Thank you to everyone who keeps reading and reviewing. It means a lot to me that you take the time to do that.

Ok, so in this chapter Sawyer finishes remembering everything that he and Kate have shared. As I was writing the memories, going episode by episode, I realized it's like a summary of all the Skate moments that have happened throughout the whole show, and there were a lot of times that it's obvious by their actions and they way they look at each other, even if they don't express it in words, that they are in love. I just hope the writers let them finally admit it to themselves, and to each other, in season 3. But since I don't own Lost or Sawyer or Kate, I can only make them say what I want them to say right here.

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Chapter 6

Must be Jack coming to check on Kate. He didn't feel like answering to him about why he was in bed with her, so he pretended to still be asleep. Then he opened one eye just a little so he could see what was happening. Jack lifted Kate's hand and took her pulse, felt her forehead, then pulled down the covers and opened her shirt to check on the bandages. When Sawyer saw him do that, he almost gave himself away. If you weren't a doctor Jackass

Jack sat down beside the bed. He began to whisper. "You're doing better Kate. Fever's down. Your body temp's coming back up. Wound doesn't look infected. You have Sawyer to thank for getting you back here in time. I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you said he was a good person. He loves you, you know."

What the hell? Sawyer thought, as he kept pretending to be asleep. Why would he think that?

Jack continued speaking to Kate as if she were awake. "He said it, back when he was recovering from his bullet wound. He seemed to be unconscious, but he asked me where you were, and he said he loved you. He just really has a funny way of showing it sometimes. But he came through for you here. You're going to be fine, Kate."

Kate's eyes fluttered open for a split second, then closed again. "Sawyer," she whispered.

Before Sawyer could let her know that he heard her and that he was awake, Jack spoke up. "No Kate. It's me, Jack."

"Love you, Sawyer," Kate muttered. Sawyer had heard many women say that to him before, but none of them mattered. Under the covers, he squeezed her hand.

Jack sighed. He bowed his head, and then slowly got up and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Sawyer thought about what Jack just said. Had he really told him that he loved her? Maybe he was delusional and didn't know what he was saying. Maybe he was just dreaming. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew it was true. He loved her. Kate. He had to finally admit it to himself. He couldn't deny it any longer. And now, her true feelings were confirmed also, not just his opinion of what he thought she felt. She had said she loved him. He snuggled up closer to her.

With this new information, the fact that she really did love him, he knew he was going to have to tell her about Ana Lucia. He didn't want to deceive her any longer and run the risk of her finding out another way. He knew she'll be mad when she finds out, that he'd thought with his little brain instead of his big one, and because of that, all these bad things had happened. But he knew she'll be even madder if she hears it from someone else...

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He'd told Jack before the funeral. Just came right out and blatantly told him he'd screwed her. Hell, at that point he thought Jack had done the same with Kate "in a net". What did he have to lose? He thought she was gone, in a different way than Ana was, but gone, out of his reach just the same. He had thought that she'd fallen for the good doctor and that he'd never have a chance with her. He was prepared to give in, as he had all his life, to be the one who lost what he wanted the most in the world. He'd even called Jack a friend. And despite their differences, their attitudes, the fact that they seemed to despise each other, he really had a lot of respect for him. Jack, in fact, was the closest thing to a friend that he'd ever had. He owed her for that.

At the funeral, he didn't want to say anything about Ana Lucia, because even after trekking across the island with her and sleeping with her, he didn't really know anything about her. It wouldn't have been right. Letting the doc talk about her, that was the best thing to do. He had just stood by her grave, alone. He could feel Kate's eyes on him. Even though he hadn't told her, he suspected she already knew what he'd done. He owed her for that.

During their trip across the island to get Walt back, he had found a doll on the ground. As he went to pick it up, Kate had stopped him, saying it was a trap. At that point, he found out that "caught in a net" really did mean caught in a net, and he was disappointed in himself that he had misconstrued Jack's explanation earlier. But inside, he was relieved to know that Kate still had her island virginity. He owed her for that.

Later when she confided in him, not Jack, that she knew they were being followed, he had backed her up when she started shooting at them. And he'd killed another man. One got away, and when she wanted to go after him, he was ready, but Jack stopped them. He explained the situation with Michael and that they had a plan. Still should have gone after them, he thought. Then after finding all the tubes and notebooks, the whispering began. He'd gotten shot with a dart, and as he was on the ground convulsing, the last thing he heard before he passed out was her shouting his name. He owed her for that.

When they were kneeling down on the pier, gagged and hands bound behind their backs, he heard her scream through the gag when he got kneed in the stomach. He owed her for that.

Before the bags were put on their heads, he and Kate had both looked at Jack for assurance that he had another plan to get them out of this. His first plan was that Sayid, Sun, and Jin were supposed to come for them, but because Michael had led them into a trap instead of to the Other's camp on the beach where Sayid was headed, the Three Musketeers had no idea where they were. So he and Kate had both hoped Jack had a backup plan. Of course, as it turned out, he didn't. So the escape wound up being up to Kate and himself to figure out. And who better to plan an escape than a conman and a fugitive? It hadn't turned out exactly as they planned either, but they were here now, and Kate was going to be alright. And she had said she loved him. He owed her for that.

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Sawyer felt the bed moving and realized Kate was trying to sit up. He leaned over her. "Whoa there, Freckles. I don't think you should be moving around yet. But it sure is good to see you awake." His eyes sparkled and his dimples deepened as he smiled from ear to ear. He was elated that she seemed to be doing better already.

"I… I need…," Kate began, looking around, puzzled. "Where are we?"

"We're in the bunk bed, in the hatch," Sawyer explained.

"What… happened?"

"You were shot when we escaped from the Others. Do you remember anything?"

"I think so. You… carried me?"

"Sure did. All the way here. Didn't get lost either. I guess I can track better than you thought, huh?"

A small smile crossed her lips. "Thank you."

"Hey, no problem, Sweetheart. You did get a little heavy toward the end though. Maybe you better stop eating all those mangoes or you're gonna look like Hurley," he joked. Then, in a more serious tone, he said, "But I would have carried you even if you did look like the Stay Puff marshmallow man." Kate smiled again and Sawyer said, "Maybe I oughta go get Jack to inspect you now that you're awake."

"No, Sawyer, don't leave me," Kate said weakly. She reached over and held onto his arm.

"Ok, ok, I won't." Sawyer lay on his side, leaning up on his elbow. He reached over and entwined his fingers with hers, then leaned his head down and softly kissed her on the forehead. He spoke quietly, and even more seriously now, "Freckles, you mean more to me than anything." Expressing his feelings was one of the most difficult things he had ever done, but he had to learn to do it. "I don't know what I would have done if you had died. Ever since we crashed on this damn island, I have wanted you. And not just to get in your pants like everybody thinks. Sure, I want that too, but…"

Kate rolled her eyes. He tries to be serious, but he has to get pervy anyway, she thought.

Sawyer continued, "But I want what I know we both want. A relationship. Someone to care about, who cares about me."

"Sawyer, I…," Kate began, "I have always… cared about you. I tried to show you, but you didn't see it. And I was… scared…. and confused. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. I couldn't say… what I wanted to say. And I'm sorry." She looked so sad, like she was going to cry.

"Shhhh, Freckles, it's ok. I know, you run away from your feelings. And I hide mine. Maybe it's time we stop. Maybe that's why we've never had anything good happen to us. And I'm ready for somethin' good, ain't you, Freckles?"

She nodded and smiled. "Sawyer, there's something… I need to tell you." She took a deep breath and winced, as it caused pain from the bullet wound. Sawyer looked worried. "It's ok, I'm fine," she said, and continued, "I need to tell you… I kissed Jack."

Sawyer got a confused look on his face. "What? When?"

"When you were unconscious. I sat by you for 24 hours straight. Jack made me leave, to go out for food. I didn't want… to leave you. But he said I needed to get out for a while. Then I saw that black horse. I thought I was going crazy. When I came back in, for a while I was fine. Then something about you laying there… reminded me of my step-father Wayne… no, my father Wayne. I got scared and ran. I ran into Jack. I was upset, crying. He held me, and I… I wanted to be a good person, like him."

Sawyer was listening intently, taking all this new information in. Kate continued, "The whole time we've been on the island, I've wanted you, Sawyer. But in my head, I wanted… to want him. I didn't want to want you. I thought… if I kissed him, it would clear up… my mind. So I did. Kiss him. And it did clear my mind, Sawyer. It made me realize that I didn't want him. That I did want you. And then I ran… away from him, and back to the hatch, back to you. And I told him later… that I was sorry I had kissed him. And I am sorry, Sawyer."

"Baby, you don't have to be sorry for that. I'm the one who… aw hell, I have something to tell you too." He dreaded what he was about to say, but he knew he had to say it, and he knew this was the perfect time to do so. "While you and Jacko were out in the jungle, looking to make your prisoner exchange, you were gone overnight. I thought you and the doc were… well, out there havin' a little private party. Anyway, I ran into Ana Lucia, she was wantin' a gun. Told her to go to hell, but she attacked me."

Kate was the one who looked confused now. "Don't look like that. You know she's strong and tough… uh, was strong and tough. Anyway, she pulled me down, and she kissed me. Just like that, laid one on me." He threw his hands up in the air. "Well, a man's got needs, Freckles, and… you were… gone… off with the doc, and well… I guess you can figure out what happened, how she got my gun."

"Are you saying you slept with Ana Lucia?" Kate questioned.

Sawyer looked away. "I'm sorry, Freckles. I was pissed that you went off traipsin' around the jungle with Jack, doin' who knows what, and she was just there. I know I shouldn't have. I know now that there were a lot of times that it should have been obvious that you cared about me. But you never said it, and I was too stupid to see it."

"So you slept with her?"

"Yeah… I did," he admitted, and he quickly added, "But it wasn't nothin' romantic or anything. Just a quick screw… Sounds bad, I know. It was. And I'm sorry."

Kate looked at him, a hurt expression on her face. Then she smiled. "I knew, Sawyer. I already figured it out. I just wanted… you to tell me. I needed to hear it from you."

Sawyer wasn't totally surprised. He suspected that she might have known because she could read him so well. But he still asked her, "You knew? How? When?"

"It doesn't matter. And I'm not mad. Because I know I wasn't clear with… how I felt about you. And I do see how it could have seemed to you… that I was going after Jack. But I wasn't. All I wanted was you, Sawyer. All I've ever wanted… is you."

Sawyer looked at her and smiled. "Freckles, remember the time you asked me what I wanted?" She nodded. "And do you remember what I said?"

Again she nodded. "But tell me again anyway, because my response will be different. What do you want, Sawyer?"

He replied, as he had done the first time she asked him that question, "A kiss, from you, right now."

Kate looked at him, and this time instead of calling him disgusting, she slowly reached up and put her hand on the back of his head, and pulling him towards her, she met his lips with hers. Damn, there's that electric shock again, Sawyer thought. He opened his mouth as she opened hers, and their tongues collided hungrily, but only for a few seconds until Sawyer pulled away.

Kate looked hurt that he'd stopped. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Only thing wrong, Sweetheart, is you just got shot yesterday. Much as I want to keep doin' what we were doin', I don't think you should keep doin' it right now. You need to get your strength back, and then we can continue where we left off." He added, with sincerity, "I want you, Freckles. And I don't ever want to hurt you again." He leaned down and kissed her gently, as the door opened and Jack walked in.

"I thought I heard voices in here," he said, walking over to the bed. He glanced at Sawyer lying next to Kate and scowled, then looked at her. "Kate. Glad to see you're awake." He took her pulse, and felt her forehead. "It feels like your fever's gone." As he began to open her shirt to check the wound, he noticed Sawyer watching him like a hawk. "Sawyer, I'm a doctor. I've seen these things before." He finished opening the buttons on her shirt and then lifted up the gauze bandage covering the stitches of the bullet wound. "Stitches look good too. There's no redness around them, and just a little swelling. I'll need you to take these antibiotics. You need them for a few days, just to make sure you don't get an infection. There's also a couple of pain pills so you won't be in too much agony." He handed her the pills and a glass of water. She reached over and took them.

"Thank you, Jack, for saving me," Kate said quietly.

Jack thought for a few seconds, contemplating, before he spoke. "I didn't save you. I just took out the bullet. You have Sawyer to thank for saving you. He got you back here in time."

Kate looked at Jack, then Sawyer, and smiled. Sawyer gladly returned the smile.

"Sawyer, can I speak to you for a minute, in private?" Jack asked.

Sawyer squeezed Kate's hand, then got up and followed Jack out of the bedroom area. He was still wearing only his boxers. Jack noticed and shook his head.

When they were out of earshot of Kate, Jack began, "She's healing a lot better than I expected. But she needs to keep rested. She can't be too active for a while, at least a week."

"Well then, I'll make sure I'm the one swinging from the trees when we're havin' sex, Doc," Sawyer said sarcastically.

"Sawyer, I'm serious."

"So am I. I ain't gonna let anything happen to her again." Sawyer was dead serious about that.

"Good. Now, she needs to eat something, and so do you. No arguments this time. Rose is in the kitchen making some more soup. I'll bring it in when it's ready."

"Okay," said Sawyer. "And uh… thanks again, Doc." Damn, he was really softening up.

"Just doing my job," Jack said and walked off.

Sawyer turned and walked back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

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Well, that's all for this chapter. Please review for me! Thanks!