Chapter 83
The clearing was silent except for a few soft, painful groans as everyone stirred; Locke felt his face gingerly; his nose was broken. He hadn't expected that from Sawyer; glancing at the blackened remnants of the trees ringing the clearing he shuddered at the force behind the blast.
Ana was trying to get up but her hands were still tied behind her back; Locke went to her and helped her up as he began undoing her bonds. "Sorry, Ana. Guess we didn't need to tie you after all." He smiled and she knew he was lying; he had tied her to keep Jack in line. Jack was helping Sara up; Ana felt a sudden sharp stab of pity for the poor woman, she just crashed and now this? Her pity faded and anger grew as Sara kissed Jack sweetly on the cheek.
"Yeah, sure, John. What the hell was that?" She gazed at the ruined trees too, trying not to look at Jack with Sara. What the hell was he doing?
Jack and Sara joined them. "What was that, John?" Jack snapped, and he wasn't talking about the blast. "Where are Kate and Sawyer?"
Locke snapped back. "How the hell should I know? Did you think they would stick around?" He glanced nervously around the clearing; the other three men were gone. "Damn!" He kicked at a piece of wood and as he did his leg gave way just a little but he caught himself, grimacing as he did. I know, I know, he thought. Just give me more time.
As if in response the dusky twilight lifted and the day was sunny and bright; Locke smiled to himself and turned to the others. "We have to move out."
Jack shook his head; he couldn't believe what Locke had done; well, he could, but he didn't want to. He was trying to be angry and disgusted but Old Jack was having a hard time swimming to the surface; Ana was staring at him and New Jack was in control. "You okay, Ana?" he asked softly.
She smiled wanly, noticing Sara's hand on Jack's arm; she fought the urge to slap Sara's hand away and grab him. "Yeah, you?" She was looking at him, her eyes full of emotions he couldn't read and he glanced down at Sara's hand on him.
He smiled at Sara, then gently lifted her hand and removed it from his arm; he went to Ana, pulling her close and kissing her as Sara looked on, feeling a little sick. He pulled away from her and said, "I'm okay. I was worried for you, though."
The day was much brighter as Ana said, "I was worried for me, too." She touched his cheek. "I'm glad you came back." He kissed her again, hungrily; her arms went around his neck and she sighed against his lips. Kate, Sawyer, Sara, John- they all were forgotten as Jack made his decision; the Island had to be saved. He couldn't lose Ana, not now, not when he was finally feeling a little happiness.
Locke didn't interrupt them; smiling to himself, he glanced at Sara; she was staring at Jack sadly, as if she had lost something. Interesting.
The trees rumbled and the ground shook and they all turned to look at the tree line; Sawyer came bursting through the bushes, his eyes blazing and the earth shaking beneath his feet; he was beautiful and terrible and Locke quivered in fear as Sawyer's eyes landed on him.
Fury snapped from his eyes as he waved his hands, lifting Locke into the air as he stormed up to him. "Do you know what you did?"
His voice rolled through the jungle, shaking them all; it was deep and soft and violent and absolutely terrifying; Sawyer was someone else, a demon, a God, and angel...the devil. John was frozen, staring into his snapping blue eyes as he shook him, hard.
"Locke, you son of a bitch, do you know what you've DONE!" He threw him across the clearing like a rag doll, slamming his back into one of the ruined tree trunks. Locke groaned a little as Sawyer waved his hand and jerked him back in front of him. "I told you if anything happened to her I was going to kill you." He was shaking and sparks were flying from his fingertips; he let out one long bolt that caught John squarely in the chest as he held him in midair and John screamed, writhing in agony as it burned him.
Jack started forward but Sawyer threw him a glance, snarling, "Don't, Doc. I can kill you too."
"You can kill me Sawyer," Locke said, panting as the bolt died away, "but that won't stop them. They'll kill you eventually. And Kate."
It didn't get the reaction he was looking for. Blue fury swirled itself into a ball and Sawyer threw Locke across the clearing so hard he felt the tree trunk he hit snap in two. "Kate's already dead!"
Jack paled and blanched; even Ana froze for a second, and Sara started crying softly. She didn't know what the hell was going on here, but she wanted to get away from it all, especially Jack and that woman.
Locke began to be really frightened; Kate was dead? "Is she, now?"
Sawyer pulled him close, holdng him suspended in midair as he stared into his eyes; Locke recoiled from what he saw there. "You killed her, John. You slit her throat and she died in my arms. So guess what?" Ice dropped down into Locke's gut as he met Sawyer's eyes. "I was going to kill you. But Kate, who you tortured and murdered, used her last breath to ask me not to." He smiled and Locke wished he would kill him; the intenity of the gaze was burning his eyes, blinding him, turning to ashes what was left of his heart. "It doesn't matter," Sawyer continued. "I'm dead, too."
He dropped his hand and Locke crumpled to the ground, finally unfrozen enough to speak. ""I didn't kill her, James. You did."
A bright blue bolt shot from Sawyer's hand and caught John in the throat, knocking him backwards and leaving a scorching burn where it hit. He opened his mouth and tried to speak but nothing came out but air. Grasping his throat he looked at Sawyer helplessly. "Don't ever call me James. Only she did that. I ain't him anymore anyway. He's dead, too."
Old Jack peeped to the surface, just for a second, and he allowed himself to feel something for Kate's loss. "I'm sorry, Sawyer."
Sawyer turned his blazing blue eyes on Jack and he could see the tears behind them. Smiling sadly, Sawyer said, "Yeah, Doc. Me too."
He melted into the trees.
-----
She was staring up at him, helplessly, blood running from her throat and her breath gurgling through the slit as she tried to breathe; Sawyer dropped to his knees and placed his hands on her, willing her to heal but panic kept breaking his concentration and he could feel her weakening as he tried again. Her hands gripped his arm as she convulsed, trying to get air into her starving lungs; her skin was deathly white as the blood poured from her throat. He cried out and sobbed, "Please, Kate, help me. Please."
She stopped convulsing and was still; he didn't dare look down at her, afraid of what he would find. His eyes closed, he pushed away the panic and imagined her, whole and happy against him, her body pressed to his, her mouth sweet on his skin. Tears dripped from his cheeks as he pictured them together, as one; she stirred a little and his heart lifted, giving him the energy and courage to look down; her eyes were open and she was staring at him, tears welling up in her eyes.
He sobbed and threw himself on her, caressing her face, her hair, anything he could reach; she held him, close, sobbing a little herself until his lips fell hungrily on hers smothering the tears and the hurt. "Kate," he cried against her, "I thought I lost you." He clutched her so tight she couldn't breathe and his sobs shook her to her soul; they were so raw and harsh.
"It's okay," she said, crying against his mouth, "I'm okay."
He sat up, pulling her up into his arms and holding her, rocking her softly as his sobs tapered off. "I love you, Kate. I love you. Please don't ever scare me like that again."
Her arms went around his neck and she buried her face in his chest, breathing him into her. He was calming down, now, and his shaking was subsiding a little. "I love you, James."
They sat, contented, for a few minutes, then he said, "They're going to keep coming, Kate. As long as they think they can use you against me..." his eyes glazed over and he looked into the distance, smiling a little. "Unless they think you're dead."
He felt her smile against his shoulder. "What are you cooking up? We just gonna hide out forever?"
"No, Kate," he said softly, "We finish this. I want to have you, happy and safe, and that will never happen here. So, we push on and we finish it. But if they think you're dead, then maybe I won't be such a threat, they'll leave us alone. For a while, anyway."
She sighed; she preferred to hide forever. "Okay, James." She glanced up at him and their eyes met; he caressed her cheek softly and she said, "I love you. Only you, James."
He smiled and kissed her softly. "I know, Freckles, I know." Vincent came padding up to them looking happy; he chuffed and Saywer said, "Good. Vincent, stay with her, bite the shit out of anyone who comes around, okay?"
Vincent grinned and licked Kate on the side of the face; she laughed and wiped it away. "Be careful, James." He grinned at her and started back towards Locke's group. "Don't kill anybody!"
He didn't look back, just waved over his shoulder, and Kate sighed as he disappeared; rubbing Vincent's ears she said to him, "Which one you think he's gonna fry, Fido?"
