Author's Note: Okay. This chapter's for Jaclyn Parker. Hope you get outta that fetal position to read this!

Heartland:

Chapter 19: His

Things were always so easy between us before, but this is real life.

Yes we made mistakes, we screwed up.

But maybe we can be that couple that finds our way through it to something better,

Something we both know is worth fighting for and protecting.

I don't know all the answers, but I know that I love you.

Sawyer and Jin had been wandering around the jungle for over an hour now. If Richard was right, then Juliet was somewhere on this island right now, trying to get away from Benjamin Linus. He hated that he couldn't be there to watch her back, because he'd promised her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Both of them froze as they heard two voices though.

"Come on Bernard.."

"Alright.. we did say two hours. We're just gonna have to go meet back up with her empty-handed.."

"Maybe she found Sawyer, you can't just give up hope."

Sawyer and Jin glanced at each other before running towards the voices.

"Rose?! Bernard?!" Sawyer yelled out. He'd recognize those voices anywhere.

Rose and Bernard turned in shock, watching as Sawyer and Jin came running towards them.

Rose couldn't help but grin as she saw Sawyer. "Well, this will put a smile on Juliet's face," she told Bernard.

"You know where she is?!" Sawyer questioned quickly.

"We're meeting back up with her on the beach," Bernard told him. He glanced at Rose now. Juliet had mentioned their daughter, so where was the little girl? As he and Rose led the two men towards the meeting place on the beach, he decided he should probably ask. "Where's your daughter?"

Sawyer glanced at Bernard and frowned. "With Kate, Jack, Hurley and Miles.." he told them. "They're getting her off the island.."

Rose looked astonished. "Why would you.."

"Because Ben is after Juliet.." Sawyer told them. "And if he knew about Rachel.."

Rose and Bernard both stopped short. "Ben is what?!" Rose said quickly.

Sawyer frowned.

"We have to hurry.." Bernard told them.

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" he questioned, even as Jin remained silent.

"We saw Ben.." Rose told him as they continued at a quicker pace. "He was watching us on the beach.."

Sawyer didn't wait for anything else at that. He took off running almost immediately. Jin, Rose and Bernard trying to keep up with him.

~*~*~*~

Juliet walked side-by-side with Locke and smiled at him. "Hey John.."

Locke glanced at her. "Yes?"

"Thank you.." she said again. "For saving all of us," she told him. She found the look that crossed his features was strange, but she shrugged it off.

Locke finally smiled as he looked at her. "You know, you're one of the rare people that thanks me when I help out."

Juliet's eyes softened and she just looked forward now. "Well, I'm pretty sure I owe it to you by now," she stated with a shrug. "First you saved me back in 1954," she noted. "Then you saved us from getting killed by those damn flashes.." she told him next. "And now you're helping me find James.." she said with a smile. "You deserve more then just a thank you, but that's all I have to give."

"A thank you is more then enough," Locke told her with a smile.

Juliet smiled at him in return. She was starting to feel bad about having her doubts about him.

"How have you been all these years?" Locke questioned.

Juliet smiled now. "A lot better then I ever expected," she admitted. "You haven't seen James at all?" she asked curiously.

Locke shook his head. "No, not yet," he told her. "What made you ask about James first?"

Juliet blinked. "Oh.. I.."

Locke chuckled. "Well.. that's unexpected."

"What is?" Juliet asked.

"You and James?" Locke asked.

Juliet remained silent for a moment in response to his question. She stared forward at first, then turned her head and gave him a brief smile. "I nearly forgot how long its been, John.." she told him. "But yes.."

Locke smiled as he looked forward now. "So you love him?"

"More then anything," she admitted, not even hesitating in her answer.

Locke laughed now. "Well, it's unexpected, but I'm happy for you," he told her. "You look tired," he noted to her. "Not to mention you're soaked head to toe.."

Juliet glanced at him as he stopped walking.

"Let's stop here for a while," he suggested. "Get a fire going and get you dry before you freeze tonight."

Juliet's eyes softened a little. "But I.."

Locke smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You love him.." he said for her. "I know you want to find him, but rest and get dry first, it'd be better if you didn't get sick."

Juliet frowned but nodded. "I guess you're right."

"I'll get some wood for a fire," he told her. "Take a seat and rest."

Juliet took a seat on the ground and sighed.

Locke turned back and glanced at her. "Oh, and Juliet.."

"Yes?" she asked, glancing back up at him.

"Things could be worse," he told her. "You could be back in 1954 and about to have your hand machete'd off again."

Juliet shuddered, but chuckled nonetheless. "Well, I suppose I'm safe as long as you're here to nail them in the head with rocks again."

Locke let out a laugh before turning and heading into the jungle for firewood.

()()FLASHBACK()()

Juliet eyed Sawyer carefully as he got dressed to leave. "Where are you going?" she questioned. "I thought you weren't working today."

Sawyer glanced over at her and grinned. "'78 Superbowl, Juliet," he told her with a wink.

Juliet chuckled and shook her head as she took a seat on the couch. "You already know the outcome, you really need to go watch it again?"

Sawyer laughed. "Not exactly."

"Then what?" she questioned out of curiosity.

"You trust me?" he asked, putting his hand on the armrest of the couch and leaning over, getting nose-to-nose with her.

Juliet smiled. "Yes."

"Then I'm gonna go make some money," he told her with a grin.

Juliet narrowed her eyes. "You're gonna go gamble on football?"

Sawyer laughed. "Doesn't hurt to get a little extra money."

Juliet blinked now. "You aren't planning to just get a little extra, are you?"

"Not really," he told her with a grin.

"What else have you been betting on?" she asked with a chuckle.

Sawyer just smiled now. "You really want to know?"

Juliet rolled her eyes. "You know what.. no," she said with a laugh. "I'm afraid to know. Just go.. do whatever you're going to do. I'll be right here."

Sawyer laughed and kissed her on the cheek. "Yes ma'am."

Juliet shook her head and smiled as he walked out the door. She picked a winner, that's for sure.

()()END FB()()

When they all finally made it back to the meeting place on the beach, Sawyer knew he wouldn't find Juliet there waiting. He'd known as soon and Rose and Bernard told them that Ben had been watching. And he knew Juliet had purposely split off from them to protect the older couple from Ben. But even knowing she wouldn't be there, didn't stop him from hoping, from wishing she'd be standing there waiting. It also didn't help the sadness that flowed through him at the realization she wasn't there.

Jin put his hand on Sawyer's shoulder, standing next to him. "We don't give up," he told his friend. "She's out there, we know that at least."

Sawyer couldn't help the small smile. He glanced at Jin and nodded slightly. "So is Sun."

Jin smiled now and nodded as well.

Sawyer turned to look at Rose and Bernard now, who had watched to two men with knowing smiles. "I'll tell ya' now.. coming with us ain't really safe after this."

Rose smiled at him. "We don't have any plans to leave this island, Sawyer."

Bernard nodded in agreement with her.

Sawyer sighed, but nodded. "Then I'd say.. go hide wherever you two hid for so long, because that's a hell of a lot safer then chasing after Juliet with us right about now," he suggested.

Rose's eyes softened and she put her hand on Sawyer's shoulder now, just as Jin had. "She loves you, don't you dare let her get away," she told him. "It's once in a lifetime to find someone willing to give you all they have and more."

Bernard smiled as Rose turned to look at him.

Jin silenced them suddenly. "Shh.. I hear something."

All of them quieted now and listened.

"That's Vincent," Rose stated in disbelief.

Sawyer blinked at her. "The damned dog?" he questioned.

"Vincent was with Juliet!" Bernard told Sawyer, grinning.

That caught Sawyer's attention immediately. He didn't wait, he went running towards the dog's barking. He could tell, it was far off, and in the jungle somewhere. But if Vincent went with Juliet, that means she wasn't too far off from them. She might've been heading back.

~*~*~*~

Juliet sighed as Vincent laid down at her feet. She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands. All of this was too exhausting to keep up for much longer. Locke had been right, she really was tired. She finally shifted her position, pulling her knees up against her chest and wrapping her arms around them, laying her head down on her arms. She wished she could just fall asleep, but as exhausted as she felt, she was also wired. Wired because Ben was still out there somewhere looking for her.

Ben.. how much did he know? Did he know about Sawyer? What if he knew about Rachel somehow? He was making it clear that he still decided he had posession over her, regardless of whether or not she wanted it. This was horrible, she knew it. Because if she didn't go with Ben, she knew he was capable of taking Sawyer's life and simply taking her anyways. It was what Ben did.

Her choices were extremely limited. As much as she hated it, and didn't want to do it. She knew that Ben would stop at nothing to claim what he decided was his. The choice now was to go with Ben, so that Rachel would only lose her mother. Because the choice to stay with Sawyer, could cause their little girl to lose both of her parents. But she could hide. If she wasn't with Sawyer, then Ben had no reason to hurt him.

Vincent's growling is what caused her to open her eyes and look up. She stood up, noticing Ben's friends from earlier. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked to where Locke went, but he was nowhere in sight. She was alone again. She automatically took a step back from the men, only to feel two arms wrap around her. She didn't wait, she grabbed the person's arms and threw them over her shoulder, and found herself staring down into Ben's eyes.

Juliet was shocked at first, but she didn't wait for it to wear off as she turned tail again and ran with Vincent barking at the men chasing her, and staying right beside her. For a few minutes she wasn't entirely sure which direction she was heading until she broke out of the jungle and stumbled onto the beach. She couldn't stop herself, the change from ground to loose sand caused her to lose her footing and fall onto her hands and knees.

She got back to her feet quickly, even as she heard Vincent barking at the men coming out of the jungle and onto the beach behind her.

"Juliet!" Ben's voice finally boomed.

Juliet backed away slowly down the beach, even as she stared at Ben and his 'merry men'. "What do you want from me?!" she finally dared to ask him.

"You, Juliet!" Ben told her, even though the answer was obvious. "You think I don't know where you've been?" he asked. "Who you've been with?"

Juliet took a deep breath, holding it in. He did know about Sawyer. He must have remembered it from his childhood.

"Do you really think he loves you?" Ben asked, his voice calm and serene now.

Juliet shook her head at Ben. She wouldn't listen to him, because Ben lied. It was all he knew how to do.

"Don't you understand?" he questioned, taking a step towards her. "I made you mine so I could protect you, Juliet.. protect you from him."

~*~*~*~

"Sawyer, look!" Jin shouted.

Both men watched as they saw Juliet stumble from the jungle and onto her hands and knees off in the distance down the beach.

"Son of a bitch.." Sawyer muttered as he watched about six or seven men come out after her, and watched as she backed away from them. But he also watched as she stopped. Was she talking to Ben?

It only took that one second for he and Jin to take off running towards her.

"JULIET!" he yelled, getting closer to her now and seeing the man standing before her; none other than Benjamin Linus. "JULIET RUN!"

Juliet turned around out of shock, staring at Sawyer as he ran towards her. "JAMES!" she yelled back, getting ready to run to him when Ben's arms snaked around her, including her arms so she couldn't flip him again. "Let go!" she screamed, trying to pull away from Ben. "James!"

Sawyer and Jin both stopped short of Ben and Juliet as Ben's men came up beside him, guns drawn on them now.

Juliet could feel the tears burning in her eyes. "Ben.. please," she begged. "Please let me go.."

Ben raised an eyebrow up at her. She hadn't begged for him to do anything since the day she'd begged him to go home, calling him a liar. "Why do you want to go with him so badly, Juliet?" he questioned, his voice still remaining serene. "Do you love him?"

Juliet froze in Ben's grasp.

Sawyer stared in disbelief. Was Ben trying to play his mind games on her again? "Damn it, you bastard.." he growled out. "Let her go."

"I believe I'm having a conversation with Juliet right now, James," Ben told him. "Do you love him, Juliet?"

Juliet stared into Sawyer's eyes. She could feel the tears escape, and trace down her cheekbones. "No.." she whispered.

Sawyer watched her, stared into her eyes. Even though her voice told Ben no, her eyes were speaking loudly to him, and they were saying yes.

"I'm sorry," Ben stated. "I didn't hear you."

"No," Juliet muttered through her gritted teeth.

Ben smiled. "No what?" he questioned.

Juliet closed her eyes now, trying to seal the cascade of tears. She couldn't even dare to look Sawyer in the eyes now.

"Are you going to tell him?" Ben asked.

"No.." Juliet said quietly as she stared down at the ground. "No.. I don't love you.."

Sawyer didn't know how to respond. He understood exactly what she was doing, but he couldn't help but feel the words cut through him. "Juliet.."

"Maybe you need to explain to him, why you don't love him," Ben told her. He released his hold on her, already well aware she wouldn't dare go to Sawyer now.

Juliet finally opened her eyes, letting the tears fall again as she stared back into Sawyer's eyes. "Because I'm.." she started, but she couldn't finish it. She didn't know how to finish it.

"Juliet, stop," Sawyer told her. "Stop, you don't have to do this."

Juliet shook her head, only able to give him a small smile filled with absolute sorrow. "I have to.." she told him. "Because.. I'm Ben's.."

()()END()()

Uh.. sorry if this puts you RIGHT back into the fetal position Jaclyn! Really, really sorry!