Title: Scared With/Scared Without

Disclaimer: I am not the rightful owner of Lost. No copyright infringement is intended.

Spoilers: Everything up to "Fire + Water". Then AU.

Summary: Sawyer walks in on Kate and Jack arguing about their kiss. He no likey, kids.

Skate/Jate goodness.

Author's Note: Here's a little chapter with just the boys.

"Just the man I was looking for" Jack said with an annoyed expression on his face as he turned around.

"I bet you fall in love a lot," Sawyer quipped. "See a pretty lady that needs fixin' and you're in business."

"I have your meds," Jack said, reaching into his backpack.

"What do you love more, doc, the actual fixin' or the way they look at you afterwards with such awe and gratitude?" Sawyer asked, winding a blade of grass around and around his finger.

"One of these daily," Jack said, holding up the bottle. "Taking more won't make you better faster, so don't."

"Me, myself, I don't fix, so I don't have the answer to that one," Sawyer said with a small laugh. "But I'm guessing all that beholden bullshit has gotta wear thin eventually."

Jack tossed the bottle at him. "Missing a dose, however, will make you stall, so try to remember."

"When that awe is gone, do you move on?" Sawyer asked, regarding the bottle with little interest. "Or do you fix them up all over again?"

"Clean out the wound everyday and keep it dry" Jack said as he slid his pack back on. "Work it out a little more each day, but don't overdo it. If it starts aching, stop."

Sawyer put the bottle in his pocket. "But you know something, doc? Some people don't ask to be fixed. Some people don't want to be. They are who they are, and no amount of your good work is gonna change that…. And that includes your meddling, little head games and guilt trips."

"It's your responsibility to take care of that," Jack said, pointing at his shoulder. "No one's gonna tell you to take your meds and remind you to stretch it out and keep it clean. If it gets infected… if you re-injure it in any way, it's not on us."

"Us?" Sawyer asked, amused. "Right, doc. Whatever you say. You're the boss. You're the mayor."

Jack started to walk away, but suddenly stopped. "This isn't a head game, Sawyer."

"You sure about that, Jack-o?" Sawyer asked. "Then what was this song-and-dance you just did? Who was it for? Not for me. I know you don't care two shits if my arm falls off or if I die tomorrow. No, doc. You did it for her."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Jack said, his voice raising.

"Oh, I think I do. Seeing her take care of me drove you crazy. She wasn't following you around anymore, and, hell, she probably forgot she even kissed you. You wanted nothing more than to get her way from me, but you knew she wasn't going anywhere, especially with my arm near off my shoulder. So what do you, doc ? You parade Ana-Lucia in front of her. You ignore her and treat her like shit. You played to her pathetic need for your approval. Boom, that takes care of her. Then you throw a bottle at me and feed me some crap about cleaning my wound and owning up to my recovery, or whatever that hell that just was, and boom, that takes care of me."

"You know, Sawyer, it's amazing the way your head works" Jack said, his eyes blazing. "I think you actually believe everything you just said. But believe me, I never did give you much importance. Certainly, not enough to come up with a plan like that."

"It was a clever, little con. I especially liked the part where you insinuated she wants nothing more to do with me." Sawyer said. "The little 'us'. That was a nice touch, doc."

"You're deluded," Jack whispered angrily.

"And you're delirious," Sawyer popped right back, his voice rough. "If you think that's all it would take, then you don't know Freckles. And you sure as hell don't know me, Jack."

They stood there staring each other down. Jack watched as Sawyer's face went from forceful to oddly challenging.

"It was a valiant effort on your part" Sawyer said, winding the blade of grass around his finger again. "But it didn't work."

It was Sawyer who turned away this time.

"We both know there's only two people who can pull a con like that on this island," Sawyer drawled . "One of 'em is me."

Jack could only watch him go.

"The other one…" Sawyer called back, "is not you."

TBC…