Foolish Games

"Well would you look at that! I actually cooked something that didn't cause some kind of disaster in the kitchen," Sawyer said, looking at Juliet triumphantly.

"You've really improved, James," said Juliet, not meeting his eyes.

She had looked at the almost hopeful expression on his face and quickly decided not to tell him how incredibly bland his soup really was. He was progressing as a cook in the sense that he could now boil hot water and chop the ingredients properly, but she was afraid that he lacked in the sensory department.

"So what're we cooking next?"

"James," Juliet said quickly, "You remember our deal, don't you? You said two weeks. It's been 13 days—"

"Yeah? What about it?"

Juliet looked at him, open mouthed for a moment before continuing, "Don't you remember what Horace said?"

When he decided to play dumb and shook his head, she grabbed glasses off the counter and placed them on the bridge of her nose. Then she released her hair from her loose bun and faced him with a serious expression on her face.

"No hard feelings, Lafleur, but you're not exactly Dharma material," she said, trying to imitate Horace's soft but patronizing tone. "You and your crew can stay for two more weeks to look for your people."

"You ain't gonna win an Oscar with that performance," Sawyer said chuckling.

He reached out and removed his glasses from her face, noting the angry expression growing on her face. "I still don't get what your problem is, Sunshine."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she walked toward him. "Don't play dumb, James, it's unbecoming of you. Horace hasn't even mentioned the plans for our departure yet. He was so adamant about us leaving and now he seems inexplicably amiable towards us, you in particular. What the hell is going on, James?"

Suddenly he felt very nervous, and her close proximity didn't help matters. "Well, I—"

There was a sharp knocking on the door and Sawyer thanked whoever was standing on the other side of the door for their amazing timing.

"I better go get that. It could be that the hippie wants to deliver the good news," he lied.

Juliet blocked his path and eyed him suspiciously. "Seeing as this is my house," she said, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him slightly, "I think that I should be answering the door."

She unlatched the door and opened it wide, revealing a smirking Miles.

He looked past her at Sawyer who was making throat-cutting gestures at his own throat and his smirk grew wider, "Is there something wrong with your throat, Sawyer? Or is that gesture supposed to mean something to me?"

"Son-of-a—"

"Language," Juliet said half heartedly to him before turning her attentions back to Miles. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well," he drawled, enjoying every moment of Sawyer's agony, "I just wanted to know if you were aware of the new arrangements."

"You know Miles," Sawyer said suddenly, "I think someone's calling you. You better go find out what they want."

Juliet ignored him. "What arrangements?"

"Well, your trusty boyfriend over there worked his magic and persuaded Horace to let us stay for another two months, provided we don't tell anyone what we've seen, and we pull our weight as much as we can while we're here."

Juliet remained calm, turned toward Sawyer and said, "Is that so, James?"

"Look, Juliet. I just thought we were being really unrealistic about this whole 'leave the island' plan. I did it for the benefit of the group—"

She silenced him with a glare. "You made me a promise, James. You looked me in the eye and promised we would leave in two weeks."

"What're we, two years old? You should know by now that a promise don't mean a damn thing. Quit being so immature about it and just—"

"Get out."

Sawyer looked up at her, surprised. "I'm sure you don't really mean that. I mean, did you really think you could leave the island and start a life somewhere—"

"I said get out James."

"Well now, hold on a second there Lucy! You're bein' completely unreasonable!"

Suddenly, Miles felt more awkward than amused. "I think she said you should get out, Jim."

Sawyer rounded on him, anger flashing in his eyes. "Shut up, Bruce. This don't concern you."

Miles held up his hands defensively and inched away from Juliet's door. "That's the last time I participate in a lover's spat," he said, turning on his heel and walking in the direction of his house. "When you're done making up, I think we really need to discuss what our next plan of action is. 'Cause we can't depend on this hospitality forever."

"Isn't that true James? How long do you really plan on staying here?" asked Juliet as though Miles had interrupted them. "I don't think I'm being unreasonable in thinking we'll have eventually overstayed our welcome. And I'm ready to leave this place as soon as I'm able, which very well may be today—"

"How 'bout we make a little proposition, Juliet?"

She shook her head, ignoring the curiosity that had risen due to his comment. "You already made me a promise once and you broke it. I'm beginning to think you don't believe in upholding your part of the bargain."

He placed his palm on the small of her back and gently pushed her inside the house. His gentle gestures almost caught her off guard and forget her anger. Almost.

Sawyer kept his hand on Juliet a little longer than necessary, temporarily loosing himself in the feminine curve of her back, before remembering exactly what he had wanted to say.

"Say I challenge you to something of your choosing. If I win, you have to agree to stay for another two months—"

"Two weeks."

He smiled widely. "The sub won't be comin' back for at least another three weeks, Juliet. How about taking a wager and walking on the wild side for a change."

Though she didn't believe him for a second, his dimples superseded her initial suspicion. She briefly thought he shouldn't be allowed to smile in her house if it had this much of an effect on her.

She mentally berated herself for thinking such thoughts towards a man like Sawyer, dimples be damned.

"Alright," she said ignoring the odd feeling in her chest. "As long as I get to pick the stakes. And we won't be doing anything that involves indecent exposure."

Sawyer snapped his fingers, feigning disappointment. "I guess that means strip poker is out."

She refrained from hitting him and gave him a fierce glare instead. "Not even an option. We're going to race from here to the dock and whoever gets there first wins."

"Not nearly as interesting as my suggestion, but I guess beggars can't be choosers."

Juliet shook her head, smiling. "If this is what you call begging, I think you need to refine your technique. And don't take me too lightly, James, or you'll regret it. When I lived in Portland, I used to run four miles a day because Edmund—"

She stopped.

"Who the hell is Edmund?"

She waved her hand impatiently, hiding her instant fear at her outburst. "Right. Who the hell is Edmund."

Sawyer looked at her strangely before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, even if you did run four miles a day back in the real world, it doesn't change the fact that you're gonna lose."

"Is that so?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow while heading towards the door to grab her shoes. "We'll just have to see about that."

A few minutes later, they stood in front of Juliet's house, arms forward and eyes concentrated ahead of them. Juliet turned to look at Sawyer, a mocking smile on her face. "If you still want to back out, now's your chance. But I'm sorry to say that you're about to face a really humiliating defeat."

He smiled again, knowingly. "You keep thinkin' that, but don't start crying if you lose."

Juliet decided to ignore this comment. "Alright. On three. One. Two. Thr—"

She should have known James was the type that didn't adhere to rules. But then again, if he wasn't going to, neither was she.

Though her legs were much shorter than his own, she was easily able to catch up with him in a matter of seconds. "Looks like your head start didn't do you too much good."

He turned around, startled. "How did you catch up with me so quickly?"

"Magic."

He smirked. "Well you're going to need a lot more than magic to—whoa!"

Juliet had stuck her leg out, causing Sawyer to fall flat on his face. "That's what you get for not playing by the rules, James," she said simply, sprinting ahead of him."

She heard him mumble something along the lines of "I think you broke my goddamned ankle!" and she hesitated for a second, wondering if she should fall for such an obvious diversionary tactic. However, Doctor Juliet seemed to win the battle between her heart and logic.

She turned on her heel and headed back where he had fallen. "Let me see it."

"What, so you can make sure you did the job properly?" he asked snidely.

Juliet glared at him and grabbed his ankle roughly. She moved it from left to right in her hand, causing him to wince slightly. "It looks pretty swollen."

Sawyer rolled his eyes. "Brilliant deduction, Sherlock."

Juliet stood up and, for a moment, Sawyer believed she was going to leave him sitting in the ground. But, much to his surprise, she held out her hand and helped him on his feet. He placed his arm around her shoulders to support himself, completing the awkward one-armed hug.

He suddenly had déjà vu. The feeling of being injured, leaning on the frame of a woman was all to familiar to him. However the feeling in his chest was not uneasy or anticipatory as it had been with Kate. He simply felt extremely comfortable and warm, like the shapes of their bodies were somehow complimentary.

He didn't have time to contemplate this odd discovery further because he soon noticed that Juliet was instead carrying him in the direction of the docks rather than his house.

"You trying to lead me to a secluded place when I'm completely defenseless and take advantage of me? I never took you for that kind of wom—"

She jabbed him painfully in the side with her elbow, causing him to gasp in pain, and continued to walk in the direction of the dock. "Your injury won't prevent me from causing you further pain, so watch what you say to me."

"Jesus! Did you get combat training or something? You seem to know just where to hit a man so it hurts."

"Sometimes I wonder if you're really a man at all."

"Well I sure ain't a woman," he said suggestively, causing her to almost jab him again. "And you still didn't answer my question."

Juliet sighed. The weight of his body was starting to take a toll on hers and the smell of him was overpowering her senses. "I got mugged once when I first traveled to the city. The man didn't have a gun or anything, but he overpowered me and broke my arm in four different places. After that, I took some extensive self defense lessons."

"Well they sure as hell paid off."

Juliet smiled deviously. "I'm so glad that you think so. Maybe now you'll keep your assholish behavior to a minimum."

"No chance in hell."

"Well, we're here."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I hope you don't expect me to feel grateful or excited. I'm not exactly why you brought me to the damn dock anyways. Are you just trying to gloat because you beat me?"

"Actually James," Juliet said, smiling, "I lost because I caused you physical harm. So you win by default. So you got two more months out of me. Next time, you won't be so lucky."

"As long as I'm around, you ain't leavin', Juliet."

She was speechless for a moment. Why did he care so much that she stayed on this island anyway? Sure, they were slowly forming an odd sort of friendship, but their bond was still relatively loose. There was no real reason for him to be acting this way, actually wanting her to stay with him.

"Says you," she said simply. She decided not to address the issue with him until a later date. It was presumptuous of her to discern what his though process was. "Another sub will come in two months, and I'm going to make sure I'm on it whether you like it or not."

She sat down on the dock, bringing Sawyer down with her. It took her a moment to realize that his arm was wrapped strongly around her shoulders. She hadn't noticed it when they were walking because, at the time, it had seemed like the most natural thing to her. Now she was starting to feel a little nervous.

"I'm not gonna to let you go 'cause you won't know what to do when you get there. It's 1974, in case you haven't noticed. Though I feel like a broken record when ever we bring this up. Nothin' on this island is scarier than what's out there in the real world."

She felt a small pang of disappointment at his explanation, but shoved it to the deepest recesses of his mind. "I can handle myself, James."

He growled, suddenly irritated. "Hell if I don't know that. But it don't change the fact that the it's not the world you know. I just want you to know I'll do as much as I can to prevent you from getting yourself hurt. And if I have to ruin your chances of getting off the island, then so be it."

The butterflies were back full force and suddenly she could feel a bit of heat rising to her cheeks. "We'll just see who wins then?"

"I guess we will. But in the mean time, those cooking lessons are still on."

Juliet smiled, wryly. "How do you know I haven't given up on you entirely? Your cooking escapades have not proven to be very successful."

"I know you believe in me, or else you would have stopped trying a long time ago."

"Actually, unlike you, I was just sticking to a commitment I'd made," she said, giving him a knowing look. "Let me see your ankle again."

She held his foot, gingerly this time, and slowly pulled off his socks, then his shoes.

Sawyer winked at her. "Thought we weren't playin' strip poker."

Juliet ignored him and placed his foot in the cool water beneath them. She used her fingers to slowly massage his swollen ankle, hoping the cool water would serve to numb a little of his pain.

She gasped a little when his arm tightened around her shoulders, but she figured it was a reaction to the pain she was causing.

On the contrary, Sawyer wasn't feeling pain at all. Sure his ankle was swollen, but it had been swollen even before they had raced each other. In fact, he had banged his food against hard against the door frame on the way to Juliet's house that morning, but she didn't need to know that.

He concentrated on the feelings of her cool hands on his swollen foot under the water and closed his eyes. If she didn't use magic when she was running, she was definitely using magic now. Her fingers were soft and gentle and to him seemed in discord with her entire demeanor. Yet another one of her intriguing attributes to add to the ever growing list.

Suddenly, she let go of his foot and straightened her body once more. Then she looked him in the eye, her own face impassive. "You do know I'm a doctor don't you?"

He looked puzzled. "Yes of course."

She blinked and waited for another response. When he didn't continue, she shrugged his arm off her shoulder and looked calmly ahead of her before quickly adding, "I hope you can swim."

"Why—"

Before he could respond, she shoved him forward into the ocean and stood up, preparing to leave. However, the idea of seeing James soaked and surprised made her reconsider her exit.

He resurfaced, spluttering. "Well, I can't say I didn't deserve that, tryin' to con you and all."

"Of course you did."

He ignored her comment. "So then, who won?"

"Even though you played dirty, I have to commend you on your efforts. I guess I have to stay two more months, to appease you."

She held out her hand to pull him up, yet again. "I suppose we should head—"

Sawyer grabbed her hand and pulled her off the dock and into the water before she could complete her thought.

It was her turn to resurface, bewildered at the turn of events. "Well I guess I should have seen that coming."

"Of course you should've."

She shook her head, smiling, then used the sturdy wood of the dock to hoist herself up. "Don't think I've forgotten why I was angry at you in the first place."

He copied her action and sat down next to her as if nothing had happened. "But you're not angry anymore, are you?"

She looked at the sun setting beautifully in the sky and truly contemplated his question. "No. I'm not angry, James."

He smirked, laying on his back staring at the sky above. "Then I consider this mission accomplished."

She shook her head, following suit. "Just don't think this is your get out of jail free card. I let you win this time, but next time when I want to leave, I won't be so nice."

"Well if that's the case," Sawyer said, turning on his side to face her. "Let the games begin."

Hey, guys! I'm not dead, I promise! I just have to take so many IB exams that I feel like my head will explode. Once that's all over and done with, I will update more frequently. I gave you an extra special long chapter to make up for it though! This chapter was inspired by "Foolish Games" by Jewel! I know I keep promising a Ben chapter, but I always begin to write it and it evolves into something else. The next chapter MIGHT be "Ben", "Bumblebee," or "Scream." One is funny, one is sexy and the other is melancholy. Care to guess which is which? Anyways, tell me what you think! I promise to try to update sooner, but I'm trying not to burn out here, so it might take me another week.

Miki-Hime