Chapter 14- Shades of Yesterday
As Kate held Jack in her arms her eyes drifted around the darkened cellar. She could make out tiny airplanes suspended from the ceiling eerily with tiny white strings. Her lips started to tremble at thoughts of Tom, but she struggled to control it. Kate realized that she couldn't fall apart now, because she had to hold herself together for Jack. She swallowed down wad of nervousness and despair as she clutched onto Jack's shirt tighter. Her mind was being cruel, and every time she closed here eyes she saw the motionless and blank expression painted on Tom's face after she had killed him. Kate squeezed her eyes shut and then placed her trembling hands over them in attempts to hide her tears. She couldn't understand how this man could look so much like Tom. Her Tom, who was innocent, and caring, and who would never hurt a soul. Kate forced herself to shake all thoughts of Timmy out of her head. She didn't want to think about him anymore because when she saw him, she saw Tom. Kate winced in pain as she flashback to the night she had kissed Tom before going to see Diane in the morning. As Kate shook her head in desperation to forget she reached out for Jack's hand. He seemed to realize her distress so he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. No she didn't want to remember. Not here not now! Kate removed her other hand from Jack's chest and placed it over her eyes as the tears started to steadily fall.
Jack's head stirred in her lap as he looked up at her. "Kate,"
Kate quickly wiped at the tears on her cheek and then leaned forward to kiss Jack on the forehead. She was okay, she was fine, everything was going to be alright. Kate looked around for the gun which she had placed nearby, once she found it she focused back on Jack, and then tenderly ran her hands through his short brown hair. "You're safe," The need to protect him was stronger than ever. Because Kate knew that if she focused all of her attention on Jack, then she could forget about this nightmare.
"Did he hurt you?" Jack asked nervously. His eyes were wide and filled with worry as if he already knew Kate's answer. "Kate, what did he do. Please tell me that he didn't…"
As Jack spoke Kate saw herself as a child. She saw herself running to Tom after Wayne would come home from work angry, and waiting to take his frustrations out on her or her sister. Tom had kept her safe until he left and then she was on her own. Kate's bottom lip started to quiver as she remembered how hard it had been after he left. She thought that she could never be happy again, and deep down she always felt as if she didn't deserve to be.
Jack laced his hands in between Kate's trembling hands and then brought them to his lips comfortingly.
Kate shivered at the touch of his lips against her clammy hands. "He didn't touch me!" Kate yelled shocking Jack.
His head jerked towards her in surprise and then he loosened his grip on her hands. Jack's face was now clouded with uneasiness and concern. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak to Kate a sharp pain surged through out his upper chest. Jack winced and gritted his teeth together.
Kate allowed herself to snap out of it for a second, and protectively brought Jack closer to her. "Try to stay still,"
"I'm fine, I just need to walk around a little bit and gather my strength" Jack placed his hand on the floor and then tried to push himself upwards.
"Jack, stop!" Kate whispered harshly in his ear.
"He's going to come back Kate, we can't just sit here and wait for him."
"Yes, we can," Kate said in a shaky voice. She wiped at her tears and then reached outwards for the gun. Her hands traced along the cold forbidden metal as the thoughts raced through her head. She had killed before so she could do it again. As her stomach started to heave with every sob that escaped her throat Kate bowed her head down in sadness.
"I love you Katie," She heard Tom say.
Kate placed her hands over her ears and tried to shake Tom's innocent and caring voice. How could she go through with this and kill someone that looked just like Tom. Someone that collected toy airplanes and looked just like her childhood love, but yet wanted to inflict harm on her and the ones she loved.
Jack reached for the gun in Kate's hand as he tried to sit up. Something was definitely wrong with her, and he needed to know what it was. "Kate let me…" Jack eyed the gun carefully as he tried to take it.
"Stop Jack, please." Kate murmured.
"Kate," Jack pleaded softly.
Kate attempted to tug the gun away from his hands, but surprisingly Jack was able to hold on. She tried cried out in defeat as he continued to try and take the gun. "I'm the murderer not you…just let me hold it. Just in case he tries to hurt you again." Kate paused to take a shameful look away from Jack. She hated when he looked at her like this. Because she knew during times like these he could truly see the person she was.
"You're not a murderer." Jack stated point blank.
Kate declined to respond to his latest comment. She just looked away, watching as the airplanes gently swayed from side to side, and listened as the wind blew from outside. Kate was haunted by her past, and no matter how hard she tried to pull herself together, she couldn't. She just found out her mom died, and that didn't make this situation any easier. Kate bit her lip as her thoughts suddenly began to be too much again. No one stayed in her life. Everyone died. And as she looked back at Jack through red puffy eyes, she feared that eventually he would die too. And then Sawyer would die, and then she would be all alone again.
Jack closed his eyes in pain as he brought himself upwards. He then proceeded to place his hand on Kate's face, wiping away every tear he could catch. "I'm okay, I just needed some rest but I'm good. What's wrong sweetheart?" Jack asked affectionately.
Kate shook her head, "Don't call me sweetheart, because I'm anything but sweet."
Jack looked down in surprise but still kept his hand on Kate's soft cheek. He swallowed nervously and then looked around the basement in awe and then turned back at Kate. "How does this guy know you?"
Kate reached for Jack's hand on her face and placed it down on her leg. If she tried to answer his question then she knew nothing she said would make any sense. Kate placed her hand to her mouth, as she tried to snap out of the bewildered state that had suddenly overcome her.
Jack reached out for the staircase rail in attempts to hoist himself upwards. His arm shook and trembled as he brought himself to stand up. Jack looked down at Kate who still sat on the floor indian style, with her face buried in her hands. He was worried about her, because he had no idea what she was thinking. "We have to get back to the house because Taylor are alone."
"Where is Sawyer?" Kate asked standing up as well. Sadness and loss was still painted across her features. Her usually lively jade eyes, were now dull and devoid of happiness.
Jack wanted to talk to her so badly. Beg for her to tell him what it was that troubled her so he could get rid of it or at least try too. He looked down at the gun in her hand. Jack didn't want to kill anyone, but if Kate's life was put in danger again, then he would have to protect her at all costs.
Kate gripped Jack's shoulders with tears brimming in her eyes. "Where is he Jack? Why isn't he with them!"
"Because he went looking you," Jack replied looking down at the floor. He took a step forward and then grabbed onto Kate's shoulder as his legs nearly gave way underneath him. Kate wrapped her arms around his waist and steadied him.
The floorboards gave way upstairs and the sound of approaching footsteps sent Kate into alert mode. She released her grip from around Jack's waist and then forced him behind her as she then pointed the gun towards the door. Her hands shook violently, and the air was so thick in the basement that it suddenly became hard to breathe.
"Katie," She heard Tom say in the back of her head. Her thoughts flashed back to the night they had buried the box of childhood memories. She saw the tape, Tom's favorite baseball hat, and his airplane.
Kate shook her head in desperation.
"Katie," But this time the voice belonged to Jack. She saw his reassuring smile, and then him bend down to propose to her. Kate squeezed her eyes shut trying to chase away the images so she could concentrate on the door.
I'm not good at expressing myself when it comes to how much I care about her
Jack's proposal continued to play over in her head as she tried to concentrate. The gun was shaking in her hands violently, and she couldn't hold the damn thing still.
Words can't express the range of emotions that she makes me feel. She's beautiful inside and out, and there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for her
Kate could hear Jack behind her talking, but she couldn't make out his words. Tears streamed down her cheek at the thought of something horrible happening tonight. She had this feeling that she couldn't get rid of.
There isn't a thing I would change about her, because I love Kate for Kate. She thinks she makes too many mistakes, but in my eyes that's what makes her beautiful.
Tears started to stream down her cheeks once again. The creaking from upstairs stopped, but her mind was still very much alive alternating her thoughts between Tom, Jack and Timmy.
"Kate," Jack said placing his hand on her arm and running his hands against downwards until he could reach for the gun.
"I thought I heard something," She said frantically pulling the gun away from Jack again. Paranoia was starting to eat away at her subconscious. Something was going to happen tonight, she just knew that someone was going to get hurt with Timmy on the loose. Kate just wished that he would go away.
"I'll lead the way," Jack offered as he slowly made his way in front of Kate. Although his body was still soar and bruised he soldiered on, because he knew that he had to for Kate. Jack planted both of his hands on the staircase for support and started to take careful footsteps upwards. He soon noticed that Kate wasn't following after him, Jack turned around to rest his eyes on her. He clenched his jaw as he realized that she was looking up at the airplanes hanging from the ceiling. "Kate, what's wrong."
Kate wrapped her arms around her body and looked back at Jack in sorrow, "I'm being punished."
"What?" Jack replied in surprise. He stopped moving and then turned his body back towards Kate. "Why would you say that?" Jack stepped down one step and then cautiously down another. Soon he was back on the ground with Kate. Jack placed his arms on her shaking arms and tried to make sense of the situation. He knew that Kate had just went through a great deal of trauma, but for some reason she seemed to be blaming all of this on herself. "We'll talk about this after we get you out of here okay,"
"He looks just like him, and he collects planes." Kate whispered softly as she pulled herself away from Jack. "I killed Tom, and I'm not supposed to get away from that, or forget."
Jack's eyebrows furrowed low over his eyes, "Kate, this has nothing to do with you or Tom. It's just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time." As he watched her struggle with this the realization that something deeper was going on inside her came to him. The strength that he had been lacking before was suddenly starting to return to him. Jack stumbled over to her, and then placed his hands on her trembling shoulders. He hated seeing Kate like this, and it was even worse for him because he didn't know how to help her.
"I deserve this." Kate cried.
"How do you deserve this? Kate, please just let me get you out of here."
"I killed him Jack, and then I tried to move on. I was so happy with you and..."
Jack squeezed onto her shoulders tighter, trying to wake her from the trance she was lost in. "What do you mean you were happy with me? I'm not going anywhere I'm still here. And I'm not leaving your side." Jack brought his face against Kate's and tried to get her to look into his eyes. But she was looking everywhere else but at him. "Kate," He pleaded.
"How does something like this happen? Jack, he looks just like him!" Kate cried.
Jack then understood why she was so shaken. So Tom did have something to do with this. He didn't know what to say. Jack looked around at the airplanes suspended from the ceiling and then clenched his jaw. Kate was right, how does something like this happen? But he didn't want to worry her any further so he simply held her in his arms.
"I shouldn't be falling apart right now, he's out there somewhere and he's going to be back soon." Kate sobbed burying her face deep into Jack's torn shirt, and muffling her words. "He'll be back, we shouldn't stay here,"
"We're leaving, but I need you to give me the gun Kate. You're not going to shoot him." Jack replied placing his hands on Kate's cheeks and giving her an honest look of care. "You're in no condition,"
"And neither are you," Kate spat back.
Jack slowly reached for the gun.
Kate closed her eyes as she felt him close his hands over her shaking hands and then reach down for the gun. Thoughts of Tom raced through her mind again. She saw him the night they had buried the "box of memories", and then the time she had kissed him earlier this year before she killed him. The thoughts flashed through her mind again and again daring her to forget.
Kate cringed as Jack started to ease the gun out of her hands.
Tom's face flashed into her subconscious. She saw him laying in the car, blood running down his face, and his eyes closed. He was so still and motionless. Tom was dead. And then she saw Jack lying in Tom's place like she had in that dream.
Kate screamed throwing her head back. She couldn't control her emotions anymore, because the post traumatic stress from watching Jack get severely beaten, to seeing Timmy's face, and then flashing back to Tom's death was too much. God, it was just too much.
Jack grabbed Kate as she fell forwards onto him. She was fighting with him, screaming at the top of her lungs, trying to shake the nightmares that had taken over her soul. He was frightened because her outburst was so sudden and unexpected. His hands gripped onto her shirt desperately trying to calm her, but she wiggled out of his grasp. Jack reached out for her wrists bounding them to his chest as she continued to fight. He was starting to see a glimpse of everything that Kate held inside of her. Jack nearly fell to the ground as Kate tried to escape his arms. He felt her pull at his shirt, and struggle violently but he refused to let her go. "Kate, what is it! What is it!"
Kate collapsed against him in tears. She was still distraught, and in a frenzied state as she grabbed onto his shirt, holding onto it tightly as if the second she let go he would disappear.
Jack kissed the top of her head, trying to calm Kate anyway he could. He wasn't going to ask her to explain her breakdown to him, because obviously the situation went deeper than he could've ever imagined. Something had struck a chord within her, and Jack wasn't going to question it any further. "It's okay," He whispered in her ear.
"I deserve this, after everything I did, everyone I hurt." Kate sniffled as she tried to pull herself together. "I was never meant to be happy, and I don't deserve to be either,"
Jack pulled the gun out of Kate's reluctant hand. "You do deserve to be happy you hear me." Jack cupped her chin in his hand and sighed in relief when Kate looked back at him. I'm not going to let him get anywhere near you. He's not going to hurt you." Jack felt the aching and the pain start to pass. He needed to protect Kate, and get her through this. So he didn't have time to worry about himself. Jack glanced towards the basement door and then circled his hand around Kate's thin wrist. "I'm going to get you out of here okay,"
Kate nodded, "I don't want to see his face again…he reminds me too much of Tom." Kate covered her eyes with her hand, and then let it slide down to her mouth. "He's not Tom, Jack I'm sorry for losing it."
"He's not," Jack assured with a shake of his head. He gave Kate's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to apologize to me."
"I hate being so weak," Kate cried helplessly.
Jack gathered her in his arms, "Just lean on me okay,"
Kate looked up at Jack through blurry eyes. It was amazing how together he seemed to be now after coming to her in such bad shape. As Kate looked into his calm eyes and relaxed her body against his she tried to settle down. Maybe the main reason for her panic attack was her fear that something would happen to him. Kate shook the negative thoughts away, even though a part of her believed that she was cursed, and this fairytale that they had would end soon. "I'm fine," Kate lied.
"No you're not," Jack ran his hands through Kate's tangled locks. "You don't have to lie to me, I know you well enough by now."
Kate looked down, "I'm scared,"
Someone stepped through the basement door. Both Jack and Kate jumped. Instinctively Jack released Kate and then pointed the gun towards the tall figure in front of him. He lowered the gun seconds later when he realized that non other than Sawyer was staring back at him in alarm.
"Hold that trigger cowboy, I ain't the boogeyman." Sawyer said signaling for Jack to drop the weapon with both hands. He glanced behind Jack, and his eyes softened when he realized that Kate was standing behind him. "I was worried about you Freckles." Sawyer looked down uneasily and then focused his eyes back on Jack. "Did that bastard hurt her?" He asked as he balled his fists.
"I don't know," Jack said worried as he looked behind him at Kate to try and read her blank expression.
"Where is he?" Sawyer growled enraged. "I'll show him who he's messin' with. Make him wish that he never stepped foot near her. Where the hell is he?" Sawyer was yelling now. His face was red with rage and his nostrils were flared. "Jack, did you see him, and if you did which direction did he go off to." Sawyer looked down at the gun in Jack's hand. "Gimme that, I'll find him myself."
Jack made no attempts to hand the gun to Sawyer. "It was just one guy, and I don't know where he is."
Sawyer looked around the house wearily. "He just left Kate here like this?"
Jack nodded, "Yeah, and I don't know why."
Kate moved from behind Jack, and then looked back at Sawyer. "Go back to Taylor and Chloe, make sure they're okay. We're fine."
Sawyer didn't think Kate looked fine, but she was with Jack so he would look out for her. "Taylor and Chloe are alone, Sassafrass is right I gotta get back to them." As he made his way back up the stairs he tried to hide his fear. If something happened to either one of them he would never be able to forgive himself. "Watch her Doc, and if you see that bastard kill em'."
Those were Sawyer's last words before he disappeared through the door.
Kate tugged on Jack's sleeve, "You should have given him the gun. What if he comes after him? How can Sawyer protect himself?"
"We'll go after Sawyer, after I make sure that you're okay…are you really ready to go back out there?"
Kate nodded. "I'm fine,"
Jack circled his arm around her waist and then led her up the stairs slowly.
Timmy aimed the gun at Taylor daring her to move as a sinister smile crept across his face. "Come here,"
"What?" She said with wide eyes.
"I said get over here, what's so difficult about that." Timmy narrowed his eyes back at her in anger when she didn't follow his orders right away. He lowered the gun down by his side and then stalked over to her. He was sadistic, he had always been, and the look of fear stretched across the pretty blonde's face made him want to hurt her more.
Timmy grabbed her roughly by her arm and smiled to himself as the child fell onto the floor.
"Mommy!" Chloe screamed in tears.
Timmy cringed at the sound of Chloe's shrieks and then he pointed the gun at her. "Shut up."
"Please, just let her go!" Taylor begged trying to reach out for the gun.
Chloe closed her mouth and then placed her small hands over her mouth.
Timmy took the gun off of Chloe, and then trailed it through Taylor's hair. "There is such a thing in this world as being too trusting."
Taylor looked down at Chloe hopefully, trying to make her believe that it was going to be okay. Although she was scared Taylor had faith in Sawyer, and she believed that he would come back. "What do you want?"
Timmy chuckled evilly. "What do I want, well it's quite simple actually "
Taylor bit the inside of her cheek as Timmy jerked her in front of him and then pulled her back roughly.
"I never expected to meet her. She's a fugitive you know, Kate Austen is wanted for the murder." Timmy paused to look over Taylor's shocked face. "She could fool anyone with that innocent smile of hers. She's fooled all of you I can see."
Taylor watched as Chloe balled her legs up to her chest and then wrapped her arms around them. She wanted to go over to Chloe and protect her, but the hardest thing was to watch her daughter suffer without being able to do a thing about it. All she could do for now was to follow his orders and hope that Sawyer would be back soon.
"Have you ever shot a gun before?" Timmy snarled.
"No," Taylor said leaning away from him fearfully as he brought his face closer. "He's going to come through the door any second now."
Taylor's eyebrows furrowed low over her eyes as she watched the door in trepidation. She sensed that he was talking about Sawyer. Taylor watched nervously as he aimed the gun towards the door. If only she was strong enough to take him.
"Turn off the lights," Timmy said to Chloe. He pointed the gun at her and then motioned it towards the lamp.
"I'll do it." Taylor offered. She shook her head signaling for Chloe not to move, and then tried to get towards the light, but Timmy grabbed her by her arm and then pulled her back towards him. "Look precious, I told the girl to do it, you keep on disobeying me, and you'll see what happens."
Taylor swallowed nervously as she watched Chloe get up and walk towards the light bravely. "Who's coming?" She asked in a whisper without taking her eyes off of Chloe.
"Golden boy," Timmy replied. "I believe you call him Sawyer,"
Chloe hesitated as she turned off the light, but Timmy pointed the gun at her once again, and then darkness clouded the room.
Taylor shivered in fear as Timmy pulled her back towards him. "Why are you doing this?"
Timmy ignored her plea and placed the gun he held in her hands. "Have you ever fired a gun before?"
She didn't respond. Taylor tried to drop the gun, but Timmy squeezed her hand over the cold metal. She winced in pain as he forced her to place her fingers on the trigger. "Stop, please…"
"When he comes back…shoot him,"
"No!" Taylor exclaimed in horror. She looked back at Timmy in fear who stared back at her with a delusional expression on his face. His greenish-blue eyes glinted with an unbridled madness, and a sick smirk still accompanied his features.
Timmy stared back at her for a while longer. He didn't say anything he just stared. "Shoot him when he comes through the door,"
"I will not, No, I'm not I…"
"Do it!" Timmy yelled back at her. He released his grip from around the gun in her hand and then pulled another gun from out of his holster.
She cried in fear as he pressed the edge of the gun against her head. "Please, just take whatever you want, or let my daughter go!" Taylor screamed with tears coursing down her face, and her body shaking violently.
"What about you?" He asked moving the edge of the gun through her straight honey locks. "You would rather die for him?"
Taylor looked down at the gun with anxiety. She had never held a gun in her life, and there was no way she was going to fire it. Taylor didn't have it in her to kill anyone. Especially not Sawyer who she cared about so much about. She couldn't do it and she wouldn't. Timmy moved his gun down towards her back with one hand and then used his other hand to raise her arm as the door slowly opened.
All eyes shifted towards the door. The wind spilled in from outside causing the fire in the hearth to blow out. And then a hand appeared on the door as they pushed it open.
"Taylor?" Sawyer said stepping inside unaware of the setup. He looked around the dark house first, and then his eyes rested on Taylor. "What the…" All he saw was the gun in her hand pointed at him. Sawyer's breathing grew labored as he tried to make sense of the situation. "Taylor?"
"Don't move!" Timmy yelled stepping from behind her.
Sawyer's mouth dropped open in disbelief. He clenched his jaw as he looked back at Taylor. He could see that she was scared. God he had to do something. Sawyer considered his options as quickly as possible, what could he do with two guns pointed at him. He knew that Taylor wouldn't shoot him, but from what he could tell that man had a gun behind her back as well. He swallowed nervously as his eyes then shifted to Chloe who watched him from the corner with panic in her eyes. Sawyer felt his heart rate start to increase as he looked back at her. That look that Chloe had on her face terrified him, because he knew it all to well.
"Shoot him!" Timmy yelled.
Sawyer watched as Timmy forced Taylor to aim the gun at him, because she kept on disobeying him. Suddenly a feeling as if he was already dead started to wash over him. Sawyer tried to shake it, but as he watched the gun lower and rise in front of him, his life started to flash in front of his eyes. He saw himself hiding under the bed the night his parents died. Sawyer slowly looked towards Chloe once again in a daze.
Her eyes reminded him so much of his. He could sense her fear, and the need to protect both Taylor and Chloe became stronger than ever. "What is it that you want Chester? You want me, take me, but leave them out of this." Sawyer said through gritted teeth.
"Karma is a bitch isn't it?" Timmy asked with a wicked grin. He then looked down at Taylor, who Sawyer was watching in pain. "Is it possible that you got some feelings for her?"
When Sawyer didn't answer Timmy, he grabbed Taylor by her shoulders and then shook her violently. She screamed and Sawyer started to run over to them, but Timmy stopped shaking her and then trained his gun on Sawyer. "Make another move and I'll shoot you where you stand asshole."
Sawyer tried to catch his breath as he tried to formulate another plan. The sight of Taylor with her hair disheveled and covering her face as tears fell down her cheek tore a hole into Sawyer's soul. "Let her go." He growled.
Timmy released his grip around Taylor slightly.
Sawyer slowly inched towards Chloe. He tried to get her to look back at him. Relief washed over his face as she finally placed her eyes on his. He could see that she was scared but yet there was bravery behind her look which Sawyer admired. Sawyer gave her a small nod to signal that he wasn't going to let anything happen to her.
Timmy fired a shot.
Sawyer dived to the ground as the bullet ricocheted through the silent night air. He hit the ground with a hard thud as the window behind him shattered. Glass exploded down onto him like drops of rain.
Taylor and Chloe screamed.
Before Sawyer had a chance to recover Timmy ran over to Chloe and picked her up in his arms. The sounds of her screams caused Sawyer to propel himself upwards in record time. He wasn't going to let this man hurt them. Sawyer watched angrily as Timmy trained the gun on both him and Taylor simultaneously.
"Please, don't her!" Taylor cried holding her hand to her mouth.
Sawyer walked towards Timmy. He didn't care if he got shot anymore, but he couldn't just stand there and watch as this man threatened Chloe's life, and he wasn't going to just stand around either. "Get your damn hands off her!" Sawyer growled.
Timmy pulled the gun on Chloe. "Stop right there, or I blow her head off."
"Sawyer, stop!" Taylor screamed.
Sawyer stopped where he stood as he watched Timmy pull Chloe further away from both him and Taylor. He closed his eyes as a feeling of anger washed over him. He refused to give up. "Just let the kid go. You want me…take your shot, I won't fight ya…just…" Sawyer clenched his jaw and looked down with a shake of his head. He was no do-gooder, far from it, but he cared about them too much to let them die over him. "You wanna clear shot, take it." Sawyer said holding his hands in the air. "I'm the bad guy here not them."
Timmy loosed his grip from around Chloe's arms, but still held the gun to her head. "And to think you almost got away with murder."
Sawyer looked down in shame as Taylor cast her frightened eyes on him. He clenched his jaw trying to forget that Darren the cop he had run over was a friend of Taylor's. Sawyer swallowed hard as he looked back at Taylor, who stared back at him with her mouth agape.
"Tell her what you did," Timmy responded obviously getting a kick out of this.
Sawyer narrowed his eyes back at him, but kept his mouth shut.
"Or do you want me to tell her about the man you hit with her car, and then sent down the river to be fish bait? What's better for you?"
Sawyer couldn't find the right words to say, he watched nervously as Timmy brought the gun to Chloe's cheek. God, he hated himself for not being able to do shit right now. Sawyer clenched his fists as he looked at Chloe. He didn't want her to know that he had anything to do with Darren's disappearance because for some reason he cared what she thought of him. Sawyer looked down and a strand of his dirty blonde hair fell into his eyes as he tried to stall his confession.
"Tell them, you were riding in the truck with Kate, not paying attention and then he stepped out onto the road and then…slam, crash, you hit the poor guy." Timmy smiled. "Kate tried to save him, and the girl had a breakdown in the process, but you…you selfish, heartless bastard, you just watched…"
"Shut the fck up!" Sawyer yelled angrily.
Chloe jumped at his outburst.
Sawyer winced forgetting temporarily that she was listening to every word he said. He then looked at Taylor in shame, and then scowled when he realized that she wasn't even looking back at him. But what did he expect. Sawyer had kept the truth from her even when Cecile, Darren's own mother was with them on Thanksgiving. Maybe he did deserve to die, Now that the lie was officially over, and Taylor saw him for the person he really was and had always been.
"What do you think of him now?" Timmy challenged.
Taylor gave no response.
"Now it should be easier for you to kill him. Pick up your gun, point it at him, and shoot him." Timmy directed.
"No," Taylor said. She shifted her eyes which were puffy and red from crying to Timmy and then she shook her head defiantly. "No,"
"Then I'll count. By the time I reach zero if you haven't shot him yet. Then I'll shoot him myself, and then I'll shoot your daughter and then you dear…and after I'm finished here then I'll find the doctor break his neck…and then take Kate with me,"
"You're sick," Taylor said through chattering teeth. The temperature was dropping inside the house from the front door still being open, and the loss of heat from the fire.
"Ten, nine…"
Taylor cast her eyes at Sawyer in fear.
"Eight,"
Sawyer stepped forward and then Timmy started to count faster.
"Seven, Six, shoot him…NOW!"
Taylor screamed as Timmy fired a bullet right past her head. A vase shattered on the mantle.
Sawyer took action and ran full force towards Timmy, the seconds seemed to pass slowly as his feet pounded on the floor. He had no time to think about what he was doing, he just had to do it. He thought about bringing Chloe into his arms and protecting her as he watched Timmy aim the gun at him. The door widened behind him and he heard the sound of footsteps entering the house. Jack and Kate had just stepped in.
Timmy fired a shot.
Time passed even slower.
Chloe gasped and shielded her eyes with her hands.
Jack wrapped his hands around Kate's waist and pulled her to the floor as she screamed for Sawyer to get down. They collapsed onto the floor, Jack fell on top of Kate pinning her down to the ground in protection. The sound of the bullet rang through their ears like the sound of a war gong.
Taylor heard the gun go off. Her head slowly turned to the right and she watched as Sawyer approached Timmy with his hands stretched outwards ready to fight. She raised the gun and pulled the trigger once she realized that Timmy had dropped Chloe.
The bullets pierced through their flesh. Both guns dropped.
Timmy fell against the wall clutching his chest, while Sawyer was knocked off his feet by the impact of the bullet that had pierced through his chest. He hit the floor hard and the wind was knocked out of him.
Chloe ran over to Taylor in hysterics as Timmy stumbled around with his hand clutching his chest. Taylor watched him with tears in her eyes as he continued to aimlessly stumble around. Through her tears she searched for Sawyer. "Saw…" His name wouldn't come out of her lips because they were shaking so much.
Sawyer struggled on the floor in a great deal of pain. He closed his eyes as the bullet started to settle deeper into his chest. A yell escaped his throat as he grabbed onto his chest with shaking hands. He pried at his shirt trying to see how deep the bullet was. Needing to get the lead out of him which was causing him so much pain. Timmy fell next to him, dead on the spot.
A shiver crept up Sawyer's spine as his vision started to grow blurry. He started to thrash about on the floor, he couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe! Sawyer groaned as he opened his mouth widely trying to fill his lungs with air. He started to choke and gag. Sawyer squeezed his eyes shut weakly. Kate was screaming in the background, and Jack was trying to comfort her. His eyelids closed. He was so thirsty now, and so weak. So weak.
Jack ran over to Sawyer's side. He pulled off Sawyer's shirt to see where he had gotten shot. Jack clenched his jaw when he noticed that the wound in Sawyer's chest was bleeding profusely at the moment. "Help me sit him up, I need a gauze pad and an elastic bandage, we have to get him to the hospital there is no time to waste." Jack paused as he watched Chloe run into the other room to try and find what Jack asked for. "We can't remove a bullet that deep." Jack leaned forward to look at Sawyer, "Hold on."
Sawyer's skin started to grow pale. "Don't mo…" He coughed and then he started to shake his head feverishly. "Don't move me." He opened his eyes and then closed them. They were all dizzy. Jack's face was blurring together in front of his eyes. Someone reached out for his hand, Sawyer thought it was Taylor but he couldn't be to sure.
Chloe returned with half of the supplies from the bathroom in her hands and then placed them down by Jack.
"Thank you," Jack directed to Chloe quickly working on cleaning the blood around the wound on Sawyer's chest, so he could apply the gauze pad and then the bandage.
Sawyer started to shiver. His teeth chattered, and then his eyes started to roll back in his head.
"What's going on Jack?" Taylor asked with tears.
"He's going into shock, we have to get him to the hospital," Jack said.
Sawyer started to shake more violently. Jack pinned him down to the ground and then signaled for Taylor to call 911. Jack knew that Kate couldn't be on the scene when they arrived, he turned to her to tell her to go, but Sawyer started to go into a series of convulsions.
"Sawyer!" Jack yelled to him.
Sawyer shook his head. Hearing him but not having the energy to respond back.
Jack motioned for Kate to leave. "You have to go before they come…"
"Let…me….die…." He mumbled but Jack wasn't listening to him. Jack and Kate were talking. He was so cold. His temperature was dropping, and he knew that it was almost over. His sad pathetic excuse for a life of conning, self-hatred, and revenge was almost over.
"Help me hold him down Kate!" Jack begged as Sawyer lashed out in agony screaming at the top of his lungs as the pain started to intensify.
Kate ran over to Jack and Sawyer. She dropped down onto her knees and then placed her hands on Sawyer's shoulders. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched and listened to Sawyer suffer. He was in bad shape, and she was scared he would die. Kate squeezed her eyes shut as Sawyer started to mumble something about wanting to die.
Jack looked down, "His heart rate is increasing, and he's suffering from shortness of breath."
Kate looked back at Jack with tears in her eyes, "What does that mean?"
"He's bleeding internally."
Sawyer stopped moving and his head turned limply to the side. The last thing he saw before he slipped into the black hole of nothingness was Taylor standing behind Kate. He tried to fight the sluggish feeling that was leading him towards death so he could tell her sorry. Apologize to her for leaving her alone those years back, and even worse for lying to her about her friend that he had killed. But he didn't have the energy to tell her any of this. His breathing rate started to slow as the earth started to slip away from underneath him. This was how he knew it would be…he always knew that he would die alone. Leave this world a hated man that everyone would be glad to see gone. People like him didn't get second chances, and he knew that it would be better off this way. No one would miss him, and he didn't want anyone to for that matter. Sawyer just wanted to die so all the pain he had endured throughout his life could finally be over.
(Thank you everyone for reviewing last chapter! I want to say thank you individually so badly, but I can't because of FanFic's new rules so I'm probably going to send out some "thank you" replies if you guys don't mind, because I do appreciate all of your kind reviews. This week and next week is midterms, so it may be two weeks until the next update, but we'll see. Take care :)