Disclaimer: Um…wait. Disclaimer. Let's look this word up. It says here "a denial of responsibility for a thing or act: as a negation or limitation of the rights under a warranty given by a seller to a buyer" Now, its not the exact same thing, but I guess that still means I don't own this, right?

Chapter 2- Leaving On My Mind

There were few times in Jack's life when he regretted a statement he'd made, but right now, he was seriously thinking about ripping his tongue out of his mouth, and throwing it at Kate's feet, begging (with gestures) for forgiveness.

It had been almost a week since they'd opened the hatch and they had yet to formulate an entire plan. In 5 out of those 7 days, he barely eaten, slept, or rested, trying to figure out exactly how they were going to get down in there. Kate's suggestion, ropes, was currently taking too long.

"Maybe we should just stop. Maybe we shouldn't go down there."

On his nerves end, he'd snapped back at her. "What, Kate, afraid to dig in? Afraid someone will freak out and refuse to be anywhere near the fugitive? Because this is where we are Kate."

He'd regretted it the moment the words were out, because the moment they were out, Kate had stood ram-rod straight. She stared silently for a moment. "How do we even know that Danielle was telling the truth? She's deranged. She kidnapped Claire's baby hoping to appease the "Others" and get her daughter back."

"All I know, Kate, is that I need to see what's down there."

"Why? Why do you need to know?"

"Kate, goddamn it, don't you understand? This isn't a game. We're trapped on an island and we're probably never getting off. Even if the people on the raft survive for more than a few days," (Kate sucked in a breath) "they aren't coming back. They won't come to get us. And if we plan to survive, we need to figure this island out."

"What makes you think the hatch is the answer to your problems? You heard Hurley. The numbers on the side are his numbers. Cursed numbers, Jack. And though I'm not usually one to fall for ghost stories, those numbers have been nothing but bad news for us."

"Well excuse me if I don't put blind faith in an overweight man with a large imagination and a woman who was on the plane being escorted to prison."

She'd looked as if he'd struck her, and before he could get a word in edgewise, she'd turned and left the cave they had been deliberating in.

"Kate! Kate, stop, come back here!"

She'd ignored him, and he'd known it would be futile to follow her. She'd get away. She was always good at that. Slipping away when all he wanted was to keep her close.

He sighed, balling his hands into fists and striking out at the table in front of him, knocking it backward in his fury. He breathed a moment, then sat heavily.

The last time he'd regretted his words so much was such a difference to now that he wondered if he'd ever really regretted words before now.

He was fourteen, maybe fifteen, and his father had caught him with a girl, which had been followed up by a lecture on how he needed to focus on his studies, not his tongue down a girls throat in his room, and then he'd been grounded for a month. At the time, and to a teenager, a month was a lifetime. The words had come as he'd stomped up stairs towards his room, and just before he'd slammed to door he'd yelled them again, for stamina. "I hate you!"

He knew now, what is was to really suffer the words his mind brought forth. His father hadn't looked him in the eye for days, and didn't speak to him for almost a week. That had been his father. Kate wasn't attached to him. How long before she'd dare speak to him again? How long could he stand it?

She refused to let tears fall from her eyes. She was not going to let it happen. His words were not going to affect her. As she rushed into the cave she'd pitched as her own, a voice called her name, and Sayid hurried in after her. "Kate, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she lied, her voice teetering on tears.

"Obviously not. What is wrong?"

"I'm fine, Sayid. Nothing's wrong."

She stuffed clothes and effects into her bag, wondering herself what she was doing.

"Kate---."

"Look, I'm fine! I just…I need some down time. I need to stretch my legs. Get away from here for a while."

"What did Jack say?"

Her head shot up. "What are you talking about?"

"Jack. You were with him. When you ran out he was calling your name. What did he say?"

She shook her head. "This has nothing to do with him."

"Of course it does. What did he say to you?"

She shrugged, knowing now that tears would fall for this. "I just…" She brushed hair from her face, and moved away, hiding her face so that he could not see the emotion. "He doesn't trust me. No one trusts me. And I need to get out of here."

It was quiet for a long time, and for a while she was sure he'd left. But then something rustled, and she looked up in time to see Sayid reach behind him, and pull a gun from the waistband of his jeans and push it towards her. "I trust you."

She sighed, shaking her head. "I can't take the gun."

"You can and you must, if you plan to go into the forest alone. I need you to take the gun."

"Sayid…what will people say if they find out you gave me a gun?"

"If they have a problem I will make them remember all the other times they have trusted you with a gun and you have proven their trust was warranted. I will not let you go if you don't take the gun."

"What are you going to do, tie me to a tree?"

He was quiet, holding the gun out towards her. "Only if you make me."

"Sayid…"

"Just take it. I will feel much better knowing you have it."

She shook her head and slowly took the proffered weapon, sliding it into her waistband at the small of her back. Sayid nodded. "Be safe, Kate." He turned, and at the edge of the caves he turned his head back to look at her. "I could hurt him for you."

She laughed a bit at the offer, not taking it seriously. "That's okay, Sayid. I'll be okay."

He gave a perfunctory nod. "Good."

He was gone before Kate could say another word, and she continued to pack. Her last shirt had gone into the bag when soft footsteps echoed through her small cave, and her head snapped up, ready to snap at Jack.

Sun's eyes met her own. "You will need water."

"I've got it covered."

"And food? Where will you get that?"

"I know where to go."

Sun nodded. "Are you leaving because of Jack?"

Kate began to reply, her hard yes ringing in her ears but she stopped. She paused, shaking her head in bewilderment at Sun, and then shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Partly. Mostly I'm just not ready to sit here and wait for something to find me."

"So you are running."

"Katie, slow down! We've got all summer to figure it out. It's not like either of us is going anywhere soon."

She stared at Tom. "Yeah. I guess not."

"A year from now, we'll be sitting under this same tree, talking about what we're going to do when we leave this place, talk about how far away we're going to go. But really. Do you think you'll actually ever leave?"

"I'm leaving. The moment I graduate I'm leaving. And I'm going everywhere. Europe, Africa, Asia, Central America, South America."

"No Australia?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. What's in Australia?"

"Rocks. Dirt. Desert. Huge reptiles that could eat you whole, kangaroos that could kill you with a kick, wild natives that'll beat you to death with rocks and sticks."

She smiled. "I guess I'll go there too."

He sighed, continuing to throw rocks away from him, listening as they landed in the tall grass yards away. "You always seem to be moving away, Katie. Like you're running from something."

"That's insane, Tom. Why would I be running? I mean, look around!" She gestured to the empty fields surrounding them. "What else is there in this world? What haven't I seen, right here in this thousand person Podunk town?"

"I didn't say getting out of here. Of course we're going to get out of here. We'll live someplace fancy, and we'll lead spectacular, never a boring moment lives. But you're always moving away from people. Like you don't want to get too close. You're running."

"What am I running from, Tom?"

"You're running from life."

Kate nodded. "Yeah. I'm running."

Sun looked confused. "Why? Why are you running?"

She breathed deeply, moving towards the front of the cave. "Because that's the only way I know."

She didn't bother with goodbyes, she'd never been good at them. She'd said so herself just a week before. She just didn't say goodbye. As she started for the trees, people stared. They were wary, wondering, their glances full of biased questioning, wondering where she was going, what she was doing. She was thankful that the backpack hid the gun tucked into her pants. They all watched wordlessly as she disappeared into the trees, and a few moments later she heard a small scuffle of footsteps.

Then Sayid spoke. "She's gone, Jack.