Ok, thanks to reviews from xox-emily-xox and SassyLostie. And don't worry, Sawyer and Kate aren't going their separate ways. Just read this chapter to see. :) And that means plenty more banter and flirting coming your way. I just needed these first chapters to lay down the basic premise. Now that's out of the way … Skate's a' coming.

This was originally intended as a longer peice of one chapter, so sorry if it feels like the story is coming out in fragments, but I thought I'd better update!

I hope you enjoy, and I'm not as confident with this fic as I am Home Sweet Home, so I need comments!

Enjoy!

Chapter 3 -

Sawyer stared after Kate, as she limped across the road, pausing at the pavement a little longer, just to make sure the road was clear this time. He watched as she lifted one foot to step down onto the road, and resigning himself to her leaving, he himself turned to go.

However just at that instant, out of the corner of his eye, Sawyer saw the girl stumble. She clearly stepped on a bad ankle, which collapsed beneath her, and unable to take the weight she was veered forwards, landing scruffily on the road with a yelp.

Before he registered what he was doing Sawyer was running forward. He was close enough to hear her when she looked around, and swore loudly.

"S!"

Behind her Sawyer smiled. Clearly if she was swearing she still had her wits about her.

" Easy on the language sweetheart, a stray kiddie might hear ya. "

Kate turned and saw Sawyer.

" Oh, it's you."

Sawyer didn't say anything, just bent down and grabbing Kate's arm and pulled her to her feet.

She protested anyway, trying to stall Sawyer by resting a hard on his arm.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!"

Sawyer chuckled at this girl's seemingly automatic response.

Kate righted herself, and pulled her arm away from Sawyer, frowning in indignation at his amusement. Sawyer quickly tried to sober up by pursing his lips together, From the frown she as wearing Kate could evidently tell he was still smiling however.

Tugging on her sweater to make it straighter, Kate rested on her one good foot, faced Sawyer, and addressed him in a formal tone.

"Well thanks for your help but I can make it back on my own."

Kate undermined her own sentence however by wobbling slightly on the spot, and wincing in pain. Sawyer observed this with a raised eye.

"Sweetheart, right now you're not going anywhere on your own. Except maybe in a damn wheelchair."

Sawyer paused, and looked to the side, considering. This girl clearly couldn't make it back on her own, not without picking up a couple of dozen scrapes along the way, in addition to those she already had. And knowing thathe wouldn't feel right just letting her go. Sawyer looked back at the girl, he hadly had a conscience but he doubted that helping this girl out would tarnish his otherwise infamous record. Besides, there might even be something good in it for him. In the back of his mind Sawyer smiled.

However, looking at the girl, "Annie", so indignant and wilfully independent, Sawyer doubted she would accept any open help.

While he considered this Kate crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Sawyer expectantly, silently waiting for what he had to say next.

" Which way is it back to your apartment?"

Kate's mind blanked.

She certainly hadn't been expecting that.

Sawyer could clearly tell.

" You hear me Freckles?"

Kate blinked and redirected her gaze toward Sawyer. Feeling like she wasn't exactly clued in, Kate repeated his question to her, just so she could really understand.

" You want to know where I live?"

" Yeah, do you have an apartment around here? "

Kate shook her head and corrected automatically.

" Bed sit"

" Ok, bed sit. " Sawyer conceded.

Kate nodded, not looking at Sawyer but at the ground, ponderingly.

It was a few seconds before she remembered Sawyer, and looked at him waiting for him to say something. Sawyer stared back, puzzled by her fickle attention, and waiting for her to say something.

" So? "

Kate didn't follow.

" So what?"

" Which is it back to your bed sit?"

Kate's mouth formed a little "o" as her brain clicked into place. And after it did, shelooked at Sawyer suspiciously.

"Why?"

Sawyer shrugged in a nonchalant manner.

" Just thought I'd walk you there."

Kate stared at Sawyer, then slowly the creases of her mouth started to turn upwards. She shook her head, and looked up at Sawyer, seemingly amused yet dismissive.

Adopting a smile she looked him straight in the eye and nodded.

" Well, thanks for proving chivalry isn't dead but really, I can take it from here. "

Kate expected Sawyer to disappointed, surprised even, because she could guess just from looking at him that this was a man who could easily have his way with the opposite sex. In fact his whole manner exuded the air of someone who could have his way with most things, but he didn't need to flaunt it.

Instead a dropping mouth, or slight indignation, surprise or even hurt, Sawyer nodded, quite as if he expected this.

" Well, ok. "

Kate was thrown, and stared at him in surprise. She'd have thought he would have put up more of a fight.

And before she could help it she blurted out.

"Really?"

Sawyer smiled genially, and replied.

"If that's what the lady wants."

Inside Kate felt like a small balloon in her stomach was deflating, she was strangely disappointed, and even felt a little insulted. So sure she had been that this"Sawyer" would have been the persistent type and that he had taken an interest in her.

She looked at him, and saw he was staring at her with the same expression she had been expecting to be using on him. Quickly she realised that she must be the one looking disappointed now, and that he had somehow switched around their positions, giving him all the power. And instead of disappointment, Kate now felt anger flare up.

Drawing herself together Kate kicked the hesitant tone out of voice and matched Sawyer's expression of perfect neutrality.

" Goodbye then."

Sawyer nodded in agreement, now smiling.

" So it is"

Kate burned as he smiled at her for the second time, mocking her, and so was infuriated to fin herself nodding back. Blinking she shook her head and turned.

For the second time Kate turned toward the edge of the parked cars, so she could check the road. She paused there, a lingering feeling staring her in the back.

Quickly, she brushed her hair behind her shoulder, and in doing so turned her head to the left, catching a view of what, or who, was behind her.

Kate jumped in surprise when she found the man was standing right next to her.

Surprised she spoke without thinking,

"What are you doing?"

Sawyer shrugged nonchalantly.

" I'm walking this way. "

" But I'm walking this way."

" Well, I'm sorry, Freckles, I didn't realise you owned the sidewalk."

" You weren't walking this way before."

"How do you know?"

" What so you just happen to be walking my way huh?"

The man grinned.

" Stranger things have happened Freckles."

Kate's mouth fell open slightly. She stared at him and he smirked, then faced the road, hands stuffed in pockets, casually waiting. Kate stood there watching him, mouth open a little in surprise that he was knowingly pushing himself forward at such ease.

Why would he want to?

Though Kate couldn't deny that she was incredibly curious as to what the answer was.

However this feeling of attraction was largely countered by suspicion. And worry, that this man was obviously disregarding what she had said and intending on following.

However his mild manner worked in both irritating Kate, and therefore distracting her.

She also knew perfectly well he was lying. And she knew, that he knew, that she knew it. He wasn't making any attempts at all to hide his rather obvious plan; to follow her under the pretence that he was walking the same way. The only reason he was smirking, she realised, was because he knew there was no way she could get rid of him. And the thought unnerved her slightly. People she met weren't supposed to follow her. She was the one who was always moving. Other people were just rest-stops on her never-ending journey. But not this guy.

Stubborn bastard.

Kate bit her lip and turned to face the road, so Sawyer couldn't tell irritated this made her. But by the way he as grinning, looking pleased with himself, Kate guessed that this attempt was futile.

Determined to ignore him Kate out onto the pavement, and purposefully walked across the road, in measured, calculated steps, firmly leaning to one side. She could hear Sawyer's heavier footsteps slapping the ground behind her, and Kate urged herself on a little faster.

Un-expectedly however Kate stepped onto her bad leg, and her heel jerked to the side, sending shooting pains up her leg. She bit her lip and clenched her teeth in pain and bending down her hand flew to her foot.

Why did this have to happen to her?!

Her body was in pain in so many places she couldn't count, and now apparently she couldn't walk for a more than few feet without fg falling over! Angry and embarrassed Kate clenched her teeth and gripped her ankle.

Then she felt a hand on her arm, and she whipped her arm out, and threw it off, almost viciously.

Kate stood and glared at Sawyer. The first time he had helped her she had been too stunned to notice, the late to stop him. But now she raised herself up on her own, her own sense of social decency coming into play. She wouldn't let a relative stranger keep touching her, and she wouldn't keep accepting this man's help. It had gone beyond a joke.

Startled Sawyer let go and stepped back, registering the anger on this girl's face, where previously it had only been mild irritation. His face set deep, he remembered the wild, frightened creature he had saved by the side of the road, and how desperate she had been not to go to hospital. Gravely Sawyer came to a conclusion.

Something was wrong with this girl.

It was something different. Different to the rest of the world. From the people with their 9-5 jobs and TV schedules and kids and friends and parents. People who worked in the spectrum of society.

In a moment of realisation Sawyer realised that this girl, while different, wasn't different to him at all.

She stood, and glared at him. He stood there taking it, no longer mild but understanding. He'd be angry if someone tried to catch him too.

So Sawyer stood there, a few feet away from this girl, looking at her furious face, almost sadly.

What the hell could she have done to be like him?

Tightly she spoke, trying to put a serious inflection in her words so she could bring this man down to her level.

" I appreciate your help. But stop trying to pick me up."

She looked around, dartingly at the crowd, and pulled on her jumped again before turning to face Sawyer.

" And go away. "

She stood still for one awkward moment trying to judge whether Sawyer would obey. He made no movement.

So Kate turned and walked off.

And Sawyer followed.

She heard the footsteps then whipped round, annoyed, frustrated and angry.

" What's the matter with you? Stop following me!"

Kate was almost at a shouting level, and the mothers across the sheet looked up sharply, then after a moment, started conversing in whispers, wondering if they should do something.

Sawyer didn't care. He repeated the same thing he had said earlier, it was still un-true, but Sawyer was stubborn and he was determined to make the lie stick. He spoke lowly and looked Kate in the eye.

" I told you. I walk this way."

Kate stared back at him, eyes piercing into his, biting her lip.

And he wasn't going to back down.

Her eyes wavered slightly, flicking down his face and so the anger dulled, and stewed.

Sawyer breathed in a little, not looking away. She was backing down. Which relieved him because -

Because.

He didn't know why.

Sawyer blinked once, and Kate, released, stood up a little taller. Both looked at each other fully, and registered the fact that they were arguing with a complete stranger in the middle of the road.

Sawyer spoke first.

" We should probably get out of the road. "

Kate had calmed, and now adopted her "business" expression, practical, un-emotive.

"Yeah."

Leaving one glance behind Sawyer across the road, Kate turned and stepped up onto the pavement, where she slowly walked on. She could sense Sawyer behind her slightly, just to the left. Not obviously accompanying her, but she knew he was there for her.

And a small pit of worry gnawed at the bottom of her stomach. How far was he willing to follow her? They couldn't keep walking forever.

Sawyer walked behind the girl, who walked with measured, paced steps so he found it difficult to walk at the same pace without over taking her.

She wasn't trying to resist him any more, which gave him time to think.

What the hell was he doing?

All Sawyer knew was that he had followed a gut instinct, and as a result he was following some whacked out girl, supposedly named "Annie", back to her surely grimy bed sit. What was he gonna do when he got there? Invite himself in? To do what?

Inwardly Sawyer kicked himself for such a stupid plan.

Why did he even need a plan? Why was he so invested in this girl? Sure he had saved her from a car crash, and near certain death, which set the social bar for their one - off meeting a bit higher. But was he really obligated to follow her back to her place? Sawyer had no idea what to do, which was probably why he was blindly walking along behind her now.

Sawyer scowled. He couldn't turn back now though. And what reason did he have to?

Sawyer kept on walking.

So what did you think? That chapter was a bit longer than intended. And I promise next chapter they will reach Kate's bed sit.

Please review. I need some perspective. I'm so involved in writing the damn thing I honestly can't tell if it's good or bad.