Worth It All
Summary: Juliet lets go of Sawyer's hand, but what would have happened if she hadn't set off the bomb? Could Sawyer have saved her? Would he have risked his own life, to get her back?
"Don't you let go."
"I love you James."
"No."
"I love you so much."
"No, don't let go."
Her grasp on his hand slipped indefinitely, and he watched with wide eyes as she fell. It seemed almost endless, and he knew that there was no way she could survive a fall like that.
"Sawyer. Jack help me."
He heard the voices calling him back, but he could force himself to move. He loved her, and he just watched her fall to her death. How in the world could they think he cared if he lived or died now. Even still, they didn't give him a choice. He felt two sets of arms pulling him backwards, when all he really wanted was to dive head first down the 'rabbit hole' so to speak. All he wanted was to see Juliet's face once more. To hear her voice. He hadn't felt like this before. Not with Cassidy, not even with Kate. He thought it had been love, but it was just lust. It was just the fact that Jack wanted her too. What he felt for Juliet was real and pure, and it was gone. He didn't need, didn't want anything or anyone else.
"She's gone!"
It was the only thing he could bring himself to say. Sure there were other things he wanted to say, but he just couldn't get his mind to work enough to say them. He wanted to scream for someone to help him. For someone to let him go down there. He wanted, no, he needed to save her. At least to try to save her. If anything else, he needed to get her body out of the damned tomb that she was in before he couldn't. He couldn't even think of leaving her in there. She deserved a proper burial. It's not like it would be the first, and knowing this god-forsaken place, it wouldn't be the last. Fighting against the shock that wanted to make his world go black, he finally found his tongue.
"Please, help me."
He pulled himself out of Kate's grasp and crawled on his stomach toward the 'rabbit hole.'
"Sawyer, there's no way--"
"Don't you tell me that! There is always a way dammit."
Leaning over the hole, and feeling Jack grab a hold of his legs he let his eyes adjust to the darkness and then peered with everything in him down the hole. Hoping, praying that maybe he would see some sort of movement. Anything that would point to Juliet being alive.
"Jack! I think I hear something. You got a flashlight with you?"
"No. Wait, Kate check that jeep over there. See if there's a flashlight in there."
"Tell her to hurry. If she's alive, she's gonna be hurt bad. We need to get her out of here."
"Sawyer, don't get your hopes up. The chances of her surviving a fall like that--"
"Don't talk to me about chances Doc. We're on a damned island that nobody can find. The damn thing moved. Oh, and by the way, we went back in time to the seventies. So please, drop the chances bullshit, because I don't give a damn!"
"That's the Sawyer, we all know and love."
"Shove it Doc."
"Here," Kate said, as she handed a flashlight down the Sawyer.
"Thanks Freckles."
Flicking the light on, he shone it down the dark hole.
"I think I see something. I can't tell. Juliet—you there. Answer me. I got your back, remember. Please. If you can hear me, answer me."
"H-elp."
The voice was weak, but it was there. It was all the conformation Sawyer needed.
"Get me a damn rope. She's alive."
"How do you know?"
"She said, help. Now, either get me a rope, or I'm jumping in head first. Your choice Doc."
"Kate, was there rope in that jeep?"
"Yeah, a couple of them. Sawyer, your not--"
"Well hell yeah I am. I love her, she needs me. I promised her that I had her back, and dammit I ain't gonna break that promise. I don't care if it's the last damned thing I do."
"Don't say that!"
"I'll say whatever I want Freckles. She needs me. What would you do, if Jacko boy over there needed you? You wouldn't leave him to die. That's for damned sure. Now, if you don't mind. Go get me that rope."
He watched as she sulked off toward the jeep.
"Be careful. When you get down there, I need you to tell me how badly she's hurt."
Jack paused as he grabbed the walkie-talkie off of Phil's body. Then picked up one that was just laying on the ground.
"Keep her talking, keep her awake. Tie the rope around her waist. Me and Kate will pull her up. After we get her up, we'll throw the rope back, and pull you up."
"Promise me, you'll save her."
Sawyer looked at Jack, with frightened eyes. Eyes that said, please help me. It was a look that scared Jack to his very core.
"I will promise to do my best. I will do everything in my power."
Sawyer shook his head, then took the rope that Kate was extending.
"I hope it's long enough."
Kate voiced the worry that neither of the guys wanted to acknowledge. It had to be long enough. She fell that far and survived. The rope had to be long enough, that would just be wrong and cruel on so many levels.
"It will be."
Sawyer's voice was rugged and dangerous and it scared Kate to a point where she saw a different side of Sawyer. Slowly, he started his descent. Creeping, further and further down, he decided to let Juliet know that he was coming.
"I'm coming Blondie. Don't you dare give up. Talk to me. Let me know your still there."
"J-ames?" Her voice was weak and ragged, but she was still awake.
"Yes, don't you worry. I'm gonna get you outta here. You're gonna be alright."
Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, Sawyer's feet touched solid ground. He saw Juliet's broken body, and didn't understand how she could still be awake, let alone alive.
"Hey there. Talk to me Blondie. Come on."
"Y-our—h-ere."
"Of course I am. Now, didn't I just promise you that I had your back?"
She tried to smile at him, but it looked more like a grimace. He took out his walkie-talkie and held down the button.
"She don't look so hot there Doc. She's lost a lot of blood. I can't tell how bad her injuries are—it's too dark, and I'm afraid to jostle her."
"Okay, get that rope around her."
Sawyer lifted her forward enough to tie the rope around her, and had to think of other things when she cried out in pain. He laid her down, and brushed a bloody strand of hair out of her face.
"We're gonna get you out of here. It's gonna hurt, but you need to stay with us. You need to stay awake. You hear me."
"Y-es."
After kissing her forehead, he grabbed for his walkie-talkie again.
"She's ready."
Without another word, she started to lift up out of the hole. Her cries of pain broke Sawyer's heart. He felt somewhat to blame for her pain.
"Just hold on," he whispered as she climbed further and further up.
After a few minutes, his radio crackled to life.
"I'm not sure about anything Internal. I'll have to get her back to the other's camp. From what I can see, is some broken bones—her stomach is a little ridged which can be caused from a few things. I'm thinking that she might make it, but we need to hurry."
Just as he finished the rope fell from above, and Sawyer grabbed a hold, tying it securely around his waist.
"Lift."
Was all he said into his walkie-talkie.
Two Days Later
"Come on Beautiful. Open those eyes."
Sawyer leaned back in the chair that had been his residence since they had gotten Juliet out of the hole. His hand held hers gingerly. Jack had promised that despite her many injuries, she would make a full recovery. He told Sawyer how lucky she was to even be alive, let alone not have any internal bleeding, or head injuries. He felt her stir only slightly under his hand.
"James?"
Her voice was rough, and sounded breakable, but she was awake. She was talking to him.
"Oh thank god."
For the first time in a real long time, James Ford cried. He held her good hand up to his lips, kissed it gently and cried.
"You kept your promise."
She smiled softly at him.
"I love you—So much."
"I love you too James."
She reached up and caressed his cheek, as the tears fell freely from his eyes.