Thanks for the reviews so far, sorry I took so long, and please enjoy Confidence Man!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lost or the Island but I own Melanie and this subplot.

The Price to Pay, Chapter 11

Confidence Man

'Why me?' I thought as I floated on the still waters. It was the next morning, and I had gone to the edge of the camp and had waded into the water. The back-stroke was my speciality, so after washing my hair with soap and washing my clothes I had leant back, trying to relax, my eyes closed.

'Why does this kind of thing always happen to me? Why can't I just find a guy who likes me for who I am and who makes me happy? Is it too much to ask?'

I sighed and dipped my head ever so slightly into the water to clean the last few days' worth of sweat off my face.

"Well, well, well," A familiar voice soon drawled, "If I knew that crash-landing on this spit of land would mean waking up to this in the mornin, then I would have not yelled so loud as it went down."

I opened my mouth in shock and ended up swallowing some sea-water. I kicked so I became upright.

Obviously, it was Hot Guy, who was stripped of all of his clothing. He had joined me in the water, and I knew he wasn't wearing anything because the surface only came up to his bare pelvis, which was glistening with wetness. He had tanned since we landed here, and his hair had grown a little.

In embarrassment, I sank into the water so he could only see my head (I was only wearing underwear). That cheeky grin, with the slightest suggestion of a come-on, made me blush, so I looked away.

"Wh-what do you want?" I asked. 'Damn, stop getting intimidated!' I thought to myself, but another voice in my head spoke up, 'I can't! It's not my fault the water's not so cold anymore!'

Hot Guy's grin grew even wider, it was very clear what he wanted.

"Sorry I asked."

"Go on. Make my day," He laughed softly, his eyes still saying more than his words did. He began to approach me, the water rising up to his ripped waist.

"Do you even have a name?" I asked, standing and folding my arms over my soaked and see-through bra. Hot Guy grinned and looked me up and down, giving me goosebumps. I could understand why I would have dived on him if I had less pride.

"I'm Sawyer," he said quietly, as if saying the name took considerable effort. There was a swift change in atmosphere, but it came rushing back as Sawyer reached forward, grabbing my wrist.

"Come on, make a lonely guy happy."

"As if a girl's ever turned you down," I frowned, "you don't want to ruin your record."

'Uh oh,' I thought as his eyes narrowed and a corner of his mouth curled upwards, 'I've said too much.'

"Well then," he replied, tugging on my wrist. I thought for a second, but finally pulled my wrist free.

"I'm not easy," I said, "if you want me then you'll have to do better than that."

Rather than disappoint him, my words seemed to please Sawyer more than if I had jumped on him. I began to make my way back to the shore, Sawyer watching me hungrily.

As I took my clothes and went back to my tent, I began to regret it. I was lonely, very lonely. But I was looking for more than a fling, and Sawyer didn't seem to be an eligible candidate.

Besides. Charlie still hadn't given my heart back.

- - -

Shannon stumbled onto the beach at noon, spouting about how Boone had been beaten up by Sawyer.

I was sat on the sand, wearing a sunhat I found by the wreckage and jean shorts along with a vest. Shannon slumped next tp me on the sand, wearing a short yellow dress and looking annoyed.

"What happened?" I asked, feeling like I had to. Shannon sighed.

"Boone tried to steal some of his food and stuff. Sawyer caught him."

I shook my head, trying to hide a smile. Sawyer was cool and ever so gorgeous, but he sure didn't take any crap. I forgot that Shannon was still talking.

"...But of course, that wasn't as important as Sayid getting knocked out by God-knows-who or as Charlie saving Jack's life-"

"Charlie did what?" Shannon looked over at me, obviously peeved that I had interrupted her rant.

"There was a cave in, and Jack was trapped in it. Sayid and that Michael guy and people were going to try and get him out, but Charlie started spouting this crap about how Sayid and Michael had people to be safe for, and he had nobody..."

I hung my head, the very slightest wave of guilt hitting me but I shook it off. Shannon tilted her head at me, looking confused.

"I thought you and him had something going on?" she asked.

"We did," I replied in a small voice, "but he decided he wanted a little something with Claire." There was a pause.

"Oh."

And we didn't talk about it again.

Suddenly Shannon's breathing began to get a little loud.

"Shannon?" I said, looking at her. Her face was white and sweaty, her eyes wide open; and her hands grappled at her chest, as she began to weeze. I quickly put two and two together and stood.

"Come on, honey, we've got to get to the caves. Come on."

- - -

We got to the caves quickly, but Jack was still tending to Boone and they didn't notice me sitting Shannon down and trying to calm her down myself.

"Hon, just breathe. Deep breaths, sweets, deep breaths..."

"I can't breathe..."

"Yes you can! It's the most natural thing in the world! Close your eyes, breathe through your nose..."

Shannon was gripping my hands tightly as she did was I told her, and she slowly began to get her normal breathing back.

"Good! Good! Are you OK now?"

Shannon nodded, looking embarrassed and relieved, and I stood, telling her to go to Jack when she could. I turned to go back to the beach and get her something to eat, when I walked straight into Charlie, who was standing behind me.

My heart immediately jumped into my throat, it made me jump. The look on Charlie's face was one of sadness and one of determination. I glared into his soft teal eyes and walked past him, stomping back to the jungle. He followed me.

"Can I say something, please?" he said loudly, trudging after me. I thought about ignoring him, but I wanted...needed to hear what he had to say.

"What?" I said quietly, not ceasing to walk. There was another pause.

"I'll tell you the truth," he said, "The reason I was ill yesterday. I was on drugs."

Something rose in my throat. I took a deep breath.

"Go on." I said, even more quietly.

"It's what being a famous rock star does to you. My brother, Liam, started it before I did. I was the good little boy in my family; always went to church, was in the school choir. I never did any wrong. But then the band broke up, and I had nothing. No family, no money, no wife, no children. It was everything my brother had, and yet he threw it all away for drugs. So I did the same."

I gulped as he carried on talking,

"Locke found my last stash of heroin a few days ago. He said I had three chances of redemption. Three times that I could ask him for the drugs back. If I asked three times, then he would give it to me.

"But then Jack was in the cave in. And I had to make a choice. And you know what, Melanie? I still have nobody. My brother quit the drugs and moved to Australia. My parents are dead. I still have no money. I still have no girlfriend, or any children. I made the choice between living alone and dying for somebody else because, lets face it, you wouldn't miss me. The world wouldn't miss the has-been rocker who was his own brother's shadow."

The tears were coming back, but they were under my control. At his words, I wanted to scream out, That isn't true! I would miss you! I've never felt this way before! But I didn't.

Charlie stopped walking, and so did I. He was still a metre or so behind me, but I couldn't turn around. I couldn't.

"So after I saved Jack, and I was living alone again, I asked Locke for the third time. And he gave them to me. And you know what I did?"

"...What?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I threw them in the fire. Because I would rather live alone, and die alone, then live in agony. And I thought you were there for me-"

"Don't you dare make me feel guilty!" I said over my shoulder, "You haven't got a clue. Not a clue, about how she humiliated me yesterday! She said you hated me!"

I hung my head, hurriedly wiping my tears so he wouldn't see. I finally gained the courage to turn to him,

"And I have nobody either! In case you haven't noticed, you are all I bloody well have here!" I yelled, squaring up to him, "Had." I added. Charlie blinked at me.

He took my hand, squeezing it. With my other hand, I covered my eyes as I tried to stop crying.

"Melanie," he said softly, "I did not tell Claire anything about you and me. I promise you. I don't hate you, how could anyone hate you! She's a pregnant woman, for God's sake, maybe it's just her hormones! Maybe i'm just irresistible and she wants me all to herself?" He tried a smile.

I stared into his face. Should I trust him? I wanted to, I really wanted to.

"Look, i'm friends with Claire. Right now, with the baby and all that, she needs a friend. Maybe she got the wrong end of the stick. I'll talk to her later, OK?"

"I have to go." I said, pulling my hand from his and beginning to walk away.

"Melanie." he said. I turned, and he was grinning widely. Mustering all I had, I gave him a very small smile and continued on my way.

- - -

Shannon had recovered slightly but then developed into a full asthma attack.

Jack, Sayid and Co thought that Sawyer had her athsma medicine, and after full blown torturing him, Sawyer finally let go of his pride and admitted he didn't have it. However, even without the medicine Shannon recovered completely by the morning.

Sawyer was very hurt. The next morning, I was extremely tempted to go and give him what he had been asking me for; we both needed it. But, I got as far as his tent flaps before I saw that he had a look on his face that could kill. Without him seeing me, I ran away.

I didn't know yet what had happened with Charlie and Claire, but the look on his face was so earnest when he told me that he would sort it out that I knew I could trust him again. I could trust him again, and I was so happy.

And so I sat there on the beach in my little shorts, and my sun hat, and enjoyed the world.

- - -

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