dimples, james "sawyer" ford

fifty nine

the scent of burning bacon wafted through the house as sawyer walked into the kitchen, wrinkling his nose at the sight of the smoking pan. he quickly turned off the stove and moved the charred strips to a plate, calling out, "hey, i think the bacon's done."

"oh, i forgot," lana replied absently, her attention fixed on something out the front window.

sawyer glanced over at her, noticing the way her gaze lingered, and walked up beside her. "what's on the TV?" he teased, peering over her shoulder to see what had her so distracted.

outside, jack and kate were walking through the barracks in the distance. lana shook her head, barely glancing away. "i still can't believe they came back. after everything... they're really back."

sawyer leaned against the window frame, crossing his arms. "so they're back. nothing's different," he muttered. but he could sense lana's unease.

she turned to him, her eyes troubled. "what if sayid tells them who they really are?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

sawyer's gaze softened, and he reached out, resting a hand on her cheek. "sayid's not saying anything, baby. trust me, i got this under control."

lana held his hand, her worry fading into a small, grateful smile. for a moment, it was just the two of them, finding comfort in the quiet reassurance they'd built with each other over the years.

a knock at the door cut through the moment, and sawyer pulled his hand back to walk the short distance to their front door. when he opened it, horace stepped in without waiting for an invitation.

the man looked a little disheveled, clearly tense, and went straight to the point. "i just had a chat with the prisoner. we might have a problem." horace spoke.

lana and sawyer exchanged a glance, a silent question passing between them. clearing his throat, sawyer kept his expression steady. "what exactly did he say?"

horace shook his head, eyes narrowing. "nothing. and that's what worries me. the hostiles don't keep quiet for this long, not unless they're up to something."

sawyer tensed but kept his tone casual. "maybe he just doesn't have anything to say."

horace didn't look convinced. "i don't like it. i was thinking of letting oldham take a crack at him."

a rush of worry flashed in sawyer's eyes, and he quickly shook his head. "that...crazy? let me talk to him."

horace frowned but gave a reluctant nod. "you can try, lafleur. if he doesn't talk, oldham's next."

"he'll talk to me." sawyer muttered, walking out the door, leaving the weight of his decision hanging in the room. lana followed the man's figure through the window, watching as he and horace headed out toward the holding cells.

she exhaled, nerves settling. as much as sawyer tried to keep her out of DHARMA's messes, she knew how much sayid's silence meant to both of them. pushing her worry aside, she grabbed her bag and left for her classroom, walking briskly toward the school building.

the day was crisp, the early morning sunlight casting long shadows across the DHARMA camp. lana adjusted her bag over her shoulder, heading toward the classroom and mentally preparing herself for the day's lesson plan. she was nearly there when she spotted juliet leaning casually against one of the camp's small sheds, her gaze fixed on something—or rather, someone.

following her line of sight, lana realised she was looking at jack, who was helping another DHARMA recruit unload some supplies a few yards away. suppressing a small smile, lana sidled up to juliet.

"interesting view you got there," lana teased lightly.

juliet jumped, a faint blush colouring her cheeks as she turned to face lana. "oh, i was just... making sure they're settling in."

"sure," lana replied with a laugh. "so... jack?"

juliet looked away, her eyes filled with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "it's complicated. and it's been a long time."

lana studied the woman's face, picking up on the lingering tension there. "do you have feelings for him?" she asked softly.

juliet's smile was sad but sincere. "i don't know. back then, it felt... different. we were in survival mode. it's hard to separate what was real from what we clung to because of the chaos."

lana nodded, her own mind drifting to the journey that had led her and sawyer to this place. the island had a way of amplifying everything—the good, the bad, and the messy. "i get it. sometimes it feels like everything here is both real and... surreal, at the same time."

juliet's gaze softened. "you and sawyer... you've built something real here."

lana smiled, warmth spreading through her chest at the thought of the man. "yeah, we have. but sometimes i think we're just living in borrowed time."

juliet tilted her head, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "maybe we all are, in a way. but that doesn't mean it's not worth holding onto."

their conversation lingered in the air, both women reflecting silently. finally, lana let out a deep breath, "i better get to the classroom," she said with a grin. "can't keep the little ones waiting."

juliet smiled back, watching the brunette disappear down the path toward the school. then she cast one more glance toward jack before heading off to her duties, her mind turning over the familiar conflict between past and present.

sawyer approached the makeshift holding cell where sayid was being kept, his face a mask of authority as he walked past the DHARMA guards stationed outside. he entered the dimly lit holding cell, his face tense as he shut the door behind him.

sayid got to his feet as the blonde entered the small space, his hands restrained, but his gaze was steady, a calm acceptance that sawyer found both frustrating and eerily familiar.

without a word, sawyer took a step forward and, in one swift motion, delivered a hard headbutt to sayid, enough to make his own head ache for a split second. sayid grunted, jerking slightly as blood trickled down his lip, but he remained silent, his expression unchanged.

sawyer leaned in, voice a low growl. "here's how this goes down. i'm gonna walk out of here and tell them i got a confession outta you. won't be easy, though—that's why i roughed you up. but i'll make it sound like you were just about to spill."

sayid's face remained impassive, but he met sawyer's gaze, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. sawyer could tell that sayid was listening closely, calculating every word.

sawyer continued, "i've built something here, something good. i got people who trust me. if i go back on that, if i just let you waltz out of here... well, everything i've put together, it all goes up in smoke." his voice softened, almost pleading. "so here's your choice. you play along, keep quiet, and i can make this go away. but if you won't... then you're on your own."

the man held his gaze, and for a moment, sawyer thought he saw a glimmer of sympathy or understanding. but then, sayid spoke, his voice calm and unyielding. "then i guess i'm on my own."