Chapter 1:The Fruits of Their Labor

Jack was in the caves straightening up his supplies when he heard someone call his name. Looking up, he saw Kate coming towards him.

"Hey!" she said.

"Hey," he replied as an involuntary smile snuck its way onto his face. He couldn't hide the fact that the sight of her brightened his day and he knew it.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"I was just going to see if I could find some fruit and I was wondering if you wanted to come", she said with a tiny hint of hopefulness in her voice.

"Sure", Jack answered, "Let me just get my bag". He picked up his backpack and they headed into the jungle.

"I think Claire's going to have her baby any day now", Jack said, trying to start a conversation, "I just wish she wouldn't stay at the beach so often because it will be harder for me to get there quickly when she does go into labor. I might have to stay at the beach for a while, until the baby is born."

Kate looked over at him and realized she was very happy at the prospect of seeing Jack a little more often.

"We could use the company over there", she said as she smiled at him and he smiled back, just like always.

After that, neither of them really knew what to say so they just walked together quietly enjoying the each other's silence as they so often did.

Suddenly Kate said, "I've got an idea, let's play a game."

Surprised Jack asked, "A game?"

"Yes," Kate teased, 'I know that's a word you're not familiar with, kinda like "sleep" .'

Jack laughed.

"So," he asked, "what's the game?"

"Well", she explained, "it's actually more of a…competition. We'll take turns closing our eyes and pointing in the direct we think there is a tree with fruit. Whoever has the most fruit in the end wins."

"Sounds good", Jack answered.

"You can go first," she said to him.

"Okay", he said and he closed his eyes, turned a little and pointed. When he opened his eyes he saw that the tree he had chosen contained two pieces of fruit and he cut them down.

Next, Kate went and the tree she chose had three pieces of fruit on it.

"Here," Jack said.

She looked over and saw that he was handing her the knife so she could cut down her prize. When their hands touched, the warm sensation they both felt caused them to let their hands linger there for a few extra seconds until Jack let go and Kate cut down the fruit.

On Jack's second turn he opened his eyes and found himself pointing at Kate.

"I'm kinda short for a tree", she said laughing, "don't you think?"

Jack was blushing but when he saw that Kate was laughing, he couldn't help but join her.

"Okay", she said, "my turn".

Kate slowly closed her eyes, stood still for a moment. Then, she began to turn and flailed one arm out in a random direction."

"Woah!" Jack said in astonishment.

Kate looked at her chosen tree and was pleasantly surprised when she saw it had seven ripe mangos on it. She smiled, climbed up the tree, cut down the mangos and tossed them down to Jack one by one.

When she reached the ground again she teased, "So what does that make the score now? Ten to……..two?'

"Jack laughed and said, "Well, since you don't keep any spare fruit on you I only had one good try."

"Sure……", Kate teased, laughing.

"Two for two?" Jack said, "Wow, you've gotta be the luckiest person on this island…except for maybe Walt… and Hurley…I still don't know how he made it across that bridge alive…"

"Lucky?" she asked, "Me? Don't make me laugh" she said with a giggle.

"Looks like I already have", he said smiling at her, "but I'm serious". His smile straightened into a look of seriousness that served only to prove the sincerity of his statement.

"If I were lucky, would the first thing I saw on this island be you wincing in pain with a bloody back asking me to sew you up?" she asked him, smiling in spite of her graphic statement, at that memory they shared.

"Maybe THAT was fate", he said cautiously.

Kate looked up at him questioningly and then slowly she looked down and her smile disappeared…

"…so after being turned down for three jobs I knew that it was just my destiny to become a farmer, "Ray said as they drove to town in his old pickup.

Kate smiled, assuming he was making a joke, but stopped abruptly when she realized he was not.

"What's wrong Annie? Don't you believe in fate?" he asked her.

Kate stared at him puzzled and realized he was waiting for an answer. Quietly she stumbled over her words, "I don't know. I………."

Ray looked over at her and waited for her to go on, urging her to continue with his eyes.

"…don't know", she finished, not saying what she was really thinking and turned away and sank back into silence. Soon tires on pavement was once again the only sound to be heard."

Kate's memory was interrupted by Jack's voice saying, "Kate?"

Kate looked at up at him, startled. "Huh?" she said, "Oh sorry, what did you say?"

"Oh good, you're back," he said smiling in an attempt to cover up his instinctive concern at her sudden sullenness. "I was just wondering if you were planning on responding."

"Oh," Kate said distantly, "yeah…maybe…"

"Kate, are you alright?" Jack asked.

"Yeah", Kate said, forcing a smile, "I'm fine."

Jack continued staring at her, unsure of whether or not to believe her. He opened his mouth to say something but shut it again.

Finally, he asked, "So, do you think we have enough fruit or should we keep looking?"

Her good mood returning, Kate said teasingly, "Are you sure you don't want to go back just because you know you can't beat me?"

Jack laughed.

"How did you guess?" he joked, playing along.

"I think we have enough to bring back, besides…", she added slyly, "I don't know if we can carry much more."

Jack laughed as they headed back to the caves together.

(to be continued…)