Author's Notes: It's been a long time since we've updated our fic, and it's even harder now because LOST is now in the second season. However, because of the unfaltering good reviews we've been getting, we've decided to try and continue 'A Walk in the Dark.' Thanks to all of you who never gave up on us and our fic. We really appreciate it.

Chapter 8: Psychosis Part I

They knew where She was, they knew. He had to find her. There was no way he was going to let her slip away from him again.

Her skin had been so soft and her piercing blue eyes were terrified when he took her. That little boy who called himself a rockstar was like a fly; he was constantly buzzing around but he could easily be swatted away. This time though, the little fly refused to be swatted and Charlie had knocked him unconscious with a large rock, running away with the girl he refused to give up. She was HIS, and her friends would help him find her.

He had heard them before, could have heard them from miles off. They were constantly at each others' throats, stomping carelessly through the jungle. It would be so easy to tear them apart. And now that Kate was blind, it only made his job that much easier. That brute Sawyer wouldn't stop to save her, he only cared about himself; he knew that much. After living amongst the survivors, pretending to be one of them, he had seen how things went. Sawyer was a hoarder and Kate was helpless without the doctor.

He watched them, peacefully sleeping against one another. He grinned slowly. That peace wouldn't last much longer.

Kate shivered as she felt the cold island wind blow in her direction, chilling her to the bone. Goosebumps raised up on her arms, almost as though someone was staring at her. Even so, she refused to open her eyes, she was far too comfortable where she was. Kate couldn't remember ever being this comfortable on the island, she was used to sleeping on the hard sand that compacted with the weight of your body. She wouldn't give up this place until she was forced to.

Kate pulled the blanket closer around herself and burrowed instinctively into the warmth, breathing in the soft scent of cologne. Cologne, why would she be smelling that? Then it dawned on her. She had broken down last night and cried out her fear and pain. How could she have let herself do that, and in front of Sawyer no less. She'd never hear the end of it. She had let her emotions show and Sawyer had pitied her enough to comfort her. But then again, Sawyer didn't do compassion; he hated when people pitied him, so why would he do that to her. It had seemed like a dream, but it could only be Sawyer's lap she was curled up in.

Kate shifted and let out a low moan, then mentally kicked herself when Sawyer began to stir. She had to move before Sawyer fully woke up or face all that awkwardness that would undoubtedly occur. Maybe if she pretended to still be asleep he would get up and leave first and then everything would be back to normal when she 'woke up'. He wouldn't mention this incident, he couldn't let anyone know that he had let down his hard shell exterior and had comforted her. He was probably just as wary of being mocked as she was.

Sawyer shifted into wakefulness with a sigh. This was the first night on the island that he had slept fully without the nightmares that usually plagued him. Why had he actually slept through the night; he never did that, even more so now that he was thrown onto this hell hole. Even when he was back in civilization he couldn't sleep without waking every hour. Whether it was from his parents yelling at each other or from the foster father who insisted that he loved him; he was never able to get a decent night's rest. And for once he was warm. Sawyer rolled his head from side to side and heard his neck crack before he slowly opened his eyes to the harsh light of day. Squinting against the brightness, he pushed his hair back off his forehead only to find brown strands that weren't his.

"What the..." Sawyer said, surprised and confused, for the hair looked a lot like... "Freckles."

It all came rushing back to him. How he had left Kate to go for a short walk, to clear his head and have a smoke. God knows he needed one; with all this stress it was worth it to have one of his carefully rationed cigarettes, even though he had very few left. When he came back though, that smoke wasn't worth it anymore. Kate was in a panic and was screaming out his name.

He had heard her from where he was in the jungle, which wasn't too far, although even if he had been further off he could have heard her. Hell, the people on the beach probably heard Kate. When he had made out her calls his heart dropped. She had been through far too much already and now something else was wrong. Why else would she be calling his name like that?

Sawyer ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but slowed down as he approached the clearing they had been sleeping in. He didn't want to alert anything to his presence, he needed to surprise whatever was attacking Kate. As he stepped further into the bushes he saw what was really wrong. Kate wasn't being attacked at all, at least not physically. She appeared to be terrified and incredibly pissed off, but she was unharmed as far as he could see. Kate had scared him out of his wits just because she was having a hissy fit?

"Oooh, Sawyer, if I get my hands on you…" Sawyer had heard Kate mutter and he decided to have a little fun. She had scared him so he would scare her. Besides, what harm could it do.

So Sawyer had snuck up on Kate and spooked her. He didn't expect her to react like that though. She had freaked out and broke down, leaving him to stand there like a fool.

"Damn," Sawyer had said quietly to himself, "I broke her."

Ya, he was a bastard, but he couldn't just let her sit there and cry. So he had sat down next to her and comforted her. Even though he wasn't good at consolation, it hurt him to see her cry, so he had to. And when Kate fell asleep on his lap with her head on his chest he couldn't help but follow. It was the first time in a long while that he had been that comfortable or had fallen asleep so easily. The solace wasn't only for Kate.

Sawyer shook himself out of his thoughts and looked down at Kate. She was far too still and was trying too hard to keep her eyes closed for him to think she was asleep. He smirked at her attempts to get out of the situation easily, that wasn't gonna happen if he had anything to do with it.

"I hope you don't think this is how it's gonna be from now on, Freckles," Sawyer said to Kate's 'sleeping' form and shifted slightly but made no move to get up, even though his back was stiff and his legs were numb.

"What do ya think I am here, Freckles," Sawyer said smugly, "your personal pillow?"

Kate raised her head slightly with groan but dropped it again quickly as she blushed crimson.

"Don't worry, Sweetheart, I won't tell Dr. DoRight our little secret," Sawyer said with a sly smile.

Kate blushed harder but the light came back in her eyes.

"There's nothing to tell, is there now Sawyer," Kate said with a small grin, and, although her tone was slightly threatening, she elbowed him playfully in the ribs before moving off his lap.

Sawyer stifled a groan of disappointment as Kate stood up slowly. He felt cold without her weight on him, and there wouldn't be another chance like this again. Sawyer stood as well, his joints popping like Kate's had.

"It's daylight now," Sawyer said, breaking the awkward silence, "let's get moving."