Quick Note

Once again, my deepest apologies for the slow update. Warning, the problem isn't solved yet - I'm using a temporary computer and several CDs. It makes everything very hard. I'm also writing this in WordPad, which doesn't have a spell checker, so if you see any mistakes, I'm sorry, though I tried my best to edit them out (I used a God-damn dictionary!). And I also have no idea how long this chapter is, so if it's too short, deal with it - the next chapter will be good. I promise. It's the one you've all been waiting for. And I'll stop there before I start talking about rainstorms.

Okay, I actually had two reviews! Thank you very much, they were both really kind. BTW, a quick poll... how would you feel if I killed off Kate? LOL, just kidding, I couldn't really do that, though I thought of this plot line on the bus that would really work...

Never mind. Enjoy!

Chapter 21

Two days passed. Within hours, the entire camp knew not only that Jack and Kate were back, alive and moderately well, they had also found out about Juliet. Once conscious, Jack had supervised his own medical treatment, and pointed out several things wrong with what Desmond had done - he tried not to sound condescending, however, and Desmond didn't take it badly.

Kate still refused to let Jack spend too long looking at her wrists, seeing as her body seemed to have fought off the infection on its own, though she did let him take a second look at the bullet-graze on her neck. He agreed with her on this count; it was only a surface wound, though neither of them wanted to think about how close it had come to slicing through her neck.

Charlie had remained adamant that the only person he had told about Jack and Kate's return was Claire, and she had promised not to tell anyone what was going on, so how the entire camp had found out was still a mystery. Jack had shrugged it off, saying he thought it was an advantage to their side that they should be so quick to work out what was going on. Shortly after it became apparent that a stream of well-wishers and curiosity seekers would be making their way to the caves, Kate had quietly asked Charlie to fetch one of her longer-sleeved shirts, to divert attention away from her injured wrists. Somehow, no-one could help but comment upon seeing them, and she was uncomfortable with the sympathetic stares.

The public opinion on Juliet's arrival was still unknown, but Jack had insisted she was a friend, and would be staying. Not ready for an argument, no-one had questioned the decision further, though it was clear a few thought that maybe Jack had lost it completely.

The only really shocking incident occured several hours after Jack woke up, however before the rest of the camp started stopping by. No-one had yet plucked up the courage to ask where Sawyer was, and Kate's mind had drifted away from the fact that soon they would ask. Jack had begun telling the group about how he had been forced to do the surgury - he conveniently left out the deal he had made with Ben, and Kate - who hadn't known exactly what the deal was in the first place - didn't mention it. Jack made sure to mention how Juliet had been nearly as much of a prisoner as he and Kate, and how she had helped them escape, even at great risk to her own life. At this point, everyone except Sayid softened to her.

"So, dudes... what happened to Sawyer?" Hurley eventually asked, when silence had fallen. Jack spared a quick glance for Kate, who was coldly staring straight ahead, looking as if she had just been slapped.

"He's dead," she said harshly, and Jack wished once again he could have been there to stop it. He noticed that Sayid had more questions about Sawyer's death, and shot him a warning look, which the soldier fortunately understood. No-one mentioned it again, and slowly the feeling of peace returned.

Hearing from Locke first hand about what had happened inside the hatch in its final hours hadn't been nearly as interesting as Jack had thought it would be. Then he asked Charlie, who gave him a slightly exaggerated but much more exciting description. The "two returning heroes" - a quote made by a man named David - and Juliet moved down to the beach as soon as Jack declared he could walk. Kate and Juliet shared a look, realising this was almost exactly what he had said out in the jungle, and that hadn't done him any good at all. There was, however, no need to hurry anywhere, and both accepted that since there was no immediate danger, he wouldn't push himself too hard.

Finding herself back in her own tent was a relief for Kate - there was an air of privacy she had sorely missed. No cameras, no-one walking in to see how she was, no-where she needed to go to feel safe. She was home, and the feeling was calming. It didn't last long.

Her first clue came when, walking down the beach two days after her return, she saw Neill reading a book she had last seen in Sawyer's hands. The second was an empty bottle of scotch discarded outside Desmond's tent. The third clue was more of an overall observation - no-one really seemed to give a shit that Sawyer was dead. By the time she plucked up the courage to actually check, she had practically convinced herself of the fact; all of Sawyer's stuff had been taken.

She entered his tent, pushing aside the tarpaulin flap and letting it close behind her, and then she stopped suddenly. She was shocked to find his scent still lingered in his shelter. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she dropped to her knees, brushing aside the sand to check the hidden stash underneath his tent - it was empty, as she had known it would be. Somehow, the fact that everyone had come in and helped themselves was sickening. For a moment, she thought she was going to be sick, but then the moment passed. She began to feel a steady rage building inside of her. This, of course, explained why no-one was upset about his death; if he had returned, they would have had to deal with his outrage at finding his stash violated.

Kate stood up, blinking away the water in her eyes and forcing herself not to start rubbing up against the walls of the tent. She knew who to question first.

Jack paused, listening. He thought he could hear Kate's voice coming down the beach, which was definitely odd - he didn't think she'd ever yelled at anyone apart from him, and he's never seen her lose it in public. He noticed with a twinge of regret that several other people were looking for the source of the commotion, too, and decided to check that everything was all right.

"Gone... bad... thank God!" The last remark contained more than a hint of sarcasm, and Jack came past two final tents to find Kate arguing ferociously with Charlie.

"That makes you as bad as him, stealing off dead people!" Kate snarled, and Jack caught his breath. Seeing her yell at someone else allowed him to notice just how beautiful she looked with her hair flying, her eyes glinting, and her entire body moving with vibrant life. It was something he had missed. A moping Kate wasn't nearly as much of a turn on, and momentarily he found himself enjoying the drama before him - then he realised as 'returned hero', he should probably be stopping disputes.

"We didn't know he was dead!" Charlie retorted, admirably holding his own in the face of fury.

"And why was it that you didn't know he was dead? Because you were sitting here, on your lovely safe beach!"

"We were trying to think of a plan!"

"Well, maybe if you'd thought of one a little sooner, you might of been able to save his life!" A couple of people in the growing crowd shifted uncomfortably. Jack guessed at least half the camp had gathered around by now. "Oh, but really, you couldn't care less - at least he isn't here to take all his stuff back."

At this moment, Kate seemed to realise she was making a scene, and let out a deep breath; Jack wondered whether was ready to calm down, or if she was just prepping herself for Round Two. Charlie took advantage of this momentary break to back away, into the crowd, and then into the jungle. By the time Kate realised her quarry had slipped away, some of the onlookers had gathered that the show was over, and were moving away. A couple of people, noticing Jack standing at the back of the group, gave him a questioning glance - it was unclear whether they were wondering why he hadn't broken up the argument, or what he thought of it, though Jack guessed most people would be more interested in the latter.

"I think she's right," he said, technically answering both questions, and the remaining members of the audience took this as their cue to leave. Shaking her head in frustration, Kate headed back to her own tent, not giving Jack - or anyone else - a second glance.