Much as Jack loved his new abode, even after three months it was still very much a work in progress, and he had to admit that it was nice to be somewhere that wasn't covered it dust what seemed like all of the time. So this was perfect. Tangled up with Boone in bed. Light cotton sheets just about covering them. Balcony door slightly open to let a breeze flow lazily through the room.
But Jack couldn't sleep. He hadn't had this problem in a long time, certainly not since they moved into their new house. But tonight there was just something bothering him, something he couldn't quite place his finger on. It was that strange niggling feeling that he was supposed to be somewhere. Where he could possibly belong at this second in time but right here with Boone basking in the afterglow was beyond him but the feeling wasn't going away.
He found his way from out of Boone's limbs without waking him and pulled on some clothes, heading out for a walk. Maybe some fresh air would clear this restless feeling out of his head. But he ended up in the hotel bar somehow, ordering a soda. He would have had a stronger drink but his head was still post-sex messy and that would probably send him over the edge into sleepy land. Which actually didn't sound like such a bad idea. But he paid for his soda and went to sit down in the corner of the almost empty bar. There were a few couples scattered about but it seemed to be a quiet night.
Then he saw a tidy blonde enter, dressed in a pretty flowing sun dress, and he couldn't look away as she made her way over to the bar and ordered a drink. As she settled down he noticed that she kept flicking glazes around the room. She wasn't being erratic, it was subtle, but Jack noticed that she was definitely keeping an eye out for something. Not as though she were meeting someone but as if she expected something to happen, something inevitable. She wasn't scared of it, she just wanted a little warning. And as she flicked a look towards his corner of the bar he saw her face.
Kate.
Blonde and girly and looking considerably better than the last time Jack saw her but it was definitely Kate. He wondered what to do. But he didn't wonder for long as he found himself walking up to her.
"Miss Austin," Jack said, coming up behind her.
She turned around sharply to face him, looking as though she was ready to punch him in the jaw. Then her expression melted and she looked shocked but happy. "Jack?" she asked, though there was clearly no doubt. Then suddenly she threw her arms around his neck. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Jack put his hands on her waist. "Boone and I are taking a little time out from the city," he explained. They pulled away from each other and both sat down at the bar. "And what brings you to Hawaii?"
Kate gave him a look. As if someone on the run would be taking a vacation, you end up where you end up on any given day. Jack smiled at her a little.
"Right, sorry," he said. "Nice dress by the way." He was being slightly sarcastic but, let's face it, Kate didn't wear dresses.
"Thank you," she replied, ignoring his tone.
"And your hair," he continued. "Never saw you as a blonde."
"That's kinda the point," she admitted. "I mean, if you've maybe seen Kate Austin in the newspaper and you're keeping half an eye out for her, you're gonna skip right over the girly blonde at the bar, right?"
She had a point. But it made Jack a little sad at how good she was at this. Not that she looked particularly sad herself, but he knew what it was like to be stuck in a rut that you can't even see until you get out the other side and look back at it and realise just what a big hole it was. Kate's whole life was empty but Kate didn't really know that because Kate never knew anything else. Except that she did. On the island. Less than six months ago. Now Jack felt even worse for her.
"So, anyway, enough about me. Tell me about you and Boone. What's going on with you guys?" Kate asked, bringing Jack out of his thoughts.
"Me and Boone? We're great. We're both doing great," Jack stated. "I'm back at the hospital."
"Of course," Kate interjected with a smile.
"Boone's doing up our house which, well, really needs doing up," Jack continued.
"He's doing it on his own?" Kate asked.
"Yeah, pretty much," Jack replied. "He's doing a really good job, the place is really coming together. It's gonna be fantastic when it's done."
"So, you got the job, you got the house, you got the boyfriend," Kate summarised. "Sounds like you're doing okay for yourself."
"Yeah, I'm doing good," Jack nodded. "Which makes a nice change."
Kate nodded her head a little in return but she seemed kind of sombre.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Jack apologised, cringing a little.
Kate smiled. "Don't be stupid," she scolded him. "I wanna hear about you guys. I don't get updates as often as I'd like and the ones that I do get don't go into great detail."
"So what do you wanna know?" Jack asked.
"I don't know, just tell me what you guys have been up to. Tell me about your house. Tell me anything," Kate directed.
Jack thought. He sucked at summaries. He could probably gush about Boone for about two hours but that wouldn't really help her with the gossip quota. And then he realised what she'd just said to him. "You get updates?" he asked, turning to face her.
She looked a little sheepish, realising her mistake. "What?" she asked innocently. A very good innocent impersonation, Jack noted. Probably well rehearsed.
"You just said you don't get updates often," Jack clarified. "That means you do get updates."
"Not really," she replied, not looking him in the eye. "I meant from newspapers and stuff."
"Four months, Kate," Jack stated. "We're not in the papers anymore."
She gave him a look that pretty much admitted she'd been caught out.
"So who is it?" Jack asked.
"Who's what?" she asked back, trying not to smirk. She was clearly game to draw this out as long as she could.
Jack gave her a look. "Who are you in contact with? Who gives you updates?" He was trying to sound patient but he probably wasn't pulling it off.
Kate looked down. She didn't look upset or annoyed, the smirk was still playing on her face. In fact, she looked like a little kid who had just eaten a bunch of candy before dinnertime. Jack tried to wait it out but she was good at this.
"Oh, come on," Jack blurted out.
This made Kate break into a full smile. Jack guessed she'd won the game. She looked back up at him. "Promise not to tell?"
"Your secret's safe with me," he assured her.
She pulled a slight face and then quietly replied, "Sawyer."
Jack smirked. "Sawyer?" he asked. "Of all the people on that island you chose to trust Sawyer?"
"Look, he gets this stuff. He gets the criminal code, the whole hush-hush thing. He's lived this life a little himself," Kate replied. "So he's not the most trustworthy guy in general terms, he's not gonna run to the FBI and he's not gonna be intimidated into telling anyone anything about me."
She had a point, Jack reflected. Sawyer was probably well trained in keeping secrets of this nature. Kate took a sip of her drink and Jack thought how young she looked, how innocent. And it wasn't just in her hair and clothes, it was in her face too. All that time on the island and he never could get his head around what she could possibly have done wrong.
She looked up at him. "What?" she asked. He shook his head and looked away. Kate rolled her eyes. "Tell me."
"I was just wondering what you were possibly running from that could be that bad," Jack stated, not quite looking at her. "I knew you for over two years and I could never work it out. I could never come close."
Kate raised her eyebrows. "Right, like you don't know."
He looked at her, clueless, and shrugged.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked.
Jack shook his head. "I never found out," he replied.
"But, wait, it was in every newspaper going, it was on the news, you couldn't miss it," Kate went on.
"I didn't read it. I turned the channel," Jack stated matter-of-factly.
Kate looked at him, intrigued. "Why?"
"I didn't want to find out that way," he explained. "When I find out I want it to be from you."
She looked down, a slight shy smile on her lips. "I'm not gonna say it," she stated.
"I know," Jack replied. "Doesn't stop me wondering. But I only want to know if you want to tell me."
She looked up at him and shook her head.
"Didn't think so," he responded. "So, how long are you sticking around for?" he asked. Kate looked at him, clearly wary. Jack couldn't help but laugh. He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I'm not gonna phone the FBI."
Kate smiled and leaned in whispering, "I know."
Jack smiled and leaned back to his original position. Kate followed suit.
"Okay then, let me rephrase that," Jack tried. "You gonna be around tomorrow evening to have dinner with me and Boone?"
Kate smiled at him. "I think I maybe might," she replied.
"Then I'll see you in the bar at seven," Jack responded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a certain young man who's probably starting to wonder where I got to," he said as he stood up. "Not that he'll be awake," he added with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kate."
"Looking forward to it," she replied, turning back to her drink.