Prologue

"What's wrong, Jack?" Kate asks, gently rocking Aaron in her arms.

"Nothing's wrong, Kate," he gives her a tight smile and rubs a hand over her back before stepping away to say goodbye to more guests. It had been six months since their rescue, and he had finally laid his father to rest.

Twenty minutes later the last guest has left the Shephard household. Margot gives the younger woman a hug, "It was lovely to see you again, Kate. It's been a long day, and I think I'm going to head upstairs to bed."

"I'm sorry about your husband," Kate tells her as she returns the hug.

"It's been almost a year since I last saw him, and it's still hard to think that he's really gone. But at least I didn't lose my son too," she smiles, kissing said son before heading for the stairs.

"Good night, Mom," Jack calls after her.

"You okay?" Kate asks, putting the sleeping baby down on the couch and placing the pillows around him.

"Yeah," he says, staying several feet away from her.

"Jack… talk to me," she steps closer to him, reaching out to touch his cheek.

He steps away from her and tries not to feel guilty about the hurt look on her face. Crossing the room, he takes a seat in his father's study, his back to her and the baby.

After checking to make sure Aaron is still asleep and safe on couch, she follows him into the other room. She takes a seat in the chair opposite him and waits for him to speak.

"I don't think I can do this, Kate," he says, not looking at her.

"Do what?"

Several moments pass in silence before he speak again. "You know the woman who approached me at the church? My dad had an affair with her."

"Oh… I'm sorry, Jack."

"I have a sister."

She doesn't know what to say to this, unable to read his expression to determine how he feels about this news.

"I know I told you I'd help you, but I don't think I can."

"Help me with what?" she frowns, not following the conversation.

"Raise him. You're going to trial eventually and what if you get put in prison for the rest of your life? Then it'll be all me."

"Jack… I'm going to need you to help me here," Kate says, leaving her seat and coming to kneel in front of him.

"I can't help you, Kate."

"I understand your concern about my trial and raising Aaron. It's a big responsibility, and you've already got a life that doesn't involve raising a child."

"I don't want to lose you," Jack finally meets her eyes.

"Hey, you don't have to commit to taking care of Aaron if I go to prison," she takes his hand. "We can still do… whatever it is that we are doing. But Aaron is my son now, Jack. And you're good with him. If there's going to be anything between us… well, I'm kind of expecting you to step up and be a father to him. I know it'll take time to get used to, and I'm not expecting you to raise him or even stay with me if I go to prison."

"I can't be his father. I know that means that we're done, but I just can't do it."

She removes her hand from him and rubs her hands down her face in confusion, "I don't get it. You were telling me about this sister that you just learned about, and now…"

"She should be the one raising him. Not me and not you, Kate. But we just left her behind."

"Claire? Jack, she left him in the middle of the jungle and took off. I wish that we had found her, that she could be here to raise him. But she's not. And I know that she wanted to give him up for adoption originally, but I just… I couldn't let him be taken by strangers."

"Isn't that what you are?" Jack stands and heads to the window to look out at the setting sun.

Kate gives him a minute to cool off, trying not to let his words affect her. She still doesn't understand the conversation they are having, but it seems that they are breaking up. He doesn't acknowledge her when she comes to stand beside him. "Jack… what does me raising Aaron have to do with you having a sister?"

He sighs, turning to face her, "Claire was my sister."

It takes her several moments to comprehend this, and the first emotion she feels at this is anger. "So you're saying you don't want anything to do with that little boy in the next room because you now know that he's related to you?"

"We left her behind. She was my sister, Kate."

"Don't you think that she would want family to raise him if she couldn't do so herself?"

"We shouldn't have left her in the first place."

"Don't you dare try to make me feel guilty about leaving her. You're the one who wouldn't let me get Jin after I had promised Sun that we wouldn't leave him. And I'm just trying to do what I think is best for Aaron since your sister abandoned him."

"Right, his fake mom going to prison is really the best thing for him," Jack laughs harshly.

"You don't get to talk to me like that when you want nothing to do with him, Jack. Whatever our relationship was… it's over," she storms out of the room and picks Aaron up, leaving the man she thought she had loved behind.