Quickie:
Hmm. You know, I just don't know what Sawyer was working on. ;-)
Chapter 38
Sawyer, Cassidy, and Kate had all migrated into the kitchen for discussion. It was silent for a long few minutes, and Kate kept glancing between the two of them. She couldn't get it out of her head that Sawyer was the man that Cassidy had been talking about – the man who she was still in love with, and whose child she'd been carrying. Was Cassidy still in love with Sawyer now? Was that was this was about? Or maybe, just maybe, it had to do with the kid. The irony was just a bit annoying.
"It's been a long time, Sawyer," Cassidy finally said.
"Not long enough," Kate heard him mutter.
"And how the hell did you wind up here Lu – Kate?"
"It's a long story."
"Well, how 'bout you two tell me how it is you know each other?" Sawyer asked.
Cassidy glanced at Kate, then said, "It doesn't matter how we met."
Kate shook her head. Even though Cassidy's intentions might have been honorable, Kate didn't intend to keep this from Sawyer. There was no need.
"We crossed paths a while back while I was on the run. I helped her, she helped me. Then we parted our ways."
"You helped each other?" he said dully.
"I needed to get through the police to talk to my mom. She needed her con to go through," she said teasingly, exaggerating the word.
Sawyer looked away angrily.
"Look. I don't mean no harm by comin' here. I'm just here for one thing," Cassidy said.
Before she could go on, Sawyer looked up anxiously and cleared his throat.
"Can you excuse us for a few minutes, Freckles?"
"Why?" Cassidy said, stopping Kate as she stood. "You mean you haven't told her about our daughter?"
His eyes widened and he risked a glance a Kate. Her eyes were a mixture of confusion, and yet, sympathy. He stared back at the table, pained, knowing this was probably just fuel for yet another argument with her. Well it'd have to wait until later – as usual.
"Kate, please?" he said in a quiet voice.
Respecting his wishes, she left the room and went upstairs in search of Mackenzie.
"Why're you here, Cassidy?"
"Clementine."
"Who the hell's – "
"Oh don't try and play dumb. You know exactly who she is."
"I already told you that ain't my – "
"Hell if she ain't! She's got your eyes!" She added quietly, "And no one in MY family's got dimples so deep."
"So what. She's your problem, not mine."
"Like hell she's not!" She sighed, trying to contain herself. "Look, I want her to meet you. At least once."
He scoffed.
"Do you know how many times she's asked me where her daddy is? I can't let her grow up not ever knowing you. I won't do that to her!"
"She's NOT mine!" he shouted, rising from his seat and leaving the room.
Cassidy lowered her head into her hands in frustration. Hearing Sawyer's shouting, Kate ventured downstairs again. She stopped midway seeing Sawyer at the base. He turned away and, instead, grabbed the keys from the mantle and left the house. Cassidy suddenly appeared in the doorway and she and Kate spotted each other.
"He just left?" Cassidy asked in disbelief.
"I guess so," Kate replied, heading down the rest of the stairs. "Is everything okay?"
"Just a misunderstanding."
Kate followed her back into the kitchen.
"Coffee?" Kate offered.
"Thanks."
Kate busied herself making a pot, while Cassidy took a seat yet again.
"Small world, huh?"
"Real small," Kate agreed.
"Never would've dreamt of seeing you here, of all people."
"Likewise."
"So how did that happen?"
Kate took a seat and let the coffee maker do the work.
"We were both on the plane from Sydney – Oceanic 815?"
"Oh right. The one that crashed over the Pacific. Ya'll met on the plane?"
"Not exactly. We met on the island."
"He try and con you too?"
"Not yet," Kate smiled.
"Huh. Well don't be fooled by his charm. I was and look where it landed me. With a six-year-old who's beggin' to meet her jackass of a father."
Kate looked down. "I don't know. Maybe he's changed."
"Doesn't seem like it. He still won't see her."
"You're sure it's his?"
"If I need to do a paternity test, I will," Cassidy said, digging into her purse and pulling out her wallet. "But does she look like I really need to?"
Kate took the photo and stared at it. The little girl definitely had Sawyer's determined blue green eyes. And her dimples were hard to miss. The rest of her face resembled Cassidy's, but those eyes and dimples - it was slightly stomach-turning. She handed the photo back to Cassidy, having seen enough.
"I just wish he'd man up and take responsibility for his actions, you know?"
"Yeah. But…maybe he's just afraid."
"Afraid?" Cassidy laughed. "What world are you living in?"
Kate got up to get the coffee, slightly disturbed by Cassidy's view of Sawyer. She wasn't even trying to listen to Kate reason with her. Sawyer really wasn't that bad. Well, not to her. But she just couldn't see him going back to his old ways. Not after everything they had been through, and all the progress made. He had definitely changed – and for the better.
To be honest, she already knew why he wouldn't take responsibility for Clementine. It was the same reason he didn't want to take responsibility for what would have been their child. But at least with their situation, there was still a choice left. It was too late for him to neglect Clementine. And she realized, by doing what he was, he was only turning into what he was avoiding - the type of father his was. Was that why he refused?
"I'm not saying he has to pay support or anything like that. I just want him to meet her. This way, at least she could go through her life having laid eyes on her father. Even if it's just once."
"Do you ever think maybe she's better off?"
"Nobody's better off not knowing their parents."
Kate looked down. She better than anyone knew that. Just look at what had happened after not knowing who her father was. Now he was dead. And it was too late. Cassidy had a point.
"If you just give him time, he'll come around."
"Looks to me like we're not talking about the same Sawyer."
"Maybe he's not the same man as he used to be," Kate said, realizing the truth behind her own words.
"You sure are defending him a whole lot."
"Because you keep putting him down."
"Well lookit what he's left me with. And I don't doubt he'll do the same thing to you."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"No, Kate. You don't know what you're talking about. He will take anything you've got and leave you on your ass. Probably with a kid, like me, if you let him get that close."
"I don't have anything for him to take," Kate said in his defense. She wasn't going to sit and listen to this anymore. "I have nothing to offer him, but he's letting me stay here anyway. Out of the goodness of his heart."
"What heart?"
"He has a heart, Cassidy. Believe it or not. You just don't know him well enough to see it."
Cassidy sat back in her chair and stared at Kate in wonder. Then she started to nod.
"You've fallen for him, haven't you?"
Kate pressed her lips together. A long silence overcame them both.
"Look, I'm not tellin' you to stop lovin' him, Kate. I'm just warnin' you so you don't make the same mistakes I did."
"Thanks, but no thanks," Kate replied, coolly.
"I think I'm gonna head out. I have to get back to our daughter."
Cassidy rose from her seat, grabbing her coat and bag. Kate followed her to the front door to see her out.
"Can't imagine she's holdin' up well in that motel," she said bitingly.
"She's here – in Tennessee?" Kate asked, quietly, hanging onto the doorknob.
"Damn right she is. And he's gonna meet her, one way or another." She turned back one last time before walking to her car. "Bye, Kate."