I kept groping for my weapon- I just couldn't reach it! He came closer and aimed the gun at me. His finger was pushing harder and harder on the lever. This is it. NO! I yelled to myself. With out any thought I stretched so much that pain shot through my whole body. I finally reached my gun- and took the safty off and shot him instantly with out any hesitaion. Once he was on the ground I rememberd all the horriable things he did too the people that I started to love, and how he almost killed me. And how he killed my baby! I kept shooting, and shooting until I heard someone yell. I looked up and saw Jack looking stunned. I was panting, my face was white, my breaths were coming in shallow pants, and my whole body ached.

" Oh god." Jack muttered. But I found he wasn't looking at the dead Ethan on the ground. He was looking at me. I looked down to where he was looking at and saw blood trickling down my side- and a gun shot wound grazed my arm. The world started spinning- and I couldn't breath enough- then I stopped breathing and fell against the make shift bed and the gun fell from my grasp. The world went dark then, and all I could remember was calling out Jack's name, and the sound of people all around me, and water washing over me. Then darkness once again. It was scary. I felt dead, I looked dead but once I woke up I realized I wasn't dead. But I wished I was. The pain engulfing my body was like someone torchering me over and over unrelentlessly. I sobbed, and moaned in my sleep. I felt like I was dying slowly. The pain eased some days then came back full force others. Though most of my memories of all of that pain was scattered- I always remembered Jack being there for me. When I sobbed in my sleep, I remember having soft, gentle pressure sourond me. His arms, his heart giving me strength. Each and everyday I kept Jack in mind. I kept pushing forward, it hurt, mently, and phycially- but I kept on. Finally after 3 weeks of pain and suffering- it came to an abrupt hault.

Sometimes I'd came lurking out of the caves and wandered around the beach. I realized lately that Jack had always seemed to keep in contact with me. He rarly left my side when I was out and about at night. And when I wasn't he watched me sleep. I still had to sleep in the infirmerary just for precautions after all thats happened to me, Jack was worried I'd go into shock. That my body would go into shock and shut down. Sometimes if I was lucky I had time to myself, and I rubbed my stomach as if I still had a baby growing inside me. I sobbed and cried, let out all my anger and frustration. With Jack around I just couldn't do that. He'd think of me as weak, and clingy. I'm an independent woman- and I stuck to what I believe in. Jack's presence always surrounded me to the point of maddness. I love Jack, and finally I can admitt that to myself- but I just can't get some alone time with him on me- literally 24/7. It was hard- but I'd manage. Like I always seem to do- with out breaking down... RIGHT!

" Hey Kate, how are ya feelin' today?" Jack asked as he sat down beside me on the sand. I sighed. He already asked me that 100 times already.

" Find Jack, just fine. You can stop asking me every hour you know. The answer probably won't change." I snapped out frustrated.

" Sorry." He didn't seem real sorry to me, but I somewhat accepted it. Knowing he was just doing his job. Being the overly observent, protective doctor.

" Yeah." I mummbled. I laid back in the sand and placed a hand on my belly and winced.

" You okay?" Okay that was it. The last straw. I jumped up and he jumped up with me.

" You know what Dr. Sheppard? I'm okay, okay? Stop asking me stupid quesions! Stop following me around like a freakin' love sick puppy, and for gods sake, just fucking leave me alone for 2 fucking seconds of this fucking day! OKAY!" I yelled, and regreted what I said by the hurt expression on his face. My body was shaking for sobs, tears, anger, and sadness. I ran off into the woods, tears streaming down my cheeks as I went.

Once I stopped for air, I heard somebody else's foot steps behind mine. Please say it's not Sawyer, PLEASE! But as I turned I found it was Jack. Anger clearly showing, and a look of concern.

" Damnit Kate, I only check up on you every day because your injured! And fine, I'll leave you alone- the only reason why I do that is to protect you!-" As he rambled on and on I slide down a tree and put my face in my hands. Once Jack saw what was right infront of his face he bent down next to me. I lifted my head and his arms opened to welcome me in. I struggled into his embrace, and hung on for dear life. I didn't want him to think that I was weak, but I needed someone to hold me as I cried. Someone to comfort me. And the person was right infront of my face the whole entire time. Once I stopped crying, and my breath started to even out he asked, " Tell me what's bothering you so much Kate? Besides me?" I took a deep breath and pulled out of the warm arms, and looked into his dark, chocolate brown eyes.

" I lost everything by coming to this island. I lost my heart, I lost my soul, I lost my goodness, and I lost my child. My baby needed a better home, a better parent," My voice broke, and I looked down, away from the eyes that saw through me. " I was planning on keeping it. But then the Marhsell and all this shit that went on... I decided it was better to give it away than to keep it. Besides in jail they'll just send my baby away to some foster home, and foster parents I don't even know! I lost my father, my mother hates me, I lost my priorrites." Finally I summond up the courage to look back into his eyes. " I'm sorry I snapped at you, I just needed time to think about... things. I don't think you can, or ever will for that matter understand this but... I felt so attached to that baby, I felt like I've known her for so long. I talked to her, laughed, and cried. Now I won't ever have that companion. Ever. I don't have friends ANYWHERE. And the friends I used to have; they didn't want to associate with a criminal." I took a deep breath and said the very last part, " And I don't want to leave this island, because I'd go back to jail, and I'd loose the one person that I love." Jack looked quzzically back at me,

" Who?" he asked.

" You." I whispered. " I'd lose you." Tears ran down my cheeks, and he hugged me fericly.

" I love you too Kate." When we broke apart I looked into his eyes, and we both moved, and our lips found each others, and we kissed. It was gentle, polite, soft, but it quickly changed. To needy, insistent, hot, and passonaite. All I could think about was how I never wanted to leave all of this man, all of this heart, all of this love behind.!