“Black”

Sawyer/Kate

Lost

Setting: Future, after “Do No Harm”

Kate’s eyes fluttered open. The blowing wind had woken her up. Her wavy hair twirled with the breeze. She tried to move, but a strong arm held her down. His strong arm. Wrapped securely around her waist from behind. Their hands were still clasped together.

“Sawyer,” she whispered.

A moment later. “Yeah?” His voice was scratchy and raw.

She smiled, knowing that he would be awake to answer her. She turned her body to face to him. He stared at her. She thought about blue-gray skies before a thunderstorm.

They hadn’t planned on it, but they were wearing matching outfits today. She, in her short blue T-shirt and a pair of jeans two sizes too large, found in a suitcase that had floated from the ocean to land. He, in the blue T-shirt she loved so much and his favorite blue jeans. They were his favorite because they were the pair he had on when the plane crashed. They were ragged with frayed cuffs and holes in the knees. He didn’t want to give them up.

His eyes searched hers. “How’d you sleep?”

“You shouldn’t have let me,” she said.

“You were working all day.”

“But, Sawyer,” she sat up, “the baby.”

They looked over at the wooden cradle next to the makeshift bed in Sawyer’s tent. The cradle that Locke had made for Claire. Before…Boone died…Locke turned on them…Jack disappeared…

“Claire told me to watch him,” Kate said, moving to the cradle. “What if he had woken up?”

“He’s all right,” Sawyer said. “I would have been able to handle him.”

Kate gave him a skeptical look.

He came to her side and looked at the sleeping baby. She saw his face soften; the gray in his eyes vanished.

“When’s Momma Bear gonna be back with the rockstar?” he asked.

“I told Claire and Charlie to take their time,” Kate said. “They probably need some peace and relaxation together.”

“And what about us?” Sawyer nuzzled his face into her neck. “When are we gonna get our alone time?”

The smile came without warning. She turned her face, and the stubble on his cheek brushed against her smooth one. “Hey, you volunteered to baby-sit with me.”

“I thought you were asking me to play house,” he said innocently.

She took her hand into hers, keeping her gaze inside the cradle. “Do you think he knows what’s going on?”

“Who? Little Joe?” Sawyer said, using the nickname he had bestowed upon the baby. “Nah. Babies are good. They think everything is good. Even this island.”

“Sometimes I wish…” Her voice trailed off.

“Wish what?”

“That maybe I could be like that,” she said.

He rested his chin on top of her head. “Once upon a time, we all were.”

And then it was quiet. The wind died down and the sun began to set. Soon, black would take over the sky and cover them.