Chapter 68
Kate was amazed at how easily they fell back together; the hurt and pain and sorrow of the past hours was gone; suddenly they were the same two people who so sweetly baptized each other in the fountain, who rolled around joyously in the flowers. The emptiness was gone, and the cold; as Sawyer held her he could feel the warmth radiating like sunshine from her skin and he drank it in, feeling it spread through him to his toes.
Her hair still smelled like the flowers and Sawyer buried his face in it, breathing the scent in; forever after the scent of flowers would remind him of this day, of how close he came to destroying everything between them, of how close he came to throwing it all away on a ghost. Sudden gratitude flowed through him, he was grateful to Kate for stopping him, for saving his sorry ass for the millionth time, and he kissed her neck, holding her to him, crushing her into him.
Vincent had gone tearing off into the jungle, barking happily; Sawyer took the opportunity to kiss her and she returned it, hungrily tasting him; she was starving and a banquet had been spread before her. Their tongues met and Kate saw stars for the second time that night; the heavens exploded as she moaned softly against his lips, and he responded, touching her with such urgency and need that she almost cried because she needed him, too.
The world fell away from them and they were floating through the cosmos; the stars spoke to them and dancing comets blazed a trail for them across the sky; there was no sound but their panting and sighing as he moved his lips to her throat, tasting her pulse as it beat wildly beneath her skin.
"James," she groaned as his lips slid lower; she gripped his hair in her hands and pulled his mouth back to hers; his name being moaned from her lips drove him into a frenzy, his hands were suddenly everywhere and she felt her shirt slide up and over her head as his hands went to her soft skin beneath it.
He felt every inch of her with wonder; she was his, she belonged to him and he had almost given it all up; now that his heart was full and beating again he could appreciate what he would have lost. "Oh, Kate," he groaned as she slid her fingers under his shirt, caressing his chest as he held her lips with his, "I'm sorry." He pulled her as close as he could, crushing her to him and she could feel him shaking as he whispered, "I'm so sorry Kate. I didn't mean anythin' I said...before."
Smiling against his shoulder she said, "I'm sorry too, James."
He pulled away and looked her in the eyes. "You have nothin' to be sorry for. You saved me, Kate. Again." His finger traced a tear as it trickled down her cheek and he could feel them prickling at the backs of his eyes, too. "Promise me?"
She stared at him breathlessly, the answer already on her lips. "Anything."
He grinned slyly, raising his eyebrows. "Anything?" Chuckling, he said, "Promise me you'll always be there to rescue me." His smile faded as he gazed at her. "I don't want to go back to that place. When we were apart I fell back into the old me, and it was comfortable, Kate, but it was cold and empty because you weren't there. I was dead inside, everythin' was gray, all of the color and light was gone from me, and I don't want to ever be there again." He buried his head in her hair again and she could feel his tears against her neck. "Please, Kate," his voice was strangled and muffled against her, "Please promise me."
Her grip on him increased as she cried silently against his shoulder; he was so open, so vulnerable and she wanted to wrap herself around him like a shield, never let anything get to him or hurt him again. "Baby, I promise. I will always be there to rescue you." She laughed through her tears. "I can't live without you, James. I need you just as much as you need me."
His mouth was on hers again, insistently; she helped him off with his shirt as he slid his fingers down to her jeans, popping them open as Kate moaned softly; her hands explored him, and there was nothing else in the world but the two of them.
Sawyer cried out as he pushed into her, and she moaned with need; he dropped his head to hers, his hair tickling her face as he kissed her, deeply, while he moved slowly, rocking against her until she tensed and shuddered against him, groaning as he kept up his slow, trembling pace.
Gradually he increased his rhythm, and every thrust made Kate groan and shake; he looked at her, eyes closed, face flushed and sweaty, and as he moved in her she sighed, her lips a perfect little O of pleasure. "Kate," he whispered as he moved faster, "say my name, Kate. I need to hear it."
"James," she panted, her eyes opening and meeting his, "James."
He closed his eyes as happiness and ecstasy flooded him; he cried out as Kate did and he slumped against her, his sweat mixing with hers as they panted together breathlessly for a few seconds.
Neither of them had ever felt anything like this; the sorrow and pain only served to make their reunion all the sweeter. They lay togther, touching and caressing each other softly; Sawyer kissed her again, and they savored it, loving each other.
"Let's run away; I don't want to go on with this craziness. Let's go hide out in the aquarium and just stay there forever." She was only half-joking, and Sawyer smiled sadly at her, brushing a sweaty strand of hair from her eyes. "Please. I don't want to go back there."
"Kate, I wish we could." He mustered a tiny shock and she gasped as he touched her hand. "I love you, Kate, God I do, but I just feel like if we ever want to be truly happy I have to do this."
"I am happy, James."
She was so beautiful he couldn't see straight; he kissed her and it burned him like cool fire. He was gazing at her with...something like happiness and fulfillment but it was more than that; whispering into her ear he said, "We can be so much more, Kate, you have no idea." Her skin tingled as he placed his hand over her stomach, feeling the heat from her body. "I saw somethin' in The Cloud that day. I wanna tell you now."
"Please, James. Tell me." His eyes were shining as he bent low to her ear; her eyes widened, then softened as she smiled at him with brightly shining eyes. "Yeah," she said. "That is beautiful."
"You're beautiful."
Grinning, she ducked her head a little, and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "This isn't the beginning of another lame pick-up line, is it?"
Smiling cockily at her, he said, "I think we're a little past the pick-up line stage of the relationship, don't you?"
She rolled her eyes but before she could reply Vincent barked in the distance and Sawyer groaned. "Get dressed, Freckles. We've got company."
They exchanged glances and grinned; kissing her once more he rose to his feet, bringing her up with him and their naked bodies pressed together in the moonlight; it was so bright that there were hardly any shadows around them.
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After the second gunshot thay had set out from the chapel; Vincent still hadn't returned and Eko was getting a little worried.
Something rustled in the bushes and they all froze; Vincent came out, wagging his tail and chuffing at Ana's hand. He growled briefly at Cassidy, then jumped up, putting his paws on Eko's chest.
"Okay, okay," he laughed, catching his paws and dropping them to the ground. "I guess they are that way?" he pointed through the bushes.
Vincent sat down in front of the spot and growled; his intent was clear- no one was getting by.
Jack was a little irritated by the fact that everyone seemed to be following a dog's orders, and after a few minutes of glaring at everyone he shook his head. "They could be in trouble. I'm going."
Vincent uttered a low, threatening growl, and Eko put his hand on Jack's arm. "They are fine, Jack. Give them a few minutes, okay?"
Disgust flashed across Jack's face, though Eko wasn't sure if it was his touch or the image of Kate that Jack was getting. He backed down, though, and Locke smiled at him. "Guess you're not using that gift, Jack."
He glared at John, Kate forgotten for the moment. "What?"
Locke came closer, speaking low so that no one could hear. "You still make yourself suffer. You can't have her, and you can't fix her, so why do you still torment yourself with her?"
Jack swallowed hard and his tone was unconvincing as he said, "I don't know what you're talking about, Locke."
"Yes you do, Jack. Why don't you let Kate go? You have someone right in front of you, who obviously feels something for you, and yet you continue to moon after someone you will never have." He smiled at Jack's discomfort. "Not even the Island can give you Kate."
"I though it could do anything," Jack snapped sarcstically.
Locke paused. "Apollo, the god of the arts and prophecy angered Eros, the god of love one day, by telling him that his arrows of love could not affect him; he was above his power. Eros responded by shooting Apollo with a golden tipped dart, making him fall in love with a beautiful wood nymph; Daphne. But to get even, he tipped Daphne's arrow with lead, smiting her heart instead of kindling it." Jack was listening, and Locke knew that he was close. "So Daphne never cared for a man after that day, while Apollo burned with the incessant flames of love for the very first time. Love is stronger than prophecy, Jack, for even the God of Prophecy could not see that his love would never be returned. He pursued her relentlessly, fruitlessly, pushing aside other women who would have made him happy, and finally in exhaustion, Daphne called upon Zeus to save her." Grinning, he rubbed the back of his head. "So Zeus turned her into a laurel tree, taking her from Apollo's grasp forever. But instead of letting her go, he broke off one of her branches and carried it with him to keep her with him."
Jack shook his head. "I'm not sure I'm following you, Locke."
"Jack, she would rather be a block of wood than be with you. Let her go and stop your suffering. It's okay to be happy, you know. You are allowed."
Vincent barked and moved aside from the path; Jack turned away and glared at the dog. "Nice to have your permission." Without another word to Locke Jack dove into the bushes.
Locke watched him go, shaking his head sadly. Jack had farther to go than he thought.
