James "Sawyer" Ford (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
complexguy) wrote2019-09-29 07:41 pm
complexguy) wrote2019-09-29 07:41 pm
After everything they've been through, it's almost hard to believe they can actually just catch their breath for a minute. Two weeks. Two weeks, and they have a little time to figure out what the hell to do next. It means more to him than he can really articulate, though, that Juliet is willing to stay, to just give him a little extra time.
"How's about we scrounge up some dinner? I don't know about you, but I'm so damn hungry I can't think straight."
"How's about we scrounge up some dinner? I don't know about you, but I'm so damn hungry I can't think straight."
She isn't even sure why she agreed except that when he asked her who would have his back, she couldn't deny that it made her feel something. She has no idea what that is yet, but she has two weeks to figure it out.
Pushing herself up, she holds out a hand to him.
"Come on. Horace left food in the house."
Their temporary lodging; the four of them sharing a house; two bedrooms. Not a problem, Horace had said he hoped, for a close crew.
Pushing herself up, she holds out a hand to him.
"Come on. Horace left food in the house."
Their temporary lodging; the four of them sharing a house; two bedrooms. Not a problem, Horace had said he hoped, for a close crew.
He grips her hand for a moment to stand up, but then he lets go, a soft smirk in his eyes.
"S'pose we're lucky enough that food happens to include fried chicken and macaroni and cheese?"
"S'pose we're lucky enough that food happens to include fried chicken and macaroni and cheese?"
She raises an eyebrow.
"I think we're lucky it's sandwiches and not plain bread."
They haven't really talked, not about a lot, and as they walk now, she lets out a breath.
"While we're here, there's something I want you to promise me."
"I think we're lucky it's sandwiches and not plain bread."
They haven't really talked, not about a lot, and as they walk now, she lets out a breath.
"While we're here, there's something I want you to promise me."
He walks slowly beside her, not really in any big rush at the moment. But he's curious, tilting his head with a little smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"Guess that's fair enough. Alright, blondie, what is it?"
"Guess that's fair enough. Alright, blondie, what is it?"
Juliet looks up at him, serious about it.
"I don't want anyone here to know I'm a doctor."
"I don't want anyone here to know I'm a doctor."
"Why the hell not?" He asks softly, incredulous.
Juliet looks ahead at where they're walking and there's the barest hint of a chin tremble, one she always hides with an upturn of her lips, just in the corner.
"I was brought to this island three years ago to help keep women from dying."
She's never helped anyone, really.
"Nine of them died in my care." She looks at him. "I've never saved anyone on this island, and I don't want to go through that again. I can't." She stops walking, reaching out for his arm and holding onto him, holding his gaze.
"Please, James."
"I was brought to this island three years ago to help keep women from dying."
She's never helped anyone, really.
"Nine of them died in my care." She looks at him. "I've never saved anyone on this island, and I don't want to go through that again. I can't." She stops walking, reaching out for his arm and holding onto him, holding his gaze.
"Please, James."
He's purposely avoiding an actual promise. For now. "That ain't got nothin' to do with you, Juliet. It's this damn island."
"You have no idea what it feels like to watch woman after woman bleed to death while their husbands beg me to save them. James, promise me," she demands.
Her stare is intense, and the slight break in her voice gives away the level of her distress.
Her stare is intense, and the slight break in her voice gives away the level of her distress.
He turns so he's facing her completely, forcing himself not to be so dismissive of her very real fear. It's total nonsense, in his mind, but not to her. She didn't do anything wrong, but she can't see it that way. He has the luxury, too, of not having been through the pain of those losses. So while he doesn't get it, he gets it.
"Alright," he sucks in a breath. It's the least he can do, he supposes. "I promise."
"Alright," he sucks in a breath. It's the least he can do, he supposes. "I promise."
For a second, she closes her eyes, letting out a shaky breath before opening her eyes and looking up at him.
"Thank you," she says quietly, turning to begin walking again leisurely.
"There's something else you should know about being here." Juliet keeps walking this time as she looks up at him.
"Ten-year-old Benjamin Linus is here. Somewhere."
There's a subtle clenching of her jaw as she looks at their path forward again.
"Thank you," she says quietly, turning to begin walking again leisurely.
"There's something else you should know about being here." Juliet keeps walking this time as she looks up at him.
"Ten-year-old Benjamin Linus is here. Somewhere."
There's a subtle clenching of her jaw as she looks at their path forward again.
He has to stop walking again when he hears that, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. "Son of a bitch..."
She's ahead of him by a few steps before she realizes he stopped walking. Turning, she looks at him and walks back a few paces.
"There's nothing we can do about it. He's just a kid. Come on," she urges, hungry and exhausted and very badly in need of a shower.
"There's nothing we can do about it. He's just a kid. Come on," she urges, hungry and exhausted and very badly in need of a shower.
He sighs heavily, catching up with her again and trying to formulate a plan as they go. But there's nothing, really, that they can do, just like Juliet said.
When they get back to the house they're sharing, Sawyer immediately searches for food, pulling out the loaf of bread and making two peanut butter sandwiches.
When they get back to the house they're sharing, Sawyer immediately searches for food, pulling out the loaf of bread and making two peanut butter sandwiches.
Juliet's so exhausted that from where she's sitting at the small, round kitchen table, she falls asleep with her head propped on her arm. She has no idea when she last sleep, but when her head bobs, she jerks awake, blinking quickly.
"Thanks to time travel, I can't remember the last time I slept. Or ate."
"Thanks to time travel, I can't remember the last time I slept. Or ate."
He smiles softly, licking the peanut butter from the knife. "Thirty years ago," he supplies. "Or maybe it was thirty years from now. Hell, I can't remember either." He takes one big bite of his sandwich, setting a plate in front of her as well.
"I'd say you should eat a little now but maybe sleepin' is the better idea."
"I'd say you should eat a little now but maybe sleepin' is the better idea."
"Once I lay down, I don't plan on opening my eyes again for at least eight hours." So, she better eat now, is what she's saying. She takes a bite of the sandwich and hums.
"This might be the best sandwich I've ever had in my life." Juliet isn't getting either, licking peanut butter from her thumb.
"Where are you sleeping?"
"This might be the best sandwich I've ever had in my life." Juliet isn't getting either, licking peanut butter from her thumb.
"Where are you sleeping?"
"There's more sandwiches like that in your future, blondie," he promises with a soft smirk. "We got a whole jar of peanut butter to get through." He takes another few bites of his sandwich, leaning against the counter.
"Figured I'll take the couch out here." He wants her to have a bed all to herself.
"Figured I'll take the couch out here." He wants her to have a bed all to herself.
"Thank you," she says gratefully. "We could rotate the couch," Juliet offers before taking another bite of her sandwich.
"My back can take it for two weeks." Studying him, she looks down at her sandwich.
"If I'm right, if Locke doesn't come back, then what?"
"My back can take it for two weeks." Studying him, she looks down at her sandwich.
"If I'm right, if Locke doesn't come back, then what?"
That's not gonna happen, but he'll get to that when she tries to insist on taking the couch tomorrow.
As for her other question: "Ask me again tomorrow. Think all that time travelin' fried my brain a little, too."
Is it possible he's just trying to stall as long as possible? Yes.
As for her other question: "Ask me again tomorrow. Think all that time travelin' fried my brain a little, too."
Is it possible he's just trying to stall as long as possible? Yes.
Humming, Juliet finishes her sandwich and then rubs her face.
"I'm going to shower and sleep," she decides. Slowly standing, she smiles softly at him.
"Night, Lafleur."
"I'm going to shower and sleep," she decides. Slowly standing, she smiles softly at him.
"Night, Lafleur."
"Night, blondie."
Through all of this-the utter chaos the past few days-she's been a steady constant, and he's damn grateful she's still with him now. He can't imagine having to say goodbye to her in the morning.
"Thanks for stickin' around a little while," he murmurs before she leaves.
Through all of this-the utter chaos the past few days-she's been a steady constant, and he's damn grateful she's still with him now. He can't imagine having to say goodbye to her in the morning.
"Thanks for stickin' around a little while," he murmurs before she leaves.
Juliet pauses, turning to look at him, eyes steady on his for a beat.
"I'm only doing this because you asked me, James."
She thinks she's right, she doesn't think anyone's there there. But she's staying to help look because he asked her to.
"I'm only doing this because you asked me, James."
She thinks she's right, she doesn't think anyone's there there. But she's staying to help look because he asked her to.
"Well, then I owe you one," he says sincerely. He means it. She's been wanting off this damn island for so long, but she's sticking around a little while for him.
"Get some sleep."
"Get some sleep."
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