A little hello from the author: Hello. Hope the day is treating you all well =) I got the idea for this a couple months ago. I was listening to my iPod and there were parts of a lot of songs that were striking me as "This is so Jate." So then I got the inspiration to try and write some pieces based on those songs. Some of them come from one or two lines, a chorus, and some are from almost the entire song. These are all one-shots, but they're all related. Meaning, they're different points in time and they're not necessarily chronological, but they all deal with the same timeline and characters. Some are happy, some sad, some on the island, some off, some very AU, some only a little, and some will be a lot longer or shorter than others. Now that I've gone on about this for way too long, let's move on, huh? Let me know what you think. Without any further ado, I give you Jack & Kate: Anthology.

Here I am staring at your perfection in my arms, so beautiful

The sky is getting back, the stars are burning out, somebody slow it down

This is way too hard cause I know when the sun comes up, I will leave

This is my last glance that will soon be memory

"Daylight" - Maroon 5

Perfect. Even with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, sweat and tears on her face, and days' worth of dirt all over, she was still the epitome of perfection to him. He had always thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever been lucky enough to see. It made him wonder sometimes how she had ever chosen him at all. He was such a mess, but she had decided somehow that he was worth her time and love. And like everything else that was ever good for him, he found a way to screw it all up.

Another firm shake of the island drew him from his thoughts and back to the reality in front of him. He was dying, he knew that. He had already told them all what he was going to do and that they needed to get to safety. He had told her to get on the plane and leave this place, leave him, behind. Forever.

Telling her to leave him was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. His head was saying that it was the right thing, and he knew it was, but his heart was screaming at him to be selfish, to go with her and let this place crumble and waste away. But for once, he was doing what was best for her and not what was best for him. He owed her that much after everything he had put her through in the past few years.

"Kate, you've gotta go," he said as confidently as he could manage, "Get Claire on that plane."

They stared at each other for a few moments, trying to communicate every thought and emotion running through their minds. Everything they never said and wished they had, every plea to stay together.

"Tell me I'm gonna see you again," she begged.

He could hear the desperation in her trembling voice. He wanted nothing more than to change his mind right then and there just to make her happy, but he knew that no matter what he did he wasn't going to make it much longer. He had decided if he was going to die, it was going to be making sure she got to safety and never had to come back here again. He couldn't promise her anything but his heart, but he couldn't bring himself to physically tell her no. So he ever so slightly shook his head instead, never taking his eyes off of her. This was the last time he would ever see her and he was going to soak her in as much as he possibly could before they both had to leave for different destinies.

Before either could say anything else, their lips collided in what they knew would be their last kiss. This moment, this perfect moment in a sea of chaos, would soon be just a memory for both of them and they were determined to make it last as long as they could. They memorized they way each other smelled, tasted, felt. They needed this moment to last a lifetime.

It nearly brought him to his knees when she choked out, "I love you."

Somehow hearing those words come from her mouth made the barbaric pain in his side disappear. She still loved him. After everything, she still cared for him the same as he did for her. The words meant more to him than she could ever know. Which made this even harder for him than it already was. He needed to leave, soon, but he wasn't going anywhere without making sure she knew how he still felt, how he had always felt.

"I love you," he replied, feeling a small tear roll down his cheek. She was crying now and not trying to hide it anymore. He knew if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to leave. So he gave her one last lingering look that he hoped told her just how much he really cared about her, and how deeply sorry he was for everything, and walked away for the last time.