Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Author's Notes: This is the Sequel to "How they moved on". This story is solely based on that, so I would advise anyone to read HTMO first before reading this one. I hope there are still some skaters out there to appreciate this, I just can't get past the whole Suliet and Jate ending ... it was just downright horrible in my opinion. I realize this chapter is awefully short, but it's basically just me getting the story started, so I hope people like it and leave a review.

So here goes nothing...

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Sahara Desert, Tunisia

Kate's eyes popped open, she sucked in a deep breath, and instant relieved washed over her when she realized James' fingers where still intertwined with hers. Automatically James wrapped his arms around her, and kissed the back of her head before he even bothered to take in his surroundings.

The ground around them was covered in sand. There were wooden poles lining up with cameras attached, but besides that there was a whole lot of nothing. All in all it looked exactly like Ben had described it to them earlier.

Their hands worked together to get the knot untied, and when they did, Kate didn't bother to get up but simply just turned around, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close, taking a minute to let it all sink in.

"It worked." Kate said relieved, her voice breaking up as tears streaked her face again.

James pulled back, one hand cupping her chin, tilting it up and locking eyes with her, "Of course it did."

She smiled up at him.

He pulled her in for a passionate kiss. The kiss lead up and they finally decided to get up off the floor.

Both scanned their surroundings for a moment while James reached for her hand again and began pulling her along.

"California, here we come."

They had merely managed to walk a few feet when Kate lurched over and threw up. Supporting James held her hair back for her, "'R' you alright? Is it morning s -" but before he could even finish his question he lurched over himself and threw up as well.

Kate straightened up and he did too as they looked at each other and James said, "Guess it ain't morning sickness, unless I'm knocked up too."

She sighed when the nausea had vanished as quickly as it had appeared and smiled at him, "I'm good now. You?"

James nodded, retrieved two bottles of water out of his pack and handed one to her, "Captain bunny-killer said we might get sick right after."

Kate nodded, took a sip, swirled the water around in her mouth and spat it out again. "Why do you call him that?" She looked at him and suddenly saw the reluctance in his eyes to answer, so she questioned him more directly, "Did you actually see Ben kill a bunny?"

He shook his head and answered, "No, I didn't."

"Then what's with the nickname?"

He huffed as he took her water bottle and packed them away again, "It's a bit of a long story."

She looked around and gave him a pointed look as if to emphasize her point, "We've got a long way ahead of us and have nothing but time."

But before James could even utter a response the sound of an approaching vehicle interrupted their conversation. James quickly stepped in front of her, his left hand reached for his gun while his right arm reached back to ensure Kate wouldn't step out from behind him.

The dingy looking pickup truck had practically appeared out of nowhere and had come to a halt right in front of them. Two men quickly stepped out of the vehicle and eyed the couple with the same suspicious look that James and Kate offered in return.

Seemingly unaffected by James' gun the two men dared to step closer and one of them began to talk, but all James and Kate could understand was gibberish.

James and the men began trying to converse with minimal results, but Kate just watched on with her own gun in hand as she was still being shielded by James' bigger frame.

She watched the men closely, wondering what they should do now. Who were these men and what did they want from them? Noting the cameras, she remembered Ben saying that they had belonged to none other than Charles Widmore himself.

Right in that moment James spoke to her over his shoulder, "I have no fucking clue what they're saying. You don't happen to speak Arabic by any chance, Sweetheart?"

Of course he'd meant it as a joke, but Kate had enough of this. They hadn't made it this far to be stopped now.

Without commenting on what James had said she simply stepped around him, ignoring the tug of James' hand wrapping around her upper arm to keep her close, and looking right at the men when she said, "Do you work for Widmore?"

The two men exchanged a look but remained silent. Kate questioned on, "Penelope Hume?"

"You're wasting your time, they don't speak English." James exclaimed, waving his gun. "Maybe it's time we introduce them to this 5 mil, see if they speak that la-."

James's words were cut short when the men looked at each other again and this time spoke in their native tongue before one of them nodded, and with a heavy accent said, "Widmore - yes. Hume - yes."

"Son of a bitch." James cursed and Kate gave him a smug look.

And once James had actually tucked his gun back in his pants one of the men retrieved a piece of paper and handed it to him. A note from Penny herself explaining that these men where here to help them make it safely out of the desert.

James helped her climb onto the bed of the pickup truck and then followed her. Settling down with their backs against the cabin of the truck, the older man of the two stepped to the side of the vehicle and held out a scarf for her, then made a gesture with his hand towards her face.

Kate briefly glanced up at James, then back at the man and shook her head, "No, thank you."

The man took in her refusal and looked at James for assistance, holding the scarf out to him now as he began speaking to him in Arab once more. "I think he wants you to cover your hair with it."

Kate scoffed, "Oh, I'm sure that's what he wants, but Ben said -."

"Ben ain't here, Sweetheart." James interrupted her as he reached for the scarf and nodded towards the man in understanding. "How about we forget what Ben said for the time being and instead listen to the guy who's from this neck of the woods."

She looked up at him, "It's degrading?"

"Says who?" James said, barely able to contain his amusement at her antics.

"Says me." She answered.

He smoothed out the scarf to assess its size and said, "If we were in the U S of A right now, driving down a highway in a convertible, you wouldn't think twice about tying a scarf around your head."

"That's different."

"Different how, Freckles?"

"It would be my choice."

"Some women wear these because they want to, not because they have too."

Kate scoffed, "Only a man would say something like that."

He leaned in closer, "How about we burn the bras and scarves once we get back to the states, and for now we just try to keep a low profile ... you know, blending in with the locals."

The look she gave him expressed just how unpleased she was with all of this, but none the less she snatched the scarf out of his grasp and without another word tied it around her head.

Seemingly pleased with this the men got into the cabin of the truck and started the engine, while James tried his best to hide his smile.

"You know ..." she glared up at him as the vehicle began moving "... your blond hair and blue eyes don't exactly fit the bill either, not to mention that redneck accent of yours."

He pretended to be offended by her remark, obviously mocking her though, "Redneck, huh? Now is that a way to talk about your baby daddy?" Kate simply shrugged but couldn't hide the smile that tucked on the corner of her lips.

"I'll start looking for a hat when we get into town, how's that?"

Kate closed her eyes, rested her head against his shoulder, wrapping her arm around his bicep as she cuddled into his side to get comfortable, "Sure, but I doubt a hat's going to keep all these women from gawking at you once they see those baby-blue eyes and dimples of yours."

He leaned his cheek against the top of her head, his left hand reassuringly squeezing her upper thigh, dipping in between her thighs as it curved around her jean glad leg and simply rested there, his eyes shining with amusement, "No need to get all worked up, baby girl, 'cause my baby-blues will only be gawking at you. Promise!"

Kate just nodded her silent agreement and they both remained quiet from then on out.

The sandy terrain made for a bumpy ride, but Kate seemed to have fallen asleep almost immediately once James had scooped her up and settled her down in front of him with his arms securing her smaller frame to his in an effort to get her more comfortable.

Her face was buried into his chest, as he held her close. His strong arms held onto her, wrapped around her tightly, trying his best to shield her face from the wind, sun and sand around them. He squinted, taking in his surroundings, but there still wasn't much to see just yet ... just an endless stretch of desert behind him and ahead. But he wasn't complaining, no, not at all.

The two of them had gotten off the island again ... no, correction, the three of them did. He lowered his head, nudging her forehead with his nose. He needed to feel her skin on his, as silly as that sounded, in an attempt to reassure himself that she was real. That all of this was real! That he wasn't just holding anyone in his arms right now, but her.

Kate! - His Freckles!

And even more so he was holding his unborn child that was growing within her. Their baby!

He gently kissed her forehead, "Sleep tight and don't let the sand fleas bite."

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Tozeur, Tunisia

Kate stood there with the scarf wrapped around her hair and somewhat pulled into her face. Her shirt that had slung open from her shoulders earlier was buttoned up now, concealing the ample cleavage her tank top would have revealed, as she remained close to James' side.

James wore dark sunglasses and a ridiculous looking hat that reminded Kate of something Harrison Ford would wear in one of his Indiana Jones movies. But James wore the get-up with the confidence that was to be expected from a conman when he rang the bell sitting atop the receptionist desk, ready to check into their hotel room.

The lady behind the desk turned instantly, giving the couple her full attention along with a curious once-over that wasn't missed by either of them. At that Kate felt her heartbeat quicken and cold sweat pooled in the hollow of her lower back when she was suddenly catapulted back in time in her mind, feeling exactly how she'd felt during her time on the run from the law.

And when Kate thought she would burst with anxiety, going over the words in her head that she was about to whisper in James' ear ... 'We need to run ...now!', just then James turned his attention to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. Her eyes met his and with just a look and a simple nod from him all her worries simply vanished and evaporated into thin air.

Everything was alright. They were safe. He'd keep her safe.

The lady interrupted their intimate moment when she held out their fake passports and the key to their room and smiled, "Here you go Mr. and Mrs. Dorf. Your room number is 51. Your lost luggage arrived just a little while ago and was already brought to your room. I hope you have a pleasant stay."

James took the passports and the room key out of her hands, but almost dumbfounded asked again, "51?"

"Yes sir. Room fifty-one." She nodded and smiled her most pleasing smile.

Kate caught the expression that crossed his face, but she couldn't quite read it and it suddenly scared her because that reassuring look he'd just given her a moment ago was just gone, "Everything alright?" She asked nervously.

His eyes snapped up from the room key that adorned the numbers that had been buzzing around in his head since Hurley gave him that ridiculous speech about fate and destiny and all of that. His eyes met hers and he could see that same worried look from moments ago had reappeared.

With a reassuring smile and his hand on her lower back he led her away from the front desk, stopped just long enough to tuck their passports back into his back pocket, "We're all good, Freckles. Let's find our room, hop in the shower, order some room service and sit out the rest of the day until our flight out of here tomorrow. Sounds good?"

She sighed in relief and simply nodded, but as they walked away she couldn't help but look over her shoulder one last time, eyeing the receptionist who was already checking in the next hotel guest, wondering what had just happened that had him worried.

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End Notes:

Are any Skaters still out there? Please leave a comment or a review and let me know what you think of this so far. Thanks for still reading. xoxo