My goodness, thank you guys (and gals) so so much for the reviews. I didn't expect to get so many. I'm glad you liked the first chapter and I hope you enjoy this one. I've decided this is only going to be a three chapter story so I hope you enjoy part two! Thanks for reading and please review, I simply adore hearing from all of you! :)
"What worked?" Kate repeated, staring into the doctors deep brown eyes, awaiting his response. He didn't answer and she struggled not to flinch as she noticed a swift change in his demeanor. Something was off-something about the way he looked at her. There was instant attraction when she first saw him, there was no denying that. But now? Now he looked at her in a totally different way. It was ever so slight and if she wasn't paying such close attention to this handsome stranger she may not have noticed it at all, but it was definitely there.
She waited one moment more and he just stood there-staring. Not saying a word. She wasn't even sure he had heard her question. So she asked cautiously, "You okay, there?"
"Kate..." Jack cleared his throat, "You seem so-so familiar. Have we met before?" Maybe if he hinted at their past life then it would somehow trigger something in her brain. Worth a shot, right?
Kate's eyes flickered upwards in thought, "Now that you say it..." She brought her hand up to her cheek, "The plane...I remember now, we crashed-"
Instantly, Jack felt a simmer of hope creep through his body. However, as quickly as the hope came, it soon flashed back after he repeated, "Crashed?"
She nodded, "Into each other-on your way to the bathroom."
"How funny. Guess you were lucky enough to meet my own brother before I did." Claire interjected and Jack blinked in surprise. He completely forgot about his sisters presence in the room and instantly felt a wave of guilt-he came here to see her after all, not Kate. He turned his head towards Claire although it was near impossible for him to tear his eyes away from the love of his life.
"You must be hungry. I'm sure you could use more than coffee." His sister started to say, "I was thinking we could spend the evening at Keith's Diner-it's a small restaurant but it's simply delightful. Kate and myself just came across it the other day."
"Yeah, but I think Claire's more interested in the street corner leading up to it." Kate grinned, and Claire shot a glare her way. Jack looked confused, so she cleared up with a grin, "Claire has a thing for the guitarist who plays on that corner for money." Jack laughed and she thought aloud, "What did he say his name was?"
"We only chatted for a few moments on one short occasion. I do not have a thing for him. He's just sweet is all." Claire said feigning nonchalantness and giving a shrug before mumbling, "And his name's Charlie."
"That's right." Kate recalled, turning to look at Jack, "Have you ever heard of Driveshaft? He said that's the band he's in." She paused, then said as an afterthought, "My friend Beth's going to freak when I tell her I met him. She loves them."
Jack was about to respond when he noticed his sister look up at the clock and purse her lips suddenly, "We best get going, Jack."
"Already?" He asked, not wanting to leave Kate's sight. Claire nodded and Jack quickly turned to Kate and reached out his hand, "Well it was nice meeting you."
"Likewise." She said with a smile, gently grabbing his hand and lingering there for significantly longer than necessary, "Hope to see you soon, Jack."
He smiled, pausing to ogle at her long enough so that her image would be firmly ingrained in his mind, and strolled over to Claire. However, when he reached the door where his sibling was waiting, she narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance.
"Well, go on." She prodded, discretely nodding in Kate's direction, "You're not going to leave here without asking for her number and risk the potential of never seeing her again, are you? She's single, you know."
"If you're hinting at me to ask her out..." He trailed off, "It's not going to happen."
"I'll just have water." Jack announced to the waiter after he asked for their drink orders. The young man swiftly scribbled down the request and scurried away with nothing but a nod.
"How strange, that's Kate's favorite." Claire chirped up, mentioning her roommate for, if Jack had counted correctly, the eighth time since they arrived at the restaurant.
"Water is her favorite?"
"You two have more in common then you would believe." She chattered on, ignoring her brothers comment, "You seemed to hit it off with her this morning. Don't quite understand why you suddenly seem to dislike her so much."
"I didn't say I didn't like her, I just didn't want to ask-"
"She clearly likes you."
Jack blinked a few times, second guessing his choice at leaving the hotel and his chance at Kate behind. Then, he began to wonder why Claire had to continuously push the subject. He may not have paid as much attention to her on the island as he should've, but he could've sworn she was never this pushy.
"Claire." He might as well just come out and say it, "I don't understand why you're so hung up on me and Kate."
"It's-I..just-" She stammered, caught off-guard, "You two are meant to be together."
"How do you know that?"
"Just a feeling, I suppose." She bit down on her lip nervously, avoiding eye contact with him, "I can't explain it."
He eyed her carefully and she sighed childishly, crossing her arms in front of her chest in defeat.
"Claire." He begun, making sure to carefully plan each word that left his tongue, "Do you...do you remember?"
Her eyes immediately softened and she grinned and sighed in relief, "Thank God. You remember too." She paused, "You do mean the island, don't you?"
"Yes." Jack laughed slightly, in awe that he wasn't the only one to remember, "Yes. The island."
Claire simply stared at her brother with a grin. She was undeniably happy that she wasn't the only one burdened-or perhaps blessed-with the many memories of the island. She wasn't sure exactly what had caused everything to come flooding back to her, but she knew that it happened shortly after she had spoken to Jack over the phone for the first time and denied knowing him. When she called back in tears a few hours later, she was devastated when there was no hint of recognition in his voice.
But now-now she realized she wasn't alone. She had found someone else who remembered. And who was better than her own brother?
"Are you sure..." Jack began, snapping her out of her thoughts, "That there's no one else that rememb-"
"Charlie hasn't a clue." She answered with a frown, "Same goes for Kate, but I'm sure you've noticed that yourself." There was a long pause before she asked softly, "Why just the two of us, Jack?"
He shrugged, and attempted to joke, "Must be the Shephard blood."
She froze at his words, not finding any humor in the statement. She thought it might actually be true.
"So tell me, then." She questioned after a moment, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
"Tell you what?"
"Why you won't go out with Kate.
Jack brought his fingertips to touch his temple, closing his eyes briefly and letting out a heavy sigh before admitting, "I ruined her life once. I'm not going to do it again."
"Ruined her life? You two were always so happy together. Granted, you've had you're share of petty squabbles, but on a mysterious island in the midst of the Pacific, it's bound to happen."
He shook his head, "Yeah, well, you don't know the whole story."
"Then tell it to me."
A long while had past, and Jack still hadn't fully explained everything that had happened during the time that Claire had somehow missed. She sat there, confused, and listened intently to her brothers ramblings, stopping him every now and then with a question or two. When he was just about finished, she dared to ask, "I don't understand. Why would you set off a bomb?"
"I wanted to take back all the bad things I've done to her, all the horrible things I've said...I thought-by setting off the bomb, I'd make all those things go away." He gulped, "But they can never be taken away. I did all those things...whether she remembers them or not."
"Jack." Claire said suddenly, leaning forward with a determined look in her eyes, "If you could have one thing-anything in the entire world-what would it be?"
"For her to be happy." He said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Claire smiled smugly.
"I was friends with Kate on the island and I'm friends with her once again now." She begun, "And I may not know the half of all the troubles you've been through together but I know enough to know you make her happy. I know she'd want to be with you, Jack." She picked up his hand and said gingerly, "She loves you with all her heart and soul, whether she remembers it or not."
Jack nodded, and Claire motioned for the door, "She's at the hotel now. If you want her back-then go over there and get her."
