The Boys From Tennessee

The Boys From Tennessee
Rating: R
Author: Chissy_Rose
Pairing:
Author’s Notes/Disclaimer: They’re not mine, I don’t own them. No infringement intended.

The Boys From Tennessee
Chapter 37 (37/60)
The Cat’s Out of The Bag

Peter ran back to the beach at his usual distance running pace. He wanted to find both Kate and Sayid to let them know that both Sawyer and Jack knew about their lovemaking. When he reached the campsite he asked about where Kate and Sayid both might be. Kate had gone with Sun and another woman to gather some food but they were expected back shortly since they’d left after breakfast. He decided to find Sayid first. He walked down the beach a little way and found Sayid sitting and sharpening a couple of knives. Sayid was alone and Peter sat down. He asked Sayid how he was doing and Sayid told him he was fine, but Sayid could sense Peter wasn’t.

“So how are you doing? You don’t seem okay.” Sayid observed.

“Yeah,” Peter sighed. “I need to give you a heads up. Both Sawyer and Jack know we had sex yesterday.”

“Well, you said you wanted to tell them at some point, but I thought you had wanted to wait awhile,” Sayid said.

“Okay, I need to tell you how they found out. I don’t think either one of them is real pissed at you. But they’re both upset with me right now. Sawyer was angry at me. He brought up the incident with you and Jack over Shannon’s inhalers. I guess he thinks I slept with the enemy so to speak, but he’ll get over it. He was more pissed about something else,” Peter replied.

“Well, whatever that is, must really be something. So how did he find out then if you didn’t tell him Peter?” he asked.

“Don’t get angry about any of this, I think it’s a reflection of where Sawyer’s head is with me. He’s having a hard time accepting that I want sex with more people than just him, even though I told him it would be that way from the beginning. Anyway, he apparently was stalking me night before last and all day yesterday and everywhere I went, he was close by. I think he probably heard us having sex from in the hatch somewhere,” Peter said sadly.

“That’s not good Peter. It means he’s jealous of you. You need to be very careful,” Sayid said attentively.

“He’s jealous alright. He’s already punished me for it,” Peter instantly regretted he’d said that to Sayid.

Sayid caught it immediately, “What did he do to you Peter? You need to tell me.”

Peter looked at the ground. “I can’t tell you Sayid, but I told Sawyer if he ever did it again I’d leave him.”

“Well, it must have been bad for you to threaten him like that. I’m concerned about your welfare Peter.”

“I know you are. I didn’t realize until we went to bed and he named everyone I had sex with yesterday that he’d been following me and knew who I had been with.”

“So how did Jack find out?” Sayid asked.

“Well, this morning after we ate breakfast I talked him into going to the waterfall lagoon to talk. We thought it would be deserted. We were having a yelling match when Jack called out and got out of the water. He’d been swimming in the lagoon. He’d heard everything we’d been yelling at each other, so he’s pissed with me now too, but I don’t think about you.”

“You lead a complicated life Peter and you’re pissing off two men who both want to be in control on this island.”

“Yeah, I know. They’re both alpha males who want to control me. I usually have more sense than to have more than one at a time. Please don’t say anything to either of them unless they bring it up to you. I just want it to die down and for them to get over it.”

Sayid nodded, “I want you to tell me if he hurts you badly or threatens you.”

Peter nodded back. “Are things with us okay Sayid? You’re not mad at me about any of this are you?”

“Things are fine with us. And no, I’m not upset with you. Just be careful with both of them.”

They talked for a little while longer and Peter excused himself so he could go and search for Kate. He finally decided to sit near the campfire circle which was in the middle of the shelters. After a while, Sun, Kate and another woman came walking back into camp loaded down with the food they had found. Peter went over to help with it and whispered to Kate that he needed to talk to her as soon as possible. He asked her to take a walk up the beach while they talked. Kate wrinkled up her nose and forehead at him. She hoped he wasn’t going to tell her bad news about the night before. He got her out of earshot of the camp before he started talking. He thought perhaps it would be better to keep her walking cause if he stopped, she might start hitting him.

“Well, the worse thing we were concerned about happening has already happened Kate,” he started.

“Shit!!! I don’t fucking believe it. How could either one of them know?” Kate stopped in her tracks.

“Keep walking Kate. We have an audience. I’ll tell you everything.” He was distressed that she was so upset. He hated this. He hated Sawyer spying on him. “Sawyer was in my tent last night after dinner. I’d done a shift in the Hatch yesterday after a morning run. I had sex with three other people yesterday Kate.”

Kate stopped in her tracks and looked at him almost disbelieving. “Three other people Peter? You’ve got to be sex addicted.”

Peter grimaced but kept walking. “Anyway, Sawyer was waiting for me and it was really bad. When he finally let me go to bed, he named everyone I’d had sex with, including you.”

“How’d he know Peter? You swore you wouldn’t tell him,” she spit out.

“I didn’t tell him about us Kate. I gave him someone else’s name last night. He knew because he was stalking me and I didn’t know it. He was at my shelter night before last and apparently he sat within hearing range and heard us making love.”

“He sat and listened to us? The pervert!” Kate was wound up.

“He followed me all the next day too. He heard or saw everyone I was with. He’d promised to stay away from my shelter that night Kate. He thought I was gonna have sex with Julie, cause that’s what I thought and he still came to my tent. He’s jealous of me and I think of you too… I know it’s not any consolation, but it upset him really bad. I don’t think he got off on it. He said it tore him up knowing the two people he cared most about on the island were having sex together without him.”

“This is really bad,” she said quietly.

“It’s worse… Jack knows too,” he said anxiously.

“Oh Christ! How did Jack find out?”

“Sawyer and I went to that waterfall lagoon to have a private conversation about everything that had happened. We were both pissed and yelling at each other. Sawyer was giving me his laundry list of all my sins – including having sex with you. Jack was in the damn lagoon and easily heard us since we were yelling. His clothes and towels were all spread out, but we hadn’t seen them. He couldn’t get a word in earlier because of our yelling.”

“So what did you tell them?” she asked.

“They wanted to know why we did it. I told them about my conversation with Julie and you and my offer. I hadn’t expected either of you to take me up on it, but that Julie had led me to believe she was coming to me and it had been you. I told them it was none of their damn business who either of us had sex with and that if it ever happened again, that wasn’t their damn business either. I told them you hadn’t wanted any emotional entanglements or strings. It was sex for sex’s sake. I also told them Kate that you were like the beautiful black stallion that’s running around in the jungle – you’re wild and independent and while you both want affection and kindness, you don’t want an owner.”

“Huh,” Kate said softer. “That’s probably the best description anyone has made of me in a long time. I guess you didn’t do too badly in trying to control the damage.”

“I’m so sorry Kate they both know. But I wanted you to know I didn’t give your name up. The problem was he already knew because he’d been stalking me and was already pissed at me. They’re both way more angry at me than you, but I hate they may have attitude with you now. I ran here from the lagoon so I could tell you before either of them confronted you. I know you can hold your own with them, but you let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Kate nodded. “I’m sorry all this happened also Peter. It’s caused chaos in your life too.”

Peter shrugged his shoulders and sighed, “It’ll pass. I’ll deal with it. You let me know if you need anything Kate.” She nodded and they both walked off in separate directions. He felt really sad as he headed back to his shelter and was dreading when he would next see both Sawyer and Jack. Kate was thinking the same thing.

Peter went back up the beach to his shelter. He tried to read a book he had borrowed from the hatch but had trouble concentrating on it and decided to just lie down for a while and try to nap. In the meantime, Kate made her way back down the beach towards the campsite. To her dismay, she saw Sawyer coming up the beach towards her on an intercept path. She sighed. She didn’t want to talk with Sawyer yet. She knew he was probably pissed at her right now. As he got closer he called out to her and stopped in front of her.

“Well, good morning Sassafras, how are you doing today?” he asked. She could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

“I’m fine Sawyer. How are you?” Kate didn’t really want to ask him but felt like she had no choice. He’d stopped right in front of her. She’d have to walk around him to keep going.

“Well, I haven’t done so hot since night before last. I’ve been right upset. I thought that you and I had a connection going Freckles, but looks like I was wrong abut that. You know I’d really have liked to have been the one you chose for your little love tryst the other night. You wanna explain to me why you chose my cousin over me? Cause I really don’t understand you having sex with a man who was basically a stranger to you rather than someone who cares about you.” Sawyer was definitely angry about it. Kate crossed her arms in front of her and stood back looking at him. She felt like nothing she could say was going to make this any better. Even if he understood what she would tell him, his heart and pride wouldn’t accept it. She knew he was hurting.

“I don’t have to explain or defend my actions with you Sawyer. I don’t want to talk about it. Just let it go,” Kate said firmly.

Sawyer grabbed her by her arm and held her still. “I still wanna know why you did it Kate? What the hell was goin’ on in your head? If feel like I’ve been kicked in the guts and I didn’t see it coming. And with Peter for Christ’s sake? Was this some kind of vendetta to get even with me for having a relationship with him? Answer me girl!”
Kate tried to snatch her arm away from him, but he had a good grip on it. “If you hadn’t been spying and stalking your boyfriend and listening to us like some kind of pervert, you’d have never known and you wouldn’t be upset now. You need to keep you nose out of other people’s business Sawyer.”

Sawyer was genuinely angry at her now. He pulled her closer and spoke emphatically right up to her face. “Peter is my business, Sassafras. He’s my lover and I’m planning on keeping him. I’ve never felt this way about another man or anyone else before. And I’ll hurt anyone who tries to come between Peter and I or break us up. So you just stay the hell away from him – you understand me girl?” His eyes were piercing. Kate shook her head yes, but she felt hurt now too. Sawyer hadn’t told her to stay away because he wanted her, he’d said stay away because he wanted Peter.”

She felt her eyes sting with tears. She snatched her arm away from him this time. She said the meanest thing she could think of. “He’s a damn good and sensitive lover and he doesn’t want to own me. That’s why I chose him over you and Jack. He deserves better than you Sawyer, a lot better!”

Sawyer flinched. Her words had wounded him, but he’d tried to hurt her too. It had torn his heart up knowing it was Kate that was screwing Peter - that she’d chosen someone else and it’d been his lover. Sawyer moved over and watched her walk off, regretting how he’d just handled their conversation.