A/N: Hey all, trying to get all my stories updated, so I'm going to update this one first. Capture the Flag, I'm holding off one more day so I can put on the finishing touches. So, here's for all you Jaters out there.

I've decided that this is the prequel to Searching, so if you want to check out that story, you're welcome to. But this one explains how Kate and Jack got to how they were in the beginning of Searching. Sorry for all the confusion, if I caused any.

Disclaimer: I think it's safe to say that I don't own Lost, nor ever will. But you know, there's always that small chance. Michael Jackson said he wanted the rights to all the Beatles songs, and look where he is now. The man probably doesn't even know what to do with them anymore, I'll bet.

Fireflies
Chapter 3
No Other Way

Sawyer sighed, and called out, "Doc! Stop right there!"

The man paused very briefly, and turned around, just on the edge of the forest. "What now, Sawyer?" His voice held a harsh tone that Sawyer had never heard him use before.

"I wanna come with." He stated simply, grabbing a backpack and a water bottle, "'Sides, you could use the company."

"I don't want, nor need, your company." Jack shot back, and took a step into the forest, but what he heard next stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Jacko, it might not seem true to ya, but I care for her jus' as much as you do." Sawyer spoke sincerely, "I just have a different way of showin' it to her."

Jack's shoulders shook with anger, and he tried to leave, but he couldn't force himself to. "Sawyer, you'd better not dawdle. At all." He sighed. Jack knew this was the exact recipe for disaster, but when, and if, he found Kate, the doctor knew she wouldn't run away from Sawyer. She never had before, and Jack expected this time to be no different.

Sawyer's face lit up like a kid's would on Christmas morning, though the twinkle in his eye quickly disappeared. "Ready when you are, doc."

"Come on then," Jack took each stride with ease, his heart filled with relief. Though in a part of it, he couldn't drown out the feeling that this somehow wouldn't turn out the way he wanted it to.

"Doc, c'mon, let's take 5 minutes." Sawyer huffed behind Jack, trying to keep up.

"Sawyer, you signed up for this, and now you're going to get what you wanted." Jack shot back for the 5th time that day, "Now quit complaining."

"Jesus, jackass, jus' wanted to see if you wanted a break." The man managed to get out.

"Well, I don- Kate!" Jack's demanding tone was replaced with a soft one.

The woman looked up from the small fire she had built, "…What're you doing here?" She questioned, her eyes filled with hurt.

Jack couldn't bring himself to say anything in front of Sawyer; he knew the man would hold it over him for the rest of his life, "I-I… " He faltered quickly, staring at his feet.

"Jacko, you found her. Now go say it!" Sawyer urged, though his mind was screaming 'No! No! You want Kate, don't let him have her!'

"Just go, Sawyer!" Jack nearly yelled at him, "I don't need you hanging around here anyway."

"No!" Kate intervened, "Anything you have to say, Sawyer can hear it too."

Jack stared at her, apparently at a loss for words still, "But…" He trailed off again.

"Kate, don't pick him. You have no life with that doctor, and we all know it. With me, you can have that life." Sawyer cut in, taking Jack's words straight out of his mouth.

The man turned and looked in horror at him, but soon that face turned to anger again, and Sawyer could tell his mind was working at light-speed what to say to counter against it.

"Kate-" He started, but got cut off by Sawyer once more.

"C'mon, Kate. Just say the words. I know you want me," Sawyer prodded at her mind more and more, making her armor weak and un-reliable.

"I love you, S-" She started, but Jack swiftly cut in.

"You know, I couldn't sleep last night." He swallowed, and both the man and woman turned in shock to him, "My blankets were too short, and the wind too swift."

"Jac-"

"No, let me finish!" Jack cried out, "Then you can do whatever the hell you please, but all I want is 3 more minutes of your time. That's all." He held up three fingers.

Kate merely nodded, and let the man finish, feeling that she had already made her decision, and that this whole 3 minutes was just going to be a waste of time.

"Do you have any idea what it's like, lying awake in the middle of the night, wondering what the man you love is doing right at that very moment in time? Is he sleeping, his arm covering his chocolate brown eyes that hold everything you possibly ever wanted? Or is he awake, looking out over the ocean, waiting for that one boat to come and whisk him off again?"

Kate shook her head, though in her heart she knew she was lying.

"That's what it was like for me last night. I swear, have you ever noticed that in your anger and fear, you're placing the person you love in a much worse place then you could ever imagine? Last night, Kate, you said you loved me. Were you really telling the truth?"

"I was!" She screamed out, not able to take it anymore. I was. Everything last night, everything was true. But, Jack, after what you did to me, I don't think I could ever take you back! Ever!"

"Then why run, Kate? Why did you go and hide from me? You could've told me the truth straight up, but no, you placed me in the same position you were in last night!"

"Because I wanted you to see how much pain I was in, Jack. To get a taste of your own vile medicine! Now just… just go." She sobbed out, burying her face in her hands.

"Kate…." He said softly, stooping by her, "Kate, listen…"

"Doc, you heard the lady. Let's get you on your way…" Sawyer jerked the man back up gleefully, and started to push him out of the clearing.

"Kate, I love you!" Jack yelled out in anguish, seizing his only chance, "I always have, and I always will."

"She said go, jackass!" Sawyer answered for his lady, shoving the doctor out of the clearing.

Kate looked up just in time to see Jack let go of the tree trunk he was holding, and walk off miserably. But Kate didn't feel the happiness she was supposed to feel, the relief that she had finally picked the right man. Instead a pang of guilt shot through her heart, and she even more alone then she had even been before.

But Sawyer eyed her happily, glad she had made the decision correctly. "Ya made a good choice, leavin' him, Freckles." His tone of voice couldn't be anymore content.

"You really think so?" She asked smally, her eyes still lingered on the spot where Kate had last saw Jack.

"'Course," and with that, his lips captured hers in a fiery kiss, one that was supposed to be passionate. But Kate couldn't help it, and she pulled away quickly.

"Sawyer, not so fast…" She laid a finger on his soft lips, "Not so fast…"

Later that day, when night had fallen, and the stars were just beginning to peek out under the cover of navy blue sky, Jack slowly made his way back to the caves. Just having made his rounds, the man felt extremely tired already, but the week's events had had worn him down even more, and by the time he was supposed to be back at the caves, he had just started the long and slow walk.

Not looking ahead, he felt another body collide with his, and a small "Umph!" could tell him that he had knocked the person to the ground.

"I'm sorry-" He said quickly, lending a hand to the woman on the ground.

But Jack tapered off as he looked down at the full head of brown curls, and the jade green eyes that bore into his.

"-Kate…" He stated, his voice almost inaudible.

Both sat there for the longest time, not speaking a word to each other. But Kate wasn't the first to swallow her pride and speak up, "…Jack?" She breathed.

The man looked at her, and she could instantly tell that he had let down all barriers. Jack was willing to do anything for her, even take a bullet if push came to shove. And that was what she truly loved about Jack Shepard. He was always there for anyone, even if he was hurting inside himself. This fact proved to be true, as he dusted himself off, and plastered that fake half-smile on, the one that all doctors had, and spoke, "I was just coming back from the beach… Sorry about that." He bit his lip and looked at his feet.

"Jack, it's me who should be sorry…" Kate tried to speak, but she found that her usually fast mind came up with nothing to talk of.

Jack shook his head, "No… I should of known you'd pick him over me. I mean, who am I kidding, bad guys always get the girls." His voice broke over this last sentence, but his amber eyes would break contact with hers.

Kate could see his eyes try to blink back tears, and instantly her first action was to go over, and try to make it better. But there was nothing Kate could do this time, so she held back.

"Jack, that's why I came to find yo-"

"Save it for Sawyer, Kate." Jack shot back, his anger getting the best of him, "You chose Sawyer." Turning away, he went back to staring at the ground, his interest apparently liking a leaf. Quietly, she could hear him count to 5.

Kate swallowed, "I didn't choose Sawyer." She sat a hand on his shoulder, and her hand could feel him shiver at her touch, "Jack, I chose you."

And both suddenly got the impulse to look up. And as they did, they gasped at what they saw. A sea of fireflies had surrounded them overhead, and a small whirr of a plane engine could be heard in the distance.

A/N: This storyis the prequel to Searching, I have decided, and so that deems Searching the sequel to this. Um, thanks for all the reviews, theyare really great, and expect some more Jate-ness stuff coming up in this. It'll explain how Kate and Jack got to how they were in the beginning of Searching, which should be really cool. Hopefully an update soon, and I promise it asap.