Hello! Gosh, I'm ever so sorry that it's taken me an absolute age to update this. I swear I've been so busy for so long. But I've been rewatching Lost lately, from the very beginning - and I've been reminded (as if I needed to be!) of how much I love it, and how much I love these two. So - here it is. It's only short but I figured I'd post it. Pretty astounded by the amount of reviews - thanks SO much! Promise I'll try to not leave it quite so long before the next update...

Chapter Four

Kate made her way downstairs for breakfast at around 8.30. She wasn't sure what to expect from Jack, or if he'd even be there. It had taken her a while to get to sleep after he left her room last night – she had considered going to check on him, but figured he needed some headspace. And to sober up.

Jack, it turned out, was now perfectly sober and ready for breakfast. He appeared in the dining room shortly after Kate, strolling in alongside Hurley, who seemed to be telling Jack that he was going to move back in with his parents later that day. Kate watched as they headed for the buffet table (another offering from Oceanic), and observed how laidback Jack seemed. A different person to last night. She got up from her seat and made her way towards them.

"Hey," she said, in her most casual tone of voice, as she reached him.

Jack turned around, surprised by her sudden presence, and quickly tried to swallow the large piece of pineapple he had in his mouth. It made him look goofy and embarrassed, and Kate couldn't help but smile widely up at him. "Hey," he said back, finally swallowing and flashing her an embarrassed grin. "How are you?"

Kate nodded. "Yeah, I'm good." Jack listened as he picked at the buffet and filled his plate. "Going to meet my new lawyer today." She grabbed a plate and mimicked Jack's movements.

He glanced up at her. "You want me to come with you?"

Kate narrowed her eyes slightly, well aware of his avoidance of last night's events. "No, thanks. I'll be alright."

Jack reached the end of the table and found the coffee machine. "You want one?" He asked her.

"Uh, sure. Black, two sugars."

Jack nodded and set about making their coffees. He passed her a mug and his fingers pressed against hers as she awkwardly took the hot coffee from him, and his brown eyes darted up to meet her green ones. But his hand was gone before she knew it, and he took his coffee back to his table, where Hurley was already sitting eating. "You wanna join us?" Jack asked Kate with a small smile.

"You're moving in with your mom and dad today?" Kate asked Hurley as they tucked in to their breakfast. She sat opposite him and Jack.

"Yeah, figured I might as well try and get back to normal life as soon as possible. Plus my mom is desperate to have me back now that I'm, yknow, not dead. Not that I ever was…"

Kate smiled in to her coffee. "She must be so happy to have you back."

"Yeah, she is. It's sweet, but yknow, annoying." He laughed, not being entirely serious.

Jack chuckled as well. "Tell me about it. My mom wants me over later today too. Think I'll wait til I find somewhere of my own til I move out of here, though."

Kate felt like she should address her own plans for leaving the hotel, but had no idea what to say. Thankfully, Hurley's new Oceanic-sponsored phone rang. "Sorry dudes, it's my mom, obviously…" He got up from the table and left to take the call.

Jack watched him for a moment and then smiled down at his plate, lifting some more food to his mouth. "He seems happy. I was worried about him."

Kate watched Jack for a moment. "Jack-"

"Kate." Jack cut her off, and looked up at her. "I, uh, I'm sorry. About last night. I shouldn't have…" He paused, and angled his head slightly, holding her eye. Licked his lips and then pursed them together. "I'm sorry." He broke eye contact and glanced down at his plate.

"It's ok. You don't need to apologise." She waited until he looked back up at her. "You… don't need to apologise," she said again.

Jack nodded a couple of times, trying to read her. "Well, thanks." He took a sip of coffee. "Are we good?"

Kate smiled, realising this was as close as Jack was going to come to addressing what had happened. "Yeah, Jack. We're good."

"Good." He smiled at her. "I don't know what I'd do if we weren't good."

Kate's heart swelled at his statement of emotion, but she kept it under wraps.