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 crossed the commune intent on his direction as he stomped up the stairs of Amy's house. He knocked on the door then paced a few steps impatiently. He stalked to one end of the porch, eyes focused on the motor pool. When he saw Juliet, he nodded in comfort and then walked back to Amy's door again. He knocked.

The door swung open and Amy smiled brightly at him in a halter top and jeans. "Hi Jim!"

"Hey," he said sternly, his brow pinched and expression drawn. "Can I talk to you?"

She frowned. "Of course. Is everything alright? What's wrong?" She stepped aside, opening the house for him.

He stepped into the house. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

Confused, her brow furrowed as she closed the door. "Because you look like you're ready to kill somebody. Are you alright?"

"Uh yeah," he answered simply. "Sorry, didn't realize I looked pissed."

Amy smiled slightly, uncertain. "Oh … well you look pretty pissed."

"Sorry," he rubbed his face with his hands and sat down on her couch. "I was wondering if you had a certain album. I'd be willing to trade you something for it."

Amy laughed. "Is that what this is about? You want an album so you look ready to string somebody to the wall?" She pointed to the cupboard at the far end of her living room. "All of my albums are there so you can help yourself."

Sawyer stood to walk to the cupboard and crouched down, opening the door. "I want to give you something back if you have it." His eyes searched the cupboard. "Damn you have like … fifty."

She smiled sadly. "Paul loved albums. Please, take any you want. I don't really listen to them."

He sat back and carefully searched through the albums.

"Is there a specific one you're looking for?"

"Yeah," he answered simply but did not elaborate. He searched through the albums, fingers flipping each title. At the end he sighed, closing the cupboard.

"No?"

"Nah," he shrugged. "No big."

"Well which album are you looking for?"

"I don't know the name of the album. It's Petula Clark and she sings Downtown." He chuckled. "It's Juliet's favorite song."

Amy grinned knowingly. "I can poke around a little. See if somebody else has it?"

"Would you really? That would be great. Just don't let Jules know. I wanna surprise her." Sawyer grinned brightly. "I'd be willing to trade any a my albums for it. If somebody has it and they wanna trade."

"I'll poke around." She bounced over towards him and crouched down onto her knees, eyes alight. "So this is going to be like a secret? A present for her?"

He chuckled. "You could say that, I guess. So can ya keep yer yap shut?"

She giggled. "Of course I can! I'll find it for you. I'm sure somebody has it. I certainly hope so. The sub won't be back for another six months."

"Six months?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Horace said there was a delay. I guess with the delay, maybe you'll decide to stay … before it comes back." She reached out to take his hand. "I'd miss her … if you left."

Stunned at the admission, he forced a small smile to tug the corner of her lips. "Yeah … Jules is an easy gal to miss."

"Just think about it," Amy coaxed. "There's so much for you here. With us. And you all really fit in. Even Jin is starting to ease into the life here."

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

"Thanks." She stood. "I'll ask around today, see if anybody has it. Your secret is safe with me." She smiled then squealed softly, clapping her hands. "Oh this is going to be so exciting. What will she do when you give it to her?"

He chuckled and stood as well, wiping off the back of his security jumper. "I don't know. I guess we'll have to find out. Remember, no blowin' my cover."

"I won't," she laughed and escorted him to the door. "I'll let you know as soon as I find it."

"Thanks, Amy," he said simply and curiously wondered when 'thank yous' easily started falling from his lips. Had he ever really thanked anyone for anything in his life?

Just before supper hour, Juliet walked into the infirmary, intent on visiting Miles before heading home. She smirked at the sound from down the hall.

"Jin, you are joking me!" Miles called. "Where did you learn to play poker?"

Jin argued in Korean.

"Don't give me that mumbo jumbo. Kings are higher than Tens."

Jin raised a hand, continuing to argue.

Juliet leaned in the doorway, arms crossed as she watched both men playing poker on the bed. Strolling into the room, she peered down at the hands. It appeared Miles had two kings while Jin had three tens. She glanced at Miles.

Miles ignored her and pointed at his King. "King … higher …" pointed up … "then ten" Pointed at Jin's ten.

Jin shook his head and held up his three tens. "Three …" then pointed to Miles pair. "Two. I win."

Juliet laughed. "He is right, Miles. You know just because his English isn't perfect doesn't mean you can pull a fast one on him in Poker. It's a universal game."

Miles glanced up at her, annoyed. "Don't ruin this for me. I might actually win this argument."

Jin grinned. "You no win. I win." He straightened proudly then pointed at Miles. "You do uhm … clothes." And he tugged on his shirt.

Juliet pulled the nearby chair up towards the bed and sat, crossing her legs as she leaned back, relaxed. "So, you bet laundry duty?"

Miles grumbled and pointed at Jin. "He told me he didn't know how to play."

Juliet smirked. "So you're being hustled."

Jin smiled warmly at her. "You play?"

"No, no," she returned the smile. "I'm alright watching. I just came to check on Miles. How are you feeling?"

"I'm just peachy," Miles snapped back. "And I'm sick of looking at these cement walls. Any chance of you dragging me out of here like you did LaFleur?"

"Where's the doctor? I can talk to him if you like. You seem well enough to me to go home."

"Jeez, Thank you! At least somebody here is looking out for my wellbeing."

After some finagling and coercion, Juliet convinced the doctor to let Miles return home to rest in his own bed. Jin helped Miles walk across the commune to their home, Juliet opening the door to help them inside.

"Jules … I swear … you're a goddess."

She laughed and shook her head. "Not quite. But thank you for the compliment anyway. Are you boys all set here now?"

Miles nodded. "Yeah. Jin's cooking for me. Right?" And he smiled pathetically at Jin.

Jin rolled his eyes at Miles. "Yah yah. I cook."

"You can join us, Jules, if you want? Jim's at the station tonight, right?"

Juliet slowly shook her head and remained at the threshold. "I'm alright. I think I'll catch up on some things in the house. Will said he'd be by in the morning to make sure you're alright."

Miles grumbled and flopped down on the couch, sighing in comfort. "I'm sure I'll be just fine. I wish they'd all stop pestering me. I mean … you'd think any one of the girls here would be all over me to nurse me back to health after what happened."

Jin smirked knowingly then teased. "They want to help Sawyer. Not you."

Miles held up a dramatic silencing palm, then flipped his hand and displayed his middle finger to Jin.

Juliet laughed and shook her head. "You know where to find me if you need anything. Have fun, you two." She quietly closed the door behind her.

6:04

Sawyer sighed at the clock then returned his gaze to the collection of monitors before him. For the last six hours, nothing happened. No sign of hostiles, no injuries, nothing interesting to spy around the commune.

A knock on the door distracted him and he turned in the swivel chair to face the door.

Horace stood at the door, a smile on his face. "Hey, Jim. How's it going today?"

"Not too bad," Sawyer turned the chair around again to look at the monitors. "Slow as hell. Nothing's going on. Not even good gossip to watch."

Horace pulled a chair towards Sawyer to sit and watched the monitors as well. "Feeling better?"

"Good as new."

"Have you thought about my offer to go to the Hydra?"

Sawyer paused, tweaking a few knobs to better track the camera then leaned back. "Yeah I thought about it. Miles hasn't given me an answer yet. I'm sure Jin's down for anything. I've been thinkin' about what you said. That it's not safe for Juliet. But I thought you said the Hydra was a fairly safe place to be. Security is more just procedure than needed."

"It is. Look, the real reason is because I don't want other girlfriends or wives thinking they can go on patrols with their husbands or boyfriends because Juliet went with you. I have to be able to justify why she can go on security patrols when she works for the motor pool."

"Well is there like a van or jeep over there or something the security takes when they do a round of the island?"

Horace shook his head. "No, sorry. The island is small enough to patrol on foot if need be. And usually that's not necessary."

Sawyer nodded slowly then crossed his arms, leaning back casually in the chair. "She got a better shot than most of the other security guys you got on the job here."

"A better shot?" Horace asked, the confusion evident in his features. He pushed the glasses further up on the bridge of his nose. "What do you mean?"

"Like with a gun." Sawyer grinned proudly and held up his hand, the ring finger and pinkie tucked into his palm to mime the shape of a gun. He lowered his thumb as if firing a gun. "I'd put money on her over any of those other Pencil Pushers … any day."

"I still don't know, Jim. I mean if something happened to her over there, how could you forgive yourself."

"I couldn't," Sawyer responded. "But hell, one of those vans can fall on her and crush her just as easily. I mean, I can't keep her in the house all the time. Plus if she's a better shot than the other security guys, I think I'd rather have her at my back than them, if ya know what I mean."

"I suppose."

Sawyer leaned forward, head tilted to peer at Horace. "Look. Why not have her shoot for you. If she passes yer standards for security … then let her come. Then that can be yer standard for other wives or girlfriends or whatever goin' out with their husbands. Ya can say 'sure, you can go. As long as ya can hit that tin can over there at a seventy yards. Rifle of course. Maybe forty if its pistol. Though I'm pretty sure Jules can hit a can at fifty with a pistol."

"Alright." Horace smiled. "If she can make the shot."

Sawyer grinned. "Great. Tomorrow? Care if I take her out first, let her practice up a bit? She hasn't fired a shot since we been here. Ya know this way she can get the feel a the gun, see if it drifts, how to adjust the sights. Ya know."

Horace chuckled and patted Sawyer's back, standing. "Sure, you can take her out tomorrow. I'll go with you. So I can see how she adjusts. You'll understand I want to see if it's her making the adjustments or you."

"That's fine. Just not too big a crowd, eh Hoss?"

"Just myself and maybe Radzinsky. No pressure." Horace turned to the door. "We'll say 10 am tomorrow?"

"Sounds great." Sawyer spun in the chair, offering a saluted wave to Horace. "Night, Boss." When Horace left, Sawyer smirked at himself, proud of the idea. He glanced up at the clock.

6:10

"You have got to be kiddin' me," he groaned and rubbed his eyes before watching the monitors again.

7:00

Bored to tears, Sawyer leaned forward, elbow on the console as his hand propped up his head. The monitors had been empty for the last twenty minutes. Apparently, there was a barbeque and the whole commune turned out to enjoy the food. It would be his luck. He offered to work his shift during the only communal shindig he ever enjoyed. After all, what guy didn't like cheeseburgers and chicken wings? His stomach rumbled. Damn he was hungry. Maybe beef brisket. Pulled pork. Real barbeque. Not that anything was wrong with cheeseburgers but he craved slow smoked ribs that took twelve hours. Old fashioned southern barbeque.

Knock Knock

Sawyer spun in the chair to face the door and smiled brightly at the sight before him. Juliet. He leaned back casually in the chair. "Hey there," the chair nearly tipped backwards and he leaned forward quickly to compensate.

Juliet laughed, leaning against the door frame, a paper plate in her hands, covered with a napkin. "Suave. Real smooth."

He laughed as well, pleased in the response from her. A genuine laugh rarely slipped past her lips. On the few occasions he heard it, he swelled with pride at the knowledge he could evoke such a reaction. And over the last couple of months, her laughs occurred more often. He grinned, smoothly and shrugged. "Yeah well. What can I say?"

She stepped into the room. "How's your day going? Other than spazzing out."

"Ya know … if the chair wasn't a piece a crap, I woulda been all suave. So it's not me. It's the chair."

"Mmm," she nodded, obvious amusement in her eyes and she placed the plate on the table part of the metallic console. "Think you can eat something without spilling it all over yourself?"

He reached up quickly to grab her wrist and tugged her down into his lap. Surprised at the sudden movement, she fell into his lap, sitting primly on his thighs. She looked to him confused. Sawyer smirked and slid a teasing hand around her back and over her hip. "Depends … what am I eatin'?" He eyed her suggestively, a flirtatious grin tugging his lips.

She bit her lip, flushing slightly and smiled in return. Her stomach fluttered at his suggestion and she looked away from him quickly. His fingers slipped from her wrist to tickle along her side and back. With her free hand, she pulled the napkin off the plate. "I thought you'd be hungry," she said softly, any desire masked in her voice.

Two cheeseburgers, prepared just the way he liked it, some chips and a large pickle.

He grinned. "Well well … lookin' out for your man, huh?"

She chuckled. "I think I have to. If you can't sit in a chair without nearly falling out of it …" she trailed off teasingly and slipped from his lap.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it off." He taunted and his hands skimmed around her waist and hips as she moved. Any excuse to touch her. He looked at the plate and his mouth watered, though from Juliet or the food he didn't know. Hell, it was probably both. "Mmm, ya know what could make this meal even better?"

She leaned back against the console near him, partially sitting, her legs spread a little for balance. "What? Beer?"

"Naw," he shook his head then pointed to the pickle. "If I can watch you eat that." He glanced up at her under slightly hooded eyes.

Stoically, she held his stare and ducked down so her eyes met his at level. Her words flat, emotionless. "You aren't that lucky." She offered a flirtatious smirk and sat back again.

He hissed and shifted his weight in the chair, shaking his head. "Ya play dirty, sweetheart." He picked up one of the cheeseburgers and took a big bite, humming in delight at the taste.

"So do you. I'm just trying to even the score."

He swallowed the bite. "Fair enough. Did ya eat already?"

"Mm hmm," she smiled softly. "I brought some to Miles too. I helped him home today. He was getting so stir crazy down there in the infirmary, I felt bad for him."

"Yeah I saw you move him. Even saw him cop a feel as he went."

She chuckled and shook her head. "He didn't cop a feel. He legitimately tripped and if I didn't reach out for him both he and Jin would have fallen on their faces."

"Oldest trick in the book, Sweetheart." He teased then took another bite of his burger. "And ya fell for it."

"Is that so? Alright let's review, shall we?" She looked to the ceiling as if in thought, arms crossing over her chest. "Miles stumbled and he reached out to me and his hand flew out around my waist to keep himself steady. Do you remember when you copped a feel?"

Sawyer grinned wolfishly

*Flashback*

Four months into the Dharma stay

Sawyer followed Juliet through the jungle, a rifle slung over his back. He stepped over a few obnoxious tree roots and then ducked under a low hanging branch. "I hope you know where you're goin'."

"All I'm saying, is that we don't have to eat apples and bananas all the time. I know they come in on the sub. And that's fantastic and all. But this is a tropical island. I want some mango."

"Figured you'd be sick a mango. I mean damn it's mostly all I ate for weeks."

She chuckled and stopped at the base of a tall mango tree. She looked up. "Yes, but we've been here four months now, I'm pretty sure you're over your mango overload."

He grumbled in complaint then put his hands on his hips, peering up at the tree canopy. "And how do you plan on getting up there to get the mangos."

"Easy," she shifted the satchel on her shoulder so it hung at her back, giving her more freedom with her hands. "You're going to boost me."

"I'm going to what?"

"You heard me," she smirked. "I can't reach the branch from here. I need you to boost me so I can get a hold of it and swing myself up. Once I get up, I can keep going, but the nearest branch to grab is over my head."

"Ya know, we can probably pick any one of the other trees around here."

"Stop complaining. The other people picked most of the ones closest to the barracks and the hostiles take the other trees. So are you going to give me a boost or aren't you?" She glanced back over her shoulder, brow lifted slightly in expectation.

He sighed. "Fine. Fine fine." He circled the tree then turned so his back was at the trunk. He spread his legs, bracing and he squatted slightly. Interlacing his fingers, he offered a cup for her boot and smirked. "Goin' up. Fourth floor … lingerie." He grinned.

She chuckled and stepped to him, eyes on the branches as if debating her best route. She rested a soft hand on his shoulder.

He inhaled slowly, relishing in the distinct scent of her, the perfume or was it her shampoo? Maybe it was just her. Or just something feminine, something woman. He craved her. "You gonna look or you gonna climb." He internally winced at the husk in his voice. He prayed she didn't notice.

"I'm going to look and then I'm going to climb. I don't want to fall." Her words simple, her head tilted back to stare at the limb. "Alright, ready?"

"Yep." He licked his lips; how easy it would be to brush his lips over her throat. Right there. She was so close. He braced against her delicate weight as she put the toe of her boot into his hands. "And … up." He announced, straightening to hoist her up.

She reached as well, lunging with his boost.

He looked up as she gripped the branch and her shirt fluttered outward at the front, offering him an excellent view up her shirt. His mouth ran dry and he made the excuse to squat a little lower to hoist her foot again, easing her higher to get her in a better position. In truth, it just extended his view.

She gripped the branch, swinging her legs towards the trunk and hoisted herself up. Sawyer grinned then kept the gun close and ready as he watched their surroundings. They were still within the fence, but one never knew. Plus if he kept staring at her, he'd be in a bit of a predicament. He heard her moving through the tree, her jeans scraping against the bark and he peeked up to see her legs clamping around the limbs so she could shimmy out to gather the fruit.

What a sight. He smirked, unable to suppress the egging desire at the back of his mind. Ever since he saw her that day in the shower, she consumed his thoughts. The distraction both welcomed and cursed. He forced his eyes away and stared out into the jungle. He curiously wondered at the power in her legs to hold on to the tree like that.

They'd probably feel amazing wrapped around his …

"Head's up!"

Sawyer frowned at the interruption, looking up. His eyes widened a moment and he reached up quickly, catching the mango before it hit him on the head. His fingers clamped around the fruit, embedding slightly into the ripe flesh. He stepped aside and his face contorted in agitation as the sticky juice slicked through his fingers, along his hand and down his arm. He dropped the fruit and shook the juice from his hand, glaring up into the tree.

Juliet, far too engrossed in her task, continued to harvest the fruit. Eyes on her goal, she packed her satchel with the mangos. Slowly, she shimmied down to that first branch. "Hey, you still there?"

"I'm here, Tarzana." He snapped and scowled, wiping his hand on his tan Dharma jumper. "What's the big idea peggin' me with mangos, huh?"

"Sorry," she stated, seriously. "It slipped." Her cool and collected expression settled in to place though the flicker of amusement in her eyes gave away her playfulness.

"Slipped my ass," he muttered and reached up as she held the satchel down towards him. He grabbed the bag then set it aside before slinging the gun around his back. He reached up for her.

She bit her lip, apprehension in her eyes as she peered down at Sawyer about eight feet below her.

"I'll catch ya. Trust me."

She held his eyes a moment and released the breath she held. Gripping the limb tightly, she readied herself, looked down and then slowly lowered herself from the branch.

Sawyer reached up and his hands grabbed her feet as he placed himself directly beneath her. His hands slid up her calves as she lowered herself then to her thighs. "I gottcha." The hands on her thighs tightened as he braced her against his chest. "Let go. It's alright."

Reluctantly, she let go and her hands lowered instantly, gripping his shoulders. She looked down at him from the position, eyes focused on him as her fingers dug into the muscles of his shoulders, her body tense to keep balanced.

He gazed up at her, eyes transfixed when he watched her breath hitch in her throat. He slowly lowered her to the ground, keeping her close as the friction from his body kept her movements slow. His hands slid along her hips then to her waist. He gripped tightly, his hands easing under her shirt and not over the fabric. His eyes darkened slightly at the feel of the skin at her waist and he swallowed hard at the sensation of her body pressed to his. Her feet touched the ground, his hands stopping just below her breasts.

His heart pounded. Frozen, his hands tightened and stroked slowly down her sides to her waist, the shirt slowly following. He cleared his throat and stepped back, looking down in an attempt to fix her shirt.

Her cheeks minutely flushed, she released his shoulders and watched him an elongated moment. The trembling emotion once vivid in her eyes masked quickly and she offered a teasing smirk. "Subtle."

He grinned, matching her joking tone. "Yeah well. I'm a master of subtlety. Plus, if I'm going to cop a feel, I'm gonna get it all in at once. No pussy footin' around that."

She chuckled and stepped back from him to retrieve the bag.

Sawyer released the breath he was holding, thrilled she didn't seem angry or put off by his boldness. What the hell was he thinking! Well, that was obvious, actually, and he'd been thinking about it for months. Jesus, how could he not think about sex, especially with her! He wondered what kind of lover she would be. Would she be hesitant, shy? Maybe at first. No, Juliet seemed a woman that when she knew what she wanted, she'd take it.

He smirked at the thought. Maybe she went the other way. All dominatrix. He never had a girl like that before. The more he thought of that possibility, the more he dismissed it. No. For all her bravado, Juliet possessed a soft and vulnerable core. In fact, the more he thought about her, the more he knew exactly what kind of lover she'd be. At first she'd be cautious. Afraid of heart ache. But then, when she finally gave in, she would dive head first. Mind, heart and body invested completely. God, he wanted that.

He crossed his arms over his chest, taking the opportunity to stare at the long line of her back, her waist and lower still as she crouched over the satchel, securing its contents.

Juliet stood and faced him. "Alright. Here." She handed him the satchel.

"What? Oh I gotta carry it now?" His eyes snapped to hers, praying she did not catch him staring. Maybe one of these days, he'll let her catch him.

She nodded. "That's right. I'll carry the gun."

He cocked his head and laughed. "Well alright, Ripley. I'll play bag boy. You gonna shoot me in the back for what I did?"

She took the gun from his shoulder and slung it over hers then smirked. "Well you're just going to have to trust me, now won't you." She threw the words back at him, the same words he uttered to her before he thoroughly felt her up.

"So I'm gonna trust you just like you trusted me? Mmm, I like where this is goin'." He grinned flirtatiously and tucked his arm through the strap of the satchel.

"Get movin', LaFleur." She teased and nudged him with the butt of the rifle.

*End Flashback*

Sawyer pressed his toe into the cement, casually spinning his chair slightly one way than the next as he peered up at Juliet from slightly hooded eyes. He tucked his arms behind his head, fingers clasping at the base of his neck. "Ah … Good Times."

"Oh yes, good times," she joked and rolled her eyes. "Back to the point on hand, James. How is Miles tripping and reaching for me to help him anywhere in the same neighborhood as our adventure in the jungle that day."

"Simple," Sawyer answered with a sly grin. "Miles just doesn't know how to do it right."

"To do what right?"

He leaned forward in the chair, resting his forearms on his thighs. "Sweetheart, if a man is gonna cop a feel, he's gotta just do it. None of this tiptoein' pretendin' to trip kinda bull. Just reach out there and … mmm … get it."

She quirked a brow. "You know, in the real world. That's called sexual harassment."

He shrugged casually. "Meh. And in the wild. It's called flirtin'. Unless ya'd rather me crack ya on the head with a club and drag ya back to my cave. That more up yer alley?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you." She cracked a smile, her shoulders trembling slightly as she resisted the laugh.

He winked. "I can think of a few things."

"I'm sure you can. And I think I've distracted you enough. You're supposed to be looking at the monitors."

He reached out to touch her knee and slowly slid his hand up the outside of her thigh. "I don't know. Yer a helluvalot more interestin'."

She bit her lip at the warm sensation of his hand even through the denim of her jeans. She reached down when his hand reached her hip and she slid her fingers along his, entwining their hands. She turned to face him, using her free hand to tuck a few stray pieces of hair behind his ear.

He turned his head at her actions to kiss her palm, holding her eyes. "I know how to convince Horace to let you go to the island with me."

She smiled softly, blushing at the sweet affection but pulled her hand away from his face. "How?"

"I convinced him to let you shoot. Told him you can out shoot any of these 'Redshirts' any day."

"You what?" She asked, confused. "James, I haven't fired a gun in months."

"I know. And I still think ya can out shoot them. Convinced him to let me take you out tomorrow to practice up a bit. He wants to watch. Damn voyeurs. Hey … you can do this." Still holding her hand, he squeezed it in comfort. "I know you can. Hell yer rifle shot is better than mine."

She sighed and looked away from him a moment, over his head at the far side of the room. "And if I don't pass his test?"

"Then I ain't goin' to the Hydra."

She smiled sadly and shook her head. "Doesn't work that way, James. If your boss tells you that you have to go then you have to go."

"Yeah well he didn't tell me anything. This sounds like it's an option, not a requirement."

"Yes, that's how requirements are meant to sound. It's so it doesn't seem like your boss is always telling you what to do."

"Ah," Sawyer nodded slowly then frowned. "Didn't know that."

Smile still in place, she released his hand and stroked her fingers along his jaw. "So what time do we go shooting tomorrow?"

"Ten."

"Well let's just hope I bring my A game, huh." She chuckled nervously and pushed off the console, eyes averted.

He stood, blocking her from exiting, his left hand outstretched to block her a moment and that hand rested on her hip. He hooked a finger under her chin and turned her gaze to his. "You can do this. How many times have I handed you my gun? Trusted you to have my back. Damn, Jules, in the canoe you shot passed my head and managed to hit a guy. I trust you. You're gonna do great. Horace just wants you to shoot a few cans. Maybe some mangos." He smiled teasingly.

Her lips quirked with the hint of a smile and she tilted her head slightly to look up into his eyes. "Only if you stand under the tree so they drop onto your head."

"Ah … the Tropical William Tell. I might be convinced to play along."

She lifted a brow, flashing him the expression she knew he found infuriating. "Convinced?"

He grinned at that patented Juliet look, no longer infuriating but simply sexy. "Mm hmm." He leaned down to husk in her ear. "If ya lick the juice off me."

A deep chuckle settled in her throat and when he eased back, she tapped his cheek playfully with her hand. "Who knows. If I shoot well … ya might be lucky."

Eyes darkening, he groaned, not bothering to hide the reaction.

Juliet ducked under his arm and offered him a mischievous smirk over her shoulder before leaving the security room.

Sawyer resisted every urge to chase after her and instead resumed his seat to stare at the monitors. He grumbled and looked at the clock.

7:30

"Oh come on!" He moaned and rubbed his eyes with his palms. Still another hour and a half. On the plus side, that might be enough time to calm every nerve currently firing in his body. He could only hope. He glanced up at the monitor, watching Juliet walk back to their house. What an excellent shot of her ass! Were her hips swinging a little more than usual? Or was he just so far gone, he couldn't think straight any more.

He ducked his head into his hands, groaning in frustration before peering again at the clock on the wall.

7:31

Author's Note: Yeah, it's a long one but I think it all fit together since it happened on the same day. Either way, hope you enjoyed. I'm getting behind in writing for this one so I need to catch up. As I'm sure you all know, I like to write further ahead from where I post, so I need to get cracking. Anyway, please review if you liked! I love reviews. It may even convince me to keep the drama light for a change!