Okay, so when I saw that there was Kiss song called "Calling Doctor Love" I had to write a sequel. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. Plus some you mentioned Margo and I thought it would be fun to have her and Jack discuss Kate, which is something that I've wanted to do ever since 4.12. As I mentioned last time, it's slightly AU. Carol never showed up so Jack doesn't know that Aaron is his nephew and neither does anyone else. ;)
CALLING DOCTOR LOVE
"Having a good time?"
Jack turned at the sound of his mother's voice, his hand freezing on the door handle.
After leaving Kate to check on Aaron he had returned to the living room to continue receiving condolences, but when he found himself unable to conceal his grin he made a beeline for the French doors that led out to the deck, hoping to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
Apparently it hadn't worked.
"It's the day of my father's funeral, Mom," he reminded her, putting on his best poker face. At the very least he hoped that he didn't look as guilty as he felt at being caught out. "That's not exactly—"
"I saw you go upstairs with Kate," she cut him off, fixing him with a stern glare, though he could see the corners of her lips quirking with amusement as she tried to suppress a smile of her own.
"She asked me to show her where she could put the baby down," he agreed with a casual shrug, unsure what she was hinting at other than that his happiness was somehow related to Kate.
He wiped his lower lip with his index finger in case she could still see her lip gloss there, surprised when it came away clean. She couldn't possibly know that Kate had kissed him, not when she'd been downstairs the whole time.
"Is that why you were gone for almost an hour?" she pressed, folding her arms as she raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow at him, and he knew that she didn't believe him.
"No. She wanted to see my room," he confessed, hoping that this answer would satisfy her, bewildered when she gave him a knowing smirk.
"I'll bet she did."
"What're you saying, Mom?" he asked, feeling as though he'd somehow missed the joke.
"Just that I've seen the way she looks at you," she explained, as though this should be obvious to everyone, including him. "It's not hard considering that the two of you act like you're joined at the hip."
He knew that he should argue this wasn't true, that he'd hardly seen Kate – or any of his friends – since they'd arrived at the church, but he couldn't get his mind past what she'd just said. "How does she look at me?" he asked. Did she know something that he didn't?
"Don't get cute with me, Jack," she warned him without bothering to answer his question, as thought she thought he was just being smart. "I've heard things."
"From who?" He followed the surreptitious glance she cast towards Hurley, laughing with Sayid and Nadia in the corner, sighing inwardly as he wondered what the Latino man had told her to make her think that Kate was in love with him.
"That's beside the point," she insisted before he could probe into it. "I think it's wonderful that you've found someone – especially after the whole Sarah debacle – but at your father's wake, Jack? In the room where you slept as a little boy?"
His mouth fell open when he realised what she was implying and he felt a hot flush creep into his cheeks when she chuckled. "Who am I kidding? I'm sure wherever your father is he's thrilled. He always said you were a late bloomer."
"Mom, Kate and I—" he tried to correct her, but she hadn't finished yet.
"I'm not judging you, Jack," she assured him in what she must have thought was a reasonable tone. "I know young men have needs, especially after being stranded on an island for so long."
She let out a girlish laugh, and Jack's stomach turned when he realised where this was headed. He'd never heard her laugh like that before. "If you could've seen your father back when we first got married…" To his relief, she trailed off when she caught his horrified look. "Really, Jack. You're a grown man. You might want to start acting like it."
She softened when she remembered what they were supposed to be talking about. Or what she was supposed to be talking about. He'd given up on trying to keep up his side of the conversation. "Just so long as you're happy, and you're being careful, I couldn't be happier for you.
"But I want you to keep in mind that the last thing that poor woman needs is to be left holding another baby. Not that you would ever do something like that."
She gave him a hard look and his mouth went dry as an idea occurred to him. "Mom, you don't think…?" Even if Aaron were really Kate's child, there was no way that he could have known her that long. He was still married, going through his divorce at the time that Aaron was supposed to have been conceived.
"Of course not," she agreed, relaxing slightly and he wondered if it she was lying, and it was some kind of test. "Your father and I didn't raise you to be the kind of man who skips out on his responsibilities. I know that if you ever got Kate pregnant you would do the right thing and marry her."
She still didn't seem to believe that he and Kate weren't an item, that they weren't anything. "I'm telling you, Mom, nothing happened. We were just talking," he insisted, still not sure why it bothered him so much. Maybe it was because he wished that it were true, at least the part about Kate finally being his.
"Then why have you had that ridiculous grin plastered on your face ever since you came down?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, no longer trying to correct her. If she wanted to think that, then maybe he should just let her.
"You really shouldn't be embarrassed, Jack," she told him, giving his arm a reassuring pat, before her expression turned disapproving. "Just next time, please try to choose a more appropriate venue? You must know how this looks."
If she were anyone else, Jack would have been grateful for the excuse to escape, but his heart sunk when Kate reappeared at his side holding Aaron.
"Kate, dear, we were just talking about you," his mother told her and Jack felt his face grow hot with embarrassment.
"Really? Nothing too bad I hope?" Kate asked with a self-conscious smile, shooting him a questioning glance, but he couldn't look at her for long enough to answer.
"Actually, I was just telling Jack how glad I am that he met you – even if it did take almost dying in a plane crash," she continued and Kate eyed her in surprised, looking as confused as he felt.
"Uh, thanks, I guess," she said, forcing a polite smile.
If his mother sensed her discomfort, she didn't acknowledge it, turning her attention to Aaron next. "And how is that dear, sweet boy of yours today? He's looking bigger every time I see him."
It was the best topic that she could have chosen. Kate's smile was genuine as she shifted him against her, giving his tiny fist an affectionate squeeze. "He's just full of energy, aren't you, little guy?" she cooed. "He's had his nap and now he just wants to see what all the big people are doing."
"Why don't you let me take him for a little while?" his mother suggested, watching them with a smile. "It'll give us a chance to get better acquainted." She lifted him out of Kate's arms before she had the chance to respond, bouncing him against her own chest to settle him. "That's a good boy. He definitely has your smile, Kate…"
"Okay…" she agreed with a stunned look when she had time to realise what had happened and Jack was left to wonder how Aaron could have Kate's anything when they weren't even blood related. They had none of them same genes and yet somehow strangers kept finding her in him as though they were just seeing whatever they wanted to see.
"Just remember what I said, Jack – a little propriety?" his mother reminded him as she disappeared into the throng of well wishers still holding Aaron.
"What was that all about?" Kate asked, recovering from her shock, turning to him with a disbelieving laugh when they were gone.
He wasn't sure how to tell her without it becoming awkward so he decided to turn it into a joke. "Honestly? Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that somehow she seems to have gotten it into her head that you and I are together."
She arched her eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah? And where would she get an idea like that?"
"From Hurley, apparently," he agreed, returning her smirk, glad that she didn't seem upset. It wasn't like he'd done anything to encourage it. "Oh and…" His confidence wavered as he debated whether or not he should fill her in on the rest. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…
"Jack?"
"She thinks…" He swallowed, averting his eyes to the floorboards before trying again. There was need to make a big deal out of it. It was all just a misunderstanding. Surely Kate would know that? "She's convinced that we were having sex just now when we went upstairs. Crazy, right?" He let out a nervous chuckle, in two minds as to whether or not he wanted her to agree.
She responded with a strained laugh, her face splitting into a broad grin, showing off the whites of her teeth, but she didn't seem to see the humour in this as she said, "Let me get this straight – you think having sex with me would be 'crazy'?"
"That's not what I meant," he assured her to smooth over any offence that he might have caused her when he knew that this couldn't be further from the truth.
"Then what did you mean, Jack?" she pressed and he couldn't tell if he'd actually hurt her or if she was just tormenting him again.
"Is there any way I can answer that without sounding like a chauvinist pig?" he asked, feeling helpless like he always did when she backed him into a corner like this.
"That depends…"
"On what?"
"On what answer you had in mind," she told him, refusing to give him a hint as to which one she would prefer.
"I didn't mean that I would never wanna sleep with you, Kate," he insisted, before she decided that he wasn't attracted to her in that way, mortified when he realised that he'd as good as confessed that he did. He didn't want to be too forward with her, even if according to his mother it should be obvious that she had feelings for him. "I'm sorry, that didn't come out right."
"Are you sure about that, Jack?" she teased, her green eyes sparking with amusement. "'Cause it didn't seem like you minded earlier when I kissed you."
She leant in, so close that he could feel her warm breath hitting his face. He caught a whiff of red wine and the berry lip gloss that she was wearing, his mouth itching to make contact with hers. Another inch and he would be able to taste her again. All he had to do was close the distance. "In fact, I bet you wouldn't mind if I did it again..."
"Jack! I'm glad I found you." At that moment a man's voice interrupted, and shooting an irritated glance out of the corner of his eye, Jack recognised his father's accountant. "I just wanted to tell you again how sorry I am for your loss. Your father…"
But he didn't hear the rest, because instead of kissing him like he'd hoped, Kate bypassed his lips, pressing hers to his cheek as she whispered, "I should go rescue Aaron before your mom has everyone convinced he's her grandson. But I guess I'll see you around… Dr. Love."
She couldn't seem to resist getting in one last dig at him, grinning as she stepped back.
He watched with a growing sense of disappointment as she turned on her heel and sauntered off to find his mother, a suggestive wiggle in her hips that he was sure was meant just to taunt him as she sang so low that only he seemed to catch it:
"Baby, I know what your problem is
The first step of the cure is a kiss
Ooh, they call me (Dr. Love)
I am the doctor of love (calling Dr. Love)
I've got the cure you're thinkin' of (calling Dr. Love)…"
If anyone wants me to keep going I have an idea for a third part involving more teasing on Kate's part and yet another Kiss song ("I Wanna Rock 'N' Roll All Night"). No, it's not a smut fic, before anyone asks, but Jack may finally get the hint... ;)