Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Author's Note:Thank you for the nice reviews. Here's the next chapter, I hope you guys like it. Please review if you do! Thank you!

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3am – 3.16 to be exact – was the red numbers displayed on the alarm clock radio when James opened his eyes and raised his head enough to look past Kate's mop of hair to check the time. He sighed inwardly and contemplated his options once again, but in the end he simply saw no other way to do this.

He blinked a few times to get his eyes adjusted to their dark motel room and slowly tried to untangle himself from Kate's naked body without waking her, which was easier said than done.

He slowly pulled his arm out from under her head, and it instantly began to tingle painfully as the blood rushed back into the numb limb. He rubbed it and cursed inwardly, trying to ease the pain, but there was no use, he simply had to bite his tongue and wait it out until the pain subsided enough for him to climb out of bed and get dressed.

He hoped that their lovemaking earlier had worn her out enough to keep her asleep through his absence, but just in case it didn't he scribbled a quick note for her on the motel stationary and placed it on the empty pillow beside her.

Fully aware that he'd have to pay for this crime later on, he casted one last look in her direction before he silently managed to slip out the door.

X

James sighed with relief when he unlocked the room door a good five hours later and found her still sleeping and wrapped up in the blanket like a caterpillar in a cocoon.

He placed the two large and heavy duffle bags onto the carpeted floor before he repurposed one of Kate's shoes as a doorstop and reappeared moments later with a bag of food and two large cups of still steaming coffee.

He kicked Kate's shoe out of the way so the door would fall shut again behind him before he put the food and coffee down on the table, and locked the deadbolt on the front door.

Kate stirred for a moment under the blankets but hadn't uttered a single word, while James sat down on a chair to pull off his boots and socks.

He shrugged out of his leather jacket, leaving it hanging on the back of the chair, and then unbuttoned a few top buttons on his shirt before he pulled the garment off over his head and threw it in the general direction of their open suitcases that sat on the floor by the TV. He undid his pants and quickly stepped out of them too, before he practically crawled over her and settled beside her on the bed.

Tugging at the blanket she had wrapped around her on his quest for a point of entry. "You gonna let me in there, girl? I'm cold!" He drawled.

She opened her eyes sleepily and squinted at him as she peeked out from under the blanket, the only light in the room came from the slit between two closed curtains next to the front door.

Even though her mouth was covered by the blanket, he could tell she was smiling by the small lines that appeared around her eyes. Her hands released the death grip on the blanket, he quickly un-tucked her and slipped underneath, pulling her close and pressing against her warm and inviting skin.

She gasped, "You're freezing." Her words mumbled against his chest.

He pulled at her, slipping his arm back under her head and hooking one of her legs back over his thigh, trying to imitate the way they'd slept throughout most of the night. "Told ya' I was cold."

She snuggled into him, "Yeah, but why?" Her voice still sounding raspy with sleep.

He wasn't ready to have this fight just yet, so he told her a half truth, the same half truth he'd scribbled onto that stationary, "I went and got us breakfast." He placed a kiss against her forehead, already feeling the effects her body had on his.

"Where?" she teased him, "Antarctica?"

He chuckled, before a grin appeared on his face and he dipped down to place a kiss against the tip of her nose, "Surely you can think of something that would warm me right up, Freckles."

"Maybe" she whispered seductively before placing a kiss against his collarbone. "Let me see what I can do."

X

Kate was livid and took a step forward, but he didn't hesitate to step in her way, blocking her with his much larger frame from getting to the suitcases and the pile of clothes on top of them. Both of them very much naked and staring each other down.

"Really?" she gave him a look that was filled with equal parts of disbelieve and fury, "You're gonna keep me from getting dressed now too?" Her already rosy cheeks flamed even more, but this time with anger not lust.

"If that's what's keepin' ya' from haulin' ass outha here, then … hell yeah, you're stayin' in the buff 'till you calm the fuck down, Freckles."

She groaned out loud at him and rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner, folding her arms. How dare he!

He managed to suppress the smile that tucked on his lips at the sight of her pouting and took a weary step towards her, his hands up in a surrendering gesture, "If you just give me a minute to explain, then –"

"Then what?" she angrily interrupted him, "You're gonna tell me again that you decided to do this on your own and that it was all for my protection. To keep me safe, is that it?" she glared at him before she gave him a shove back with all the strength she could muster.

He stumbled back, more for show and for her benefit, he'd let her have this one. After all, he had her trapped like a mouse in a corner … a naked angry mouse!

"How many times are we gonna fight over the same damn thing?" He asked annoyed and ran a hand through his long hair, pushing it out of his face in frustration.

She looked up at him again and gave him a menacing glare, "How many times are you gonna lie to me and go behind my back?"

"Now hold on just a minute." He began to defend himself but Kate was quicker to speak up before he could say anything else.

"You said we would meet Gordy and the buyer later today," She took a step towards him now, her index finger pointing at him accusingly as she ranted on, "but then you snuck out of here in the middle of the night and made the deal without me. Now how is that not lying and not going behind my back, explain that to me, James?"

"Just hear me out god damn it." He yelled and took a step towards her and she instinctively stepped back, causing him to freeze and frown. The sight of her stepping away from him bothered him tremendously. And there was this overwhelming need he suddenly felt to wrap his arms around her, reassure her that she didn't have to fear him. No matter how mad or how heated their fights could get, he'd never hurt her physically. He wasn't his father and he damn sure wasn't hers.

She folded her arms again and watched him, saw how the expression on his face changed from smug to sad and she bit her tongue, actually gave him a chance to speak, which he took without waiting another moment and got right to the point.

"I just wanted to keep you out of harm's way, Freckles, in case this all went south, and the only way I knew how was to keep you in the dark 'bout the real meetin' time."

She stepped closer, her hands now on her hips, "You said these people wouldn't go to the press."

"I ain't talkin' 'bout the press, Sweetheart." He said, his eyes looking apologetically down at her.

She looked up at him in confusion, and he elaborated, "Just wanted to keep you out of the meet and greet, in case these guys were trying to rip us off. You know, put a gun to our heads and take off with the rocks instead of payin' us."

"So I was right," she threw her hands up in disgust, "This was once again you making decisions for the both of us."

"No." he protested, "I made a decision for the three of us, because I knew you'd be a pain in the ass again and insist on comin' with me."

She shook her head at him, "You don't know that, maybe I would've agreed with you."

He raised his eyebrows at her, knew she'd lied out loud because the truth was written all over her face, "Well, would you have agreed to let me go alone?"

She looked away and folded her arms again. A beat or two passed and he went and pulled the sheet off of the bed and walked closer to her.

She still looked pissed but let him drape the fabric over her shoulders before he tipped her chin back up at him, "This ain't about you being a girl and me being a guy, honey. This is simply me – your husband – keeping my wife and my kid out of trouble. We've already been here, sweetheart. We've already had this fight!"

She closed the fabric around her and met his eyes, "Exactly, so you should know by now that I wouldn't do anything that would put our baby at risk again, James."

He shook his head now and stepped back to sit down on the edge of the bed, physically exhausted from lack of sleep and emotionally drained from having to fight over the same damn thing with her over and over again.

She watched him for a long moment as a pregnant silence filled the room; he suddenly looked tired and defeated. She felt like she'd won this argument, like his silence was somehow his acknowledgement that she was right, but this didn't feel like victory at all. This felt all wrong. Why couldn't they simply be open and honest with each other and avoid these stupid fights from the start?

She stepped closer, hesitantly and sat on the bed beside him, both staring at the carpet by their feet while neither of them spoke.

"My mother" Kate started and then cleared her throat as James turned to look at her, "My mother didn't just listen to Wayne, she obeyed him, lied for him and loved him … and in turn he took care of her – financially I mean – but he also beat her like a dog."

"Freckles." He began to interrupt but she raised her hand and touched her fingertips to his lips to shush him.

"I've been trying my whole life to not be like my mother, to not let a man have that kind of power over me, to run every time I thought someone was getting too close … and I think I've gotten better but I still catch myself doing that, you know?"

His eyes went wide with fear, "You wanna run from me?"

"No!" She quickly reassured him and took his hand in hers, shaking her head as her eyes locked on his, "No, I haven't felt like running from you, but … but I find myself wanting to go right because you said 'let's go left' … if that makes any sense at all." An embarrassed smile tugged at her lips.

He studied her face for a second and nodded, "I think I get that." Then a smile spread over his face, "I think it's safe to say, that you ain't nothin' like your momma."

She smiled at his words too, and looked away embarrassed once again. Neither of them spoke for a long beat until Kate tugged at his hand to get him to look back at her, "However, you distracting me with sex after you got back, that was just low, James."

"That was a spur of the moment kinda thing, Freckles, I swear. I was cold and you were warm and inviting!"

She raised her eyebrows at him in disbelieve, "So that wasn't you trying to butter me up for when you finally told me the truth?"

He shook his head and then nodded in the direction of the table, where the bag of food and the two cups of coffee still sat untouched.

Her eyes scanned his offerings and she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her throat, "You really thought a cup of decaf was gonna safe your ass?"

He smirked, "What if I told you it ain't decaf this time?"

She stared at him surprised and he quickly retrieved the cups from the table and handed her one.

"It's probably cold by now." He said as she took a tentative sip.

"It's still warm." She said and nodded in the direction of the bag, "What else you got?"

He handed the bag to her and held her cup for her while she peeked inside.

"Donuts." She exclaimed and looked up at him in delight before she reached into the bag.

"Your favorite, with lots of glaze and colorful sprinkles." He added rather proud of his breakfast choice.

She took a first bite, sprinkles falling everywhere as she did. He watched her with amusement as she closed her eyes and took in the sugary treat with a moan like she hadn't had any in a long time.

They both got more comfortable side by side against the headboard of the bed and she ate while he watched and sipped away on his lukewarm coffee.

She eyed the two large duffle bags and looked up at him, "So how much did we get?"

"They paid us five, but one went to Gordy, so we've got four."

She nodded, but couldn't help noting, "This Gordy guy had quiet the payday for basically doing nothing."

James nodded too, "Yeah, but he did find us a legit buyer within days … without him we still be carrying a bag of bling 'round that we can't use for nothin', Freckles."

James glanced at the alarm clock, "It's almost ten, babe, check-out's in an hour."

Kate glanced up at him, licking the remnants of the sugary glaze from her fingertips, "Yeah, but you haven't slept much and now that we have the money, there's still something I need to do before we leave New Mexico."

"What's that?" he looked down at her with curiosity.

"Promise you won't get mad." She said, looking rather innocently up at him.

He let out a sigh and rolled his eyes, "I ain't gonna like where this is going, am I?"

"Probably not." She admitted and leaned in to kiss him.

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Santa Fe, New Mexico

Kate tapped her fingers nervously on the aluminum table in the visiting room of the New Mexico State Penitentiary. But she stopped her fidgeting the moment the doors across the room opened and Jason stepped into view.

He scanned the room full of other inmates with their visitors, but recognized her in an instant. An angry scowl displayed on his face as he stepped towards her. She couldn't help but look if he was limping, which he wasn't. She felt a bit relieved of not having caused too much damage to him, at least not in the physical sense.

He hadn't changed much, Kate noted as he got closer. He was still handsome, but she was quickly reminded of the unattractive side in him when he plopped down on the bench across from her, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the bitch that shot me!"

"Hello Jason." She said, and tucked some of her hair behind her ears. She was suddenly more nervous than she'd anticipated.

He leaned in, looked at her with disgust, "You have a nerve to show your face 'round here."

She needed to get this over with, because she needed to get out of here and away from him, "I'm not here to start a fight –"

"Oh you're not, huh?" Jason mocked her as he interrupted her, "You played me, tricked me into robbing that bank with you, then shot me, shot my friends and left us behind to be picked up by the cops … you really thought this is going to end with us making up, Sweetheart?"

She frowned at him, but spoke up regardless, "I've heard you're up for parole in a couple of months."

He gave her a scrutinizing once over, "So that's what this little visit's about, huh? You're worried that I make good on my promise and come looking for you, is that it?"

"Are you?" she asked freely, tired of dancing around the subject.

He smirked at her with an evil glint in his eyes, "Payback's a bitch, honey, and I intent to pay you back."

She averted her eyes from his and closed them as she took in a deep breath. She was afraid he'd be like that, but then again, she hadn't really expected him to be anything but revengeful.

"I've gotten married." She blurted out and he nodded like he already knew, but he still dared a quick glance at the ring on her finger.

"So I've heard, but what's that got to do with me?" He shrugged his shoulders, his face displaying disinterest in her current love life.

She gathered all of her courage, "He's a good man, and we're happy."

He laughed at her – out loud – and mocked her, "A good man?" He'd clearly kept up with her life in the spotlight. "James Ford is a con man, a drifter, a criminal … but then again, you always had a thing for the bad boys, didn't you?" He sneered at her.

She felt her stomach recoil. How had she ever gotten in bed with this guy?

"All I have left is one million dollars, and it's yours if you promise to leave us alone."

His eyebrows curved in a curious arch, his face displaying surprise and confusion, "You're offering me money so I'll leave you alone when I get out?"

"Yes." She simply answered him, her eyes never leaving his as she gauged him for an honest reply.

He looked away and scratched the scruff on his chin as if he was deep in thought, "I'm not sure if one million's gonna cut it. You seem to forget that there were three of us that you screwed over."

"I haven't forgotten, but it's all I have. This is a onetime offer, one million for you and your two friends to stay away from me, my husband and anyone else that's part of my life." Her voice strong and unwavering, but deep down she was scared. "Take it or leave it."

He smiled at her and it unnerved her tremendously. Then he mocked her, "And what if I don't wanna stay away, what then?"

"Then I can't guarantee your safety." She stated.

He chuckled at her words and raised his eyebrows again in amusement, "My safety? What? You're gonna kill me this time? I don't think you've got it in you, Sweetheart."

Kate looked around and leaned in closer, her hands were shaking, but she hid them under the table. Her heart was beating heavy inside her chest but her face was a wall of stone when she shook her head at him, "No, I won't kill you, but my husband might."

The expression on Jason's face changed in an instant as he took in her words and thought them over. Kate's heart still pounded in her chest until he finally nodded his agreement.

X

Kate crossed the parking lot and saw him grind out a cigarette with his foot.

"So?" He asked as she got closer and he held the driver side door open for her.

"He agreed." She simply stated and climbed behind the wheel.

James hurried around to the other side and quickly got in too, "He agreed, just like that?"

"Well." She looked over and bit her bottom lip, unsure if she should tell him the truth, "Not exactly like that."

He waited in suspense and she finally told him the truth, "I told him that if he didn't leave us alone … I told him you would kill him."

Kate frowned at her own words and stared back at James for his reaction. She didn't know how he'd feel if she spoke out threats in his name.

James didn't smile but he didn't look mad either, more like surprised and a bit confused. "And he bought it?"

Kate swallowed the lump in the back of her throat, "He believed me, so … yeah, he bought it."

James turned his head and looked out the window into the parking lot, lost in his own thoughts. He still remembered how killing Frank Duckett had haunted him, killing the real Sawyer had also burdened him to no end, but since then he'd killed dozens of men … some to protect himself, yet most to protect the people he cared about.

He was a killer, and instead of fearing that … instead of wanting to deny that, hide it like a dirty little secret, Kate had gone and used it for their benefit. That mindset suddenly caught him off guard and he was utterly clueless how he was supposed to feel about that.

"Are you mad?" She reached for his hand and he could hear the worry in her voice when she tried to explain, "I'm sorry, James, but he … I was scared and I didn't know what else to say to get him to understand … I just don't wanna live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder."

"I ain't mad, Freckles." He interrupted her and turned to look at her again.

He noticed her eyes began to fill with tears and he leaned forward, pulling his hand out of hers so he could frame her face with both before he kissed her. Long, hard and deeply.

He pulled away enough to look at her and the corners of his lips lifted in a small smile, his attempt in trying to ease her worry, "I ain't mad 'cause if someone threatens to hurt you, I will kill 'em. No doubt about it, so all you said to him was the truth." He dropped one hand to caress her tummy, and she covered his hand with hers and nodded, "Okay?"

She nodded too, her eyes still glazed over with tears. "I love you!"

"I love you more!"

They held that gaze on each other for another long moment until James finally leaned back and pulled on his seatbelt, "Let's get the hell out of here."

She leaned back and did the same, before she started the car and put it in gear. "Did you sleep at all while I was in there?" She inquired as she began to drive out of the lot.

He chuckled and looked over at her, "After watching you walk voluntary into a State penitentiary? No, I didn't sleep for a minute, but I probably smoked a whole pack and aged another decade in your absence, Sweetheart."

She smiled at his words, "It wasn't like they were gonna keep me, it's a male prison, James."

He looked over at her, "That's s'pposed to make me feel better?" He pulled down the visor and mock inspected his hair in the little mirror, "Probably started turnin' grey waitin' for you to come back out without cuffs."

She shrugged and smiled clearly relieved at the lightheartedness that she heard in his voice again and looked over at him, "You'd still look good, even with a little grey." She didn't have the heart to tell him that he'd already had a few grey hairs.

He smirked at her and she smiled back at him, and he put the visor back in place.

"So … where does he want us to stash the money for him?"

"His grandmother." Kate replied and looked back over at him before turning her attention back on the road ahead. "In Amarillo."

He reached into the backseat and grabbed one of the pillows, adjusted his seat so it would lean back more and yawned, "Wake me when we get there, will ya'?"

"I will." She said and pulled back onto the highway.

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End Note: Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading. xoxo