Hey thanks to my two reviewers! You guys rock something fierce! I added this pretty quickly because I was writing more and I noticed you guys reviewed so thanks

Pangs Of Guilt

Chapter 2

Invisible Demons

Kate's eyes shot open. She had finally been able to get some sleep, the first time in over two days her body had willingly let her sleep. She sat up against the log as the ground began to rumble.

She was confused for a moment at where she was located, and then she remembered leaving the camp, and walking to this area. But she didn't understand what was making the ground shake.

She got her answer in the form of a deep raw roar. The kind she'd hear on her first night on the island. The kind she'd heard right before the pilot was violently ripped from the cockpit and his blood spewed all over the windshield right before her. She remembered it so vividly, how the rain mixed with the vibrant red color and forced it to be washed away.

She remembered running out into the rain, the fear after Jack had left her to rescue Charlie, the sheer fear of being left alone. Suddenly she didn't want to be left alone. She wanted to be near him, to be with him. Why had she left?

Kate nervously gathered up her stuff, trembling as she shoved her blanket in. She started to run back to the beach but she heard rustling in the trees that way. She paused for a moment and did the first thing that came to mind.

Frightened and shaking she quietly whispered, "1…2…3…" she never got to finish because another piercing bellow came from close by her. She turned around and darted inside the forest running as fast as she could downhill.

Trees and bushes raced by her, tearing at her clothes and her skin, she didn't care, she wouldn't stop. She jumped over a root that was in her way; she could still hear the monster behind her. She could hear the roots snap as it bounded after her. Visions of lionesses hunting down gazelles came to her mind.

Then she heard a different sound, the sound of thunder. Clouds had quickly gathered from that afternoon and had moved overhead. They blocked out the moon and the stars, her only source of light. She was now literally running through the woods blind.

Rain fell hard, so violently that she could hear the sounds of the leaves being torn from the trees. She didn't have time to wipe her face of the icy water that striked her with such force, she closed her eyes and forced herself to run faster.

She kept running, not letting herself stop, only when it was to late. Her shoeless feet met the edge of a small hill, the freshly dampened mud slid out from underneath her and she fell. She threw off her backpack and closed her arms around her head. Some jagged rocks tore her skin more, and she let out a small cry when one hit her hip, hard.

When she hit the bottom she didn't hesitate for a second, she was on her feet limping away through the trees. She heard the monster behind her still it was louder then before, she wasn't going to give up that easily. She didn't survive cart wheeling through the jungle in the middle section of a plane, just to become some invisible demons midnight snack.

She tripped and fell face first into the thick, chilly mud. It covered, the front of her shirt and pants, she'd put her hands out to stop from consuming a mouthful, but in return she'd knocked her left cheek off her knuckles hard. She stood back up, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through her hip, and the bruising of her face.

The monster screeched again, closer to her then it had been before, closer to her then it had been, when she'd bounded out of the cockpit and run for her life. It was so close, that she was frozen, frozen with fear, with regret, with pain. She backed herself against a tree, and gasped heavily thinking that all was lost, until she was jerked aside, out of the path of the monster.

A hand gripped her forearm, and jolted her into the damp and dirty jungle. An arm slide around her stomach, and another covered her mouth, her back was away from whoever had pulled her out of the path, she didn't know whether to try to break away and take her chances with the monster, but even though the rain still fell thoroughly, she felt warmth.

"Kate," a familiar voice whispered in her ear, she could only see the small whips of warm air emerging from his mouth with every word he spoke, "You have to stand perfectly still and stay quiet."

His voice was almost inaudible, yet he spoke with so much feeling. Her muscles tensed as he removed his hand from her mouth, but moved his other hand down to her hip, and a searing pain shot through her, but she didn't dare move.

The monster quickly descended past them, moving down the hill, they could both sense this even though there was no light, and the rain was pouring down, still they both could hear the branches snapping and the trees being pushed aside with ease.

Kate closed her eyes, and shivered against her rescuer's chest. She suddenly felt very tired, and very unaware or afraid of what had happened. She also felt weak, like the slightest gust would blow her away.

The rain stopped as suddenly as it had started and after waiting a few moments and not hearing any evidence the monster was still close by, Jack cautiously let go of Kate, and walked over to the brush.

Kate's mind screamed as the warmth that had surrounded her instantly vanished. Instead it was replaced with the soggy, rough, cold bark of an ancient jungle tree, which her body forced her to lean against.

Jack moved a shrub out of the way, squinted his eyes while peering down the hill, straining in the dim light to see any verification that the monster was still in the area. This was of no use because clouds covered the moon as the wind blew them around viciously

Kate stood still, trying to fathom how Jack had found her. She was still breathing quickly from running, and she was sure her legs wouldn't hold her up for much longer. She glanced towards Jack, and realized that she was no longer alone; he had come for her, even though she'd given off the vibe of aloneness. She smiled weakly and her legs buckled, sending her to the mucky ground.

Jack replaced the shrub and turned around quickly to look at Kate when he heard her crash. Her body was trembling furiously for many reasons. He walked over to her stopping and crouching in front of her. Moving his hand up to her icy skin and pushing a pasted, wet ringlet of hair from her face.

Kate threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She closed her eyes to stop the tears, which were welling in them from sliding down her face. Jack wrapped his warm arms around her weak body.

"I'm so sorry, Jack," Kate apologized solemnly, forcing her eyes shut as tears managed to escape, "It's just, I've spent so long by myself, not needing anyone because when I did, they always seemed to bail."

Jack stroked her hair comfortingly, "It's okay Kate, you don't need to explain anything to me."

Her breathing started to return to normal, as she started to relax in his reassuring arms, "But I owe you an explanation, you came all the way from the cave. If you hadn't," she paused for a moment, not wanting to think about what would have happened. "Why did you come anyway?"

Jack moved his hand from her back and reached into his shirt pocket, and pulled out her picture, "Walt gave this to me, and when I opened it, I thought 'why settle for this, when I can have the real thing?'"

She looked him in the eye and smiled, a tear slid from her eye and down her cheek, it mirrored the faint glow from the frail moon. Jack brought his hand up and brushed away the tear softly.

He left his hand holding the side of her face as she gently pulled herself closer to him. His lips covered hers as they kissed, the first time out of millions. He moved her closer still.

She moved her arms to around his neck as he slid his hands to the small of her back. Feeling her icy skin he broke the kiss.

"You're freezing," he exclaimed, still holding her.

"I'm fine, it's just because of the rain," she responded

"We'd better get back," Jack suggested as he picked up the bag he'd brought along. He began to walk, but Kate grabbed his hand, which made him stop.

"Do we have to go all the way back tonight?" she asked, "I don't think I can make it that far."

"It's not safe in the jungle, Kate, but if we can make it to a beach, then we'll stop."

She smiled, "This way then," and pointed to the hill the monster previously chased her down, "I lost my bag," she added.

He nodded helping her up, he chuckled lightly, "You're covered in mud."

She gave him a weak smile and started for the hill, Jack reached out and caught her hand. She looked back and smiled at the emotion on his face, and together they made their way up the hill.

Jack used his small flashlight to attempt to search for the bag.

"I don't see it anywhere," he exclaimed, still looking for the bag.

"Jack, look up," Kate pointed to a branch which was located about three feet above there heads. Sure enough, slung over the rough branch was Kate's bag.

"How did it end up in the tree?" he posed confusedly.

"I threw it when I fell down the hill," Kate replied. Jack looked at her stunned, "I didn't want it digging into my back if I landed on it."

"You fell down the hill?" Jack asked.

"Yes."

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned.

She sighed, "I'm fine," she lied, her hip and cheek were swollen, but due to the poor light, Jack could see the injuries.

"Can't you just climb the tree?" he asked changing the subject.

"It just rained, I can't climb it now, the bark will be to slippery to grasp," she explained.

"Oh," he added dismayed.

They both stood looking at the bough for a few moments, before Jack came up with another plan.

"I could lift you up to get it," Jack suggested.

"You're going to lift me up?" She asked surprised.

"Why, you don't think I can?" He questioned defensively.

"If I say 'no', that's going to make you want to do this even more, right?" she asked, Jack smiled at her as a response. She giggled, "No, there has to be another way to get it down."

"Well there isn't, so I think the question now is, how much do you really need that bag?"

She sighed, "You'd better not drop me."

"I'm not promising anything," he replied as he placed his bag down in the soil.

They stood underneath the dreaded limb. Kate turned away from Jack and he placed his hands slightly above her hip, ready to lift her to the branch. She winced when he put pressure on the area.

"What's wrong?" he asked letting go immediately.

"Nothing, it just must be a bruise or something," she replied innocently.

"I should take a look at it then," he suggested.

"You can take a look at it when we're on the beach, now throw me into the trees already," she demanded.

"Okay, okay," he gripped her hips, lower then the area he had before, and lifted her off the ground. She reached out her hand, and snatched the strap of the bag of the limb.

Jack lowered her to the ground, "You know, you're surprisingly heavy," he enlightened.

She slipped on her backpack, "It's all muscle."

He chuckled and they began making their way to the beach.

The monster howled again, slicing through the silence of the night. Everyone at the caves woke up, if they were not already awake and waited in fear. The monster was not close enough to do any harm, but it was close enough to cause panic.

Charlie walked from his cave over to Claire's. He walked inside and sat next to her, she was obviously nervous.

"I came to check on you, Love," he explained.

"It sounded close, Charlie," she replied.

He looked at her she was shaking from head to toe, her arm wrapped protectively around her stomach. She was worried, the last thing she needed now was a premature birth do to avoidable stress.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, "Don't worry, that thing will keep its distance. And if it doesn't I'll promise you, Locke will give it hell."

She giggled and relaxed against Charlie, "Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked, "I mean until I fall asleep?"

"Of course, Love," he replied.

"Is the doctor back yet?" Sullivan asked once again.

"Dude, if he wasn't back the last time you asked two minutes ago, what makes you think he'll be back now?" Hurley asked, obviously getting annoyed with the man.

"I thought maybe he came back while I left?" he answered.

"You sat right there," Hurley pointed to a log, clear in view, "You would have seen him."

He sighed and walked away, Hurley turned to Locke, "Now I can see why Jack doesn't like him."

Locke gave a small smile, then turned back to watching the fire. With the rainfall that happened almost instantaneously, it was impossible to find dry wood. Impossible for most, but not for Locke.

Walt looked over at his father. He was sleeping silently, turned away from him. Walt sighed he couldn't sleep. If he had stopped Kate from leaving, or given the note to Jack earlier, they'd both be safe, not out in the jungle were the monster was.

Walt noiselessly stood up and walked over to Locke and Hurley.

"Did the doctor come back yet?" he asked harmlessly.

"Oh my God," Hurley moaned, "Are we really this lost without him?"

Locke turned his head towards the boy, "No Walt, he didn't, but it's not your fault," he stated firmly.

Walt looked at the ground, "But if I…" he began but Locke interrupted him.

"Everything happens for a reason, Walt," he explained.

"Yeah dude, they'll be fine. For all we know, they're at the beach right now, yelling at Sawyer," Hurley added.

Walt nodded silently, and returned to his spot besides his father. Placing his head down on the leaves, he thought that even though Locke and Hurley had tried to comfort him, he still felt guilty.

There's chapter two for ya. I'll state a couple of things just so we're clear.

I am and forever will be a Jack and Kate shipper, so expect no Kate/Sawyer stuff. Although they do have some rather interesting conversations.

The theme of guilt comes up very often by many different characters, hence the name.

Finally, the next chapter is a loo loo, and is tiltin' on the verge of PG-13 and R (not for anything like that, just for some mature conversation) Just a head's up warning.

Thanks for the reviews