Epilogue
AN: I'm sorry for the spelling glitches, I guess my spell checker missed some of 'em. My bad. Will re-edit and correct it. Hope this is better. :) Thanks for the rrs.
10 hours later.
Charlie had watched bemusedly, if not a little perplexed as Sawyer readied his tent - for what, he didn't know. But to the English musician, it looked like he was expecting to be hit by a tornado.
"Expecting bad weather there, Sawyer?" he half chuckled, seeing nothing but blue sky everywhere he looked. Sawyer growled something, but didn't make a damn bit of difference, while he manoeuvres his things to make a narrow space next to where he slept.
Charlie was about to ask, but found his mouth full of cotton, as he watched Jack, Kate and Ana barrelling their way towards them.
"Some bloody tornado," he quipped, as Sawyer gruffly stood to his full height, turned to where Charlie pointed."Here comes Jack."
Those blue eyes narrow in on the group, passing through the gathered crowds at the camp fires. Jack ignores all, to get to them both.
"Yeh,"Sawyer sourly notes, "I saw the seas parting."
Sawyer feels Charlies glare on him, turns in to face it.
"What have you done now?" he groans, dreading.
"Stick around and find out," Sawyer replies sullenly, and isn't at all surprised by Charlies quick departure.
"Nah," the Hustler heard him mutter, making a quick exit. "I got enough grief already. Good luck."
James grinned, finding it suddenly erased just as quickly.
"I wanna word with you, James."
Jack feeling her anxiousness in the deal she'd made with the islands devil incarnate. James 'Sawyer' Ford, the further they made their way down the beach, he hurried his steps to reach him before she did.
A deal made with one demon they did know, against one; they never did.
"There's some conditions of my own, you're gonna follow Sawyer." Jack ground out between clenched teeth. "And this is why–"
By the time Ana and Kate got there, both men were practically at each others throats.
The men grappled, shoving each other like Elephant bulls. Ana cursed, joining Kate in pushing them apart. All the good that would do.
"Back off, dammit!"Ana imposed herself between both males, getting semi-crushed and tussled, for her effort. Her back to jack she pushed at sawyers chest. When he made another jump at jack, she decided to reinforce her demand.
"I. Said. Back. Off!"
With a sweep of her leg, throwing it hard to the back of his knees, using her body strength to throw him to the ground, she finally was able to part the two.
Sawyer lay there, at first surprised at her audacity - his hair splayed out around him on the sand. A moment of enchantment, a spell of silence cast over them. Then his features tightened, indignant, wounded pride. A curse left him, followed by a few more for good measure.
He makes an art of scowling. "You enjoyed that a lill' too much, witch."
"I take it where I can get it." she answers simply.
He leers, eyes twinkling. "I remember."
A breathless stasis, charred with mischievous physicality on his part, and anguished reaping on hers. Jacks wounded sensibilities not withstanding, they all knew this was her decision. The only one she could make, given the circumstances.
She sighs, resignedly. Reaches her hand down, allows him to grab it.
Sawyer became wide eyed. Suspicious. But does so.
"I suggest, you take advantage of what is being offered, Blondie. You may not, get a second chance."
He grins, as she hauls him up to his feet.
Tips his invisible cowboy hat at her in appreciation.
"Anything for a lady, Lulu."
She stares at him for a long while, her eyes showing him flashes of anger, frustration and exhaustion. Lest that be considered in any way, like an apology, she quickly amends.
"Do that again, though, to Jack or to anyone I consider my own," she warns dangerously, "and you will really need a bodyguard. Got me?"
Heat coursed through him, as he struggled to compose himself.
"This isn't right, Ana. He isn't right."Jack said, interrupting their stand off.
"No; he ain't." she softly agreed, glaring at the smirking cowboy. "But with you on the other side of the argument - Do you think he'll be willing to back down?"
Sawyer took another step closer to the infuriating Latina. Jack growled warning, but both Ana and James seemed oblivious. If something wasn't done, and soon, blood would be spilt.
"I need to speak to you,"Kate faked a congenial tone and smile when she asked to speak to Sawyer. But no one could mistake it for an order. not a request. When he made no more to follow, but rather continue the stare off with Rambina, she fisted her hand in his shirt and dragged him away. "Now!" she demanded.
Surprisingly, he went without comment.
Kate shoved him away, once they were far enough from the others, not to be over heard.
"What the hell was all that about?!" she demanded.
He looked at her flustered. "Huh, Freckles?"
"This thing," whatever the hell it was. "This thing with Ana. Easier without."
More than likely. But his life was never easy, so why start now?
His gaze caught up on the fierce dark beauty a few metres away with his arch rival.
He watched Ana closely. Eyes drawn back to her, unable to resist.
Whatever demons chased Lulu across the island. A streak of lightning for a right hook, Ana wasn't one to do - by halves.
Had her a grudge, a surly growl and a gun. Cleared a hell of a lot of ground with those.
Didn't he know it.
But deciphering her inaction where Gale was concerned, or the following events after, shook him to his knees. Michael had betrayed all of them, but found enough shame and loss, to help them position the others camp, as well as Desmonds unexpected return and maps to the island. With Ana and a newly recovered Eko, they had sufficiently began to piece together the island puzzle. Sayid had taken over the army, while Ana was engaged elsewhere. Eko took upon the mantle to care for Gale, when Locke wasn't on duty.
Both men had forged a strange and complex connection with Ana Lucia Cortez. He'd have to watch that closely. Speaking of which...
Doc was getting awfully chummy with his Lucy, he focussed hard on them, catching snippets, before Kate swatted his arm.
"What's going on, Sawyer?!"
She'd been justifiably leery of his answers since Xenas appearance in his shirt. as well she should've been, given their short history to con each other. He watched the frown deepen as he floundered for the answer. That question she wouldn't ask him straight out, 'cause she wouldn't want too, crease her forehead. Sadden those eyes.
'Right there,' Sawyer thought blackly. 'Right there, is why you don't deserve happiness.'
Yet the question nagged both of them. Did he do it to spite Jack, like so many of the things he had done, and would do, again? Play the anti-hero till the end of his days, caught between Jack and his girl Friday?
"Why Her?" His smile vanished. Why not her?
"You mean you don' know?" To his horror his voice becoming inextricably tender.
Kate just stood there, arms folded.
Well, Freckles',' he replied sadly, "you're all outta luck. 'Cause I don't know either.'
Ana regarded the doctor quizzically.
"You're taking this too personally."
"I'm taking this calmly,"he cooly reminds her. "If I was taking it personal, there'd be a lot more yelling."
Ana smiled, lowered her voice a notch, meeting Jacks smug and excited glee with her own. Making sure the Hustler was out of range.
"It was a bloody good con though."
flashback
"I should've known something was up, Jack. Sawyer was too smug to let Ana Lucia get away with lifting his precious gun--"
Enough,"Jack murmured, patting Kates back supportive. "This was a team screw up. We can Mea Culpa ourselves later. Right now, we gotta figure what we're gonna do about Michael and Gale.""
"Now that he's confessed about trying to free Henry, placement of their camp, we can..."
"Do nothing without the guns."
Kate fell momentarily silent. "Sawyers already offered the guns back.."
".. for a price, Kate."
Kate didn't like the look he gave her, found herself becoming just as resentful.
"Told you she can take care of herself, didn't she?"
He walked a little way from her, hiding his frown. Just who was she envious of? Jacks concern for Ana? Or Sawyers? When he turned back, there was no sign of it.
"She can, and will. But she knows, as I do, the rest of the camp cannot. Not with five bullets in each gun."
"It's ten. He'll keep each gun with ten. That's the deal--"
"Not the one we're gonna take. Kate, we aren't relying on Sawyers benevolence any longer. "He returns to her side, a little anxious, a little determined. She realizes he is far from done, just yet.
"But all that, hinges on you."
".. Well till you do, James." His name said like a curse, drew his brows down. Gave him pangs of something he couldn't define, but recognized enough as regret. "I don't want you anywhere near me. I've been conned enough by you, and I won't be... " her throat closes, holding back the tears. "...again."
Before he can stop her, she is off running. Jack spins on his heel, hearing the commotion and takes chase.
Both Sawyer and Ana watch them go from their perspective places. She turned on her heel, catching his eye, holding it steady. She nodded once, and he ambled towards her.
Before Jack had left, his eyes left hers for a moment, but it was enough for Ana to read them anyway. Too late for her to try - Jacks heart already stuttered, caught in anothers claims.
Would she had the chance to have something akin to love, to anything resembling it. She scoffed mentally. Like Love would deem to just walk right up an introduce himself to her --
"Why, Hello Bonita."
Her gaze shot up to his, so close to her now. Why was he the only one to test her?
"Freakin' jealous child--"
Sawyer chuckled. "Yeh, Jacks a jackass--"
"Not him, you. Why can't you just let them be, man?"
She was so gorgeous when she was off on a tangent, all flustered and wild eyed.
"You already got the guns, and the bullets..." she continued, frustrated.
"Not the only thing I got that afternoon,"he reminded her sweetly.
The look she gave him was almost too precious for words."What if I told you I'd be a true Southern gentleman?"
"Can tell me anything you wan', Cowpoke. We know better. "
"Ya gonna be this surly the whole time we be together, girlie?"
Ana glared silently at him. He resisted the urge to grin, depositing the rest of her things inside his tent.
It was then she noted how very close her space was next to his. Right Next to his.
Hell no. Time to set a little rules.
"That's not enough room," Ana hissed. "But ya gonna fix that before I come back."
His eyebrows arch. "I ain't gonna do what you say, better get used to that right off, Officer... Wait. Where are you goin'?"
"Shower."
He rubbed his hands together, suddenly excited. "Well, now, that's more like it. Just let me grab my towel.." he ripped off his shirt, throwing it haphazardly on his side of their tent. However, he found better distraction.
He was watching Ana checking him out through a curtain of his dirty blond hair. He chuckled, knowingly.
"Like what ya see?"
Ana huffed. "You wish."
His blue eyes flickered over her, noting all the signs with predatory glee.
"Whatever ya say, Muchacha."
Ana growled low in her throat. There were a few things more unsettling than a hustler who is convinced he is devilishly clever - the secret smile, the insouciant spring in his step. He damned near hugged himself with glee to have outwitted Jack, Kate, Locke and the others to own the guns.
Including her.
Ana slings the rifle over her shoulder, the one he hasn't seen her pull from the pack. "OK, this is how its gonna be. You keep your scrawny ass outta my way. Business only." She picks up the knife. 'Which is why you gonna stay on your side of this, or I'm gonna bust you like a Pinata? Got me?"
Given half the chance.
"Spiffy with me, lulu. Just as long as you remember who's calling the shots."
Ana simmered at his arrogance, squares her shoulders. "If you're hearing shots, Dimples. They're coming from me."
He flashes her a grin, so near animalistic, he was darn near sprouting canines.
Ana tilted her head sideways, regarding him silently.
Those dark knol eyes settled on him and stayed that way, till the flap of the tent floated between them, and she was gone - without a word.
Sawyer couldn't put a name on what he felt for the mystery Ana Lucia Cortez posed to him. Perhaps a great deal more than he cared to explore.
As he settled back down, a whimsical smile arched across his features. Pulling the tarp on her side, closer, instead of further away, like she demanded, he patiently waited.
Because all in all, he wasn't lying when he'd said that Freckles wasn't in his head anymore. But someone else definitely was.
And Damned if he wasn't just feeling fine with that.
THE END