dimples, james "sawyer" ford

fourty seven

despite locke's attempts to get them to stay, lana sat on the chopper next to sawyer to finally get off the island. the roar of the helicopter's blades filled the air as it lifted off the ground, carrying the weight of hope and desperation.

lana clung to sawyer's arm, her heart pounding as the wind whipped through the open sides of the chopper. she leaned against him, feeling the warmth of his body amidst the cold fear that gripped them all.

jack sat across from them, his eyes scanning the horizon, his jaw tight with determination. kate, hurley, sayid, and baby aaron were aboard as well, everyone breathing a sigh of relief that they were finally headed toward the kahana, their way off this godforsaken place. frank was focused on piloting them to safety.

but just as the relief began to settle in, sawyer's sharp eyes caught something off. the helicopter was dipping slightly, its movement unstable. frank cursed under his breath as he noticed it too.

"what's going on?" jack asked, leaning toward frank.

"we've got a leak," frank replied grimly, pointing to the fuel gauge. "we're losing fuel fast. we've gotta drop some weight."

a collective sense of dread rippled through the chopper. panic began to rise, but everyone acted quickly, throwing loose items from the helicopter—anything that wasn't bolted down. bags, supplies, even guns were tossed into the open air, tumbling down into the ocean below. but it wasn't enough.

sawyer scanned the situation, his mind racing. it was clear to him that throwing more objects wouldn't make a difference—they needed to lose more weight. he turned to lana, his hand cupping her face gently, his thumb brushing against her cheek.

"you gotta get off this island," sawyer whispered, his voice low and full of emotion. "you're gonna have a life, a real one. don't turn back."

lana's eyes widened, her heart dropping as she realised what he was about to do. "what—james—"

before she could protest, he leaned in and kissed her, deeply, passionately, as if pouring everything he felt for her into that one moment. it was goodbye, and she knew it. when he pulled back, his eyes locked onto hers, filled with both love and sorrow.

without another word, he stood from the small seat and, with a final glance at the others, hurled himself out of the helicopter into the ocean below.

"no!" lana screamed, watching in shock as he disappeared beneath the waves. everyone else aboard was frozen in disbelief, the reality of what had just happened hitting them like a punch to the gut. jack reached for her, but before he could stop her, lana turned to him, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

"i can't leave," she said simply, her voice filled with raw emotion.

lana felt the ground beneath her shift. it was like the air had been sucked from the cabin. everyone was looking at her and their mouths were moving, but all she could hear was the rush of blood in her ears, the image of sawyer's determined face burned into her mind.

jack's eyes narrowed and everybody turned to her. "lana—" he tried.

"there is no life without him." she looked at the doctor's surprised eyes.

she then took a deep breath, adrenaline mixing with desperation, and made her decision. before anyone could stop her, she leapt from the helicopter into the frigid water below.

the cold water hit her like a shock, but she pushed through the waves, gasping for air and scanning the churning water for sawyer.

"lana!" he called out, his voice barely breaking through the waves. she spotted him, swimming toward her, his expression a mix of surprise and relief.

"what the hell are you doin'?" he asked, incredulous, his arms moving to keep them both afloat.

"i'm not going anywhere without you," she replied, her voice firm despite the tears in her eyes. "i can't believe i just jumped from a helicopter for you." she joked, a laugh coming from her lips.

for a brief moment, he looked at her like she was crazy, but then something in his expression softened. and he laughed at her comment. the fear, the anger—it all melted away as he grabbed her, pulling her in close, and kissed her again. the kiss was salty from the sea, but it was full of life, of love. they had survived so much together, and now, they were choosing to stay.

after a few moments, they both broke apart, catching their breath as they floated together.

"you're nuts, you know that?" sawyer said, shaking his head, but there was a small, fond smile on his face.

lana grinned, water dripping down her face. "maybe. but i'm not leaving you, dimples."

together, they began swimming back toward the island, their strokes synchronised as they fought against the tide. it took longer than either of them expected, but eventually, they stumbled onto the familiar sandy shores, both gasping for air as they collapsed on the beach.

lana sat up first, taking in their surroundings. she reached over and grabbed sawyer's hand, squeezing it as they both looked out toward the horizon.

their small moment of peace was abruptly interrupted by a strange, overwhelming sound—a bright light and a loud, mechanical whirring noise filled the air. they both instinctively shielded their eyes as the light intensified, casting long shadows on the beach. the island seemed to hum with life around them.

the light and noise seemed to disappear as quick as it appeared and lana squinted open her eyes and looked out at the sea. there, in the distance, where the freighter had once been, was nothing. the wreckage was gone, completely vanished. the ocean stretched out, calm and still, as if the freighter had never existed.

"the freighter... it's gone," she whispered, her voice hollow.

sawyer's face darkened as he followed her gaze. the hope of them all getting off the island, of finally escaping, had vanished with that wreckage. and now here they were, stranded, once again.

"well, ain't that just the cherry on top," sawyer muttered, his voice bitter. but even as the weight of their situation settled in, he pulled lana closer, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. they had each other, and somehow, that was enough.