, knowing that he would have to give in. The whole notion that someone would find them because of the cat was silliness. And Sawyer knew it too.
"Okay, the cat can stay," he said, throwing his hands in the air with exasperation.
Kate grinned in triumph, reaching to the cupboards and taking out a saucer. Amazingly, water poured into the sink as she tried the faucet. The tabby appreciatively lapped the water quickly almost knocking the saucer out of Kate's hand in transit to the counter.
Leaning back against the small, round kitchen table with her arms crossed Kate watched the cat in thought. Her position reminded Sawyer strongly of the times she would stand on the beach, staring at the ocean but not seeing it, letting herself travel to another world. Abruptly, the memory was broken as Sawyer noticed a mischievous look slowly spread across Kate's face.
Not turning toward Sawyer, Kate said, "I think we should name him. What about Charlie?" Something about the cat's dark stripes reminded Kate of the shirt the rocker had always worn.
For a moment Sawyer didn't respond. He studied Kate closely, gauging if she was being serious or just trying to have some fun at his expense.
"Don't think so, honey," he said, trying to find an indifferent tone just in case she was being earnest.
"Okay then. Hmm…How about we name him…Sayid?" Kate said, fully enjoying torturing Sawyer now.
"Nope. Don't think that would work either."
"Well, let's see. There's Michael, Jin, Walt. Oh and don't forget Ethan! Which one of those do you like?"
Sawyer was now at the breaking point. He could handle a little entertainment on his behalf but Kate was closing fast on his limits. He wouldn't be truly angry but he sure as hell could allow himself to pout a bit.
"Sweetheart, if you really want to name the stupid thing, why don't ya be serious?"
"Alright," Kate said in a beaten voice.
Kate's expression became solemn once more as she buried herself deep in thought, naming off names silently in her head. After a few seconds of contemplation she turned her face to Sawyer
"I've got it. It's the perfect name."
"Well, are you going to tell me or are you going to keep that a secret too?"
"Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."
"Jack."
Sawyer stared at Kate in silent disbelief. How long was she going to play this game?
"Nuh uh, Freckles. That's crossin' the line," Sawyer said, his frustration flooding into every word.
The smile that Kate had been suppressing finally escaped, letting Sawyer know that she was kidding.
"That isn't funny!" he said, acting hurt.
"I thought it was," Kate informed Sawyer playfully, as she walked passed him, leaving the kitchen.
"Stop moving! Do you want to lose an ear!" Kate yelled at Sawyer for the fiftieth time. On the island, Kate had always sympathized when she saw Claire try to cut Charlie's hair as he was trying to play the guitar. But now she truly understood how hard the job was. Of course Sawyer wasn't playing the guitar, but petting the cat wasn't too different.
Sawyer sat in a wooden-backed chair in the middle of the living room as Kate stood behind him attempting to cut his hair. The bright afternoon light shone through the only window that wasn't boarded up in the house, hitting the few golden locks that Sawyer had left. The tabby cat was curled in Sawyer's lap sweetly sleeping, happy to have company again. Sawyer absentmindedly continued to stroke the soft fur while he fidgeted causing Kate to go mad.
"I thought you said you weren't a cat person," Kate said conversationally, hoping to divert Sawyer's nervous energy away from his constant squirming.
"I never said that."
"Yes you did," Kate said, mystified by Sawyer's denial.
"No, I didn't," Sawyer said firmly. "I said that I was a dog person. Cats don't usually take a likin' to me."
"Seems this one has. Which gives us all the more reason to name him Jack." Kate couldn't resist taunting Sawyer further. It was just too tempting.
"Like hell the Doc took a liking to me. Maybe to you, but definitely not to me!"
"Goodness, I'm just kidding."
"You've been doin' a lot of that lately."
"It's not like there's not much else to do……All finished," Kate said, pulling off the sheet with one deft sweep.
Sawyer walked over to the dusty mirror setting cattycorner next to the open window. He reached up and wiped just enough grime off to view his own reflection. A stranger would have never guessed that his hair used to be blonde. Kate had cut his hair close to the roots giving his color a darker tone. As Sawyer was studying his portrait, Kate slowly walked up behind him, appearing just over his shoulder in the mirror. Seeing both of them together after their altered appearances, Sawyer felt that they could walk out into the middle of the field during the Superbowl and not be recognized.
"Well, Freckles, I think I have to admit that cutting our hair was a good thing. Nobody would know us now."
Kate just gave Sawyer a small smile before saying in a regretful manner, "We should go ahead and pack the car."
"What? Shouldn't we stay here until they start looking somewhere else for us?"
"We need to leave," Kate said persistently.
"I've let you have control so far but I have to put my foot down on this one. It has to be safer for us to lay low here for a few days."
"I can't stay here, Sawyer," Kate said pleadingly, a sorrowful look coming over her face.
"And why not?" Sawyer asked, completely confused at this point.
"I just can't." Tears were starting to gather on her eyelashes, threatening to spill onto her cheeks.
"Now Kate, you're going to have to better than that," Sawyer said in a softer voice, his heart aching to see Kate on the verge of crying.
"I…This place. It reminds me too much of where I grew up." Kate let the tears flow. She tried to hide her face from Sawyer by adverting her gaze to the floor.
"I guess a lot of places were built like this in the sixties, but it brings back too many memories….I just can't," Kate said trying to explain further but failing miserably.
But there wasn't any need to continue. Sawyer pulled her close to him, wrapping his strong arms around her small frame. It was something that always had drawn her to Sawyer; he didn't need to know everything to understand her perfectly. Letting her defenses down, she allowed herself to lean into his shoulder. As she did so, emotions that she had been suppressing for so long began to ebb out overwhelmingly. Slowly, the small trickle of tears turned into breath-stealing sobs. Sawyer continued to hold her close. Eventually, his presence began to calm her, drying the wetness on her face. Even after the burden of everything passed, Kate didn't pull away from Sawyer's grasp but continued to find a quiet peace within her soul that she had always been without.