Chapter 98
They made their way through the jungle silently, Locke and Hanso in the lead while Jack and Ana followed. Both of them were still trying to assimilate the information they had just heard, but just like every other answer on this Island it only brought up more questions. Was the 'training' just another word for brainwashing? Or did they somehow become like the Others? And what made the Others the way they were? Jack shook his head, trying to clear it; he took Ana's hand and for a few minutes everything else faded away as they strolled together in the afternoon sun; it fell on their shoulders, warming them, though Ana was plenty warm as it was.

The ache in her chest was fading and she could breathe easier, though if she took a deep breath it still hurt like hell but without the constant thudding pain her mind was free to wander to Jack. He loved her. It still gave her goosebumps to think about it, and she smiled to herself as he glanced over at her little shiver. A smile was playing at the corners of his mouth and he said, "Are you cold?"

She didn't smile. "Not at all."

Their eyes held for a second before they both looked away; if they kept it up they would be thrashing around on the jungle floor in front of whoever and not give a damn about it. "You doing okay?"

She risked a glance at him; his eyes were on her, blazing, and she stopped and kissed him, her tongue meeting his with urgent passion. His eyes slid to Locke and Hanso; they were almost gone into the tree line and Locke glanced back, shaking his head at them before continuing into the jungle, Hanso grinning and following behind.

With the knowledge that they would be alone, Jack's ardor intensified as he slid her top over her head, feeling her smooth, muscular arms as he did; she groaned a little and snuck her hands up under his t-shirt, raking her nails down his back lightly as he groaned and pushed her against the nearest tree trunk, his lips sliding down to her neck. "I was scared, Ana," he said, "I was so scared that I lost you."

She gripped the back of his head, pulling his mouth back to hers in response. Drawing away softly, she said, "You weren't the only one. I...I think I actually died for a minute, you know? It was like I was in this long white hallway, and Jason was beside me, but he wasn't horrible anymore, he was just a kid, just a guy, and he asked me to lead him to the light, that he had lost his way. So, I-I did, and then I heard you calling me." She looked up and met his dark eyes, flickering with desire and she whispered, "So I came back." She grinned. "With Sawyer's help, though."

Jack grinned. "I'll bet it killed him to do it. But how did he know? He just happened to show up when..." his eyes clouded and he snarled. "Sara." Ana didn't say anything and he looked at her quizzically, but his tone was a little angry. "You suspected her, didn't you?"

She sighed, nodding. "Yeah. But I didn't know for sure and I didn't want to stir things up, between us."

The mood had been broken; the knowledge that Sara had betrayed him once again had an ill effect, making him angry at any woman, every woman. He knew it was irrational, a vestige of Old Jack lurking in the corners of his mind, but he couldn't help it as he backed away from Ana, pulling his shirt back down and tossing hers to her without looking. "You could've said something to me. She was a spy." He turned on her, his anger at Sara manifesting itself as he ranted at Ana. "Locke is right. I didn't consider the danger this woman is posing." His eyes slid to Ana and he snarled, "You. You're dangerous."

"Excuse me?" She flared at his sudden animosity towards her; what had she done? "What exactly are you saying? That I'm a spy? A traitor?"

He shook his head, a crazy light glowing in his eyes. "No. But you're a distraction." Ana was a little freaked; it was like the double dose of betrayal from Sara had short-circuited his mind, melding Old Jack haphazardly with New Jack and she was afraid it had combined the two worst aspects of them. "I have to help Locke win this war and I can't do it if I'm always worried about you."

Cold fear clutched at her stomach as she said, a little hoarsely, "I thought I was the reason you wanted to win."

His smile was cold but she could see the sadness and hurt beneath it as he turned his back on her to follow Locke. "No." He stopped but didn't turn around and his voice was faint. "I think you're my sacrifice, so that I can win."

-----

Sawyer was beginning to really get worried about Kate when he reached the base of the mountain and she still hadn't caught up; Sara saw the look in his eye and said, "Go look for her. I'll be fine here."

He considered it and had made up his mind to go when she and Vincent came trotting out of the tree line. Kate was flushed but smiling happily and she went to Sawyer, enfolding him in a huge hug, pressing her sweat-soaked body against his with fierce passion and he gripped her back, his arms tight around her waist as he lifted her up and kissed her.

Sara smiled and glanced at Vincent; he grinned back and sat next to her, leaning into her hand as she stared studiously at his ears while busily scratching them.

He finally set her down and they leaned together for a second, his hand resting gently on her belly as he kissed her forehead, then they reluctantly pulled apart and joined Sara and Vincent. "What took you so long, Freckles?"

She grinned as Sara stood wearily and eyed the mountain with dismay. "I checked out that hut. It was just a bunch of poles and rotten fronds but I did find this." She opened her hand and there was a small gold coin in it and she handed it to Sawyer; on one side was an engraving of a man with a halo behind his head and Sawyer flipped it over and on the back it said:

Saint Vincent Ferrer
Patron Saint of Construction and Carpentry
5 April

He looked askance at Vincent, who woofed happily and licked Kate's hand, then Sara's. "You sneaky dog."

Kate hefted the bag of fruit she had gathered and Sawyer tried to take it from her, to carry, but she batted away his hands and pointed silently to Sara, who was swaying dangerously as fatigue and exhaustion took its toll; her eyes rolled back in her head and Sawyer barely caught her with a wave before she fell. He sighed and lifted her manually over his shoulder, and smiled at Kate over the seat of Sara's jeans, leering down at them until Kate smacked him, grinning disapprovingly.

It didn't take them long to reach the hatch entrance and as they reached the bunk room Sawyer set Sara gently onto one of the beds and as Kate pulled off her shoes he pulled the blankets down on another. Kate unlaced and pulled off her other shoe he picked her up and moved her gently to the undone mattress, sliding her feet beneath the sheets as Kate pulled them up over her chest. They stood back, wrapping their arms around each other as they admired their handi-work; smiling, they headed down the stairs to the Crater Room.

Kate squeezed Sawyer's waist and said, "Um, when Vincent and I were out in the jungle he...showed me something."

Sawyer swivelled his eyes to her, brows raised as he said, "Oh, really?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, really. He's...he's an angel." She glanced up to make sure she didn't think she was crazy.

Sawyer knew of course, but he wanted to get even with her for making him worry, so he said, "Angel? Honey, that dog may be a lot of things but an angel definitely ain't one of em."

She smiled, shaking her head. "Well, you got me there. But he's not that kind of angel." She paused. "Did you ever see the movie Michael, with John Travolta?" He cocked his eyebrows at her and she said, "I didn't have much else to do in jail, you know."

He kissed her gently, then shook his head. "Right. No, I didn't see it."

She caressed his chest as they climbed into the shaky recliner together, only they left it upright and Kate draped herself over Sawyer's lap, curling against him. "Well, see, he's an angel. A real, live angel, with wings and powers." She giggled. "But he also smokes, drinks beer, screws truck stop waitresses, and walks around in his boxers scratching his nuts in front of company." She giggled again and Sawyer laughed too; the image she painted was the spitting image of Vincent. "He's been sent to Earth to save these two people who have lost their way; but Angels only get so many trips down here and this is his last." Her voice dropped and she laid her head against his shoulder, kissing the cleft of his collarbone. "He decides to live it up; enjoy every single second of it."

He didn't speak for a second; the feel of her lips on his skin left him speechless and she was sad, he could feel it, something was bothering her and he knew with dread what it must be. I don't want to deal with that now, he thought, and so he finally he gathered himself and said, "So you think Vincent was sent here to make sure that we hooked up?" He grinned, hoping to make her laugh again. "Well, Freckles, I was prayin' for it mighty hard."

That did make her laugh and she shook her head against his chest. "Something like that." She sighed a little and he tensed. "I know, James."

Icicles dropped into his gut. "Know what?" He was frozen with dread; it was too much for him to face it himself but he couldn't bear to watch Kate struggle with it too, and he cursed Vincent silently for telling her.

She raised her head from his chest and looked into his eyes, holding them; he looked away and she smiled sadly, caressing his cheek. "I know, James. Are you going to make me say the words?" Her throat closed up and she choked out the last few words as tears began to slide down her face; Sawyer grasped her to him, clutching her and rocking them softly in the creaking chair.

"I'm sorry, baby," he whispered into her hair, "I'm sorry."

She sat up, suddenly, her eyes blazing. "Don't be sorry," she said, grabbing his face between her hands and holding his eyes with hers, "be angry. Don't accept it, James, fight it."

He was suddenly angry too, and he grabbed one of her hands and held it, tight, closing his eyes. "Kate, this is what I'm fighting for." She gasped as the vision he had seen yesterday flowed behind her eyes; the little James with his blonde hair and green eyes and Kate, sad but laughing as she chased their sqealing son around the room. It faded and Kate sat, breathlessly, staring at him as her chest heaved. He let go of her arm and said softly, "That's what I'm gonna die for, Kate. Don't you think it's worth it?"

She nodded as she said, "No," and burst into tears.

Sawyer chuckled a little and drew her to his chest again, stroking her hair as her tears wet the front of his shirt. "Kate, baby, please...it's okay. I'll always be here," he pressed his hand to her belly and smiled as her sobs abated, "a part of him. And I'll be watching you, and protecting you, and I'll come to see you, in your dreams. I'll never really be gone."

Her mouth was suddenly on his with a frantic urgency; within seconds he had her on the mattress, tearing at her clothes in a frenzy as she struggled with his shirt buttons. He jerked it open, ripping off the last two buttons and fell back onto her, groaning as her hands slid over his bare skin and down to his jeans and he pulled her shirt over her head, burying his face against her chest, tasting the sweet sweat and hearing her heart beating wildly against her chest.

They came together in an explosion and they rocked together frantically until Kate groaned and Sawyer shuddered and let out a strangled cry as he slumped against her, their sweat and Kate's tears mingling and sticking them together.

Sawyer raised up and wiped away her tears, kissing them gently. "Kate," he groaned, "Please. I can't take it."

She smiled. "I wasn't crying because I'm sad." She levered herself up onto her elbows, her heart lurching as she looked at him, his sweaty hair hanging in his face as he hovered above her, his blue eyes drowning in love and happiness and fear; she touched his cheek, softly, and said, "I'm happy." She choked out a half-laugh through her tears. "Despite...that, I'm happy, just to be here with you," she glanced down at her stomach and smiled, "and him. I love you." Her eyes glowed fiercely as she leaned up to his ear and whispered, "I'm going to save you, James, whether you want me to or not."

'Oh, Kate," he said, kissing her softly, "I want you to."

Their eyes met and they smiled, and Kate's eyes lit up mischieviously. "So, I was...seeing this guy once, and funny enough, his name was Angel," she laughed, and Sawyer chuckled too.

"Angel? Funny name for a guy."

She nodded. "Yeah. He was from Argentina, and I guess it's pretty common there, because we were talking one day, about kids and names and I asked him how he got his name. He said that he was named for his dad. His dad's name was Miguel Angel, and the custom in his family was to take the first and middle name of the father and reverse them for the son." She grinned and he rolled his eyes.

"Funny. I absolutely forbid you to name my son Jackson."

She giggled and snuggled up to him, basking in the sun shining through the glass roof. "Well, then I guess you'd better be around to stop me."