Chapter 3

Jack woke in the early morning from a dream, Juliet in a flowing white gown calling him home. He groaned to find himself hard, his prick pulsing beneath the covers. He turned to see Juliet in peaceful slumber.

"Juliet," he said softly against her cheek. She stirred but didn't wake, only sighing as his breath fell over her face. Jack exhaled in frustration. He wanted her, wanted the release from the tension his body felt. His hand went under the blanket and around his base. He gasped as he grasped his own cock; the feel of flesh on flesh welcoming, even is it was his own. Jack slid his hand up and down his shaft as his wife lay oblivious beside him.

"Juliet," Jack whispered closing his eyes tight as he pictured her naked body above him, thrusting up into his fist.

"What?" her voice jolted him from his fantasy, his eyes springing open.

"What?" he repeated.

"Did you call me?" she said groggily turning to face him.

He tangled his fingers in her hair and kissed her, Juliet's mouth instinctively opening for him as his tongue brushed over her lips and found hers. He pulled away then and turned her back onto her side, facing away from him.

"Jack what are you doing?" she asked then felt his hard on pressing against the small of her back as he spooned her. He ran his hand up her leg, getting in between her thighs where he found her warm, moist centre. Jack began to circle her clit with the pads of his fingers as he rained kisses down and across her neck and shoulder.

"Jack," Juliet sighed, her breathing getting heavier as he opened her up, lifting her leg over his and sliding his tip to her entrance.

"Tell me Juliet," he said tilting her head back.

"Tell you what Jack?" she asked as she lifted her arm up and around him, pressing the back of his head down to her face.

"Tell me you want me to make you my wife," he said whispering in her ear.

She gave a little giggle, "I'm already your wife, Jack."

He rubbed himself over her wet slit, making her moan in anticipation of being filled by him.

"Jack please," she whimpered, "Don't tease."

"Say it, say how much you want me," he cooed in her ear, his hot breath making her grow wetter.

"I want you, I want you so much. Make me your wife Jack, take me," she said desperate for him.

Jack slide in slowly from behind her. She gasped and cried out as her walls stretched to accommodate him. Her moans were stifled as he lifted her chin up and devoured her mouth. Jack sucked on Juliet's top lip as she thrust her tongue in each time he drove into her. Their movements mirrored each others until her grip on his head tightened, sliding her fingers around the nape of his neck, digging in with her nails. Jack winced and chewed on her lip as his own hand squeezed her hip bone and they climaxed in unison.

"Oh God," Jack said falling back onto his back again as Juliet stayed on her side, her orgasm still coursing through her in after shocks of bliss.

"Mmm," she said as she turned to face him, "That was a lovely wake up call."

Jack chuckled and touched her cheek tenderly, "You don't think we were too rough do you?"

"Jack!" she said, "You're a doctor for heaven's sake."

"I know but I still worry."

Juliet straddled him and looked down into his face, giggling, "Well I'm the expert here."

"Yeah," he said running his fingers up her arms before cupping her face, "Well Dr. Sheppard," he said smiling.

She bent down and kissed him before she let him wrap her protectively in his arms, "Trust me Jack, we haven't hurt the baby."

….

"Tom, you're so silly," Kate said laughing.

The twelve year old boy looked at the girl sitting on the swing.

"Why am I so silly?" he asked his hands on his hips.

"Because, you're too old to be carrying that toy plane around everywhere you go. It's time you gave it up," she said.

"Never," he said, "its good luck."

"Good luck, pfft," she said twirling her brown hair around her finger.

"It protects me," he said.

Kate just laughed and shrugged her shoulders, "Whatever Tom, now give me a push."

"Kate," Claire called to her softly shaking her from her memories.

"Claire," Kate said standing up from her spot on the sand.

"The funeral's about to start," she said stifling a sob.

"Hey," Kate said as she pulled Claire into a hug, "It's going to be okay."

"You said you'd hold Aaron for me," Claire reminded her.

"Oh of course, of course I will," she said and headed down to the burial site.

…..

"Hey there," Juliet said walking up to Sawyer as he sat by some boulders.

"Hey," he answered.

Juliet looked around her, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun.

"I didn't think there were rocks on this part of the beach," she said.

"That's cause they weren't here before. It was the tooth fairy that dragged them over," he explained.

"Sorry, did you say the tooth fairy?" Juliet asked confused.

"You know, Bernard, one half of jungle fever."

"Jesus, James."

"Well yeah, it was him, wanted to make a big s.o.s. sign in the sand, get us all rescued."

"Right," she said as she sat down beside him.

"I thought you knew everything that happened around here."

Juliet sighed, "Only if it pertained to the three of you."

Sawyer glanced at her from the corner of her eye. Her matter of fact way of talking still crawled under his skin.

"So you ain't at the funeral huh," he said looking out of the ocean. A seagull soared high above before plunging down into the depths of the water, catching his prey before flying off again.

Juliet looked at him, exposing the purple bruises on her neck for him to see, "I don't think so."

"Right," he nodded, "I guess that makes us a couple of outsiders then."

"Weren't we always James?"

….

"Charlie was always a little lost," Locke began as everyone huddled around the open, unmarked grave, "But he was a good kid at heart, wanting only to care for Claire and her baby."

Claire stood beside Hurley and Desmond, sobbing quietly. Hurley wiped a stray tear from his eye as Desmond stared, defeated at the body lying at his feet. He had tried so hard to stop this, but the universe had a way of course correcting, or so he told himself.

Jack shifted his weight. He hated these things, people looked to him to say the right words and he never had any. He was relieved when Locke volunteered to lead the service but as John droned on about fate and destiny, Jack wished he had refused him. He shifted again then stared up at Kate. Their eyes met and hers filled with tears as she stood holding Aaron in her arms.

"What are you going to be when you grow up?" Kate, now a teenager, asked Tom in the basement of his parent's home. They were eating cookies and drinking Kool-Aid his mother brought down. It was dorky, Tom had thought, but Kate had secretly loved the warmth his household radiated, the safety of it.

"A doctor," Tom said casually as he flipped channels on the TV. set, "What about you Kate, have you decided?"

"No," she said.

"Then you can be my wife," he said smiling at her and wiping the grape moustache from his upper lip.

Kate punched him in the arm, "That's not a profession."

"Sure, you can be Dr. Tom Brennan's wife and we'll have babies and taco nights."

"Taco nights?" Kate giggled, "I don't do taco nights."

"So does it hurt much?" Sawyer asked.

"Does what hurt?" Juliet asked him.

"What you having a blonde moment? Your neck Lorelei."

Juliet rolled her eyes at her latest blonde nickname, "No, not much. Jack rubbed some aloe on it last night and it's gotten better."

"Did he now? I bet he did," he smirked.

"Really," Juliet feigned shock but couldn't resist bursting into a fir of giggles, her nose scrunching up and her cheeks reddening.

"Ahh young love," Sawyer said sarcastically.

"I heard about you and Kate," she said turning serious.

"Nothing's private here I see," he sighed.

"Hurley told Jack this morning, you know he can't keep a secret," she told him.

"And did the Doc run to comfort Kate?"

"No," Juliet said sharply, "James you shouldn't have left her."

"Because I keep her away from Jack."

"No James, because she needs you," Juliet said.

….

Finally the crowd had dispersed, leaving Jack, Locke and Hurley to finish burying Charlie. The sun was setting but the air was hot and the toil drew beads of sweat on the men's bodies.

Kate lingered behind after handing Aaron to Sun, Claire to distraught to tend to him. She watched as the sand covered what was left of the one time pop star.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," the preacher recited over Tom's coffin.

Kate fidgeted with her wig, the red hair not quite suiting her skin tone. She was racked with guilt after her escape from the law caused Tom's death. She walked away, rubbing at her swollen eyes and heading to the nearest pay phone, dialling the familiar number of the marshal assigned to capture her.

"You know why I did it," she cried.

"It doesn't matter why darling, only that you did it."

"Please," she pleaded.

"Turn yourself in Katherine," he said.

"No, you'll never catch me."

The marshal laughed, "Kate, the only way I won't catch you is if you have some sort of magical good luck charm."

"And you need her," Juliet finished.

"Is that so," he said.

"Let it go James," Juliet said standing up and starring down at him.

"Let what go?"

"This hatred you have for yourself."

"And here I thought Michael killed the shrink," he said referring to Libby.

Juliet sighed and dug deep into her pants pocket. She pulled out a piece of crumpled up paper and handed it to him. Sawyer took it.

"From one outsider to another," she said.

Sawyer scrunched up his forehead in confusion but smoothed out the piece of paper.

"Is this your home address or something? We gonna be pen pals?"

"No James, it's his address."

Sawyer stood up slowly and stared into her clear blue eyes.

"Whatcha talking about Juliet?"

The sharpness with which he said her actual name made Juliet's heart grow cold, but she swallowed it down and met his stare.

"Because I know the need for revenge and when we get off this island you can have yours," she told him.

"How do you know he's even still at this place?"

"I know," she said pausing for effect before adding, "Then Sawyer can die, and James can live." With that Juliet turned and walked away.

"And what exactly do you want in return?" Sawyer shouted, the waves carrying his voice to her.

She turned and calmly smiled, staring at him before leaving quietly.

….

"There you are," Jack said as Juliet walked towards him, "I was getting worried."

She flashed him a huge smile and ran her knuckles over his brow, "Worrying gives you wrinkles," she teased.

"Is that so?" he asked pulling her to him and smacking her butt lightly. She laughed and kissed his cheek, making her way to his neck, sucking on his pulse point.

"Hey not in public," he warned her as he felt the familiar heat rise in his stomach.

"Yes, Dr. Sheppard," she said sternly. He looked deeply at her, gazing into her face in silence.

"You okay?" Juliet asked.

Jack nodded, "Long day."

"It's done then, he's buried?" she asked softly.

"He's buried Juliet. He isn't going to hurt you anymore," Jack reassured her.

Juliet grasped his shoulders tightly, "If only he were the only one."

….

Kate sat against a tree, the tears flowing freely down her sun kissed face. She twirled the little plane in her fingers, lifting it to her breast and saying a silent prayer for forgiveness. She curled up into the fetal position and closed her eyes, sobbing loudly now. She was so focused on her pain she hadn't heard him come up behind her, didn't feel him until his arms were already around her.

"It's okay Freckles," he said.

"Sawyer," she whispered and buried her face in his chest. The hand still holding the toy plane grabbed at his shirt, holding on for dear life.

"Shh, don't cry now," he said stroking her hair, "I'm here now."

Kate tried to stifle her cries and said, "I thought we weren't love."

"We're not," he said as she looked up into his face. Sawyer starred into her green eyes before pushing her head back down against his chest, holding her close to his heart.