Quick Note: Umm... reviews? Please? Just so I know I'm not wasting my time here... Seriously, if I don't think anyone is liking this, I'll stop. (And if you want to tell me to stop, well, I'd prefer it if you lied.)

The last chapter was very random, I know. This story works on a present/flashback basis. And there is a plot somewhere – I'll find it somewhere in the next few chapters.

Chapter Two

Sawyer saw the shot, heard the shot, saw Jack fall, heard Kate scream... everything around him blurred. He felt dizzy, and sick. How could this shit be happening? After everything they'd gone through so far, now they had to survive an attack from the people who were supposed to be rescuing them!

Suddenly, enough of his senses returned for him to notice Kate, leaning down to Jack, her voice, calling out to Jack... her worry for Jack. It sickened him, and he wanted to turn away. But then he caught a flash, saw something out of the corner of his eyes – one of the attackers was pointing a gun, right at Kate!

With a roar, Sawyer launched himself forward. How he covered that distance in less than a second, no-one would be able to tell him. He grabbed Kate, and helped her run, towards the trees, the jungle – their only hope. The gun fired behind them, and he felt the bullet sizzle past his back. Kate was struggling against him, trying to go back, like she always did – trying to go back for Jack. Sawyer closed his eyes, and pushed on. Only a few more metres, and they would be safe. Just a few more metres. It didn't help that Kate was using every muscle in her body to fight him, scratch him, push him away.

He knew if he let her go, she'd be killed. And even if he couldn't have her, he wasn't selfish enough to say no-one could have her. Her screams were digging at him, and he closed his heart to it. Another step, and they'd be in the jungle. Just one more step...

"You shouldn't have done it," Kate said. Sawyer ignored her. She wasn't really talking to him. Really, she was sulking. He didn't know she could do that, but the sullen tone and heavy steps behind him proved it. "Did you hear me? You should have left me there!"

"Weren't no chance of that happening, Sugar. I was getting you off that damn beach, no matter how many times you hit me."

He still felt sick. They were walking through serene jungle, the leaves around them barely stirring. Safe. But he still felt sick. People he'd known and lived with ever since the crash were still on that beach. Dead. Dying. Captured. He was almost sure Jack was dead. Though maybe not. He couldn't think about it now.

"Why did you come back?" Kate asked.

"I saw smoke. Knew something was wrong."

"So? Since when do you care?"

"When do you think I stopped caring?" Sawyer asked, spinning around to face her. She raised defiant eyes, and he stared right back. Neither of them moved. The creak of crickets sounded, but neither noticed.

"I never stopped caring," Sawyer muttered. "Good thing, too. Weren't for me, you'd be back there with a chunk of lead in your side!"

"Maybe that's where I should be," Kate said grimly. He could only stare at her.

"My God, Kate – it's been a week! One week that we haven't spoken, and you're already suicidal!"

"I'm not suicidal. I'm just saying –"

"What? You deserve it?" From the way she bit her lip and wouldn't look at him, he knew he'd hit on the truth. He wished he could say things had been going well before he'd left, but if they had been, he probably wouldn't have left in the first place. His absence had only allowed the wound to fester.

"You don't understand, Sawyer," Kate said, and continued walking forward. With an unhappy sigh, he followed her.

"Where are we going, exactly?" he asked, taking a few long strides to catch up to her. It was the first thing either of them had said since their last spat of conversation, which had been at least an hour ago, each of them focusing on their own thoughts.

"I'm following you," Kate replied, then stopped, noticing his superior smirk.

"Amazing how you can do that when you're out in front," he said, taking another step closer. She scowled, and kept walking. Normally, that was the sort of smart-arse comment that would see her struggling not to smile, but today wasn't normal. Today wasn't even close to being anywhere near normal. Sawyer sighed, and started after her.

"My feet hurt," he complained when she picked up the pace. The childish whine was enough to make her stop again. Now that he could actually see her face, he reiterated his question. "So, where are we going?"

"Don't know," Kate replied wearily. "Away. Anywhere."

"Where's that?" Sawyer asked cheekily. For a second, she almost smiled. Then her face clouded over.

"That's not funny," she snapped, stalking away from him.

"It is funny. You're just not in a laughing mood," he replied.

"Wonder why that would be?" she remarked sarcastically. Then she stopped. Sawyer also stopped, a step behind her. A shiver ran down his spine. Something in her voice, the tension in her shoulders, warned him, and he stepped backwards –

– as she spun around and punched him. Or tried to. His back peddle was enough for her to miss, and overbalance. He caught her as she tripped, and pulled her towards him.

"Y'know, where I come from, domestic violence is a big problem," he said, holding her loosely. She glared up at him, but he didn't miss the flicker in her eyes. The desire. The anxious, brooding fear.

"Let me go," she said, wrenching herself away. But he hadn't been holding her tightly, and all she did was trip over again. Feeling clumsy and even more irritated, she picked herself up, and he winced.

"Ooh, I'm in big trouble now," he said softly. His calm, easy manner was cracking her. He could see she was struggling not to hit him. He was surprised she couldn't see how forced it was – he wasn't immune to pain. He hadn't been blind to the pain and violence on the beach. But he was a soldier at heart, and knew it was in the past – all he could do now was get away from here, save Kate, stop her from falling into the well of misery he felt just under her skin. They couldn't cry until they were safe.

"Shut up," she whispered, her hands clenched. He smirked.

"Why?" The superior smile never left his face. She could see he was mocking her, taunting her.

"SHUT UP!" she yelled, taking a step towards him. Alarmed, he moved back, then immediately berated himself for it. He wondered if she would start crying. God, he hoped not.

"Kate," he said, losing the smirk and moving towards her once again.

"Go away," she snarled, marching into the jungle ahead of them. He waited a few moments, before shrugging to himself, and following her.