Chapter 63

Megan was having a hard time keeing up, even after Locke slowed his pace for her; she was hungry, exhausted and scared shtless. What the hell kind of place was this?

"Hey, you okay?" Jack fell into step beside her, looking concerned. She was pale and dark circles ringed her eyes; she stumbled a little and Jack caught her arm, helping her regain her balance.

"Thanks. Yeah, I'm just tired and hungry." She eyed Jack's bag hopefully.

He shook his head, dashing her hopes. "Sorry. When we get where we're going Kate will get you some food. Hope you like fruit and fish. Fruit especially."

Making a face, she said, "Well, I guess I have to." She looked around the jungle. "Where are we, anyway?"

Jack laughed bitterly. "Your guess is as good as mine. We've been here two months and haven't seen a ship or a plane- nothing. Until yours, of course. Four of us built a raft and tried to find help but..." he let the words trail away.

"How long ago? I mean, they could still be out there, there's still a chance-"

Jack cut her off with another caustic laugh. "They came back a week later. Well, three of them did. The Others attacked them and kidnapped Walt, shot Sawyer and blew up the raft."

Her eyes snapped up to his, her heart suddenly thudding crazily against her ribs. "Sawyer?" Nah, she thought to herself, willing her heart to return to normal. It was impossible. She had been looking for him for three years, ever since he pulled the long con on her; she still loved him, wanted him, he haunted her thoughts and her nightmares. She shook her head. "Nah. No way."

Jack was curious. "What?"

"Nothing. I just knew someone named Sawyer. But that would be too much of a coincidence."

He was looking at her, curiously, and he glanced up at Locke, smiling in spite of himself. Damn you, Locke. "Stranger things have happened here." Looking back at her, he said, "Your Sawyer, good looking guy? Blonde hair, wears it long? Southern accent? Dimples? Smartass?"

It couldn't be. Her heart started to pound wildly and she nodded at Jack. "Yeah. But that doesn't mean-"

"It's him, Megan. Trust me. This place...well, just trust me. It's the same Sawyer." He was serious, she could tell, and he seemed sane otherwise. "You'll know soon anyway. He's one of the people we're meeting."

Ana dropped back to join them; she'd been glancing back at them every few seconds, and the look on the woman's face was intriguing. "Hey, what's up?"

Jack was grinning, and Ana could see a change- he believed, at least, just a little. "Megan knows Sawyer."

"What?" Even Ana was a little shocked at that. Recovering quickly, she gave her the once over; slim, brunette, nice rack. Apparently a criminal. "Yeah, you seem like his type."

"What do you know about it?" Megan snapped, going instantly on the defensive; two hours in their company and she was almost wishing that she was back with the hillbillies.

"More than you think, sweetheart." Smirking a little she said, "I wouldn't get my hopes up for a lovin' reunion."

Locke stopped and motioned for them all to join him; Megan and Ana glared at each other for a few seconds before following Jack. Pointing through the bushes, Locke said, "The red site is just through there. Before we meet the others, I think it would be best if we didn't mention our run in with the Others. We should say we met Megan at the wreck."

"Why?" Confusion had taken up permanent residence in Megan's mind and the question was more of a reflex.

Locke smiled gently, but there was urgency behind it. "The people we are meeting can't be trusted. They don't have our best interests in mind."

That certainly sounded like Sawyer, but she still didn't believe it. "Okay. For now."

-----

Eko and Vincent hadn't returned, so after the rain stopped they wandered around the chapel, arms wrapped around each other, touching and kissing every few seconds; they couldn't get enough. What had just happened had been a declaration, a commitment, even if they were the only witnesses to it; they were the only ones that mattered.

Kate noticed a door hidden behind the pulpit and she started to open it; as her hand fell on the knob Sawyer was behind her, his face buried in her neck and his hands sliding up under her shirt to caress her stomach. Door forgotten, she spun around to him and he kissed her, pressing her up against it as his hands continued to inch her tank top up.

She groaned and pushed him off. "Sawyer, it's a church."

"Well, you're an angel, baby," he growled in her ear, nibbling on the lobe. "All you're missin' is a pair of wings." His arms encircled her waist, pulling her to him as he whispered, "And God already knows I'm a devil."

She gave in for a second; how could she not? But she pushed him away and reached for the knob again, opening the door and slipping out before he could grab her.

It opened out into a small walled garden; there was a stone fountain adorned with a dancing cherub and a stone bench beside it; the garden hadn't been tended in a long while and it had run riot with blazing, vibrantly colored flowers everywhere, blanketing the ground. Kate's eyes adjusted to the blinding colors and she whispered, "Wow," as she walked slowly onto the carpet of blooms, trying not to step on too many.

Sawyer was staring at her, entranced. Sunlight streamed down on the flowers and they reflected their light onto Kate, dappling her with all of the colors of the cosmos; for in instant, as he gazed at her rainbow body he could see the universe before him, spinning planets and shining suns; comets and meteors sped before his eyes; stars exploded and stars were born and they were just a speck of dust amid the immensity of IT, of infinite space and time. He saw all of this in her, she was his universe, his comets and planets and suns. Nothing mattered but Kate. Nothing.

He swept her up into his arms before she knew it, and she squealed, "Don't crush the flowers, Sawyer!"

He stopped and grinned wickedly as he flopped both of them down in the middle of the garden, crushing quite a few of the flowers as he did. "We ain't in the church now, Freckles."

He left her breathless; instead of kissing her, though, he rolled up on his elbow and smiled gently. "Give me the letter, Kate."

She reached into her back pocket and took it out, handing it to him wordlessly. She was scared but she trusted him; he wasn't going to go running off like a lunatic. He had a job to do.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter; he sat up and Kate did too, putting her hand encouragingly on his knee as he took the letter gingerly out of the envelope. Holding the letter in his fingers, he brought the lighter to it, then paused, turning his eyes to Kate. "If I do this, right now, Kate, there ain't no going back. I won't be the same person; I won't be Sawyer."

"Sawyer is just a skin, James. You've always been the man you are, just hidden." She grinned. "Deep. Really, really deep."

"I'm bein' serious, Freckles," he snapped, but his dimples flashed; how did she always make him smile? Damn her. "You sure this is what you want?"

"I want you, Sawyer, James, you." She moved her hand from his knee to his thigh, leaning closer to him as she said, "Do you really think you'll be all that different?" Her voice was light and teasing, and Sawyer felt his doubts melt away. "Will you stop being a smartass? Will you be nicer to everyone else? Will you do something around camp instead of sitting on your butt?" She laughed softly at the disgusted look he threw her and kissed him. "Will you feel differently about me?"

He crushed his lips to hers in answer and she groaned a little as his tongue touched hers; he pressed her back into the bed of flowers and the ground was still damp but warm beneath them. The crushed flowers released their perfume and they were both bathed in it; there was no sound but the quiet chirping of birds and humming insects and their ragged panting.

Until Ana hollered from the front of the church, "Hello? Anyone here?"

Sawyer groaned and pulled his lips from Kate's muttering, "Shit."

They both sat up as Ana came bursting through the door; as she saw them she stopped, and grinned nastily. "Hmph. What a surprise. You two do anything but hump like rabbits?"

Sawyer sneered. "At least rabbits have a pulse. I bet when you and Jack do it it's like two sticks being rubbed together." He grinned at Kate. "No spark."

They both burst into laughter, but Sawyer noticed that Ana's sly grin didn't disappear. "Laugh it up, Cowboy. I got a surprise for you."

He stood, then helped Kate to her feet, picking random leaves and broken flowers out of her hair. He handed her back the letter, pressing it into her fingers. "Later, Kate. I promise." She nodded and slid it back into her pocket as Sawyer turned back to Ana. "Oh, really now, Butch?"

Ana glanced back at the door and an evil grin spread across her face as she turned back to Sawyer. her eyes were shining with glee as she said, "Yeah."

His eyes went to the door as Locke and Jack came through it, followed by a woman. His heart froze and his stomach dropped like a stone; Kate winced as his hand grasped hers in a crushing grip. "Cassidy?"