Hey guys this chapter is short but don't worry! Honestly, this story is telling itself.

Chapter 10

Kate sneaked back into her tent, glad for the fact that everyone was asleep, when she got back into her tent she looked at the time in surprise, 3 am.

She sat on the floor thinking about what she had just done. She'd slept with Sawyer! A part of her was relieved, she'd gotten him out of her system now, she had no reason to ever go near him again. And she didn't have to worry about his feelings because he was used to one night stands. That definitely took the pressure off her.

Another part of her was scared by the woman who had slept with Sawyer, why had she done it? She knew it was wrong and if anyone ever found out they would be disgusted by her, yet it had felt so right being with him. He'd understood exactly what she needed and when she needed it. No one had ever made her feel the way he had tonight, no one. Turning on her flashlight she looked at her wrists, they were bruised! Removing her jeans she contorted around to look at her butt, there were chafe marks and the imprint of the buttons from a shirt she'd been lying on in his tent. Taking off the rest of her clothes she put on long t-shirt and pulled on some shorts she never wore around the Island, but were among her belongings. She walked to the water's edge and took a plunge to wash away the smell of sex and sweat on her.

In her mind it was also a cleansing of the memory of the entire episode from her mind and body. 'But what about my soul?' Teeth chattering she ran back to her tent and put on some warmer clothing, not even bothering to towel herself dry first. She lay back on her makeshift bed and tried to think about anything and everything but what had happened in Sawyer's tent. 'Tomorrow I will go into the jungle with Jack, regain some of that much needed control again. It is most definitely what the Doctor ordered.' With that thought planted firmly in her head she finally succumbed to sleep.

James lay awake in his tent thinking of Kate. He could smell her everywhere and he had the bite and scratch marks to prove that it had really happened too. He wondered if she had any idea how much she had hurt him when she had run out of his tent earlier. This was at least ten times more painful than her comparing him to Wayne.

He'd been unable to stop her from running away quite frankly because his mind and body had refused to cooperate and come together as a coordinated unit after they'd had sex. Still slightly out of it he hadn't been able to stop her and he couldn't help but muse that the entire experience must have rocked her world a little less than it had him. 'Great so she's also the best lay I've ever had. Anything else the Fates wanna throw at me?'

Forcing himself to turn his mind away from Kate, James focused on listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the ocean as a way to get himself to fall asleep. When it finally came to claim him he was mentally exhausted from fighting the compelling need to think about what had happened and what he could have done or should have done to stop her from running out of here like the devil and all his minions were chasing her.

Next Morning

James went to her tent to see if she was awake yet, he'd woken up after only a couple hours of sleep andwhile dunking himself in the ocean had decided to grab the bull by it's horns and confront her.

When he got to her tent he was a little taken aback when she called out, "Come in Sawyer." Shrugging, he ducked his head to enter the tent.

She looked earth shatteringly beautiful and cold, this wasn't the woman he'd seen in his tent, this was someone heartless impersonating her. Kate's eyes gave away nothing and she looked like she could be made of stone.

"Top of the mornin' to ya, Kate." Good he was calling her Kate meaning he mustn't be too impressed with her fast getaway last night. Even better now she didn't have to worry about hurting his feelings.

"I don't wanna talk about it Sawyer. Because there's nothing to talk about. What happened… happened, and I know you're not the kind of guy to make a big deal about these things so whatever. I just wanna forget it ever happened, don't you?" James liked the way she made it sound like she really cared what he thought.

"You plannin' on going somewhere, Sheera? See you're all packed up as if you got someplace else you've gotta be."

"Jack and I may be going into the jungle later."

"Ah, yes, St. Jack, where was he when you were all hot and bothered last night?" Kate wrinkled her nose in disapproval at his question but other than that her face remained impassive. James didn't fail to notice her shoulders tense and the hardening look in her eyes.

"Don't worry Freckles, your lapse in judgment is safe with me. Wouldn't want news to get out and tarnish your pristine reputation. 'Sides don't think your Doctor boyfriend would like it too much if he heard you'd been slummin' it." Despite herself, she glared at him, relinquishing some of that emotional control she'd been exerting.

James shook his head at her in disgust when she remained silent, "You're a real piece of work aren't ya? Unfuckingbelievable." That said, he walked out of her tent and headed for the hatch. He needed a shower and badly.

Kate swallowed hard, the look in his eyes had hurt and so had the bitterness in his voice. Needing to calm down she took out the toy plane Tom hadput in their time capsule so many years agoand held it tightly against her chest. 'I am not a selfish person, I do care about other people. I loved him and I got him killed. I just have to be real careful about all the choices I make that's all. I made a bad choice last night, but it's in the past now. I am going to do something useful today, make a real contribution, with Jack, that is all that matters.'

With that thought, she resolutely walked to Claire's tent she needed some female company right now. Then she'd go to the hatch and Jack with her emotions well and fully under control.