Sorry it took so long for me to update, but as I think I said before, I work in retail, so it's been crazy this week. I've finished chapter 25 now, so I'm putting it up – as you'll see when you read it, it's the last. I know there are some plot threads that are still a little loose, but since I really don't understand the US legal system, I'm a little hesitant. I am thinking of writing a sequel though, once I've had a break, and a chance to work on some original stuff, so we'll see. If I can think of a way for Kate to avoid jail that doesn't feel like copping out, I will probably do that. I may have to do some research first though.

Chapter 25. Destiny

After she finished speaking, Jack continued to hold Kate's gaze, carefully processing her words. In the craziness of the past few days, he had only allowed himself to consider their situation pragmatically and logistically; he'd never stopped to think about the chain of events that had led them to Seattle, to this moment. But now that he had, he realised she was right. Maybe everything did happen for a reason.

He knew that there would be people, his mother included, who would call their daughter a mistake, an accident, but seeing her, holding her, Jack knew he would never be one of them. He regretted a lot of things, but not this. This baby was one of the few things he'd done in the past few years that he was unashamedly proud of.

Jack was aware of Sam's presence, still in the room, but when he spoke, it was only to Kate. "Locke told me once, back on the island, that I believed in destiny, I just didn't know it yet. I thought he was crazy – he said a lot of crazy things in those days, but now, today… I think I understand what he meant. He was talking about the island, but what he said is just as true here.

"We shouldn't be together. You're right – we should never have met. But we did.

"As hard as it is to believe that he was right, that this is destiny, it's harder to believe that all this is as random as I would have told you it was a year or two ago." As Jack's eyes travelled down to their beautiful little girl, snuggled up in her blanket against her mother's chest, he added, "I'm not even sure I want to anymore."

There were tears in Kate's eyes again, but this time, there was joy in them too.

"Solace…" he said, trying it out. It was soft and feminine, rolling off his tongue, but best of all, it summed up his feelings about her exactly. She wasn't planned, like some would argue the child of responsible parents should be, but if they'd waited, she wouldn't have been as special.

"Solace Shephard." As she said it, Kate offered him a shy smile, and he wondered at the implication. Did she want to marry him, if not today, then some day? Or was this just for the sake of tradition? Should he take this as a hint, and propose to her now, or wait for something more concrete?

She opted not to offer him an explanation right away, drawing his attention back to their daughter as she added, "We could call her Solly for short if you think it's too formal."

Jack thought it was perfect just the way it was, but Sam piped up, "That's cute," easing himself up from the bed. "If that's decided, then I've got a few phone calls to make," he said, kissing the top of Kate's head, and grasping the baby's hand gently as he added, "Bye Solly."

"We're not telling anyone yet," Kate warned him, giving him a stern look. "Not until we find out what my options are. Just you, Jack's mother, and a couple of our friends from the island."

The old man smiled secretively, choosing not to respond. Instead, he laughed, kissed her again, and whispered something Jack couldn't quite catch, but that sounded like, "I'm really proud of you, Katie. For what it's worth, I think you're going to make a great mother."

Taking a last, lingering look at his granddaughter, he headed for the door, shaking Jack's hand again on the way out. "Congratulations again, son," he said. "Call it destiny, or whatever you want, but I'm glad that she met you." He nodded back towards the bed, to Solace. "You'll understand one day. As a parent, all you ever want is for your child to be happy. You've given me the greatest gift I could ever imagine."

Before Jack could say a word, he was gone, descending the stairs to the phone to make his calls. Whatever he was planning, Jack hoped he didn't spend too much. By now, Solace would have everything she needed back in L.A.

They were alone again now, the three of them. His family. It sounded strange to Jack, but the more he thought about it, to more he realised that it didn't really feel that way. It felt right.

He took Sam's spot on the edge of the bed, hesitating, but then thinking better of it as he leaned back against the headboard, pulling Kate and their daughter into his arms. She didn't fight it, sliding over to him, and settling back against his chest with a contented sigh. That kiss had changed everything. They didn't need to ask permission anymore.

"So Shephard, huh?" Jack said, running his fingers through her curls like he had so many nights on the island. There'd been no barriers then, physically, or emotionally – he could have asked what he was trying to ask without being afraid of her reaction. "That means you won't have the same last name as her." He tried to make his voice sound light, playful, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was about her going to jail again. That she didn't think it mattered, because she wouldn't be there.

He was so sure being a martyr that what she said next surprised him. "For now."

Jack looked at her hopefully, and she smiled, giving him all the confirmation he needed. She wanted to marry him, just not right away.

That was okay. He could wait.

"Have you thought any more about L.A.?" he asked, knowing there was every chance now that her answer would be just as encouraging.

She had closed her eyes, giving in to her exhaustion, but she opened them again so that she could look at him seriously. "Yes."

"And?"

"And, I want to try. I think we should see a lawyer."

He had been dreading her answer for so long; Jack felt a wave of happiness wash over him, but he quelled it quickly, willing himself not to make too many plans. They still had a long road ahead of them; it could be months, maybe even years, before they would be able to lead what he had considered a normal life before the crash.

He enveloped her a little tighter, kissing the top of her head, her cheek, then finally, her lips. When he pulled back, he said, "I've got a surprise for you, in L.A. Charlie and Claire are helping me organize it."

"What is it?" she asked, her tired eyes lighting up as she considered this.

It was then that Jack realised he had never given her anything before, not unless he counted seeds, and things like that. He had never been in a position to, not like he was now. He couldn't wait to see her reaction. "A surprise. You'll have to wait and see."

She looked down at Solace, carefully tucking an errant foot back into the folds of the blanket, and he knew what she was thinking. He'd already given her the most amazing gift, but even so, he was looking forward to doing something special for her.

"How did you know I'd come to L.A.?" she said as last.

"I have faith in you." When Kate leaned, back, looking up at him, Jack added, "Deep down, you've always wanted to do the right thing, but you never had a reason before. You hated Wayne because he was a bad father, and an even worse human being. That's why you want to set a good example for Solace, even if that means facing up to the consequences of your actions."

She managed a little smile for him, amused at how well he could put something she barely understood herself into words, but when she spoke, her voice was decidedly bitter. "Whatever they turn out to be."

There it was again, that self-pity, that defeatism, the flaw in her character that had made her a fugitive, that had caused her to walk out on Jack once, but never again.

"Remember what you said once, about the 'whole glass half full thing' not being like me?" he said, and she nodded, defensive at the realisation that he was going to throw her words back at her.

Jack ignored this, latching onto the tiny glimmer of hope he saw in her eyes as she waited for him to finish. She wanted to believe him, but she wasn't strong enough to take that leap. She was too afraid of being disappointed again, now that she had so much to lose. "Well, I meant what I said before – I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. We're going to fight this, and we're going to keep fighting, until you're safely back with your family where you belong."

Kate opened her mouth to speak, but Jack cut her off. "You gave up on us once. I'm not going to let you do it again."

She stayed silent for a long time after that, but Jack could tell his words had had an impact on her.

She slept soundly that night for the first time since he'd met her, and when he called his father's lawyer the next morning, to make an appointment, she convinced him to take one the following day. He offered to stay another week in Seattle, so that she could spend more time with Sam, but she turned him down, packing her and Solace's belongings that night before they went to bed. Still tired and a little sore from the birth, she was the first one to the car the next morning, strapping Solace's capsule into the backseat, and kissing her father goodbye. After more than four years as a fugitive, she was no longer running from the eye of the storm, but heading into it, with the hope of finally seeing what was on the other side.

So that's it, the end of my fic. Thank you all for reading, and for your wonderful reviews. I was a little nervous about posting something in the beginning – I've seen some really negative comments on this site, but you've been nothing but encouraging. It occurred to me the other day that this story has largely been about three people sitting in a house in Seattle talking about their feelings while they wait for a baby to be born, so I hope that wasn't as tedious to read as it sounds. It was small, but I think that made it more intimate, so I hope you enjoyed that. Now that it's finished, I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say about my fic as a whole, so feel free to keep reviewing.

If you didn't guess, Jack's surprise is a nursery, by the way. I picture in being pink and white, with a big bay window overlooking the beach, which I think is pretty fitting, since that's where Solace's parents met, and where she was most likely conceived. Obviously Jack didn't have time to oversee it when he went to L.A., but he gave Charlie and Claire specific instructions as to what he wanted. I know you all wanted to see Margo, but if I do a sequel, I promise you she'll be in it, disappointed, and probably advising Jack to get a paternity test. Once she gets over the shock, I think she'll embrace her only granddaughter though, particularly if she doesn't want to lose Jack again.

Thanks again. I hope you all have a merry Christmas, and a safe and happy New Year.