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.

Sawyer stretched out on the couch, an arm tucked behind his head as his free hand held open a book. Half finished already, he sighed and lay the book on his chest, holding the page. He stared at the ceiling, focused on nothing in particular.

The day passed slowly. He woke just after dawn as Juliet left for the motor pool. She smiled softly at him. "Horace gave you the day off to rest and recuperate. I'm sure you're fine, but he's being extra cautious."

She left nearly six hours ago. Bored, he closed the book and sat up. Someone knocked on his front door. He scratched his chest through his t-shirt and buttoned his jeans then stood, walking to the door to answer it.

Horace smiled outside and waved as the door opened. "Hi, Jim, how you feeling today?"

Sawyer stepped aside, an invitation for Horace to enter. "Doin' alright. I saw Miles before. He looks worse than me."

Horace nodded. "He's alright. Just a little more rest. Look, Jim, I know that nothing I can say can fix what happened. But I just wanted you to know that I didn't know what was going on. Please, don't leave the island. I think you have a place here with us. We'd be thrilled to have you stay."

"I don't know, H."

"You have a lot of people on your side here. The whole commune is worried about you, after what they heard happened. When we knew something happened, Juliet stormed over to me and … you should have seen her. She knocked Phil out and …"

"Wait," Sawyer interrupted and grinned. "She knocked Phil out?"

Horace chuckled. "Yes. I didn't know she had it in her but she just pulled back and cracked him across the cheek."

Sawyer smirked. "Dropped like a rock, huh?"

Horace nodded again and smiled, adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Like a rock. I understand if you want to leave, but please, just give me another chance. I tell you what. How about next week, you and your team go to the Hydra. Every two weeks we rotate the security team there. Nothing is as dangerous, the worst you have to worry about is an escaped polar bear."

Sawyer quirked a brow. "Oh. Yeah, not bad. The worst is a pissed off tropical polar bear. Not a problem, Dr. Moreau."

Horace chuckled. "Well that or maybe the shark tank bursts or something."

"Great … sounds like a blast. When do we leave?" Sawyer rolled his eyes.

"No, really. I think you might like it there. It's just for two weeks. You can go when Miles feels better. And Jin of course. It's a wonderful island. And I trust you, Jim."

Sawyer eyed Horace a long moment then nodded. "I'll think about it. Gotta talk to the boss lady and all."

Horace smiled sadly. "Yes, it may be hard to be separated for two weeks but …"

"Woah, there. Separated? Not happenin'. If I'm gonna be on that mini Sing Sing, then the warden's coming with me."

Horace frowned. "Jim, it's not really safe for her there. Plus she's needed here."

"Juliet can handle herself. If it wasn't for Juliet, Amy might notta made it away from the hostiles. I trust her with my life. If I'm goin' over there. She's comin' with me."

Horace considered the words a long moment then nodded. "Alright. If she wants to go, she can go with you. Just think about it though. The island is a special place, Jim. Our work here is very important and I want you to be a part of it."

"Like I said. I'll think about it."

Horace smiled. "Good. That's all I can ask. Do you need anything while I'm here?"

"Naw, it's good." Sawyer responded smoothly and opened the front door again, ushering Horace outside. "I'll be good for my shift tomorrow."

Horace nodded. "As long as you're sure. Alright, we'll see you at noon tomorrow then. Have a good day."

"Yeah you too," Sawyer stated and closed the front door. He stomped back to the couch, slouching down into the cushions.

*Flashback*

Horace hopped off the fishing boat onto the dock at Hydra Island and looked back at the boat, smiling brightly. "I only thought it right to give you all the full tour of our facilities. This is Hydra Island. The Hydra. Here we conduct all of our biological and zoological studies."

"Is that right?" Sawyer drawled casually and hopped off the boat as well then reached back for Juliet's hand.

Surprised at his gesture, Juliet took his hand and then jumped onto the dock, smiling at him. "Thank you."

Miles shook his head, stepping off the boat. "Alright, Romeo." He bumped into Sawyer as he continued up the dock.

Sawyer chuckled and released Juliet's hand as Jin exited the boat and the four followed Horace along the dock to the shoreline. Sawyer tuned out Horace's lecture, instead focused on his past time on the island. His last visit hovered in the front of his mind, both the good and the bad.

He glanced beside him at Juliet, observing her interested expression as she questioned Horace and engaged him in every aspect of the tour. Curiously, he wondered if she already knew the answers and was simply humoring Horace or if she needed to know the history and past of a place that imprisoned her.

Juliet expressed little emotion on their tour, her eyes lingering a long moment on a room called 'The meeting hall', then again outside in a dirt ring. At the center of the ring sat a stone fire pit and the northern point of the ring, a six foot wooden post. Her eyes lingered on the pit and then the post before she turned away.

Sawyer cleared his throat. "Hey, Hoss. What's this for? Gladiator games?"

"No. We brand the land animals here. I know not the most humane, but it's the most distinct way for us to keep track of them." Horace answered simply with an embarrassed smile. "Come, let me show you the aquarium."

At his last visit, thirty years in the future, Sawyer had not seen the aquarium and he walked through the now bustling and full water laboratory with curious wonder. Juliet wandered, wide eyed. Apparently, the last time she saw the place, it looked quite different.

Miles followed the crowd. "So … nice zoo you have going here. What do you actually do here though?"

Horace chuckled. "Well, I can't exactly tell you everything. You understand, of course. Please, look around. The island is fairly safe, just be careful of the wild boar. It's not very large, you could walk it within a couple of hours."

Sawyer nodded. "Thanks, H. We'll just make ourselves at home." He offered the 'conman' grin.

Horace smiled. "Wonderful. I'll meet you back at the boat at five so we can get back before supper."

Miles waited for Horace to leave and then stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jumpsuit. Jin walked to one of the tanks, head tilted curiously as he watched the fish swimming just beyond the glass. He lifted a hand and pointed. "Shark."

"That's right, Kung Fu," Sawyer drawled. "Hey don't yer people eat that stuff?"

Juliet elbowed him in the ribs, offering a disapproving glance before turning towards another tank.

Miles looked up at the flickering lights, the reinforced steel tunnels and the thick hardened glass. "So we underwater or something?"

"Yes," Juliet answered simply. "We're under water." She turned from the tank in front of her and walked back towards the stairs. The men followed her up and out of the aquarium and Sawyer squinted at the daylight's assault.

Sawyer lifted his hand, shielding his eyes with his palm as his eyes readjusted to the sun. "Brings back memories, eh Sunshine?"

Juliet smiled sadly. "You could say that."

Miles quirked a brow. "So you both have been here before?"

Sawyer grinned. "Once upon a time." He chuckled and pointed to one of the polar bear cages. "See that cage there? I got laid in there."

Miles nodded, unimpressed. "Oh you mean that one right there?" He pointed. "Where the polar bear is taking a dump?"

Sawyer's smile slipped from his lips and his brow pinched together as he scowled. "Yeah … yeah exactly there."

Miles laughed. "Hopefully the crap was dried up and gone by the time you were laying on it."

Juliet smirked, arms crossed and she shook her head, walking to the cage to watch the polar bear. The polar bear lunged out at her, growling and snarling, a big paw slamming against the side of the cage, rattling the bars.

Sawyer rushed forward to Juliet and gripped her arm roughly, tugging her back from the bars and placing himself between her and the bear. Eyes intense, he stared down the bear, blocking Juliet from the snarling beast.

Wide eyed, Juliet rested a hand on Sawyer's back as she watched the bear from behind his shoulder. Sawyer backed them up a few paces and once approximately ten feet away the bear calmed and paced its cage again. He glanced back over his shoulder. "You ok?"

"Yeah," she answered softly, glancing up at him confused. "You put yourself between me and a polar bear."

"Yeah well," he shrugged casually. "Said I had yer back."

Miles cleared his throat and looked between Sawyer, Juliet and then the bear. "What you two want in there to relive your tryst?"

Juliet stepped away from Sawyer and walked around the back of the cages, into the jungle. Sawyer closed the distance between himself and Miles and slapped the shorter man on the arm. "Thanks a lot, dumb ass."

Miles frowned. "What? What'd I say?"

"It wasn't Juliet. It was … someone else." Sawyer gruffly said and shook his head with a frustrated sigh.

Miles scowled. "Damn it, LaFleur, how many girls have you had on this island!"

Sawyer ignored Miles and followed Juliet into the jungle. He stepped through the dense brush, walking just along the perimeter of the cages, following the same route he once used to try and escape.

"Hey."

Sawyer turned quickly and he grinned as Juliet stepped out of the jungle behind him. "Well well. Déjà vu, eh?" His eyes scanned her body appreciatively. "Damn sexy, just like I remember."

She chuckled, averting her eyes a moment. "You did that last time too."

"What? Check ya out?"

"Yeah," she grinned. "It's how I had the upper hand."

"Look, I was on this island I don't know how many days. Can't blame a man for lookin'. Especially after that long."

"Mmm, so that means it didn't matter what I looked like?"

He grinned. "Oh no you don't. I know what yer tryin' to say. Hell yes, it matters. Yer sexy, sweetheart. So stop thinkin' different."

She quirked a brow. "So you're just interested in a girl for her looks?"

He laughed. "Tryin' to trap me?"

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Maybe. Just this time I don't need the taser."

As she neared, he relaxed and tilted his head. "Kate said that Jack saw us. Me and her in the cage. Did you see it too?"

She hesitated before answering, finally offering a slight nod. "Yes. I couldn't watch though but yes, I saw what was happening. I left the room."

He sighed and glanced to his left at one of the other cages. "It only happened because she thought I was gonna die."

"What?" Juliet questioned, brow furrowed.

"When I had sex with Kate in the cage there. It happened cuz she thought I was gonna die the next day." He chuckled and shook his head. "Then it happened on the beach because she saw you with Jack. And it happened on the beach again … when she saw you with Jack."

Juliet looked away from him and out into the lush jungle.

Sawyer shrugged casually. "I knew. Well … not at first. But it didn't take me long to figure I was just the meat to replace Jack in her head. Seconds … ya know?"

"I'm sorry. For what it's worth. My role in what happened. Jack was the only one I knew. And I liked him a lot. He seemed to be a good man."

Sawyer sat with a comforted moan and propped his arms on his bent knees as he leaned back against the stone building. "You didn't do a thing wrong. Well ya did but not by talkin' to Jack. Jack was the only one that trusted you, Sunshine. You just hung around the only guy that didn't want to burn ya at a stake."

Juliet chuckled and sat beside him, legs crossed in front of her. "A month ago, I think you would have if given half the chance."

"Probably. Can ya blame a guy? Ya did a hellovalotta stuff to piss me off."

She leaned back, resting her head against the cool cement and glanced to her right to watch him. "I suppose I never gave you any reason to trust me. But really, why would I? As much as I hated Ben, my intention was never to be discarded by them. I had friends there. And the submarine was right there. I just had to find a way on it."

"But you wanted to get off the island more than stay with 'em. That's why ya went with Jack. Why ya didn't stay with Ben. Three years here and he never let ya go. Figured yu'd take a shot with Jack, huh?"

She nodded slowly. "And Locke blew up the sub. I had nothing to lose. Jack wanted to get off this island as much as I did. He'd at least try." They sat in silence for endless minutes before she turned to him, eyes guarded. "I never slept with Jack."

"What?"

She pushed to her feet and smiled sadly. "I said. I never slept with Jack."

He glanced up at her from under hooded eyes and grinned teasingly. "Well I'll be. Me neither."

She laughed.

*End Flashback*

Sawyer crossed the commune from his home to the motor pool. The sun hung high in the sky, the harsh rays beating down on the tropical island. He raked the hair back from his eyes and tugged his t-shirt from his jeans in an attempt to cool off. He searched the motor pool, walking casually along the outskirts of the awning covered work space until he approached van #2.

Juliet lay on her back, her slender legs poking out from underneath an old van. She bent one knee, planting a foot on the ground for leverage. Sawyer smirked at the familiar legs and then hopped up onto the nearby work bench, letting his legs dangle and swing as he watched her from the front of the van.

She pushed out from under the van and sat up on the rolling board. The bandana wrapped around her hair kept the long strands from her face, though the sweat on her neck forced her hair to cling. She reached up to remove the safety goggles and sighed, wiping her hands on her thighs.

"Hey, Sunshine." Sawyer greeted with a grin.

She turned her head to the left and glanced up at him, smiling. "Hey. What are you doing out? You should be relaxing." She stood and walked to the front of the van, peering under the hood.

"Got bored." He tilted his head, brow lifted as he stared at her backside.

Juliet's brow furrowed as she used the socket wrench to tighten one of the bolts, oblivious to Sawyer's stare.

"So what ya doin' under there?"

"Tightening the nuts." She answered simply and grunted softly as she leaned over a bit more to reach further.

He bit back the groan on the tip of his tongue and tilted his head again to stare. "I think ya do a pretty good job a that."

Confused, she glanced back over her shoulder and quirked a brow at his stare. "What?"

He grinned and his eyes slowly raked up her body to her face. "Nevermind."

Her cheeks flushed and she turned away from him, looking back under the hood. With the heat of the day, the flush could be attributed to the heat and not necessarily embarrassment.

Sawyer glanced to the side, spotting one of the men in the motor pool peeking at Juliet from under his van. His eyes searched the rest of the area and noticed two other men shooting glances to the slender blonde. Sawyer's eyes settled on Juliet, transfixed on the glistening sweat on her brow and the intricate trails left by beads on her neck. He licked his lips.

"James," she called and extended a hand back. "Can you hand me the other socket wrench in the box there?"

He shook his head, breaking his trance and dug through the box. "Uhm … sure." He hopped off the bench and placed the wrench in her hand.

Her fingers clasped around the cool metal. "Thank you."

He licked his lips again and his eyes scanned down her back.

"It's so damn hot!" She protested and placed the two wrenches on the bumper. She unbuttoned her jumper. "I hate this thing. It's ridiculous in this weather." Unbuttoning the top three buttons, she tugged the flaps open and sighed. Grabbing one of the wrenches, she ducked under again.

His eyes darkened at the thought and the will to resist fled his mind. He reached out, resting his hand on her hip as he stepped closer. She jumped at the contact and hit her head on the hood of the van. She yelped in pain and dropped the wrench, the tool clanking and clanging against the engine then dropping to the ground.

"Ow!" She reached up to touch the back of her head and winced. "What the hell?" she snapped and turned to face him.

His hand on her hip tightened as he forced her to turn. Eyes darkened and the instant she faced him, he pressed close, pinning her to the front of the van. She gasped, her eyes widening in confusion and she bit her lower lip.

His eyes held hers and he slowly shook his head. "You have no idea what you do to me, do you?"

She swallowed hard, body tense. "I …"

He ducked his head and captured her lips before she could finish her thought. His hand on her hip tightened and rooted her firmly as he pressed against her. Slow and almost taunting, he kissed her again, head tilting to ease closer.

She shivered and her hands reached up to grip his arms. Her eyes closed and she sighed, lips relaxing and pursing against his. He growled at the gentle submission and his arms wrapped around her, pulling her firmly against him. His mouth coaxed her slowly again then again and he tilted his head further before sliding his tongue into her mouth.

She gasped and trembled, humming softly. With one hand she reached up to cup his cheek, grease from the engine smearing on his freshly shaved jaw. Nearby cat calls penetrated her thoughts and she frowned into his kiss.

Sawyer refused to release her, his hand sliding up to her hair and as he slid his fingers through the strands; he pushed off the bandana. He offered another deep kiss and growled at the sensation of her body pressed to his.

Juliet pushed him back, flushed red, eyes hazed with desire though she masked it instantly. Sawyer grinned and licked his lips, still close enough for the action to lick hers too.

Jason laughed. "Damn it, LaFleur, what do you have to rub it in everyone's face?"

Juliet tensed at the words and Sawyer flashed Jason a hostile stare. Sawyer took Juliet's hand, tugging her to the other side of the van and out of the sight of the majority of the motor pool. He ducked his head again, kissing her sweetly and softly. She sighed and leaned back against the side of the van. He followed her, pinning her.

She shook her head slowly then pushed him back gently at the shoulders. His lips lingered on hers as long as possible before he obliged her and eased back just slightly. Moisture and passion lingered between their lips and he swallowed hard, his voice a dark husk. "Ya taste good."

Juliet released a shaky sigh and cupped his cheek, easing him back a little further. Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up into his eyes, her expression confused and unsure at the sensation of his body and the attraction obvious in his reaction.

Sawyer grinned and kissed her softly again. "I'll see ya when ya get home, yah?"

"Yeah," she breathed and nodded slowly. Her eyes fluttered when he offered another soft kiss before finally releasing her and stepping away. She swallowed hard, frozen and stared ahead at the side of another van.

She turned to her left and slid along the side of her van, hand steadying herself with each step. She peered around the back of the van, watching Sawyer's retreating form as he returned to the house. She turned away from him and sighed softly, leaning back against the van. What just happened?

Author's Note: And it only gets steamier! Hope you enjoyed this new development. I'll be going away, so I'll make you all sweat it out before I post the next part, where they confront each other about what happened. Thank you so much for the overwhelming support for this story. The reviews are all amazing, so thanks again. Keep them coming, I love hearing from people who like my stories.