DISCLAIMER: Don't own Lost, but who seriously thought I did?

QUOTE: "Ooh, I was a yellow baby!" -Stephanie, my other insane Bio partner

-STUCK WITH ME-

-BY WHENICOMEAROUND-

-CHAPTER FOUR-

Sawyer opened his eyes. He considered going after her, but he'd make her feel worse knowing that he had heard, and he didn't want her feeling any worse than he knew she already did.

So this is what it felt like to be loved. He felt normal, except for the gaping hole in his shoulder and he was hotter and sweatier than usual, but he was sure that had nothing to do with Ana.

Sawyer sat up. He felt a lot better than he had when Jack had first brought him down here.

He stood up. Blood rushed to his head and he felt dizzy.

"Ana," he wanted to yell. "Ana, come back, I love you too!" but he couldn't. He wouldn't. He didn't dare.

"Ana," Sawyer whispered under his breath so that even he could barely hear. "Ana, I love you too."

All he'd ever wanted was for her to be okay. But she wasn't. She wasn't okay, and neither was Sawyer.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack pushed open the huge metal door, Kate at his heels. "Ana?" he called.

No answer.

"Ana?" he said a little louder.

Still no answer. Jack headed off to Sawyer. He was surprised to see him sitting up.

"Sawyer." Jack said. "You're okay."

"I'm fine," said Sawyer in a quiet voice that did not belong to him.

Jack sat down next to him and handed him a cup. "Drink some water."

"No," said Sawyer.

"Come on," said Jack, pushing it towards Sawyer.

Sawyer reluctantly took the cup and drank.

"Thanks." he said grudgingly.

Jack smiled. "So, you feeling better?"

"Yeah." said Sawyer.

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah." said Sawyer, standing up. Jack helped him.

Enter Kate.

"Oh, hooray, Sawyer's back on his feet." she said sarcastically.

He wasn't in the mood. "Howdy, Freckles." he said halfheartedly.

Kate and Jack exchanged a glance. Jack widened his eyes. Kate nodded and walked out.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kate found Ana in the circular room, sitting in the corner and looking as though she'd been crying.

"You okay?" said Kate.

"Do I look okay?" Ana snapped.

"I'm only trying to help." said Kate defensively.

"Sorry." Ana mumbled.

Kate sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ana muttered, turning away.

"Sawyer's fine, you know." Kate went on.

"Don't say that word around me." Ana said.

"What?"

"'Sawyer.'" said Ana. And with that, she started to cry again.

"Ana," said Kate. "what's wrong?"

I love him! I love him, that's what's wrong! Ana wanted to shout, but she couldn't. She just couldn't. That wasn't Ana. Ana would never do that.

"Nothing." said Ana again. She stood up and walked out, leaving Kate alone to wonder if Ana was crazy or not.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ana walked into her worst nightmare that night when she entered the caves. Sawyer was sitting all alone, poking at the fire.

She tried to walk out unrecognized, but Sawyer had already seen.

"Come here, Ana."

Ana groaned and didn't turn around. "I see you're better." she commented.

"Don't beat around the bush. I heard you."

"What?" she spun around.

"I heard you." said Sawyer, standing up and smirking his evil smirk. "I heard what you said to me in the hatch. I heard every word."

Ana pretended to look dumbfounded, but inside she was burning with humiliation. "That's ridiculous!"

"Is it, Ana?" said Sawyer quietly, moving closer towards her.

"I didn't say anything to you." she said. "Nothing at all."

"Yes you did," said Sawyer even more quietly, moving even closer to her. "I heard it all."

"You're not serious!" Ana yelled. "You were unconscious!"

"I wasn't." said Sawyer simply, and with that he put his arm around her waist and let the space between them disappear.

It felt like forever. It felt like everything Ana had pictured kissing Sawyer to be, everything she'd ever wanted it to be like around him. If she had her way it wouldn't have ended.

But end it did, and when it did Ana had tears in her eyes.

"You bastard." she said to him, and she left.

If she were Kate and Sawyer were Jack and that had just happened, Jack would have settled for merely shouting her name, then pondering the mysteries of how insane this woman was and why he was in love with her in the first place.

But Ana was not Kate, and Sawyer was not Jack, so he chased after her.

"Ana," he yelled. "Ana!"

Ana kept running. She was blinded by her tears, but she kept running. She was always blind. Blinded by love, her mother would have said. She was too blind and too stupid to see that Sawyer would never possibly like her. And now he was messing with her head.

It all hurt too much to handle.

"Ana, ANA!"

She heard him shouting behind her but she kept running. She ran until she couldn't breathe anymore. She stopped and collapsed next to the spring.

I'm never speaking to him again, she thought, and she punched the still water with her fist.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sawyer stopped running even though he didn't want to. He stopped, fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

"Ana!" he wheezed. "Ana, come back!"

Sawyer closed his eyes and put his head on the ground. He was sweating and gasping for breath. He was so overcome with emotion.

"Ana, I love you too." he whispered.