Title: The Tables Are Turned

Summary: Jack gives Kate a chance to beat Sawyer at his own game. Set before this week's episode, but will eventually lead up to it.

------

An unusual cold wind escaped off the ocean and unto everyone's bodies that particular night. I, for one, loved the chilliness. It reminded me of an ice I held within, covering so many dark secrets that only I could decifer them.

As I stood near the edge of the water, my toes barely touching the salty water, I heard someone call my name from behind.

"Kate? What are you doing? It's the middle of the night?" Turning around, I saw Jack standing a few feet away, his worn backpack slung across one shoulder.

"Guess you could call me an insomniact, but ever since we got on this island I don't get more than five hours sleep," I replied, a small smile creeping across my face. Stepping backwards, I neared the doctor, arms crossed, the moonlight relfecting off my eyes.

"Yeah, well it's not safe to be out here all alone, you should get back to your camp," Jack answered, looking off to the left, where my few personal items were, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh, right, I forgot, I'm just so helpless, I might be stolen again."

Jack finally met my gaze, frowning. We had yet to discuss what had occured that night the men went after Michael, but both of us knew it was weighing heavily on our minds. With a much colder tone of voice, the man said, "I told you not to follow us, you should have listened."

I let out a short chuckle. My anger was beginning to rise and I didn't need an arguement at the moment. The truth was, I was tired and wanted more than anything to escape the harsh comments of Jack. Sidestepping him, I charged closer to the woods and farther away from the water, hearing him call my name out in an attempt to stop me.

"Jack, listen to me. I know what I did was a mistake, but don't you think there are bigger problems right now than this, like maybe Sawyer's rampage, or Charlie's sudden madness!"

I waited impatiently for a response, something, anything to make the situation easier. Eventually, stepping closer to me, so that I could see every hair on his five o'clock shaow he said gruffly, "I know, that's why I came to talk to you."

My eyeborws shot up. "Oh really? And why's that? Need someone to cover for you while you go searching for the guns?"

Jack shook his head, looking at the ground. "No, that where you come in."

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you talking with Sawyer earlier, and I know he thinks of you as a...friend."

My confusion began to fade away as I realized what Jack was suggesting. "He won't tell me, I've already tried."

"Not everything," he replied quickly, rubbing his ching back and forth vigoursly.

"What?"

"You haven't tried everything."

"And what, exactly do you suppose I do, Jack?" The anger was returning.

"Use your, womanly skills."

My arms flailed up as Jack's words faded into the night. "You want me to seduce him into telling you where the guns are!"

"It worked with Shannon's inhalers! And don't even pretend like you don't remember, you were pretty strung up afterwards."

"I remember," I shot back quickly, regretting that event even more. "But you seemed to forget that he didn't give us the answer we wanted."

"But he gave us an answer."

"Okay, but once again, that was an inhaler, we're talking about enough guns to fill a safe! Do you know how much I'd have to do to get that?"

"I don't doubt your abilities," Jack said coldly, looking me dead in the eyes.

"Oh, how nice. I kiss you with actual meaning and you believe I'm pulling your chain." I could tell my words had cut him. As with the short lived kidnapping, we both had run away from talking about the kiss in the jungle.

"Listen, we both know he's into you. So for once, con him. Make him see how it feels to be tricked."

I waited a long while before answering. The moonlight had gone behind a group of clouds and made seeing all the more difficult. My heart wished to tell Jack I wouldn't do it, that I didn't want to jepordise what we had, but my good sense knew we needed weapons. Protection. Something to ward off the Others with. And having Sawyer be the islands only mean of security was not what they needed.

"It'll take awhile, you know. I can't just jump on him and expect him to turn everything over."

Jack nodded and began walking slowly backwards. His job was done. He'd gotten my answer. Instead of feeling good about helping him out though, I felt as if I had just sealed my fate with our relationship.

Turning his back to me, Jack answered, "Just don't take too long. You never know when our forest creatures will want another shot at you."

Merging with the trees, it soon became impossible to see Jack's figure any longer. Falling hard unto my small pallet I'd created, I brushed my unruly curly hair out of the way and contemplated waht had just happened.

I was risking everything with Jack. Deep inside I knew there were feelings for Sawyer, I'd felt them the night we hunted down his boar and the time we swam underneath the waterfall together. But the feelings for Jack were also present. His leadership ways and the way he responded to everybody's needs.

As I laid underneath my blue tarp home, images of both men ran threw my mind, preventing any chance of more sleep to come.

tbc...