Well, once I start writing again the ideas really start coming! This story just wouldn't leave me alone, and I'm itching to start another continuing story. I'm sorry if you were reading my old one, which I'll try to get back to eventually, but give this a chance. I'm only going to continue it if reviews are sufficient, since I have plenty of other ideas if this isn't appealing. So if you're interested, review!
Anways, this is an AU. I have alot of great ideas planned, so I hope you all enjoy it!
Jack Shephard stumbled into his apartment, carrying three bags of groceries. He hadn't gone shopping in over a month, and he was dangerously low on food. Being at the hospital so much had kept him from noticing for a while, but he had faced a shocking surprise the previous night when looking for dinner.
His answering machine was blinking with two new messages when he walked in, and he managed to free his hand in order to press the play button. As he put down the bags, his mother's voice filled the room.
"Hello, Jack. I hope you aren't at the hospital; you've been there every day this week. Anyway, I'm just calling to check in, and see how you're doing. Give me a call when you get the chance."
He had been receiving these calls regularly since his father died last year. His mother was lonely, occupying her time with finding flaws in her maids, going to as many functions as possible, and checking in on her only son. He made a mental note to call her back after putting the groceries away.
The next message began to play as he picked up a jar of jam. "Hi, Jack. Wow, this is awkward," he heard a light laugh. "I'm sure you thought you'd never hear from me again. It's Kate, Kate Austen."
The jar fell from his hand, shattering across the floor. He hardly noticed, however, as he listened intently to the message.
"I was wondering if you would meet with me. I, uh, understand if you don't want to, but I would really appreciate it. Here's my number," The digits meant nothing to him compared to the voice dictating them, "So, call me back. If you want to, I mean. Well, bye."
His eyes remained on the answering machine long after the message ended. The voice was one he never expected to hear again. "Kate," he whispered.
He hadn't called her back that day. Every time he picked up the phone, he was overcome with doubt. Why was she calling him after all this time? Things hadn't ended on a good note with them, and he wasn't sure he even wanted to talk to her after what she put him through.
But now he was sitting in his office at a particularly slow time of the day, staring at the number he had taken out of his pocket, the number he had been carrying around since he wrote it down. Curisosity would get the better of him eventually, so he might as well get it over with.
His fingers shook as he dialed the numbers, and the dial tone was louder than he remembered it being. It rang three times before he heard the click of a connection.
"Hello?" He sucked in his breath. There it was again: the voice that, at one time, could have made him do anything.
In all honesty, it probably still could.
"Hi, Kate? It's Jack." He tried to keep his voice from shaking, and was relieved when he got the words out coherently.
"Oh, wow! I, um, didn't think you would call me back," she admitted.
He might as well be honest. "Neither did I."
She was quiet for a moment. "I deserve that," she agreed. "But, Jack, it's just..." she let out a breath. "It's kind of great just to hear your voice."
So it wasn't just him. "Yeah, well..." He tried to keep a solid train of thought. "Uh, why did you call me, Kate?"
"I was hoping you would meet with me," she explained, "and before you say no, just consider it. Please."
He tried to say no anyway, just to show her how it felt. But talking to her again was like giving drugs to a junkie- he couldn't turn her away.
"Yeah, sure. Just name the place."
She had insisted they meet that night, and he couldn't help but think she seemed excited. He tried to shake that thought, not wanting to get his hopes up. He took the elevator to her apartment, trying to think of anything but that first glance at her. He shouldn't be excited for this.
He took a moment at the door, and then knocked gently. He could hear footsteps, but they were soon drowned out by his heartbeat speeding up. The door was opening-
"Jack!" He hardly had a second to collect himself before he was being wrapped in a tight hug, curly brown hair all he could see. "Oh my god." Her face was buried in his shoulder, and he couldn't help but squeeze her a little bit tighter. He had never been good at resistance.
She finally drew back, and he sucked in a tight breath. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. It was surreal, seeing her again. "Hey," was all he could manage.
"Come on inside," she smiled, opening the door more widely.
He stepped inside the apartment, nearly tripping over a shoe in the process.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed, "I always-"
"Leave your shoes by the door. I remember," he finished. It had been one of her bad habits. They had tried everything; shoe racks, doormats, even signs to help her remember. Nothing had helped.
She laughed. "Of course you do. You nearly broke you ankle that one time."
He let out a light chuckle at the memory. However, the trip down memory lane was making him uncomfortable. "Something smells good," he remarked, a feeble attempt to change the subject.
"Yeah, it's just pasta. I didn't have anything prepared... I really didn't think you would come," she said softly.
He might as well be honest. "I'm still kind of wondering why I'm here."
"I don't blame you," she replied. "Look, maybe we should sit down."
She led him to the living room and they sat down, him on the couch and her on the chair opposite. They were both quiet, neither knowing what to say. Kate spoke up first.
"Do you hate me?" Her voice shook, so low he had to strain to hear it.
He knew what he wanted to say; what most people in his position would say. But instead he sighed. "You know I can't."
She nodded. "I wouldn't blame you if you did," she told him.
He looked down at his hands. "I thought I hated you, for a while. But it's been five years. I moved on." He wasn't sure if he was lying or not.
"But I... I broke you heart," she choked out. "You're being too nice to me."
"Kate, it happens. Guys pop the question, girls say no. They don't usually leave town a week later, but you were always one of a kind." He was down playing it. He had been a mess, a disaster.
"Jack, I am so, so sorry." Her head dropped. "I was stupid. So stupid," she mumbled. "I was only twenty-four, and I was scared of being tied down. It made sense at the time."
"Why didn't you just tell me?" he asked. God, why had he come? All this endeavor would do was drudge up old pain, pain he had managed to dull in the past five years. "I would have backed off, given you space. I thought..." He didn't finish. He wasn't sure what he had thought, but obviously he had been wrong.
"Because I loved you. I was scared of commitment, but I was scared of losing you too. But then... you asked me to marry you, and I was... terrified," she admitted.
"The thought of spending your life with me was that bad?" he asked, the hurt showing in his eyes.
"No! No, Jack, not at all. I just can't explain it. I was so happy, but getting married? It seemed so... big." She sighed, then stood up and walked over to sit beside him. He gulped; he could feel her body heat. "It was all me. You didn't do anything wrong."
She lifted his hand off his lap, holding it in hers. "You need to understand that."
He nodded, his eyebrows knitted together. "I do," he replied. He felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had spent the last five years wondering why she had left. "I don't understand why I'm here though. After all this time, what made you call me?"
She leaned into the cushion, still keeping his hand in hers. "I've been doing alot of thinking. You know, about life. I decided I'm going to correct all my mistakes."
He glanced over at her, suddenly struck by how tired she looked. "Are you saying I was a mistake?"
She shook her head. "Of course not, weren't you listening? Leaving you was the mistake. The biggest mistake of my life," she admitted.
"Wow," was all he could say. Two days ago, Kate was a memory. Now she was sitting here, her hand in his, saying that she wished she had never let him go. "Wow," he repeated.
"I know it's overwhelming. I've had more time to think about it. So if you walk out that door right now, slam it in my face if you want, I won't blame you."
He didn't know what to say. She was telling him he had a choice, but her eyes were pleading with him to stay. But why? Why now?
"I just... What got you thinking about all of this?" he asked, trying to buy some time, as well as being genuinely curious. Kate had always been impulsive, not someone who thought things through.
Her head bowed, she bit her lip. It was a habit he had noticed, a little thing she did when something was really bothering her. When she looked back up at him, her eyes were filled with tears. Her grip on his hand grew tighter.
"I have cancer, Jack. I'm dying."
Review if you want more. Any unanswered questions will, of course, have their answers revealed later. If I continue, that is. ;)