A/N- Okay I'm really, really, really,really,really sorry. I knew I said it wouldn't take that long for me to update again, and now here it is, what three or four weeks later. Again I'm really sorry, I really am, but you know how it is with all the holiday stuff going on. There was just so much to do, plus all the snowboarding and parties. But that is done for now, well at least the parties. But anyway without further waiting, here is chapter 9.
Kate never thought that she would be here, like this, in this moment like she was. And not the whole plane crash, stuck on an island with scary monsters and a sixteen year old transmission from some French lady. She meant sitting here, in the arms of an incredible man who she genuinely loved and knowing he new the whole truth about her, yet he still felt the same way about her that she did about him.
She had dreamed about this day for so long but never thought that it would happen. It just never seemed possible, yet here she was and it was twenty times better than she could have ever imagined. Especially that kiss. She had kissed so many men over the years, but not one kiss from any of those men had ever left her breathless like his did. Not one of those men had ever made her feel like she did right now wrapped in Jack's arms.
Kate felt more content then she had ever felt before. Sitting in the dim cave with Jack's arms wrapped around her, her head resting on his shoulder and his head resting on hers, she couldn't think of any place she'd rather be. She felt like she had finally found her way home again.
The trip that had seemed to take so long before now seemed to speed by. A lot had changed over the years; old buildings had been knocked down, new houses had been built where there once hadn't been any and the colors seemed much sharper and brighter. Though she suspected that it was she herself that had changed the most over the years.
She watched the landscape roll by out of the windows of the truck, willing the wheels to slow down, praying for more time. This trip scared her more than anything had before. She was so nervous that she was sure she wouldn't be able to get out of the truck once they got there, so she tried to think of something else to relax herself just a little. But the questions wouldn't stop rolling through her head. Will she recognize me? What will she say? Will she ever forgive me for what I did?
She felt the truck slowly coming to a stop and looked up out the front window. They were there, it was time. She tried to reach for the seatbelt but found her hands and arms unwilling to move. She couldn't do this.
He could tell she was nervous and scared by the way she kept fidgeting in her seat. He hated seeing her like this and he hated putting her through it, but he knew that after it was done she would feel a lot better. So he shut off the engine and undid his seatbelt. He reached across the car seat and placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze. The least he could do was not to make her go through it alone.
She felt his hand squeeze hers so she looked to him and met his eyes. In them she saw comfort, strength and reassurance and it gave her the courage to get out of the truck and take a few steps towards the house. She could do anything if he was by her side, ready to catch her.
He came up behind her and placed a hand on her back, gently pushing her forward. She looked over at him and the little girl he held in his arms. In those two beings she found the courage and the strength to continue. With everything she had been through this should be the easiest thing she had ever done. So she walked forward and knocked on the door.
After waiting a few minutes with no answer, they turned to go when they heard a squeal from the back yard. She took a hold of his hand and they slowly walked around the porch, and when they turned the last corner she stopped dead in her tracks. She could only stand there and stare.
What she saw was an elderly couple sitting at a picnic table making hotdogs and cutting up fruit. There was a handsome man holding his year old son on a tire swing as his wife stood back and took pictures. Everyone one of them was smiling and laughing and happy.
When Jack looked over at Kate he saw tears rolling down her cheeks and felt his eyes start to water as well. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. He knew that no matter what happened next, it was a good thing they had come. Neither he nor she would ever forget this day.
Kate took the comfort Jack provided when he put his arm around her. She looked back at him and than at their daughter held them both close. When she finally let go, she grabbed Jack's hand once again and walked forward. It wasn't until they had made it halfway across the yard before they were noticed.
Sarah had thrown her head back when she had been laughing, and as she slowly brought it back down she saw them. In that moment Kate stopped walking and Sarah became quiet and still. When everyone else notice the change in her and the camera that had fallen out of her hand, they all turned to see what she was starring at and everything grew silent. No one knew what to say or do so they just stood there.
Kate felt like she was going to be sick; this was the moment of truth. She knew she should say something but she couldn't find the right words, none seemed to fit. But just when she was about to open her mouth, Sarah broke the trance in which they all seemed to be stuck, and walked towards Kate.
As she came closer, Kate could see the tears that were streaming down her sister's face. She still didn't know what was going to happen so she stood completely still until her sister came up to her and through her arms around her and hugged her close. Kate wrapped her arms around Sarah and held her tight, her tears coming down harder than they had before.
They stood there for a long time, just holding each other and crying. When they finally broke apart, Kate looked to Jack and saw that he had been crying as well. Without saying a word she thanked him for making her come. Then she looked back at Sarah and the people that were now standing behind her. She looked to Harry and Sandy and saw that they also had been crying. Then they stepped forward and enveloped her in a big hug, and they all wept again.
When they broke apart, Kate and Sarah hugged again, and as they held each other a second time Kate said that she was sorry.
"What for?" Sarah asked, "You have nothing to be sorry for, except for staying away for so long. I have been waiting for the day when I could thank you for everything you did for me. So thank you, and welcome home."
-----
Jack felt his eyes growing heavier and heavier but he struggled to keep them open. He was finally holding the most amazing woman in his arms and he didn't want to miss a second of it. The silky feeling of her hair against his cheek, the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest as she took each breath, it all seemed like a dream, like a fantasy that could never come true.
Yet as he sat there, feeling the warmth of her body pressed up against his, he knew that he wasn't dreaming, he knew that everything that happened and everything that was said, had really taken place. Her confessions as well as his, him saying that he loved her and their kiss. The kiss was amazing, the best and most passionate kiss he had ever had, and he could still feel her lips on his even now.
But his eyes grew heavier and heavier still, so he decided to give into sleep, knowing that his dreams tonight were going to be good dreams. But before he closed his eyes, he took one last look at the angel in his arms, kissed her lightly on the forehead and only then did he close his eyes and let sleep take over him.
He was walking through the jungle, picking up pieces of firewood, when Charlie came hurtling through the bushes, scaring him half to death.
"Jack, Jack you've got to hurry. Come on, let's go, we got to go now."
"Charlie slow down, what are you talking about?"
"Her water broke man, she going to have the baby right now. You've got to come."
As soon as the first words left Charlie's mouth, Jack was off and running at top speed towards the caves, the words 'she's going to have the baby' repeating over and over in his head. He didn't think about anything else except getting to her and he didn't stop running until he reached her side. And as soon as he got to her side he went straight into Doctor Mode and started prepping her as best he could for the delivery.
He still couldn't believe it had been almost eight months to the day when Kate told him that she was pregnant. He can still remember that day as clear as if it had been the day before. They had gone to the beach to take a bath and as they were washing each other she turned to him and held his arms still. Then with her eyes facing the water she told him that she was late and that she was pretty sure she was pregnant.
He remembered her being so scared that he was going to get mad or break up with her. He remembered how stunned she was when he hugged her close with a big smile on his face. He had always wanted to have kids, and in that moment he was the happiest man in the world.
But now kneeling at her side, he wished that Kate hadn't gotten pregnant. He didn't want his child to be born on this island where there wasn't the best medicine to take care of it or of Kate if something went wrong during the delivery.
He felt a little bit better knowing that Claire's delivery had gone perfectly without any complications, but this was his child and the woman he loved, so naturally he was more concerned and paranoid. He prayed to God that nothing bad would happen to either one of them.
A baby's cry echoed through the jungle as she was brought into the world. Kate cried as finally held her baby in her arms and Jack let a tear slide down his cheek as he kissed them both. They were both okay, nothing had gone wrong. He was a daddy now.
That night Jack held Kate close as they sat up watching their child sleeping in the little crib that had once been used by Claire's baby boy. They held onto each other, unable to remove the smiles from their faces. Neither could have been happier than they were in that moment.
"Have you thought of a name yet?" Jack asked Kate.
"I was thinking of the name Hope. What do you think?"
"I think that's a perfect name."
Jack then kissed her and they said goodnight to Hope before lying down and falling to sleep as well. That night he dreamed of a house with Kate and Hope sitting inside playing with a dog, Kate's stomach stretching the already large t-shirt.
It was almost two weeks later when Jack went down to the beach with Kate and Hope. They gently washed Hope then they took turns holding her so the other could wash themselves. When they were done they went back to the beach and dried off and started heading back to the caves. Before they made it to the bushes the rain came out of nowhere and started pouring down on them. It was then that Kate remembered that she had left her sweater on the beach and headed back towards the water.
It was then that they saw the ship on the horizon. Jack quickly gave Hope to Kate and ran to get the flag they had left on the beach. It was just an extra blanket that was a bright orange color that they thought would be good to signal a boat or plane. They had given up on keeping a fire going after the second month of being stuck on the island.
Jack picked up the blanket and began waving it like crazy, thinking that it wasn't going to be any use; they weren't heading towards the island so why would anyone look this way. He was disappointed that he was going to be proven right when all of a sudden the boat began to turn.
He kept waving the flag as he watched the boat come closer and closer. It was minutes before the boat got close enough that he and Kate could hear the boat's horn sounding through the rain. After they heard the horn three times, Jack dropped the blanket and ran over to Kate, disbelief written all over her face. He kissed both her and Hope before turning back around to watch the boat come to a stop about 100 feet off the shoreline. They watched as they saw the crew prepare the life boats and lower them into the water.
Jack turned towards Kate and kissed her again. "We're finally going home. We're going home."
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Sawyer still couldn't get the image of Kate kissing Jack out of his head. It kept replaying over and over in his mind like a bad movie. He had known that she liked him but he still had had some hope for a chance. He had only wanted a chance to show her that he could be the kind of man she wanted. A chance to show her that he wasn't the guy he showed to everyone else.
But now that chance was gone. She was with him now. Maybe he was meant to spend the rest of his life alone for what he had done. Maybe he was meant to spend the rest of his life being the person that everyone hated and despised. He didn't like the idea, but if that was what was meant to happen, he would just have to get used to it.
Then again, maybe he will find someone just as good as Kate. Someone just like her, who will love him in return. That is if they ever got off this stupid island. But then again, if he ever found someone like her, they would never be her. They would never be Kate. The Kate with the fire in her eyes, with the soft curly brown hair, with the gorgeous smile and the strength and determination that no one could ever duplicate. No one could ever compete with Kate. But she was with Jack, not with him.
They were all sitting in the caves when Kate excused herself so that she could go to the bathroom. It was about five minutes after she left when they all heard the monster in the jungle followed by a scream from Kate. Without even thinking, they got up and were running towards where they heard the scream.
When they got to where they thought the scream had come from they started looking for her and shouting out her name. Sawyer heard her calling from his left and he ran towards her voice. Sawyer stopped just short of the cliff that cut across his path. The others followed him and he stopped them all from going over the edge of the cliff.
They all looked up at the sound of Kate's voice coming from in front of them. They saw her hanging from a tree branch about seven feet away from them. The tree was about 110 feet tall and only about 20 feet taller than were they were standing. There were no branches below Kate for her to put her feet on and Sawyer could see that she was starting to lose her grip.
"Listen Kate, you're going to have to try and jump towards me okay."
"Are you insane? I'll never make it, and I don't know if you can see it, but that is a pretty long drop down to a very rocky bottom; a journey I'm not really fond of making thank you very much."
"First of all, yes I can see how far down it is. Second, I'm not really fond of you making that journey myself. Third, I'd really like for you to come up with a better plan."
"There's no way I can make it that far. I probably could make that jump if I had something to jump off of."
"You don't have to make it all the way here, just far enough for me to catch you. And I will catch you Kate."
"Even if you can catch me, how am I supposed to make it that far?"
"Try to swing yourself back and forth like you would on monkey bars. Then once you feel like you have enough momentum let go as you are swinging back towards me."
"I don't think I can do it."
"Yes you can, I believe in you Kate. I believe that you can make it."
"How can you believe that?"
"Because I believe in you and you just have to believe in yourself and trust me. Believe that I will catch you when you let go."
"But what about the baby? I don't want anything to happen to the baby."
"I promise I won't let anything happen to the baby or you okay. I promise, everything will be alright."
"But I'm so scared."
"So am I but we can do this, we just have to try."
"Okay. I'll do it, but you better catch me or I'll kick your ass."
"Deal. Now just try to swing yourself back and forth."
Everyone watched as she did as she was told. They watched as she began to move back and forth only slightly then slowly farther and farther.
"Now when you're ready, swing yourself as hard as you can and try to throw yourself as hard as you can at me."
They watched as she swung a little more then everyone held their breath as she took a real hard swing and flung herself at him. They watched as she sailed through the air and as his arms came out to grab her. He caught one of her hands in his and as he got a hold he pulled her to him hard. They landed hard on the ground, Kate on top of him.
Before they had a chance to catch their breaths, everyone else was picking them up and asking if they were okay. Kate just looked into his eyes and when she saw her chance she through herself at him and kissed him like he had never been kissed before.
Everyone cheered around them as she hugged him and thanked him and kissed him. 'Him' Sawyer thought to himself, 'she's kissing him, not me.'
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
Well there is the end of that chapter. I know it's not very long, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. I'm hoping that it won't be as long for the final chapter. I'm hoping that tomorrow's episode will inspire me to write like a mad man on Thursday. And I just want to say, I can't wait for tomorrow night. First, a new episode of LOST, then right after, the two hour season premier of ALIAS. I'm soooo happy. Wednesday is going to be the best night in TV ever. Anyway I have to go to bed now, I need to stop writing so late at night.