Disclaimer – I don't own Lost or any of the characters – they belong to JJ and ABC
This is just a my take on the "I love you" clip shown in the promo for the finale… ive left it where it is, because I wanted it to seem realistic and didn't want to try and put my own reaction because I'd have the urge to make it very shipper-esk :D so hopefully you'll think this is realistic like the show…
Jack heaved his backpack onto his shoulders, out of the corner of his eye he saw Juliet and Danielle walking in line with him, leading everyone to the radio tower. Only for the second time on this island did he feel scared. He didn't care what happened to him, but here he was, leading the rest of the beach people, his people, supposedly away from harm. They were trusting him with their lives – and that was truly terrifying. Juliet inhaled deeply to the right of him. He glanced at her, her blonde hair scraped back, a look of business on her face. He still wasn't a 100 sure whether he could trust her, he wanted to desperately, just so that for the first time they could have the upper-hand against the others. For once they had some concrete information about their enemy, some answers.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw Hurley talking nonchalantly to Claire, cooing over Aaron. Sun and Rose were buried in deep conversation, probably reassuring each other about their left behind husbands. Jack realised that everyone was dealing with this in their own way. He glanced further to his left and saw Kate walking with Sawyer. He felt that sickening feeling in his stomach, once again, the feeling he'd now come to associate with seeing the pair together in close proximity. He turned around again so he didn't have to watch them together, talking, laughing, touching. He had sworn when he returned to the beach he was going to protect himself. As much as it killed him, he knew in his heart he wanted Kate to be happy, and if it meant being with Sawyer then so be it. But he couldn't continue this façade of pretending he was ok with all of it.
"We should rest for a minute" Danielle commented
"We should keep going" Jack replied
"It will not make a difference" Danielle began "If we rest for everyone to have a water break"
"Jack…" Juliet started
"Ok… fine, five minuets and then we head off again". Juliet watched Jack walk off and lay his back pack down. Sighing, she took out her water bottle and gulped down the trickle of warm water. She felt a presence behind her, and, spinning on her heel, she was greeted by Austin staring back at her.
"What's going on?" she asked
"We're taking a five minute break" Juliet replied to Kate and to the rest of the camp who had caught up with them. Kate stared back at Juliet, dislike and distrust shooting from her eyes.
Jack watched from the distance as the rest of the camp enjoyed their break. He began thinking about the way this "trip" was being played out, they'd gone about it the wrong way. Nobody wanted to walk all the way to the radio tower, a dangerous walk, not even sure if it was going to work. Why risk everyone else's lives when he didn't need to? He could take Danielle, Juliet and Naomi up to the radio tower and leave everyone else to set up a temporary camp here. They were far out enough from the beach to avoid the others, they may be safe here. Making his mind up, he called Juliet over to explain.
Kate looked on from afar as Jack and Juliet seemed to discuss something important, something that once again she wouldn't be involved in, something she would've normally been involved in.
"You ok?" Sawyer asked her, handing her a water bottle. Silently she took it, nodding. She did love Sawyer, but she'd come to realise that the only reason she loved him was because he loved her. She didn't love him with her heart. "Because you broke his heart" these words echoed in her head daily, each time she looked at Jack she felt a sickening feeling in her stomach, a feeling she'd screwed up the best thing that could've happened to her. As much as she hated herself for it, she'd found the only way to get rid of this feeling of regret was to turn to Sawyer…. She watched as Jack made his way to the middle of the land.
"Guys" He started "After considering it, I think it's best if you all stay here, there's a stream down the hill there, there's plenty of tree's for shelter… Naomi, Danielle, Juliet and I will go to the radio tower, it seems pointless for us all to…"
"But what about the others?" Sun's voice interrupted.
"your out of reach here, if you can set up camp, we'll be back in a day…"
Jack watched the general agreement coming from everyone, he sighed a deep sigh of relief.
"I'm going to fill up the water from the stream" Jack mumbled to Juliet.
Walking away he unfastened his backpack to take out his water bottle, two empty, one still intact. He dropped the bottle into the stream, feeling the cool water envelop his hand.
"So, no-one else gets a say in your decision huh?"
He whipped his head round and saw Kate standing there defiantly. Sighing, he screwed the lid back on the water bottle.
"I'm trying to keep everyone safe Kate" he replied
"Oh yeah," Kate began, walking towards him "and what about those of us who don't want your protection, who don't just want to help"
"You don't know what you're-"
"Yes I DO Jack I – "
"No you DON'T" He said filling up the second water bottle "You don't know that the radio station is guarded by them, you don't know that there is a high chance only one of us will make it into the tower alive".
Kate held her breath for a second, staring at the man in front of her before asking "How do you know that?"
"Juliet told me" sighing, he placed the bottles in his backpack and heaved it onto his shoulders. "I didn't want to cause a panic"
"You don't think we deserved to know?" Kate asked incredulously "That I deserved to know?"
"Why would you deserve to know Kate?" Jack asked the volume of his voice raising.
"Because I care about you!" she cried.
They both held their breath, eyes boring into each other, not daring to break contact.
"I need you here Kate, to guide, to organise the camp" fastening his backpack he walked past her.
"So this is goodbye?" Kate asked softly, refusing to let her tears fall.
The words pierced Jack's heart, stopping in his tracks he swallowed. If he was walking to his death, he had to tell her how he felt. He owed her that.
"Kate, you're the strongest and most independent woman I've ever known" he paused, looking straight into her eyes "and I love you…. So yes Kate, this is goodbye".
He lifted his gaze and walked back towards the camp.