Happy Medium

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: The idea for this first scene came from SinoritaDanzer's story "Essence of Two Men". It's a great read!

Author's Note: In this chapter, you'll see some of the conversation between Jack and Kate that occurred off island in "Famous Last Words" happen again in here, island wise. Hopefully you won't remind the repeat!

"And open your eyes!" Jack said in a teasing, singsong voice to Kate.

"Come on Jack," Kate said stubbornly, "we're not playing peekaboo here."

"No, I'm serious!" Jack said anxiously. "Here-"

He untied the blindfold and Kate gasped at the sight in front of her. Sometime in between Jack caring for numerous complaining survivors and embarrassing himself in attempts to woo her, Jack had managed to find the most gorgeous lagoon she had ever seen. It even drew more attention than the one she and Sawyer had found over a month ago. Lined with fiddle heads and fonds, growing flowering plants and miniature trees, the freshwater lagoon stood as wide as your typical swimming pool with water as blue as the sky above. Jack just smiled beside her at his success.

"Well?" Jack said, desperate for Kate to say anything.

Kate grinned mischievously.

"Race ya in."

In a flash, Kate was down to her tank top and undergarments as she raced into the pull, and Jack just stared at her perfect form before comprehending what had just happened, and only had the sense to throw off his shirt and tear off his socks and shoes before jumping in. The water was cooler than Jack expected it to be, and he shivered as he came back up to surface to face Kate, who wadded in front of him, her hair dripping wet, and smiling.

"What?" She teased. "Water's too cold?"

"No." Jack said, wishing his teeth would stop chattering.

What idiots went swimming in the middle of November? Obviously idiots who were madly in love and had no way to show it but with stupidity.

"Just a word of advise," he continued, "never go swimming in jeans."

"I figured that," Kate said, and let Jack have a minute to grin his half smile she loved so much before jumping up slightly, placing her hands on his head, and pushing down hard, dunking him in the water.

As he came back up to surface, Jack shook the water off him as he looked around for Kate.

"What was that for?" He yelled, acting like he was angry with her.

When it was clear that Kate was underwater, Jack dived underneath just in time to spot a wave of brown hair wiping him in the face. Reaching out, he grabbed Kate's ankle, and there was a muffled underwater scream as he pulled her towards him, and in three slick moves, had her sitting on top of his shoulders.

"Jack!" Kate screamed, though still laughing. "Jack! Put me down!"

"Oh?" Jack said, seriously. "You want down?"

Kate realized what Jack was doing when he began to slowly lift her upwards.

"No Jack!" Kate screeched. "Don't you dare-!"

She was then tossed through the air, hitting the waters hard. Jack roared in laughter, but stopped when he felt something climb on his back, and realized that Kate was trying to dunk him again.

"Hey!" Jack said in surprise. "That's not fair!"

Kate just laughed as she tried and failed at dunking Jack. Instead, she was flung forward, and when she came back up to surface, her head was spinning, but Kate didn't seem to mind.

"This place is amazing," Kate said after they both calmed down a bit, "how'd you find it?"

"Got mad at Sawyer one day," Jack shrugged, "took a wrong path, got lucky. You complaining?"

"Not at all," Kate said smiling.

"Listen," Jack said, more seriously than before, "I brought you out here because I just wanted to thank you for all that you've done for me..for everyone and-"

"Jack," Kate cut in before she could stop herself.

"Yeah?" Jack said, looking up nervously, afraid that maybe he had said the wrong thing.

Kate smiled.

"Just shut up and kiss me."

Grinning, Jack closed his eyes, and did just that.

A half an hour later, Jack and Kate were laying up on a hill that tilted towards the lagoon, letting the sun dry their moist bodies off before heading off to camp. After swearing she would stop teasing him about his boxers, Jack agreed that the camp would survive without him for another few hours. Not to mention, Kate pointed out that he'd catch a cold if he remained in his damp clothes for long. So now they lay in the sun, side by side, chatting about absolutely nothing at all.

"So what do you think about Sawyer?" Jack asked out of the blue.

"What?" Kate asked, startled.

"Do you like him?" Jack pressed.

"Are you serious?" Kate laughed. "The guy wouldn't know love it danced naked in the rain in front of him."

Jack closed his eyes, trying to picture and block out the image he received from that at the same time.

"Maybe you should try another metephor," he said, his face grim.

"Sorry," Kate said with a smile, and leaned over, kissing him, "all better?"

"I'm not a kid, you know," Jack said, "I can take care of myself."

"Whatever you say," Kate shrugged, and kissed him again, holding it longer until finally breaking it off a few moments later, "we're going to have to be careful, you know, if we're going to do this."

"This?" Jack inquired, amused. "You mean, a relationship?"

"Yeah," Kate said, and Jack looked a little disappointed, "not that I don't want to have a kid, but, let's face it Jack, you're getting old, you're on an island, and you're actually quite helplessly pathetic."

"Oh, and you're not?"

"How many dates have you been on since high school?" Kate shot back, and that shut Jack up. "But don't worry, I love you anyway."

Jack smiled and kissed her. As cheesy as it sounded, he still loved hearing those words every time she said them.

(Space)

An hour later, Jack and Kate were walking back to camp, arms wrapped around each other as though they were in some cheesy romance movie.

"Hey, what's that?" Kate said suddenly, dropping her arm from Jack's shoulder, and moving towards something that stuck up from the ground.

Moving closer, she saw it was some rope. She bent, down, and picked at it, edging it out of the ground, but just as she tugged on it, something large fell right in front of her, and she screamed.

"Jack!" She screamed, bringing him right over.

Once by her side, Jack made sure she was okay, and then moved towards what turned out to be a body in front of her. Kate, still in shock, stepped back, while Jack worked the rope tied tightly around the girl's neck, and it wasn't until it was completely off that he realized he knew the body.

"Oh my god," he muttered, suddenly praying he was in a dream, and in any moment, he'd be back on the beach, sleeping with Kate.

But the body in front of him told him otherwise.

"What?" Kate asked, recovering herself. "Who is it?"

She glanced down, and gasped.

"Alex," she said stunned, and looked at Jack, "but how..who?"

Jack didn't answer, and only shook his head. Reaching behind Alex's head to feel for any wound, since there were none on her face, and was surprised when he brought back his hand to find it clean. He looked at Kate, and they both knew that something wasn't right.

(Space)

"Sayid!" Jack called as he stumbled into the caves, spotting Sayid talking to Shannon about something serious, but as soon as he saw Jack coming in, carrying Alex in his arms, he ran over to Jack, and helped him sit her down on a cot that lay in Jack's infirmary.

"Where'd you find her?" Sayid asked immediately as Jack reached for some water.

"Find her?"

"She fainted," Sayid explained, "earlier. I asked Danielle to stay with her while I tried to find you. She got upset, and ran out. And why are you all wet?"

Jack ignored him as he tried to force some water into Alex mouth, and thought about the situation.

"Will she be all right?" Sayid asked when Jack never replied.

Jack looked up at him, and the seriousness on his face almost scared Sayid.

"You better go get Danielle."

(Space)

Alex moaned as she felt herself come back to life, and she figured wherever she was, someone would soon be at her side, thrilled that she was awake. But that wasn't so. Instead, she heard yelling, and lots of it. After a moment of adjusting her eyes, she realized that she was back in the caves, and she tried to ignore the excruciating pain that came from her throat and listened.

"She said she's never seen anyone else on the island!" Sayid was shouting. "Why won't you believe her?"

Back in the open area just outside of where Alex was, Jack stood with his arms crossed, growing impatient. Kate stood behind him, glancing towards Jack every now and then, and Danielle stood out of place beside Sayid.

"Are you saying that one of us did it?" Jack said.

"We can't rule out the possibility," said Sayid.

"Why would one of us want to hurt Alex?" Kate said behind Jack, not really sure what she believed.

They all glanced towards Danielle, who remained silent.

"Look," Kate said, wanting to prevent more yelling, "when Alex wakes up, we can ask her if she remembers anything, but until then-"

"Do you really think she'll tell us?" Sayid said loudly, startling Jack and Kate. "How much did Charlie tell you when you found him? And she's not even hurt."

"She was just hung," Jack hissed, "are you suggesting something?"

Sayid grew quiet and looked at Jack sternly.

"Why do you trust her so much?" Sayid said calmly, out of nowhere.

"Because she understands me," Jack said, already having figured out that answer a long time ago.

"Oh, and what am I then?" Kate exclaimed, infuriated, and turned to leave.

"Kate," Jack said desperately, "I didn't mean it like-"

"Forget it Jack," Kate said, shaking her head as she left the caves.

Jack sighed, and turned back to Sayid, realizing it was the first time that he had been angry with him.

"You just can't shut up, can you?" Jack said, trying not to lose it.

"You saw the circumstances," Sayid said, ignoring the comment, "no blood, no injury, no witnesses. Everyone else is counted for. Ethan's dead. Can you not for once second consider the possibility that she-"

"Tried to kill herself?"

The three turned to find Alex standing there, watching them, looking hurt. Jack tried to meet eyes with her to tell her that he had no part in this, but she only glared at him.

"I can't believe this," Alex said, surprised at how well she was able to talk, as if she were meant to have this conversation.

It took a moment, but Jack's heart seemed to skip a beat when he realized that while she spoke, Alex was looking directly at him, and the hurt in her eyes almost made him completely forgot the recent argument with Kate.

"I could expect this from her," Alex said, nodding towards Danielle, "but not from you."

Jack looked down, guilt playing in his eyes, while Danielle just stared at her daughter.

"From her?" Danielle repeated.

"Yeah," Alex said, nodding, "ever since we were 'reunited' or whatever, you've treated me like some kind of unwanted kid, some kind of burden. You don't even know me, what my life is like, anything."

"You're my daughter," Danielle said, her eyes cold, speaking as though the statement changed everything.

"That doesn't mean anything," Alex said, "you were never there for me, Dad, anyone, so sorry if I'm lacking respect here."

"I wanted to try and start over-"

"No," Alex cut in, "there is no 'starting over'. Not now, not ever."

She glared at Danielle a beat longer before she felt tears being to develop again in her eyes, and Jack looked up at her as she stood there, frozen, until Alex finally gained the will to flee the caves, and Jack looked back down, almost equally as hurt. After a few uncomfortable moments, Jack looked up at Sayid.

"Nice," was all he said, before leaving Sayid alone with Danielle.

Sayid sighed as Danielle suddenly became interested in a crack in the wall, and when he realized he had nothing more to say, Sayid left Danielle alone to ponder just how well she really knew her daughter.

Author's Note: For those who didn't catch on, yes, Sayid was accusing Alex of trying to commit suicide. She was blamed for the act. Sorry for the wait, and I'm not so sure when the next time I'll be able to get on will be. You see, I have this brother who's a, well, name I cant say because of little ears that might find their way to this story, and when he's not on the computer, he's playing really loud, annoying video games, and I hate writing while other people are in the room anyway. Good news is he's moving out(thank the lord!) and soon, I won't have to worry about that. Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are amazing!

Coming up next, on "Happy Medium":

A confrontation with Sawyer calms Alex down, or at least for a while, until she runs off, meeting her attacker again, and in flashbacks, you'll get to see how Alex and Adam's relationship began, along with their musical career.

Thanks again!

October Sky