Day 1:

Tay thought Kate was being rude. Yes he was shocked by the fact that Jack had known her name. But it had been his own stupidity not to put two and two together. How many plane crashes had there been where people ended up on a semi-haunted island? Exactly. He had never brought it up, that was all.

Tay remembered the day he had finally gotten Kate to talk about her past. They had been dating for over four months before Kate would drop a single word. What she did tell him had few details. She had grown up in Iowa, on the run by twenty, island for a year, and now. That was exactly what she told him. Nothing more. He just had to accept that. Every once and a while it would seem like the conversation was heading towards her past, but as soon as Kate realized that, she would flip the conversation around.

Kate was standing next to him, still holding his hand. But she and Jack were just looking at each other. Kate hadn't said a thing. She could at least say hello, but no she was just standing there.

"Kate?" Tay said attempting to bring his girlfriend back to life. Kate looked over at him and then back at Jack.

"Hi," she managed to spit out. Jack Shephard was standing right in front of her. She had thought she had seen the last of him that day when she had turned around from the cops that were holding her hostage. He had been getting into a cab, their eyes had met and he had nodded. That had been the very last look.

"How are you?" Jack asked her. He was ignoring the fact that Tay even existed. Kate seemed to be doing the same. Her hand had fallen limply at her side.

"Good," Kate said truthfully. "You?"

"Good," Jack said as a woman came over to them and stood next to Jack. She wrapped an arm around his waist and peered down at Kate unkindly.

"Tay is this your girlfriend?" she asked. Her voice was very high pitched. She had long wavy blonde hair that reached her mid back. She had a orange-tinted tan and bright pink lips. All these colors should have clashed horribly, but yet she was a very pretty woman.

"Yes," Tay said looking lovingly at Kate. She and Jack were still looking at each other. There shock seemed to be fading; now they looked a bit uncomfortable. "This is Kate Austen."

"Nice to meet you," Isabelle replied.

Kate smiled and shook her hand, but she also had an urge to punch this all to perky woman. Didn't she realize that they weren't in high school and her cheerleading demeanor needed to defuse?

"And where did you two meet?" Isabelle asked noisily. She had practically attached her hip to Jack's. It seemed to bother her that he was still looking at Kate. Kate's eyes had met the grass.

"On the lake shore," Tay told her pleasantly, "One year two weeks ago."

"Beautiful," Isabelle her voice reaching a whole other octave. "Well I have known Jack my whole life practically, we met at our parents country club. We dated in high school and then lost touch and about six months after he came back home after that plane crash we went out on a blind date arranged by our parents and then magic. Now we are getting married obviously." Isabelle laughed a very high-pitched giggle. "I am just so excited, everything is going to be pink… pink. I just love that color. Margot was such a doll when she offered us her yard; it is going to be simply magnificent. I am having three bridesmaids and two flower girls and oh there are going to be a lot of flowers. I am just so excited. Aren't you?"

"Ecstatic," Kate said subconsciously. She hadn't meant to say it out loud, but when she had it was dripping with sarcasm. Jack had laughed at her, Isabelle looked as if she was going to cry and Tay… looked like he wanted to run, "I mean it sounds lovely excuse me I have to call Olivia."

Kate turned on her heal and darted across the lawn back into the house. Isabelle was still frowning; Jack's eyes were on the house, in the exact place Kate had disappeared into.

"Who is Olivia?" Jack asked Tay his eyes finally looking away from the house.

"Her daughter," Tay said his arms crossed in front of him.

"Daughter?" Jack asked trying to hide his surprise.

"Yeah," answered Tay, "She is three and a half."

"Oh," Jack said his thoughts taking over.

"Is she always that mean?" Isabelle asked finally. "I don't think she wanted to hear about the wedding at all. I mean this week is all about me and Jack… did she think it was about her or something."

"No," Tay replied defensively, "I am sure Kate is just nervous. She really wanted to meet everyone. I am planning on proposing this week, just don't tell her."

"You are?" Jack asked suddenly. He was frowning. Tay laughed at him and clapped his on the arm. He was still laughing as he walked away towards where Kate had gone.

"They are weird," Isabelle said to Jack once Tay was out of ear shot, "Especially Kate, she seems like a person with a lot of secrets."

"We all have our secrets," Jack told her with a meek smile.

Kate hated Isabelle; it wasn't because she was with Jack or because she was going to marry Jack. She hated her personality and her perkiness. Her laugh was like nails on a chalkboard and she had to have work done on her face, it had a rubbery quality to it. Something was nagging her though, she knew Jack, everything about him. Every single aspect of his personality and it shook her to the core to think that he was with someone like Isabelle. Kate was complete opposites with Tay, but that was nature in which they had grown up. These two were like an elephant, wise, smart, and strong, and a parrot, loud and bright… an odd and improbable couple.

All right, Kate couldn't deny it, she just couldn't. She had had feelings for Jack. Strong feelings, she had never felt like that about anyone ever. Six months she had spent with him on the island, things were intense. It was like they were married, they had been inseparable. They never got sick and tired of each other's company… they had never run out of things to talk about. It was as if she had found that one person who completed her.

But as they had gotten close to being rescued Kate had broke it off. It had torn her apart. As if someone had reached inside of her chest, ripped out her heart and stepped on it over and over again. It had been the first time she had seen Jack completely fall apart, the days after she had ended it were hell. She couldn't move, couldn't think, it hurt to breathe. But she knew deep down that he deserved better then her off the island. She had figured she would be thrown into jail, yes fate had acted differently, but she hadn't even considered that. But who was she to ask Jack, a doctor, to stay with someone like her.

She knew that Jack had loved her as much as she had loved him. She could see it in his eyes every time she looked at him. The way he held her while they slept, the soft kisses in the bright island sunlight, the way she felt after making love to him. It was love, pure and simple. But it had ended.

Tay was the one person that had helped her get over Jack. She had thought he was gone for good.

Kate sat down on a very cold marble step. She didn't know where she was at in this huge mansion, all she knew was that she was alone and it felt good.

All these emotions that had come flooding back to her… were terrifying. She wanted to run and hide from Tay, from Jack, from everyone.

Kate pulled out her cell phone from the sash in her dress. It was hidden for an emergency. This seemed to qualify. Kate dialed a number quickly and waited, she hadn't planned on calling on her best friend, but it had just happened.

"Hello?" said a cheery woman with an Australian accent.

"Claire?" Kate asked.

"Kate! Babe, how are you?"

"You are never going to guess what is up."

"What?" asked Claire curiously.

"Tay is related to Jack."

"Jack?"

"Shephard! Claire, try and stay with me."

"Sorry, but I really hot guy just walked in front of my house."

"Claire should you be looking at other men? You are married with two kids."

"But I'm not blind," Claire said convincingly. "Aaron and Abby are at school and David is at the office, what else am I going to do? Clean the house?"

"Sooo… what should I do?" Kate asked desperately.

"Well," Claire said bringing her tone to a serious note, "I think you should avoid him."

"This is his house," Kate argued, "I am on his turf."

"True," Claire said, "But still try not to be around him alone. All right. You have finally found someone who is good for you. Tay is the best thing that ever happened to you, don't screw it up."

"Alright. I got to go."

"You should come to San Diego while you in town," Claire requested, "But just remember what I said okay?"

"I will."

"Promise?"

"Yes. I will call you tomorrow."

"Bye Kate."

"Bye."

Kate looked up at the ceiling and stared at the chandelier, it probably cost more then her whole house and furniture combined. She didn't own a car; in Chicago everything was either in walking distance or bus distance. She slipped off her shoes and leaned back against the oak railing.

"Hey Nan, it's Kate," Kate said into her phone. Nan said hello cheerfully and then told her that Olivia was doing good. Then Olivia got the phone.

"Mommy where are you?"

"In California. Do you know where that is?"

"No."

"By the Ocean, it's like the lake, but bigger."

"Is it blue?"

"Very blue. Very pretty."

"Is Tay there?"

"Not right now. Do you miss him?"

"No. I miss you."

"I miss you too Livvy. Are you being a good girl?"

"Yes. Nan won't make me waffles."

"Livvy it's not time for breakfast. It's lunchtime."

"I want waffles."

"Tell Nan to make waffles, this one time missy."

"Mommy?"

"Hm?"

"When are you going to be home?"

"In a few days. I have to go. I love you Livvy."

"I love you Mommy."

"Bye baby."

Kate hung up the phone and stood up. She slipped her shoes back on her feet and then walked down the staircase, at the bottom she turned sharply right and smacked right into Jack. She stumbled backwards, but he put his hand on her waist to stop her from falling.

"Thanks," Kate said nervously tucking some hair behind her ear.

"You want to take a walk with me?" Jack asked.

Kate looked up at him; his hand was still on her waist. She took a step back and his arm fell limply to his side. She shouldn't go with him; she should follow Claire's advice. But this was just a walk.

"Alright," Kate said against her better judgment.

To Be Continued…