lost: live by the pen, die by the pen - sawyer oneshot
Title: live by the pen, die by the pen
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Sawyer (mentions of Horace & Juliet)
Word Count/Rating: 598, PG
Warnings: Spoilers through S5 LaFleur.
Summary: Sawyer's not too thrilled at the idea of signing a contract to work for Dharma.
A/N: For elise_509 @ lostsquee who needed a reason to love Sawyer again. This is what I thought up as to how to cope with S5 Sawyer. Also, used for my sacred_20 table prompt hell.
“All you got to do is sign on the dotted line and you’re all set.”
Horace smiles and James notices how much of a pushover this guy looks like when he smiles like that. No wonder they’re in need of new security personnel. The Others probably steamrolled all over Horace’s lines in the sand.
He glances at Juliet who tilts her head to the side, imploring him to just get on with it. He bites down hard on his lip, hating her even more for her natural lack of compassion. Then again, she was the one stuck working in the motor pool. Double PhD and world renowned genetics and fertility researcher stuck changing oil. At least, he got to do something that involved shooting the people who had once made both their lives a living hell.
“You okay, Jim?” Horace asks.
And yeah, he’s hesitated since the contract was slid in front of him. He can’t help that. This is the first legitimate job he’s ever had. Even the cashier job he got at fifteen was off the books. So maybe he’s not exactly fond of the idea of being tied down to something - especially work that most definitely involves a code of ethics. It’s not exactly up his alley.
He can hear his Uncle Doug in the back of his head telling him this is progress. That going from a pool hustler turned confidence man to a security guard is a step up in the world. It may even be a way to even out his karma - save a few lives to make up for the ones he destroyed.
The problem is it doesn’t feel like progress.
It feels like treason.
But then he remembers that this isn’t like he’s actually settling down. He’s just indulging in a con. It could be a long con or it could be over in a couple weeks. This is just a stopgap. He’s not actually Jim LaFleur. He’s just playing the part of the worried captain looking for his crew.
Horace coughs and James realizes that his hesitation is beginning to look suspicious. He grips the pen tight in his hand and forces himself to scribble something that looks akin to Jim LaFleur. He slams the pen down a little too hard on the desk and hopes it just passes for enthusiasm. Horace extends a hand, and James shakes it.
Juliet rolls her eyes where Horace can’t see and leaves the room - still pissed that she didn’t take that sub out of here when she had the chance. Horace starts rattling on about protocol and procedure, but James is too busy focusing on the pen. It bears a striking resemblance to the one he used all those years ago to finish his letter. Fake wood grain. Gold clip. Black band. He thinks it even has the mysterious dent in the side (which subsequently he may have just put there).
It’s pretty much impossible that it actually is the same pen. That sucker stayed with him most of his adolescence. It didn’t run out of ink until around the time he pulled his first con. He can’t even recall where he got the thing anyways. He sure as hell would have remembered if it was from long haired freak in a tan Dharma jumpsuit, right?
Although, fate seems to be a son of a bitch that’s still taunting him. Hell, it made him settle down on this island and get a job just so he could continue a con.
And wouldn’t it be something if the pen he used to sign his life away at eight was the same one he used to sign away his life at thirty-six.
Fate, after all, is a definite fan of irony.
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Sawyer (mentions of Horace & Juliet)
Word Count/Rating: 598, PG
Warnings: Spoilers through S5 LaFleur.
Summary: Sawyer's not too thrilled at the idea of signing a contract to work for Dharma.
A/N: For elise_509 @ lostsquee who needed a reason to love Sawyer again. This is what I thought up as to how to cope with S5 Sawyer. Also, used for my sacred_20 table prompt hell.
“All you got to do is sign on the dotted line and you’re all set.”
Horace smiles and James notices how much of a pushover this guy looks like when he smiles like that. No wonder they’re in need of new security personnel. The Others probably steamrolled all over Horace’s lines in the sand.
He glances at Juliet who tilts her head to the side, imploring him to just get on with it. He bites down hard on his lip, hating her even more for her natural lack of compassion. Then again, she was the one stuck working in the motor pool. Double PhD and world renowned genetics and fertility researcher stuck changing oil. At least, he got to do something that involved shooting the people who had once made both their lives a living hell.
“You okay, Jim?” Horace asks.
And yeah, he’s hesitated since the contract was slid in front of him. He can’t help that. This is the first legitimate job he’s ever had. Even the cashier job he got at fifteen was off the books. So maybe he’s not exactly fond of the idea of being tied down to something - especially work that most definitely involves a code of ethics. It’s not exactly up his alley.
He can hear his Uncle Doug in the back of his head telling him this is progress. That going from a pool hustler turned confidence man to a security guard is a step up in the world. It may even be a way to even out his karma - save a few lives to make up for the ones he destroyed.
The problem is it doesn’t feel like progress.
It feels like treason.
But then he remembers that this isn’t like he’s actually settling down. He’s just indulging in a con. It could be a long con or it could be over in a couple weeks. This is just a stopgap. He’s not actually Jim LaFleur. He’s just playing the part of the worried captain looking for his crew.
Horace coughs and James realizes that his hesitation is beginning to look suspicious. He grips the pen tight in his hand and forces himself to scribble something that looks akin to Jim LaFleur. He slams the pen down a little too hard on the desk and hopes it just passes for enthusiasm. Horace extends a hand, and James shakes it.
Juliet rolls her eyes where Horace can’t see and leaves the room - still pissed that she didn’t take that sub out of here when she had the chance. Horace starts rattling on about protocol and procedure, but James is too busy focusing on the pen. It bears a striking resemblance to the one he used all those years ago to finish his letter. Fake wood grain. Gold clip. Black band. He thinks it even has the mysterious dent in the side (which subsequently he may have just put there).
It’s pretty much impossible that it actually is the same pen. That sucker stayed with him most of his adolescence. It didn’t run out of ink until around the time he pulled his first con. He can’t even recall where he got the thing anyways. He sure as hell would have remembered if it was from long haired freak in a tan Dharma jumpsuit, right?
Although, fate seems to be a son of a bitch that’s still taunting him. Hell, it made him settle down on this island and get a job just so he could continue a con.
And wouldn’t it be something if the pen he used to sign his life away at eight was the same one he used to sign away his life at thirty-six.
Fate, after all, is a definite fan of irony.