I meant to get this up earlier. But my weekend was filled with slight insanity. My bad.

This might even include a little more Jate.. might. Maybe. You'll find out.

Fate's a Fickle Foe:

And I don't know how, I can do without.. I just need you now.

-----

And I'd rather hurt then feeling nothing at all.

Lady Antebellum

"He's right, you know.."

Jack looked over at Kate. A little while ago Sawyer had called them on their lie and pretty much sent them back to their tent. He felt like a teenager being scolded by his parents. This was ridiculous. Who had put him in charge? "About what?"

"Us," Kate stated with a shrug. "If we weren't fighting so much, maybe we wouldn't have ruined what they had."

"Not your fault," he pointed out. "It was my idea to go drop that stupid bomb."

Kate sighed. "Yeah, well.. I was the one who went back, got thrown on the sub and convinced them.. well.. Juliet, to come back to the island and stop you."

Jack frowned slightly. "It's not your fault Kate, and if you think about it-- look around, it actually did work out, look how many people are alive again."

"But at what cost?" Kate questioned, glancing out at the people on the beach. "Think about it.. everybody knows what happened to them last time, you know they're all wondering how long they'll live this time.." she sighed. "Face it, we don't know how it feels to die, and live again.."

"You mean, we don't know what it's like to lose each other to death, we.. chose, is that it?" he questioned, studying her.

"Pretty much.."

He ran his hand over his head. "Maybe this is our chance to fix it."

"Maybe.." she agreed.

"Do you want to?" he asked.

She smiled a little over at him. "When we get off this island again, if.. we get of this island again, we'll figure it out.." she told him, leaning over and kissing him chastely.

That of course, was the moment Juliet poked her head in. "Oh," she rolled her eyes. "Sorry.. well, I didn't think his little plan was actually going to work," she admitted, scratching her head.

Kate smiled a little at Juliet. "It's okay," she assured her.

"Well, I was feeling bad," she admitted. "James didn't really have a key to those handcuffs," she explained, and watched as both their faces contorted slightly. "Oh.. don't worry," she stated, putting her hands up defensively. "I remembered there was one in my pocket from uh.. back at.. the Hydra.."

Both their faces showed relief.

She shrugged slightly and held her hand out for their hands cuffed hands. "Here, let me unlock you."

"Thanks, Juliet.." Kate whistled out softly. Once the blonde released them she glanced over at Jack. "I'll be right back.. maybe you should tell her, Jack.."

Juliet studied the two carefully. "Tell me what?"

"I will," Jack agreed. "You telling Sawyer?"

"Yeah."

He nodded.

Juliet watched as Kate walked out and she looked back at Jack. "What do you guys need to tell us?" she asked immediately.

"Tell me.. did you ever tell Sawyer about Ben?" Jack asked her.

"What?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Did you tell him what you told me?" he asked her. "Juliet, did you tell Sawyer that Ben was obsessed with you, that he thought you were his?"

She hesitated now. "I--" she paused again.

"You didn't.."

"We were in the seventies, Jack.. it hardly seemed relevant.."

He stared at her now. "You told me, if you loved him, love him.." he corrected. "Why didn't you tell him?"

"I told you because you needed to know," she reminded him. "Ben was here, there was a chance he'd--" she froze. She locked eyes with Jack immediately. "You think Ben.. you think he.."

"If all of us do.." Jack suggested. And he felt bad, seeing the slight fear capture her features.

She glanced away, looking out of the tent and over in Sawyer's direction. She noticed he was looking directly at her. He didn't know before, but from the look on his face, he definitely knew now. She looked away almost immediately, staring at the sand. There was nowhere else to look. "I can't do this again, Jack.." she told him. "I can't lose him all over again."

"You won't," he assured her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Look around Jack," she stated, obviously frustrated. "Things may be different, but if you think about it, it's exactly the same.. I wound up working for Ben, I escaped with your help--"

"Hey, relax," Jack said immediately.

She shook her head. "I can't, I can't relax, he'll kill him, he's killed to keep me before Jack, he'll do it again.. he'll prove I'm his again."

"I have a plan," he assured her quickly.

"You have a plan.." she whispered, shaking her head. "You always have a plan.."

"It'll work."

"I don't believe that anymore," she admitted, standing up and exiting his tent.

Jack watched her go, and he locked eyes with Kate down the beach as Sawyer left her side as well, clearly going to follow Juliet down the beach. He simply shook his head at her.

~*~*~

It took several minutes for Sawyer to catch up to her. She was racing, nearly running down the beach. He felt like he was chasing her through the jungle all over again. And just as last time he reached out, grabbing hold of her hand. "Juliet--"

She turned, looking at him and stopping her escape.

He was glad it wasn't just like last time he chased her. That she didn't slap his hands off of her and fight him on whatever was about to go on. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" he asked softly, placing his hand on her cheek.

"I never.. I just, I didn't think we'd ever come back," she admitted, shaking her head. "So.. I didn't think it mattered anymore. He was gone.. I didn't think I'd have to worry about him and you.."

A frown was featured on his face now. "I thought we told each other everything.. no secrets.." he pointed out to her.

"We did-- I mean, we do.." she corrected herself. "I'm sorry, James.. I should've--"

He chuckled, cutting her off. He rested his forehead against hers. "It don't matter now.." he muttered. "I don't wanna fight, Jules.." he chided. "I just wanted to know why."

She smiled sadly. "Jack has a plan.."

"What else is new?" Sawyer muttered.

She chuckled. "I said pretty much the same thing to his face.."

"Did you really?" he asked in a laugh.

Juliet nodded, smiling a little more.

"That's why I love ya'," he reminded her.

She met his eyes with her own, and after a moment she brought her lips against his, tangling her hand in his slowly growing locks of hair. "I miss your hair.." she muttered against his lips.

He grinned. "Good thing it grows back.." he reminded her.

"Fair enough," she settled, kissing him once more.

And he wondered why suddenly she was kissing him as though her life depended on it. Wondered, until the pain struck him in the head and everything went black.

Juliet glanced around the beach and made a note that nobody was nearby. She leaned down, placing her hand on his cheek with one hand and tucking the gun back into the waistband of her jeans. "I'm so sorry, James.." she whispered, caressing his face. "I'd rather live without you then see you get hurt.." she admitted to the air. She placed a lingering kiss on his lips and stood, darting off into the jungle and not daring to look back. She knew if she did, she'd lose her nerve.

~*~*~

"There!"

"Hey man, wake up," Miles growled out, shaking Sawyer. He watched as the conman slowly groaned and began to say up. "What the hell happened to you?"

Sawyer frowned, trying to think about that. "Not a damned clue.." he muttered. "One second.. kissin' Juliet, and she seemed-- sonuvabitch.." he scowled. "She freakin' knocked me out."

"What?!" Miles questioned in disbelief. "Why the hell would she do that?"

"To protect him.."

Both men looked over at Jack.

"I know where she's going," Jack admitted. "She's going back to the barracks.. back to--"

"Ben.." Sawyer finished for him. He ran his hands over his face in frustration. "Dammit.."

"Let's follow her," Kate suggested.

Jack locked eyes with her for a moment. They both nodded slightly. "She's right, it's late.." he reminded Sawyer. "If we're lucky she'll stop to take a break, she hasn't been gone too long. You guys were only gone a half-hour when we came looking.." he explained. "We can still catch up to her."

"Well.. let's get goin'.." he muttered.

"We are coming as well."

The four of them, Miles, Sawyer, Jack and Kate all looked over at Jin and Sun.

Sawyer felt himself smiling a little.

"She is.. my friend too," Jin reminded them.

Sawyer nodded his head slightly. "Well hell.. let's get goin'.." he stated with a small smile.

()()TBC()()

I hope that Jate was a little better then my previous Jate. LOL. I apologize to you Jate people, I really don't know how to write their pairing. So.. that's the best I can do for now.