A/N: It's been a while I know, but...meh. My fic, my timing :p Uhm, I have a request though, if you're reading this could you please review to let me know, and if you read All I Need, it'd be nice if you do the same for that, I updated that during the week and have only recieved two reviews - a cookie goes to anyone who guesses what that makes me feel. -rolls eyes- So yeah...it gets kinda interesting after this I guess. And if you have any idea as to where you want this to go/what could happen, drop a note and see what I can do.


Jack felt Kate stir beneath him, and push his arm off of her body and her warmth disappear before hearing the soft cries that finally pulled him from his sleep. Slowly Jack opened his eyes, and sat up, his weight supported by his hands, which were behind him. When his eyes had adjusted to the light he looked around the cave, to see Kate in the corner, trying to comfort a crying Jade.

"Hey…hey…" Kate said quietly, in a soothing manner as she pulled the small child into her arms. "Hey Jadey girl, what's wrong?" She asked softly, as Jade settled in her lap and snuggled close to Kate's body. "Jade…Jade, honey…come on, talk to me, please…" Jade just shook her head, and clutched tighter to Kate's shirt. Kate looked up briefly, and noticed Jack's concerned eyes, she smiled weakly at him, as he moved towards her.

"Hey," He greeted her softly.

"Hi," She replied, and then looked down at Jade, "will you talk to Daddy?" She asked her. Again, she got no answer from the child, just more tears.

"Hey angel, did you have a bad dream?" Jack asked her, running a hand along her back. Both Jack and Kate could hear her take in a deep breath before nodding slightly. "Will you tell us about it?" He asked her.

"It was scary." Jade finally said looking up from Kate's chest.

"I'll bet it was." He smiled softly at her. "It might help if you talk about it." He tried again.

Jade shook her head and let out a muffled, "no."

"Okay then, you don't have to tell us." Kate said dropping a kiss onto the soft, brown curls. Jade sighed as she leant back against her mother. "You want to go back to sleep?" Kate asked her, and Jade shook her head frantically. "Okay." Kate sighed and looked up at Jack, worried. She didn't quite know what to do in a situation like this – she'd never been in a situation like this before.

"Will you come back to bed with us?" Jack asked the three year old. "You don't have to sleep, just lie there. Mommy and I still need to sleep."

Jade nodded, "Yeah," and held her arms out to Jack. Jack lifted her, and once standing, held out a hand to Kate to help pull her up.

"Thanks." She whispered, and he smiled at her, kissing her temple, before they made their way back over to their makeshift bed.

Lying back down, with Jade between the two of them; Kate marvelled at the normality of this scene. It was the sort of thing you heard everywhere, loving parents taking their scared child back to bed, accepting them with open arms. A frown passed across her face, she couldn't remember ever having crawled into bed with her mother; maybe once, when she was too young to remember.

"It all seems so normal." She told Jack, placing her hand on Jade's chest, feeling her breathing deeply.

"It's nice, isn't it? To have something normal, especially here?" He quietly asked her, noticing that Jade was already drifting back to sleep.

"Yeah; I really like it. I never thought I'd have something like this…" She tugged on her lower lip with her teeth. "The island almost seems more normal than reality…when I look at her, there are times…I just can't help thinking of my own childhood; I don't think I was ever that peaceful, not that I remember. I've never felt as safe as I do here, with you." She smiled up at him, blinking back the tears, before returning her gaze to the now sleeping child laying between the two of them, her head turned slightly towards Kate. "She's adorable." Kate breathed in disbelief.

"She's ours." Jack smiled, as Kate looked up at him. "You okay?" He asked, noticing her moistened eyes.

"I'm fine." She nodded, before laying her head back down.


Kate woke from a peaceful sleep, with a smile still on her face; but as she moved her head from side to side, and her eyes darted about the cave, she felt a sense of panic take over her.

"Jack, Jack…" Kate said, shaking Jack awake.

"Kate?" He asked wearily, but immediately became more serious upon seeing Kate's worried expression. "Kate, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Kate looked up at him briefly, and blinked, thrown slightly off course by the strange endearment he'd used. He'd never done that before…she didn't think he'd be that type of guy.

"Jade." She gasped, her thoughts crashing back to reality. "I don't know where she is…she was here, right here…I fell asleep with my hand still on her, but now…now…she's not here. Jack, where's Jade? I would have noticed if she'd moved…surely. You don't think she…got taken?"

"Kate…" Jack spoke slowly, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sure she's fine. We'll get up in a moment, ask around, see if people have seen her. But Kate…" Jack paused, not sure how to say the next few words; "You realise that just as she appeared over night, she could disappear over night…you have to understand that, if no-one has seen her, it more than likely means she's gone back to wherever she came from. Understand?"

"But…" Kate started as a silvery tear traced its way down her cheek, "I don't want her to go back…"

"I know you don't." Jack said as he sat up and pulled her close to him. "We'll be alright Kate, I promise. We will see her again. And this time, we'll get to experience everything, I promise." He smiled warmly at her, and kissed her temple.

"I just, over the past week or so, I got so used to her." Kate admitted. "I like having someone depending on me, I didn't think I would, but I do Jack, I really do."

"I noticed. The bond you had with her; it was incredible. I got used to her too, Kate." Jack said, releasing her from his arms so that they could throw on some clothes. "As soon as we're dressed we can go out and ask people…I don't think they'll have seen her though. As you mentioned, we were so close together, one of us would have noticed."

"I just…whatever happened…I hope she's okay." Kate said pulling on a change of clothes.

"I'm sure she is Kate." He smiled at her.

"Yeah." She smiled sadly.

"Come here…" He said walking over to her and pulling her into his arms. She seemed to almost crumple against him, and let out a relaxed sigh. She pulled back slightly to look up at him.

"Thank you…I don't know how you do it…but…you're like a pillar of strength." She told him.

"You're stronger than you think, Kate." He told her before leaning down to kiss her softly.

"You think so?" She asked him, straightening her shirt.

"No," He wrapped his arm around her waist, as he pulled her to his side and they walked out of the cave, to question the other survivors, "I know so."


It be came clear after an hour or so of asking around, that no-one had seen Jade, and with reassurance from Jack, Kate was beginning to really believe she had just gone back to where she'd come from.

"Jack?" Kate asked later that afternoon, when they finally had some time to themselves. They were sitting in Jack's cave; he was leaning back against the cave wall, his knees drawn up, and Kate was sitting between them, her back leaning against his chest.

"Hmm?" He kissed her hair.

"Earlier…this morning…you…you…you called me sweetheart?" She half stated, half questioned.

"Uh…I guess." He nodded, vaguely remembering. "Is that…what…"

"I just…it threw me off, I guess." She interrupted his rambling thoughts.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" He shrugged, and kissed the side of her head, just behind her ear. "I wasn't all that with it then, it sort of just happened, I just remember seeing you all…worried…and…"

"It's okay…I just, it was weird, I didn't know why." She told him.

"I'm sorry if it messed you up." He apologized again.

"It didn't…not really. I just, didn't think you're the endearment kind of guy." She shrugged, and tilted her head back to look up at him.

"I'm not, usually…I mean, occasionally, but I don't know, you can be sweet at times, and you have captivated my heart." Kate giggled.

"Really?" She asked.

"I think so." He grinned. "Is there anything you want me to call you? I can't make promises, because, honestly, it did just slip but…"

"Kate's fine." She smiled. "I don't mind, I've just been wondering…if you want to call me something, then I guess you could. I'm just not used to it, Jack."

"I understand." He nodded.

"Thank you." She tilted her head back to kiss him softly. "Hmmm…" She licked her lips after pulling away. "Things are going to be different now, huh?" She asked him, "I mean, without Jade…because, it's almost like, we were playing happy families, and now she's not here; it's like we don't have to, but I do want to."

"I'm not about to let go of you; not now I've got you." He smiled against her hair, and breathed in the smell that was so perfectly, enticingly Kate. "Things are going to be different, because it will be just me and you; that's not a bad thing is it?" He checked.

"Not at all." She tilted her head back and kissed his chin. "I've thought about it too, you know? Wondered about what it would be like; me and you. I think it took Jade being her for me to really admit how I feel about you though…"

"And how is that?" He asked, and she shivered slightly, feeling his hot breath rush past her ears.

"You make me happy, and I don't think I could live without you; not now anyway."

"If I have anything to do with it, you'll never have to live without me." He chuckled and kissed her hair, before wrapping his arms around her even more tightly.


Please. I shouldn't have to tell you what to do.