Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise.
Summary: After Jack and Kate break up, all they can hear are love songs…
-oOo-
"No. Stop it. We're not –
"We are, Jack. I can't believe this could happen to us, but, hey, when have I ever been right?"
"Stop. Don't say that, Kate. I love you."
"I hate you. I'm leaving."
With that she walked out the door, trying her hardest to hide the tears quickly forming in her eyes.
---
"Listen to your heart,
When it's calling for you,
Listen to your heart,
There's nothing else you can do,"
Charlie's voice floated gently to where Jack had been enjoying a rare moment of rest. Jack closed his eyes tightly. It wasn't Charlie's singing voice, particularly, it was just the song…
"God, can't you sing something else!" Jack groaned before he could stop himself, and Charlie stopped singing.
"Sorry, mate. I'll, um…"
"No, no… don't worry." Jack pushed himself to his feet. "I'll see you later." He muttered and picked up his drink bottle, then headed to the water supply. He pushed the bottle under the water violently and stood there, waiting for it to fill up.
"You might wanna take the lid off. It'll fill up faster."
Jack jumped and looked around. Kate stood behind him, her own water bottle in hand.
"Your bottle." She said, when Jack didn't move. He glanced at it and, realizing his mistake, quickly removed the lid.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
An awkward silence followed. Kate slowly stepped forward and put her own bottle under the water. They were both careful not to make eye contact. Once her bottle was filled, Kate screwed the cap on and stepped back.
"I'll, um, I'll see you 'round." She said. Jack nodded.
"Yeah, yeah. See ya."
Kate stood there for a moment like she was going to say something else, but decided against it. She turned around and headed down to the hatch.
When Kate entered she was greeted by an old record playing scratchily on the record player.
'Love lifts us up where we belong, where eagles cry, on a mountain high,'
Kate put a hand to her head, recognising the song. She decided to avoid whoever was playing the record if possible, but her route to the bathroom went right past where they would be. She hesitated a moment, then decided to go for it. If she was quiet…
"Kate, honey! I haven't seen you in a while!"
Kate stopped and closed her eyes, then turned around, smiling falsely.
"Hey, Rose!" she said brightly, pretending to be cheerful. "You, um… you down here alone?"
"No, no, Bernard is here with me. It's our shift; he just went to grab some food. You okay, honey?"
"Yeah, I'm fine… I was just, you know…" Kate forgot why she had come down in the first place, the lyrics of the song drowning out all her other thoughts. "I'm gonna go now. See you later, Rose."
Kate quickly turned and left the hatch. She sat down a little way away on a big log. She sighed, appreciating the silence of the still jungle. She closed her eyes slowly and breathed out. All alone, in the quiet --
"Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me -- son of a …!"
Kate jumped up suddenly to see Sawyer staring at her, a bewildered look on his face.
"Damn, Freckles, you scared the crap out of me!"
"I could say the same, except… you don't have freckles."
"Ha ha. What the hell are you doing out here, anyway?"
"I was enjoying the peace and quiet, actually. No chance of that now… what are you doing?"
"Oh, um… you know…"
"Practising your singing voice?"
"No! No! I wasn't singing! I, uh…"
"Never mind." Kate said, and started back on the path. Sawyer, of course, followed her. She wandered along, heading back to the beach.
"So, Sassafras, haven't seen you 'round much, lately. Whatcha bin up to?"
"Oh, not much. I just…"
"You're coping better than the Doc, I have to say."
"What? Coping?" Kate said, though she knew what he meant.
"Come on, Freckles, there's no way you've forgotten your break-up, now. You're too obsessed with each other."
Kate was speechless. Sawyer was right. She had known exactly what he had just said all along, but hearing someone, especially him, voice it… it made it so much more real. She also knew they were 'broken up', obviously, but in all honesty, hated thinking about it. About how it was almost like when they first met, except now they didn't talk. All they had were stolen, longing glances when they thought the other wasn't looking. It tore at Kate's heart to think that she couldn't just wrap her arms around him as tightly as possible the moment she saw Jack, or kiss him till neither could breathe. She felt so unbearably sad when she remembered the times when all she had to do was think of Jack and a smile formed on her lips, or when they used to tease each other, just to see the other laugh. Kate felt tears pricking her eyes, and ducked her head quickly.
"Yeah. Well… I gotta go. See ya, Sawyer."
Kate walked away as quickly as she could, coming to the edge of the beach. She sank down in the sand, finally letting the tears she had become so tired of fall again.
---
Jack handed George a couple of pills and stood up. He didn't know the guy very well, but he had been complaining of headaches, and Jack was the doctor…
"Just take those with a bit of water, you should be fine. If not, come and see me."
George nodded and Jack wandered off. He didn't get very far.
"Jack!"
He turned around to see Ana-Lucia, looking kinda bothered.
"Hey, Ana," Jack liked Ana. Nothing more than a friendship, though. No one could ever be to Jack what Kate once was. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just… do you know that song, I Knew I Loved You? I can't remember who sings it, and it's totally killing me!"
"Uh… I'm not sure…"
"Dammit… you must know it! I knew I loved you, before I met you, I must have dreamed you into life…" Ana shamelessly sang a line softly, and Jack frowned.
"Oh, um, yeah… my ex-wife used to play that all the time. Savage Garden."
Ana's face lit up. "Yes! God, thank you! I had it stuck in my head… thanks!"
Ana turned away, leaving Jack alone, the lyrics to that song dancing through his mind.
"Dammit!" Jack muttered, kicking at the sand.
They'd been apart for almost a week now. Jack had done quite well, in his opinion. His mind hadn't been full of thoughts of her. Not all the time. He missed her, though. So much. He missed everything about her, and everything about them together.
His mind replayed to less than two hours ago. Their first conversation since… she walked out. Some would call it progress. But progress to what, exactly? Making up? Getting over her?
Jack strode down the beach, watching his feet. He was far enough from camp to not have to worry about running into other people, and the beach stretched for miles. After a couple of minutes he looked up, and a figure sitting at the edge of the jungle caught his attention.
Her face was buried in her arms, resting on her knees, pulled up close to her chest. Her dark curls flew around her head wildly in the wind, and Jack could sense it. She was crying.
He knew he shouldn't, but by instinct, Jack jogged over to her side and crouched down.
"Kate? Are you…"
Kate flinched slightly, and quickly got to her feet, swiping at her eyes furiously.
"I'm fine." She muttered, so quiet Jack almost didn't hear her.
"Are you sure? I mean, I can -
"I'm fine, Jack! I don't need you!" Kate said loudly, forcefully. Jack stepped back slightly, the hurt evident in his eyes. He glanced at the ground.
"Yeah, you must be used to only relying on yourself."
The pointed words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and they both gasped inside. Jack immediately regretted it, knowing how they must've hurt Kate. He looked up and stepped closer to her, his hand reaching out to touch her arm. She avoided him.
"Kate, I didn't mean…"
"Don't, Jack. Don't say anything." Kate turned away but Jack grabbed her upper arm swiftly, but gently.
"No. Kate, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that…"
Kate suddenly spun around, wrenching her arm out of his grasp. Jack watched her eyes fill and overflow with anger, and she yelled at him.
"Damn right you shouldn't have! You know what it was like for me! Anyone else… I told you everything. You know. I had to rely on myself! Who the hell else did I have, until you? God, Jack!"
"I know! I'm sorry! But… you're not the only one that had trouble trusting, Kate. You're not the only one who thinks they don't need anyone else, when deep inside they know there's someone they'd die if they didn't have, who they'd die for… I know you feel like that, Kate -
"No, you don't! Don't think that you know what I feel! Sometimes… sometimes I don't even know."
Jack stared at her, and he could feel his heart breaking again. No matter how long they fought, she'd always hold his heart, and he had thought she felt the same. But now… now it seemed he was wrong.
"I'm sorry, Kate. I…" He sighed. "Just, don't hate me anymore, please."
Kate looked up sharply, and without a word, she stepped forward and pulled Jack's lips down to meet hers impulsively, before Jack could react. For a moment he stood in shock, but Kate pushed her tongue insistently against his lips, and he responded without thinking. They connected passionately and automatically, knowing each other so well already, neither made a mistake. When she ran out of breath, Kate reluctantly pulled from Jack, but kept her eyes closed and rested her forehead against his; savouring the moment.
"I never hated you." She said finally, and Jack looked up to see the truth in her eyes. He swallowed and replied,
"I always loved you."
A halo of gold descended over Kate's features and she smiled, as her arms wound around Jack's neck, pulling him closer than before. They kissed sweetly, as if they never would again, making up for the days they missed. It was like nothing else existed, and to Jack and Kate, nothing else mattered but each other, and holding onto each other forever.