Jack couldn't help feeling that he had failed - again. First, they had lost Joanna to the island, then Boone, then Scott, then Steve, and now, they island had claimed another victim in the form of Lee. He hadn't known Lee as well as the others. He had never come to him for advice, or injured. He just stayed out of the picture, until they had found him half eaten by a polar bear in the jungle.

He stood at the edge of the beach, gazing out into the horizon. He had to get out of the caves, away from the people, the pain, everything. Somehow, he had ended up doing what Kate did, and was sinking his feet into the sand. She was right, it did feel slightly better, but there was still and empty space inside of him that was unfilled, unchanged by the sands.

"If I knew any better, Jack, I'd say you were pretending to be me."

He didn't have to look up to know who it was, but he did anyway. He tried to give her a smile as she came to stand barefeet beside him.

"Of course," She continued before he got a chance to speak. "That would mean that I was you, and I'd be telling you to rest."

He managed a smirk at that, remembering the conversation they'd had that morning. "It's for your own good, Kate." He said quietly. "You need rest."

Silently, she slipped her hand into his - a notion he was becoming more and more used to. They hadn't become open with their deepening relationship yet, but it was becoming hard to fight it, especially when there was always someone looking. "So do you." She replied so quietly that she could barely be heard over the waves.

Jack shook his head to argue. "I have-"

She interrupted him. "More important things to do?" He tried to argue his point again but she stopped him by turning to face him. "What can you do if you collapse from exhaustion?" She asked him. "There are too many sick and injured people here, Jack, I don't want you to become one of them."

He shook his head. "I need to help them, Kate."

Following his lead, she shook her head too. "You need to help yourself first."

Jack sighed. "Why?"

"Because I need you." She stated simply. "We need each other. But whenever I find just a tiny bit of happiness in my life, there's always someone or something that destroys it. I can't lose you to yourself, Jack."

They were silent for a moment, and Jack met her eyes, seeing the concern in them. "I'm not going anywhere." He told her. "You'll never lose me." Her lips turned up at the corners into the smile he loved so much. "I promise."

She embraced him, and didn't care about the others looking. She felt his arms coming round her and holding her tightly, while his cheek came to rest on her curly hair.

When they parted, neither said a word, but Jack let himself be dragged back to the caves by his hand, and into the cave that he slept in, or rather, laid in. Kate forced him to lay down, and he didn't complain, but when she rose to leave, he pulled her back to him, making her lay beside him.

"Jack..."

"I'm not the only one who needs sleep, Kate. We both do." He reminded her, putting his arms around her and bringing her close against his body.

"But the others..." She didn't want anyone to catch them out.

"If they see, they see. They'll find out sooner or later anyway." He told her. "Besides, I'm not ashamed of loving you...and...I'm way to comfortable now to let you go."

She grinned at his comments, and snuggled up close, feeling the ebbs of sleep pull at her, and they both fell into slumber, having more than the occassional good nights sleep.