Both of them standing side by side in the small bathroom while brushing their teeth. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest just from the mere thought of going to bed in a few minutes ... with him.

What the hell is wrong with me? He staged his own death to get back to this hellhole without me knowing and all I can think about is that he apparently wasn't wearing anything underneath those jeans.

She'd noticed that when she'd pulled the gun out of the back of his pants.

God, I'm so pathetic. But he's the first man that I've been with that I've really ... I mean really enjoyed having sex with.

When she'd been with Tom, Wayne beating up her mom down the road was always in the back of her mind. With Kevin she had lied about everything, being caught at any given second didn't leave her thoughts while she was with him. With Jason ... well, she'd only slept with him to convince him to rob a bank with her. And then Jack ... with him it was just to convince him she cared about him as much as he cared about her. It definitely wasn't that enjoyable. Either way, Sawyer was the only one with whom she'd felt completely being herself with.

She spat in the sink and splashed water over her face, then cleaned the sink and her toothbrush before she stuck the toothbrush it in a cup by the sink. Toothbrush, toothpaste, clothes, food ... everything! They were set up to be stuck here for quite a while.

Fear crept in. What if I don't make it back in time for the sub? I have to go back, or people with notice that I'm gone. Her probation officer would only stay off her back for so long before he'd get suspicious.

Not to forget that she missed Aaron like crazy. She wondered for a moment if she'd feel different about Aaron should she really end up with a baby of her own. She dismissed that possibility as fast as it had entered her mind.

She'd been too scared to think about being pregnant right now. It would just be one more thing being added to the endless list of things she had to worry about. She'd wanted a baby with him so badly ... wished for it to happen before she'd gotten sick. She was better ... healthy. But now? She was scared to find out. Although she wondered if that would change his mind about it all. Would he come back to LA if he knew? She frowned. Would she want him back if that was the only reason why? If her alone wanting him back wasn't reason enough?

Sawyer noticed the worried look on her face as he rinsed his toothbrush off too and put it in the cup next to hers.

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout Freckles?"

His voice startled her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him, watching him dry his face with the towel she'd just handed him mindlessly, "What if I don't get back to the other island in time to catch that sub?"

He wanted to frown at the thought of her leaving again, but he didn't "I've been thinkin' 'bout that sugar. I found an axe and I think I'm gonna build us a raft."

She raised her eyebrows at him, and smiled, "You're gonna build us a raft?" Sarcasm dripping from every word.

He smiled, "Golly, don't bother to hide your lack of confidence in me."

She smiled, "No, I didn't mean it like that ... it's just, that's a lot of work."

"Good thing I got you to do all the heavy liftin' Xena." He smirked as he turned the light off in the bathroom and placed a hand on her lower back to ease her out into the hallway and towards the room with the beds ... guess they could call it the bedroom.

Her skin tingled under his touch and it took all she had to concentrate on his words instead of his fingers that still lingered on the small of her back as they walked down the hallway. The tip of his fingers slightly digging into her side. It felt like little jolts of electricity running through her.

"I ain't looking to build a raft like Michael, just big enough to get the two of us to the other island ... shouldn't be that hard."

She nodded at him, although all she heard was 'shouldn't be that hard' ... she was officially the most pathetic woman on earth for wanting him so much after everything he'd done. She just had to concentrate on that, concentrate on what he'd done to her to build up enough anger to not fall for his charms once they'd made it to the bedroom.

He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on one of the other beds in the room, then he unbuttoned his jeans and dropped them.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked.

He was completely naked, and just like always, he wasn't the least bit shy about it. Never had been. Her mind flashed back to the first time she'd seen him naked, coming out of the ocean ... and to this day, he still looked as good as he had back then. Hell, he might even looked better if that's even possible. And from the smug grin on his face he knew it too, when he saw her do a double take. Her eyes scanning him down and up again, ... twice.

"Goin' to bed, watcha think I'm doing?" He didn't smile anymore, like this was normal behavior. Which I guess it was for him, come to think of it.

"You're naked!" She said looking at him, trying really hard to not let her eyes wander down his glistening tanned body for a third time.

"What's your point peaches?"

Peaches? What's my point? He's out of his mind! Has to be.

She turned around completely to be face to face with him, "What's my point James? We're not together anymore, so why are you naked?"

"We always sleep naked!" True! They always had at home ... back when they were happily married!

She was speechless for a moment, looking around the room that had more than one bed.

Ha, two can play that game. I felt his erection back that the beach pressing onto me, he wants me just as much as I want him ... ohhhh, it's on cowboy! You want to turn this into a battle of willpower. You got it!

"Fine, suit yourself." She pulled her shirt over her head, then unbuttoned the jeans she'd just put on at the locker room. Leaving both items in a pile on the floor. He watched her in anticipation standing there with nothing but her bra and panties on. Waiting for her to climb in the bed they'd shared the night before.

She looked his way, "Good night James." And to his disappointment climbed in one of the other empty beds. Covering herself up with the sheet, she wiggled around underneath it to reveal her panty and her bra, throwing them to the ground with her shirt and jeans.

He chuckled as he walked towards the door to turn off the light, "Sayid had nothing on you when it comes to torture freckles."

She buried her face in her pillow smiling sheepishly, before answering him, "You started it!"

She heard the mattress and bed squeak as he settled in the other bed just a few feet away from hers.

The room was dark, but with the lights on outside of the buildings there was a little light coming in through the window. Enough for her to watch him get comfortable, lay spread out on his back with the white scratchy sheet hovering very low on his hips ... very low ... low enough to reveal some curly dark blond hair. She sighed, before she turned around to look the other way, offering him nothing to look at but her bare shoulders, since the rest of her body was wrapped up in the sheet.

She had to just forget about him, they are done. They are over! What he'd done was unforgivable!

Not true!

She'd take him back if he'd say that it was a mistake, and that he was sorry, and if he'd said he wants to come home ... but he wasn't saying any of those things. He chose to be here and he chose the island. He said he loved her, but I guess sometimes love just isn't enough. Because this was his destiny, and he had to stay! He didn't show any remorse for what he'd done!

Trying really hard to think of anything that would kill the tingle and heat spreading through her body like a wildfire, she started to think about Ben. That did the trick.

She started to think about what Ben had said when she was looking through his office with him on that night they'd gotten left behind, "Kate, I honestly believe that you would forgive him would you know the truth."

"Then why don't you tell me the truth Ben?"

"I can't Kate, we've been over this. But I can tell you one thing." She remembered meeting Bens eyes anticipating something worthwhile from his lips. "I can tell you that the answers to your questions are right in front of you. You just have to look at them."

Ben was a conniving son of a bitch ... when it came to lying Sawyer had nothing on Ben. It crossed her mind more than once that he was only playing mind games with her again. But what if he wasn't? What if for the first time in a long time he was telling the truth about something, and he was actually trying to help her figure out this stupid mystery of what Sawyer's reasons had been?

She sighed as she rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling that was filled with spiderwebs. What if Ben was trying to tell her something, 'the answers to your questions are right in front of you' ... that sentence echoed in her mind, over and over again. Right in front of me? Did he mean that the reasons Sawyer left were here on Hydra Island? Or did he mean it more literal? She closed her eyes again.

He had his eyes closed, trying really hard not to think about her taunting nakedness in the other bed. It would be so easy ... so easy to just walk over there, turn on the charm and see where that goes. He knew where she liked to be touched, knew where she'd liked to be kissed ... hell, he knew every inch of that body like the back of his hand. He had his lips and tongue all over that body just a few weeks ago.

Had kissed the scar on her left shoulder that he felt was his fault. He hadn't picked her to go down in that sub with the first group, cause he figured there were guys with guns on the sub, since there were none on the deck. Had he just taken her with him, she'd have never gotten shot.

He opened his eyes and looked over at her. Lying flat on her back, clenching at the sheet as if she was afraid he might take it away from her. He wondered to himself how someone so close can be so out of reach. He cleared his throat with a fake cough to see if she'd move or open her eyes. But she didn't. Wondering what was going through her pretty little head over there. Was she thinking about him like he was thinking about her?

Unprepared for it, he watched her jump out of bed ... naked. Then she remembered and grabbed the sheet to cover herself. He smiled at the sight of her.

"What's going on?" he said as he sat up in bed, watching her pull on her panties without revealing to much of her naked body to him ... although he'd seen it all just a second ago. The image burned into his brain.

"Nothing James, go back to sleep." She stuttered as she walked over to the other bed and grabbed his shirt, turned her back towards him as she dropped the sheet completely when she pulled his shirt on and started buttoning it. It was long enough to cover her buttocks completely, which was the intended purpose.

"Like my shirt that much, sugar?" he grinned as he watched her close the buttons on it.

"Yeah." She said not buying into his game of teasing ... she had an agenda now that couldn't wait another minute.

Barefoot and wearing nothing but her black silky panties and his shirt she pulled the door open and marched out into the hallway, flipping all the lights back on along the way.

"Hey, where are you going?" he jumped out of bed and pulled on his jeans, not bothering closing the belt as he basically ran after her. He made it out into the hallway just in time to catch a glimpse of her disappear into Ben's old office.

When he'd made it down the hall, he watched her from the doorframe, as she stood in the middle of the room, scanning it with her eyes as if she was looking for something.

She looked sexy as hell, barefoot in his shirt ... reminded him of home, their home. She'd walk around the house just like this all the time. God he missed her so much.

She was obviously looking for something, "Need help finding something freckles?"

She looked at him surprised, as if she hadn't noticed him standing there. She didn't know if she should trust him. What if he didn't want her to know why he came back? If she told him what Ben said, would he try to sabotage her effort?

"I can't sleep, and ..." She paused trying to think of a logical reason why she was about to ransack Ben's abandoned office. "I'm kinda curious about what the others all were up to when they'd held us in the cages ... aren't you?"

The cages! They'd passed them a few times since they'd gotten here, but ignored them like they were the plaque!

He was curious, but then again, he wasn't. It was late, he was tired and what's the point after all this time, "It's late freckles, lets just go back to bed." One bed preferably ... he'd even leave his pants on for her. The irony in that thought struck him like a bucket full of water. At home she couldn't wait to get his pants off of him. At home! Such a foreign concept now.

She had to get rid of him and this was her chance, she looked at him with the sweetest look she could muster, "I can't sleep Sawyer. Why don't you go and get some sleep while I try to satisfy my curiosity." Her voice was low and sugarcoated, she wondered if he could read right through her act.

He raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in her tone of voice. He tried to fight it but a yawn escaped his mouth, which made her smile.

"Alright freckles, knock yourself out." He said and too tired to even think he took a step towards her, leaned in, closed his eyes and kissed her good night. Like he had done countless times at home. It was quick and sweet and over before she even knew what hit ... or kissed ... her!

When the realization came of what had just happened she looked up at him with her green eyes wide open and fixated on his.

"Sorry." He muttered, but he couldn't fight the smirk that spread across his face, "Force of habit." Then he grabbed his letter sticking out of the front pocket of his shirt. The shirt she was wearing. His knuckles carelessly running over her breast in the process set her whole body on fire again. But before she could get her brain to function again to form an appropriate response, he turned on his heel and marched out of the office. Leaving her standing there in Bens office ... barefoot in his shirt and tingly all over again.

She sighed loudly and mumbled under her breath, "Hating him is more exhausting then loosening rocks for the others."

She looked around the room, trying to recall where she stood when Ben said 'right in front of you'. Replaying those moments in her head, she walked over to a large file cabinet ... that has to be it. She opened the first drawer from the bottom and started rifling through the papers that were neatly separated into thick manila folders. Organized alphabetically and separated by little taps, her eyes immediately fell onto the one that stood out.

It stood out to her because it read 'Katherine Anne Austen'.

Her hand was shaking as she reached for it, and she turned around to make sure Sawyer hadn't quietly reappeared. She slit down the wall to the floor, the underside of her thighs cold against the floor, but she was too fixated on the thick folder to even notice.

She opened the flap and started reading. She was baffled; they had copies of everything on her, from her birth certificate to her first dental visit to a picture and name of her first boyfriend ... everything!

Her entire life up until boarding flight 815. Including all the horrible things that she'd done while on the run. Even the circumstances of Tom's death. Which was the one thing that devastated her the most!

They had information about her whereabouts while she had been on the run. Which motel she'd stayed at, and which name she'd used ... how could they know all these things, that she never told a soul?

Of course also how she killed her father, but she wasn't sorry about that. Given the chance or choice, she'd do it again ... but this time she wouldn't tell her mother that she did it.

She got up to sit in the old chair behind the desk to read her file more comfortably when Sawyer startled her, "Hey."

Out of instinct or for whatever reason she did something really stupid. Immediately when she heard his voice she hid the folder that contained every aspect of her sorry excuse of a life behind her back. Like Aaron would do it, when she'd caught with something he wasn't supposed to have.

She felt ridiculous ... gosh, she must have looked ridiculous. If she'd just acted normal when he'd said 'Hey', he probably wouldn't have even blinked, but this reaction from her got a reaction from him. She could see it in his eyes, now he was looking to satisfy his curiosity as he slowly walked towards her.

"Found something freckles?"

She avoided his stare and walked over to the desk, file no longer in hiding but clenching it to her chest instead.

"You could say that." She sniped back at him already in defense mode, ready to battle him for her file.

He came to stop in front of her holding out his hand, "Can I see? What is it?"

She looks up in his eyes, still clenching the file. It's like he can read her ... knows what she's thinking. Hell, maybe he can read her mind after all. She wants to mend things, wants to get back to how they were ... they were so in love, sooo crazy in love. Trust? He doesn't really deserve it. But then again, she's got nothing left to lose ... she'd already lost Aaron and him.

Reluctantly she hands the file to him. There are things in that file she didn't want Sawyer to know. Things she was ashamed of ... 'cause truth be told, she wasn't that different from him. More than on one occasion had she used sex to get her way ... she'd used sex to con people. Well, one person ... just Jason. And even though it hadn't been for money but for him to do her bidding. Sawyer had never seen that side of her ... and she wasn't sure she wanted him to read about it!

He turned the folder sideways, so he could read the tap.

"Katherine Anne Austen" he read out loud. She could hear how intrigued he was by the sound of his voice. Then he lowered his eyes to hers, "What does it say?"

Pointless to deny it, all he had to do was read it, "Everything." She huffed looking up at him with innocent eyes. "Everything somewhat important from the time I was born until the plane crash."

His eyes staring at the name tap as if it would change once he took his eyes off of it. He swallowed, wondering ... hell, dying to know what all it said about his wife. His wife! But then again this folder wasn't about his wife at all. It was about a person long gone.

Her palms got sweaty when she saw him open the front flap. The first thing he saw was a copy of her birth certificate. He'd seen it before. They had to have it to get married. To her surprise he didn't look any further. Instead he closed it again and put it down on the desk. "Where did you find it?"

"Over there." She pointed to the file cabinet behind them. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Honestly she was very surprised that he didn't seem to be all that interested in her file.

He turned around and started digging through the second drawer that was labeled 'F-K' but found nothing. He went to the drawer that represented the letter S for Sawyer, still nothing.

She had watched from the desk as he shut the drawer empty handed, "Guess they didn't keep a file on you."

He turned around, "I know they did, I guess Locke just never gave it back."

"Locke? What are you talking about? Why would Locke have your file?"

He half leaned, half sat on the desk and looked over at her, "Hell, what the hell do I know? I just know that they'd given it to Locke to read." He rubbed his palms over his eyes. "Why'd you hide it from me when I walked in?"

Shit, she knew he would ask that. They were so messed up already, their life, their friendship, their marriage ... how much more could they both take? She sighed, then the truth came out faster then she could regret it, "I'm not a good person Sawyer. You don't know half the things I did."

He looked shocked at her confession. He was used to having to pry things out of her, things from her past that is. But then a smile formed on his face. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it but barely touching her skin with his lips.

"Honey, no way in hell you've done worse than me. And besides, you ain't that person anymore anyhow. Kate Austen's long gone. You're Kate Ford now, remember?" he winked at her.

She just nodded in disbelieve at how sweet he was right this moment in comparison to earlier tonight when he dragged her off the beach. Confirming her theory again about some sort of 'split personality' ... but who was she to judge him as she glanced at her file on the desk.

"So, have you read it all?" He asked.

"No, I was just about to when you came back in."

He grabbed her hand again, grabbed the folder and pulled her out of the room with him, but she protested, "What are you doing?"

He looked down at her walking beside him now, "Cancha read it in the bedroom, while I go to sleep?"

Her eyes meeting his, "I guess I could."

"Alrighty then, I'll even keep my pants on for ya'" he said with a smirk and a wink.

Settling in one bed together. She was sitting up, and he lay down beside her, the sheet pulled over his face 'cause the light was on. Nuzzling his nose into her side, which wasn't really avoidable since it was a twin size bed. She started to read through her file, when she eventually notices his breathing had become even and calm ... he was fast asleep, with one arm slung loosely over her thighs.

She carefully shimmied her way out of his embrace and tiptoed out the door again. Sinking down to the floor further down the hall, she started crying.

Crying for Tom. Crying for Tom's wife who had been left without a husband. Crying for his son, who had no longer a dad. And all because she wouldn't stop running. She cried all the tears she'd held in for so long ... trying to forget what she'd done!

About one hour later, she finally turned off the lights and climbed back in bed and into his warm embrace. He grunted in his sleep when she tangled her legs with his and nuzzled her nose in his chest. She might have even kissed his chest in the process, but would deny it should he mention it to her in the morning.

This will have to end, she thought. She can't keep doing this to herself. He chose to leave, and tomorrow she'd tell him that they are over. He must realize they are over, doesn't he? He left! He walked out on her, no matter what his reasons were ... It's over. She had to draw a line, because if she didn't then she'd only get hurt even more in the process ... she was sure of it. She didn't have much hope in figuring out why he did what he did. But that didn't mean she'd stop trying.

But she had to draw a line. Tell him point blank that she was tired of these games. She'd tell him that she is leaving on that sub and ask him one last time if he would come back home with her.

She wondered again about the baby. As long as she didn't know for sure she wasn't technically lying to him, or was she? Should she tell him that she might be pregnant? How would he react? Was there anything to gain from him knowing? Wouldn't it just make both of them more miserable about the daunting prospect of never raising this child together? But what if he would consider coming home with her if he knew?

She remembered Sun, and how she didn't want to tell Jin at first about her pregnancy. She hadn't known the circumstances that made Sun not wanting to tell her husband. Her mind went back to that conversation with Sun and Jack at the beach.

Sun had said, "Please, Jack. This is private, nobody can know."

"You're not going to tell Jin?" She had been so surprised about Sun's reaction. Didn't every married woman wanna have babies?

Sun looked at Kate, "In time I will, it's just - it's complicated."

Then she remembered what Jack said, and so much of his little speech to Sun could fit perfectly into her scenario with Sawyer right now. "As complicated as Jin being the last one on the Island to find out you spoke English? Sun, my advice - and it's just that because I'm the last person to ask about this, but - you should tell him. And when you do you should tell him everything - the whole truth."

The whole truth! Kate swallowed hard at that prospect of having to tell Sawyer the whole truth. Cassidy had known everything, and had also tried to talk her out of it. People who are dying should spend every last minute with the once they loved. Not run away to spare them pain. The pain is necessary to move on, isn't it? She didn't wanna hear any of it. Nothing Cass could say to change her mind. She knew what she wanted and what she would have done, had her cancer not vanished into thin air.

The whole truth! Telling him everything? That was a very scary thought, she could just imagine how he would react. He would probably yell and scream at her. But then again, she wasn't dying anymore, ... wouldn't he look past it and just be happy that she was healthy now? And besides, who is he to yell and scream at her for something she might've done, in comparison to what he had actually done?

Tomorrow would be a day of revelations, she decided. If given the opportunity, she'd tell him everything. Tomorrow their fate would be decided, ... it was a scary thought that their fate was solely in Sawyer's hands now.

Consumed by her own thoughts, she was restless for a little while longer. Eventually her aching body gave in and she fell asleep. Both of them sleeping soundly in each others arms for the second night in a row ... but probably the last time!

Flashback to Sawyer's meeting with Gordy

He was sitting nervously at the bar by himself, he was dressed up and had ordered some fancy drink instead of a beer just to fit in with the crowd. Kate was out with Cass shopping somewhere, the perfect opportunity for him to get this over with. It wasn't easy lying to Kate, but he just had to know what was going on. Maybe Gordy was right about the whole Karma thing. Hell, maybe Frank Duckett was right ... It'll come back around! He's been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Kate and him so happy, so in love ... hell the most unlikely people to get married, gotten married ... to each other. Out of their own free will and not because someone's got knocked up. Something's gotta give and he's just waiting to hear the bad news and move on with it. Will he ever be able to leave his past behind, or did he invite all those demons back in the moment he'd made that phone call to Gordy?

Gordy slapped him on the shoulder and startled him out of his thoughts, "Hey man, let's find a table so we can talk in private."

Sawyer looked over his shoulder, "You've got what I asked for?"

Gordy ignored the question and pointed towards an empty table, "Let's go sit down."

He didn't know what to make of that look on Gordys face. He wasn't gloating ... Sawyer was unsure whether that was a good or bad thing.

Settled at the table, Gordy got a folder out and opened it, looking through the pages.

"Well, I found out all kinds of interesting things about you wife from when she was on the run."

Sawyer huffed annoyed, "I don't care about that, what I wanna know is what she's doing at the hospital. What did you find out about that?"

Gordy frowned but then skipped over several pages and went almost completely to the back of the file, then frowned again when he said, "She's dying."

The words hit Sawyer like a brick. "What did you say?" Quickly reaching across the table and pulling the file out of Gordy's hand. His eyes scanning the papers in front of him, some of it doctor mumbo-jumbo, some of it spelled out clearly.

Cancer.

Inoperable.

Terminal.

Patient refuses Chemo therapy.

Patient refuses radiation treatment.

As he's looking through the papers, his thoughts are interrupted again by Gordy when he said, "You really love that broad?"

Sawyer looked up and met his eyes. If looks could kill Gordy would've dropped dead on the spot.

How dare he question how I feel about her.

But then he realized that Gordy had no way of knowing how he felt. So he just nodded, and focused his eyes back on the paper.

"Well, in that case, I'm really sorry man." Waiting a few moments to let the words settle, he continued, trying to explain some of what the papers apparently said, "So, they're saying it's terminal, and from what I found out, that is the reason why she's refusing treatment. You know the chemo and that."

Sawyer looked up for a brief moment, just to acknowledge that he was listening, then Gordy went on to say, "Apparently that radiation and chemo messes you up pretty badly, and it would only buy her a couple month at the most ... so she's decided against it. Doesn't wanna spend what little time she's got left in a damn hospital bed hooked up to shit, you know."

Gordy paused again letting Sawyer read over the pages and pages of information, then he said, "And if you go on to the last couple pages, looks to me like she wasn't going to tell you anything about it."

Sawyer immediately did as being told and skipped to the very back of that file, holding up a picture out of the file to his friend, he asked, "What is this place?"

"That my friend is the place your wife chose to hide out at."

"Hide out? I don't ..."

Gordy interrupted him, "She's a pretty smart lady that wife you've got there, she's got it all figured out. This is a private hospice kinda place. Once she gets too sick to hide her illness from you, she was planning to leave. And hide out at that place until ... well, you know." Gordy frowned not wanting to say it again. Until she died.

Sawyer just shook his head to himself. He was dumbfounded. He could have handled hearing about an affair. Hell, after reading this he'd wish she was only cheating on him with some doctor somewhere. He could have beat the shit out of some fancy pants doc! But this? What was he supposed to do with this?

He can't be mad at her for dying, can he?

Sawyer closed the folder and practically jumped out of his chair, "I'll deposit your money this afternoon." And he was just about to walk away when Gordy stopped him.

"That's not all?"

Sawyer turned back around, and Gordy motioned for him to sit back down before he spoke again, "Look, I feel for you man, that's why I picked this place, cause her doctor is a frequent guest here on her days off."

"And?" Sawyer waved his hands in the air. It took everything he had to keep his emotions in check. Denial was his best option at the moment. This has to be just some crazy ass nightmare that he'll wake up from any moment.

"And I thought maybe you could talk to her. You know, use your charm ... I mean she knows who you are. Hell, these days everyone knows who you are."

"Talk to her about what Gordy? Terminal means just that." His voice was loud and mean, but due to the commotion of other guests talking and the music, nobody even bothered turning their head in his direction.

Gordy let out a sigh then said, "Maybe you can tell her that you know, and that you want her to talk to your wife again. That you want her to convince your wife to try the chemo and what not. That will buy you two a little more time together ... well, anyway, that's what I thought."

Sawyer put the file down, and rubbed his sweaty hands over his white slacks, "What she look like?"

Gordy nodded towards the buffet table, "Let's go over there, and get a bite to eat. You can see her from there."

Sawyer didn't feel like eating, let alone talking to some lady doctor ... but he agreed. They got up and stood around the buffet table, when Gordy pointed her out to him.

She was probably the prettiest lady doctor he'd ever seen. Scratch that. Second prettiest doctor. Long reddish curly strands, pale skin but very pretty. Sawyer put his sunglasses back on and walked over there.

She was sitting alone, obviously waiting for a date. With a charming smile and sweet-talking tongue he'd ended up in the seat next to her within seconds after approaching her.

Kate is dying. She's leaving me. That's all he could think of when he forced that fake smile on his face ... that she was dying and he has to do this for her. Do this for them. Happily ever after - at least for a couple extra months. First they talked about the weather, about what a nice and sunny day this was. The conversation went from one unimportant subject to another, ... and he would have continued with the act just to build up the courage to say what he had to say. 'Cause once he spoke to this doctor about Kate, it became real. His life shattering reality. Once he would start that conversation, there would be no turning back anymore. He'd have to actually acknowledge that Kate was really dying because a doctor had said so, 'cause after all Gordy could be wrong. But his little bubble of denial busted when the pretty lady had enough of his obvious act.

"Mr. Ford, I know who you are and obviously you know who I am. And I'm very sorry if you thought coming here and seeking me out would do you any good. I am truly sorry, but I cannot discuss anything with you."

Sawyer swallowed hard before he spoke, "Fine, let's just cut all the crap then, shall we? I need to know why she refuses the chemo, and how much time it would give us if she'd give it a try?" There it was, point blank. He felt like the clock was ticking away from them, and he didn't have another minute to spare without Kate.

She looked sympathetic enough, for a brief moment anyways, then she said, "I cannot discuss anything with you. I'm sorry Mr. Ford, but you're going to have to talk to you wife."

She wasn't denying anything either. Hadn't said 'I don't know what you're talking about' ... she just completely took the 'I can't talk to you'-route, which surprised him and frustrated him all the same.

"You know damn well that my wife doesn't want me to know about any of this, so what am I supposed to do? You're a doctor, so didn't you take some oath? What's that called again? Hippocratic oath, isn't it? Doesn't it say that you have to help people if you can? So how can you just let her refuse treatment? What kinda doctor are you?" his voice got angrier with every word, while his eyes got misty. Hell, he didn't even care what anyone would think if they saw him crying.

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" He was fuming now. "That's all you've got to say?" he got up and turned to walk away when she reached for him. He glanced at her as she was nodding towards the chair. He sat back down.

She sighed then spoke with a soft voice, "I won't ... or can't say anything" Her eyes downcast, then she looked up again, "But speaking in general ..." she gave him a look and he understood that she was talking about Kate. "Well, ... in general there wouldn't be anything or any real time gained by chemo or radiation treatment. It would just make what little time was left unbearable. So many patients in general refuse treatment when faced with those statistics Mr. Ford." She paused as she watched the words sink in. "But like I said, you have to talk to your wife. Because I can't even disclose whether or not your wife is my patient. You do understand?"

He nodded, and said "Thank you" before he got up and walked away.

Gordy had already taken off and he got in his car and just sat there in disbelieve. He squeezed his eyes shut and let his head fall back against the headrest. This is just a dream ... it has to be. After everything they've been through on that damn island. After everything they've survived, this is going to be the end?

He put the key in the ignition and headed for home, due to traffic it would take him at least one hour ... one hour he didn't want to spend without her.

Her car was already in the garage, when he pulled into the spot beside her. He sat there for a minute, not quite sure how to handle this. He was mad. Yeah, mad would be the word he'd choose if he had to sum it all up into one word! But she's dying! Should he waste another minute arguing with her? He wanted to confront her about it. How dare she decide all of this without him? Didn't he have any say in any of it? Wasn't it supposed to be for better or worse? In sickness and in health? She had decide on her own to just up and leave should her disease become impossible to hide. She was just gonna run away from him and die all by herself in some high class hospice some where?

He glanced to the passenger side and took the manila folder, then shoved it underneath the passenger seat. Out of sight. He checked his appearance in the mirror. Making sure he didn't look like he had cried. Then he looked at his clothes. She'd probably wonder why he was all dressed up ... he was too tired and emotionally exhausted to even try to come up with an adequate lie. He'd wing it, she might not even ask at all.

Right in that moment the door to the garage opened and there she was, smiling at him. Barefoot in a pair of blue jeans and a tank top, her hair falling loosely over her shoulders. He'd never imagined that a dying woman could look this sexy!

He swung the car door open and flashed his most charming smile, "Hey there gorgeous, thought you were shopping with Cass?"

She smiled back at him as she watched him walk towards her, "I was, but then I missed you so I left early."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, he picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist in the process. He kissed her slowly and passionately while caring her up the stairs.

She broke from the kiss, "Where are you takin' me?" She asked innocently, like she didn't know what was on his mind.

"That's a surprise gorgeous."

Reaching their bedroom, he slowly lowered her down onto the bed. Hovering over her, his face grew serious and she noticed it.

"Is everything okay James?"

His hand disappeared in her curls as he pulled her close for another intoxicating kiss. "Everything's okay Freckles. I just love you so much."

End Note: Please leave a review if you have a moment to spare, it's much appreciated. Thank you!