Thanx for reading y'all! Sorry but as I said this fic is gonna get pretty dark compared to my last one this is only the beginning:p and I am sorry, but please stick with me here;)

Chapter: 2: Discovery

Each dew drops soon evaporated with the breaking of the day. Morning formed into afternoon, and afternoon into evening. They had kept their focus but the atmosphere had lightened and Kate and Sawyer then carried on a conversation in an attempt to get to know each other on a different level. It had started when Kate had wished for a beer after taking a swig of water. Sawyer then scoffed saying he could guarantee he wanted one more. They had then begun to say what they missed and wanted most.

"Hershey's chocolate." Sawyer confessed after they had gone several rounds.

Kate laughed

"Are you serious? I did not take you for the chocolate type."

"Yeah, yeah. You turn."

"Ok, well. Back in the states I had a motorcycle." Sawyer smiled proudly that she had been one of those girls.

"Of course growing up there I new the area well, so I knew how to get away with stuff. A few Saturday mornings a month I would get up with the sun rise, at about 5:20 or so. And I would head out for the country roads. Nothing felt better then the feel of going hundred, hundred-twenty miles per hour down a country road." Kate sighed remembering the feel of a jacket on her shoulders and her black helmet covering her curly hair, and the feel of wind rushing against her body in the early morning. No one else was ever around then, no police, everyone in her town slept in on Saturday mornings, so she was alone.

"That's what I miss doing…your turn." Kate said.

"Alright Evil Knievel", Sawyer hesitated.

"I miss dating."

"Really?" Kate said half expecting some sexual innuendo to be said next.

"Hell yes, darlin' ya can't convince me you didn't like going out with someone now."

"Well, being on the run for so long I haven't dated in a while so yeah, I guess I do sort of miss it." She said in a nearly saddened tone

Kate stopped to think of her next statement.

"Uhm, when I got bored on date's I would fake sick and then go home and watch TV and eat ice cream."

Kate confessed. Slowly and surely the time of 'I miss, or I want' turned into a confessional.

"I have never had an official 'girlfriend"

"That doesn't surprise me." Kate said jokingly.

"Remember once I told you I had been married for a short time."

"Uh huh…"

"Well…" Kate hesitated, as if she wasn't sure as if she was up to giving this piece of information away. "We broke up cause he cheated on me."

Sawyer stopped walking and turned to look her in the eyes. Kate shifted her head to avoid his gaze.

"Stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop pitting me."

Sawyer moved closer, taking his left hand and bring it to the side of her face softly. He quickly kissed her gently pulling away tenderly. It had only been a small act of kindness but it meant much to Kate.

"Can I spoil the moment without you killin' me?"

Kate thought for a moment deciding whatever he had to tell her that he would ask permission first must be not only important but difficult to say.

"Sure."

"I… I uhm, I screwed her." Sawyer forced the words out.

"Her."

Kate backed away from him. She did not ask in a questioning tone. Almost as if she knew already. It hurt her but she needed to hear him say it.

"Ana Lucia."

The name rang in her ears as Kate tried to comprehend his words.

"How could you?" Kate said with disgust, backing away further. Sawyer made no attempt to reach for her; he did not apologize although he wanted too.

"When?"

"The day she…"

Kate forgot all sense of sympathy. A small part of Kate told her that as any human being should that she should feel compassion, regret, anything except hate for a poor innocent murder victim, but she couldn't. Hate piled up inside her, she had never felt such jealousy arise so quickly. That is how Kate knew she would never feel about another person the way she did about Sawyer. Her head and heart ached. Blood pumping through her veins pounded in her ears. Rage filled her. The idea that Sawyer had been with an other women only weeks before made her sick, she knew no one could ever fully claim him as their own, but Kate from then on knew she would never let any one ever take him from her. Kate looked at Sawyer out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the regret and sorrow that filled him when he thought about the subject. She, that women, had done this to him, Kate thought. She had only had selfish ambition. Sawyer had once again been the victim of some one else self centered plot.

"If she wasn't dead, I would kill her." Kate chocked, finally looking him in the eyes. How true that statement was hurt her to her very core. Kate didn't want to see him suffer, Kate didn't want to see him have to confess and Kate did not want him to ever be with some one else ever again. The amount she cared about his life even before they were 'together' concerned her; because she had never felt that way before.

She didn't ask any more questions, she didn't want him to apologize; she knew he was sorry.

"I know."

Kate started to move once more, and it was never spoken of again. She was grateful he had told her, and she forgave him, but Kate never wanted to hear of if again.

They continued to walk in silence for a while till they neared the Other's camp site.

"That's strange. It doesn't look like any one is here."

Sawyer looked from behind a tree, Kate had been right the area looked deserted. They slowly walked out and headed for the huts.

"I'll look in the huts; you go check the hatch." Kate instructed Sawyer.

"As you wish, Princess Buttercup." Sawyer remarked sarcastically heading toward the hatch.

Once inside Sawyer quickly looked in the rooms, most of them were empty. He opened the doors to every room, all they held there tables, chairs, one held two bunk beds and some other dorm type junk. The last room Sawyer checked was the one he had been imprisoned in, the broken chair was still lay on the floor where he had last laid it The place had been vacated; almost as if they had been expecting their return. Once Sawyer realized the possibility that the Others might have been expecting them to come back a rush of fear passed through him and he ran out to check on Kate.

There she stood right before the hatch doors, only 10 or so feet away from him, in his grip.

"Howdy, Cowboy." The same icy voice that had addressed him only days before once again rang in his ear. The air in his lungs turned stale as he stood there watching her expression. She was brave; Kate had been in the situation before, so she didn't fear for her life, she trusted Sawyer to help her.

"What are you both doing around these parts?"

"Thought we'd see if the circus was in town today, guess we missed it." Sawyer said with a dangerous smile.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Some one you shouldn't mess with." The man answered with a cocky air about him. "So honestly hill billy, did we not make it clear? Since ya can't seem to keep away from her, guess I'll have to kill her."

"If you even touch her…" Sawyer threatened him.

"It's really a shame killing such a women of beauty as this one here. Ah well, It's all your fault James." The man looked down cross eyed at Kate, beneath his grip. He nearly pulled the trigger but a sudden burst of pain plunged up his leg from his shin. Sawyer had known better than to raise a gun, it would have been to obvious and the man would have been able to shoot her to quickly. He had kept the rifle at his side and barely raised it, yet just enough to aim for his lower leg to distract him.

Kate had kept her eyes on Sawyer the whole time, waiting for some sort of signal or sign, when he had slowly and discretely raise the rifle she had been ready herself. The man out of instinct reached down at his wound with his free hand. Kate ceased the opportunity; grabbing his arm that held the gun she twisted it around his body then pushed him onto the ground, she then took the gun from him and pressed it against the back of his neck.

"You wanna play it tuff big boy, then fine. Where is everyone?" Kate sat on his back, pushing down on his arm enabling him to move. Sawyer moved toward the two and kept the riffle ready.

Silence was the only answer Kate received. Quickly she got frustrated and tossed Sawyer the gun.

"Guard him." Kate commanded, reaching for her knife. She pulled it out and placed the edge lightly against the arch of his neck.

"So you don't want to talk? Well, we'll just make ya." Kate whispered into his ear.

"Where are they?" Kate asked again louder, pressing the knife deeper into his neck causing a small stream of blood to slowly drip from the wound and land on the ground tuning the dirt a dark tint of red.

"I failed, you might as well kill me, if you don't they will." The man replied

"Last chance." Sawyer warned.

"Just tell us." Kate demanded.

Once again silence was the one reply Sawyer and Kate received. Kate extended a hand asking for a gun.

"No."

"Sawyer, I can do this."

"No."

Kate stared at Sawyer, she had to let him do this for her, she decided she would let him protect her, he needed to. The mans words as much, as he would deny it, had, had an effect on him; Sawyer needed to know it wasn't his fault that she wasn't hurt, he needed to protect her, and she knew that.

"Fine."

In one quick motion Kate sat up from her position, heading toward Sawyer. He took the 9 millimeter in his hand and aimed it at the man.

The Other sat up, best he could, on his knees and looked at them both dead on.

This was the first clear view they had of the man. His face was smudged with dirt from where Kate had pushed him into the ground. Most likely about early thirties by the look if it, he had a square jaw and almond shaped eyes, the green color was contrasted by the pink sky at the beginning of the day's sun set. His brown shirt and pants where stained with blood.

"Any last words, Bucko?" Sawyer asked with a hit of sarcasm in his tone. No, fear crossed the mans face.

"It'll come back around."

And with that said, his last breath was breathed then his life ceased.