Letters
By: StealingHearts22 a.k.a. ChiSoxGirl22
Rating: PG
Pairing: Jack/Kate, mentions of Sawyer/Kate
Length: One-Shot
Timeframe: After a year on the island

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost; I'm just borrowing the characters!

A/N: This was inspired by a dream I had, so just bear with me. :)

The mood on the island had lightened considerably. The news of the castaways' approaching rescue had made everyone happy. This newfound attitude included less snippy remarks from Sawyer and a relaxed, smiling Jack.

Surprisingly, Kate had not joined into any of the celebrations – games of golf and poker and the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815's attempt at a luau complete with roasted boar. She was worried, of course, about what would happen once the rescue boat that the private cruise ship had sent for the day before yesterday arrived. She was a fugitive after all, and the authorities would be looking for her.

However, that wasn't the only thing that Kate was worried about. Lately, two other topics had been occupying her time – Sawyer and Jack. There had always been an undeniable heat between her and Sawyer. They had danced around the idea of commitment by sharing a few kisses and nothing more. It was readily apparent that Sawyer was not satisfied by this, but he let her call the shots. And then there was Jack. There was so much she could say to him – her true feelings. She could tell him how her heart skipped a beat every time he said her name with care and love and respect. She could also tell him how her breathing quickened each time she could feel the warmth of his body near hers. This was different than her relationship with Sawyer and she'd known it all along even if she hadn't realized it right away. Predictably, Jack had not been happy when he found out about Kate and Sawyer. She had tried to explain to him that she had only gone to Sawyer because he, Jack, had been so distant and hard to reach. He wouldn't listen, though, and he tried to disregard his feelings for her; the feelings he had felt ever since the day she stitched his back. He loved her and he knew it. He also knew that he didn't want to get hurt again. Because of this, Jack resigned to the fact that Kate had picked Sawyer – that he wasn't good enough in her eyes. Kate, on the other hand, figured that she had blown her chance to finally be happy. That was how she always thought of herself – as a failure.

In addition to these thoughts swirling in Kate's head, she had been put in charge of collecting letters for a farewell project. Since the castaways had been stranded on the island for almost a year, everyone decided that because verbal goodbyes would be so hard, they would write letters to say farewell. Kate had yet to write any letters and she wondered if she would at all. One letter she knew she wouldn't write was one to Jack. Lately, they barely spoke; and when they did, it was nothing like during their first few months on the island. There were no heart-to-heart chats nor sweet flirtations. Actually, Kate felt physical pain every time she watched him smiling and laughing while talking to someone else. She craved for attention from him – an acknowledgement of their feelings, anything. Instead, all she ever got was a forced smile – the outward sign of Jack's denial of his emotions. Truthfully, anytime they were near each other, Jack wanted more than anything to grab her and kiss her and show her how much he loved her. Of course he would never do this though, seeing as he was under the impression that Sawyer and Kate were 'together.' He would never want to break up their relationship or stand in the way of Kate being happy. This still didn't stop their kiss in the jungle from flashing through his mind every time he saw her. It didn't stop him from remembering the rush of emotions he had felt during the kiss and the disappointment he felt when she ran.

They were both lost in their own thoughts when Jack sat down beside Kate on the beach where she was writing her letter to Sun, one of the few she had decided she would write. This painfully reminded each other of happier times between them; when they would sit and talk, tentatively sharing feelings and experiences. Jack had brought his own paper and pen, intending to write his own letters. They sat silently, while thousands of words and thoughts went unsaid between them. Kate sat, relishing the time they were close to each other because after all, there wouldn't be much more of it. Little did she know, Jack sat next to her doing exactly the same.

They did not speak until Jack got up to leave, and he handed her his stack of letters.

"Here," he said with a small smile.

"Thanks," she said as she took the papers from his hands, her own hands shaking.

His smile faded, and he turned and walked away. As he left, she looked down at what he had handed her and at the top was a folded piece of paper with no name on it as its intended destination.

"Jack! Wait, you didn't put a name…" she tried, but he had already walked out of shouting distance. She could see his cutoff-shirt-and-jean clad figure heading back toward camp.

Curiosity got the better of her so she opened the paper and gasped at its 4 word message written in Jack's familiar, doctor-ish handwriting.

KATE –

I LOVE YOU.

She tried to smile, tried to grasp what was written on the paper in front of her. Instead of happiness, though, she found tears, thinking of their wasted time on the island, of all the time they had spent apart when they could've been together.

She carefully folded the letter, placed it in her pocket, and ran towards where Jack was standing near Claire and Aaron, who could now walk, on the beach. She came up from behind him, unnoticed, and grabbed his arm, turning him on the spot. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in her chest, allowing her tears to fall freely, soaking his shirt. He enclosed her in his arms, let her cry, and kissed her on the forehead. After a few minutes, her sobs slowed and she lifted her head to look at him. Jack smiled in the way that Kate had been dying for him to while looking at her. She raised herself on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, slowly and sweetly, "I love you, too." At this, he leaned towards her and they kissed like they had both secretly wanted to since their first kiss. They surfaced and shared a smile that radiated warmth and love. Kate was happy, even though she knew that today or tomorrow could be their last day together on the island. Somehow, though, she knew that from the look on Jack's face, he wasn't planning on letting go of her anytime soon, no matter what.

A/N: I hope you liked it! Reviews are very much appreciated!