Chapter 20: You Didn't

Sawyer was laying in his bed the next morning, staring at the clouds drift by, not really thinking much when a dark shadow cast over him and his tent. He sat up seeing Jack standing there, hands on his hips glaring at Sawyer.

"You hurt her." Jack stated. Sawyer attempted not wince.

"Yeah…Jack…I know…I didn't meant to…I…" Sawyer trailed off, suddenly realizing he wasn't aware which of the two girls Jack was referring to his little sister? Or Brandy, who Jack had warned Sawyer not to be with?

"I told you not hurt her, Sawyer." Jack bit out.

"Which one?" Sawyer asked timidly. Jack glared at Sawyer.

"Both." Jack growled. Sawyer frowned. Who does Jack think he is? It has never been his job to be the island women protector. Jack was just the doctor. Sure, he helped the girls out now and then, but he was only Claire's older brother. Not Brandy's father or Shannon's cousin or something.

"Hey," Sawyer snapped, sitting up from the sand. "Hey, hey now. What right do you think you have? They aren't your property, Jack Off!"

"And they aren't yours!"

"I never said they were!"

"You might as well had! You had no right to flirt between the two of them, lead them on, and then just hurt them, Sawyer! What is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Sawyer yelled coming into Jack's face.

"Yeah! What is wrong with you?" Jack roared. Sawyer started at Jack's face, not thinking of an answer. "Well? Don't you feel the littlest bit sorry?" Sawyer, to Jack and his own surprise, backed off and sat in the shade of his tent, his face half hidden by a shadow. "Fix it. Today." Jack stormed off.

*

Charlie approached Claire, guitar strung over his back. Claire looked up at him and then quickly looked down, not wanting to stare him down. She played with Aarons feet, who giggled and bounced around, starting up at Claire lovingly.

"Hey…" Charlie said. Claire looked up, her stomach a bundle of nerves, traveling to the tips of her fingers, to her toes. Charlie stood with his hands behind his back, bouncing on his toes. "So…yesterday…almost seemed like high school again, huh?" He laughed quietly to himself. Claire smiled sadly at him. "Yeah…not cool." Claire nodded. Charlie sighed and sat down close to her. "Claire, come on." Charlie said taking her hands across Aarons cradle. "Just pick here. Me, or Sawyer? I know its sick and it's cruel to give you some kind of ultimatum. But I…I feel really strongly for you and for Aaron. I want to take care of the both of you, but I can't keep doing it if my heart is just going to repeatedly get squished. It may be worth it, but I can only handle so much." He rubbed her hands gently one more time and got up. "Just…come find me when you know." He made to leave.

"Charlie! No! Wait!" Claire hurried to sit up, to go to him. She reached for him across the cradle and pulled him towards her and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It's you. Of course, it's you. I swear, Charlie. I mean…I like Sawyer sure, I bet he knows how to love a girl, how to touch a girl…" Charlie frowned at this. "but you know how to care for a girl, and treat a girl, and touch a girl and love her, and show her she's wanted. It's you." Charlie grinned and they leaned over Aaron and shared a gentle kiss.

Charlie pulled away abruptly. "Aaron called Sawyer Daddy!" He announced. Aaron looked over at his name. Claire and Charlie both looked down at Aaron who let out a happy squeal.

"We'll have to fix that, won't we?" Claire asked, grinning.

*

"Me and Charlie made up!" Claire announced to her older brother happily. Jack grinned at her.

"That's fantastic, Claire!" He held Aaron on his lap, giving him his weekly look over. "No more Sawyer?" He asked hopefully.

"No more Sawyer, no more flirts, no more peoples dirty looks!" Claire sang, receiving a weird look from Jack. "It's a song and dance; we used to play it in Australia." She explained. Jack nodded. "It's a shame we didn't grow up together." She said. Jack and Claire had realized they were related one afternoon when they compared photos of their fathers. Claire had explained to Jack that her father was "business man" who traveled to America a lot. She didn't know he had a son, a wife and was a doctor when he stayed there. Jack knew his father took of to Australia every to months for one week for a visit, but never asked why. He always thought it was for relaxation.

"I know, but I am protective. I think you would have hated it." Jack chuckled and Claire giggled lightly. "But then again, if we had, we might not have had this tough guy." He cooed to Aaron on his lap who laughed and grabbed Jack's nose. Jack grinned at him.

"I wish I had a camera for these moments." Claire laughed. Jack looked up. "You are so sweet, with babies." She told him. Jack smiled slightly.

"He is isn't he?" Kate asked, now standing above them, holding the twins. Claire jumped up and took May from Kate's arms. "Thanks." She smiled gratefully and Claire nodded. "I hear you and Charlie made up." Kate smiled. "Oooo Lala, is love in the air once more?" Kate teased. Jack and Claire both laughed heartily at Kate's rarely seen light hearted humor.

"Well, lets not get ahead of ourselves here." Claire said in a calm voice although still giggling slightly. "I wonder if Brandy and Sawyer made up?" Jack and Kate didn't say anything for neither had heard head or tail of that situation. "It really is turning into a soup opera around here. Only without let sex." She delivered the last line bluntly. Jack and Kate cracked up. "I'm only saying." She giggled.

"Well, we don't need anymore babies running around here quite yet." Jack said. He looked over at Kate who was frowning down at Olivia who was watching a fly buzz around, extremely interested in it. "Anyways, I had better take off, I have to check over these three ladies, and get them out of the sun." He nodded at Kate and Olivia. Jack kissed Aaron gently and placed him back in bed, he took May from Claire and made his way to Kate's tent, Kate and Olivia in tow.

Kate was supposed to be staying in the caves, fortunately for her, Jack wasn't forcing her. He didn't want her to part with the ocean until she was ready.

Kate and Jack sat on the floor of the tent. As Jack examined May, he felt there was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them. He decided for once, not to press Kate, and waited for her to break the ice.

"I'm sorry." She announced, sooner then Jack had anticipated. "I'm sorry, I've been such a drama queen, Jack. This isn't easy for you and I know you know its not easy for me. But I shouldn't put that in the way for our relationship. I'm sorry I've been acting worse then a soap opera. I've been…I've been a soap opera based on high school students."

Jack chuckled at the last statement quietly. He leaned up and captured Kate's lips with his and smiled gently at her. "Don't you worry." He muttered against her lips. "I love you, and I forgive you." Kate smiled and kissed back just as gently.

*

Sawyer strolled up Claire's tent where she and Charlie were laughing happily. "Hey…" He said.

"What, Sawyer?" Charlie growled.

"Hey, now Wannabe, I'm only here to make nice." Sawyer snapped. Charlie frowned at him. "Look, I'm sorry if I came between the two of you. I didn't mean to hurt you, Claire." Sawyer started grudgingly. He was frowning deeply at the ground, clearly unhappy by what he was doing. "I'm…" He trailed off.

"You're what?" Claire asked, smiling.

"I'm…I'm...sorry." He mumbled.

"What?" Claire prompted one more time.

"I'm sorry!" Sawyer snapped, cheeks red.

"Apology accepted, Sawyer." Claire smiled and offered him a hand which he took limply and shook. "And Charlie also forgives you." She said for Charlie.

"What?" Charlie exclaimed. Claire turned and smiled at him. "Fine…" He mumbled. Sawyer nodded and stocked off awkwardly.

"Thank you, Charlie. It means a lot to me, that we can…put this behind us." She told him. Charlie nodded and smiled at her, although did not look 100% happy yet.

*

"Hey…" Brandy mumbled quietly. Sawyer and she didn't make eye contact, Brandy fiddled with her bandage and Sawyer started out at the ocean.

"I'm sorry." Sawyer said bluntly.

"Okay…" Brandy answered quietly, a tint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Ah…" Sawyer said, clearly not expecting this kind of reaction from her. "I'm sorry for…um…hurting you."

"Don't worry about it." Brandy said and Sawyer's frowned. "You didn't."

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed! Soooorry for the wait. My life has been poo lately. On a side note, this went from page 12 to page 16 in my document for chapters 16-20 of this story. So apperciate it.

Read and Review ladies and gents.