Disclaimer: I don't own Lost, or Sawyer, or Kate, or any waterfalls somewhere on an island in the Atlantic Ocean.

"Well I kissed the rain
I waited up
you're pouring dragons in my cup
done trying
I can't cope with it
well get over it
yeah, I'm over it"

Teddy Geiger

Chapter Six

There I was, in a room. Not in my tent, but in a room. I tried to sit up to get an idea of where exactly I was, but I couldn't. My arms were strapped to the bed. I lifted my head and saw maybe five or six people all crowded at the end of my bed. They were all talking amongst each other, not acknowledging me.

"She is too important-"

"- can't kill her."

"We can't risk a breach-"

"Just trust her. She's not-"

"Trust her! She's an-"

"Ladies, gentlemen, please." Someone spoke as he entered the room. I tried to see where he had gotten in from, he I couldn't. "There's no use bickering. We already discussed what has to happen," He shot a look at one of the protesters. "And we all agreed it was for the best. Not, shall I do the honors?" One of the original one's in the room held a tray out to him. He reached his hand out and picked up a small needle filled with a greenish-blue liquid. "Ahhh, this should do nicely." He pronounced in a satisfied tone. For the first time since I realized I was there, I was acknowledged. "Now don't worry Kate, this will only hurt for a second." With that, he plunged the needle into my neck.

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

I bolted straight up, trembling and covered in sweat. I felt a hand on my arm and I jerked away on impulse.

"Wooah there Freckles, it's only me." Sawyer said in a soothing tone. Almost instantly I felt calm. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing, I just had a nightmare." I paused. "What are you doing in here this late?"

"Late? Try mid-mornin' darlin'." Sawyer corrected me, pointing toward the flap in my tent, which was letting a little strip of light in. I nodded, then said,

"You didn't answer my question."

"And which one might that have been sweetcheeks?" He asked, sounding like he was regretting hearing my answer.

"What are you doing here, in my tent, when I'm sleeping?" I repeated. He glanced at me, then resumed his gaze on the floor.

"I, uh, I…-"He broke off, trying to search for the right word. "I was, er, wor-. I was worried about you." He was finally able to spit out. It seemed to have taken a lot of effort out of him.

"Worried about me? Why?" I asked a little confused.

Awww shoot Freckles, I'da thought the answer to that one woulda been an easy one to see." He answered sarcastically, slapping his knee for extra emphasis. "This was your first night back since you were taken. I just wanted to make sure you weren't kidnapped or somethin' again." He looked up at me, smiling shyly. "Or if you were havin' a nightmare, you mighta needed a knight in shinin' armor to save you." I stared at him a second, trying to decide if I had anything to say to that or not.

I didn't.

He glanced back down at the ground, then back up at me again. "Did you try to talk last night, after I left you?" I shook my head. "Alright, that gives us a starting point." I drew a question mark in the air, and gave him a confused look. "For you learning to talk again." I opened my mouth, intent on correcting him, but he spoke again first. "I mean to say sassafras, for you to be able to speak again. I know you remember how to." He grinned.

"So, how do you propose we start then? By reciting the ABC's backward, spell out supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, what?" I asked, full of skepticism.

"Wait, supercaliwhat?" Sawyer gave me a look a child gave to an adult after hearing a dirty joke.

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. You know, that song from Mary Poppins. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, if you hear the sound of it, you know it's quite atrocious..." I started singing. I cut myself off though at the look of bewilderment he gave me.

"Sorry darlin', but I was never one to watch movies as a youngster. I was more the bookworm." I gave him a look that clearly said 'whatever'. He chuckled. "'Course, that could also have had to do with the fact that we didn't have a damn VCR in the house that didn't eat the tapes put in it."

"Now that's more believable. Not by much though." I said, smiling. He shook his head, but he too had a grin on his face.

"Now, as I was sayin', we have a startin' point. Just so you're aware, I've never had to teach someone to re-learn how to talk, so go easy on me. Besides, it can't be that hard." He said with a hint of arrogance in his voice. Oh yeah? Why don't you try being the one who can't talk? After you do that, then get back to me. I thought to myself. I then repeated it for Sawyer. "Oh don't be all down on yourself Sassafras. You'll pick up on it in no time. It's just like when you're a baby. You have to take small steps to make the one big one that matters."

"That's quite a profound statement for you to have just come up with." I replied.

"I didn't. My dad used to say it to me all the time before…" He stopped himself, and then started again. "He used to say it to make me remember that all the stuff I had to do that I thought was useless, like school, would eventually play into a bigger picture to give me a great life."

"It sounds like your dad is a pretty smart man."

"Was Kate. He was a smart man." Sawyer's use of my first name caught me off guard. He had only used it before when he was mad at me. His nicknames, no matter how stupid or annoying, have started to serve as a comfort to me. I nodded, not knowing what else to say to him. I didn't have to worry though, as Sawyer stood up and held out his hand. "C'mon, its time to go."

"Go where?" I protested. I had just gotten comfortable again.

"Nothin' you need to worry about. Now, shall we...?" I sighed, but grasped his hand. He helped me up and led me out of my tent. I took hold of his face with my free hand and pulled it down to look at my face.

"Where are we going?" I asked stubbornly. He shook his head.

"You'll find out soon enough." He replied just as stubbornly. I stopped walking. We were still holding hands at that point, so my sudden stop jerked his arm back.

"Jesus Freckles, what is your problem?" I stomped my foot and pouted my face.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where we're going" I exclaimed.

"Gahh, I really didn't want to have to do this." Sawyer muttered under his breath. I smiled, gloating, thinking I had won.

I hadn't.

He turned around, picked me up, and slung me over one shoulder. I tried screaming at him, but, obviously, I couldn't. So instead I started beating on his back, desperate for him to put me down. He started walking into the jungle and after about ten minutes, I gave up trying to get free. After another ten or so minutes, I was really bored, so I started drawing on his back with my fingers. He squirmed a little to the right and I knew I had hit a soft spot. I kept doing it, getting closer and closer to his right side, which seemed to be his most ticklish spot.

"Damn it girl, stop doin' that!" He jerked as I tickled him again. "Damn it Sassafras. Alright, if I put you down, will you keep walkin' with me?" I nodded and wrote 'yes' on his back too. He heaved me off of his shoulder and caught my arm to keep me from tumbling to the ground. "My aren't you bein' clumsy lately." I stuck my tongue out at him. "Oh, way to be mature!" He started walking again. I picked up my stride so that I was walking at his pace. He led me out into a clearing. I looked ahead of me and saw nothing but green. I turned to him, about to question what I was supposed to be seeing, but he just smiled and turned me around. My jaw dropped and I whirled around and flung my arms around his neck.

He had brought me to the waterfall.

A/N Soooooooooo… did you guys like it? Sawyer opened up just a little bit, like someone suggested he did, and he took her to the waterfall, like someone else suggested he do…

Or maybe it was the same person? I don't know. Let me know though, in a review, because I want to give you the credit you deserve!

So right now, I have a poll for you guys. I want to know what you guy think Kate should say as her first words. Here are the choices:

A) "I love you"

B) "I hate you"

C) "What the hell is your problem!"

D) She shouldn't say anything because she shouldn't talk again.

Thanks so much guys… please leave reviews because I love them! Thanks for reading!

Tazitz