Hey guys, I finished the nest chapter early, only two more chapters to go, the sad and the happy ending. I figure I'll do the happy first, then the sad. Then it's off to my new story. To those I've told the idea too, they love it so I think it's going to be a box office smash!

Another

Chapter 21

The Greater Good

Sirens screeched somewhere in the vast distance of New York City, the proximity of all the large buildings and skyscrapers giving her a feeling of claustrophobia, like the coffin.

She leaned against the guardrail, as the humid night air whipped around her dark locks, from the time spent on the island, she could tell that rain wasn't far away. She could sense it now, like an abstract presence of an old friend.

Below her a truck bellowed its horn at a pedestrian jaywalking across the street. An accident had been averted, but that didn't stop the citizens from getting edgy with each other. Squabbling followed, along with threats, and even death threats.

Kate leaned her head onto her arms, grinning amusedly at the two men on the street. The trucker had now left the cab of his vehicle and was almost engaging in physical contact with pedestrian.

She rolled her eyes; couldn't they see what was more important? Couldn't they notice the simply beauty that was surrounding them? The luminosity of the skyscraper's inhabitant's turning on lights, which lined the sky, which was a beautiful hue of purple, and pink whirlpooled with gray from the retaining clouds.

Suddenly, as if a higher power was sensing her thoughts, a low, grumbling roar of thunder rolled off the clouds, seemingly amplified off the buildings. Immediately the streets content's stopped their brawl, and looked towards the sky, shocked, and frightened by the loud rush of sound.

"That's right," Kate spoke to herself, "Shut them up," then finished her sentence with a devious grin. The one she wore when she had plans of defying Jack back on the island, or if she had stolen one of Sawyer's books.

"Shut who up?" Jack asked as he came out onto the balcony placing two cups of coffee on the table, he had chosen the redress himself in all of his clothes, which were discarded in the zealous display a few hours ago.

Kate chose a more weather appropriate pair of boxers and her tank top. The heat was still wreaking havoc upon the great city, "Just some guys in the street," she explained turning back and looking over the edge as Jack sat down at the table, watching her every movement.

"This reminds me of that night on the cruise ship," he remembered, the temperature was just the same, the wind blowing at a high speed, but somehow it seemed acceptable, Kate turned from leaning over the edge and looked at him, "Don't worry I'm not going to jump, I'm not a good flyer," she assured him.

He chuckled; delighted that she remembered the conversation as he did. He wondered if during that week spent apart if she had replayed it as many times as he had. "Well you're not sickly skinny anymore, but you've got more bruises then the boat," he disclosed.

Kate smiled sadly; still aware of the mortifying, sickly yellow discoloration that lay across her face, her shoulder, and around her stomach. She knew this was Jack hinting about wanting to know what happened.

"You don't have to tell me Kate," He informed, "I understand that what you went through was traumatic, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But no matter how much I tell myself that you're okay now, part of me, a big part, still thinks that this isn't the first time that this has happened to you. But I want to help make it that last," he expressed truthfully to her.

"His name is Anthony Banderali," Kate stated, her gaze still on the dying sun in the horizon, "And no it wasn't the first time," she added just above whisper level.

She glanced over at him for a spilt second; she could tell he was fuming. One of his fists were balled in front of his mouth and there was this look in his eyes. She'd seen it only once before, when she had lied to him about the key to get to the Marshal's briefcase.

"It's not your fault Jack," Kate stated, "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine," she stated. "My parent's died in a car crash when I was fifteen; I was shipped from Canada to go live with my sister in New York. She kept going out while I was asleep and I knew it, but I never did a thing about it, never confronted her about it until I was eighteen. I followed her one night, to his hideout. Seems she was the biggest druggie, spending all her money to pay for drugs, even selling herself to get to them," Kate explained using the back of her hand to wipe her eyes.

"They found me," she continued, "And he was going to killed Lindsay, and me. I didn't want my sister to die, Jack. She was the only person I had left in the world. So I made a deal, I made a deal with the devil," she sobbed.

"Kate," Jack began as he rose to comfort her, "you don't need to finish."

"Yes," Kate reclaimed herself, "Yes, you need to know," she stated. Jack sat back

down at Kate's request and she continued the story.

"I did whatever she wanted me to do, and he abused me, physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually, but I took it all. I took it all to give my sister who didn't even want to live a second chance. That didn't last long because Anthony killed her, and I was stuck there. In this mess that I had gotten myself trapped in. I was in shambles until I found him."

Kate smiled at the thought, "Anthony's right hand man was named Leo, and over the year and a half I spent in that hellhole, we fell in love," she looked over to see that his angered stature became more relaxed, "He got me out of there, and we went on the run from Anthony. We robbed a bank that held my money and his items and hightailed it out of there. He loved me and I loved him and then we got married, married the same night that I robbed a bank. And then…" her voice trailed as she swallowed, "In less then six hours, Anthony had shot him dead. He died because of me."

"He's the man you killed?" Jack asked surprised. Kate nodded her head, "He saved me and got shot while doing so. The airplane is his," she explained, then took a deep inhalation, "I never loved anyone as I love Leo," she declared. Jack was taken aback by this statement, "Until I met you," she finished with a teary-eyed smile.

She pushed herself away from the magnetic grip of the railing and into the apartment causally, not wanting to see Jack's response, afraid that it would be one of pure disgust for her past life.

"Kate," Jack called as he ran indoors after her. She turned and faced him, her eyes glassily reflecting the weak light from outside, "Kate, I love you more then I've ever loved anyone."

"But I'm used," she whispered to her own dismay.

Jack chuckled nervously, "You look new to me," he stated.

Kate grinned, then sobbed as she wrapped her arms around Jack's neck, crying into his chest as he rubbed her back sympathetically, "Kate we have to tell the police about Anthony," he declared.

She pulled away from him, sniveling, "I can't Jack, he'll kill you, he'll kill in front of me, make me watch. Kill me why you watch, do something psychopathic, you can't even wrap your mind around it."

"Kate we can get protection, once the cops find out who it is, they'll post guards at the door, he won't be able to get into the apartment building," he explained as he wiped her cheek with the pad of his thumb, "It's important that this guy is behind bars, and convicted for what he did to you, and Leo and your sister."

"Jack," Kate began, but he stopped her before she could continue with a kiss. Kate quickly deepened it, closing the space between them; Jack trailed his hand down her back, then lower.

Suddenly a clap of thunder exploded from outside the open veranda doors, and rain fell in a think, refreshing blanket. Almost signifying a new beginning.

"Come on," Kate pressured as she grab Jack's hand dragging him towards the doors. "Kate it's raining outside," he stated bluntly as he planted his feet into the hardwood floor.

"It'll be like the island," she expressed. Jack smiled and followed her out onto the veranda.

The stood on the white linoleum floor and kissed zealously as the rainfall cascaded down upon them, drenching their clothes, hair and bodies. It pattered off the table and chairs, came down with such force that the untouched coffee in the cups overflowed. Water rushed over the side of the balcony onto the streets below like a rapid waterfall. Kate would note the beauty of this later, right now, she was concentrated on Jack.


Whipped fluffy clouds pasted by outside slowly, tricking the untrained eye into believing that the plane was crawling along through the air, when really it was flying faster then anyone could even imagine.

She looked out the window down to the ground below; they had just finished crossing the Pacific Ocean, and were now flying over Western Australia, heading for Sydney. She had always thought that the ground under the airplane traveling by looked like someone was just moving a toy model underneath the plane.

Her eyes began to become chased with tears as she stared at the ground so longingly. She brought her head up and looked around the first class area to see if everyone was looking at her again, she had been crying for the whole trip. Even a stewardess asked her is everything was okay. She replied that it wasn't but there was nothing the stewardess could do about it.

She looked at the empty seat beside her, the seat where Leo would've been seated, but instead he was dead. He was dead and instead of getting a hero's burial, his body was probably being mutilated, he'd be tossed in the East River, or thrown in the sewer, or worse. She had killed him, it was her fault.


Everyone turned away when they saw her look up, they probably felt she was crazy, crying for a sixteen hour flight, maybe she was, but a piece of her deep down inside secretly wanted the plane to crash, she really didn't have anything to live for as of now.

She looked down to her hands, folded so eloquently over her stomach, she remembered the night spent with Leo in the hotel suite. The way they could finally hold each other and kiss each other, without fear.

She remembered the conversation with him about wanting children with him, how that could never happen now. She wished with all her heart she was pregnant from that night, to have a memory of Leo, know that a piece of him would never die, but she knew she wasn't.

She'd just have to move on, no matter how much her heart cried for him, how much she wanted to be in his arms. He had said himself that she could remember him, but to move on.

She guessed Australia was the freshest place to start.


6 Weeks Later

"A…B…C…" Kate stopped twisting the apple stem as she took a seat onto the downy, leather couch. It was much more comfortable to her now then that first day she woke up with her face plastered to it.

"D…E…" She looked at the clock that hung on an empty part of the wall. It was 6:05, and Jack would be home soon. He had decided three weeks back to return to work, but today was a special day. It was his first day on the job as Chief of Surgery.

"F…G…" Kate smiled, as she turned back to glance at the kitchen where meatloaf sat baking in the oven. She knew it was Jack's favorite, and she'd made it especially for him.

"H…I…" Wasn't this stem ever going to come off? She sighed; Lindsay had taught her that old game of whatever letter the stem broke off on, was the letter that your future husbands name would start with. She giggled as she remembered that when she learned that game they went through the whole bushel of apples just ripping off the stems. Her mom wasn't too happy, said that it caused the apples to rot faster.

"J…" Snap. The twig at extending from the top of the apple came off suddenly. Kate grinned, 'J', she didn't even have to ponder for a split second, who she knew that had a name that started with a 'J'.

She really wished he'd get home, because ever since he let, she couldn't stop thinking about him. If she had it her way, she'd pounce on him the minute he entered the door. But for now she would have to wait, her apple would have to be a comfort food.


Jack checked his watch, as he leisurely meandered down the hallway, his shoes barely scuffing over the shirt trimmed red stippled carpet. He was going to have to think up a lie to tell Kate on where he was, she'd be curious. He didn't know if she'd be mad at him for what he had done, or if she wasn't ready to hear it from him yet. But every time he saw her he wanted to ask her.

He reached into his suit pocket and fumbled the small velvet box around inside of it. He sighed and stopped a few doorways away from their apartment, and brought the box out to look at.

The royal blue color was soothing, being blocked out by the band of faux gold running around the openings. A deceptive incognito for the containment of the box. Jack flipped it open to check it once again.

In the middle of a silky purple-gray soft pillow, proudly stood a golden ring sporting three beautiful sparkling diamonds, all grouped together. The one in the middle glistened like Kate's eyes, and Jack smiled.

Quickly he replaced the box into his pocket, and continued to walk to the doorway; he hoped she wouldn't be too upset that he was home late, especially with the situation with Anthony just cooling down.

He stopped and pulled out his keys, the jingling sound that made echoed in the cramped, but vastly empty hallway. He shoved them into the doorknob to unlock the entrance, only to have the doorway rip away from him with force.

His keys dangled limply as Kate glared at Jack, he gulped, apparently she was incensed by his lateness, "Kate, I…" She grabbed his tie and pulled him inside the apartment, Jack almost missed the chanceto grabbing his keys.

Once the door had shut, she pushed Jack back against it and began to kiss him fervently, one of her hands snaked around his neck, pulled him towards her, while the other busied itself with loosing his tie.

He chuckled when she pulled away to catch her breath, "I guess this means you're not angry about me being late?" She pulled his tie off , tossing it to the ground urgently, then moved up and captured his lips again, this time ethereally, almost lingering.

"I'm just angry because you made me wait so long," She answered, Jack grinned and kissed her more avidly, Kate's hand's now worked on undoing the buttons on his shirt. Her hand's skimmed his pocket, and immediately Jack threw his jacket off, making sure Kate didn't find the ring.

"Looks, like I'm not the only one who's anxious," Kate joked as Jack's hands moved up her back underneath her shirt. She pushed off his office shirt, as he lifted her t-shirt above her head, throwing it to the side somewhere.

Suddenly strident booms from the door broke the atmosphere of love. Jack and Kate froze while the vigorous pummeling continued, instantly Kate pulled away from Jack, retrieving her shirt from over the couch.

"Jack," she whispered shaking, "it's Anthony."

"What?" he asked shocked, "He cant get up here Kate," he reminded, "there's guards planted at each do…" then he remembers that the guards had left two weeks ago because the surveillance was ineffective.

"Jack," she whispered, trembling, "Did you lock the door?"

Jack's eyes got wide as he looked over the caving piece of wood being beaten by this psychopath, "Here," Jack handed he the portable phone, "Go tot the bathroom, phone the police and lock yourself in. Don't come out for anything!"

"Jack, you can't, he'll," Jack pulled her in close and kissed her, "Kate, please, go."

Kate nodded as tears rolled down her cheek and walked briskly to the bathroom with the phone. She quickly dialed 911 and waited, "911 emergency, how can I help you?"

Kate cleared her throat, "You have to send police to the apartment building on Roderick Street quickly. The mob leader Anthony Banderali is at apartment forty-seven on the twelfth floor."

"Alright Miss, we'll have a cop car come down within ten minutes," Kate didn't hear this last remark because the sound of the door breaking down filled her ears.

The door flew open with such raw force that it was almost ripped clear of the wall. Jack had managed to button his shirt and walked down from the kitchen area, he hoped to feign that he was in the bathroom.

"Where is she?" Anthony demanded in a low growl.

Jack managed to keep his cool, "Where's who?" he asked full knowingly.

"Where is that little whore who told the police that I was after her?" he asked, moving closer to Jack, not standing only a foot away from him, "I know she's here," Anthony growled.

"We had a fight," Jack explained, but before he could finish, all he felt was the painful sting of Anthony's right hook hitting him in the face. Jack stumbled backwards, landing hard on the wooden floors. Before he could even comprehend what happened, Anthony had punched him again, then again, then again, until Jack couldn't even feel the pain from the blows.

"Kate!" Anthony's holler echoed through the empty apartment, "Kate you'd better get your ass out here, NOW!" he stressed but there was no answer.

Blood dripped from a cut across Jack's lip and both his cheeks were puffed with the growing bruise, and his left eye had swelled over. He knew what Kate was so afraid of. How could she have handled this for so long? He asked himself. Jack had always been able to take a blow or two, but never of this caliber.

"I swear to God Kate," Anthony screamed, "If you don't come out now, I'll blow his friggin' head off!" He added, and then cocked the gun, a sound that echoed through the empty apartment.

After a few seconds he looked down at Jack, at the beaten mess he was in, and was fairly impressed he'd managed to take him down under five minutes, "I guess she doesn't love you as much as you think," just about to pull the trigger, he looked over and saw Kate standing onto of the four steps separating the floors.

"Well look who decided to show her face," He viciously remarked, turning away from Jack, who only uttered a weak, "Kate, don't…"

"You can really pick them Sweet Pea," he expressed sarcastically, his words dripping with acid, "He's going to be easier to kill then Leo."

Kate didn't reply, she just stood, staring at this monster of a man, who'd ruined her life. Killed her sister, her best friend, her husband, and soon her lover. She wasn't going to let that happen, not again.

"Don't you dare pull that shit, mute act on me," Anthony warned, "I swear to God I'll kill you on the spot." Kate still didn't reply, she simply stepped down the stairs, entering the living room, nearly seven feet in front of him, "You little whore," Anthony yelled and moved to punch her.

Kate quickly brought up her fist, hitting him squarely in the jaw, managing to shock him for a moment. "That was for all the times you beat me," she exclaimed then punched him again.

"That was for all the times you belittled me," she added, then continued to pummel him.

"That was all the times I had to go places I didn't want to, wearing clothes I hated," another punch.

"That's for all the abuse," and another.

"That's for Lindsay," and another.

"That's for Leo," and another.

"And this, this is for Jack!" she screamed as she slammed her foot into his groin.
Anthony fell to the ground in agony. His face was almost as bad off as Jack's, almost. Kate stood dumbfounded; her mind couldn't comprehend the fact that she'd just beaten someone, Anthony of all people.

She shook her head, clearing her mind and ran to Jack. Her breath was jagged when she saw his face, this was bad. Blood was flowing freely from Jack's lip and she couldn't see his left beautiful hazel eye.

"Jack," she whispered running her hand over his hair gently, then placed it on his neck. This reminded her of that time he'd fallen off the hill and claimed to have seen Ethan.

"Kate?" he whispered questioningly. Kate almost cried, she'd never seen him this weak, not when she stitched his wound, not when they had to part, never. He had now begun to convulse.

Kate was instantaneously reminded of Leo. She lost Leo, there was no way in hell she was loosing Jack. "Jack, don't worry, the police will be here in less then five minutes," she promised as she leaned him softly against the side of the couch so his head rested on the arm.

She grabbed his suit jacket, which less then twenty minutes ago he was wearing, happily, without a care in the world, and wrapped it around him. She tilted his head up and in his unbeaten eye made frenetic, unfocused movements, "Please Jack," she begged, "Please you have to stay with me."

"Believe me, you're going where he's going," Anthony informed. He was standing behind her, his burly hand covering his black eye. Before Kate could move, He had already maliciously kicked her in the ribs, breaking several on impact as she skated across the newly polished wooden floor.

She let out a painful gasp for air and held her side as she lay unmoving on the ground. That changed hurriedly as Anthony didn't waste anytime, he had a job to do, and he was going to do it, and enjoy it.

He picked her up by the neck, like one of those claw arcade games in the mall where you line up the overhead claw with the preferred prize. Vehemently he slammed her into a nearby wall, then again, then again, until the plaster had cracked and pictures had smashed.

She tried to fight back, to punch, kick, hit, bite, scratch, anything she could muster, but each slam made her weaker and weaker as the pain grew. With his hand closed over her throat and her ribs smashed, breath was hard to come by.

He stopped smashing her, and closed his hand tighter over her delicate throat. Her vision was slowly fading; it now had a blue tinge to it now. "Before I kill you," He spat, his words like a poison, "I want you to see this," he told her.

He turned around and cocked his gun, that he had picked up once again, and before Kate could mutter a plea He had fired a shot directly at Jack, hitting him in the chest. He turned back to Kate and whispered, "Just like Leo."

Kate wheezed for air, but it did no good, Anthony closed his grip tighter on her, and now her vision was a brown color, slowly diffusing with black at the peripheral sides. A burning smell entered her lungs, as she blinked painfully, acidic tears boiling her cheeks.

She took one last breathe in, and then heard a distant booming sound. Anthony's hand instantly relinquished its iron hold, and Kate fell weakly to the ground, Anthony falling beside her.

With her last spot of strength, she feebly crawled across the few feet distance between her and Jack that seemed like a mile, and collapsed next to him. At least they'd be together, wherever they were going, that is if the rules for getting into heaven had changed.


Kate sighed as she hung up her apron for the night. She'd found a nice job at a diner just a block away from her apartment. It only paid minimum wage, but she made a fortune in tips. She should thank her parents for that she supposed, good genes are hard to come by.

Grabbing her tote bag, she threw it lazily over her shoulder, she had just pulled a twelve hour shift, and would've stayed longer to if the manager hadn't forced her to go home.

They had just raised the rent in her apartment building, the landlord claiming it was necessary to keep up with inflation or some crap, but Kate knew specifically that they wanted her out of there.

As she walked home she began to ponder about her time spent in Australia. The only good thing that had happened since she relocated was the fact that she'd met someone. They'd met about a week after she'd arrived in Australia, bumped into each other on the street, her knocking his coffee out of his hand, him knocking her tote bag, spilling all the contents. The scene was something out of a movie.

After they both apologized repeatedly, he offered to buy her a coffee, claiming that he needed a new one now. Kate had agreed, after a hard day of work, she could certainly use a picker upper.

He was older then her, by about ten years, but he was a friend, she was alone in this city, not knowing anyone, or anything, and he offered to help her get settled. They'd become close friends.

Fourteen months later, their relationship had just started to get serious. Kate didn't want to take it too fast, not after Leo and everything that had happened. Viktor didn't know anything about that, or the fact that she'd been married.

Tonight they were meeting at her apartment; he had a key and probably would be there when she got back from work. She walked the steps to the apartment building and walked inside, relieved by its air-conditioning.

When she got to the door of her apartment, she noticed it was ajar. A familiar feeling of fear crept up her spine sending shivers throughout her body. She thought that Anthony had returned.

Silently she crept through the open door to find Viktor sitting on the couch waiting for her, "You gave me the creeps there for a second," she divulged to him as she set her bag on the counter.

"Why, did you think I was Anthony?" he asked back. Kate stopped in her tracks. She'd never told him about Anthony or Leo.

"What did you say?" she asked as she turned around, her face held fear.

"Kate I haven't been completely honest with you," Viktor said as he got off the couch.

"What?" Kate asked as she moved further back from him.

"You see, I don't work in Australia, I never have, Anthony sent me here to get you," he smiled evilly.

"No," Kate shook her head, tears peeking her eyes.

"He would've done it himself, but he thought you'd recognize him," Viktor explained.

"No," Kate shook her head, tears streaking her face.

"He also told me to burn all of this," he divulged as he held up a duffle bag.

Kate's eyes got wide, "No please don't," she begged, "You can take me back to Anthony, but don't burn Leo's clothes," she pleaded.

"Sorry kid," Viktor explained, "I'm just doing my job. Now gimme the ring."

"What?" she asked in plain disgust, "You're not getting this ring. How are you even going to get me to go on that plane?"

"I'm a US Marshal," he stated with a chuckle.

"What?"

"Yep, Tony paid me a pretty penny to come and get you. Paid me extra to make it so you take the blame for some guy he just killed. You're poster is everywhere, and with twenty-three grand as a reward, everyone's going to turn you in," he explained as he walked closer to her, "Now gimme the ring, I don't want to have to hurt you."

"No," she explained moving backwards towards the door, Viktor reached for her, grabbing her by the forearm. She kicked him in the shin and grabbed her bag. Turning to leave he grabbed her hand, but his slid off quickly.

She ran down the stairs and out the building, running until her chest felt it would explode. She was on the city limits and that's when she realized that Vic had taking her ring.


Alright guys, I'm bailing out on you, I know I said I'd answer reviews, but it's either have this chapter up tonight, or answer reviews, so I pick couch! I mean this chapter up tonight! Plus I'm going to start to work on the next chapter (fluffy ending) then the sad ending and then NEXT STORY THAT I'M SO STOKED ABOUT!