A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews; I'm starting to be back on track now. I don't know if you consider this Jate and Skate stuff, but I'm trying. Actually I never really write stuff about the love triangle so this is a one shot thing. Tell me if you like it.

Chapter 11

Sawyer followed Kate down the beach in search of the great white hunter. Why was he even coming along? It wasn't like he actually cared. But then again, Kate was coming, and he always found himself wondering what she was up to. God damn it, now he was doing it again. He tried to think of all the other women he had banged. They never lingered in his head. So why were thoughts of Kate filling his mind?

The silence crackled between the two of them as they trekked through the jungle. Kate kept he head forward, focusing on searching for any tracks. She did not look back to see how Sawyer was doing, and kept her mind on her job. After all, there was no way Kate was going to screw up and let that arrogant, self centered man see her make a mistake.

It was then that she spotted a footprint in the sand. Kate bent down and examined it closer. It appeared to be a large boot print, belonging to a man. Farther ahead, more of them appeared to be moving up into the forest.

"Look at this." She said, "I think it's Locke's."

"Great, where to now wonder woman?" Sawyer asked in a dry tone.

"Hey you think just once you could treat people with respect. It doesn't kill the rest of us." Kate shot back.

Sawyer looked at her angrily, "I'll keep my hands and feet away from you, wouldn't want them bitten off."

"I don't even know why I bother with you."

"It's because you are intrigued by my complicated nature." He smiled wickedly.

Kate snorted, "Sure."

"Don't deny it sweetheart."

Kate walked on ahead, ignoring that last remark. She followed the trail of boot prints. Sure enough they entered the jungle and Kate was able to pick up a trail of broken underbrush. The canopy of leaves kept the sun off their backs, and they both felt refreshed. After a while, they stopped and took a break. Kate pulled out some water from her backpack and they quenched their thirst.

Suddenly, a flock of birds erupted out of the trees farther off and flew across the sky. Their alarm calls screeching in the wild and warning other creatures to beware. Kate listened carefully and heard the far off rumble and crash of trees being ripped out of the ground.

"That sounds like the security system." She told Sawyer.

"How far away is it?" He asked.

"I don't think we have too much to worry about. It's not over here."

"Bet Muhammad and the hobbit are having a fabulous time with it." Sawyer spoke of Sayid and Charlie.

"Let's keep going." Kate got up and slung her pack around her shoulder.

"What's that?" Sawyer asked.

"What's what?"

Sawyer pointed to a burned out campfire, "Looks like I get a point."

"This was just put out." Kate studied the ground, "We're close."

"Is there a reason why you're following me?" A voice rang out from the leaves. Locke appeared and came over to them.

"Locke, we were looking all over for you. We didn't know where you went." Kate explained.

"Well I'm a grown man. I can look out for myself."

Kate noticed that he hadn't shaven in a couple of days and his cloths looked filthy. His appearance seemed to contradict what he said.

"Why are you out here?" Sawyer questioned.

Locke paused, "Well you know, exploring. Thought I'd look for some boar."

Kate knew he was lying. Locke would have at least told Jack where he was going, "Look, we need you back at camp. You're the only hunter that we've got. Nobody blames you for what happened at the hatch." She tried to tell him, "Besides, people are starting to panic now that most of the food has disappeared."

"Listen, I'm not who you think I am." Locke said, his voice rising, "I work in an office. All the stuff I know comes from books. Everyone here thinks I'm a strong, well adapted hunter. But a few months ago, I couldn't even stand up."

Kate and Sawyer were surprised to see Locke talk about himself in that way. For the past few months on the island, they had pictured Locke as someone confident in himself. Not this old man that seemed to have no faith in his abilities.

"Will you please come back." Kate tried again, "You're the one who taught us to hunt and stay alive out here. If it weren't for you, God knows how we would have survived."

"I admit there's a note of truth to her." Sawyer added.

Locke seemed to be pondering. His forehead crinkled as he smiled, "Okay Kate. I'll lead us back to the beach."

The sun was setting when the three returned back to camp. Kate headed over to see what Jack was doing, Locke went over to his tent, and Sawyer, of course, disappeared into his tent, no doubt to revisit his Playboys.

"Hey Jack." Kate greeted the doctor as she returned to where he was treating Desmond who was awake and looking better.

"Ah, I see you have returned victorious with Locke." He laughed.

"Yep, so how was your afternoon? Very uneventful?" Kate questioned.

"You could say that. But I was threatened by a very scary sand crab today."

Kate and Jack talked some more, feeling like they were at home with each other. They both could understand each other and talk with ease.

Kate wondered if it could ever be like that with Sawyer. It seemed like she could never connect with him. But they did know what it was like to never trust in someone else, having to keep their guard up. Only now Kate was letting hers down and melding into the fabric of their newly forming society on the beach, while Sawyer could never become like that. He had spent too much time alone, shutting out others from his heart.

As he gazed at his old , wrinkled magazines that he had looked at a dozen times over, he longed to be able to open up, but part of him wouldn't and couldn't. Jack would get her in the long run simply because Sawyer could not give in to his emotions.

A/N: ha you still have to wait another chapter to find out about Charlie! Read and review please! Soylent Green is people! And Chinchillas are friends not furs!