Chapter 92
It all happened in slow motion; Ana pulled the trigger and fell backwards as the bullet exploded through her chest; Jason vanished in a puff of smoke and Jack fell to the ground, hollering for Ana as he started to unfreeze; Locke and Sara both bolted forward to Ana as Sawyer came bursting through the bushes, sliding beneath her as she fell and catching her in his arms.

"Kate!" Sawyer called her and she fell to her knees beside him, holding his arm as he closed his eyes and placed his hands on Ana; Sara and Locke both knelt beside them, staring in horror at the gaping wound in Ana's chest as she gurgled and blood frothed out of her mouth. "Help me, Kate."

Jack staggered up, finally, and as he reached Ana's side he fell to his knees, taking her hand in his and sobbing as she stared blankly at the sky. "Ana,"he whipered hoarsely as his vocal cords slowly unfroze. "Ana, can you hear me?" He lowered his head to her bloody chest and whispered, "I love you too, Ana."

Kate was staring at him with pity and sadness as he held Ana's cold, limp hand against his lips, and she put her other hand gently on his shoulder, connecting the four of them in a circle. Jack gasped as he felt Sawyer's power surge through them and he cried out as Ana's eyes focused and she spluttered a little, taking a deep gasping breath; Sawyer lifted his hands, swooning a little as he tried to rise, he looked haggard and tired, and Kate helped him up as Jack touched the spot on Ana's chest where the bullet had gone; it was completely healed.

Jack was crying and kissing Ana softly as Kate led Sawyer away, sitting him down on a flat rock on the edge of the clearing as they watched them; Locke and Sara also backed away, leaving Jack and Ana together as he helped her sit up, hugging her close to his chest as her arms weakly went around him.

Sara edged over to the quiet Kate and Sawyer; they were watching Jack and Ana and Kate was smiling sweetly at a gray-faced Sawyer; as she touched his arm his color returned a little, and he smiled back at her with such love and gratefulness that Sara's own heart lifted and she suddenly felt like everything would be okay. Kate smiled at her as she came closer. "Hey, Sara. You okay?"

She smiled and nodded as Sawyer grinned too. "Been havin' fun with the other kids?"

Sara laughed, and it surprised her a little when Kate hugged her, drawing her into their circle. "Not really," she said softly; she felt such a connection to them, more so than with the others, they were so good, although Ana's sacrifice for Jack had touched her also. She glanced at Kate, touching her hand as she said, "How about you? Are you okay?"

Kate's hand went to her throat and she smiled at Sawyer, who raised his eyebrows at her, grinning back. "Yeah," she said, softly, and she turned back to Sara. "Sorry if he scared you, you know, when he..." she jerked her head towards Locke, who was flicking his gaze between them and Jack, who was still holding Ana in his lap, her head lying against his chest as he stroked her hair.

Sara chuckled and said, "Yeah, that did freak me out just a bit." Sawyer looked a little sheepish; Sara shook her head, smiling as she whispered, "He couldn't talk for an hour."

Vincent padded up to Ana, snuffling her ear gently; satisfied that she was okay, he trotted to Sara and woofed softly. She knelt and scratched his ears, wrinkling up her nose. "You need a bath, pup." Vincent lolled out his tongue, laughing, and Kate and Sawyer joined him, chuckling softly as they gazed at each other.

Jack was helping Ana to her feet; she was pale and shaky and she leaned against him, his arm around her shoulder, supporting her as she got her balance. He glanced at Sawyer; he was talking to Kate and Sara and as he noticed Jack's gaze, he stood. Jack almost took a step back; Sawyer's presence was awesome and it filled the glade with softly radiant light as he smiled at them. "Well, Doc, looks like I get to send you the bill this time."

Ana smiled at Jack and moved away, standing on her own; she looked at Sawyer, as gentle light radiated from him and she walked unsteadily to him, enfolding him in a huge hug. He looked a little taken aback and his eyes flew to Kate; she was laughing at his shock and smiling as Ana pulled away, looking a little embarassed.

He was stunned; the feelings that he got from Ana's touch were sad and happy; lost and found. She wanted something, desperately, and he suddenly felt sorry for her, though he didn't know what it was that she wanted so badly. He wanted to help her and that bewildered him even more, because, to be totally honest, it wasn't like they'd ever been buddies. He hated her, and she hated him, they were enemies, opposite sides; but he wanted to make that sadness in her, that want, go away.

He suddenly realized that he would feel that way about anyone; for the first time in his life he couldn't stand the thought of anyone hurting, anyone at all. Even Jack; that thought scared him more than anything, and he turned his eyes from Ana and said, gruffly, "Yeah. No problem."

Uneasy silence filled the clearing; nothing had changed, the lines were still drawn between them and as Locke stepped up to Jack, Sawyer's eyes snapped and he seemed to swell, filling up the air with his presence. He shoved Kate behind him, keeping one hand firmly on her wrist, and he glared at Locke with a deep blue intensity. "Don't come a step closer, Locke." A blue bolt shot from his finger with a soft sssssnap and Locke's eyes widened.

"Why don't you go ahead and kill me, Sawyer?" He glanced at Ana, standing in Jack's arms and staring at Sawyer with fear and awe. "This doesn't change anything. Sides are still chosen."

Sawyer smiled sadly at Jack, who returned his sorrowful gaze as he stepped back beside Locke, drawing Ana with him. He still needed Locke, and nothing Sawyer could do would change that; he knew Ana felt the same way, and she leaned against him harder as the stood next to John, drawing the line in the jungle.

"I don't want to kill you, Locke." Sawyer shook his head, smiling. "No, I do want to, but I'm not going to." He smiled at Kate and said, softly, looking into her mossy green eyes, "See, I ain't the killin' type." His gaze flickered back to Locke, and it turned cold. "But if you even look at her again I'll rip your head off and stick it up your ass, give you a proper look at yourself." Kate snickered, and even Sara smiled, but Locke paled and averted his eyes from Kate's vicinity. He didn't doubt it, and he wasn't going to test it, not now.

The hard, edgy silence filled the clearing again as they all stared at each other; Sara was in the middle, and she knew she had to go with Jack, they needed her to go with Jack, but she didn't want to. Being with Kate and Sawyer made her warm and happy; to see them together made her heart sing and she hadn't forgotten the angels over his shoulder; the more she thought about it the more she was sure that she hadn't been seeing things. She dreaded going back with Locke and the others; there was no warmth for her there, Jack and Ana didn't share their heat. She wondered if they had enough to spare.

She stepped over the line, crossing to Jack's side; Locke smiled triumphantly at Sawyer as he said, "We'll be seeing you, Sawyer." Sara noticed with hidden glee that he was still keeping his eyes very conspicuously averted from Kate. He melted into the trees, and with a last sad gaze Jack and Ana followed her, leaving Sara dawdling alone in the clearing with Kate and Sawyer.

None of them spoke, but as she smiled across the invisible line a snowy while owl glided silently between them, its eyes wide and it hooted softly at Sawyer as it passed; Sara watched it slip silently into the trees and she nodded at them, then disappeared into the jungle behind Jack and Ana.

Kate, Sawyer and Vincent stood quietly for a few seconds and Kate finally glanced up at him. "Poor Sara."

He chuckled. "That's one brave woman." He sighed and cupped her chin with his hand, drawing her lips to his. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, sighing. "Did I do the right thing, Kate? Saving her? She's...not that good."

Kate hesitated, then she touched his lips with her fingers. "I wasn't good, James. Neither were you, until we found what we needed to make ourselves whole. I needed you, and you needed me." She kissed him softly, her tongue teasing his before she said, "She's just trying to find what she needs, James. To make her whole and good. Maybe she thinks this is the only way she can find it." She smiled gently, looking into his eyes. "Everyone deserves a second chance. Of course you did the right thing, James. You saved her, and I believe she'll remember it, when the time comes."

He gazed into her eyes with awe and love. "How did you get to be so smart?"

The dark moment was broken as Kate grinned and said, "I ain't that smart, sweetcheeks. It's just 'cause I'm with you, I seem smarter."

He snorted, then gave her a half-hearted glare. "I don't sound like that, Freckles."

"I notice you're not debating the intelligence question."

He grinned cockily. "You got the brains, darlin', I got the looks. Together we're perfect."

Kate laughed and he hugged her fiercely, crushing her against his chest. They stood together, just holding each other until Sawyer finally said, "I don't think Sara was smellin' Vincent. I think you need a bath." He grinned wickedly into her hair. "Wanna go back to the hatch?"

Kate giggled as his breath tickled her neck; she pressed up against him, harder, and he groaned a little. "I think that's a good idea."