Title: The Wedding

Summary: SANA. Sequel to 'The Back-Story'. Things never go smoothly on the island, but for once it's not the romantic angst that's doing the disrupting.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

Author Notes: Sorry about late-ness, I've been really stressed and exhausted from yearlies and what-not. Anyways, I'm probably gonna take a break after this, for an indefinite period of time until I get a bolt of good-idea lighting. Gimme a shout if you spot any. I can only hope this is enough for you guys...

Italics are flashbacks.

Sawyer finished buttoning up the white shirt that he had borrowed from Jack and hoped that Jack wouldn't spend too long hanging that fact over his head. Then he grabbed the black tie and started to tie it slowly, thinking about the events that had brought him here today. It had all started a few weeks ago, down on the beach when Sawyer had asked Ana for her hand in marriage.

Ana looked down at Sawyer, whose expression was now somewhat panicked as she still hadn't spoken yet. So she knelt down in front of him, bringing herself to his level, her heart firmly implanted in her mouth. He watched her with an unsure expression on his face, not really sure what she was doing. So she squeezed his hand, reassuring him. Then she leaned in resting her forehead on his.

Sawyer continued to tie the black tie, a smile on his face as he remembered what happened next.

"I couldn't think of anything else I would rather do." She said and a huge smile lit up his face when her answer finally got past the pounding of his heart in his ears. And so, with Sawyer still holding her hands in his, they kissed.

He donned the black jacket and fixed up his collar, grabbing his cufflinks and doing them up.

"Are you ready?"

Then they both heard thunderous applause, cheering and good-natured laughter. They separated to see most of the survivors standing not-so-far away, Claire and Sun leading the celebration. Ana looked embarrassed, and focussed all her attention on the horizon, where the sun was setting. Sawyer, however, stood up and took a bow, bringing Ana up with him.

"Thankyou, thankyou." He said, flourishing his hands in the fashion of a ringleader at the circus, "Now, get lost!" The crowd laughed and dispersed at his order.

Sawyer saw Jack, wearing smart-casual clothing, behind him in the mirror and he smirked, turning and opening his palms.

"I clean up good, eh?" Sawyer said and Jack just chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah I guess you do, Sawyer." He said, shaking his head in amusement at the sight of Sawyer in a suit. Then he asked, "Are you ready?" Sawyer thought about it for a moment and then nodded his head seriously.

"Yeah, I am." He said and Jack held out his hand. Sawyer regarded it for a moment before shaking the extended hand.

"Good luck." Jack said and Sawyer grinned.

"Thanks."

Jack and Kate both stepped forward, looking like they were doing something that would not be fun. Ana and Sawyer shared a look before turning back to the other couple.

"Can we help you?" Sawyer asked and the other two actually winced.

"We just wanted to make sure that there wasn't any bad blood between us." Jack said while Ana sized up Kate

"Wouldn't be too sure about that." Ana muttered, shooting Kate dangerous looks.

"Look, I'm sorry okay it's just..."

"Kate." Ana said, her tone showing that she wasn't the person that she most wanted to see, but she was still too happy to insult her. After all, it was her wedding day.

"I was just coming to check if you were ready yet." Kate said and Ana took a last look at herself in the mirror and nodded. She was wearing a simple white summer dress that she had borrowed from Sun. Her hair was done up in a bun, leaving several strands to fall down her face and neck. She pushed her hair out of her eyes and grabbed a bouquet that Hurley had given her earlier on with a cheeky smile. Smiling at herself in the mirror she turned to Kate and nodded.

"I'm ready."

"Okay, fine. You two can come. Just leave your drama and angst at the door." Ana sighed and Sawyer chuckled inwardly, squeezing her shoulder to show that his approval.

"Yeah, okay." Jack replied flippantly and Sawyer raised an eyebrow.

"Now Doc, you gotta think about it. No kissin', no slappin', no fightin', no stranglin' and no standin' up when the Rev says 'Speak now or forever hold your peace.'" Sawyer said and Jack just glared at him.

"It's fine." He insisted and Sawyer turned the fire glare on Kate.

"What about you Freckles?" He asked.

"I promise."

He should've known that she wasn't going to keep her promise, Sawyer thought as he winced at the next memory that ran through his head as he made the journey to the chapel.

"Jesus Christ, Freckles." Sawyer sighed, "You are aware that I'm gettin' married."

"I just wanted to make sure." Kate said, looking like a puppy which had just been rebuked for chewing on a slipper.

"I'm not the type to get married while I'm still hung up on someone else." Sawyer said seriously and she sighed, nodding.

"Do you think I can still be in the wedding?" She asked and Sawyer stared at her weirdly before rolling his eyes. Women.

"Ask Ana." He said and then saw Jack emerge from the tree line and nodded towards him, "I think you should go to your boyfriend." He said and she turned to see Jack smiling at her and waving. When she turned back, Sawyer was gone.

Sawyer got to the chapel and took his place up the front, the eyes of the survivors on him and he shifted uncomfortably under the attention, in the suit he felt like he was one of those performing chimps at the circus. Then Charlie started playing a version of 'Here Comes the Bride' on his guitar and Sawyer subconsciously straightened up, fixing his suit up as he did so.

"Hey, listen I know I'm not close to you two or anything, but I was wondering if maybe I could..." Charlie started and Ana looked up at the Brit.

"Play for us." She finished and he nodded. She looked over at Sawyer, whose head was buried in a book, and then back at the former band member. Shrugging, she nodded.

"If you could then that would be great." She said and his face lit up.

"Thanks Ana." He said and then left, to tell Claire the good news.

"I told you he would ask." Sawyer said, his eyes not leaving the page.

"Yes, you're amazing." Ana replied sarcastically and his eyes went up to hers, his eyebrow lifting as they did. She just smiled innocently and tried to cover up any sign of her previous sarcasm.

"That's what you'll be sayin' on our wedding night." Sawyer muttered into his book and Ana couldn't keep a straight face, laughing at the Southerner's comeback.

Libby, Claire and Sun entered the chapel, shooting their respective partners smiles as they passed them on their way down the aisle. Kate followed them, spreading petals of flowers that Hurley had also picked. Apparently, he was the unofficial flower caterer for the wedding, at the urging of Libby.

"Aren't you meant to be freaking out or somethin'?" Sawyer asked Ana as he observed her, lying down on the sand with her eyes closed.

"Not with Lib, Claire and Sun as my bridesmaids. They're psychotic when it comes to weddings." She replied, not opening her eyes. That was when he remembered his earlier conversation with Kate and sighed, knowing that he would probably regret asking this but...

"What about Kate?" He asked and Ana did crack an eye open at this. Silently observing him for a moment, she answered.

"She's flower girl." She answered, smiling mischievously and he chuckled.

Sawyer craned his neck slightly, impatience being his main characteristic today. Then Ana rounded the corner, a lily in her hair and looking like she had just come back from a holiday, glowing and smiling as she began to walk down the 'aisle'. Sawyer felt his breath hitch and had to remind himself of that thing called breathing. He swallowed and subtly wiped his palms on his pants.

"You're a lucky man." He heard Jack whisper from his side and he turned to look at him, a smile lighting up his features that showed that he knew the truth of this statement.

Ana stepped next to him and he gave her an appreciative smile.

"You look beautiful." He whispered to her and she smiled up at him.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Cowboy."

"So about the honeymoon..." Ana started.

"I got Mohammed to set me up, he really know his stuff." Sawyer said and Ana's forehead creased at this.

"You sure?" She asked, and he looked down at her from her place, resting her chin on his chest.

"Yeah, torturin' aside, he is quite the romantic." Sawyer said and offered her a grin that made his eyes twinkle. But apparently Ana wasn't as relaxed about the wedding as she had let on.

"But I mean, where will it be?" She asked and felt his chest rumble as he replied.

"Down the beach a little way."

"I don't know, I mean..." She protested but Sawyer shushed her.

"Now come on Muchacha, nice abandoned beach on a desert island, people pay big bucks for this." He tried to convince her and watched her as she slowly began to see eye to eye with him.

"I guess..." She agreed hesitantly. He saw this, and decided not to give up selling the good points of having their honeymoon down the beach.

"C'mon now, quiet, secluded..." That was the moment Walt chose to run past yelling with Vincent barking at his heels. Sawyer's jaw clenched momentarily, and he changed tack immediately, "We'll put up 'Do Not Disturb' signs a mile in each direction." He said and Ana turned up to face him, eyebrow cocked.

"Really?"

"Mhm, we can get some of that police tape-" He started but she interrupted him with logic.

"From where?' She asked and he pondered it for a moment before answering.

"Make our own, I mean you're allowed to right?" He asked cheekily, knowing full well that they weren't. Ana noticed this and raised an eyebrow, joining him on his logic train.

"Well it is a special occasion." She said and then added, "And I got friends in high places, so no worries." She said and winked at him, causing him to chuckle at the somewhat out-of-character wink from the Latina.

"That's right." He said, amusement clear in his tone as he bent down and she leaned up for a kiss.

"And I can call you Mrs James Ford..." He started.

"Mrs James Ford?" She asked suddenly and you could practically hear the music squeal to a halt and he froze. She didn't know his name, hadn't he told her yet? He swore he did... But he covered his shock up quickly with humour.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." He quipped and then looked down at her, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "Or would you rather Mrs Sawyer?"

"No, that makes me sound like I'm going to start ordering my son to whitewash a fence." She said, with a mischievous smile.

"Oh, whitewash a fence, that's funny, har har." He laughed sarcastically, but the look in his eyes told her that he was congratulating her for a verbal jab well delivered. Her facial expression softened after a moment and she lay her head back down on his chest.

"Mrs James Ford. It has a ring to it."

The ceremony went without a hitch. Well, at least up until Mr Eko said those words.

"Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in marriage, they must speak now or forever hold their peace."

That was when the roar of a helicopter came to life, rising to appear just over Mr Eko's head in the distance, as if it was some sign from God. The survivors just stared at it, in shock. Then it registered and they all stood and went crazy, trying to get the attention of this first sign of civilization they had seen in months.

The only people who weren't jumping for complete joy were Sawyer and Ana. They shared a look, couldn't they ever get a break? Then they realised that this was a chance to get an actual church, with actual formalwear, and to give birth in a normal hospital instead of amongst the sand. So they joined in with the 'We are the Crazy People of the Lost Isle, please rescue us, we miss Leno and his sharp wit!' craze that the other survivors had been swept up in.

Ana had gone for a walk early on the morning of the wedding. She had made her way gradually back to the shelter and took in another breath of fresh sea air, feeling it cleanse her. Then she felt eyes on her and turned to see a stranger staring at her out of the bushes. An eyebrow raised, she stared right back. The other girl immediately blushed and looked embarrassed that she had been caught staring. She stepped out of the bushes and Ana continued to stare her down, as if trying to figure out exactly who the girl was.

The girl's eyes flicked down to her stomach and she smiled, a hint of hesitation in her voice as she said, "Congratulations on the baby." This made Ana's eyebrows creep even higher.

"Who are you?" She finally asked and that was when Sawyer came out of the shelter, just now waking up. He ruffled his hair and rubbed his face as he yawned and walked over to Ana. Then he noticed the girl who she was currently trading stares with.

"Alex?" He asked and she nodded. Ana looked over at her husband-to-be, surprised that he knew the girl. His own forehead creased as he wondered what the renegade Other was doing at their camp, "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to tell you guys something." She said and looked between the two of them for a moment before continuing, "That needle-" But she never got to finish the sentence as Ana jumped in, enraged that the thing that could have harmed her baby had been connected in any way to the young woman.

"That was you?!?" She asked, her eyes alive with fury. Alex actually stepped back, afraid of the Latina.

"It's not what you think..."

"What then? You were trying to 'save me from myself'? Or some cliché crap like that?" Ana asked, Sawyer trying to comfort her with a hand on her shoulder, and Alex looked horrified.

"No, that was for your baby."

"What do you mean for my baby?" Ana asked, the anger giving way momentarily to curiosity.

"It was a vaccine."

Sawyer was now sitting in the helicopter, Ana resting on his shoulder, snoring so only he could hear her since she was right next to his ear. He chuckled inwardly and put his arm around her shoulder, causing her to lean in further. He took in a deep breath, leaning back in that not-all-that-comfortable seat. But it still seemed like heaven to him because he finally - finally - was in a place devoid of sand. The ground beneath his feet had no sand, the seat he was sitting on had no sand and his clothes - well they still had sand - but soon enough they would also have no sand.

It seemed surreal, going back to the world. They had spent so long on that damn island that it had practically become reality, as the months had passed he'd cared less and less about getting off. And more and more about Ana, he thought with a wry smile.

On his other side, Walt was curled up, using his arm as a pillow as he snored not-so-softly, Vincent curled up at his feet, despite the pilot's wishes. The boy had cried, at first, softly as he dealt with the fact that he was leaving his father behind. Sawyer's jacket still showed the evidence of it. But when Sawyer reminded him gently that his mother was waiting for him back at home, he nodded and drew in a last shuddery breath before saying goodbye to his father. Then, and Sawyer was sure that he had misheard, he promised to visit.

Then, exhausted by the emotional storm that was going on inside of him, Walt fell asleep on Sawyer's arm. And Sawyer didn't know if it was sympathy for the kid, or him getting himself prepared to be a father, but he didn't push him away while growling a warning. Against his better (well maybe not better) judgement, he let him sleep soundly.

He turned back to Ana and softly kissed the crown of her head before finally allowing himself to drift off...