The Stranger

Chapter Nine

Sunlight blinded Kate as she slowly lifted her eyelids. She groaned, rolling her head to the side, and her vision was blocked by a big round, spinning, blur. A taste of white and blue in the background told her where she was, and the situation that stood in front of her.

"Sawyer would you please stop doing that?" She groaned finally as the dizzy picture in front of her began to make her head spin.

"Doing what, Sweetheart, I'm over here?"

"Wha-"

"Look to the other side of you," Sawyer said, his voice sounding distant.

Using all the strength she had, Kate turned her head to the left, and after a few blinks, a clearer version of Sawyer came into view.

"Morning," Sawyer greeted, "or should I say afternoon, Sleeping Beauty?"

"Why, what time is it?" Kate asked, trying to sit up.

"One," Sawyer said, clearly amused by the pursuit.

"Great," Kate muttered.

The last thing she needed was the knowledge that Jack had probably worried himself to death over her when the true story was that she was in a hangover. Just the thought of that made Kate sick, and she leaned over to the side of the chair she was laying on, feeling the burning sensation of the vodka make its way up her throat, and soon, all of her inner contents were spilt into a bucket Sawyer had previously laid beside her. After catching her breath and pulling her pulling her hair out of her face, Kate turned and looked at Sawyer. She didn't even have to ask before he knew what the question was.

"What, you don't think I've ever been with a hungover woman before?" Sawyer snorted, standing up from where he had been bent down beside Kate. " Hell, do you think I've never been in a hangover before?"

Kate didn't answer him as she lowered herself back down into the chair, and closed her eyes, hating herself for what she had done. Why had she let Sawyer get to her so easily? What were the others going to think when she came limping like a dead woman out of his tent at one or later in the afternoon? Would she even be able to get up that late?

"Don't worry," Sawyer said, seeing it played all over her face and closed eyes.

She opened them, looking back up at him.

"Told the doc you'd be out pickin' fruit all day like you like to do so much," he said, and as he did Kate sensed that there was some self pride in him that came from telling Jack such, "he ain't expecting you around 'till around five. You know, dinner?"

He grinned as he said it, knowing how Kate would react.

"Don't mention food," Kate pleaded, rolling over again.

"I'll have to remember that one next time," Sawyer said innocently.

Heat was swelling up in Kate's throat as sweat began to trickle down her forehead.

"Wouldn't happen to have any water in here, would you?" Kate asked hopefully.

"Only mine," Sawyer answered, "and it's backwashed."

"Well can you go get me some?" Kate begged. "And some aspirin?"

She absolutely hated having to use Sawyer for living support, but no way was she going to go stumbling into the caves in the afternoon, dead on her feet. And then of course there was the small fact that she felt like she couldn't move a muscle unless absolutely necessary. Like for throwing up, which she suddenly felt the need to do again. Sawyer turned, disgusted, as she did, but didn't say anything of his disgust to Kate.

"Fine," Sawyer gave in, "I'll go, but you dirty up my floor then you're cleaning it up."

In any other conversation, Kate would've rolled her eyes, but as she tried, the dizziness came back to her, and she resulted in closing them, trying to relax.

"You're going to owe me latter," Sawyer muttered to himself as he walked out of the tent.

A mixture of salt and sea lingered in the air from a light wind that had spread the smell throughout the island earlier that morning, but Sawyer didn't mind it. The smell was heavenly compared to Kate's sick, and the cool breeze was everything to the heat that had gathered in his small tent.

He reached the caves a good ten minutes later, greeted by the usual glares that were sent his way whenever he entered. Jack's eyes followed him, he knew, as he walked over to the waterfall, and he knew that no matter what story he gave Jack about Kate, he's never believe him. No one, including Sawyer, said a word as he tightened the cap on the bottle, and move towards the medicine caves. Out of the corner of his eye, Sawyer caught Jack's leg twitch in distrust, thought Jack never said a word as he entered the cave.

"So you've made it this far inland."

Sawyer turned, not expecting anyone else to be in the caves. Sitting in a chair by the makeshift table, Sayid watched him carefully, as if suspecting him of stealing something.

"Why the hell are you in here?" Sawyer shot.

"I was just getting some medicine for Shannon's asthma," Sayid explained, "or have you forgotten she has it?"

"How sweet," Sawyer muttered as he began searching for some aspirin.

"And why are you down here?" Sayid asked, his eyes still following him, determined that Sawyer was up to no good.

"Aspirin," Sawyer said simply, "why the doc has to be so protective of it, I don't know."

"For Kate?" Sayid guessed.

Sawyer glared at him.

"For me."

"Why are you so determined to hate me?" Sayid asked finally.

"I'm sorry, are we breaking up?" Sawyer smirked.

"You've been determined to hate me since day one yet you have no reason to," Sayid continued.

"Well aren't you clever?" Sawyer said. "Sorry to break it to you, Ali, but I can give you a dozen other names of people that have the same grudge against you."

"And what grudge would that be?"

Sawyer stopped, gripping the aspirin bottle he had been holding, with rage that could break it in half. Instead of answering, Sawyer threw the aspirin in his bag, and headed for the door.

"What grudge would that be?" Sayid repeated before Sawyer stepped out.

Stopping, Sawyer lowered his head, knowing it would be useless to leave Sayid with the satisfaction that he was right, and Sayid would never let him forget about it, most likely pestering him about the answer for days on end. He felt weak as he knew he had to answer, and could hardly find the voice to do so.

"My brother died in the second tower," Sawyer said at last, his head bowed and voice so low, Sayid could hardly hear him.

Sayid looked at him in surprise. Never in a million years would he have expected an answer like that from Sawyer, of all people.

"Your brother?" Sayid said finally, never recalling Sawyer talking about any family at all, nor anything about his past, besides the letter he had found.

"Foster brother," Sawyer corrected as memories of that day plagued his mind.

"I'm sorry for you loss," Sayid said truthfully, "but I had no part in that."

Sawyer turned, looking at Sayid.

"Yeah, but you didn't do anything to stop it either."

The words stung him as Sawyer walked out, leaving Sayid with a burden of memories.

He remembered coming in late from his night shift at a small restaurant around the corner. It was around eight thirty, he thought, and all Sayid wanted to do was collapse in bed after a ten hour shift. Flipping on the light to his apartment he had been living in for a few years in Sydney, Sayid threw his jacket onto the couch(much nicer than his old one) and switched on the tv he now owned. The news station was still on, left over from the night before, but the news was still running, and what he saw horrified him.

The world seemed to have turned upside down. Smoke filled the cameras until they zoomed out, showing a burning building that Sayid hadn't recognized, but he was still caught in terrified awe at the scene, of people running for their lives and wailing fire engines in the background. Then, right before his eyes, he watched as a second plane crashed into the tower beside it, and screams echoed around him. Sayid slowly backed towards the couch, and was about to sit down before he noticed a shadow in the corner.

"Who's there?" Sayid said out loud, his voice shaky.

The figure stepped out, which turned out to be an old friend of his. An old friend he'd thought he'd never see again.

"Nuin," he said, trying to remain calm "how'd you get here?"

"I flew," Nuin replied, just as calm, "asked around, got an address, and I'm here."

Once over the shock, or part of the way, of all that had happened in the past thirty seconds, Sayid noticed his friend had aged, and years in the guard had taken its ways on him.

"What are you doing here?" Sayid said.

One glance towards the tv told Sayid everything he needed to know.

"You didn't-" Sayid began.

"Sayid-"

"Tell me you didn't-"

"I didn't have any part in this," Nuin confirmed, "I swear."

"Then why are you here?" Sayid asked, taking a subconscious step back.

"I came here to ask you to come back," Nuin explained.

"Come back?" Sayid repeated, unable to believe all that was happening. "No, I'm not going back."

"The guard will be looking for you!" Nuin exclaimed. "It would just be much easier if you would just-"

"I'm not going back," Sayid said in a firm voice, "I'm leaving."

"What?"

Time seemed to repeat itself as Sayid went into the kitchen, opening a cabinet under a microwave, and pulled out a can of money. He let out a groan as he counted only five hundred dollars. That wouldn't even get him out of the city, let alone country.

"I'm getting out of here," Sayid continued, "I'm not doing this again."

"Will you just listen to me?" His friend pleaded. "We need you, our country needs you-"

"I've been gone for years," Sayid said as he searched the place for extra money, "what are the chances that half of those people will even remember my name?"

"Then where are you going this time?" Nuin asked, adding an emphasis on 'this time'.

"America," Sayid said, turned from him.

"What?" Nuin cried out. "Are you crazy? They won't even let you off the plane! They'll never let you in the country!"

Sayid stopped searching, and stood up, looking at his old friend with all seriousness.

"Something like this could start a war," Sayid began, "and if it comes down to that-"

He reached over, picking up his jacket, getting ready to leave.

"I want to be on the right side."

It was around five thirty and growing dark as Sawyer walked back to his tent. Kate had left an hour earlier, still sick, but able to open her eyes without getting dizzy. He had secretly followed her back to the caves, just to make sure she wouldn't pass out on the way. Jack wasn't at the caves at the time, and apparently no one had seen him for hours for what he had heard, though he was sure Jack would come running to save the day as soon as he found out Kate was back. Shaking his head, Sawyer wondered how one could live like that, running at every hint of danger. It seemed crazy.

The path thinned as he entered the part of the beach where he had set up his new home, away from the tied, and the hangover finally began to hit him as pain shot up his temple. In the process of grabbing his head in pain, Sawyer stopped, sure that he was imagining the site in front of him.

The beach was a mess. Debris of fabrics of close and various other items covered the hardened sand. His tent was torn into pieces, the tarp he had used to hold it up was hanging on ends. Nothing was left of it, and Sawyer felt sick as he forced himself to move forward as something in the sand caught his attention. Watership Down was thrown carelessly onto the ground, random pages torn from it, and an envelope was sticking out of the pages between the front cover and the first chapter. Feeling like he was about to throw up, Sawyer bent down, and pulled out the envelope. He stared in horror as four separate papers fell into his hands- someone had ripped it in half.

"Dammit!" He shouted, knowing no one would here him and wouldn't care if he did.

His thoughts then switched to who would do this. Kate had been here all afternoon, so it had to be sometime between four and six. Everyone had been at the caves, and who wasn't there was at the beach. But then he realized- everyone was there. Everyone, that was, except for.. Jack.

Author's Note: What an ending, huh? Thanks for all the reviews I got! I can't believe I past thirty! I really hope that no one was offended by Sayid's flashback. Really. I apologize greatly if you were. Next story would be soon, and here's what I have so far:

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: Jack-centric. Incomplete summary. Basically? A very angry Sawyer, a hallucination/nightmare ridden Jack, a fire, a boar's swan song, and a deadly storm. Sound good?

Thanks again! Until next time..

+ October Sky