You know, I really thought I was gonna get more reviews for that chapter, but oh well... To those of you who took the time, thanks, as always.

I never really intended for this fic to go on beyond them getting back to base camp (as I mentioned before, I'm determined to avoid rehashing the events of season one), so if there's anything (or anyone, even the Others!) you want to see, let me know and I'll do my best to incorporate it. Let me know whether you think Kevin should continue to get jealous, or back off, too, because some of you seem to want him to get over it, and others think he's taking it too well...

Oh, and I finished Harry Potter, so feel free to message your comments if you want to discuss it. ;)

Chapter 21. About Last Night…

They collapsed into each other's arms when they had nothing left to give, exhausted but elated as they lay together in the darkness. Once he recovered his breath, Jack rolled them over so that Kate was on top, cradled against his chest, drawing the blanket around her as he tightened his arms across her back, and it was like that that she woke hours later.

The sun was beginning to filter through the trees, temporarily blinding her where the light hit her eyes. They'd been away from the campsite much longer than she'd intended; someone was likely to come looking for them anytime now, and she didn't want that someone to be Kevin.

Ana, though, she wouldn't've minded, she decided with a wry smile. It was about time she realised that Jack was off limits.

When she glanced up at him, his brow was furrowed adorably in his sleep, as though he was still worrying and planning, even now; overcome with affection for him, Kate lifted her head to kiss it gently, causing him to stir beneath her.

"Morning," he said sleepily when he opened his eyes to see her face suspended inches above his, pressing a soft, chaste kiss to her lips.

"Morning," she agreed, returning his kiss with a little more enthusiasm from him than she'd planned, before moving to slide off of him, but he pulled her back, locking his arms around her waist.

"How are you?" he asked, his dark eyes studying hers intently, seemingly afraid that she was beginning to regret the steps they'd taken in their relationship the night before; she relaxed back into him to reassure him, grinning as she replied, "Too tired to spend another day hiking, thanks to you."

Apparently relieved that she wasn't mad, or desperate to avoid him, he dropped his head back against the ground, laughing softly as he ran a hand over his hair. "I could carry you if you want."

"I'm sure the others'd love that," she agreed.

Especially Kevin, she added silently, slipping out from underneath his other arm, and the blanket, as she fumbled for her clothes, scattered to the four winds during the night.

"What're you doing?" he asked, a note of hurt in his voice, as he propped up himself on his elbows, watching her replace her underwear, and zip herself back into her jeans.

"Looking for my shirt," she explained, avoiding his eyes as she pretended not to understand his question, not wanting to see the disappointment lingering there. "Have you seen it?"

"It's over there," he said, sitting up with the blanket around his waist, pointing to the spot where the garment lay crumpled on the ground.

"Great. Thanks." Shaking it, picking off the worst of the leaves, she tugged it on over her bra, retrieving her backpack from beside the log, but before she could leave the clearing, Jack stood, catching her wrist, anchoring her to him.

"I think we should talk about this, about last night," he said, pushing her down, gently but firmly, to sit on the log before going after his own clothes.

"And we will, but everyone'll be up back at the campsite by now," she protested, freezing, feeling the guilt written across her expression when he let out an exasperated sigh.

"You mean Kevin'll be up by now," he corrected her as he buttoned his jeans, his tone taking on an unmistakable hint of jealousy, his fingers finding the bruise on his jaw as he added, "I thought the point of telling him was that we wouldn't have to keep sneaking around."

"And what happened when we told him?" she countered, standing up, seizing on this as inspiration, determined as she was to avoid any more scenes like the one on the beach. "He almost broke your jaw. What d'you think he's gonna do when he realises we're actually sleeping together now?"

"He's not gonna do anything, Kate," he argued stubbornly as he slipped on his own t-shirt, sighing again, this time in frustration. "Sooner or later he's gonna have to get over the fact that we're together, and you're not doing him any favours by shielding him from it."

"I know," she agreed, walking over to him, hating the fact that they were fighting, especially over Kevin. "I know, but I've put him through so much – I don't want to hurt him again by flaunting how happy I am in his face."

"You're happy?" he repeated with a tiny, hopeful, smile when she stopped in front of him, too stunned to remember that he was supposed to be mad at her.

"Yes," she agreed, taking his face in her hands, punctuating each word with a soft kiss on the lips, "Ridiculously… deliriously… happy." She draped her arms loosely around his neck when he slid his around her waist. "I don't regret this, any of this, especially not last night, but we're all here for God knows how long – I just don't want to rock the boat any more than we have to."

Meeting his eyes, bringing her lips enticingly close to his, so that she could feel the heat of his breath against them, she added, "Just give me some time to figure out how to act around him, okay? This is all new to me."

"Okay," he agreed, sneaking another quick kiss before resting his forehead against hers, reassured that she wasn't backing out on the promises they'd made. "So long as he knows that you're mine."

If Kevin didn't know this already, Kate was pretty sure that he did after watching them emerge from the jungle together a while later. She tried to drop Jack's hand when she saw that he'd seen them, but he clutched hers tighter, determined to make his point as they took their place at the head of the assembling group.

Glancing back over her shoulder at Kevin, she couldn't tell what he was thinking; he stared at her for a long moment before turning away, his jaw clenched while the rest of his face remained impassive.

She knew it wasn't a good idea to approach him; not only would it give him false hope, but it was the surest way she could think of to get into another fight with Jack, so she decided to seek out Libby instead.

"I slept with Jack, last night in the jungle," she confessed when she found her crouching by a stream during one of their breaks, alone, splashing water over her face to cool off.

The other woman's lips quirked in amusement, her eyebrows lifting on her forehead as she glanced up at Kate. "Jungle sex… that's kind of kinky," she quipped.

Standing up, she turned to Kate with an open, interested look, settling on one of the rocks on the bank like a psychoanalyst on a couch, waiting for her to continue.

"It wasn't," Kate told her, dropping down onto a rock across from her when she realised that she had her full attention. "It was…" unsure of the best word to describe how she felt, she explained, "He laid a blanket out for me, and asked if I was really sure…"

"And were you?" Libby checked, her voice etched with concern as drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Because less than forty-eight hours ago you were asking me if I thought it was too soon."

"I know," Kate agreed, feeling suddenly self-conscious, afraid that she was taking advantage of her by over-sharing, "but last night he told me he wanted us to be together whether or not we get rescued, and it just felt… right. Like sealing the deal, I guess."

Kate figured that Libby's work as a counsellor had desensitised her to awkward conversations, because she didn't seem at all uncomfortable as she stared out across the stream, deep in thought. "Sounds like you knew what you were doing, so I'm guessing you don't so much regret it as feel guilty about Kevin," she said after a moment, meeting Kate's eyes again with a kind smile. "Am I warm?"

"You're warm – hot, actually, although I'm not sure either of them would appreciate me saying that," Kate joked feebly, and they both laughed.

"I guess I just need to know that he's gonna be okay," she explained, her grin fading, when they sobered up again, "and since you talked to him yesterday, I thought…"

"You want to know what I said to him, and how he took it," Libby finished for her, and Kate nodded. It was easier to talk to her about this than to try to explain it to Jack; she knew that Libby, at least, wouldn't judge her, or take her guilt as anything other than a natural reaction to the end of her marriage.

"I told him exactly what you told me – that you really cared about Jack, that you felt like your relationship was beyond repair, and that you needed a fresh start, without all the lies, that it was hard for you, closing that door, but that you thought it was the best thing for both of you…

"He didn't like it – he tried to argue with me – but I think he understands where you're coming from a little better now. He hasn't tried to punch Jack again at any rate," she added with a wry smile, and Kate smiled too.

"You're a good friend, and a kick ass counsellor," she told her, pushing herself to her feet and offering a hand to help her up when she caught sight of Jack and Ana rounding up the group. "One of these days, I'm gonna have to think of a way to repay you."

Next chapter(s): They reach base camp, and catch up Charlie and Sayid... ;)