Disclaimer: I do not own Lost or its characters. I only own the story in my head.

Summary: They changed everything. Flight 815 never crashed, the island is underwater, and the same people are living different lives. So they think, because fate as other plans.

Sideways Stories from the Castaways

James

James Ford runs in the hospital as they wheel the pregnant woman alongside him. He tells the doctors what little he knows. She kept screaming so they couldn't get her name. He sighs he'd have to bring in the criminal to tell them, he didn't really want to give her any chances to escape. He was able to catch her easily but she wasn't stupid and had been on the run for two years now. So he couldn't let his guard down. He told the nurses to take care of the woman and he'd be back with more information.

He walks her in still in handcuffs to tell the nurses what she knows about the woman they brought in.

"Do you have a habit of befriending the people you mug?" Miles asks her with a small grin. She just looks at him and ignores him.

He'd have to fill out paperwork for this detour and he hated that. "As soon as this is done" he says holding up the papers. "You can make yourself a nice cozy home in prison."

"We're not staying?" She asks surprised.

"Why would we stay Lola? We deliver criminals not babies. She'll be fine; the doc's will take care of her." He says looking back at his paper work.

"Please, I need to know if she's ok, if the baby's ok." She pleads.

His hand stops writing from the tone of her voice and he looks up at her confused. "It ain't your kid, why are you so worried?" he asks.

She looks at him "I don't know." She says sincerely. "I just have to know that they're going to be ok."

James looked at her and shook his head he didn't know why he was going to give in. He didn't know why he cared, this woman was a murderer but he felt a connection with her, which was impossible. When his parents were murdered, he made it his life's mission to find the man that did it and put him behind bars. He became a cop to stop that from happening to anyone else. He had an eye for anyone using fake documents and from that he was able to catch killers and con men and women.

Why did he feel he should help this one? She set a house on fire killing a man and felt she was above paying for her crimes. But when he looked at her face, he wanted to help her and for some reason he also wanted to make sure the Australian and her baby were ok. "Fine, we can stay here, but as soon as she gives birth, you're going to jail." He tells her.

"Thank you." She says with tears forming in her eyes.

"And if you cause any trouble that deals off." He adds.

"I won't, thank you again" she tells him smiling.

They take the elevator up the fourth floor and find some chairs in the waiting area that were away from everyone else. While Miles holds her he takes the handcuffs off, puts them on again with her hands in front and throws a jacket over them. He still had no idea why he was being so nice.

"What are you to going to tell Isobel?" Miles asks him as they wait.

"The Chief doesn't know we have her yet, I'll just say we're still looking but hot on her trail." He says leaning back on the plastic chair, the he gets up again. "Want somethin' to drink?" he asks them.

He puts the quarters in the slot and presses the button and he reaches in through the flap to grab the soda. He places that on top of the other two and starts walking back towards them when he sees her, a goddess. Long straight blonde hair and the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. He was lost in them, he forgot about everything, where he was, what he was doing. All he saw was her. He follows her eyes as they followed his. His heart beats against his chest as he stares at her.

In his mind he sees himself holding her close, with one hand caressing her cheek as he leans to kiss her. Where was that thought coming from? She was beautiful but he's never seen her before and he was having thoughts of being with her, not just run of the mill fantasy thoughts, intimate thoughts of having known her for years. He shakes his head trying to think of something of else while still keeping his eyes trained on her. They keep walking in different directions and he strains his neck to keep from losing sight of her. Then he blinks when she suddenly disappears from his view, he looks for her confused.

"Yo Romeo, are you going to stand there forever? I'm thirsty!" Miles says pulling him out of his trance.

"Calm down Mr. Miyagi, patience is a virtue." James retorts back.

"Mr. Miyagi is Japanese." Miles says taking his soda. "I'm Chinese so there is no patience for girl watching. Even if the blond you were staring at was hot."

James just shakes his head and opens the can, hands it to Kate and plops down next to her. He leans out on his chair to see if he can see her again. She was gone. He'd have to find her because he's never felt this way about anyone, he had to know her.

"Having a baby Officer Ford?" she says with a smile.

He looks up to see a red head standing in front of him. This was the last place he expected to see her. Their last encounter didn't go as smoothly as he hoped but he doesn't let that show and smiles back. "Charlotte Lewis" he says in a lazy southern drawl.