For some reason the flashforwards in 4.12 really inspired me... ;)

WAITING

It was evening and the party was in full swing.

As she settled Aaron in her lap underneath one of the Polynesian umbrellas, sliding the bottle that she'd just warmed for him between his lips, Kate decided that it couldn't get much tackier. But everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, Hurley included.

She couldn't say that she wasn't pleased for him after everything he'd endured on the island. She only wished that he wasn't busy playing host to the other guests so that she would have someone to talk to.

There was Sayid, of course, but he was with Nadia now and as much as Kate liked her, she hated feeling like a third wheel.

If only he were there. Then she wouldn't feel as lost and out of place.

Where is he? she wondered for the hundredth time since she'd arrived, shifting Aaron so that she could sneak another glance at her watch, surprised when she saw that only twenty minutes had passed since the last time she'd checked it.

He'd assured her that he would be there soon hours ago, when he'd called to tell her that he was running late. She was beginning to feel like she'd been stood up, which was ridiculous because it wasn't even a date.

She was considering taking Aaron inside to call him on his cell, in case he'd gotten preoccupied with a case and forgotten, when she recognised his voice through the chatter around her.

"Hey, man, happy birthday."

Craning her neck, she spotted him standing with Hurley on the other side of the pool, his fists tucked inside the pockets of an old leather jacket.

Besides the tattered clothes that he'd had on the island, she'd never seen him wear anything but a suit, the sight of him in a dark dress shirt and fitted jeans bringing a coy smile to her lips.

He looked good – really good – but she wasn't going to tell him that as punishment for leaving her sitting alone for so long.

"Sorry I'm a little late," he said with an apologetic smile as he stuck out his hand for him to shake. "Kate explain to you that I got caught up in surgery?"

"Yeah, don't mention it, dude," Hurley agreed with a wide grin, "I'm just glad you made it," using it to propel him into an enthusiastic hug.

"I bet I'm not the only one too," he continued in an exaggerated whisper that was a little loud to be discreet. "Don't tell her I told you, but I think she's been waiting for you, man."

She turned back to Aaron when they both glanced in her direction and she realised that it was her Hurley was talking, focusing her attention on him in case they thought she was listening.

She was, but she didn't want Jack to know that, any more than she wanted him to know that Hurley was right.

Behind her, Jack laughed, and she could picture his smile, the one he used to cover his embarrassment. "In that case, I'd better let her know I got here okay," he told him.

She kept her head bowed over Aaron to hide the hot flush that crept into her cheeks, continuing to pretend that she hadn't heard as she watched him approach her out of the corner of her eye.

"Hi."

She waited until her face cooled before lifting it to smile at him. "Hi."

He flashed her the warm, boyish grin that always made her heart melt. "Thanks for passing on the message."

Somehow the deep navy of his shirt made his eyes look darker and more soulful than usual; she could feel herself drowning in them as she managed to say, "No problem."

His smile grew as he gazed back at her; she found herself wondering if he was finally going to make another move when he cleared his throat.

"Would you… ah…" He blushed, ducking his head to run his fingers over his cropped hair and she knew right then that whatever he was going to ask, her answer was yes. "Would you like a drink?" He gestured behind him, towards the bar, trying to look casual as he added, "I was just gonna go get one."

He wasn't being as forward as she might have hoped – especially when he'd already admitted that he loved her – but she decided to reward his efforts. Maybe that would give him the courage he needed to work his way up to something less safe. "Sure."

His expression lit up with relief at this small sign of encouragement. "Great."

She watched him circle the pool to the bar before checking to see if Aaron had had enough. He was still sucking greedily on the bottle but she could feel her wrist going numb so she reversed their position, hoping to make them both more comfortable.

She shot Jack an incredulous look when he set an elaborate coconut-shaped cocktail, embellished with a paper umbrella in front of her, her lips quirking with amusement when she caught sight of the lei around his neck. "What's this?"

He flashed her a sheepish grin as he pulled up the chair beside hers. "Sorry. I tried to get him to mix something a little more standard but it seems like he's really getting into this resort theme."

They turned in time to witness Hurley's dad thrusting a similar drink into Sayid's hand, bursting into joint laughter when the Iraqi stood there looking dubious while he dropped a lei around his neck and patted his shoulders.

"I guess they meant well," Jack said with a smirk when they both sobered.

"Yeah," she agreed, brushing the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand as she stopped to give Aaron a break.

They fell into a comfortable silence as she finished feeding him, biting her lip to hide her smile when she felt Jack's eyes on her, observing her every move.

"You're so good with him," he told her seriously after a while and she could hear the admiration in his tone. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you really were his mom."

Already there were moments when she forgot that she wasn't. She grinned at him, touched that he thought she was convincing at playing the part. "Thanks."

She wasn't sure if it was just curiosity, or something else, but all of a sudden she found that she was eager to see how he fared.

"You should try," she told him before she could think about what she was doing, putting the bottle down beside her drink and holding Aaron out to him.

"Whoa, hey, are you sure that's a good idea?" He raised his hands ito stop her, shaking his head with an uncomfortable laugh. "He looks like he's happy where he is. I wouldn't wanna upset him…"

"You won't," she insisted, shifting him carefully into his arms. "There. See? He's fine."

She fixed him with a reassuring grin as she smoothed the creases out of her dress and settled back into her seat to admire them. Together they made a nice image. She wished that she'd thought to bring her camera with her so that she could capture it.

"I think he likes you," she told him.

He glanced down at Aaron as he emitted a contented gurgle, blowing little spit bubbles out of the side of his mouth, his expression softening into a smile as he wiped it with his thumb.

She had to avert her gaze to keep him from seeing how flustered she was when she was struck by what an amazing father he would make, even if he wasn't aware of it. She shouldn't be having these thoughts about him. They weren't even together, yet somehow the idea of letting him into the little family she'd built with Aaron felt right.

He shot her a curious look, but didn't seem to think it was his place to ask what she was thinking, even if part of her wanted to tell him.

"I like him too," he agreed as he passed him back.

His hand brushed against the bare skin of her elbow during the transfer, sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine. His eyes searched hers for the briefest of seconds, and she knew that he'd felt it too. She realised then that she had to be bold enough to make the first move because he never would.

"I'm almost done here," she told him as she retrieved a towel from her diaper bag and brought Aaron to her shoulder to burp him. "But after that…" She fixed him with what she hoped was a flirtatious grin, despite the gassy infant in her arms. "You wanna dance?" She nodded to Aaron. "I know Nadia's been looking for an excuse to take him for a while."

He cocked an eyebrow at her invitation, but she could see that he was flattered. "I don't really dance,Kate…" he confessed with a lopsided grin, his hand coming up to comb through his hair in what she recognised as a nervous gesture.

He was afraid of making a fool of himself, she realised, deciding to use this opportunity to have a little fun with him.

"What are we in junior high?" she teased him, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation. "Don't tell me I'm gonna have to drag you."

He chuckled in response, eyeing her with a mischievous twinkle, and she knew then that he'd only been half serious. "We wouldn't wanna make a scene, would we?"

The subtext was clear. He was letting her win. "Nope, so I guess you're just gonna have to come with me," she agreed, reaching for his hand with her free one to help him to his feet.

The action took them both by surprise, their buoyant mood turning serious as his eyes found hers and a current of attraction passed between them.

She was the first to shake it off, keeping her fingers entwined with his as she led him over to where Nadia was sitting with Sayid.

"Nadia, would you mind watching the baby for us for a while?" she asked as the two men exchanged greetings.

The Iraqi woman smiled. "It would be my pleasure." She accepted him into his arms, cooing as she settled him against her. "Hello little Aaron. Don't you look handsome today?"

She beamed at Sayid, who grinned back, and satisfied that Aaron was enjoying being the centre of their attention, Kate pulled Jack out onto the makeshift dance floor.

"Here," he said, dropping her hand during a lull in the music, lifting the lei over his head and placing it around her neck instead, his face alighting into an affectionate smile as he took a step back to admire the effect. "Looks better on you."

She fingered it gently, pleased that even though he would never just come out and tell her, he'd noticed the extra care that she'd put into her appearance. The only reason that she'd dressed up was because she knew he would be there and she wanted him to see her.

A slow song started up and he held his arms out to her, a question in his eyes.

She stepped into them without either of them having to say a word, looping hers around his neck while his circled her waist.

As they began to move together, falling into a gentle rhythm with the music, she kept her gaze locked on his, studying the patterns of light that danced over his features, watching him watch her.

He pulled her closer after a while, the solid plane of his chest brushing up against her, and she allowed her head to rest on his shoulder, glad that she had waited for him.