The net was slowly stopping to spin now.

"You okay Freckles?" He said, his voice soft and concerned.

She answered just as softly, but still breathing heavily, "Yeah. You?" She glanced up at him.

He met her eyes, "I'm just peachy." He looked around, before he continued with an angry tone to his voice now, much to Kate's surprise, "What the hell where you thinking Freckles?"

She was confused, "What? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that you saw me walking into a damn trap." Every word after that was just dripping with sarcasm, "So naturally you run towards me? To get trapped with me? Where the hell was your head girl? You should've stayed where you were, and then it would only be me dangling from a god damn tree instead of the both of us, sweet cheeks."

She shook her head lightly, looking at him as if he was a total idiot, "You cannot be serious. You're mad at me? You're the one who triggered the damn trap in the first place. And you call yourself 'Head of Security'?"

He rolled his eyes at her in annoyance, but she continued, "Oh, and don't think I don't know why you didn't notice the trap either."

"Well, hell, Sherlock, why don't you tell me why I didn't notice the trap ... can't wait to hear this one." Since she hadn't looked up once while tying her shoe, he figured that she hadn't really noticed.

She stared up at him.

No way he is going to blame this on me.

"I was bending down to tie my boot, and you walked backwards so you could stare down my shirt, that's why? Isn't it?"

He tried not to smirk, but he couldn't help himself. He would have raised his hands in a surrendering kind of gesture, but due to the damn net he couldn't, so he said, "All right sassafras, you got me ... Holy smokes Batgirl, husband checking out his wife's rack. Better alert the media ... And just so we're clear on it Sweetcheeks, whenever you're walkin' ahead of me, I'm always checkin' out your ass ... every damn time. I don't wanna shock you too much, but I gotta confess girl ... I did it even before we were hitched."

"I already knew that." She snapped back, biting her lip in an attempt to keep herself from smiling. "But still, I can't believe you're blaming me for this. I ran towards you 'cause I didn't know it was a net that would go up. I thought maybe something would hit you or ... kill you." She dared not to look up at him.

Hell, now he felt like a total ass for yelling at her a moment ago, but in his mind it still didn't make any sense and he just couldn't help himself, he just had to tell her so. "Even then, you shouldn't have ran towards me, especially if you thought something was gonna come down to hit me. That really wasn't the smart thing to do and you damn well know it."

Now she looked up at him again, "So you're saying that if roles had been reversed, you wouldn't have run towards me? You would have been 'smarter' and would have watched to see what would happen to me?"

He sighed, "That's different."

"How is that different Sawyer? Me trying to safe you is stupid, but you trying to safe me is not. That is what you're saying, isn't it?" she held her gaze on him, not budging ... she felt she was right and if he thought that he was, he'd have to explain himself for once.

"It's different because ..." He sighed in frustration for being cornered, but he couldn't really back down from this argument now either. " ... because you're a woman, that's why it's different."

Her mouth dropped open before she answered, "I can't believe you just said that."

"Well, honey, I just did." He added, but he already knew where this was going to go ... and he had a feeling that he was going to lose the argument after all.

"What makes you think that just because I'm a woman, I need saving? And because you're a man, you don't?"

This isn't going to end well. And if he was any smarter he would have kept his lips and tongue from moving. If he was a smart man he would have shut the hell up right about now, ... but he wouldn't. He just couldn't.

"Women are more fragile than men." He stated it as if it was a fact that couldn't be argued with. Like the sun comes up in the morning and the moon comes out at night. Like he was saying the oceans salty and the sky's blue.

She sighed and then took in a deep breath, closing her eyes trying to calm herself. If she'd been a cartoon character, you would've seen steam coming out of her ears and nostrils. She was fighting the urge to knee him in the groin, just to show him who's more fragile. But she didn't ... there just wasn't enough room for him to buckle over.

"You are just like my dad." She blurted out in frustration.

He looked confused, "What?" His voice a pitch higher then normally. Then he added, "I am not." As if being compared to Sam Austen was some kind of insult.

She wanted to cross her arms, but she couldn't ... no room ... which frustrated her even more. So instead she hooked a few fingers through the net on either side of her, not wanting her hands to linger on him while she was this angry with him. "Yes you are. My dad also seems to think that women are more fragile ... says they shouldn't be in combat situations. He says women should never come home in caskets draped with flags."

"Huh? I wouldn't wanna see anybody coming home in a damn casket, no matter if you're a guy or a girl. But if you wanna fight for your country, you should be allowed to do so." He paused for just a second. "Hell, that's like saying women shouldn't be allowed to be cops either."

He huffed looking down at her. "Didn't peg your dad for a male chauvinist. Thought you'd told me that he was the one who taught you how to shoot and track and all that stuff?"

She'd calmed down a little bit, "Yeah, he did, but that was just for hunting. When it comes to the army and combat stuff ... Well, I guess you could call him a chauvinist when it concerns that kind of stuff. But after everything you and I've been through together, I didn't peg you to be one. You know damn well that I can hold my own." Her lips pushed out a little as if she was pouting.

And he could see how desperate she wanted his approval on this. He didn't know why, but she apparently wanted him to say that she was in fact 'one of the guys'. And he was about to say something like that ... mainly to make her feel better. Screw the damn argument, he'd lose it this time if it made her feel better ... but either way, he got distracted by the view down her shirt and her pouty lip sticking out.

And he loved it, glancing down at her. He just wanted to take that lip and suck on it. Nibble on it a little and tease her before giving her a mind blowing kiss. Then his thoughts trailed off, wondering where that kiss might lead. Picturing his hands working their way under her shirt.

"Would you stop staring down my shirt now?" Her pissed off voice snapped him out of his daydream.

"Ain't my fault you picked such a low cut shirt, Pam. I brought more than one to choose from. But I gotta tell ya' sweetheart ... the view from up here ain't bad at all." His southern drawl and that mischievous smirk of his made goose bumps appear all over her arms.

She shook her head slightly, "You are unbelievable!"

He couldn't help himself, he just had to tease her every chance he got, especially since he knew she couldn't just leave him ... for once, she couldn't run at all. "Last time you've said that to me we were also tangled up in something, weren't we Sweetheart?" He smirked at her again, "In sheets though, not in a damn net, remember?"

She raised her chin enough to look at him again, and in her eyes he saw that she wasn't in the mood for joking anymore.

Time to surrender, "Alright girl, I take it back."

"You're taking what back?" She demanded an answer ... or maybe she just wanted to hear him say the words out loud.

He cleared his throat in an exaggerated kind of way before he spoke again, "Women ..." He corrected himself, "Some women are not more fragile than men. Happy now?"

"No, I'm not happy now." She frowned at him, looking still as pissed off as she had been just a second ago. "It doesn't mean anything unless you actually mean it James."

"I do mean it honey, every damn word."

"Oh really?"

"Ahhh, come on ... you know damn well I was just teasin' ya'! If I had my pick at anyone, man or woman, to hide out in a damn foxhole with, you'd always be my first choice G.! We're a team, remember?"

Her facial features were softening a bit, and he could see her biting back a smile but she was still looking up at him with those beautiful green eyes of hers ... wanting more. Needing more.

His own facial expression got serious and when he actually thought about it for a second, he realized he did really mean it ... now it was just a matter of convincing her of that too.

"Look Freckles, all jokes aside. I know what you can do. I've seen you shoot a gun. I've seen you jump off a god damn cliff. If there was a dangerous mission to sign up for somewhere, you'd be the first one jumping up and down with your hand above your head yelling 'pick me, pick me'. I've seen you do some crazy shit the toughest sons o' bitches wouldn't do ... so yeah, I do think most girls are more fragile but you damn sure ain't one of 'em!"

She beamed at him like a kid in a candy store, "You really mean that."

"What? You want me to give it to you in writing? Hell, why don't we stop by the next bank and get it notarized while we're at it?" he snapped back. He was annoyed with himself that she could wrap him around her finger this easily with that pitiful look in her eyes and those pouty lips.

She didn't answer him, but from the look on her face she was clearly satisfied and happy with what he'd said.

'Shut up while you're ahead' ... that little voice in the back of his mind was telling him. But as usually he decided to ignore it and spoke up anyways, "But I still think you shouldn't have run towards me when you saw me walk into the trap."

She frowned again and was just about to start this entire argument all over again when he stopped her before she could speak. "Just hear me out girl ... I'm serious about this."

His eyes were locked on hers, making sure she saw just how serious he was about it. "If you really are pregnant, then you can't be pullin' that kinda shit anymore."

She was stunned. Speechless. Hadn't expected him to actually go there. But he wasn't even done yet.

"Can't be runnin' towards traps or nets or ... gunfire. Can't be jumpin' off cliffs or climbin' up a tree like some damn monkey. Can't be diving into ice-cold water to push some god damn button. Can't be doin' none of that shit anymore, Mamacita." He swallowed but still didn't take his eyes off of hers, "You wouldn't do any of those things with Aaron in your arms, so you shouldn't be doin' it now. Just in case ..." His voice trailed off and he finally looked away. He didn't finish the sentence but she knew what he meant.

She stared up at him, then looked away herself. Still speechless. She didn't know what to make of his little speech just now ... because everything he'd said actually made sense. She would never ever put Aaron in danger like that ... but then again Aaron was living, breathing ... Aaron was a human being. Aaron was real. This baby wasn't real. There might not even be a baby at all. But what if there was?

She was just in awe that he'd actually worry about the 'maybe-baby', and she hadn't worried at all.

Could he possibly be a better parent than me? Worrying about the kid before he or she's even here?

After she didn't say anything, he continued, "So you can be pissed off at me all you want, babe, but that's my opinion and I'm sticking with it."

She just couldn't look at him right now, because she was embarrassed. She was embarrassed because he was right, and she was wrong ... and she actually saw that now too.

She finally decided to answer him. Swallowing her pride, "I'm not mad!" Her voice trailed off for a second, " ... You're right James. I should be more careful."

He tried to not let her see his 'victory smile'. They both were equally stubborn and he knew she hated nothing more than to be proven wrong. So for her to admit to being wrong ... hell might have just frozen over and any minute a pig would be flying circles around their net.

"Alright girl, how about we stop with the small talk and get the hell out of this thing. My gun's in the back of my jeans. Think you can reach?" He looked down at her.

She looked up and just nodded. Relieved that he hadn't rubbed it in for once.

Her small hands were snaking their way in between the net and him. She could hear Franks voice in the back of her head saying, "Déjà vu, huh?" This scenario was obviously familiar to her, but she wasn't going to tell him that. His fragile ego wouldn't be able to handle it. Fragile ... ha, she smirked to herself.

Her fingers had reached his back. The net wasn't pressing into her hands there, but was still pressing against her arms. Limiting her mobility. As for her hands? The heavy backpack he was wearing was adding some difficulty there instead.

Her fingers were slowly but persistently working their way under his shirt. He grunted in that low throaty way in response to her touch. That way that made her inside turn to mush, her cheeks flush and her body temperature rise all at the same time. But she knew it wasn't an involuntary kinda thing ... he knew damn well what he was doing to her with that sound.

She couldn't feel that way for him now, she told herself that. She can't go there again ... and again. Wanting him was wrong. There was no future with each other. So there should be no sex with each other either.

Her fingertips grazing his skin. Not tenderly. No, not really. More like nervous fumbling. Trying to get a good enough grip on that gun to pull it out of the back of his pants. It should all have been fairly simple, but it wasn't at all. The net, the backpack, her heart rate, his intoxicating smell and then that stupid grunt and groan thing he does ... all and all it wasn't easy at all. It was difficult, frustrating and ... exhilarating. She wanted to stop reaching for the gun and try to get his shirt off instead.

Focus Kate, focus!

And just when she thought she had it, he did it again. The grunt that made her heart skip a beat and the heat buildup between her thighs. The result of it ... she lost her grip on the gun.

"Could you stop that?" She huffed annoyed, barely able to speak as her entire body was pressed into him not only by the net, but also to be able to reach around him for the gun. She wondered for a split second if he could feel her heart race.

"Stop what Sweetheart?" He knew exactly what she meant.

"The audio commentary." She snapped back.

He let out the chuckle he had tried to hold back. "I'm holdin' back best I can, Freckles." And he wasn't lying at all, because his hands were itching to find their way under her shirt in response to her touching him. Instead he had his fingers grabbing a hold of the net above her head, trying to make room for her to maneuver her arms around him.

It was always a bad idea when both of them seemed to be thinking the same dirty thoughts. So she ignored his words and the obvious meaning behind them and finally managed to get a good grip on the gun.

She handed it to Sawyer without an argument. Both of them leaned back against the net as far as they could, and he took out the magazine while she looked on.

"You only have one bullet left?" she asked in surprise.

He pushed the magazine back in, and it clicked into place. He raised his eyes from the gun to meet hers, "Two bullets actually, one's already in the chamber."

She wondered for a moment why he had so little ammo left but didn't ask.

Both of them looked around, searching for the best spot to shoot the rope. To Kate's surprise he handed her the gun.

"Think you can make that shot, Lara?"

She looked at him surprised, "You want me to shoot?"

"Yeah." He nodded, locking eyes with her again. "You shoot, and I'll focus my attention trying to break the fall us." But he really meant for her and the baby.

As if on cue they both looked down towards the ground. Due to the tightness of the net and their bodies and feet in the way there wasn't a whole lot to see. But it was more than obvious that they were high of the ground.

Much higher than Jack and her had been that time. This would definitely not be an easy fall. This fall could possibly break some bones, she thought. How had she not noticed this before?

"I don't know about this James? We are really high up." She clutched the gun tightly in her hand.

He looked to the side glancing through the jungle around them. "I know. That's why I said I'd break the fall girl."

"You could end up breaking something, and then what?"

"Then you'd go get help."

"What if I get hurt too? What if both of us get hurt James?"

James sighed in annoyance again, "Hell girl, I don't know." He was worried too, but tried his best to not let it show. "But if you got a better idea, let's hear it."

She looked around ... looked up and down ... looked every which way. He watched her patiently to hear anything she might come up with. Hoping that she'd come up with something, because she was right. It was high and he wasn't quite sure how exactly he'd break the fall without him getting hurt in the process. And even then it wasn't a sure bet that she wouldn't end up hurt too.

Then she looked back at him, "If we use your pocketknife, we could cut a slit in the net up here. Just big enough for us to climb through." She pointed up and he followed her hand with his eyes, "We are so close to that branch right there. We could climb out and over and then climb down that tree."

Sawyer curiously eyed the possible 'escape route' Kate was explaining before he answered, "That might actually work, princess. The only problem is that my knife's somewhere in my backpack."

Kate was clearly taken back by Sawyers admission that she had a better plan, and she just couldn't pass up the opportunity to 'rub it in' a little when she said, "So you're saying if I get that knife, then you won't mind me climbing up that branch and down the tree like a 'god damn monkey'?"

He smirked and looked at her shaking his head a little, knowing that she was referring to his speech from earlier about the baby, "Yeah Freckles, ... guess you'll get to do your monkey business after all ... if we get to the knife."

She had that happy smile plastered on her face again. The one that showed her dimples. The one that made his heart go hay-wire for her.

"Guess we won't need this then after all." She held up the gun, obviously not sure of what to do with it now.

He raised his eyebrows suggestively and spoke with a smile on his lips, "Wanna put it back where you got it?"

She hesitated a moment as if she was really contemplating it, but it became clear to Sawyer that she had her mind set on the mission. This girl wanted to climb down a tree. "If I put it back then it will just be in the way when you try to get that backpack off ... so no."

He seemed disappointed. He loved to tease her but it was only fun as long as she took the bait, which this time she clearly hadn't.

Maybe she's right. Maybe we should focus on getting out of here.

But his one track mind was put right back onto the wrong path when she said, "My gun's still in my backpack. So do you think you can put this one in the back of my pants?"

He raised his eyebrows and was just about to say something when she spoke up again, "There's just no way I can get my hand back there and get the gun in myself. I don't want it to drop and with our luck it will probably fall through the net somehow."

He was baffled that she didn't see the obvious innuendo that was presenting itself for him. But since she was so focused, maybe he could too. So he took the gun from her without skipping a beat and said with the most normal tone of voice he could muster, "Just lean into me girl and I'll give it a shot."

That sentence alone was enough to put a smile on his face. He was just biting back one joke after another. There was so much possibility in this scenario, especially while his hands were working their way around her. Although one of the hands wasn't working so much since it was occupied with holding onto the gun.

So he leaned back towards the net behind him to give her room to lean into him. Her arms were up. Left and right to his head with her fingers loosely hooked through the net as she leaned against him to give him more room to work with.

His one hand was already all the way around her, while the hand with the gun was a lot harder to maneuver between her body and the net.

"Curious 'bout something Freckles?" he huffed out.

It send chills down her spine when his hot breath brushed by her ear. She wondered if he'd notice the Goosebumps that had already formed on her skin. But not just on her arms this time. They were everywhere.

"What's that?" She answered.

"Your gun. Why is it in your backpack?"

She moved her face towards him, but she was so close. Her temple against his jaw line. She couldn't look him in the eye, even if she'd wanted too. "You put it there, remember?"

He was still trying to get the gun around her. And she noticed that he seemed to be taken his time, while his free hand rested on her lower back already under her shirt. Making her skin burn under his touch.

"I know that. But when we got back to this rock, and we were packing up at the beach ... for this hike. Why didn't you take the gun out? You always carried your gun on you before. Never just left it in your backpack."

He didn't know why he was even asking her that. It wasn't like it really mattered to him. Maybe it was to distract himself from the Goosebumps on her back and the overall heat her body was radiating at the moment. Or maybe it was to distract him from the scent of her. That intoxicating smell of just her was enough to drive him insane. Even when she was filthy and sweaty ... he'd want her. Pheromones ... he'd read about it before. But just because he knew what it was called didn't make it any less intriguing.

He finally had the gun all the way around her. His left hand pulled the back of her pants away just a bit so his right could press the gun down into it. He really would have liked to press his hand down her pants instead.

She gasped as the cold metal of the gun touched her skin. That with the combination of his breath in her ear and his hands on her almost made her lose control.

He slowly pulled his hands away from her back, but let them linger left and right of her. On her hipbone to be exact.

She leaned back to give him more room again when she answered hesitantly, "I guess I just forgot."

"You forgot?" he didn't really believe her.

Having put more space between each other again she was able to look up at his face, "I guess I did forget ... I ..." She looked away now somewhat embarrassed but still continued, "I guess I just felt save enough ... with you."

He didn't know what to say other then, "Oh, okay." That was all he could muster as a response. He'd always hoped she'd feel save with him, but never actually heard her admit it out loud. Maybe he was suppose to say something here to acknowledge what she had just said. Hell, maybe this was his cue to crack a joke to lighten up the mood again. But he couldn't think of anything to say and he felt like some love-struck teenager who'd just heard the girl of his dreams say 'I like you'!

She was actually relieved that he didn't dwell on what she'd just said, but she also knew that once he had adequate time to think about it, he'd rub it in given the chance in the future.

The future! It suddenly dawned on her that there wasn't a whole lot of time left for them together.

Awkward silence hung in the air as they locked eyes again.

He finally spoke up, "So, how should we do this?"

"Do you think you can turn around so I can get to the backpack?"

She leaned back against the net to make more room for him.

He tried but there was no use, "Don't think that's gonna work girl."

She let out a sigh, "Okay, I guess ... I guess I'll just help you get it off and if we can shimmy it down enough we could try to pull it through your legs and get it up between us."

He laughed and said, "Say that again Freckles? Something's trying to shimmy its way up right now."

She tried not to laugh herself , "James, could you just focus for once." But she just now registered what she'd said and why it was just the perfect invite for him to crack a joke at her expense. She had walked right into that one.

He bit back the grin still on his face, "Sounds like a plan." And he awkwardly lowered his arms to his side, trying to push his hands back. He leaned forward now ... into her. And she leaned into him too. With her hands on his shoulders trying her best to get the straps to slide down his arms. But of course that sounded a whole lot easier than it really was.

Something as simple as taking off a backpack turned into quite a task as they were tangled up in the net.

Her hands trying to slide the backpack straps down his arm send chills down his spine now. He refrained from growling again, and she held her breath when she felt his by her ear. The sexual tension was almost too much to handle for either one of them.

Sawyer could feel her rapid pulse and how her breathing rhythm had changed. He couldn't hold back any longer. As soon as those straps on both sides went past his hands, he wrapped his arms around her. One hand went straight for her ass and the other on the back of her head. Messily tangled up in her long brown curls.

She didn't fight it when his lips crushed into hers and without any hesitation her tongue was playing with his. Both their eyes were closed, and for a moment Kate could have sworn the net started spinning again.

The man knew how to kiss, she had to give him that. He'd always known how to make her world spin around her from just a stupid kiss. Her heart was racing and her body was aching for him, but at the same time she didn't want this kiss to end. She could go on kissing him for hours.

Her lips always had this sweet taste to them. He could never understand it ... and the more he thought about it he'd come to the conclusion that it just had to be all in his head. Because nobodies lips could just naturally taste like this ... taste this good. It just had to be all in his head, but he didn't care. He just couldn't' get enough of her and that taste.

He couldn't hold back the 'audio commentary' anymore and groaned loudly while not letting up on her lips. His hands were surprisingly fast all of a sudden. Somehow the net pushing them together was not that much of an obstacle anymore for him and his fingers.

Within no time they'd managed to push her backpack of her shoulders and his hands were already underneath the back of her shirt. Then just as quickly they were in the front, with his callused thumbs slowly digging their way underneath the wire of her bra. Just to tease her ... oooohhh, and it worked.

His hands worked their way down again and grabbed a hold of the bottom hem of her shirt. He broke away from the kiss. She opened her eyes and looked up at him somewhat confused. But before she could ask him why he'd stopped kissing her, he yanked the shirt up and over her head. Her arms went with the motion, almost involuntarily ... but either way the shirt was off.

He looked at her appreciably. Eating her up with his eyes as if he hadn't seen her like this before.

Then without giving her a warning, his hands rushed behind her again and in record time had unfastened her bra.

She was just stunned at the rate this was all going. Hadn't even had time to register everything, when he bend his knees just enough so that he could kiss his way down towards her nipples. She moaned when his tongue slowly played with them. She was like putty under his touch and lips, and he knew it. Maybe the net was spinning after all, she thought.

Damn him! I can't do this ... not again!

"James, stop." She was surprised that she'd actually managed to get those two words passed her lips. It was almost like an out of body experience.

Every fiber in her body told her that she wants this. That she needs this. She was physically aching for him to touch and kiss her. But her mind was screaming at her loud and clear ... NO!

He hadn't expected this. Pulling back he locked eyes with her, "What's wrong?"

She looked away. She just couldn't look at him, instead searched almost frantically for her shirt. Grabbed it and held it in front of her in an attempt to hide her naked upper body from him.

She stuttered on the words, "W-What's wrong ... what's wrong is that we are over James. That's what's wrong."

He sighed and tried to pull away more, but there really was no room to do so. He didn't say anything. There was nothing he could say really. They are over.

Their eyes on each other spoke volumes and he knew better then to try to talk her into this. There was no use.

He tried not to watch her when she tried to put her bra back on. But when he noticed how she was struggling, he just simply helped her out.

"I got it." She snapped at him, frantically trying to close the bra behind her and clearly afraid of his touch and what it might do.

He mocked her, "Sure you do." His hands behind her and probably for the first time ever hooking a bra closed instead of opening it.

Then he helped her get the shirt back on and when it was all done, she let out a whispered "Thanks" and he whispered back "No problem."

An awkward silence hung between them now. Her lips, cheeks and chest looked flushed but it was probably from his beard stubble. To him she never looked prettier than she did right now.

The backpack was sitting on the bottom of the net, right by Sawyers feet. He bent down in an attempt to reach it, but he couldn't. She'd have to do it, but she seemed to be staring into space ... not even registering what he was attempting to do.

"Why did you lie James?" her question hit him out of nowhere.

He looked up at her and trying to be funny he said, "You're gonna have to be a little more specific Freckles?"

She didn't think it was funny. Her face sad and withdrawn, "At the dock, after Juliet died. Why did you lie about that ring?"

He swallowed and tried to avoid her gaze, "Doesn't really matter anymore Freckles."

"It matters to me."

He was feeling anger rise in him, but he couldn't even understand why himself. Maybe because he still wanted her and she'd turned him down cold. Or maybe it was because it had always been easier for him to get mad at her then to actually talk things through.

His facial features got hard all of a sudden, his eyes got that evil glint to them that she hated to see on him ... or maybe she just hated it when it was meant for her. His voice was filled with anger now and she was baffled how it could turn from sugar sweet to this within seconds, "Why does it matter? It's like you said, we're over. We're done ..." his voice trailed off, but then he added, "besides, I already told you why I did it."

She raised her eyebrows in response to that, "No you didn't. You didn't tell me."

"Yes I did." He snapped back at her quickly.

"When?"

"After you went on your little suicide dive to get me out."

"Oh." Her eyes down cast all of a sudden, "I didn't listen to you then, I was too pissed off at you ... and I had water in my ears so ... I didn't listen to you."

"Ain't my problem, Ariel. I don't do reruns."

"Fine." She huffed annoyed.

And just like that, she let herself sink to the bottom of the net. Her legs pulled tightly against her chest, her backpack also on there, leaving absolutely no room for him to even move his legs an inch.

"What the hell you think you're doing?" He stared at her as he watched her resting her forehead against her knees.

She craned her neck to look up at him, "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm sitting down."

"I can see that, sweetheart, but why are you sitting down? I thought we're getting out of here."

She hesitated but then answered, "I'm taking a break."

"Hell girl, how about we get out of here first and then you can take a damn break."

She didn't answer him.

"Fine. You wanna take a break, take one. But while you're down there, could you get the damn knife out of my pack?"

No reaction from her again, until he added, "Please?"

Now she looked up at him and he actually looked like he'd meant it, so she reached through his legs and pulled the backpack closer to her.

She opened the zipper on it and started looking through it, then she said, "Any idea where it might be?"

"Since it's fairly small it's probably fell through to the bottom."

He watched her closely from above, and he knew another fight was coming on the moment when he saw her pull the tape cassette out of the pack.

Damn it. I forgot that that was in there.

Kate read the label on the cassette, held it in her hands and craned her neck again to look up at him, "What the hell is this James?"

"Looks like a tape to me, honey."

"Is this what I think it is?"

He smiled, "That depends on what you think it is."

She rolled her eyes at him annoyed, "You know what I'm talking about. Is this us in the cages? Did you watch it?" Her voice accusatory towards him.

He sighed, then looked at her again, "I started watching it. But no, it's not the cages, alright? It's you and me in the damn swan hatch."

"The swan hatch?" she repeated after him with a questioning look on her eyes. "We didn't do anything in the swan hatch."

"If by 'anything' you mean sex, then yeah ... we didn't do that." He grinned. "But they taped you taking care of me." He tried not to smile but just the memory of it brought a smile to his face ... almost against his will.

She suddenly had panic in her eyes and he noticed it immediately when she asked him, "What did you see?"

The smile gone and he shook his head a little confused, "What do you mean what did I see? I just told you girl, do you ever listen? They got you on there taken care of me when I was unconscious, that's it."

She looked a little relieved, and now he began to wonder why. "What did you think I saw?"

"Nothing." She said, and then she opened the little plastic cover that exposed the actual tape and her fingers reached for it, but Sawyer was quicker. He reached down and pulled the entire cassette out of her hand.

"What the hell you think you're doing?" he almost yelled at her angrily.

She was pissed off now too, "Give that back to me." She tried to stand up, but she couldn't get up as easily as she had gotten down and it pissed her of.

"I ain't given shit back to you." He huffed. "You were gonna rip the damn tape out, weren't you?"

"Yeah, so what?" she had finally struggled her way back up.

"Well honey, it ain't your tape to rip. It's mine. Founders keepers."

"James." Her voice annoyed but determined, "Just give me the tape." She reached for it, but he held it high above his head. As high as he could.

Then he smiled at her in a 'what'cha gonna do now' kinda way and simply said, "No."

She was mad, annoyed and terrified all the same. She wanted that tape and destroy it before he'd ever get the chance to watch the rest.

She struggled against him, almost looked like she was trying to climb up on him to reach the damn tape. But he didn't budge. Held his arms high and wouldn't let it fall, even when she was basically hanging on it with all her weight. Both of them where breathing heavily, when all of a sudden she stood up on his boots to give her enough leverage to kiss him.

In record time she'd both her hands wrapped around his neck and pulled him towards her. Kissing him passionately in the process. Then her hands wandered to the front of his shirt and she started unbuttoning it, never breaking from the kiss.

He went along ... enjoying the sensation of her wanting him. He was lowering his arm with the tape. Then when he tried to wrap his arms around her, the tape's corners got caught by the net and made it too much of a struggle to get around her. Right in that moment it dawned on him and he suddenly broke away from the kiss and looked at her suspiciously.

She stopped fiddling with his buttons and looked up at him, "What?" she asked so innocent that he almost bought it.

His voice filled with venom, "What sweetheart? I tell you what. You're willing to screw me just so you can get this damn tape back!"

She looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. She couldn't say anything, she didn't want to lie but she didn't want to admit the truth either.

After she didn't answer him, he got even more pissed off, "Right! That's what I thought." He paused for a second then continued, "What the hell is on the tape? What happened in the swan hatch that you don't want me to see Kate?"

She looked away, avoiding his death stare on her. Still not saying anything. She didn't know what she should tell him. She didn't want him to know what he'd done ... or Wayne in his body. It was all too weird, but she didn't want him to feel guilty or ... it was all just too much and too difficult to explain. He wouldn't believe her anyways. So she just stood there and said nothing.

"You screwed the doc in the hatch, didn't you?"

Now she stared up at him and almost yelled, "No." her eyes spelling out disbelieve that he would even think that of her.

"Then what did you do with the doc in the hatch that you don't want me to see?" His voice was still accusatory ... he knew he was on to something, but he just didn't know exactly what it was.

Now she was pissed off at him, yelling back "I didn't do anything with Jack. All I did was take care of you."

He was clearly confused, "So if it wasn't Jack, then what the hell was it girl? What happened that you don't' want me to see?"

Silence again from her.

His blood was near the boiling point and he raised his voice, screaming at her, "TELL ME!"

Tears started overflowing from her eyes and she started to sob uncontrollably.

He demanded again, but this time not screaming anymore, "Just fucking tell me Kate."

She wiped at her eyes, trying to get the flowing tears under control and whispered quietly, "You hurt me."

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