Déjà vu
Title: Déjà vu
Pairing: Jack/Sawyer
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: 5.17 "The Incident"
Disclaimer: Not mine.
lostsquee luau: For alliecat8, who requested Jack.
The man had stalked from the plane, all but shoving innocent bystanders out of the way to get off first.
That's why Jack recognizes him, despite the nice black suit, as he stands at a distance among the graves. The man is staring at the proceedings. Staring at him.
It's a distraction from his day of grieving that he hadn't counted on. It makes him stumble during his eulogy and keeps his thoughts divided as people approach with their condolences and concern.
The stranger is still there when the crowd disperses and Jack walks over to him in a straight, unwavering line.
"May I help you?" He asks, pausing a few feet away.
"I don't know." The man has an accent and his voice is so familiar, it's like Jack has been hearing it for ages. Not just an abrupt "outta my way" as he got elbowed in the aisle. "Your name's Jack, right?"
"You were on my plane. From Sydney to L.A., weren't you?" Jack questions in return, feeling unsettled. What is this guy doing here at his father's funeral?
"Look, this is gonna sound weird. But I think I know you. And I think I knew your daddy."
"I'm gonna go," Jack gestures over his shoulder and abruptly turns to leave. The man grabs his arm to stop him and Jack does stop, but not because the man's preventing him with his hold. Because the man's touch is just as familiar as his voice. His hand doesn't send any jolt of alarm through his body, but a tentative kind of comfort.
"How do you think you know me?"
"I dunno. I just do." He states, then runs a hand through his hair. "I'm Sawyer. Ring any bells?"
"Should it?"
"Hells if I know. This is all a mystery to me. Just woke up this mornin', saw the notice in the paper - I don't usually even read the paper - and I just had to be here. Saw you, and I somehow knew it was you I was meant to see."
"You do realize how crazy you sound, right?"
"I'm 'bout ready to lock myself up, Doc, throw away the key. But point is, I think I ran into yer Daddy. In Sydney. Some dive bar, middle of the day. He was going on about how he had a son my age who thought he hated him." Sawyer pauses, meets Jack's bewildered gaze. "How he was too much a coward to pick up the phone and tell 'im he loved him, was proud of him. I figured that was something you might wanna know."
Jack wants to be stunned by Sawyer's words, but somehow, the news isn't shocking. He feels like he's heard it before, like he already knew this story. He narrows his eyes at Sawyer.
"You called me Doc." He says, tilting his head. "How do you know I'm a doctor?"
Sawyer sighs and ignores his question.
"I normally don't go outta my way for nobody. I know this is weird as all get out, but...but just trust me. I think you and I are supposed to be friends or somethin'."
"Friends."
"Yeah. Don't you feel it? Like this right here, or somethin' like it, has happened before?"
Jack stares at the blonde haired man, searching his gray-green eyes for some sign that this is all a joke, all bullshit. All he finds is that odd feeling Sawyer was just describing. He knows this man. This Sawyer. And if he's being honest with himself, with the way his heart is racing, he wonders if they're supposed to be the or somethin' in Sawyer's "supposed to be friends or somethin'."
"I...I have some place I need to be. A funeral...breakfast. I...I have to go." Jack glances over to where his mother is waiting by the side of the jet black limo. Sawyer frowns as Jack starts to walk past him.
"Jack."
"Do you...do you have a number where I can call you? I...I can't do this now."
Sawyer smiles a little, shakes his head.
"How 'bout I just find you, Doc." He pats him on the shoulder and starts to walk away. "And do me a favor...stay away from the courthouse today. There ain't no one there you need to see."
Later on, when Sawyer's in his bed and the television's just white noise in the background, Jack sees her picture flash up on screen along with a story regarding her trial. His heart twists a little, and not in the good way it did when he first saw Sawyer.
He turns off the TV and goes to sleep.