Dharma Food Is Unavailable At This Time. {Sawyer}

[kateausten]

“Oh – I’m sure it’d turn out fine.” She grinned only imagining the worst. Sawyer cutting his own hair could be quite the laugh. Kate’s fingers twisted as she sat there across from him, Her mind continued to try and think of reasons to not go with him, for some reason, there always seemed to be a barrier she was reluctant to put down- no matter how hard the brunette tried. Kate Austen didn’t want to let anyone in 100% - James was one of those people who didn’t fit the exception.

After only a moment – and no reason not to go with him , Kate nodded with a small smile slowly forming on her lips – her eyes scanning the room one last time as she dropped a ten on the table moving to get up. The moment they gazed across she smiled. Jack sat at a table looking extremely worn down and attempting to read over what she assumed to be today’s paper. Something about the scene made her pause – he looked… upset, it was almost indescribable. “Before we go – I need to talk to Jack for a minute..” She began offering a smile to James only signaling that it would be a moment, and he’d be invited as well. With out another word she stepped out from behind the table, her fingers brushing past him as she moved forward onto Jack. "Why the long face- sunshine?" She Kate grinned attempting to pull a smile on his face.

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

His eyes fixed on her face as she contemplated his suggestion, Sawyer smiled slowly when Kate finally nodded her head. Maybe it was time for a change, time to stop pushing people away, stop regretting the life he’d never lived and start living it. This could be a new beginning for both of them, and maybe, just maybe, they could make it work.

As Kate stood, Sawyer had just placed his hands on the tabletop with the intent of pushing himself to his feet when she said a name, his name, and that hope, that acceptance of change, vanished. Jack. It was always about Jack. He would always be second fiddle to the damn doctor. Some things never changed. Despite her reassurances, the conman’s mood regressed to the foul one he’d been in before stepping into the restaurant. Lingering a moment longer at the table, he slowly got to his feet and followed Kate over to Jack’s table, stopping to stand silently behind her. He was not in the mood for whining or platitudes this morning.

[Jack Shephard]

Why the long face, sunshine?

Any other time, the words would have made him smile, but now, after everything he had read, it only made him frown deeper. "I'm calling my lawyer. This is bullshit."

Realising that she probably had no clue what he was talking about, Jack brought a hand to his head, pinching at the bridge of his nose before he started. "And now one that our good doctor has released into our midst. How will this affect his practice? People trust hime, colleges, patients and the general public. How will they accept the news that he would put them in danger for a women?"

Jack looked up at Kate, a frustrated frown spreading onto his face. "I'm tired of this crap. What I choose to do with my own money is my buisness, who I choose to spend it on is between me and that other person. You're not Charles Manson. If you hadn't been on 815, no one would have known what you had done. I'm tired of people treating you like you're a criminal again when two months ago, everyone, I'm sure, said 'oh, that poor girl. Those poor people'. Now that we're back and alive they can throw stones?"

His fruit bowl and screwdriver came, the waiter noticing his frustrated look. He set the two items down without a word and walked away. Jack moved, taking a long drink of the juice and vodka, thankful that they put more vodka than juice in it. "He's not getting away with this. This is slander."

[kateausten]

I’m calling my lawyer. This is bullshit.

Wasn’t exactly the reply Kate was looking for, nor the response- Kate watched Jack’s frown grow as she looked on a little more confused. “What’s wrong?” was simply all she could muster. Promptly she got her answer though, and it wasn’t the best one she could of gotten. People were writing about them … This was ruining Jack’s imagine. Kate’s lips sank into a frown as her eyes found the ceiling – she was trying to think of some logical though, something she could say that would make not only Jack feel better, but herself as well. No matter how long everything lasted, in most of the worlds eyes, she was simply going to be a murder and deserve death.

“I’m sorry-“ Kate began, her eyes slowly tracing down to Jack. If she’d stayed on the island… If she’d ran away with Sawyer, Jack wouldn’t have felt obligated to get her out. His name wouldn’t have been dirtied by his actions no matter how heroic she thought they were. Jack’s words however did hold truth to them, and she knew he was right, but this didn’t change what people now thought. How easily they forget, and how differently they think when something ‘tragic happens’.

“Jack… I..” Kate sighed and turned around frowning to Sawyer who didn’t look pleased at all.

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

While Jack ranted on, Sawyer’s brow furrowed, his scowl deepening as he eyes the newspaper. When the doctor turned his attention to breakfast, the conman took a step up to the table and picked up the newspaper, trying to ignore the two brunettes as they spoke. It wasn’t that hard as he quickly became engrossed in the article.

Everything he read just confirmed why he had been avoiding the newspapers and broadcasts since they’d been back. They were all under the microscope now, and every move they made would be recorded and scrutinised. Everything that had happened in their past, everything they had ever said or done would be displayed for the world, twisted and tainted to paint an image of the media’s choosing. Kate the heartless murderer, willing to use Jack to save her own ass and Jack the saint, willing to sacrifice everything for love. And that was just the beginning.

All it took was one little seed of doubt. Most of Jack’s patients probably wouldn’t have thought twice about what he had done; hell, some of them probably would have thought it heroic, but now that seed of doubt had been planted in their brains, that little idea that invoked fear, and that was all it took. Where it might not have bothered them before, now this article would have them mistrusting the doctor, worrying for their own safety. A simple suggestion from the media could be a dangerous thing.

That thought running through his head as he finished reading, Sawyer cast a sideways glance at Kate. Catching her eyes, he held her gaze for a moment before dropping it back down to the paper in his hands.

Everything they did, every relationship they had, would be closely watched and judged, and none more so than the criminal who had yet to face trial. What story would they spin about her next? The company she kept could have a serious influence on her character when it was called into question...

The realisation caused a knife of pain to stab through his heart. He had always known that Jack was the better man but had felt that he wasn’t the better man for Kate. But now? Who would make her look better in the eyes of the public, the authorities and the court? Who was more trustworthy, more sympathetic an genuine: the lover of a well respected spinal surgeon, or that of a convicted criminal; a con man? He made a living off lies while Kate now, more than anything, needed truth. Just being seen with him could damage her case, whereas Jack...

He felt as if his heart was being crushed, his lungs expelled of air as it all hit him. He knew what he had to do. Stealing himself and hiding his pain behind a well practised smirk, Sawyer tossed the paper back onto the table.

“What, ya mean ya can’t buy this guy off too? Seems ya got lots of money ta throw around to get what ya want,” he drawled, the glance he threw Kate before fixing his eyes on Jack making it clear what he was insinuating.

[Jack Shephard]

Jack felt himself sigh as he looked from Sawyer to the fruit bowl that was placed in front of him. He knew that in the end, this was nothing more than some petty dick measuring contest between the both of them, but...Sawyer had started it!

"Jealous?"

The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he tried to stop speaking but popping a peice of fruit into his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and continued to speak, unable to rest until he got it out. "And just when I thought that you would have just been laying it on thick after hearing that my practice could be in jepordy. My livelihood. I woulda thought you would have been throwing it in my face long before now. Took you long enough."

He knew this was about Kate, so he tried to dance over the fact, gloss over it until she was gone, until they could talk alone. However, Jack knew if they talked alone, he and Sawyer would probably end up in a fist-fight. However, do what you gotta do, Jack thought silently before looking up at Sawyer. "I don't want to fight with you, Sawyer. My head's killing me. Why don't you just get yourself a drink; ease your mind."

[Kate Austen]

Kate heard Sawyer speak, the words flowing off his lips with a perfect southern accent to make his point. She just couldn't get past his intimation that Jack was buying her. There he was, a man who gave every impression of caring for her, wanting to protect her and keep her from pain, now being the dealer of it. Sawyer's comment struck a chord deep in Kate's heart. She could not be bought, neither her affections nor her loyalties.

Noticing the stares of others, Kate recalled that not a moment ago, Sawyer offered to take her out of here, away from the scrutinizing looks of those around them, and now he was reverting back to the same hateful verbal assaults that were so common for him and causing more of a scene than she had been in just eating her fruit bowl. In her heart Kate knew the issue, she simply refused to meet it and deal with it.

"Sawyer - " Kate began, a loud whisper that proved her indignation at his insinuation.

"Jealous?" Jack piped in.

Kate's eyes darted back to Jack as he stuffed some fruit in his mouth, apparently in a vain attempt to keep from speaking further; vain because it obviously didn't work. Out of his mouth spewed more words for the gruff southern man standing at Kate's side. Her mouth stood slightly agape in shock. It was rare for Jack to be so obvious in his confrontation, mocking Sawyer's weakness for both Kate and the bottle. This was not how she envisioned her morning, standing between the two dueling men whom she cared for more than she would admit. Just like old times.

"Stop this, both of you," Kate said harshly but hushed. She was clearly unimpressed by both of them at this moment."Don't you think we have enough problems without the two of you going at it here in public?"

[Jack Shephard]

He tried to bury himself back into his fruit-bowl, but as Kate almost seethed out a whisper. It was childish, he knew, but Sawyer had started it. If he would have just shut UP and not made it out to be some sort of big giant dick measuring contest, everything would have been fine. Sure, he loved Kate, and sure, he didn't want to see her locked up in jail, but did Sawyer REALLY think that this was just a big way to 'buy' Kate's affections?

And to think that Kate could even be bought anyway?

Jack gritted his teeth slightly, noticing people starting to look, stop eating and stare. "For your imformation," Jack said quickly, under his breath however, loud enough so Sawyer can hear it. "I didn't buy anyone's affections." he said pointedly. "If you had landed your ass in that jailcell I probably would have bailed you out just the same. I would have made you wait a day or so and let you stew under that Callis guy, but I would have bailed you out because there's no point in being in a jailcell after everything that's happened on the Island. Everything we did."

Callis shouldn't have been hounding Kate and Sawyer as far as Jack was concerned. They had lived through so much, came out much different people than when they had first came onto the Island. They had all been frightened people, they had all had secrets...but they had grown together in those short three months, no matter how much anyone wanted to disagree.

Everything was so complicated here.

"I just can't believe they think we were sitting pretty on the beach sipping Mai Tai's for three months. I mean, we landed on an Island in the middle of nowhere, we didn't land in Hawaii."

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

”Jealous?”

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Sawyer was going to bite back when Jack just continued. The man was probably right, he would have at least got a few digs in about the whole thing under different circumstances. In fact, there was still time.

“Well, I’d hate ta disappoint,” he started, but Kate quickly cut in, trying to silence them both with a harsh whisper. The cocky grin leaving his face, he continued to glower as Jack got up on his high horse, claiming that he would have done the same for Sawyer himself. The Southerner didn’t doubt it for a moment. Jack had that insufferable hero complex and he just couldn’t resist helping someone in trouble. There was no way he would have let anyone rot in prison, both for his own reasons and to impress Kate.

“Yeah, I’m sure ya woulda. Though it’s a pretty hefty price tag for braggin’ rights, ain’t it doc?” he shot back, ignoring the rest of the other man’s words. Damn, he hated when Jack had to go and make sense. It was making it a whole hell of a lot harder to do what Sawyer had decided he had to do.

[Kate Austen]

Kate was not entirely surprised when Jack continued, basically completely ignoring Kate's plea for silence. She looked around uncomfortably, hating to be under the microscope and preferring to hide under the nearest rock. As Jack spoke however, Kate heard the truth to his words although the tone that voiced them was nothing less than concealed venom. She watched him, wondering at first if he would pounce on Sawyer and then if he might invite him to sit and commiserate. Neither of which happened, and again, it was nothing new to Kate.

The calm Jack's words brought, led Kate to hope the scene was over. Instead, Sawyer had to have the final word. He always had to have the last word. It was annoying more often than not, and this was definitely one of those times. Kate looked at him sharply when he replied to Jack with the snide remark. He knew as well as Kate did that everything Jack said was true. Jack would have bailed any of them out. He never could discern where his responsibility ended and an individuals began. It was a character flaw, but a minor one in light of the person it made him.

"This isn't about bragging rights, Sawyer. It's about friendship, something you obviously don't understand," Kate jumped in. It came out harsh and was not at all what she intended, much like a lot of the things she said today. Kate stalled and regrouped her thoughts, trying hard to make up for the mean thing she just said. "Jack just wanted to help, Sawyer, and he's right. The stress of everyone watching us is really making us forget who we were on the island. Back there, it was different..." Kate's words dragged off, wishing not for the first time she could recapture what she had on the island. Likely, it wouldn't be the last.

[Jack Shephard]

"We've been through alot of shit, Sawyer." And if that wasn't the truth, Jack didn't know what was. "If these people even knew half of the shit we went through on that Island instead of just sitting on the beach drinking rum and coconut juice from half-shells, they'd laugh in our faces." Jack told him honestly. "The simple and plane truth is: no one believes us. No one WILL believe us. Everyone wants to think that we're buddy-buddy because we were brought together like that out of sheer boredom. We've risked our lives for each other, and that's something that no one will ever understand, because it's just the simple fact that they WEREN'T THERE."

"So let them think that. Let them think that we sat on our asses and drank for three months, because if it eases THEIR minds, then that's all that matters. However, I refuse to forget what happened on that Island. I'll lie about what happened, but I wont lie to myself about the person it made me. The people it made all of us. THAT'S why I'll bail you out if you ever get in jail. THAT'S why I bailed Kate out. Because we've saved each others lives so much on that Island...why stop now?"

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

Kate’s words were the verbal equivalent to a slap to the face, but Sawyer hid any reaction he had past a slight narrowing to his eyes. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy. She was the one person who could see through him, and knew why he so often pushed people away. This time, though, it was different. He wasn’t doing it for himself, he was doing it for her, and if he had to get her to hate him in the process, then that was how it had to be.

Then Jack got right back up on his high horse again, talking about letting people believe what they wanted to make them feel better, and how all of those that had survived the crash were some happy little family that all had each others backs. Bullshit. Maybe they watched out for each other back on the island because what other choice did they really have? Back here, though, things were different. They all had lives to go back to and soon they just forget about each other, like when people graduate high school and eventually move on, forgetting all their old friends.

“No,” he said to Kate, turning his dark gaze to her. “Some of us forgot who we were while we were on tha island. Now we’re back. I ain’t forgotten nothin’. This is who I am.”

Turning back to Jack, the southerner scowled slightly. “Whatever ya gotta tell yerself, doc, but we all know why ya did it, and why ya’d bail any of tha rest of us out. It’s what ya do, always playin’ tha hero. If it was you in jail, I’d leave ya in there ta rot.”

[Kate Austen]

Needless to say, Kate really didn't even want to be here. She had gotten up, showered after enjoying a night on clean sheets in a bed that was too large for her, come to have breakfast and ended up playing referee again for the two men who could most infuriate her and enrapture her at the same time. She knew ordering a fruit bowl was a bad idea. It just brought back memories of the island and then the men who were now flanking her and arguing. Some things Kate would rather be forgotten.

Jack spoke what seemed to be a speech he had practiced in his mind over and over. It was encouraging in a sense, but also whimsical in his aspirations. If only it didn't matter what people thought of them, or what the papers wrote. For her, that was far from the case. She had too much on the line to ignore the fact people kept examining her every move. No, they weren't on the island, and no, they had no idea what went on. That didn't keep them from judging. That wouldn't keep her from facing the fact her image had to keep the sympathy of others.

But what of Jack? He could lose everything for what he did, and surely his family was not thrilled with his decision. Kate wasn't even sure where he came up with the money, but it mattered little. She looked at the doctor in the booth. he put so much on the line for her. Kate's heart knew no bounds of gratefulness, but it was tempered with realism. He really shouldn't have done it, but what was Kate going to say? No? Unlikely. After all rotting in jail was not her idea of a homecoming. She needed to be free.

Sawyer interrupted Kate's thoughts with his newest snide comments, completely putting Kate off. She watched him turn to go and cast a look at Jack before going after him. Kate saw he seemed to be in a hurry to leave and wondered what was really going on. She knew Sawyer well enough to know that Jack bailing her out should not have been something that bothered him. If anything, Sawyer would have been happy to see her again, have a chance to ... do what he did in order to try to get back with her. Kate still torn over her choices, but she couldn't let Sawyer go like he was.

"Sawyer," Kate called to him as she caught up. She reached and took his arm and turned him to look at her. Ever the naive girl led more by impulse than anything, Kate asked, "What the hell is going on? Why are you attacking Jack for bailing me out?"

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

Turning to leave, Sawyer walked quickly from the restaurant but he didn’t get far before he felt Kate’s hand on his arm, stopping him in his tracks. He should have shrugged her off and just kept going but before he could think about it he found himself turning to face her. God dammit, she was always trying to figure him out, and doing a damn good job of it too.

“Sorry ta burst yer little bubble, sweetcheeks, but this ain’t about you,” he shot back, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Liar.

“Ol’ Jackass needs himself a reality check. He ain’t got all the answers, and he gotta stop makin’ everyone’s decisions for ‘em,” Sawyer continued vehemently. “Some of us didn’t wanna leave tha Island, but he helped drag us off anyways. His little ‘Live Together or Die Alone’ motto is a load’a horseshit, and just ‘cause y’all made him yer fearless leader back there don’t mean he knows what’s best for tha rest of us.”

[Kate Austen]

Kate listened intently to Sawyer's little rant. Not for a second did she think he was being completely honest with her. Kate knew it was partially about her, it had always been about her to some extent. Sawyer loved her inasmuch as Sawyer could. That much was evident while they were on the island. The two had been intimate and the things they shared, although for Kate is was guarded, could not be disregarded so lightly.

Sawyer kept on about how Jack tried to do what was best for everyone.It was something that often irritated Kate, too. She couldn't deny that. She also disagreed with Jack making everyone come back, including those who fought to stay, but this was one time she appreciated his heroism.

"Look, I know you're mad about him bringing you back," Kate said more controlled and quiet than Sawyer had been, "but if he didn't..." Kate hesitated a moment then plunged in. "If he didn't I never would've seen you again."

Kate paused, her eyes searching Sawyer's unsure exactly what she meant by her own statement. She cared for him, she knew she did, but what that meant was still a befuddled mess to her. She stood a little bit taller then as she stood up for Jack's decision to bail her out.

"And this time, I think he did right, otherwise I'd still be rotting in that hell hole." Kate watched for a reaction to her words and added, "Don't be so hard on Jack. I know he isn't always right, but he tries."