Kali woke with a start, hearing a shout from close by. She pushed herself up to find Sawyer was thrashing around on the floor, almost whimpering. He was having a nightmare again, and it was a bad one. She stood up too quickly, the effects of the alcohol still in her system and rushed over to him.
"Sawyer?" She exclaimed, her hand shaking his chest.
His face was contorted in fear, and his shirt practically soaked through with sweat. It was strange to see him in such a vulnerable position.
"C'mon, wake up," Kali told him, placing her hand against his cheek.
"James!" She insisted, with both her hands touching his face.
Sawyer's eyes suddenly snapped open, as he pushed himself up, his eyes darting around the forest.
"Hey, it's okay. You're not there. You're with me" Kali stated, as she gently turned him to face her.
"Kali…" He trailed off, his wide eyes slowly recognising her and where he was.
"Yeah, it's me. You're safe now" She said, her hands still touching his bearded face.
She was surprised when he's head fell forward, as he leaned against her chest. Kali would have suspected he had passed out if his hand hadn't moved to grip onto her thigh, as if he needed some tether to reality. It was a slightly awkward position, not too mention far more intimate than the pair were used to, but Kali could tell Sawyer needed it. He had purposely moved his position so the side of his face was above where her heart was. Due to their proximity, Kali's heart was beating abnormally fast and she was pretty sure he must have been able to feel it. Still, she kept her hands where they were, now tangled in his dirty blond hair. She rubbed small circles with her thumbs against the base of his neck and could feel how the tension there slowly started to disappear.
"I saw it" He mumbled, so quietly she could barely hear.
"Saw what?" She frowned.
"When my dad killed my mother. I was there. Under the bed. I…I heard all of it" Sawyer admitted, as his grip on her thigh lessened.
"Jesus…that's what you keep seeing?" She guessed as he shook his head against her.
"I'm just like him" Sawyer whispered.
"Don't say that. You're nothing like him. You're a good person. You might not see it, but I do" Kali insisted.
"You don't know what I've done" Sawyer went on.
"It won't matter. It can't be worse than what I've done" She suggested.
"You were just a kid. I…I killed someone, Kali. Someone who didn't deserve it" Sawyer admitted.
"I know" She sighed.
"You know?" He frowned.
"You carry a hell of a lot of guilt around with you, and there's only one reason someone would feel that way. Trust me, I know" Kali explained, as Sawyer began drawing circles against her thigh.
"I got tricked. I thought this guy was Sawyer, the man who ruined my life. And I saw red. I killed him. I thought I had finally gotten my revenge" Sawyer exclaimed.
"But it wasn't him?" She guessed.
"All the guy had done was get behind on his last payment. He was so scared and then…then he…" Sawyer trailed off, scrunching his eyes shut.
"Then what?" Kali questioned.
"He said it'll come back around. I keep hearing it, Kali. Out in the forest earlier I swear I heard it" Sawyer told her, hating her weak he sounded.
"You think karma's going to get you?" She suggested.
"I guess…I don't know" Sawyer mumbled.
"It won't" She insisted.
"And why's that?" He scoffed.
"Because karma can kiss my ass. We've both been through way too much for that shit" Kali insisted, as Sawyer let out a low chuckle.
"What do you think has brought all this up for you?" She asked, curiously.
Sawyer's mind instantly went to the day before when someone had tried to get Kali killed. He thought he was going to lose the one good thing in his life. It'll come back around.
"…I don't know. This island just has a way of getting to you" Sawyer shrugged, not wanting to reveal the real reason.
"That it does" Kali sighed.
"Morning" A voice suddenly announced, as the pair sprang back from each other.
Kali looked up with a blush to see Locke standing a few feet away, an almost smug look on his face at catching them in such an intimate embrace.
"Jesus, do you just teleport around this island? Where did you even come from?" Kali grumbled as Sawyer pushed himself to his feet.
"I've been looking for salvage from the plane. Picked up your path a mile back and thought I'd say howdy. Was I interrupting something?" Locke questioned.
"No," The pair said at the same time, giving each other a look when they did so.
"Right…anyone for coffee?" Locke smiled, setting his pack down.
"Son of a bitch" Sawyer grimaced, as he surveyed there destroyed campsite.
The pair had to embarrassingly admit that they hadn't even realised the boar had somehow trampled where they had slept for the night. Strangely enough, the hog had only destroyed Sawyer's things, even going as far to piss on his clothes. Kali couldn't help but find the latter hilarious, much to Sawyer's annoyance.
"Sawyer thinks the boar has a personal vendetta against him" Kali informed Locke.
"That's three times it's attacked me" Sawyer insisted, trying to pack up anything that he could salvage from his things.
"Maybe it's got your sent. Doesn't like your cologne" Kali suggested.
"I don't wear cologne" Sawyer retorted.
"Yes, you do" Kali scoffed.
"Yeah well…the things got it in for me" Sawyer insisted, ignoring the fact that he had splashed himself with cologne before leaving the camp because he suspected Kali would be following him.
"It's a boar, Sawyer" Kali shook her head, as he sat down with a huff.
Locke then began a speech about his dead sister, and how his mother had believed a dog had been reincarnated as her to let his mother off the hook. It was a tale that proved too complicated to comprehend for Kali, who was beginning to feel her hangover. However, she could see it had touched a nerve with Sawyer.
"You know you two are pretty far from the camp, it's dangerous to get lost in these parts" Locke explained.
"Fancy showing us the way back?" Kali asked.
"Sure" Locke nodded, as they stood up.
"You can go back, but I'm staying," Sawyer told her.
"Sawyer, c'mon. We searched all night. Let's just go back to the camp" Kali insisted.
"No" Sawyer shook his head, grabbing his bag.
"Ugh, fine. I'll go with you-" Kali groaned, but Sawyer cut her off.
"No. You should go back with Locke. Like he said, it's dangerous out here" Sawyer pointed out, already walking in the other direction.
"You don't even know where you're going!" Kali called out to him.
"I'll see you back at camp" Sawyer replied, not looking around.
With a roll of her eyes, Kali grabbed her backpack, about to start rushing after him, when Locke pulled her back.
"Are you sure you should go with him? You'll just get lost too" Locke stated.
"I can't leave him out here on his own" Kali frowned, taking her arm out of his grip.
"Boone's waiting for you back at camp. What should I tell him?" Locke inquired.
"Uh, maybe you shouldn't mention you saw us" Kali suggested, sheepishly.
"You don't think he'll be happy to hear you've stayed out in the jungle all night getting drunk with another man?" Locke guessed as Kali scoffed.
"Boone and I aren't dating and besides, nothing happened," Kali told him.
"He likes you, Kali. A lot. I'm just trying to look at for my friend" Locke explained.
"So am I. That's why I'm going after Sawyer" Kali retorted, walking away from Locke.
It took Kali much longer than she had expected to catch up with Sawyer, who seemed to have gotten himself completely lost from the way his footprints were zigzagging. When she finally found him in a clearing, he had his gun raised in the air, as she saw he had managed to find his prey. She stayed still as she watched him weigh up his choices. His anger slowly seemed to dissipate. After a tense few seconds, he lowered his weapon, letting the boar go free. Sawyer seemed to know she had been there the whole time and turned towards her with a raised eyebrow.
"It's just a boar. Let's go back to camp" Sawyer announced, as she nodded.
Walking side by side, Kali looked up at the blond with a large smile on her face.
"What?" He frowned.
"I told you…you're a good man" She stated as Sawyer's lips twitched into a smile too.
The pair didn't notice the muscular man standing in the shadows, watching their every move. The man had been hoping to grab Kali before she had managed to find Sawyer, but she had been too quick. Gritting their teeth, they balled their hands into fists and began to follow the pair back to camp. Another opportunity to kill the young girl had slipped through their fingers.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sawyer really opened up to Kali in this chapter, both physically and mentally. We'll have to wait and see whether this makes any change to their relationship. I wonder who it was watching them in the shadows, hmm? Please leave a review:)
DrLexieSloan: Aw, thank you for the review:) We all love Boone, but Sawyer is impossible competition. I'm so happy you're enjoying their relationship, and I think you could definitely be on the right track with Kali's first time, haha. That's so great to hear my story is able to inspire you, that's some really big praise!
scripturient3201: Thank you so much! I'm glad I was able to make you feel sorry for Boone, bless him. It means a lot to hear you think I'm a good author! Let's hope Kali at least gets back to the beach in one piece!
kz4valentina: Thanks for the review:) Poor Boone, he doesn't haven't a great track record with relationships, does he? I'm not sure if Kali would have been ready for him to answer her, haha!
Ria: Thank you so much! That's some really big praise, I'm glad you're enjoying this story:)
Liza: Thanks for the review:) I'm glad you like my story! I hope you liked this chapter.