A/N:This first chapter like any other gives you the basics of what their lives are like at the moment, it gives some hints for further chapters, some are bigger than others, and some are easier to read between the lines and see. I hope you enjoy it, this is my first AU fic and one that has quite a bit of Skate in it, as well as others. Please R&R...

As always Lost does not belong to me it belongs to Abc etc... All ideas are mine, any likeness' are purely coincidence, as this has been written for months, thank Russ for breaking me down and putting it up.

Eyes like emeralds, her auburn locks cascading over her slender shoulders, her smile capable of touching his heart. She was the most captivating women he had ever seen. Their eyes meet if only for a moment, but it feels like hours, like they have known each other for years. Their gazes broken as their attentions brought to the people facing them, asking them a question. What question? As he tries to remember he feels panicked as the faces of the people fade away, everything turns to black.

He jolts awake, sweat covering his bare chest, small droplets fall down his cheek. He wipes his face with his hand, and then turns to the women lying beside him. The light seeping in through the curtains, over her tiny frame, he puts some loose strands of hair behind her ear, a sigh escapes her.

She mumbles and turns over looking at him with a sleepy yet loving smile, and she leans forward to plant a soft kiss on his lips. He watches as her head falls back on the pillow, a sated smile appears on her face as she remembers the night she just shared with him, he wishes he could say the same. Why did things have to change? A week ago everything was fine, he slept through the night, he was happy, and most of all he did not crave to remember every detail of his dreams, because all his dreams were lying next to him when he awoke.

He smiles at the women before him, his wife. Although he is ashamed, that he pictured the women in his dreams than her. Her blonde silky hair spread across the pillows, he stares into the blue of her eyes and wishes he could sink in them like he use to, and he feels guilty that he does not think the same about last night, as she does. He gets up out of the bed and heads for the shower, then to get ready for work. Who was the woman whom plagued his dreams when he closed his eyes? Then all he could think about in the day, as he played his dreams on repeat, trying to remember her face, why did he want to be with her so bad, when he did not even know who she was, did not even know her name.

There he is again, the man with no name. Whose eyes are like a pool of chocolate, which brings about a hunger within her as she wishes to delve into them. His strong jaw, relaxed as he smiles a smile so charismatic that brings a smile upon hers. Their eyes meet if only for a moment, but it feels like hours, like they have known each other for years. Their gazes broken as their attentions brought to the people facing them, asking them a question. What question? As she tries to remember she feels panicked as the faces of the people fade away, everything turns to black.

She jolts awake sweat covering her brow, her chest, she breathes heavily. A few loose auburn locks sticking to her face, it was the same dream that she had been having for the past 6 nights. Who was this man, and why did she want to know him, he was only a dream. Yet that dream felt more real than her own life. The man in her dreams brought more happiness to her with one look than the man lying beside her had in 5 years. Was that why she dreamed of the man in her dreams, as an escape from her real life? As he was everything the man lying beside her was, or use to be. How did her husband become secondary to a dream? She climbs out of the bed and makes her way towards the shower, then to get ready for work, and hopefully, forget for more than 5 minutes the man from her dreams.

The water ran down her face, she ran the sponge across her cheek. The blood could still be felt, so she kept wiping at the cheek hoping it would stop. She looked in the mirror and could see a deep cut across her cheek from where Sawyer had hit her, she laughed at the fact that his wedding ring had done this, well he had insisted on something different. The cut would need stitches, she cursed as she applied a bandage from the first aid box to her face and grabbed her keys and headed to the hospital.
On the drive to the hospital, she kept checking in her mirror to make sure any blood wasn't seeping through the bandage, luckily so far she couldn't see any. She wondered where Sawyer had gone, to the bar most likely; it was the place he was at most since he were fired the month before.

Turning off the ignition she checked herself in the mirror before leaving, a red dot was just appearing on the bandage, again she cursed herself, cursed Sawyer, it was one hell of a punch, and it would definitely leave a large bruise.

She made her way to the reception desk and the women behind the desk took her details then went to sit in the waiting area to be called for.

25 minutes had passed and she was getting annoyed and bored, the blood was coming through more, so it had not stopped bleeding unfortunately. She was just about to go up to the front desk and inquire when she sees a nurse call her name, she lets out a breath and stands.

1,2,3,4,5, she was counting in her head to see how long it took the nurse to ask who hit her, she'd probably seen hundreds of injuries such as these.

"How did this happen?"

There we go. Not even a minute. She hesitates, should she lie, cover for Sawyer, the nurse shakes her head probably thinking its another abusive partner, but he wasn't, last night was the first time he'd lay a finger on her, granted it was a massive finger but she doubted he'd hit her again.

"I just got in a fight." She says quietly hoping the nurse wouldn't push it, she just wanted to get stitched up and go home.

"Yeah, by who?"

Jeez, were all nurses so nosy?

"Just someone, does it matter."

The nurse looks at her a moment before she turns and gathers the needle and thread.

"You should leave now before it becomes a regular thing, and you come in here with a broken arm or…"

"Excuse me! What right do you have to say that, you don't even know who even hit me!"

She felt so angry with this woman, she felt she had to defend Sawyer; he was not really a violent person. This woman didn't even know him, let alone their marriage.

"Yeah, well honey I've been in this business a long time, I've seen women like you every year coming in here and I've been here 15 years, that's a lot of women. I know the signs, but your not exactly like all the others, you can get out if you want."

The nurse told her, her voice confident, why did she even care?

"He's not a violent person."

She continues, the nurse having kept her thoughts to herself.

"We're just going through a rough patch, he lost his job, and I'm too busy at work, we just…"

"It's no excuse honey, he should never have hit you, no matter how bad things got, but what happens if things get worse, will he hit you again?"

"I don't know, I don't think so, yet again I didn't think he'd ever hit me in the first place."

The nurse sits back and looks at her.

"Then you need to decide whether you know who he really is, and if this is just a one off, but if not then you should walk before you can't get out."

She was so confused, she loved Sawyer, but from what she was told by her foster parents about her parents relationship, then she knew what it was like when you couldn't walk out, and she swore to herself she would never be with a man like her father. She looks at the nurse who smiles gently at her.

"This isn't exactly a big town, if I moved I'd just see him every place I went, that isn't walking away."

"So you move from the area, move to a different state, get away. It shouldn't be that hard for a woman like you."

"Yeah and how do you know that?"

The nurse looks down a moment before she looks up at Kate a sombre look on her face.

"Because, you remind me of myself 20 years ago, I got out; I know you can, the earlier the better."

"But he's never hit me before…he does love me, but what if it was just a one off and I go, I could be walking away from the love of my life."

"Then you're not me, and your husband isn't like mine, and you stay, be happy, but just so you know, there is other people out there…I found my soul mate, I never would have met him if I hadn't of walked, and left the state."

Kate just nods, and then she sees the nurse standing and taking of her gloves and moving away the equipment.

"You not gonna stitch me up?"

The nurse lets out a small chuckle.

"It's already done sweetie, you can go."

The nurse offers her a smile as she stands, and walks to the door, handle in hand she turns to the nurse.

"Thank you."

"It was my pleasure Mrs Ford."

She smiles sadly.

"It's Kate."

Kate misses the nurse smile sadly a small tear run down her face as she said in a whisper.

"I know baby."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Jack where are you? I've been waiting 10 minutes; they have other people waiting…"

He could just picture her pissed off look as he listened to her over the phone. He did not need to do the paper work tonight he could have saved it to the morning and he would have been on time to meet her. It is not as though he did not want to spend time with her, she was his wife, of course, he did, he just could not explain it.

"I'm on the way Sarah, just order what you want, and just…order me what I usually have." He lets out a sigh, as he straightens his tie in the mirror.

"Steak, Jack please hurry up, I don't want to have to leave another restaurant embarrassed and alone, having sent back your meal."

He could hear her getting chocked up and he himself, he nodded to himself, and grabbed his keys.

"I'll be there. And I'm bringing my card, so we can leave them a big tip. Don't worry Sarah, I'm on my way."

With that, he hung up and jumped in the car. Luckily, the place was only a 10-minute drive and he should get there just as the meals arrive. He grimaced as he imagined the lecture he would receive if he were a minute late, and he didn't blame her.

He drove as fast as he could to get there, all the red lights he could hit he did, it was as if they wanted to make him even later. He shook his head, as he finally pulled outside the restaurant just on time, well from when he said he would be. He parked the car and made his way in, found out where he was sitting and made his way over, as he got closer he saw Sarah there eating her food. He smiled sadly as he looked her over, her hair newly styled, a new black dress, he walked behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders bending down and mumbling a 'you look beautiful.' and 'I'm sorry I'm late.", as he made his way into his seat.

He looked up and gave her a small smile. Which she returned, so, it looked as though he would not have a big lecture.

"Don't worry, the food just arrived, so it won't be cold, you can still eat it."

She smiled as Jack then let out a breath and picked up his cutlery.

"So, you really think I look nice?"

He looked at her and nodded, then smiled sincerely.

"You look great, you get your hair cut?"

She just nodded and smiled, as he took a bite out of his steak, she wouldn't tell him that she got it cut 3 days ago, but then again how many husbands notice when they have had their hair cut anyway. So she continued with her meal, both making small talk, then when finished they paid for the meal, and as Jack as said left a hefty 100 dollar tip. They got the car and went home, Jack making up for the time he was late within the bedroom.

There it is. what do you think? If anything has confused you I'll try and explain next chapter, if you want another one. Let me know, hit that button!