This is for Russ; it's as simple as that.

They stayed like that, just sitting at the end of the bed watching their daughter sleep; finally at peace. Finding a comfort only, this place she could call home could offer her. Once they were comfortable that she was in a deep sleep they stood up and began to leave the room.

Standing outside her room they felt an uncomfortable silence wash over them, Jack looking down at the floor and Kate's eyes roaming the picture clad walls focusing on anything but him.

"I uh... Do you want coffee?" Jack asked, breaking the silence that hung thick in the air. Kate looked over at him and saw that he was just as nervous as she was.

"A coffee would be great..." she stated and followed him downstairs and into the kitchen. Whilst Jack prepared coffee, Kate slid into one of the tall oak barstools at the breakfast bar her now bare feet tickled by the coldness of the metal footrest she accidentally grazed as she swung her legs back and forth.

"Nervous energy?" Jack asked a smile on his face at how good it felt having her to talk to.

"Buckets full..." she admitted, her hands clasping the warm mug he placed in front of her. They drank their coffee in silence. It was funny, you think with all the time spent apart they would have something to say...the silence wasn't as uneasy as it was before. It was an emotional silence. The kind of silence that said more than words ever could. Kate finished off her drink and a small yawn escaped her. She saw his reaction to this was a smile, putting their cups in the sink he walked back over to her.

"You can take the bed I..."

"Jack..." she interrupted "... I can stay with Faith, its fine. I'd feel better knowing that when she woke up she wasn't alone in a strange house" she saw his jaw tighten at this last remark and she stood up apologetically.

"It's okay... I understand..." he said before walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Kate bit her bottom lip and shook her head following him up the stairs where he ventured into his room and returned holding a pair of grey sweatpants and his UCLA sweatshirt.

"Here... I thought you might want something to change into..." he said, his tone monotonous and hurt. Kate tried to read his thoughts as she took the clothes out of his hands, nodding appreciatively at him; a small smile on her face as she fingered the tattered lettering on his sweater.

"I remember you liked that..." Jack said noticing her smile and wanting nothing more than to stay and marvel at the wonder now painted on her face. It was smiled like hers that could make or break a guy, and he had to admit he was feeling pretty good right now. Kate looked up into his deep, dark questioning eyes and found no questions, just answers. Answers to the questions that had haunted her for the past five years and even though they both wanted... needed these answers, they also wanted something that meant so much more to either of them. A sense of comfort, belonging and that feeling you get inside when you know you have been given another chance.

Jack smiled back at her and turned around about to head back to his room when he felt her hand on his arm, spinning him around to face her.

"Thank you..." she said sincerely, her voice barely audible. She stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his nose in memory of those he used to give her back before... well, back before she left. He felt a sudden urge to return her kiss but decided against his better judgement to just smile and turn back towards his room. He couldn't afford to do anything to jeopardise having them both back at home not after everything he had been through to find them.

Kates' heart sank as she watched him leave; looking down at the change of clothes she held in her hands she began to enter Faiths room. She walked over to the bed and placed the clothes down on the silk sheets, as she undressed she felt her old life slipping away with each garment she removed. The life she had regretfully chosen now lay in a pile of unwanted memories made upon cloth on the floor of a home she had come to love and wished she'd never left. She knew Jack and she knew he would want answers sooner or later, but what was confusing her was his seemingly willingness to wait for those answers. That she didn't understand. Most people would have shouted, screamed, maybe even said things they would have lived to regret all in the name of the truth, but Jack... he had just smiled and brushed it all aside. She wondered if he even wanted her here, or if it really was just his daughter he came looking for. She picked up his sweater and fingered the hem and looked over at Faith, remembering how the last time she had worn this, her daughter had been wearing it too. She smiled at seeing Faith; her raven curls matted and unbrushed spread across the silk pillows, her tear stained face making Kates heart melt. She pulled the sweater over her head, her mind still debating where exactly her relationship with Jack stood, or if it lay in ruins like those memories at her feet. Her heart ached for a peaceful love and her mind ached for a peaceful life and her questions and fears were brushed aside as she looked down at the sweatpants and found a photograph.

The beach, his arms wrapped lovingly around her waist, her back pressed into his chest as they gazed at the camera with their heavily sated eyes from their morning of pleasurable activity. She remembered that day all too well, it was in that moment the most precious thing was created. It was in that moment that all that is good in life was captured. Kate smiled and let her fingers trace the outline of the words that had been scrawled across the bottom of the picture in Jacks elegant script. A tear falling down her face as she whispered those written words into the night sky.

"Welcome Home"

What can I say other than please review... I stopped getting reviews so I stopped writing this fic unsure if anyone was even interested in me continuing it but it appears that day after day, new Jaters are created and are finding my work and I adore coming home to find that someone has reviewed my work, be it positive or negative, either way it means my words are being read... anywhos... reviews mean love... Jater love... XxX Magically Challenged XxX