Author's Note: I planned on having this one up a while ago, but I didn't get the chance to. But I needed to. I wanted to, because that last scene of the finale-it just didn't end the way it was meant to. There was so much more that needed to be said...so much more that should have happened. And yes, there are several other variations on this scene already out there in FFland...but this is the end result of an idea not letting well enough alone. So...read and review, please! Thanks for reading!
She couldn't look in his eyes. She couldn't because if she did, she knew she'd give in. Kate knew that her emotions would wash over her, and before she knew it, Jack would have reeled her in. "I have to go."She whispered once again.
"Kate. Please, just talk to me. What's wrong?"Jack asked, voice heavily laced with concern. He tried to lift her chin, so he could see. Still, Kate edged away-just slightly.
"Jack, I'm fine."Kate cried. The wind picked up, chilling her a little. As she tried to hide that fact, she saw him as he moved closer to her. "Jack-"Kate cried, as if merely saying his name caused her pain.
Jack stared at his feet, kicking up some gravel with his boots. "We made a mistake, Kate. We never should have left."
"We have been over this. There is no...there's no way, okay?"Kate exclaimed, sensing the desperation in his voice. He was close enough to her so she could feel his breath on her, hot and smelling of alcohol. His hands were more calloused now, and around one he wore a bandage.
"There could be. I've been looking at maps, and things and I...I know it sounds crazy, but we can go back. We can fix this..."Jack trailed off.
"We, Jack?"Kate asked, almost afraid of his reasoning. "I..I have to go. I'm late getting back already..."
Jack grabbed her wrist as she attempted to flee. He didn't hold it forcefully, he just held it, watching for her reaction. Not speaking, barely breathing until Kate did anything else.
Kate swallowed, finding breathing suddenly harder to do. She nodded, slowly exhaling. Knowing she shouldn't, she lifted her eyes to his, seeing something she didn't quite expect: sadness. Pain. Fear. Among all of those, she was sure she saw a glimmer of something else. "What'd you do to your hand?"
"Cut it on a broken bottle...it hurt a little, got a little glass stuck. A couple stitches, actually."Jack said, smirking a little. "But that's the thing. The pain from that..."He said, shrugging. "It's nothing. It's nothing to me anymore. Nothing to what I...what I used to feel."His voice grew hoarse.
"I'm sorry."Kate muttered apologetically, barely above a whisper.
"You don't have anything to feel sorry for, Kate."Jack said. "After all, I was supposed to be the hero, right? I was supposed to be the one who kept everyone safe. I let us leave."
"You did the right thing, Jack."Kate replied, noting the way he hadn't let go of her arm. "He'll wonder-"
"Let him wonder-"Jack spat, saying him as if it were a poison. "He deserves it."
"Jack-"Kate protested.
Jack shook his head furiously. "You have to stop running, Kate. Stop running whenever things get the way you want them to be. What's stopping you? What is stopping you from coming with me? We...We can do this. Go back to the island. I know it-it probably sounds a little crazy right now, but..."His tongue darted out, moistening his lips. "It's the right thing to do."
Her eyes became blurry..filtered with tears. Kate tried to hide them from him, tried looking away. But in the end she knew it was to no avail. This thing-this pull she felt towards him. It never went away. It had always been there, and after they left the island, Kate expected for it to fade. But it didn't. It didn't disappear, and as time drew on-as he kept calling her, Kate knew that it had to have been important.
"Think of it as a fresh start. Away from trouble, from..whoever he is-"
"You know who he is..."Kate replied, already feeling the sting of her own words.
Slightly shocked but not the least bit surprised, Jack lifted her face. In the light of the moon, coupled with the lights from the runway, Jack took a good look. It was Kate. His Kate. She looked beautiful on the island-even in a muddy t-shirt and jeans, a backpack over one shoulder. But this Kate-this Kate was different. This Kate wore fancy make-up, stylish close, and drove what he figured to be a new Sedan. On the outside, this was not the Kate he knew. "Are you happy?"
"Jack-"Kate again protested. She was tired. Tired of the games, tired of the hopeless facade of a life she was living. Just him asking that question launched a cornucopia of emotions.
"Just answer the question, Kate."Jack urged her. He had to know the truth, had to know up front. Because if she said yes, whether he believed it or not, he'd leave. He would be satisfied enough to know that at least she believed it. "Are you happy?"
Kate bit her lip, feeling tears flood her eyes. She looked away from him, stared intently at the plane that was taking off. She tried to focus on something else-anything else but Jack, but found it useless. All she could think of was him, of his gaze burning through her, into her. All she could feel was his hands, resting comfortably on her shoulders. She could smell the cologne he was wearing, tasting on the air a certain element of something she couldn't quite detect-but it was Jack. It was all Jack. "No."
It took a minute to register in Jack's mind, it took another few seconds for him to do anything about it. Everything inside him wanted to be there-to just be with her. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her. He wanted all of her. As Kate looked into Jack's eyes, again, he felt his own heart skip a beat. It was he this time who was at a loss of words.
"If I...If I go..If...we go..."Kate said, forming her words carefully. "We can never come back."
"I know."Jack replied immediately. While he felt a spark of hope, the slightest hint that maybe-just maybe-Kate would go...he knew better than to run with it.
Kate saw the look of longing in his eyes, she watched the way his beard adorned his face. He was different in so many ways, and yet in so many others he was still the same. Sure, he had more facial hair. But the way he felt-the way he said her name...Kate shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. "I don't know, Jack. There's always a chance."
"A chance at what, Kate? A chance at being happy? A chance that...maybe, someday, you will find what it is that you're looking for?"Jack asked, eyes narrowing. "Why? Why stay here if all you feel is miserable? I need...I need to go back. I need to be who I was again. I don't like who I am now, Kate."Jack said, the silence afterward almost deafening. He stepped an inch closer, to where they were almost touching. "I need this, Kate. But if it's too much...if you can't take it, I'll go back alone."
"Give me a reason."Kate said, wanting in that moment to never break, never lose contact. It was clear by now that the way she felt about him hadn't changed. If anything, it had grown stronger. "Give me a good enough reason, and I'll go."
Jack nodded, knowing full well the ultimate reason. It had nothing to do with the island itself, and in truth would probably be considered a guilty reason. He parted his lips, the cool night air greeting him. Staring into Kate's eyes, Jack drew a deep breath. "Because I love you, Kate. I've...never stopped loving you."
Kate wanted to close her eyes, wanted to let the moment wash over her. But still, she knew she had to say something. To let Jack know. She couldn't fight her feelings any longer. "I love you, too."
He seemed to breath a sigh of relief, taking one step closer, eliminating any space between them. "So...what...what do we do? Does this mean you're coming?"
Closing her eyes, Kate felt tears slowly trace their way down her cheeks. She knew she wanted to go-if anything. just be with him. With Jack. She missed him. The look in his eyes, the way he said her name. The feel of his hands-Kate opened her eyes, sighing. "I just...we have to talk about this, Jack. Because this...this is big."
"We can go. We can talk about this, Kate. Where-"
"I don't know. I don't know, Jack. This is just-I just-"Kate struggled, grasping for something. Anything. It was like she was gasping for air, scenes from the island flashing in her mind. "Jack..."
Jack placed his hand on her face, shakily cupping her cheek. The look in her eyes-steady and sure, yet so scared at the same time. He wanted to make her sure. When they came back, the airport became their meeting place. It didn't really occur to him until then that they could have gone away together. But he knew. He knew he wanted to leave. And if he was going, he was going with her.
Without warning, his lips crashed against hers, his hands finding their way through her hair, pulling her even closer. He began slowly, giving her time to react. When Kate wrapped her arms around his neck, Jack knew. He knew her answer. Their mouths meshed, with more fury, more passion than they had in a long time-both too stubborn to let go. Need on top of want on top of desire-their tongues collided, a dull ache slowly releasing. It had been months since they had kissed, months since either had made any mention of their relationship. Yet strangely as they both ignored their need of oxygen, as they held onto each other like a lifeline, they both knew that this time it had to last.
Slowly, Jack pulled away, Kate planting light kisses on his lips as he backed away. Her fingers reached out, gently brushing against his lips as she studied his face. Fighting to regain her breath, Kate nodded, slowly breathing out. "There's a...a coffee shop not too far from here...I think it's still open."
Not letting her go, Jack leaned in, giving her another kiss, as if to make sure that it was real. "I'll meet you there?"
Kate nodded, a smile breaking through her tears. "Yeah. Do you know where it is?"
"Probably. But I'll follow you."
Reluctantly, Jack and Kate broke contact, both privately going to their own cars, Jack waiting for Kate so he could follow her. It was true-if love came back, it was meant to be. He wasn't sure if going back to the island-the place where it all began-would make things clearer. But he knew Kate was going with him. They'd talk about it...their plan. They would work through things, through what they would tell people. It wasn't going to be easy, but this time Jack was sure. He'd had enough of just living, of always being the hero. He wanted to be with someone who didn't expect him to be anything but himself. And as he watched Kate's turning signal flick on, Jack broke out into a smile, because he knew they were going home.