Title: Hydra

Author: Crimson Coin

Rating: T … not quite R but it's romance so things may get a little steamy

Pairing: Juliet/Sawyer

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost or these characters. I just like to borrow them to have a little fun.

Summary: Dharma time story about how Juliet and Sawyer became a couple.

Note: This story is based on a suggestion from tntlostfan for a one shot. It's going to be multiple chapters because, well the ideas just started coming! So I hope I'm forgiven, tntlostfan. But I promise, you'll have your idea in the story.

Juliet crossed her arms impatiently, leaning against the wall in a back corner of the security office. Radzinsky worked diligently, big hands fiddling with the switches and knobs. "Alright … alright see here? Here is the fall." He pointed to Monitor #2.

Juliet stepped forward, watching again.

Radzinsky pointed to monitor #3 and then #4. "And here, they stop. You can see them hanging and watch …" he trailed off.

Juliet's eyes widened as she watched the scene unfold and the heroic, albeit, incredibly stupid rescue attempt that Sawyer began. Horace leaned forward and shook his head. "How did he do it? I mean … that's something out of the movies."

Juliet focused and winced in sympathy at the strain in Sawyer's filmed expression. "You'd be surprised what you can do in the rush of a moment like that."

"Adrenaline." Radzinsky added with an informed and serious nod. "Pure adrenaline."

"And desperation," Juliet answered. "He looked up first, as if he was unsure of what he was holding on to, it's security against the cliff."

Horace pressed his palms into the desk and leaned forward, ducking his head. "Alright …" then pushed up and winced as Radzinsky played the fall and rescue again. He noticed Juliet watching entranced and then leaned forward to try and focus at something on the monitor.

"What is it?" Horace asked and leaned forward again to watch.

Juliet clenched her jaw and shook her head. "Nothing." She glanced over her shoulder, spying Phil and a few other security guards huddled in a corner. The guilty party. Phil glared at her, a nice thick bruise on his cheek from where she knocked him out earlier that day.

Phil squared his shoulders defensively, chin raised in defiance. Juliet held his gaze, unflinching. Little emotion or accusation, simply staring him down. She addressed Horace, eyes unwavering from Phil. "Horace? Can I speak to you a moment."

Surprised, Horace nodded. "Of course." He motioned to the door and followed Juliet from the room. In the hall, he closed the door and kept them alone. He turned to face her, concerned. "How's Jim?"

"He's sleeping. Amy's with him."

Horace nodded and guided Juliet further down the hall. "The doctor says Miles is going to be fine. Just needs to rest and we need to keep him in the infirmary to make sure his wounds aren't infected. But we need to make sure of the same for Jim. It would be better if he were in the infirmary."

"Horace," Juliet turned to face him, arms crossing over her chest. "I don't want James, Miles or Jin going on your patrols any more. If this is how they're going to be treated by the other security staff, it's not safe for them. For us."

He frowned. "I understand that we have had a huge misunderstanding here. But please, believe me, it was not my intent, nor Phil's I'm certain, for anything bad to happen to Jim or Miles. Or any of you."

She leaned forward just slightly. "James told me we should leave on the next sub. He has spent every moment of our time here finding small ways to show me why we should stay. And I believe him now. It feels right here. At least it did. Now I have to go and find a way to convince the most stubborn man alive that we should continue to stay."

"I'm sorry, Juliet." He apologized softly. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

She nodded slowly, displaying no emotion and she knew the effect it had on others. She wanted that effect. She turned from Horace and walked away before she said something she regretted.

Sawyer released a heavy sigh, eyes still closed as he stirred from sleep. "Jules …" He muttered and licked his lips.

"She's not here, cowboy," Amy responded with a bright grin.

He peeked out of a single eye to her and groaned. "You my baby sitter, Powder puff?"

"That's right," she sat on the edge of the bed then reached to the bed stand. She picked up a tall glass of water. "Here, drink. You must be dying of thirst."

He scowled at the glass. "What, no beer?"

"No beer. If Juliet wants to give you beer, then she can give you beer."

"Hey … I'm the man of the house. And if I want beer …"

"You're not getting beer," Juliet interrupted him as she walked into the bedroom, her expression serious and all business.

He scowled. "What the hell, Baby! Can't a guy get a beer in his own house?"

"Of course," she responded smoothly then quirked a teasing brow at him. "Too bad this is my house."

At his glare, Amy laughed and approached Juliet. "You were only gone about half an hour. Everything alright?"

Juliet nodded calmly. "Everything's fine. Thank you, Amy. For everything."

Amy nodded and smiled warmly. "If you need anything, let me know ok? Horace and I would be happy to help." When Juliet smiled in return, Amy reached out to hug the tall blonde. "I'll see myself out. Good night, you two." Then grinned at the door, turning around to eye Sawyer. "Guess I won't need to close my windows tonight huh?"

Sawyer smirked playfully. "Don't be so sure about that. Man still has needs."

Amy giggled and waved to both before leaving the room.

Juliet smirked and paced the short distance to the bed then sat down to eye him curiously. "Man of the house, huh?"

"That's right, little lady. Man's home is his castle and all that jazz."

"Mmm, you keep thinking that." She teased then reached out to touch his chest and leaned down to inspect the scratches. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. Everything feels so tired."

"It's just fatigue," she stated professionally. "Your muscles are exhausted from the strain. It may be a couple of days before you feel back to normal and that's if you didn't pull anything."

"Well gee, Doc. Will I live?" He teased.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm just telling you why you feel the way you do. Drink your water."

"I really want a beer."

She sighed, eyes on his, challenging. Unwavering, she shook her head. "Alcohol will dehydrate you. You need water for hydration for your muscles to heal. I'll give you a beer tomorrow. But today, you have to drink water."

"I think I like ya better as a mechanic than a doctor." He jabbed and then grinned.

She smirked. "Well I'm the doctor you get since you decided to make some grand statement and have me practically carry you out of the infirmary just to make a point."

"Yeah well if I was gonna get felt up by somebody I'd rather it be you than that four-eyes, Will."

She laughed. "For your information, Will is an excellent doctor."

"Maybe. But …" he extended one hand. "Felt up by Will." Then extended his other hand. "Felt up by you. Hmmm … which would I prefer?"

She chuckled and shook her head, incredulous to the thought he was flirting with her. Especially after hearing him mutter Kate's name that morning. Like any man in his situation, he'd flirt with anything with a chest. She just happened to be in the room at the time. "Drink up." She easily shifted the conversation and held the water glass to his lips.

He drank obediently, eyes on hers and then sputtered on the water. She pulled the glass back and chuckled. "Easy there. For a man that turned his nose up at the water, you're pretty thirsty."

He coughed and laid back, head thumping into the plush pillow. He hummed and reached up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Tryin' to drown me there, Sunshine?"

"It's therapeutic." She responded calmly and at his incredulous stare, she matched his gaze. She quirked a single brow at him and he slowly grinned. She watched him, unmoved. "James, you can't beat me in a stare down. I always win."

He grumbled and pushed up on his forearms to sit up. He groaned at the struggle but finally managed to sit up. "For now. One a these days, Alice …" He clenched a fist, shaking it at her. "Pow!"

Juliet laughed and shook her head; eyes alight and she reached up to stroke a gentle hand down the side of his face, unaware of the affectionate action. "Are you hungry yet? I can make some spaghetti or something easy. Eggs and bacon?"

"Hmmm," He licked his lips. "It all sounds good. I ain't eaten since this morning."

She nodded. "It's about supper time. I'll bring it up to you." She stood and offered a tender smile before turning from him, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear then walking out of the bedroom.

Sawyer watched her leave then swung his legs off the bed. He slowly stood and moaned as his muscles protested the movement. With one hand, he leaned against the dresser, using the other to tug a t-shirt from the drawer. He pulled the shirt on over his head and then hobbled towards the bedroom door. Peeking out, he checked one way then the next then slipped through the door and very carefully down the stairs. His muscles trembled and quivered with each step, the soreness constant. Downstairs, he continued through the small home to the kitchen. He smiled softly at Juliet's slightly off tune humming. "Petula Clark, huh?"

Juliet glanced up quickly at his words and frowned, placing her knife on the cutting board and walking to him. "What are you doing up? You shouldn't be walking around yet." She helped him to the chair at the dining room table, the only eating place in the house.

"I ain't a cripple." He muttered but smirked at her. "No avoidin'. So did she even write that song yet? Downtown?"

She sighed. "Yes. I think it came out in the late sixties." She returned to the kitchen, still well in view of him and continued cutting the fresh tomatoes and squash.

"So … what ya makin'?"

"Just a pasta dish. No complaints." She smirked, eyeing him flirtatiously.

He raised his hands in submission and a sly grin tugged the corner of his mouth. "Not complainin', Sweetheart. I don't wanna be on the couch tonight."

"You won't. I'm not that cruel." She stated. "I saw the recording. Of what you did to save Miles." She poured about one cup of dry pasta into the boiling water then faced him, hands on her hips. "I couldn't believe what I saw."

Sawyer shrugged casually. "Eh. Not a big deal. I did what I had to do."

Calm exterior masking any nerves of his rescue, she tilted her head, curiously watching him. "Why do you do that? Dismiss yourself?"

"It ain't dismissin'. It's just how it is. I didn't do nothin' special."

"I disagree." She responded simply and lobbed a swab of butter into the frying pan then stirred it with a wooden spoon. "You slipped probably ten to fifteen feet down a cliff with a man's momentum over you, managed to stop yourself and then hung upside down to rescue him." The pan sizzled as she added the chopped onion.

He inhaled and hummed softly, eyes closing at the scent. "Yeah well, like I said. I just did what I had to do."

"Maybe," she nodded in understanding, stirring the now sautéing onions. "You're a hero, James. And I'm not just saying that because of this moment."

He leaned back in the chair, resting his arm on the table then his head in his hand, propped up to watch her. "You give me way too much credit." He shifted, discomforted.

"Why do you think that?" She stirred the pasta then added the tomatoes and squash to the onions.

He averted his eyes, staring at a particularly ugly stain on the far wall. He never thought himself a hero, never considered his actions particularly heroic. He always did what he felt he needed to do at the time. Premeditated heroism was not a trait or virtue he assigned himself. On the contrary, he considered himself selfish and cowardly.

Juliet glanced towards him then strained the pasta into a colander at the sink. She returned to the stove and poured the pasta into the pan with her vegetables. She added a little more butter then covered the large frying pan. Walking towards Sawyer, she crouched down in front of him. When he still refused to look at her, she cupped his cheek and gently turned his head to face her. "You're a hero, James. You sacrifice yourself for others time and time again. You may not always have done it. But you grew on this island. You changed." She smiled at him and half chuckled. "My God, James, you jumped off of a moving helicopter how many feet in the air to come back to this God forsaken place just to save your friends. You raced back onto the beach while flaming arrows fell from the sky only to rescue me. You dangled upside down from a cliff to save Miles. You are a great man. How can you think you're anything but a hero?"

He held her gaze, speechless and he swallowed hard at her tender smile and resisted the shiver when her thumb brushed his lips before she stood to return to the stove. He looked down at his lap and let her words sweep through his mind and into his core. Few people, if any, had ever offered him compliments before and certainly none as heartfelt and truthful as Juliet.

Author's Note: Alright, a little bit of fluff. I don't write it too often, so enjoy it when I give it to you! Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing. And by all means, please review if you enjoyed this bit of sweetness. You know before I throw the angst/drama wrench into everything.