Hey guys. Thanks for the reviews, they're much appreciated. This is majorly quick for an update from me, it's because I'm avoiding writing an essay.
Jsd- I haven't read Shadow Baby- we don't have capital punishment here (UK) and I wasn't sure what they options were (or even if there are any) and they were the only two I could think of.
The helicopter had more passengers than the pilot would have liked. Walt had insisted upon coming back to collect Vincent, the two or so hours that it would have taken to bring him onboard the ship being too much to bear; which of course meant that Michael had to come too, being completely unable to leave his son. Jin had then taken it upon himself to come as well, if Walt was allowed to collect his dog, there was no way that Jin was not going to go back for his wife.
But Sawyer had come back for an entirely different reason. Apart from coming back as the hero, really getting to rub Jack's face into it, his real reason for coming back was to see her. One of the helicopters following them was full of US Marshals, lots of them, with lots of guns, all in full assault gear. Sawyer thought it was a little excessive, but then again, she'd been evading them for a while. Her being cornered on a desert island was probably one of the best chances they would have.
He needed to tell her that he was sorry, that he was wrong, that there was a reason to say stay, and that she was it. He needed to tell her all of the things that were jumbled up in his head, and he couldn't see how he was going to tell her any of it. But he needed to be there, needed to see her when they took her. He needed to see her face one last time. He was under no illusion about what they were going to do with her. She would be a high profile case, a pretty little girl, a vicious murderer, someone to be feared, someone to reassure the public that law enforcement was working. She would be dead in a couple of months time, and as much as he tried to shake the feeling of guilt that was consuming him, he knew that he was responsible.
So when the helicopter landed on the beach, Sawyer was oblivious to the cheer that went up. Walt jumped out of the door, landing in the sand with huge smile, his father's cries of, "Be careful," obliterated by Vincent's enthusiastic barks. Jin followed, catching his wife in his arms and losing the rest of the world for a moment. Sawyer stepped off last, scanning the crowd that had formed around the helicopter. Everyone was laughing, hugging, smiling. He didn't notice any of that, all he noticed was that she wasn't there.
Swearing under his breath he stepped into the sunlight and found himself being hugged by Charlie of all people. Pushing Charlie away, Sawyer asked, "Where's Kate?"
"Dunno, I think she went into the jungle with Jack a while back."
Ignoring Charlie's attempts at conversation, Sawyer pushed past him, looking for Jack. He'd only been gone for a couple of days, and already she was taking trips into the jungle with Jack, perfect. His irritation faded when he saw Jack run out of the jungle, covered in blood, shouting for help.
Running over to him, he ignored any injury that Jack could possibly have, instead demanding, "Where is she?"
As everyone else caught up with Sawyer, Jack caught his breath, eventually managing to murmur, "We were collecting fruit, she was up a tree. She saw something coming and shouted for me to run. A few seconds later, I heard a crash, she must have fallen out of the tree. By the time I got back, there was blood everywhere, whatever it was must have got her."
Jack didn't have a chance to say anymore, as Sawyer's fist collided with his jaw in a rather satisfying crunch.
All the thoughts that had been tormenting Sawyer for days finally solidified into a voice that was dripping with hatred, "You let her die?" He hit Jack again, his fist colliding with the side of Jack's face and knocking him to the ground. Before his boot could reach Jack's stomach, Sawyer found himself being pulled backwards by his arms.
"Come now, Mr. Ford, you're causing a scene." A pair of US Marshals led him away as the Marshal who had spoken turned to examine Jack. "You said Kate Austin was dead?" As Jack nodded, the Marshal smiled grimly. "Now that's such a shame, isn't it." Nodding to one of the other Marshal's, he continued, "Jack here's going to come and have a chat with us for a bit."
Watching Jack being led off by the Marshal's wasn't nearly as satisfying as it should have been. In fact it wasn't satisfying at all. Instead, all Sawyer could manage to feel was completely hollow. He was numbly going through the stuff he had accumulated over the month he had been here, most of it complete and utter crap, none of it mattering to him at all.
Even so, he had been attached enough to it to notice that a few things were missing. Small things, things that no one would think he would notice. A few matches, a lighter, some of the alcohol. It struck him as slightly odd that someone would steal some of this crap when they knew a rescue was on the way. It didn't hit him for a second. When it did, he sought out Jack, and that was what convinced him. Jack was putting on his overly sincere, eager to please act. Which could only mean one thing. Kate was alive.
Leaving all the stuff which he had so meticulously hoarded, he ran into the jungle without looking back.