Title: Tidepool
Characters: Kate/Jack, Aaron...
Summary: Kate has to assure the island youngsters that tide pools hold nothing more than ocean life, not monsters.
Notes: Written for slavetokarma and a little bit for babyfirefly (I owe you three more) from the Jate Prompt Box.

Kate knelt down in the sand that sat at the edge of the rocks that now lined the beach. It was that time of year, just before the monsoons, when the powdery white slipped under the sea and was replaced with a jagged coastline that pinched at bare feet, but kept the harsh waves at bay. She listened as a set of small footsteps came closer, as a small hand gripped her shoulder when the little boy peered into the tide pool in front of her.

"Is there a monster in there?!" Called a younger voice behind her, a third voice gasped with fear.

Aaron let his hand slip off her shoulder as he turned and waved a hand. "No, it's just water," he informed the youngsters before turning to Kate, "Right?" His straight blonde hair flapped into his face and then back again as his bright eyes stared intently into hers. "Kate?"

She smiled up at him, bumping him gently with her shoulder. "It's not just water, but there are no monsters." She looked back. "Mae, Sam, you can come closer."

The smaller boy shook his head, dark hair swinging around. "Daddy says I shouldn't go near the water, it's dangerous!" He set his thin lips into a frown and remained where he stood while Mae moved forward, standing next to Aaron.

"Sammy," Kate's back straightened and she raised one eyebrow at him before his feet moved quickly against the sand to stand at her side, gripping her tank top tightly. "Your daddy answers to me," she poked his small nose, watching his eyes disappear behind a large smile.

"I know those," Mae pointed a long finger towards the shallow pool of water. "My father cuts them up and we eat them." Her dark eyes widened slightly. "So there's really no monster in the rocks?"

Kate shook her head. "No, there's no monster."

"Fishies," Sammy shouted, pushing forward before Kate gripped his sides, holding him in place. "We catch the fishies with Hurley," he told her matter-of-factly. "Out there," his hand shot out towards the ocean.

"You catch fish with Hurley?" Kate questioned him, watching him bite his bottom lip.

Aaron swirled the water in front of them and corrected, "We watch Hurley catch fish from the beach." The boy picked up a crab and let it drop back in the water with a surprised shout when it snapped at him. Sam hid his face in Kate's side. "Mum says maybe next year they'll teach me to fish."

Kate pulled the boy out of the crook of her arm. "It's a crab, not a monster." She eyed Aaron and Mae. "Who told you there were monsters in the rocks anyways?" They each answered with a different name and she sighed. "Fine, don't tell me. But there aren't any monsters here."

"What is there?" Sam asked, holding her as he leaned forward. "Daddy says there are little monsters that get inside your body and make you sick. Are there little monsters in the water?"

"Bacteria and viruses," Mae told him.

Sam nodded his head slowly, digesting the information, his eyebrows knotting on his head. Kate smiled at him knowing he'd rush to Jack with the new words looking for a full explanation Jack wouldn't be quite ready to give. "At high tide, the ocean covers these rocks and all the things that live in the ocean swim where we're standing. When the tide goes out to sea, these little tide pools are left and sometimes little fish get stuck here."

"Like that one," Sam pointed.

"And starfish sometimes," Mae told her with a nod.

"No monsters," Aaron pointed out. "The monster lives in the jungle, right Kate?"

She wet her lips and nodded. "The only monsters in the ocean are out past where we swim," she touched her forehead to Sam's when he looked at her for assurance. "But you shouldn't play on the rocks."

"It's dangerous," Sam whispered. "You can fall and get hurt." He poked a finger in each of Kate's cheeks. "That's what daddy says."

"What does mommy say?" she asked him, looking up into his dark eyes.

He smiled. "Listen to daddy."

Kate took his hand as she stood and ushered Claire's son and Sun's daughter back towards camp. The duo ran off together, racing towards the tent under which both women were relaxing. She glanced down at the boy beside her who walked with her, his bare feet sinking into the soft sand with each step. There were no shoes his size in the stash of clothes.

"There you are," Jack called and Kate released the boy who pulled away from her and rushed at the man emerging from the jungle. His grin spread wide as he bent down to catch Sam and lift him up into the air. "What have you been up to?" He asked his son as they walked towards Kate.

"We saw fishies in the pools with mommy," Sam told him, nodding enthusiastically. "And she told us there were no monsters in the water, only far away and in the jungle."

Jack looked towards Kate as she slid her hand around his back, resting her palm at his waist. "Someone told the kids there were monsters in the rocks."

"I'm guessing whoever did, said it to keep them from playing on the rocks." Jack nodded his head towards the tent at the end of camp. "He doesn't always do things right, but he's got their best interests at heart," he whispered into her ear as she pressed her free hand against his stomach, leaning into him.

"Can I play with Mae and Aaron now?" Sam asked, his hand rubbing along the stubble at Jack's chin.

Kate gave a nod and Jack let the small boy slip to the ground. "We have to get him shoes," she told the man, feeling his arms wrap around her.

"Sayid's on it." Jack laughed. "They won't be pretty, but they'll work."

Nodding, Kate felt him press a soft kiss in her hair. "You wanna see the tide pool?" She asked him quietly.

"Sure." Jack rubbed her back and watched Sam sit in a circle with Aaron and Mae. The trio laughed at something together as Kate lead Jack towards the ocean. She glanced back at the boy who waved at them and she took Jack's hand.

"Careful," she teased. "Some crazy doctor keeps telling my son this is dangerous."

Jack snorted, nodding and moving slowly with her over the rocks until they squatted over the tide pool. She watched him poke at the crab, which scuttled out of the pool and into another and she kissed him when he turned to look at her. Light and loving and he smiled, kissing her back before standing to embrace her. He deepened the kiss, pulling her tight to his body, balancing on the rocks under his feet.

"HEY!" Sam shouted. "THAT'S DANGEROUS! YOU'RE GONNA FALL!"

Kate broke away from Jack and she laughed, her head touching his chin. "Your son," she warned with a shake of her head. She felt him thread his hands through her hair and she looked up at him, watching his grin grow as their boy continued to shout at them stubbornly. Jack tilted his head towards the child and she smiled, nodding and turning back towards the sand. Kate watched as Jack pulled Sam off the ground and hoisted him onto his shoulders and they walked down the beach together searching out more tide pools to peer into.
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Finis