Chapter 11-

July 5, 1977

Sawyer looks at Juliet, shaking his head in disbelief and jumps up off his dining room chair. "What do you mean, that damn bomb has to go off!? For what purpose?!"

"James."

"No! I will NOT participate in anything that causes you fall to your death again!"

Juliet gets up and walks to Sawyer and reaches out to take one of his hands. His whole body is shaking. He really experienced all of this. It isn't some wild dream.

"I'm sorry James. I shouldn't have just spit it out like that. What I mean is I have no intention of sacrificing myself or getting either one of us near the Swan station like you say I did. I just meant that if the bomb doesn't go off, you and I would never come to this island in the future. … Ben won't have any excuse to get Richard to recruit me since there won't be a pregnancy problem, and since you say you were searching for me on the Internet before you got on the plane, you won't come here either."

"And how is that a bad thing, Juliet? Who is to say that we won't remember and find each other in the real world!"

"Maybe, but the plane will still crash here. All of the survivors will be at Ben's mercy without knowing what is going on and us there to protect them. We have to let this play out James."

"Son of a bitch. I just as soon tell Jin when he calls in that we should just turn them away and let them fend for themselves in the jungle.""

Sawyer starts to walk away from her, but she comes right back after him. "You know we have to do this, unless you have a better idea. I don't think anyone would listen to either one of us if we try to stop them from boarding that plane. And I know you want to keep them safe as much as I do."

Sawyer turns back, his hands stretched out wide.

"Like I said Juliet, I will not watch you die again. If you want everything to play out so Jack drops that bomb, then fine. Jack and Twitchy will be hell bent to drop it no matter what we say. Probably Sayid too.

"Yes, I know I said the bomb didn't go off when Jack dropped it. We'll just have to figure out another way. And when that happens I want us on that sub."

Sawyer pauses and glares at her. "That means don't be kicking Nemo's ass when he's about to give us the OJ, ok?"

Juliet smirks. "Ok."

She knows that despite his fears he is going to go along. They spend well into the afternoon going over every detail on what will happen the next 4 days.

When Sawyer makes love to Juliet that evening, he does so wondering if it's going to be the last time. Bedtime comes early, with Sawyer knowing that he is going to be awakened in the middle of the night.

It takes hours for his eyes to fall shut.

October 5, 2004

Sawyer's eyes pop open. He stirs and takes in a deep breath. He wants to sit up, but realizes that Juliet's head is resting on his shoulder. It's obvious he is in his tent. Hell, am I back in the future? Is it 2004?

He doesn't want to disturb her sleep, but she springs up when she comes to a couple of minutes later.

"James, you're awake! How long?"

"Can I have some water, darlin? Just a couple of minutes ago. How long was I out?"

Juliet hands him a bottle of water. "You have been out since yesterday afternoon, over 15 hours ago. You scared the hell out of me James. Lie still so I can take a look at you. I am going to check your eyes."

"That smoke thing was threatening you. I wasn't about to sit back and do nothing."

"It seemed to read my thoughts James as it seemed to do with … " Before she could finish her thought, she stumbles back and puts her hands on her head.

"Juliet! What's wrong, baby?"

Juliet takes a several quick breaths and squeezes her eyes at Sawyer with a look that shows both confusion and amusement.

"James? Have you been cheating on me? With me?"

"Well, you don't look like someone who has been unconscious for more than half a day, I'll say that," Jack said. "You're healing very fast. But you still need to rest for a few days."

"Thanks Doc, but I think we both know that's not going to happen." Sawyer says as he starts to get up. "I'm guessing everyone in Oceanicville is chomping on the bit to ask us questions, including you."

"You could say that. Starting with … "

"Jack, could you give James and I a few minutes alone? He had just awoken when you came in."

Jack looks like he is going to object but instead gets up and leaves the tent.

Sawyer motions to the tent flap. "C'mon, let take a walk baby."

"James, I need to tell you what happened while you were out. And then we need to discuss what changed in 1977."

"Wait a second until we are out of their earshot. Ok, go ahead. Hey, isn't that Shaft over there? And the blonde shrink?"

"Yes, about that - I found the map you drew of the boat and the island and gave it to Jack and Locke. And I told them where the boat was so they to get the tail section survivors before Ben to take them. They returned late last night with all of them. Sayid put Goodwin in a pit he dug. Oh, and they also caught Ethan yesterday. He's in another pit. They are keeping them apart."

Sawyer sighs. "You did the right thing Jules. I was planning on discussing it with you before that damn smoke thing interrupted us."

"James, what's wrong?"

Sawyer pauses, not knowing where to begin. "You and I remember everything that changed that day I went back to 1977 but everything else stayed exactly the same after I went to sleep. They still came, Sayid still shot Ben, and you still ended up falling down the well.

"That doesn't make any sense to me. Some little detail at least had to change. Those 4 days couldn't have played out the same even if we tried. And yet the day I just relived wasn't a dream, since you remember it too. I feel like my head is gonna explode."

"Maybe that means you are going to go back James. Like your work there isn't done yet."

"What makes you think I am going to go back?"

"Something Daniel told us once. His theory that Desmond was flashing back and forth between two timelines when he first left the island in the helicopter."

"Oh that's great," Sawyer said sarcastically. "Seems like I can't get you off safely this island in either timeline."

"We'll be fine, James."

"Hey!" Libby yelled as she ran up to Juliet with several others following. "Where's Desmond?"

Sawyer looks confused. "How do you know Desmond?"

"That boat you told Jack and Locke about to find us was mine. I gave it to Desmond so he could win a race around the world. That must mean he is here on this island."

"I bet he taken by them, wasn't he?" Anna Lucia sneered, pointing a finger at Juliet. "I hear you are one of them and they took three of us the first day we were here! We're you behind that, working with Goodwin?"

"Back off Rambina!" Sawyer said as he got in Ann Lucia's face. "She had nothing to do with that. In fact, 10 more of you, including Cindy, would have all been taken by THEM if it weren't for Juliet helping you last night. You got that?"

"Are you one of them too?" Libby asked. "Kate and Locke said you were on the plane, but that doesn't explain how you know her or how you know who Cindy is."

Sawyer looks at Juliet and she nods as they read each other's thoughts.

"Desmond is on this island. He ain't a prisoner of the other people that live here. He is stuck working in an underground station that's about 15 minutes from here."

"An underground station? You expect us to believe that Sawyer?" Jack said.

"No Doc, but I do expect you all to believe your eyes when you see it. … We'll maybe not you Doc." Sawyer pauses. "At this station there is food, clothes, beer and more guns and ammo that we will need to protect us from the other side.

Sawyer pauses. "Only there is one thing. …"

"And what's that James?' Locke asked.

Juliet jumps in. "This station has computers with a protocol. The reason Desmond has been stuck there is he must follow those instructions every 108 minutes or something catastrophic will happen to this island."

Everyone except Locke looks on is disbelief.

"Look, I don't give a damn if you believe us or not" Sawyer said. "But if you want all the goodies that are in that station, you are going to have to agree not to interfere with that protocol. That especially means you Jack and you Locke."

While the small group follows Juliet and Sawyer to the hatch, Michael drags Walt with Vincent in the opposite direction.

"Dad! Let me go! I want to go see were they are going! Mr. Locke seemed very interested about seeing this station!"

"Yeah it sounds interesting little man. And dangerous. And you know what I said about hanging around Mr. Locke."

Vincent barks when he sees Boone and Kate standing at Michael's destination – the raft of the Elizabeth. The sailboat, anchored a mere 50 yards off shore, was a temptation they could not resist.

"You two thinking the same thing I am?" Michael asked. "We have to get off this island.

Kate and Boone both nodded. They both had experience sailing and Michael saw Kate in action with their overnight rescue of the tail section survivors.

"I need to get Shannon." Boone said.

"Boone, don't tell her what we are up to until you get her back here," Kate said. "Five is plenty and we can't fill it up with everybody. And bring back as much food and water as you can carry.

"I'll go get the cooler and fill it up." Kate heads out.

"Walt, I know you said you like it here, but there are dangerous people on this island. There are monsters and polar bears that want to kill us. We can take this boat and bring back rescue for everyone else. Don't you want that?"

"Yes, but why aren't we telling everyone else?"

"Because we got to think of ourselves first son. Now help me help Kate. Everyone else is distracted right now between watching the prisoners or following Sawyer and Juliet. Now is our chance."

July 6, 1977

Despite the lack of sleep, Sawyer wakes up before the knock. Memories come flooding back from the end of Oct. 5, 2004. Kate, Michael, Walt, Boone and Shannon just had to screw everything up. They took the boat out, but there was no escaping the island without following the right bearing.

Juliet wakes up too, but in her case the memory flash only works one way.

"James? Come back to bed."

"I can't baby. Phil and Jerry are going to knock on the door any second. Wait for it."

Phil knocks at the door very meekly. Sawyer gets up and Juliet covers her mouth as her jaw drops. Phil knocks again a bit harder.

"What?" Sawyer calls from the inside.

"Mr. LaFleur, sorry to bother you, but we got a situation out at the pylons."

Sawyer looks back at Juliet, who is watching from the edge of the bedroom. He then swings the door open.

"What kind of situation?"

"Uh, it's uh, Horace" Jerry said.

"He's got dynamite, and he's blowing up trees." Phil said.

Sawyer sighs and turns. "You two return to your station immediately. Miles and I will take care of this."

Phil and Jerry run back. Before grabbing his jumpsuit, he pulls Juliet into his arms.

"You should go back to bed baby. You need your sleep because I will have something important for you to do in a few hours."

"And you still aren't going to tell me what that is?" Juliet asked.

"Nope."

Juliet shakes her head. "Son of a bitch."

Note: Sorry for the two-week delay in posting this chapter. Work has been crazy lately and its slowing my focus. I will do my best to get this back on a 2-3 week rotation.

Please, please review and let me know if anything doesn't make sense. The time jumping back and forth is just getting started.

Also, if you have not done so please read and review Arcole's "Grace Period". She has done a brilliant job of covering all of the missing pieces of Sawyer's back story, and she's now getting into happy Dharma times with Juliet with her own unique view.