Fandom: Lost
Title: Deserted Beach
Parings: Kate/Jack
Rating: PG
Warnings: Kissing and that is it.
Disclaimers: Not mine, of course. JJ Abrams is god. I am worm.

The tide roared in, taking another half an inch from the slowly disappearing island. A crab of some sort scuttled along the beach, hungrily looking for its next meal. And Kate walked along the beach. Up to her ankles in water, she made no footprints as she walked along the deserted beach. Finally away from the others, she could think. About everything.

So many thoughts bustled into her mind, she felt as though she should scream. Sitting down on the damp sand, Kate took a moment to arrange her thoughts properly, not that it did much good. Everything was still a blur, faces and times mixing, names and dates getting hopelessly lost. A gun, a police car, a plane. All at once, too much for her mind to handle. Her vision blurred, and she suddenly stopped hearing the roar of the ocean breaking on rock. All she felt was cold. Eyes closed, she slumped to the ground.

A hand and a voice. "Kate? Kate!" Jack's warm callused hand shook her bare shoulder, a feeble attempt to wake her. Oddly enough, it worked. Slowly, her eyes opened. Slowly, her hearing came back. And slowly, she realized what she had to do.

"Kate? Are you okay?" Jack's eyes raced from her lips to her brown eyes. Black circles beneath them, she looked as though she hadn't slept in weeks. Something wasn't quite right.

Exhausted, she had fallen into a comatose like sleep. The best sleep she had had since crashing onto the cursed island. But, her body was still tired. Still wanting to fall into the warm, deep comforts of sleep. Her hand stretched up to cover a yawn. "Yeah...I'm fine." Kate's voice was defensive, despite the fact that Jack's questions had been innocent. Her thoughts had fallen back into place, except for one thought. The thought of what she knew she had to do.

Her hand patted the sand beside her as she sat up. Eyes pleading for Jack to sit next to her. Ever the watcher, Jack knew she had something to tell him. He silently took a seat next to her, waiting for her to speak.

For a few precious moments, they sat their in silence. Together. A mutual understanding, though an understanding of what...Neither of them knew.

Finally, she spoke, her voice just louder than a whisper. "I need to tell you...I need to tell you what happened to me, what I did." Kate took a moment to ponder her next move. "You asked me once, about my past, and I said nothing. I will tell you everything you need to know, and some thing you don't. But, only if you do the same."

Her eyes softened, feelings sprouting, creeping over her body. Feelings she hadn't felt in awhile.

Jack looked into her eyes, and saw the honesty glimmering. He felt a sharp pang of regret. Regret for not spending more time with her. Regret for not hurting Sawyer after he took advantage of her kindness when he had promised her medication for Shannon, if she kissed him.
Quickly, he shook these thoughts from his head. He wanted to think of nothing but Kate, at least for now.

She started speaking, her voice barely above a whisper. She started where it all began, and went through everything, not leaving out a thing. When she was finished, she smiled.

"I never thought it would feel so good."

A questioning grin crossed Jack's face. "What would feel so good?"

"Telling you." Kate's eyes glanced at Jack shyly. He hadn't seemed shocked, or angry, or disappointed at any of the things Kate had told him, and god was she glad. The thing she had worried about most was the look in his eyes. She thought that he would be disappointed, and angry with her for doing such horrible things. She should have known better.

Jack's eyes now stared longingly at the ocean. Longing for this moment to never end. Longing to lean over and kiss Kate. But he couldn't. At least, not until he had repaid his "debt" to her.
He began at the beginning, and like Kate, left out no detail. At first, his voice had been bitter, filled with anger. But, as he went on his voice became full of sadness. Sadness at the anger he had felt.

The only time Kate's face had changed was when he spoke of his dad. She was horrified, though she hid it well. Her own father had been kind, but Jack's? Possibly the exact opposite of her father. Hard, and unloving.

For a few minutes, they said nothing, only looked at the ocean and each other. Then, Jack couldn't take it any longer. He leaned over and kissed Kate. He did his best not to rush things. Did his best to be tender. Kate's eyes opened in shock the moment his lips had touched hers, despite the fact that she had seen him leaning in, and despite knowing exactly what he was doing. But, she quickly changed the shock to happiness.

They sat there, kissing, for what seemed an eternity. One of her arms around his neck, the other roaming his back. Both of his arms were around her slender waist, pulling her to him ever so slightly.

As the sun began to set, they pulled away, both smiling as though they had a secret. And they did. They both knew it was time to go back. Time to go back and be with the rest of their fellow castaways. Jack stood up first, extending a hand for her to take. Smiling, she took it, and didn't let go. Jack did let go, and Kate felt disappointment. Disappointment that was quickly washed away when his arm slid around her waist. She grinned, and returned the favor. Happier than before, they walked back.