In The Morning - Alex's POV

"So…when exactly are we going to do this?"

Jack was still wary of her. He'd stood back the whole time, and just watched while Kate fussed and cried over her.

"Well, whenever you want. But the sooner we go, the better. I was thinking tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I told you, I have everything planned. Just say the word."

Kate glared back at Jack, then whipped her head back around again, hoping she wouldn't notice. But she did.

"Tomorrow's fine. I don't want to spend any more time here than I have to. And neither does Jack."

"Okay then. I'll come and get you sometime in the morning, early I think. I'll take you down to the docks, with Tom, and my friend should be there with the boat." She sighed "And then we can go.

"Get some sleep okay? I'll see you in…about six hours."

She turned to go but Kate caught her arm.

"Thank you…I just—thank you."

She smiled and gently freed herself.

"You're welcome. I really have to go now."

Kate nodded and opened the door, and she slipped outside.

Instead of walking away once the door had closed behind her she crouched down outside of it, ear pressed to the wood. They were arguing.

"…she was offering to help us! And you were so rude…"

"… …I'm sorry, okay?"

"You should be."

"…how do we know we can trust her though? She's Ben's daughter for Christ's sake! She could be working for him…no Kate, don't go I'm sorry."

"…off me! Jack, please."

"Shhh, I'm sorry okay…don't be mad."

And then quiet.

Her best guess was that he was hugging Kate. Like Kevin would do after they'd had an argument.

But he was dead, she had to remember, dead – he wasn't coming back, no matter how much she wanted him to, no matter how much she cried for him. She gently laid a hand on her stomach, and felt a curve there that hadn't been there before. Kevin's baby was growing.

It was late. And if Ben noticed she was gone…she had to go.

She slunk across their 'village', dodging behind trees in case any one looking out into the cold halflight of the night might see her. She'd read in books about how, in the real world, the night sky was completely black. She longed for it sometimes, rather than this mocking artificial glow that enveloped their homes. A security measure, again. The light couldn't be seen from outside, but it was just enough for those within to see around – and out. She still wasn't quite sure where it came from. Whenever she asked Ben about it he just smiled at her and told her that she was too young to worry about that.

Too young. She'd always been too young for him. Seventeen, and still a girl to him. She could almost understand why he'd lost his temper at her over Kevin. And now, over the baby. She loved him, somewhere in the recesses of her heart beneath all the resentment that currently filled her.

For as long as she could remember she'd been his daughter. He'd been her father, and his late wife her mother. She'd died some ten years ago, and then there was just Ben. Left to raise her on his own. But ever since she'd been about seven she'd known she wasn't his real daughter. Her mother, Danielle…she'd spent three whole weeks following her through the jungle when she was about sixteen. It fascinated her, watching this stranger eat and hunt and move about. A living breathing person. Her mother.

She arrived back at Ben's house, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the window still open and the lights to Ben's room out. The curtains billowed outwards from her room, and she got entangled in them as she climbed through the window. Cursing, she landed on the floor with a thump. Her heart was racing, and at any minute she expected to hear the flick of his light switch and the thump of his footsteps along the corridor.

But nothing. Silence. After lying rigid on the floor for about two minutes, barely daring to breathe, she got up and quietly took off her shoes. And then, exhausted and fully clothed she crept into bed.

But sleep wouldn't come. She waited and waited, and then realised that her head was too cluttered with thoughts of what was to come. Escape…freedom…life. A child.

She slid her hand over her stomach, laying the palm flat over her belly button. The heat surprised her. It was a nice heat, a comfortable one. A familiar one.

My baby.

Ok, I am coming back from my hiatus! I'm still a bit…off, so updates won't exactly be systematic, but I will try my utmost to update every weekend when I'm home from boarding school. In fact, because it will only be weekend-ly, I'm going to update a few chapters every weekend. fingers crossed

I just wanted to explore Alex's back story a little more. She's so mysterious in the show, don't you think? And she and Kevin are so sweet together! I've decided that they're my second favourite ship on Lost. This wasn't a very jatey chapter, but Alex's story needed telling and that wasn't gonna happen from Jack or Kate's POV. But when they escape I promise I'll add some more in. I might even be a bit deliberately-heavy-handed with the the Jate-shaker and tip too much in…what do you think?