Just another short update. Not much more to this story... maybe an epilogue but that's it. My goal was just to tell the story of how the beginning of Jack and Kate's relationship might have been. I hope you have enjoyed reading this little exploration as much as I did writing it. As always, nothing belongs to me and no harm intended through this work of fiction. Thank you for reading. SS.

Chapter Four

She woke at dawn, the timing ingrained from her routine as of late. Jack's warm body lay next to her and as much as she was drawn to his warmth, she was compelled from the bed all the same. Quickly and quietly, she donned her running gear and was on her way. She ran along the shore, the sand adding a new dimension to her regular run. Still, she made sure she also found a place to include the pull ups and push ups she usually included at home. Nearly an hour later, she was running back toward the house, seeing Jack sitting on the steps with a cup.

"Ambitious this morning," he said when she reached him.

"Yeah, well," she shrugged, suddenly self-conscious in her running attire of shorts and a fitted tank.

Jack seemed to have noticed as well because he ran his hand along her thigh and then wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her down to his lap.

"Jack, no, I'm all sweaty," she protested.

"I'd like to make you even more sweaty," he countered and then he captured her lips in a kiss. He must have put down his coffee cup because his hands roamed freely of her body and soon, he was carrying her back into the house, her legs wrapped around his waist.

She woke later, alone in the bed. Smells of food cooking made their way through the open doorway and she retrieved a t-shirt from her bag and donned it before following the smells into the kitchen. There she found Jack, shirtless, in front of the old stove.

"Please tell me you are working on some sort of breakfast," she said, leaning against the doorframe.

"Kate, you're up. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed," he said, adding: "even if it is almost lunchtime."

He turned back to the stovetop and she walked across the room. Her hand stroked the smooth skin of his back and she pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades.

"You know, if you keep that up, we might not be eating until dinner," he growled, turning and reaching out to slap her ass. "And, don't think I didn't notice that you don't have anything on underneath that shirt."

She laughed and stepped away, heading over to the fridge. She poured herself and Jack a glass of orange juice and brought them both over to the table. He soon joined her with an omelette for each of them. She ate everything, the simple breakfast tasty and filling especially after the appetite she had built up with her morning exercise and her 'exercise' afterward with Jack.

They spent their afternoon at the beach, relaxing in the sun and the surf. After showering the sand from their sun-warmed skin, they walked into town to enjoy a fresh fish dinner on a quaint little patio. After their dinner and drinks, they took the long way back to the beach house, strolling along the edges of the waves, hand in hand, watching the sun sink into the horizon. Once they finally arrived at house, Jack went inside and poured them each a glass of wine. Kate had taken a seat on one of the steps leading up from the beach and when Jack returned, he sat one step up and she leaned back into the V of his legs, her arms wrapped around his knees.

They sat together in silence but although Kate rested comfortably, Jack's hands slowly moved over her, gently stroking the exposed skin at her collarbone and along her shoulders. Her skin tingled with the contact and soon her entire body was humming from his slow and soft caresses. Soon enough, he was pulling her to her feet and leading her into the bedroom and they quickly gave themselves over to the desire that was coursing through them.

Dawn broke the next morning and Kate found herself waking with it once again. She stretched, her muscles protesting slightly. Her body was accustomed to the running and calisthenics but the added exercise from the swimming along with her bedroom activities with Jack had certainly added an extra dimension to her workout routine. The warmth of his body called to her but something deeper compelled her to move away from his warmth, to train her body as she had been daily for several weeks now. She shifted slightly, moving closer to the side of the bed.

"Mmm, sweetheart, it's early," he murmured.

The gravelly tone of his sleep-filled voice called to her but wasn't enough to overcome the deeper compulsion to run. She started to rise from the bed when suddenly, his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him.

"Stay with me," he whispered into her ear but somehow the words, his voice, didn't seem to connect with her mind. Instead, all she felt was trapped by the iron band around her waist.

"Let me go," she grunted through clenched teeth as she twisted her body while pulling at the arm holding her. "Let me go!"

"Easy, Kate," he said as he loosened his grip but didn't release her. She still continued to thrash, arms and legs flailing until finally a foot connected with his shin. "Dammit, Kate," he yelled as he released her.

She scrambled from the bed, reaching for her shorts and pulling them on, followed quickly by her sports bra. Jack had followed her out of the bed and stood in front of the doorway.

"Where are you going?"

She didn't answer him, didn't even look up to meet his eyes. She knew she should, but she couldn't make herself. In some corner of her mind, she even knew that she should stay. That she shouldn't run but something inside her said that she needed to. That she needed to get faster and stronger. She moved to push past him but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back against him.

"Let go of me," she yelled, pulling her arm, but failing to get it away from his grip. "I need to do this. I need to… I need to be faster, stronger…" She grunted as she said the last, twisting her body while yanking her arm from his hand. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pinned her against him. She pushed with all her might against his chest. "I won't let them take me again! Unngh!" She pushed and threw her bodyweight backwards. "You can't hurt me! I won't let it happen again!"

Suddenly, she was freed. So suddenly that she had almost fallen to the ground. She stumbled instead, keeping her feet beneath her as she made her way to the door. Her feet hit the sand and she raced along the shoreline, uncertain if she was running toward something or running away. Her legs and arms pumped as the sun continued to rise, burning the morning dampness from the air. Eventually her lungs burned with her exertion and she slowed her pace. Her feet began to ache, unaccustomed to running without shoes and she finally turned back, skipping the calisthenics from her normal routine. As she neared the house, she could see Jack seated on the steps, waiting for her. She slowed further until she was only walking by the time she reached the edge of their property. He stood as she approached, holding out a bottle of water which she took gratefully. He sipped from a coffee mug and watched her as she drank. It wasn't until she lowered the bottle that he spoke.

"Do you want to tell me what happened here?"

"What? It was nothing. I just wanted to go for a run."

"Kate, you and I both know it was more than that. What's going on?"

He reached out and tipped her chin up so she would meet his eyes. She read the questions and concerns in his penetrating gaze. She held it for a moment and then moved past him, dropping to the steps that he had just recently vacated. He sat down beside her, his thigh pressing slightly against hers.

"Kate, I have to be honest, I had questions even before we came here. I thought it seemed like you were exercising too much, too often, but I wasn't sure."

He reached over and clasped her hand in his, the weight of his arm resting on her thigh, their hands held between her legs. She focused on their hands, the contrast of his weathered skin against her slightly tanned hand. His thumb slowly moved back and forth and the simple caress seemed to ground her.

"I need to get stronger, to get faster," she said softly, still looking at their joined hands.

"Why?" he asked, just as softly, ducking his head so he might catch her eye.

She took a deep breath, in and out, and then closed her eyes. Images flashed in the back of her mind and tear escaped, unbidden. "So it won't happen again. So they can't take me. So they can't hurt me."

"Oh, Kate." Her name was barely a breath from his lips and he reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear. He released her hand and stroked her back and then tightened his arms around her, lifting her onto his lap. He rocked her slightly and she dropped her head to his chest, letting him hold her.

"You were so strong that day," he said after many minutes had passed. "I didn't think… I didn't imagine that… I'm sorry. I should have known."

"Should have known? What?"

"That everything that happened to you that day was still affecting you. Not just the blow about your sister, but what had actually happened to you."

She pushed away from him slightly, looking up and meeting his eyes for the first time since she had sat down. "It's not affecting me," she said firmly. "Of course, I had nightmares at first, but they're gone now. This is not some kind of post-traumatic stress reaction. This is me taking control."

She untangled herself from his embrace and stood in front of him, hands on her hips. "I was taken, against my will, not once but twice that day. I was pushed and pulled around not only by these criminals but sometimes even by you." Jack looked as though he was about to speak but she held up a silencing hand. "You needed me to move, sometimes faster then I was able. I'm not saying you meant to hurt me intentionally. Those bruises faded rather quickly. It's just that… I felt so helpless." She took a deep breath and dropped her hands to her side, defeated. "I am going to make sure that if I'm ever in a situation like that ever again, I am going to outrun whoever is after me or be strong enough to break free if they catch me."

He stood up and ran his hands up and down the length of her arms. Then, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him once again.

"I'm so sorry, Kate," he said against her hair. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry that you felt that way.

She let his warmth penetrate her while his words washed over her. She felt vulnerable, exposed, having never acknowledged before this moment why she needed to run; why she needed to train. He held her and she held him and she thought that maybe, in his arms, in this house, she was safe. She thought that maybe, so long as they stayed here, together, she was protected.

"C'mon," he said as he shifted until he stood beside her. "Let's go inside."

There you have it. Thank you for reading. Please let me know your thoughts by dropping a review. Scarlet.