--------------EMENIUS SLEEPUS--------------
-CHAPTER EIGHT-UNTITLED-
Shannon was the type of person who did whatever she wanted and didn't care about anyone else getting hurt. She wanted to enjoy herself, even if it was just for the moment.
Sawyer did the same as her, for the most part, but he had a bit more of a soul. He knew that Sayid would probably get mad if he found out about him and Shannon, and Sawyer knew what happened when Saiid got mad. Also, he knew Boone was probably shaking in his grave because of Shannon's decisions. So both Sawyer and Shannon decided to keep their feelings for each other quiet and not let anyone else find out about it.
One morning, Jack awoke to find Kate still asleep. He smiled at her. Even pregnant, dirty, and asleep on the ground, she was beautiful.
Jack pulled a blanket over Kate's shoulders so she wouldn't be cold and gently kissed her cheek. She stirred but did not wake. Jack left the area.
He went out near the shore where waves were crashing against the beach. He sat down in the sand and put his face in his hands.
Now he was scared.
Jack was not the type to show emotion. Doctors usually didn't. It was just in their nature to hide everything. But no one was around and Jack could be scared.
The only thing Jack had thought about since the day he had met her was Kate. She was something different than other people. She didn't care if Jack cried his brains out- to her, Jack was more than just the doctor. He was a person. So Jack had no trouble telling her how she made him feel.
Jack did not regret anything that had happened between Kate and himself. As far as he could tell, Kate didn't regret it either. But he was scared. Scared that she wouldn't make it, scared that the baby wouldn't make it, scared that he couldn't be the father he wanted to- and was expected- to be. And nothing Charlie had said had calmed him down any bit.
"Are you all right?"
Jack pulled his hands away from his face. He turned around and looked at the speaker. It was Sayid.
"Fine." Jack lied.
Sayid sat down beside him. "Congratulations." he said. "I wish you and Kate the best of luck."
Jack half-smiled. "Thanks."
Sayid looked at Jack. "Are you nervous?"
"About what?" said Jack.
"About Kate. About your baby." Jack turned his head a bit, but Sayid did not look away. "About yourself."
Well, thought Jack. That pretty much hits the nail on the head.
But he said, "No."
Sayid did not press the subject, but he knew that Jack was lying. "She will be fine." said Sayid. He left.
"Sayid!" Jack called as he walked away. Sayid turned.
"Thank you." said Jack. Sayid smiled.
-CHAPTER EIGHT-UNTITLED-
The next time Jack saw Kate, she was sitting alone in the caves, crying.
"Hey," he said softly, sitting down next to her and putting his arms around her shoulders. "What's the matter?"
"Jack," Kate whispered. "I'm not ready to have this baby."
Jack exhaled. "Kate," he whispered, wiping a tear from her face.
"I can't do this, Jack. I'm not ready to be a mother." Kate sobbed. She finished with a whisper; "I'm so scared."
"Kate," said Jack again. "I'm scared too. But I would NEVER let ANYTHING happen to you. This baby... it isn't just yours. It's mine too. And I'm not going to let it die, and I'm not gonna let you die." He looked at Kate. "You're going to do great. Watch. You'll make an excellent mother. You will."
Kate wiped her eyes and looked toward a corner of the sky. "I spend a lot of time," she said. "saying 'what if'. 'What if the baby dies? What if I don't make it through? What if you get hurt, or sick?'... I'm all alone out here without you, Jack."
Every worry in Kate's mind was exactly what Jack worried about every single day.
"Don't worry," said Jack. "I won't let anything bad happen. I promise." He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "So tell me," he said, changing the subject. "What names do you like?"
Kate smiled. "I like 'Jack'," said Kate. Jack grinned.
"Well, I like 'Katherine.' " he said. "But do we really want to name the baby after ourselves?"
"Don't know." said Kate. "Did you have anything else in mind?"
Jack rubbed the stubble on his cheek. "D'you know what I'd like to name it?"
"Tell me."
" 'Luke'."
Kate said, "Why's that?"
"Luke was the saint of doctors."
Kate smiled again. "I like that." she said. Kate was not the most religious person in the world, but she liked Jack's creative thinking. "Luke... Luke Shepard."
Jack's smile faded away.
"What's wrong?" asked Kate.
"Do you think it's right for the baby to take my last name?" he asked. "It is your baby too."
See, said a nasty voice in the back of Jack's brain. That's why you shouldn't have a child out of wedlock.
Jack ignored his goody two-shoes Christian thoughts and looked at Kate.
"Doesn't matter to me." said Kate.
Jack played with his hands in his lap.
"Kate?"
"Yeah?"
"I need to ask you something." He was barely hearing himself say these words. His heart was beating so hard he was surprised Kate couldn't hear it.
"Okay," said Kate, half-knowing what was coming.
"I suppose I should have a ring or something, but, um..." Spit it out, Jack told himself. "if we ever get off this island, will you marry me?"
Kate kept her gaze averted towards her stomach. She had tears in her eyes. "Oh, Jack." she said softly.
Jack looked at her.
"More than anything in the world," said Kate thickly, trying hard not to cry. "I want to say yes. But I just can't. You know I can't."
Jack felt a lump in his throat, but he didn't cry.
"As much as I want it to, this isn't going to work out."
She held onto Jack's hand tightly. "I'm sorry, Jack. I love you and I don't want to hurt you. And I want to be your wife. I do, I really do."
"I know," said Jack, rubbing her back gently to keep her from crying. "I know."
"You'll just have to take the baby and go. Settle down and get married. Find the baby a good mother."
"Kate, this baby only has one mother, and that's you." said Jack.
Kate hung her head.
"There's nothing I can do, Jack," said Kate. "I'm going to jail, whether I like it or not."
She began to cry again. First Jack was sad too. But then he was struck with a plan.
"Kate," said Jack. "You don't have to go to jail!"
"Are you crazy? Of course I-"
"No, Kate. I have a plan."
Kate looked up at him and smiled. Jack kissed her, still smiling.
A/N: Angsty chapter, I know. And nothing worthwhile really happened, but I figured it was too early for Kate to actually have the baby. Plus, I noticed they hadn't discussed names yet at all. It might be out of character that Jack was talking about saints, but I wanted to put that in, because I'm mostly a religious person key word, mostly. Plus, it's not like anything that I write in this story is ever really going to happen on the show. It's just fun to write. :)