Alright, this is written for all you spoiler freaks out there (*hugs*) – with hope to occupy you for at least 10 minutes so that the next 3 hours pass as quickly as possible, ´cause I know we´re all anxious for the eppy to air *hyper* (is it just me, or Wednesday seems like the slowest day of the week? *crazy*)

This fic is based on a sneak, but it was actually just a starting point, while everything else is mostly a product of my imagination. Still, since it´s based on a sneak, and therefore, can develop into something that might turn out as a spoiler, I wanna be safe not to spoil anyone, so…if you don´t know anything about spoilers for the next 2 eppies, leave now and DON´T read it. I repeat, the majority of this is NOT a spoiler, but it can develop into it – I repeat, I haven´t read the new eppy synopsis, I just saw the sneak.

Hope you´ll like it. Oh and, the quote is from Oracle, about Jack and Kate.

You Can´t Change Destiny

- I´m Kate.

- Jack.

He shook his head and smiled sadly. Three years. Three years had passed since he met her, on this beach, on this precise spot; and even though so many things had happened in those three years, he could still remember it all vividly: the frightened look in her eyes when he asked her to stitch him up…the stubborn determination on her face as she decided to beat her fear and help him…the refreshing feeling of her fingertips on his wounded flesh…the flicker of fire reflecting in her eyes as she told him her name…

He sighed, putting his head between his hands. He had done it. He had turned the key and, in an hour, everything they had known as reality for the past three years would disappear. Did he make the right choice? He couldn´t know. Yes, Charlie, Shannon, Boone – everyone that lost their lives since they crashed would be alive again, but that was only a part of the reason that had made him to do it. The other part, much more determinating, were Daniel´s words, that still echoed in his head: Each one of us could die.

He had looked at her then too, and from them on, every time he would hear them, her face would pop up in front of his eyes. And, as much as it hurt him to do it, to erase their past, the alternative was much, much worse. For he could live without her if he had never met her. But he couldn´t live in a world in which she would completely cease to exist.

Tired, he rubbed his forehead with his fingers; then looked at his watch. 2140 He still had 29 minutes left. 29 minutes of memories of her. He closed his eyes, trying to revive the sound of her voice. After they had managed to escape from the Others, they had confronted again over the issue of following Daniel´s plan, and although the outcome wasn´t exactly happy, it was still the last time he had heard from her, the last time he had seen her face, and he cherished it with all his heart.

~ Flashback ~

˝Kate…˝ he tried again, exhausted, but she cut him off. going into his face and poking his chest with her finger.

˝No, Jack! I told you I´ve got your back years ago and I think I proved it! I´ve been there next to you when we opened the hatch, I´ve been there by your side when everyone thought you were a spy and again when half of the camp thought that staying there and waiting for the freighter people was a suicide mission, but if you think that I´ll just stay here and watch you erase the best three years of my life…˝she yelled, her voice shaking, tears glistening in her eyes. ˝…then you need to think again! ˝she finished, livid, and stormed off…

~ End of flashback ~

******

She stepped out of the jungle, her eyes landing on a man sitting on the shore. She smiled. She knew she'd find him there. She knew it because it was the place where she wanted to be too, in this moment when everything was about to end – at the place where it all began. Where they began.

He was sitting on the sand, his elbows resting on his knees, hands intertwining together; his eyes fixed on the ocean in front. To someone that could stumble there accidentally and find him like that, he would seem peaceful and relaxed, but she knew better – she knew that he was rolling his decision and every single thing that had lead him to it over and over in his mind, probably drowning in guilt too, ´cause, no matter which way he chose, people would end up hurt, one way or another. The question was: which pain was worse: physical or emotional one? She knew he wasn´t doing this because of his own profit, but because he really believed that it was the right thing to do, the only way to save them all. She could still remember the look on his face when that woman, Joanna, drowned; or the stubborn search for Locke after Boone died. Despite the fact that it had been three years, she knew that he still blamed himself, for every death that happened; for every plan went wrong. That was what made her come back in the first place, regardless of what she had previously said. ´Cause she knew that, no matter how convinced he was that it was the right thing to do, he would still be blaming himself, and she didn´t want him to end this journey like that. That was one reason. The other, much, much stronger, was that, no matter how much she hated him for doing that, she loved him more, and she knew she needed to be there, by his side, as long as there was even the slightest possibility that they wouldn´t forget, that they would still be together. So, with a big intake of breath, she stepped on the sand.

He noticed her walking towards him, but he said nothing, his eyes intently following every move of her feet as she approached closer and closer, till she was right by his side.

˝Hey. ˝she said silently, standing above him, hands in pockets.

˝Hey.˝ he replied softly, looking up at her. He watched her squat down next to him, brushing her palms across her jeans, before finally settling down on the sand. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he couldn´t help but chuckle slightly, their poses reminding him of the many nights they had spent together like that, back in the first weeks after the crash. He couldn´t explain it, but it brought some sense of serenity and comfort into his deeply troubled soul. He felt something nudging his palm, and the next moment her hand slipped in his. Surprised, he looked at her; then, as green eyes met his, smiled, intertwining their fingers together.

They didn't know how much they had been sitting like that, not talking but watching the waves passing by, the silence and hand in hand saying much more than the words could; when the air was ripped by an ear piercing sound, followed by a bright white flash. Her hand twitched in his, but when she spoke, her voice was calm:

˝So…this is it? ˝she asked, her voice cracking just for a second.

He looked at her; then, slowly, nodded. ˝This is it. ˝

She withdrew her hand from his, and, with a confused look on his face, he watched her reaching up and unclasping the necklace she wore around her neck. His eyes followed her hands, a great sense of heartache but also happiness enveloping him as they landed on a small object she was now holding between her fingers: her engagement ring. He looked up at her in surprise; and she held his gaze, none of them saying anything for a few moments. She made a movement to put it on, but he stopped her, his hand coming to rest on hers, making her look up at him. He smiled cutely; then said, softly: ˝May I? ˝

She rewarded him with one of her special smiles; opening her palm and letting him take the ring. He held it in the air for a couple of seconds, studying it; then, holding her gaze the whole time, slowly slid it down onto her finger.

The sky flashed again.

˝You scared? ˝he asked, noticing her eyes darting sideways in alarm.

˝A bit. ˝she mumbled, trying to play it cool.

He smiled, shaking his head. She would always be the same.

The ear shattering sound appeared again, and this time, it was followed by the ground shaking.

Adjusting himself so that they were now facing each other, he found her gaze and saw the fear in it. Locking his eyes with hers, his hand still squeezing hers, he started, slowly.

˝One.˝

He saw a flash of recognition in her eyes, and, a couple of moments later, he heard a cracked, but still audible sound as she squeaked: ˝T-two.˝

The frightening sound grew louder and louder, but he ignored it. ˝Three.˝

She could hear screams and the sounds of people rushing, but she pushed them out in the background, determined to stay focused on him and only him. ˝Four. ˝

˝Five.˝ they both mumbled; and then everything fastened, the flashes now appearing every second, blinding them. The island started to shake and they could feel the ground slipping beneath them.

˝JACK?!˝ he heard her calling for him, and although he could still feel her, he realized with a horror that her hand was starting to slip away from his.

˝KATE! ˝he yelled, desperately trying to hold on, but he knew he was fighting the lost battle. One by one, her fingers slipped away from his grasp and he was left holding only thin air.

˝I love you. Always did and always will. ˝he heard her say….

And the it was all gone.

*******

~ Epilogue ~

Jack Shephard slowly makes his way down one of the busiest N.Y. streets, happily clutching his Starbucks coffee in one hand; N.Y. Times in the other. It´s a beautiful Wednesday morning, and, even though the city is buzzing with the sounds of hasty people and impatient horns, he´s in a good mood. He has taken a weekend off to visit his friend Mark Silverman; and now he is on his way to the hospital Mark works for, ´cause they agreed to sit down and grab something to eat. He looks around, fascinated, the unstoppable energy of this city never ceasing to amaze him. Wherever he looks, there are people emerging, again and again, everyone going after their own business and yet looking so…in sync with each other. He shakes his head and smiles; continuing his walk, when a young couple catches his attention. The boy´s hands are gently cupping the girl´s face, his finger slowly caressing her cheek as her eyes travel back and forth his eyes and lips. The boy whispers something to the girl, and Jack sees slight pink flushing her cheeks, before the boy leans forward to capture her lips with his. Jack smiles; then looks in front of himself sadly. There it is again. That feeling. Of déjà-vu, or whatever it´s called – the feeling that he has experienced something similar too. He has been trying his best to ignore it, and go back to his normal life, burying himself in work and becoming one of the best spinal surgeons in the state, if not abroad, but sometimes, when feels the fresh breeze of the ocean air or watches the waves come and go, or when his nostrils are hit by the scent of guava, he gets the feeling again, strong and present as the very first time - when he landed back in L.A., after his trip to Australia. It´s been there with him for a couple of months now, together with that feeling of emptiness. In order to fill that void he´s been feeling in his heart, he started to volunteer at children´s hospital, but, as fulfilling as that is, there´s still something missing, something he can´t quite determinate, but is constantly present. Deep in thought, he turns in the Oceanic Avenue…

~ At the same time ~

On another part of the street, Kate Austen curses silently under her breath. She loves the city, but she hates rush hour. She´s already running late at her new job, and somehow she doubts she will make it there before 10am, the gliding crowd around her making her even more nervous and giving her an impression of an ant-hill. She cares very much about this job, determined to start a new life, now that she´s finally free. Well, on a parole, but, comparing it with a life in jail, she feels as free as a bird. She has managed to find a new job, a very prospective one, if she continues to work hard; she has found a small apartment, that she´s sharing with a couple of girls from her work and she´s been trying very hard to put the past behind and focus on a new beginning, now that she doesn´t have to be constantly on the run anymore. And yet, something is missing. She doesn´t know what it is, but it feels as if a part of her is missing. It started when the Flight 815 touched the ground in L.A. and has been there in her heart ever since, without her having any idea what was causing it. Deciding to stop obsessing with those thoughts and focus on finding the fastest way to reach the wanted destination, Kate hits the Oceanic Avenue…

…And that´s when it happens. As they´re passing each other, it hits them both. A sudden rush of electricity, of familiarity, of…home. They both stop in their tracks and turn around. And as their eyes lock, it´s as if the time freezes. Nothing exists anymore: the crowd, the sounds, the chaos. It´s just the two of them now. Their souls recognizing each other. Speaking to each other, even if their bodies aren´t aware of it yet…

And then, from the background, she hears someone shouting; and the next moment he´s running towards her. She hears the sound of the breaks scratching and a boy yelling her to watch out, and the next second she´s lying on the ground, a panicked 13-year old boy offering apology after apology, his new bike lying smashed on the ground. She wants to tell him not to worry, that she´s fine, but she suddenly becomes aware of a man lying on top of her, still holding her in a tight, protective hug. She blinks, and when she opens her eyes, kneeling by her side is He, his arm gently supporting her neck and the softest eyes she´s ever seen looking down at her, concerned.

˝Hey, you okay? ˝he asks softly, and for a moment, she has a feeling that she has already heard that voice, pronouncing those same words, long, long time ago; but she pushes that thought away quickly; and tries to get up.

A piercing pain suddenly hits her, and she feels dizziness wash over her.

˝Whoa, whoa, slow down…take it easy. ˝she hears him say, as he gently eases her back down; his hands cradling her head carefully as his fingers thoughtfully examine her, looking for an injury. And soon he finds it.

˝You´re bleeding. You must have hit your head when you fell. ˝he states matter-of-factly. ˝It´s nothing serious, but I still have to stitch it up. ˝he says; then, seeing the color fading away from her cheeks, chuckles and adds: ˝Don´t worry, I´m not some psycho that stalks women on street and stitches them up – I´m a doctor. But…I should have probably mentioned that at the beginning, huh? ˝he says sweetly, and Kate can´t help but smile back.

He helps her up; then, careful not to let go of her hand, for he iss still pressing her wound, looks around. She watches him tell something to the crowd that has gathered around them and, a couple of minutes later, everyone is giving him something, among which she recognizes a couple of small alcohol bottles, a piece of cloth and what seems to be a traveller´s sewing kit.

He sees her brown frowning at the last one and he smiles. ˝I had a morning off, so…no standard doctor equipment with me. ˝

He pours the alcohol over his hands, then opens the sewing kit, taking out the needle. He looks up in time to see her frightened look and, trying to ease the tension, offers: ˝Any color preference?˝

She rolls her eyes, but still smiles. ˝No, standard black. ˝

………….

She keeps her eyes closed, trying hard to focus on her breathing and not the pain she feels every time he pierces her body with the needle. She knows he´s trying to be as gentle as possible, but it still hurts, and the smell of blood surrounding her isn´t helping.

˝I might throw up on you. ˝she says weekly, fighting back the urge to do exactly that.

He looks up and smiles, encouragingly. ˝You´re doing fine. ˝

He can see that she isn´t that convinced, so he proceeds, softly: ˝You know…fear's sort of an odd thing. When I was in residency, my first solo procedure was a spinal surgery on a 16 year old kid, a girl. And at the end, after 13 hours, I was closing her up and…˝

She watches him tell her the story, fascinated, momentarily forgetting about the pain. She can´t put her finger on it, but there´s something about this man, something that makes her feel safe. Something that makes her feel as if she has already experienced it. Something that feels…familiar.

˝So I started to count. ˝Jack continues, gently pulling out the thread. ˝One… two… three… four… five. And then it was gone. I went back to work, sewed her up and she was fine. ˝he finishes and then, with a mischievous smile, adds: ˝And so are you. ˝

She looks up at him, confused, wondering how she never felt any pain in those last couple of minutes, and he smiles again, applying the bandage and securing it. He looks up and finds her looking at him, her mouth parted slightly, as if she wants to ask him something, but can´t quite make herself to.

˝What? ˝he asks softly, encouraging her.

She blushes. ˝Nothing. It´s just… I don´t know your name.˝

He smiles, offering her his hand.

˝I´m Jack.˝

˝Kate.˝

_______

˝You could put Jack and Kate on a New York City street and have them pass each other at rush hour on a Wednesday morning. And they would stop and turn, slowing to watch each other go by. They know each other within the context of a universal recognition. They have met before, this life. And, they will meet again, in another."

The End

____

So…did you like it? :o