A/N: Thank you guys again for the reviews. I'm glad that you like my fic. Anyways, I'm starting to become busy with school stuff. Studying for exams and such. So the next couple of chapters after this might take a while for me to finish but I will try to get it up as soon as I can. Thanks again!

Chapter 4

The ocean is a good place to go when you need to think. At least that's where Kate always heads to. Most people just think of the ocean as a vast area filled with nothing but to her it was a tranquil place. The quiet waves were a soothing sound for her. It was mid afternoon and Kate had taken a break from everything. She stared out into the ocean looking for answers but she knew that she wouldn't get any. Her mind kept telling her things that she did not even want to think about. She started thinking about Sawyer's kiss and what he had said to her. She made sure not to admit or even look like she enjoyed the kiss they shared when she was around him but she did like it. She replayed the whole incident in her mind again for the hundredth time. She closed her eyes and she could feel his lips on hers all over again. However much she liked that kiss she still detested Sawyer because of the things he says, the things he does, just for everything. But then again maybe he's hiding behind this persona of cruelty and anger because he's afraid of something or maybe he's been alone for so long that he doesn't even know how to treat other people anymore. Kate could not think of a reason for his behavior.

'Sawyer had issues with his personality plain and simple,' she thought, 'God it's not plain and simple. It's just so frustrating being around him.'

Jack on the other hand was exactly the opposite of Sawyer. Jack was kind and he great to be around. She felt comfortable around him. She couldn't really find fault in anything that he says and does except their conversation last night made her start to think of Jack a bit differently. She could tell just by looking at him that he was having a rough sleeping and interacting with the others lately. He was absent most of yesterday and he was being mysterious about where he was and what he was doing, but she couldn't think of a reason for him to be so elusive. She pushed the thoughts about Jack's absence and their conversation aside and thought about the kiss on the cheek that Jack gave her this morning. Kate smiled. She thought he was sweet and caring.

'Now Jack is someone that I feel I can be with,' she thought to herself, 'But could that go as far as love or will we just stay friends?'

She did feel a connection to Jack and she was attracted to him a lot, physically and emotionally. With Sawyer, she would only admit to be attracted to him physically and only physically. She felt no trace of affection towards him, that is before that kiss. She detested him but now Kate felt her dislike for him crumble slightly. Again she replayed the memory of Sawyer's lips on hers.

'No...with Sawyer...that's just lust talking,' Kate told herself as she shook her head a little, 'It's not like anything is going to happen with Sawyer. I mean...he's not the kind of guy I can be with. I'll never go back to those kind of men again.'

Her mind slowly connected her with the memory of a man in her past. A man named Jamie. The man that Sawyer kept asking about. Jamie was a very kind and generous man. Of course he was only like that when family or friends were around. Jamie was a two-faced man. Fun to be around but in a second he could change into a total monster. The first time Kate met Jamie was through a close friend in college. She thought he was nice, smart, and funny. They had started to date after a few months of getting to know each other. She thought he was the one for her. The one she could spend the rest of her life with. The one she loved. They got engaged and moved in together after a year of dating. That's when Kate started to see who Jamie really was. That's when he...

"Kate!"

She snapped out of her reverie and heard someone heading towards her. She turned around and saw Charlie.

"Hey Charlie. What's up?"

"Nothing. Um, have you Claire?" he asked.

"No. I haven't seen her all day."

"Oh. Okay thanks. I'll just keep on looking then," Charlie said, "Oh and you know...Claire...she told me not to tell anyone this but I think that Jack should know. But...the thing is, I...I can't find Jack. So I thought I'd tell you."

"What? You can't find Jack?" Kate asked looking a bit concerned.

Charlie nodded.

'Where the hell could he have gone? I told him to take it easy,' Kate thought, 'Going off by himself again isn't taking it easy...'

"Kate?"

Kate shook her head and glanced at the ocean and then back at Charlie.

"What...What is it then?" Kate said.

"Well, Claire...she said that she's been in a bit of pain lately. I don't know for how long or anything. She told me not to worry and not to tell anyone because she said she would be fine. She said something about false labour pains or something of the sort and she said it was normal for pregnant women," Charlie explained, "But...the thing is I am worried and whenever I see her she looks like she's in a lot of pain. I think it's more than just false labour pains but...I don't know...I just thought that Jack should know cause he's a doctor and all but you know since he's no where to be found again I'm telling you. Oh and you seem pretty close to him you might know where he is and if you might know where he is then you could tell him and if you could tell him..."

"Okay," Kate interrupted, "I'll look for him and tell him. Don't worry."

"Thanks Kate," Charlie said, "I'm gonna go head back to the caves now. Maybe Claire is there."

Charlie turned to leave but then stopped.

"And um...if don't tell Claire I told you okay. I don't want her to be angry with me or anything," he said, "I'm just worried."

"Yea," Kate nodded with a small smile.

"Thanks," Charlie said again and left.

'Where are you Jack...where did you go off to this time...' she thought.

-- - -- - --

Jack had wandered off from the caves. He headed back to where he saw his father. He didn't know why he was going back. He just knew that he needed to see his father again. Jack knew that if he didn't confront his father again that his memory and spirit would keep coming back to haunt him.

Jack finally reached his destination. He looked at his surroundings and let out a slow shaky breath.

"Where are you?" Jack muttered as he glanced up at the sky.

He closed his eyes and repeated himself, "Where are you? Why won't you come out?"

He opened his eyes but nothing happened. No one was with him. He stood alone in the middle of a patch of trees.

"Where are you?!?!" he yelled, "Come out! I want you to come out! Why won't you?"

Jack knew that yelling at the trees would do nothing. He remembered that his father said that he only existed in Jack's mind. He wasn't alive so why is he trying to get him to appear? Jack sat down on a large log and buried his head in his hands.

"What the hell are you doing Jack huh? What?" he asked himself, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What are you doing Jack?"

Jack looked up and heard rustling behind him. He stood up slowly.

"Who's there?" Jack said loudly, "Who's there?!"

There was no answer. He just kept hearing someone coming closer towards him.

"It's okay Jack. It's just me...It's Kate."

He turned around and saw her walking towards him.

"Kate..." Jack sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry Jack. Did I scare you?" she asked, "I didn't mean to."

"No it's okay," Jack said as he sat down on the log again.

Kate sat down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea. I'm...I'm fine," he replied.

"I've been looking all over for you. I need to tell you something but first what are you doing here? You should be back at the caves resting," Kate said to him, "It was just yesterday that you came back with so many injuries and your arm…"

"I'm fine Kate. I'm okay really," he interrupted, "I just needed to get out here again. I needed to clear some things up in my head."

He looked at her with a smile to try to reassure her that he's fine.

"Well, as long as you're feeling okay," Kate said.

"You're great you know that Kate. Thanks for being there for me," Jack told her.

"Well that's what I'm here for."

She smiled. He loved it when she smiled. She looked so beautiful. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear gently. He suddenly started to feel something that he's never felt in a long time. Jack let his hand gently stroke her cheek. He had always felt something for Kate ever since they met but with the chaos of the island, taking care of the other survivors, looking for water and shelter he had always put that feeling at the back of his mind. But now that he was alone with her that feeling had resurfaced.

"Have you ever thought that you could be with someone having only known them for a little more than a week?" Jack whispered.

Kate hesitated slightly and nodded slowly, "Yes."

They slowly moved closer together. Jack kissed her on the forehead and then on the cheek. He didn't know what had come over him but what he was doing just felt right. Their lips finally met. Kate put her arms around Jack's neck as their kiss slowly intensified. Kate let out a small moan as Jack put his hands on the small of her back and pulled her closer towards him. Kate felt like she could stay like this forever. She had just been thinking about how she could be with a person like Jack and now maybe it could happen.

-- - -- - --

Sawyer walked through the jungle to find a spot to relieve himself. He found a good tree and unzipped his pants but before he could do anything he heard a noise through the bushes.

"God damn. What the hell is that?" he said to himself irritated as he zipped up his pants.

He slowly walked towards the source of the noise and moved away a branch with his hand. He narrowed his eyes a bit so he could see better.

"God damn," he repeated quietly but the expression in this voice was now of disappointment.

What he saw was something he didn't want or need to see. It was Jack and Kate together. He pulled himself away and turned around. He envied Jack for the position he was in, for the position that Sawyer himself also was in this morning.

"Damn that Freckles. From the look in her eyes this morning I damn well thought our kiss meant something to her no matter how much she denied it," Sawyer grunted, "But hey what do I care. She doesn't mean anything plus she hates me."

Sawyer walked back to the tree and leaned against it. He took out a box of cigarettes and put one in his mouth. He lighted it and took a long drag from it. He felt slightly jealous but he wasn't going to let that affect him.

-- - -- - --

Jack and Kate heard some rustling in the bushes but they didn't care. Neither one of them wanted to end their kiss. Jack lifted her shirt slightly and moved his hands underneath it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She loved the feel of Jack's touch. It felt like they had been together forever by the way it felt when they touched, when they kissed. Jack slowly began to pull away. They caught their breaths and held each other closely.

"Jack, I could stay like this forever. In your arms like this," Kate whispered.

Jack smiled, "Me too."

Just as they were about to kiss again they heard a scream. A loud piercing scream. They quickly pulled apart and stood up.

"What was that?" Kate said, "It sounded like it came from the caves."

"Come on. We have to head back," Jack said, "It sounded like Claire."

TBC...