/AN/
Sorry! I've been super busy lately! I've kind of gotten out of my groove for writing this so I could use /your/ help! Are there any unanswered questions, any direction you would like to see me going in, any characters you want more of? Let me know! Whatever you have to say, I want to hear it! (Or, I guess, read it) So please please please leave me a review or, hey, shoot me a message! I want /your/ input!

Jack finds himself humming as he parks outside the rec center. He fixes his shirt, making sure it's not inside out again. The dark gray-blue button up is tucked just a little into his black suit pants - both items of clothing freshly dry cleaned - and he's even brushed his hair thoroughly. The light amount of cologne he's been spritzed in is courtesy of Chef Dani ordering him to. "The key to a woman's heart," she'd said, "is partly how you smell. If you smell rank, no girl will want to be near you. If you smell awesome she'll want to bury her face in your chest just for a little sniff."

Jack chose to believe in her crazy advice, hoping her prediction would come true.

Once again, he checks his face and hands for any dirt. He's tried so hard all day to stay clean and to make sure everything would be perfect for their fourth date that everything else took a back seat. Having only eaten a small amount of cereal that morning, roughly ten hours ago, and with only small chances to taste test their dinner for the evening, Jack is starving to get the date started. Literally.

Jack grabs the two coffees, juggling them as he steps out of his car and closes the door. With a slight spring in his step he walks towards the rec center front doors, and luckily someone lets him in. At the counter, Kat greets him with a small wave before attending to what's-his-face; Doctor Markus Carter. Jack tries not to frown.

"-and was just wondering if you have any plans this Saturday?" Dr. Carter finishes, just as Jack puts down Kat's coffee and slides it towards her. The doctor seems shocked for a moment, but slowly smiles.

"She definitely has plans." Jack answers. He sips his coffee, trying not to seem too defensive.

"I do?" Kat asks, cradling her steamy cup. She looks amazing, Jack thinks as he observes her. She's not wearing her lavender dress, or her pink one. This time her dress is a dark blue sun dress that makes her green eyes pop.

"Yeah. Remember. I was going to take you someplace that isn't wherever he's going to be." Jack tells her, not so much as glancing at the doctor beside him.

"Jack, right?" Markus asks pleasantly. "I was just inviting Kat to a barbeque. You're welcome to join us, it's just at the waterpark with a few families and close friends."

"And Kat is a close friend of yours?" Jack places his drink down on the counter.

"She is." Dr. Carter leans in slightly, unintimidated. "I know her a lot better than you do, Jack. This stand-offish behaviour is not going to impress her. In fact-"

"Markus." Kat smiles at the two, though it isn't mirrored in her eyes. "I think that's enough. I'd love to go to the barbeque, and maybe Jack will go with me. If there's nothing else I think I'll leave with my date."

"Fine. One more thing." Dr. Carter lightly shoves Jack, looking at him with a very serious expression. "If you hurt her I'm going to have to pick up the pieces. Again. And you have no idea how hard that is. She's barely been put back together again and I will not go easy on someone who makes her crumble. Got it?"

"Got it." Jack glares. He picks up his coffee just in time for Kat to hook her arm in his and drag him away. He notices, as they're walking, that her dress isn't just blue. At the bottom there's a hemmed design of stars making up constellations he has never seen before. She looks more than incredible in the dress, and he wonders what it would take to have her dress up more often.

"WIll you two ever get along?" Kat sighs as Jack starts up the car.

"Probably not until he realises that I'm not a bad guy. He's over protective." He glances at her. "You know I would never hurt you, right? I don't like to think I could ever hurt anyone but especially people close to me. And I think we're getting pretty close."

"I trust you, Jack. And... I may not know you very well right now but I believe that you're a good man."

"Does he know about that thing you won't tell me about?" Jack asks as the question pops in his head. He's not sure if he should have asked her at all, but he refuses to take it back.

"He knows... everything. I think. I'm not sure what else I could possibly tell him." Kat fidgets with her seatbelt, making Jack wonder what she's thinking. Is she thinking about how she wishes she could just hop out of the car and disappear? Or is she thinking about how he usually reacts when she talks about the doctor? He doesn't mean to be jealous. The way he feels; Kat is a precious gem that took him his entire life to find. Who would be willing to give up something like that? Who would calmly stand by and watch as someone walked up and led her away from him? It's too soon to call her his, and yet his entire being is constantly screaming that that's all he wants. He wants to know that she's someone he'll always have beside her, that he can pull into his arms and keep there for as long as he feels like.

"But," she goes on, with a small smile, "he doesn't know what I'm like on dates. Only you know that."

"You've never been on a date before?" Jack asks after a minute, hoping it's a lighter subject than how much of Kat's tragic backstory does her handsome doctor 'friend' know.

"Not technically. I guess my, umm, boyfriends were never really the dating type. More the chilling at parties type."

"Party girl, huh?" Jack smiles, thinking about her smiling and laughing, having the time of her life at a party. Then it fades as he thinks about her at a party with boyfriends she's never mentioned and probably never would have mentioned if he hadn't asked.

"Not exactly. They liked parties. I liked not being alone all night every night. Parties were an excuse to spend a couple of hours with people and out of the house. Kind of sad, actually."

"Yeah, a little. Damn, Kat." Jack chuckles, trying not to let the tension creep around them. "You really need someone to teach you how to have fun. That's what parties are for, in case you didn't know."

"I had no idea." Kat rolls her eyes, trying to cover her smile.

"Too bad I already have a plan for tonight. We'll party soon, I promise."

"What is the plan, anyway?"

"Romance supreme. Also, dinner and a movie."

He can tell that Kat is unimpressed. While he knows she's happy just to be out with him, he can admit that dinner and a movie is one of the least imaginative dates he possibly could have come up with. But his version is completely different from what he knows she's expecting. Rather than stopping outside a restaurant, Jack parks his car outside the museum he'd brought her to on their first date. She gasps a little as she sees the twinkling lights leading up the grand entrance, and the two sharply dressed doormen rushing towards them.

"Jack..." Kat glances at him with a smile. "So this isn't going to be as lame as I thought?"

"No, it's not." Jack hops out of the car, handing his keys to the valet along with a generous tip. Meanwhile, Kat is helped out of the car by the other doorman. She smiles at him, and he smiles back brightly. Jack takes her arm, and gestures for the doorman to lead them inside. Jack says, "I actually put a lot of thought into this. Maybe it was too early to bring you back here, but I thought we had a great time and also this place is amazingly perfect."

"It really seems like it."

Jack takes her inside and they once again observe the more interesting art pieces as they slowly finish off their warm drinks. Jack can tell when Kat smells the dinner waiting for them. She perks up, her nose rising in the air, her whole body leaning towards where she thinks the smells are coming from. Jack's stomach growls, bringing her back to Earth. He clears his throat before pulling her in the direction of the food Chef Dani has prepared for them.

"Wow." Kat's jaw drops as she sees the state of the rooftop garden. The gazebo is lined with small, twinkling lights, the table covered with food and elegant decorations. The flowers are bright and blooming, adding another beautiful scent to the already incredible aroma of hot foods. Delicately shaped shrubbery, vines cascading over woodwork and marble, everything that made Jack certain this was the perfect place for their date. He thought, for a moment, if it would be too much. By the look on Kat's face it's just enough.

"Like it, my manta ray?" He asks gently, his lips close to her ear. She turns her head to smile up at him.

"I love it. You always do such amazing things for me, Jack. It's almost worrying. What if you run out of ideas?"

Jack's wondered the same thing. He knows that he has an entire world full of ideas, though. "Don't worry about it. Come on. I'm smart, and creative. I know what I'm doing."

"I know, Jack." Kat pulls him along, and they greet Chef Dani as they reach the table. Dani smiles, tells them what's on the menu, and says that she hopes they enjoy the meal. Kat can't hold herself back from digging in, even as Jack just sits back and observes her with a large grin on her face.

"Kat, you're so beautiful. Do you have any idea?"

Kat freezes, a slice of bruschetta halfway to her mouth. "Umm..."

"You're incredible. I can't stop thinking about you. And... And I wish we could spend more time together. I know you want us to take our time, and I respect that. It's just not enough for me. I want you closer, and I want to hold onto you for longer. If I have to wait for you to be more comfortable with me, I don't mind at all. I just want you to know that this is how I feel. I want more of you."

"You... do?" The shock on her face almost hurts Jack on a very deep level. She's been hurt in the past, and he can't really be sure who. She's probably been abandoned, or some such thing, which leaves her afraid to lose anyone, and getting close to people just opens her to that possibility.

Jack continues, trying not to let it get to him. "I do. It makes me unbelievably happy to know that one day I could be waking up to your smiling face. Does that sound creepy?" He asks, surprisingly just becoming aware of what he was saying. He tries to laugh it off, but he's not sure if it's something he should be doing.

Kat finally puts down the bruschetta. "It's a little creepy. But I know you don't mean it that way. It's sweet. But, yeah, a little too soon to be talking like that. Even if, to be honest, I kind of feel the same way."

Jack stares at her blushing face, feeling himself heating up as well. He doesn't usually blush, at all, but around her he can't help it. She makes him feel things no one else ever has. Whatever her past, he wants to be in her future. "That's amazing. You're amazing."

"Thanks..." Kat's face turns a bright red. She stutters, "Can we just eat now? Before I turn so red that I'm dubbed the Red Hulk?"

"Yeah. Feel free, miss Red Hulk." Jack tells her. He watches her closely as he eats, repeating her words over and over again in his head. She kind of feels the same way. That's pretty close to wanting the same thing he wants, which is to be close and to be together in a way neither of them have been together with anyone else. If he told his younger self that he would find a woman that he would want to spend forever with, in a serious relationship, his younger self would have asked what sort of crazy pills their mom had them taking. Now he has Katelyn, and he'd be damned if he let anything get in the way of that.

"Keep your eyes closed." Jack says in Kat's ear as he guides her slowly through the bright museum halls.

"My eyes are screwed shut, Jack. Seriously. I'm a little scared." Kat's eyes are covered with a soft silk cloth; she couldn't see the way she's going if she wanted to. Her arms are out, making sure she doesn't hit against anything solid. Jack knows she trusts him enough to lead her the right way, and he also knows how hard it can be to simply let someone lead when you can't see a thing. "Where are we going, I thought part three was a movie?"

"It is. You can trust me, Kat. You're going to love this surprise. And I promise you will get there safely." He holds her closer to reassure her, watching as her lips quirk up in a smile. "You're beautiful, Kat."

"Random." She grins.

"Not random. I'm looking at you. You are beautiful. Truly."

"Thanks, Jack. But, umm, while you're looking at me-"

"I will also be watching the way we're going." He promises again.

Jack thinks about how he got there. How he managed to meet Kat, someone he thinks could be his soul mate. He remembers it clearly, of course. The pool, the diving board, and the next thing he knew he was staring up into gorgeous green eyes thinking he'd been saved by an angel. That was also the time he first met Markus Carter, though he tries not to think too hard on that. When she agreed to see him at that party, he was elated. And from there, everything just got better.

Jack carefully leads Kat through an archway, and stops her just inside the room. "Okay. You can take off your blindfold."

"Finally." Kat mutters, hooking her fingers in the soft fabric. When it's away from her eyes she sees the room in all its glory. "Is that a mattress?" She bursts out laughing.

Jack's face turns red. "It's a pile of pillows! And blankets! It's the comfiest space you will ever be in, and it is not a mattress!"

"Sorry, but, it looks like one!"

"That's because it's so fluffy!" Jack flings himself forwards and onto the pile of pillows and mattresses. He bounces, and immediately cuddles into the softness. "Oh my gosh, Kat! You have to try this!" He rubs his face over the fluffiest blanket, snuggling so far into the pile that he nearly disappears under it all.

"You're more of a cat than I am, Jack. And it's adorable." Kat grins as she joins him, and Jack straightens up to watch her take her shoes off. He smacks his head, surprising her, and does the same.

"I didn't even think of that. You're a smarter cat than I am."

"I guess so." She glances around until she spots the projector in a room high above and behind them. "How did you plan all of this?"

Well it wasn't cheap; Jack almost says. He knows exactly how she would react to something like that which is definitely not well. "I have some sweet connections. I was going to tell you tonight. My family owns Overland Resorts. So we're rich, and we know pretty much everyone and do pretty much anything."

"Wait... Overland Resorts?" Jack watches as it pieces together in her eyes. Basically; she's incredulous. "I thought that was a family name!"

"Middle name. Jackson Overland Frost. Overland Resorts has been in the family for so long I had no choice. Though I don't mind, really." He shrugs slightly.

"But... Those resorts are famous! And beautiful! Everyone dreams of those places!"

"Do you?"

"Of course!" Kat grins, her eyes bright. "So, that's you? You're a little Overland owner?"

"Partner, technically. I will take over one day though." He smiles. "And now you know my secret."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just didn't want my incredible wealth to change your opinion of me. Will it?"

"No. Just..." She bows her head, worrying her lip with her teeth. "It's kind of a bit more pressure. I mean, I knew you were well off..."

"Kat, don't you dare go back to thinking that stupid prince and the pauper thing. First of all, that's not what the story was about. You're not poor, and I'm not rich. I mean, I am. But that doesn't mean anything for our relationship, nor who we are." He kisses her cheek. "We are entirely different people, Kat. But we're kinda similar, and we kinda like each other, right?"

"Right. Kinda." Kat jokes. "So... What movie are we watching?" She swallows hard, and he knows she just wants to change the subject from one that she's going to worry about for days anyway.

"Are you sure you're okay? Cause I don't want to move on from this unless you can promise me that you're okay."

"I promise. I have been enjoying our date so far and I refuse to let a little shocking news change that. You're a super rich heir to a resort chain. So what? No biggy. I mean, all my friends are super rich heirs to hotel chains." She tries to cover her laugh. "Really, Jack. That's incredible. And unexpected. And that means that you must have picked an awesome movie for us."

"A super awesome movie, actually." He waves his hand and the projector comes to life. "We are watching... drum roll please... Mamma Mia!"

Kat just stares at him. "Really? You chose Mamma Mia for our date?"

"What? You don't like it?"

"I love it. But that's a bit random."

"Baby, I'm still free. Take a chance on me!" He grins. "This is going to be so much fun. I love musicals."

Kat laughs. "I love that you can so easily admit that!"

"Why not? Life's too short to keep things like that to ourselves. For example; I love the color pink! Especially pale pinks!"

"You're incredible." Kat says, settling against the pillows. They wait for the movie to start, holding hands. "Thank you for this, Jack."

"Anything for you, manta ray."

Kat is half asleep when Jack drops her off. He half-carries her into her apartment and gently settles her into bed. She complains softly, and he kisses her forehead as he drapes a blanket over her. Amber immediately crawls onto the bed and curls up next to her best friend in the entire world, allowing Jack to reach out and pet her fur. "Take care of my love, would you? Cats have to look after each other, right?" Amber sneezes. "Good girl. I'll take the spare key and lock up on my way out, okay?"

On his way out, Jack spots a note pad on the kitchen table. He grins as he writes a note the beautiful, sleeping woman can wake up to.