A/N: Heyyyyy. Would have updated waaaaaay earlier had the fanfiction net not freaking misfunctioned and not let me update ... arhg. Well whatever. Here's the chapter now. You learn a lot more about Kate's twisted past. One of the more serious chapters. Reviews appreciated.

Bless the Missing Boy

Late Morning
Kate's Tent
Kate's POV

"Morning, Sunshine."

My eyelids fluttered gently open. I smiled warmly at the owner of the voice. "Good morning to you too."

Jack sighed, lifting himself up off the mattress. I watched him as he stretched his arms, his shirt riding up so I could see a pair of navy boxers slightly above the waistband of his jeans. He looked back at me and I quickly averted my eyes. He smiled, and pulled his jeans up slightly. "Like my boxers?"

"Oh yeah," I said laughing. "I was so worried you were a brief boy."

I watched as Jack raised his eyebrow in question, walking back towards me. "A brief boy?"

"Yeah," I replied breezily, grinning. "What kind of underwear you wear really says a lot about your personality."

"Oh, really?" Jack leaned back down against the mattress. "Enlighten me, fair goddess of wisdom."

I smiled at the name, and rolled over so I faced him. "Briefs say that you're sensitive, caring, that your mother probably still picks out your clothes and there's a good chance your sex life sucks. Boxer briefs are kind of like a mouse trying to be a lion. You're trying to act cool and hip, something you're obviously not. You're insecure with yourself, and are desperately trying to salvage a sex life."

Jack smiled in amusement. "Well, my relationship with my mother lacks something to be desired. I'm not trying to act cool, and I'm not insecure. As for my sex life … well, there has been a serious crimp in it since this whole island thing …"

I laughed in response to the last comment. "That's good to know."

"Oh yeah?" Jack grinned at me. "You find my lack of activity amusing?"

"Nahh," I said, shaking my head. "Just glad to know I'm not the only one."

"You mean … you haven't …" Jack faltered. A tinge of red seemed to seep beneath his skin. "Nevermind."

"What?"

"No, seriously. Nevermind."

"It's okay, Jack, tell me."

"It's fine, Kate."

"Jack, come on."

Jack sighed exasperatedly at me, and looked down at the mattress. "Just … when we first got to the island and I heard that you were out with Sawyer … in the jungle … all night. I guessed I just kind of assumed that … you know …"

"That I slept with him," I stated bluntly.

Jack's ears were bright red. "Yeah," he said quietly.

I smiled, and moved a little closer to him. His eyes were still cast down at the mattress. "I never slept with Sawyer," I said calmly. "And I honestly don't intend to. Sawyer and I are … friends. Most of the time. And no matter what anyone tells you about us, there's nothing going on between the two of us. I'd let you know if there was."

Jack's eyes seemed to soak me in. "Thanks," he whispered softly.

I smiled. "Any time."

His eyes seemed to travel from my eyes and down my body, resting where my hand sat on the mattress. His fingers were painstakingly close to mine. He cinched forward a little. I drew my hand slightly closer. His fingers seemed to tremble. And then –

"Guys!"

Charlie burst through the entrance of my tent. I jumped up, my hand drawing instantly away from Jack's. "Charlie?" I said, as he seemed to collapse on the floor of my tent. "What's wrong?"

"Aaron," he whispered, his voice thick and panting. "Where's Aaron? Have you seen Aaron?"

"Aaron?" Jack said. He looked at me and I shook my head. "No, Charlie, we haven't seen him."

"Oh, God," Charlie whispered. He closed his eyes. "Oh … my god …"

"Sit down," I said, tugging on his arm. He looked faint. Charlie waved my hand away, but Jack pulled him down. "Charlie, what's wrong? Is Aaron missing?"

Charlie stared down at the ground, head in his hands. "I left him for just a second …" he whispered. "Just one second … how does a little baby disappear in a second …?"

"Someone took Aaron?" I could hear the audible panic in Jack's voice.

"Claire left for half an hour to shower. Half an hour. And in less than ten minutes, I lost her baby." Charlie had a haunted look in his eyes. "One second, he was laying next to me as I filled out a crossword book … and the next second he's gone …"

And the next second he's gone …

Gone …

Flashback

"Hey, Matts … do you like the blue or the white? I think the blue would look cute on you. Eh, Mattie? … Matt …" I turned around. "Matthew," I repeated. I looked into his babyseat, buckled into the front of my shopping cart. It was empty.

I turned around the other way. Why would his seat be empty …? I looked across the various clothing counters, scanning the small crowd. I turned back to my cart. Still empty. Where was … what had happened to … oh no …

"Oh God … Mattie … Mathew! Honey!" Panic flooded into my voice. I kept picking up the babyseat, as though Matt could be magically hiding underneath it. "Mattie!"

"Ma'am, is there a problem?"

I turned wild-eyed to some acne-ridden teenage store worker. "My son … my son's missing. You've got to find him. He's three months old. His name is Matthew. He's got brown hair and my eyes and he was here just a second ago."

That was obviously not what the teenager had been expecting. "Um, uhh, okay, yeah, I'll get the alert out. Matthew. 3 months. Brown hair." He ran off.

My legs felt frozen in place, my hands clutching the two little baby jumpers that just minutes ago I'd intended to buy. He was there just a second ago …

Just a second ago …

End Flashback

"We'll find him. Don't worry, Charlie." Jack's voice cut through my memory, hard and quick. "Come on, guys."

"What if The Others took him …?" Charlie's voice was a dead whisper. "What if The Others have got him? We'll never see Aaron again … none of us will …"

"Charlie, don't talk like that!" Jack grabbed hold of him, pulling him to his feet. "Come on, let's find him … Kate?" I felt numb. "Kate!"

"What?" I looked up. "Oh … sorry …"

I got up and the three of us exited my tent. "Kate, you ask around and see if anyone's seen Aaron. Me and Charlie will retrace every step he's been with Aaron. Got it?"

"Yeah," I whispered. My mind was in a complete other world.

"Okay," Jack whispered and he and Charlie set off towards his tent. I stood rooted on the spot. My mind flew back to Aaron. His light blonde hair, big blue eyes. He was so small. My throat seemed to close.

Matthew …

Flashback

"Mattie!" I cried. "Matt!"

I was running down every aisle in the story. I ran past Men's Clothing, and beyond the intimate's section. Tears blinded my vision. My heart raced. "Matthew, honey … please …" I whimpered.

A baby cried.

My head whipped around so fast, a crick lashed at my neck. I ran in the direction. Matthew … I could see his soft brown hair, falling in thin layers across the top of his head. His big black eyes, his infectious giggle. I closed my eyes, willing the tears back in.

The baby cried again.

I ran to a little cart where a tall blonde woman was examining young boys' sneakers. I hurtled myself towards the cart. "Mattie!"

"Excuse me … what are you … Don't touch my daughter!" The woman called in alarm as I reached for the child.

"Mattie?" I whispered, but instead of touching my son, my hands fell on a bigger blonde baby girl. Desperation gave way and I dissolved into sobs, turning away from the baby seat with unsuppressed pain.

"Mommy?" A blonde boy of about four or five years old reached for his mother's hand. "Who is that lady?"

"Get your shoes, Tyler, we're going."

"But, Mom, I haven't –"

"Now, Tyler!"

I crumpled like a fallen leaf, curling with my knees to my chest in the middle of the aisle. Sobs racked my body. I wasn't cut out for this job. Motherhood. I'd known it from the beginning.

And now it was too late to turn back.

End Flashback

"Have any of you seen Aaron?" I called into the early morning beach crowd.

"Claire's baby?" Michael asked, eyebrow raised. "I saw Charlie with him this morning …"

"Is Aaron missing?" John butted in.

"Yes …" I whispered. I felt weak. "We don't know where he is and … and Charlie's going mad …"

"What?"

I froze at the sound of the voice. I turned slowly. There was Claire, hair wet from the shower, t-shirt slightly damp from her damp locks. "What did you say about Charlie?"

My throat was dry. "Charlie, he … you see …" My mouth opened and closed several times. "Claire … Aaron, he …" I closed my eyes. This shouldn't be this hard. "Aaron's missing," I whispered.

I watched as Claire's mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. The color drained from her face. "What?"

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Claire, I'm so sorry, no one knows where Aaron is , but …" I said, but Claire was already running towards the tents. "Claire!" I called after her. "We'll find him! Jack and Charlie are out looking already! Claire!" I shouted. "We'll find him!"

We'll find him …

We'll find him …

Flashback

"We'll find him, Ma'am, don't worry."

I sat numbly in the store office. The security guard looked sympathetically at me. "We've got the store doors locked and everyone's being checked. If you truly did alert us as soon as he went missing –"

"I did," I cut in.

The guard sucked in a breath. "Yes …" he said nodding slowly. "Then we'll find him. Don't worry."

"How can you tell me not to worry …" I whispered. My voice was haunted. I looked up at him, with big dark eyes. Matthew's eyes. "How can you possibly tell me not to worry …? My son's three months old!"

Tears broke into my voice. "He can't live a day without me …"

"Ma'am …"

"He's so little. He can't … I can't … oh god …"

"Ma'am."

I shut my eyes, willing the world to go away. They'll find him, I repeated to myself. I couldn't lose Matt. Not after all I'd been through. Not now. Not here.

Not ever.

End Flashback

"Charlie!" I ran to watch as Claire flung herself at the blonde bassist. "What happened?" she whispered.

"I don't know, Claire. I swear. He was with me just a second ago. Then I turned and he wasn't there and … I'm so sorry, Claire. We'll find him. I'll find him. I swear," Charlie stammered. He held Claire to him. "I'm so sorry."
"Well, find him, dammit!" Claire's fist pounded against Charlie's chest. "How could you lose him? He's just a baby!"

"I know. I know. I'm sorry, Claire. I'm so sorry …"

"Oh, Charlie." Claire attempted to rapidly brush away tears. Charlie's hand gently stroked her arm.

"Kate," Jack whispered from behind me. I watched them, soaking their fear in. The expressions on their faces. My body refused to move. "Kate," Jack whispered again.

My eyes snapped up to meet his.

"Come on, let's look for Aaron," Jack said gently. He tugged at my hand, and I numbly followed him. Sand crunched under my shoes. The air felt warm on my skin. Painstakingly warm. Jack looked worryingly at me. "Are you okay?"

I didn't say anything. I couldn't.

"Kate …" Jack's hand gently stroked the side of my face. "Kate, talk to me."

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words would enter my mind. "Jack…" I whispered softly. How could I tell him? I couldn't. I couldn't tell anyone. As much as I wanted to, no one would understand. Not even Jack …

"I …" I stammered. "Jack, I just … Aaron!"

My voice leaped into my throat. "Aaron!" I called again. I ran forward, scrambling across the beach sand. There was Sawyer, dressed in baggy jeans and even loser shirt, with a small baby curled in his arms. My legs moved quicker than ever before.

I flung myself at Sawyer, scooping Aaron out of his arms. "Oh, Aaron," I whispered. I nuzzled his little head. "Oh, honey, you had us so worried …"

"Aaron!" Just as quickly as he'd been in my arms, he was out as Claire snatched him from me. She was crying hysterically. "Oh, Aaron, I'm never leaving you again. Never. I'm so sorry. Oh, Aaron. Baby."

Sawyer looked at me questioningly. "Lookin' for the kid?"

I rounded on him like a hawk would its prey. "What were you thinking taking Aaron?" I screamed. "Didn't you realize that Claire and Charlie would be worried about him?"

"Hey, when I came around, I didn't see Charlie even near the kid. And a little baby shouldn't be by himself," Sawyer shrugged the question off.

I opened my mouth to yell at him, To swear. To scream. To say something. But Charlie beat me to the punch … quite literally.

His fist sailed out of nowhere, smacking Sawyer in the side of the head. There was a resounding crack, and I watched as Sawyer's body sailed from the impact of the blow, and crashed into the sand.

"Charlie!" Claire cried.

"I WAS THERE!" Charlie hollered. "I was leaning over to get my FREAKING CROSSWORD PUZZLE. Don't you DARE ever THINK I would EVER leave Aaron alone even for a SECOND."

"Charlie, come on," Jack tugged at his arm. "Sawyer didn't mean to scare you and Claire. It was a mistake."

Sawyer kneeled on the crown, nursing a bleeding jaw. "For once, listen to the doc."

Charlie stood, fists clenched, and eyes smoldering, staring at Sawyer. "Come on … Charlie …" Jack's voice cut the silence clearly and practically. "Charlie … Charlie …"

"Charlie," Claire whispered.

Charlie's head slowly turned.

"Charlie, let's go. Sawyer didn't mean anything by what he did. If anything, he was looking out for Aaron," Claire whispered.

Charlie laughed caustically. "Looking out for him, my ass."

"Charlie," Claire whispered. "Please, let's just leave him. Please … Charlie …"

I watched as Charlie closed his eyes. He exhaled softly. His fists unclenched. "Fine," he said and turned back to Claire, leaving Sawyer in the sand. "Fine."

Jack turned to Sawyer. "You okay?"

"I'm just dandy, thanks doc," Sawyer bit back sardonically. He spat blood at the ground. His eyes flipped to me. I stood there, pale and shaking. Matthew … "Hey," he said, looking at me. "What's wrong with you?"

Flashback

"Oh, Matt!" I pulled him into my arms, kissing every square inch of his head. My body shook as I sobbed. "Oh, Mattie … that's never going to happen to you again … Mommy was so worried … that will never happen again … Never …"

"We're arresting your son's kidnapper as we speak." The security officer gave me an encouraging smile. "As far as we can tell, he inflicted no harm upon Matthew."

I could only nod. I held him to my chest, hands rubbing his back. He squirmed within my arms, shifting for comfort. I cradled him. "This won't ever happen again …" I whispered to him. I rocked him gently. "Never again …"

I held him like that in one arm as I exited the store. I opened the car door and put him in his car seat, in the middle of the backseat. I kissed his forehead. "I'm going to take you where you belong …" I whispered. My bottom lip tremble. Tears flooded my eyes.

I got into the front seat, and reversed the car out of the parking spot. "I'm going to take you to your real home."

And I drove.

A/N: Yeah, I'm creating a twistier darker past for Kate. I know you probably have a lot of questions to ask, so feel free. I'll reply and answer if you sign them. But you don't have an account, that's cool too. Leave an email address or something. More to come, hopefully later this week.