So I really hope you're all still interested, as last chapter wasn't exactly loved, but nonetheless, here's the latest update!

Take A Bow

Awkwardness could hardly come close to explaining the feelings that rushed through the group's veins.

"Kate and I work together," Juliet explained. Kate looked at him guiltily.

"And you knew who she was?" He directed his question towards Juliet.

The blonde shook her head no, and Jack believed her. "No. I didn't make anything of her name."

"But you knew, didn't you?" This time he asked Kate, but he didn't need to. He already knew the answer.

Not meeting his eyes, she looked anywhere else. "And you weren't going to tell me?"

Juliet lurked in the background, not sure what her place was. "I was going to…" Kate tried to explain.

"Oh, you were going to explain that you worked with my ex-girlfriend?" he sneered.

Suddenly Kate became Kate again. "Yeah, Jack, I was going to tell you. Then you went all spastic on me about your father."

He wouldn't let her blame this on him. But then he remembered, and could see by the smirk on Juliet's face that she did too- the kiss they'd shared when he and Kate were still together- happily together, at that. It dawned on him that perhaps it wasn't all Kate's fault. Almost constantly through their "break" he'd scrutinized every portion of her personality, convinced that their situation was anything but his fault. He got the feeling that her showing up at his door indicated she was ready to move past whatever was between them before- but this brought up something new. Another hurdle for them to jump.

Kate moved closer to him and he backed away from the contact. Sitting down on the couch, he found the will to speak to Juliet. "Could you please leave?" he begged of her, politely almost. "I'll make sure to keep you updated on my dad," he added once she had opened the door.

She nodded, and he knew that she would be in contact with him soon enough. Once Juliet was gone, they sat down on the couch together, close in proximity, but so far apart otherwise.

"How long had you known?" he finally asked her.

She took awhile to respond. "A few days. I was afraid to bring her up again. That maybe you had doubts about us." She paused. "I guess I was right."

The words soaked in his mind but he changed the subject nonetheless. "I kissed her," he admitted.

He had to look down when the hurt shone in her eyes. "When we were together."

"What?" she whispered, locking her hands together tightly as if she didn't believe it- couldn't believe it.

Feeling the need to explain what happened, he carried on. "We ran into each other on campus one afternoon. You and I were fighting, and I took her up on the offer to have coffee. We were sitting in a booth, just talking, and she leaned over and kissed me. I let her. Then I kissed her back." He stopped, gauging her reaction.

"I told you not to promise me things," she whispered, referring to the promise he'd made not to cheat.

Admitting defeat, he nodded morosely. "I know. But I thought I could keep it. I wanted to keep it. Then I realized when we were kissing… what I was doing- to you."

"What, and all is well again?" she laughed bitterly, standing up.

"But I stopped it, Kate. I know I let myself get sucked into it, into what Juliet and I used to have. She still wants it, Kate. But I don't." She remained standing. "I want you, and I need you. It might be selfish, but I do."

Kate twisted her hair between her long fingers distractedly. "I never should've come here."

Placing his body in front of hers to stop her from leaving before this was all sorted out, they both secretly relished the contact their bodies had briefly made. It had been so long- too long.

"Don't leave," he pleaded with her, and it became another of the countless times she'd backed down from those dark, intense, glassy eyes. "Kate, we've both fucked up. I shouldn't have done what I did. You shouldn't have kept Juliet from me. I shouldn't have blamed you for my failed relationship with my father. Can't we just get over this?"

It was doubtful, at least in Jack's mind that his pleas would work with Kate. They were both stubborn, though he'd always thought she was a bit more. She had to be that way, with everything that had happened to her.

"I don't know what to think about all of this." She sat back down on the couch, and Jack felt that at least he'd gotten to her somehow, that maybe she would think it over. "I came over here, all ready to just move on with us. I just visited your dad." Her voice softened as she admitted this. "He gives great advice, you know."

They both smiled at this. "I've been talking to him about my mom. And he basically told me the exact same thing you did."

Jack breathed deeply. "So you're going to go then?" Despite their conflicts, he was proud of her.

"Yeah." An oddly comfortable silence washed over them. "I want you to come with me," she told him finally, although she'd blurted it out on impulse. Kate wanted to be angry with him, and a part of her felt as though he should be gone for good. But Jack was worth too much to her for her to back down. He had confessed, and knew it was a mistake. When she walked in, Juliet was there, and it didn't seem anything romantic. "I've made my share of mistakes…" she thought, but hoped it wasn't becoming her mantra.

Shakily he rested his leg on the other. "But what about all of this? How are we dealing with it?" Pausing, he then added, hesitantly, "I mean, did you even hear what I just told you? And what I said to you about my dad, when really you were fantastic with him…" Clenching his jaw it seemed as though he was reliving everything that had taken place in the past month or so.

She faced him, and for the first time in weeks, he got to look into her green eyes. Somehow he could tell they'd be okay. She shared a smile with him, although it wasn't the grin he was used to.

Ignoring his previous question, she leaned her elbows onto her knees. "Your dad wants you to come with me."

Jack smiled. He'd been visiting his father a lot lately, as Kate undoubtedly was as well. "Yeah, well dad never hides his opinions." A laugh rang through the air and it filled him with a hopeful feeling.

"We'll work it out," she whispered to him, and he knew she meant their relationship. "It's not going to be easy... We've both done some pretty testing things..."This time their foreheads touched and they both closed their eyes. "I missed you so much," she told him, hugging him tightly to her body. After awhile, Kate spoke again, this time into his ear from their embrace. "Look, we were apart for awhile and I think we both understand it's not what we want. So I'm not sure how and when everything is going to be fine, but we just have to take it on faith that it will be."

They both let out deep breaths, decompressing in each other's arms. It seemed as though he couldn't hold her quite tight enough to him, couldn't quite guarantee he'd never lose her again. He still had so many questions to ask her, but for now, he let himself enjoy her silent company.

Some time later they were still sitting on the couch, beside each other but not sure where to go from there.

"Who are those from?" Pointing to the tray of cookies still lying on the coffee table, she pivoted towards him, tucking her long legs underneath her.

"Juliet."

Her face straightened. "Oh."

"They're for my dad. That's why she came over. She'd just heard."

Kate didn't question it. He'd admitted all to her, when he really didn't have to, when he had everything to lose. She had to tell herself there was nothing else behind this.

"Okay."

The topics of their exchange changed often. "So when are you going?"

"I called Sawyer. She's still there. I want to go soon."

He pressed her for more information, and for once Kate didn't seem to mind. "What are you going to say to her?"

A motion of her shoulders told him she didn't know. "I was hoping we could figure it out on the way there," she admitted, daring to cross their unsaid boundary, leaning against him slightly. His natural reaction was to recoil from the contact, but he reminded himself that this was Kate, his Kate, even though things had changed.

"You still want me to go?" His reaction was that of surprise.

"It would only be right. Without you I don't think I would be going. Unless you don't want to go. I'll understand." Their talk was awkward still, their sentences not flowing with ease as they normally had.

"My dad…" he started.

She nodded. "Of course. We'd only be gone for a few days, but I'll understand if you can't." Pushing the trip on him was the last thing Kate wanted to do, but she got the feeling she really needed him around.

Kate watched him sigh and almost laughed internally. She could practically see the clutter of thoughts through his skull. "He wants me to go?"

"I think he'll disown you if you don't." They both laughed. "You should talk to him about it though."

"He'll be happy," Jack told her, referring to the fact that they were now talking.

Setting her palm on top of the flat of his hand, she leaned into him more, thankful that he didn't try to move away from her. She'd missed the warmth of his skin, his touch, his smell. "I'm happy," she insisted.

"Yeah, me too." They sat together for a bit. "How can you forgive me?" he blurted out, knowing that he shouldn't test his luck. "I mean, I promised you. And I was so positive that I could keep it and the exact thing you warned me about, happened. And then I go all mental on you, and I was basically just jealous because you're closer to my father in a few months than I've been for 21 years..."

"Because," she interrupted, "when you love someone, when you're so completely in love with them that it hurts to be without them more than to be with them, no matter what they've done... you learn to forgive. You're the first person I've done that for," she said evenly, though he knew how significant the action was. Kate had never been a trusting person and the fact that she wanted anything to do with him after proving herself right about promises- well that, he couldn't understand but would stop questioning. He'd fallen in love with her for more than one reason, after all.

After a time there seemed to be nothing left to say, at least not at the moment. "I guess I should get going then." She looked to Jack and was touched when he looked sad.

He squeezed her hand. "My parents are coming around for dinner actually. You want to stay?"

Rather than flatter herself over Jack's invitation, she instead found herself questioning Christian's health. "He's feeling up to it?"

"He's been off chemo for the weekend, so he's feeling better than usual. He didn't tell you that?"

"I ask him all the time about the chemo, but he doesn't like to talk about that stuff with me."

"He'll be happy to see you."

Kate grinned and actually let herself loose. "That makes one of them. I can feel your mother's eyes stabbing me in the back every time I see your dad," she said sarcastically.

"I see nothing has changed."

She left him with the promise of returning later, as she wanted to change and get ready for dinner. His parents had already arrived by the time she walked back into the house. Margo had asked him who the fourth place setting was for, but Jack kept her out of the loop.

Kate straightened her shirt one last time before opening the door to Jack's house. Although she'd seen Christian and Margo numerous times since she and Jack broke up, she felt just as nervous as the first time they'd met. On the walk over she was giddy with excitement. Maybe she was imagining it, but she could've sworn she had an extra bounce in her step, an extra flutter in her heart. She had her Jack back. Maybe not all the way, but they'd gotten past an awful lot and both had admitted big mistakes.

Margo already had taken a guess as to why her son was so happy, so she wasn't at all surprised when Kate walked through the door. Feeling rather indifferent when they'd broken it off suddenly, she wasn't sure how she felt with Kate reentering. However much any female her son dated bothered her, she had to admire Kate's dedication to Christian even when Jack wasn't in the picture.

She saw Kate smile shyly at Jack, but noticed there was no sort of physical greeting as she normally saw. "Hello Kate," she said coolly.

The brunette looked nice, as she almost always did, and took a seat next to Margo on the small sofa. "Margo, hi, how are you?" It was always very formal between the two, ever since their first meeting when they'd let things get a little out of control.

"Very well, thank you." Margo's prim and proper manners could not be outdone by Kate. "Jack's father is in the washroom, I'm sure he'll be right out," the older lady told her, as if she knew it would be Kate's next question.

On cue, Christian walked down the hall. He saw Kate and high fived Jack, who was in the kitchen. Jack laughed and shook his head, but he was happy. When he was in front of her, she stood, watching the look on his face. It portrayed all kinds of questions- were she and Jack back together, what are you doing here?... She gave him a nod but shrugged a little, as if to say she wasn't sure on the details but things were looking bright.

"So Jack tells me you're off the chemo for a few days longer than normal?" She asked him this is an accusing, but humorous tone, teasing him. "Thanks for letting me know…"

He waved her off as if to say it was no big deal. The fact that his doctors chose to stop his treatment for a few more days was either a really good sign or a really bad one. Kate wasn't sure she wanted to ask.

"I should be done with this round by this time next week." Scanning the room with his light eyes, he accepted the hand his wife offered. "Then I'll go in for some tests and we'll see the progress I've made." He said it lightly, hopefully, and Kate was glad for him.

They continued talking until Jack told them dinner was ready. Margo was even more civil than normal towards Kate, and Jack thought his father had some doing in it. When the two left, Jack and Kate were left alone once again. They cleared the table in relative silence.

"Where does this go?" she asked him, holding out a large white platter which he'd served the meat on.

"Hmm?" he asked absent mindedly. "Oh, top cupboard. I'll get it."

"So I wonder what my dad said to my mom to get her to act so nice to you?" Jack joked with her. She laughed along with him, as she'd certainly noticed Margo's actions rising above the minimal requirement of politeness.

Brushing her long hair away from her neck, she shrugged. "Beats me, but I hope it lasts a long time."

There was a certain awkwardness in admitting "a long time" for anything in her life, let alone a relationship with Jack that was still on the rocks. She didn't want to come across as needy.

"So…" Jack trailed off once they'd cleaned the kitchen and had the table completely cleared.

Kate grabbed her bag from where she'd tossed it on Jack's recliner. He gave her a hazy, lustful look just before her lips descended uncertainly on his. She pulled away after a few seconds.

"Good night, Jack," she told him softly.