A/N: My answer to the question: What if Sawyer had to be Clementine's primary care giver? With a little Juliet on the side.

In the early morning Clementine rolled over and opened her eyes and saw her father lying on his back staring at the ceiling.

"G'morning," she yawned.

"Sleep good?" he asked.

"Uh-huh."

"Wanna see Juliet and Julian again today?"

"Okay."

He looked at her and said, "Okay? Not 'Yes, please"?

"Why did you kiss Juliet yesterday?"

"I didn't," he protested.

"You did. You kissed her on the cheek before we left."

"Oh. Right," he said, remembering. "I did."

"So?"

"So, what?"

"Why did you kiss her?"

"I felt like it."

"She's a stranger," Clem pointed out, an petulant edge to her voice.

"I know."

"And Mommy was prettier," she said eying him critically.

"It's not a competition." He was frowning at her now and she had to think for a moment and figure out what to say to that.

Before she could think of what to say, though, he kept talking. "Look, Juliet's my friend and maybe someday we'll be more than friends, but I'll always remember your mom. And we can talk about her whenever you want because I want you to be able to remember her too. Juliet will be fine with that."

Clem stared at him solemnly and said, "Mommy said she'd never get married."

"And?"

"Are you going to get married?"

"Maybe some day."

"Where will your wife sleep when you get married?"

Her dad closed his eyes and he looked like he was choosing his words carefully. "Where do you think?"

"I don't know."

"Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it, Babycakes."

This made her giggle and he smiled back at her, ruffling her messy curls. "Okay, Babycakes," she replied before scampering out of bed.

xoxox

Later that day they met at the park again and Julian and Clem headed for the swings in tandem. Sawyer and Juliet embraced and held each other for a long time. "I woke up this morning and thought it might have all been a dream," he said into her hair.

"I know," she agreed.

He kissed her neck and cheek and finally her lips and she greedily kissed him back. "Listen," he said when they finally broke apart, "As much as I want to pick up right where we left off, I can't do that to Clem. If you move in or we move again into a house with you, she's gonna resent it and you and she's gonna be hurt. Cassidy just died this week and I don't wanna..."

"I know. She needs to get used to the idea and adjust to the loss. We'll be fine."

Smiling he said, "Yeah we will."

They sat down on the bench to watch the kids play. They'd moved from the swings to the sand and Sawyer put his arm around Juliet's shoulders, reveling in the fact that he could be so bold today. She leaned her head against his shoulder and put one hand on his leg and squeezed. "God, I've missed you," he said.

"I know," she said. "But it's over now and I can't wait to spend rest of my life making up for lost time."

"I'm up for somma that," he agreed. And they sat and watched the children play.

End.