dimples, james "sawyer" ford

thirty nine

sawyer sat by the shore, beer in hand, staring out at the horizon as juliet quietly dug tom's grave nearby. the sky was a bruised mixture of colours, the orange of the setting sun mixing with the dark clouds rolling in from the ocean.

it felt surreal, after everything that had happened. he took a long swig of the beer, feeling the bitter liquid burn down his throat as hurley's voice broke through the heavy air, calling to the group.

everyone gathered as hurley told them about jack's call, the supposed rescue coming their way. the hope in hurley's voice didn't match the skeptical expression on desmond's face as he walked into the group, disheveled and haunted.

desmond's words hit them like a cold wave. "charlie's dead."

a silence fell over the group, thick and unbearable. sawyer felt a pang of grief that twisted in his gut, but he held it in, his face hardening. desmond continued, explaining charlie's final warning: that the boat wasn't who they thought it was.

sawyer's mind raced, the immediate instinct to get a radio to warn jack pulsing through him. "we need to warn him," he said, standing up, the beer forgotten in the sand.

sayid was quick to counter. "no. if these people are monitoring the island, they'll know exactly where we are."

sawyer shook his head. "so we're just supposed to sit here and do nothing? jack's walkin' right into a trap."

the tension in the air was thick, the group teetering between choices. before anyone could decide, hurley—normally so easygoing—grabbed the radio from sayid's hand and, with a firm resolve, threw it into the ocean. the splash echoed in the silence that followed, hurley's face set in stone. "no more radios," he muttered.

sawyer bit back his frustration. the situation was spiralling out of control, and the last thing they needed was more indecision. desmond's warning about the people on the boat lingered in his mind, and though he hated it, maybe hurley was right. if those people were dangerous, then there was no telling what could happen next.

determined to act, sawyer and the others—hurley, juliet, jin, bernard, sayid, and desmond—armed themselves with what weapons they had and set off to meet jack in the jungle.

the walk was tense, filled with the quiet sound of footsteps and the weight of unspoken fears. at one point, sawyer walked next to hurley, sensing the grief that weighed heavily on him after charlie's death.

sawyer nudged hurley lightly, offering a rare, softer tone. "you good, big guy?"

hurley didn't look at him, his voice barely above a whisper. "i don't want to talk about it."

sawyer nodded, understanding the need for silence. he knew what it was like to carry that kind of weight, to lose someone close. he didn't push hurley further, knowing that everyone grieved in their own way.

when they reached the jungle clearing, the tension between jack and a sudden appearance by locke was almost palpable. the bald man had brought ben linus with him, the leader of the others bloody and with his hands tied. lana finally relaxed a bit when she saw sawyer and the rest of them emerge from the trees, watching the scene unfold.

jack's plan to trust the people on the boat clashed with locke's paranoia and belief that they were in real danger. the two butted heads, and soon the group began to divide, each person choosing where their loyalties lay.

sawyer watched the back-and-forth, the heated argument between jack and locke swirling around him. his own thoughts were torn—jack had always been the leader, the one who held everything together. but locke... locke had a point. after all they'd been through, could they really trust these new arrivals?

"i'm with locke," sawyer declared, his voice calm but firm.

kate's eyes darted to him, disbelief etched across her face. "sawyer, what are you doing? why are you siding with him?"

sawyer met her gaze, his expression hard. "i'm doin' what i always do: surviving."

as locke turned to leave, taking those who agreed with him, sawyer stood still for a moment, catching lana's eye. she had been quietly watching the whole exchange, her face drawn with concern, but as she looked at him, something shifted. her expression softened into a light smile, her hand reaching out to him. without a word, she slipped her fingers through his, squeezing gently. it was her way of saying she was with him, no matter what choice he made.

that simple gesture was all sawyer needed. he gave lana a subtle nod and, with one last glance at jack, turned to follow locke into the jungle. lana walked beside him, never letting go of his hand. he knew she understood him better than most. she wasn't questioning his decision. she was just there, by his side, as she always had been.

as they ventured deeper into the jungle, the split between the two groups felt like the beginning of something new, something darker. but for the first time in a while, sawyer felt certain in his decision. he squeezed lana's hand a little tighter, knowing she was with him.

after a while, lana spoke, her voice soft yet filled with a quiet strength. "i'll always follow you, you know that, right?"

sawyer glanced at her, his heart giving a little tug at her words. she was steady, unwavering, even when he hadn't been himself lately. he wanted to tell her everything, about what had happened with locke, about the real "sawyer," about the weight of all the secrets he was carrying—but he couldn't. not yet.

"you don't have to tell me what's been bothering you," lana continued, her hand still firmly holding his. "but i'm here. always."

sawyer stopped for a moment, turning to look at her fully. he reached out, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "i know," he said quietly, his voice more vulnerable than usual. "i know you are."

for a fleeting second, the walls he had built around himself seemed to lower, just enough to let her in. and in that moment, he realised how much he needed her there—how much her unwavering loyalty and quiet strength grounded him, even in the chaos.