Chapter 37

Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I heart you all! :-D Enjoy this chapter!

Also, I made a new Jate video (had some free time) and would love it if any of you wanted to watch it. It's on YouTube. Search either my acct name- CRose307 or the video name 'Good to You-Jack and Kate'. I'm pretty proud of it. Please let me know what you think if you watch it!

Also, I combined chap. 17 into one part, and deleted any random author notes and now we are completly on track. Now if I can just edit all my chapters, it'll be perfect. I'm getting there LOL. Hope you all are enjoying this story! Thank you again so much for your reviews!

Kate sat straight up with a jolt, her sleepy eyes adjusting to her surroundings. She felt paniced, needing to know what time it was, where she needed to be. She felt like it was passed when she'd told Margo she would get the kids. Turning her head, she glanced down at Jack, who slept peacefully next to her, not having stirred at her sudden movement. She took a moment to gaze over his face, a peaceful, almost smile upon it, and his bare chest. His tattoos stood out against the white sheets, contrasting with their bright colors and unique designs. Reaching next to her to the bed side table, she grabbed her phone, checking the time, telling her it wasn't as late as she thought, and that she'd slept no more than an hour. She thought back before that hour, remembering their love-making, and a smile covered her pretty face. She felt better, her plan had worked. She knew all along he was all hers, she had just needed physical-emotional reassurance. And maybe he had needed some too. He had definitely needed her, Kate smirked. She layed back down beside him, sliding her hand across his chest to trace the tattoos that danced upon the inside of his arm, which was rasied to rest beside his head. His face twitched a little as she ran her fingers along the stars to the flames, and then circled around the waves before making their way back to the first star. She bit her lip to keep from giggling.

She continued to trace them, going in a new direction each time, loving the sense of torture and playfulness she felt as she did it. His face told her of his slight discomfort, not enough to satisfy her mischevious self, and began a light stroke up and down, from the beginning of the tattoo to the end and back.

"Mrs. Shephard, I suggest you stop what you're doing unless you want to lose that hand of your's." She jumped a little at his voice, and could tell by the wrinkle lines next to his closed eyes that he was trying to stay serious. Teasting him was one of her favorite pasttimes, and probably one of his least favorite. She smirked at his remark but continued her assault on his firm inner bicep.

"I'm not playing, there will be serious consequences if you continue." She let a giggle escape at his serious tone, and watched the side of his mouth twinge, as if he were trying not to smile. "This is your last warning..."

She managed one last stroke before the hand closest to her grabbed her wrist, interupting the motion. She shrieked and his eyes popped open, a devious smile threatening his lips, his eyes shining. "What did I say?" He warned, using his strength to flip her onto her back, trapping her small frame between his knees as she screamed with laughter as his fingers attacked her sides.

Kate pushed as hard as she could muster, but to no avail. Her laughter filled the room and he realized how much is was a ray of sunshine in his life. Finally she managed a hand on his hip and pushed with all her might, and as he lost his balance he pulled her with him, and they toppled off the large bed crashing to the ground in a mess of limbs, laughter, and sheets. Kate let out a yelp as he landed on her, and through his laughter, he tried to free himself so he could free her. As he climbed off of her, he grinned at her laughter as she grabbed her elbow.

"Owww." she laughed, a painful laugh, as he sat beside her.

"Are you okay?" He grinned, concerned, as Kate writhed on the floor.

"Why are you so heavy?" She whined, causing him to chuckle.

"Maybe you shouldn't have started antagonizing me," he countered. He reached for her elbow. "Let me see that." She stopped moving and tentatively removed her hand, to discover her palm carried the bright red mark of blood. She winced at the sight.

"Is it bad?" she made a face as he surveyed the damage.

"Looks like you caught it on the frame while falling. It's a good one." Pulling her, they stood up. "That's what you get for waking me." He playful scolded her, pulling her gently to the closet he knew had a first aid kit, as she rolled her eyes at him in annoyance. She surveyed his handsome, fit, naked body.

"Am I going to live, Dr. Shephard?" Kate asked seductively, as he cleaned the area of her elbow now lacking of skin, and her hand. He raised an eyebrow.

"It's touch and go. but with a little physical therapy.." a hand slid down her bare side around her body to her naked backside, pulling her closer, "you should be good as new." The bandaid sealed over her cut, she grinned up at his sexy smile.

"Thank you doctor. When should I start?" She asked with mock innocence, as moved her slightly back toward the mangled bed. He picked her up, as she wrapped her legs around his waist, giggling, as he carried her to the bed.

"As soon as possible." He layed her down on the bed, as she laughed, and began an assault before looking up at her momentarily. "Hey, question. Where are the babies?" He, all of a sudden, wondered. Kate smiled up at him.

"At your mother's."

"Oh, good. We should let her keep them and go to dinner," he spoke the words in between kisses on her neck.

"Jack..." she laughed his name, but didn't protest, enjoying their alone time. "Do you have to go back to work?"

"I'm sure I should but I'm busy right now. They know where I am."

"Looking to recreate earlier?" she whispered into his ear, and he growled lightly against her neck, the vibration tickling her.

"I'm looking to make it even better." Always the fixer, pleaser, and always striving to succeed, that didn't surprise her, though she wasn't sure it was possible. She was, however, willing to let him try.

"Mmm..." she moaned, accepting anything he was offering, "Have at it."

"Oh...I will."

Margo observed her son and daughter-in-law as they walked through her front door the next morning, and could tell by their relaxed appearances and easy-going demeanors that whatever that had been bothering Kate had subsided. Jack couldn't keep his hands off her, which Margo didn't feel she needed to witness, but was happy for them regardless.

"Good morning, you two. How was your night?" Kate's face flushed as Jack grinned.

"We had a great time at dinner, Mom. Thanks for watching the kids." Margo leaned against the foyer wall as Kate reached for baby Adam out of his carrier, and Aaron jumped up and down at Jack's feet.

"How was Adam?" Kate asked curiously. It had been her first night away from the baby, and Margo had assured her that he'd be fine, but Kate had still worried.

"He was great. Barely fussy and slept like a champ, minus the middle of the night cry for milk."

"That's normal. And great." Kate loved that Margo was so close and could watch the kids for them. Margo loved it, in fact, and had told them she'd keep them the whole day, and the two adults could enjoy a Saturday off together, but they had declined, missing their children. They had come by the night before for a few hours, before going to dinner, had been impressed by Aaron's desperate desire to stay at his grandmother's. The child loved being with Margo, who in turn, wanted him anytime he wanted to come over.

"Reminded me of when you were an infant, Jack. Except you were one fussy baby." Kate and Margo laughed as Jack's face turned a little red.

"Mom, I had no control over that." He laughed lightly, scooping Aaron up and holding him upside down. The child shrieked with pleasure.

"Oh I know. I'm just saying, you were a sensitive child. This baby must get his calmness from Kate." Kate stuck her tongue out playfully at Jack who rolled his eyes back playfully in response. "All right, children. Anyone want coffee?"

"Sure," the two replied in unison, then breaking into a laugh. Margo raised an eyebrow before shrugging and turning.

"To the kitchen we go, then." Margo turned with a smile, heading to her sun-lit kitchen, as Kate followed Aaron into the living room to rock Adam, and Jack followed his mother. She grinned at her son as she poured three cups of coffee. "You two seem happy." she observed. Jack smiled, accepting his cup.

"Yeah. Things are great." He replied, leaning against her counter. He loved the relationship he had with his mother these days, they were much closer that they had been in years, and he figured Kate had a little bit to do with that.

"Good, I'm glad. I don't know what you did, nor do I want to, but she was pretty much in shambles yesterday morning when she dropped the kids off, and though she wouldn't admit a damn thing, I knew something was wrong. I'm glad you fixed whatever you did." Her eyes twinkled with the knowing of a mother as she sipped her coffee. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"She was just a little upset about Sarah," he lowered his voice, cautious to not let Kate hear them talking. He could hear Aaron chattering away in the living room to her though, so he figured that she was occupied for the moment. "Sarah was at the office a few days ago, saying her same old story, and Kate walked in and saw her and her baby, and got upset. I told her about the kiss. She got pretty upset."

"I don't blame her. That Sarah girl, I knew she was trouble. She wasn't right for you."

"I know, Mom. You always made that very clear."

"Well, mothers know these things. Look where you are now." He nodded, agreeingly.

"I know, I know. Anyway, she just needed some time with me, I think. I think we both did."

"Two kids is hard, Jack. Especially when one of them is..." she drifted off, a pained look fleeting across her aged face at the thought of her late husband's daughter. Jack felt a hint of guilt and regret for telling his mother about Claire, and for Claire being where she was, but washed it away with a sip of his coffee, not ready or willing to let his good mood and a great day go to waste.

"I know. It is. But we're up to it. You can still take care of them in July, right?" Jack asked in a hushed tone, watching the door to make sure Kate didn't walk in at that moment. Margo nodded with a grin, any pain on her face having dissapeared.

"Yes, Jack, for the twentieth time. As long as the child is weaned by then, otherwise we're going to have a huge milk shortage." She laughed, implying she would not be supplying any milk to the child other than formula. Jack nodded, laughing.

"I know, I haven't figured out exactly how to get that to happen but I'm working on it. Paul has pretty much got everything figured out to get her a leave from California, for this reason only and for a week only. I'm pretty excited about it, actually." Jack had put his mother's lawyer to work with the State of California, and the judge who had sentenced Kate, to get a her a week of freedom for their honeymoon. Kate knew he was working on it, but she didn't know he had planned the trip already, and he planned to surprise her in the coming weeks, for her birthday.

"Well, I think she's going to be just tickled by your impressive law skills, and the trip itself. Do you think she's ready to fly again, though?"

"She doesn't have a choice," Jack chuckled, "We're going to Fiji and that's the end of it. She can balk all she wants but after what Paul and I went through, she's getting on that plane. Besides, for a week on an island with no babies, sand, surf, and sun, the right way, who says no to that?"

"Someone who did that to survive for over three months. I'm just saying..." her voice drifted off at Jack's warning look.

"I guess I could have taken her to the Holiday Inn in Vegas. That'd be a great honeymoon." He replied sarcastically and Margo rolled her eyes at her dark-haired son.

"That's not what I meant, Jack. I'm sure she'll love it, I was just being concerned for her."

"Being concerned for who?" Kate asked curiously as she entered the kitchen carrying Adam, who was content to wrap his little hand in her hair. Jack and Margo both jumped and Margo scrambled to cover her words.

"Oh, for you sweetie, about how much sleep you're not getting. Jack says you're fine, but I was just worried." Jack sighed a silent sigh of relief and said a silent thank you to his mother as Margo turned to hide her burning cheeks, grabbing Kate's cup of coffee. Kate looked from Margo to Jack and raised an eyebrow but didn't push the issue.

"I actually got a lot of sleep last night, I feel really rested. Thank you though," she replied to Margo shyly, knowing the statement wasn't entirely true, though she definitely felt rested. The amount of sleep they got however could be debated. Jack winked at her as he stole Adam from her arms. She smiled at her husband, who held the tiny baby so delicately, and admired the way he whispered quietly to the child. Jack was a natural, even if he didn't believe her when she said it. Both of their babies adored him, and when he was with them, it was clear how now, after all this time, he was finally comfortable. Maybe it had just taken a baby of his own.

"Mommy!" Came a squeal from the other room. Kate smiled at the yell of her first son.

"I'm being beckoned. I'll be back." She turned and retreated from the kitchen. "Coming, sweet pea!"

Jack and Margo exchanged looks of relief once she was gone. "You need to keep your mouth shut, or she's going to catch that something's up." Margo warned her son, watching him rock his son.

"I know. Its exhausting having to hide things, and I hate lying, but it'll be worth it." He grinned at the vision of her face in his mind, when he told her the plan he had created. They hadn't made love on a beach yet, they'd never gotten the chance, and that was one of the first things on his side of the itinerary. His mother didn't need to know that part.

"She will be." Margo agreed.

"As long she doesn't find out before." Jack grinned secretively as he wandered off to find his wife and eldest son in the living room, a Disney show playing before them.

*a few days later*

Kate waited for Jack to leave for work, telling him she and the kids would be enjoying a fun day of the park, a walk, and feeding the ducks Aaron loved so much at a pond by their house. Jack had kissed her goodbye, kissing the top of Aaron's head, and the baby's cheek, before heading off to work. They had been wonderful, and normal, since the previous Friday, but she still had one more thing to handle in the way of this Sarah situation. After she showered and bathed the children, she did her hair and makeup, and upon hearing the doorbell, was greeted by Cassidy and Clementine.

"Hey Cassidy!" Kate hugged the other woman tightly, as Clementine joined in. She was a little older than Aaron, a year or so, but had known Kate since she had been back from the Island. They hadn't seen each other since the small appearance Cassidy had made at their wedding, Kate still afraid to introduce her to Jack then, and she had yet to meet either Jack or Adam. Aaron came running, throwing his arms up.

"Auntie Cassidy!" The child threw his arms around Cassidy's leg.

"It's so good to see you, Kate! You look great! Hey Aaron, how are you?" She rubbed the little boy's back as Kate opened the door wider, inviting the two inside.

"Thanks. You do too! How are things?" Kate shut the door behind them as Aaron pulled Clementine into the living room. She felt bad at Jack not knowing they were coming, but she figured, he had to meet them sooner or later, and Kate hadn't been able to get Margo or Veronica to watch the babies. And she couldn't wait a day more to get things over with.

"Great. We had a nice drive here and, Clemetine couldn't stop talking about how excited she was to see Aaron. Where's this baby of yours?" Cassidy followed Kate into the kitchen, to where Adam layed in his bouncy seat.

"This is Adam Samuel." Kate said proudly, picking him up. Cassidy coo'ed over the little baby, who stared intently at her.

"Oh, Kate. He's beautiful. When I got your e-mail about what happened, I was so happy everything turned out good for you two. That could have been a tragic accident." Cassidy reached for the infant, taking him from Kate, who smiled on proudly.

"Yeah, we're both so lucky. If Jack hadn't been there, I don't know what might have happened."

"I can't believe he actually delivered this little guy in the back on an ambulance. What are you married to? Superman?" Cassidy chided, laughing. Kate laughed with her.

"I think sometimes he thinks he is. It was the scariest moment of my life, and I don't think I could have done it without him." She saw emotions cross Cassidy's face, as she knew Sawyer had never met his daughter, and Kate felt for the woman before her. She had dated since Sawyer, but no one serious. Not many men were looking for a woman with such baggage, she would say. Kate would dissagree, and wished her friend the happiness she felt.

"You have a beautiful house." Cassidy switched the subject as Kate poured her a glass of iced tea.

"Thank you. Please make yourself at home. I shouldn't be gone long. There's plenty of bottles in the fridge and there's plenty to feed Aaron and Clem. Help yourself to anything you need or want. Jack shouldn't be home before me, so you won't have to worry about that."

"And if he does come home?" Cassidy questioned, voicing the small fear Kate held in the back of her mind.

"Tell him the truth. What else can we say? He'll be pissed if we lie and he finds out the truth. And trust me, he always does." She laughed ruefully. Not that she was one to lie, but Jack always found out the truth in things.

"Alright, if that's what you say. 'Oh yeah, by the way, I'm Cassidy, Sawyer's ex-lover and this is our lovechild Clemetine. We're babysitting for your wife.' He'll love that, I'm sure." The women laughed and Kate shrugged.

"I'm sure he will but I'm sure we won't have to find out how he feels. As least I hope not." Kate slipped her shoes on, smoothed her shirt, and grabbed her purse. "I won't be long. Call my cell if you need me." She kissed the infant and called to Aaron. "Bye sweet pea, love you! Be good for Cassidy!"

"Okay, mommy!"

"Thanks again, Cass."

"Good luck, honey. I'm sure she's not going to be pleased to see you on her doorstep. Give the witch my best." Cassidy remarked smartly and Kate laughed before proceeding out the door, ignoring the nervous butterflies in her stomach. She reminded her self of her anger as she drove, psyching herself up for the confrontation she knew was overdue.

Kate parked against the curb in front of the large house that read as Sarah's address. She thought for a moment about what Jack would think about what she was about to do, but decided that it didn't matter, reminding herself of who she had been before Jack, before the crash. She protected the things she loved, that was what had gotten her into trouble in the first place, and Kate was fiercly territorial. She knew she was a good person but she would be manipulative and threatening when she felt threatened, and the woman who lived in that house was definitely a threat, not to her relationship to Jack maybe, but to Kate as a woman. Climbing out of her Tahoe, she made her way to the door and rang the doorbell. After a beat, and large wood door opened, revieling the reason Kate had driven over here. Sarah looked shocked and surprised to see Kate on the other side of her door.

"Hi Kate." Sarah started tentatively. Kate's face hardened and she suddenly felt as if venom slid through her veins.

"Sarah."

"What can I do for you?" The blonde woman asked, visibly uncomfortable.

"I just wanted to make a point to stop by and ask you to leave my husband alone. I've had enough of your visits to him, and I would appreciate it if you'd keep your hands, and lips, off of him. You had him once, Sarah, I know, but he doesn't love you anymore. Did you think he ever could after what you did to him?" Kate paused and watched as Sarah digested her words.

"Kate, I think you're out of line for coming here." Sarah stood defiantly up to the brunette, but Kate wasn't concerned.

"Sarah, you just need to understand exactly where I'm coming from. I know Jack kissed another woman when you two were married. And I know it hurt you, and placed the last nail in the coffin that was you ending your marriage. And I'm not ending my marriage, and neither is Jack. I don't care what I have to do, but you are to stay away from him, do you understand? Woman to woman, you should understand my request."

"Are you threatening me?" Sarah seemed suddenly concerned. Kate chuckled a little.

"No, I'm not. I'm asking you," she stressed the word, "to leave me and my family be. You've been interfering long enough. I'm sorry for your second divorce, but I'm thankful for your first. And Jack is as well. He's not interested. And don't think this will be the last time you'll see me if this continues. I will do whatever it takes to protect my family." She stood her ground, and watched as the blonde woman before her suddenly became uneasy. "Thank you for your time. I really, really appreciate it. I hope this is the last time I have to. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Yes, I do." came the meek answer, Sarah suddenly seeming intimidated by the petite woman in front of her. Kate smiled.

"Great. Thanks again." Kate retreated down the steps, feeling suddenly strong. She felt it had worked. She just hoped it would continue that way. Kate reached for the phone as she put her Tahoe in drive, and called Cassidy.

"Hello?" Cassidy answered.

"Cass, I did it. I told her." Kate smiled to herself, feeling a little shaky.

"Great! I hope she got the message."

"How are the kids?"

"Wonderful. We're playing a game and Adam just went down for his nap. See you soon?"

"Yep. I'm on my way. Thanks again!"

"Anytime. It'd be nice to see you and your kids more than twice a year. And maybe meet this mysterious Superman husband of your's." Kate laughed and nodded.

"It would be nice. Sounds good to me! See you in a bit!" She hung up the phone and felt like she had finally solved the problem that was her husband's ex-wife. If Jack found out what she had done-she wasn't sure what he'd think but she was ready to defend her actions to the end of the earth. Sometimes it just took one woman to another to get the point across. Sighing, she felt relaxed as she eased onto the interstate, heading back across Los Angeles to her home. Now as long as Jack didn't show up at the house in the next 30 minutes, her plan had gone off without a hitch.

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