Title: Wanna Bet?
Rating: PG
Pairing: Jack/Kate, with a tiny bit of Skate.
Disclaimer: I don't own LOST...sadly.
Summary:What wouldn't you do for almonds on a deserted island?
For Jules...because I love her.
Kate was happy for a break, after one of the longest mornings of her life. She had done so much since the sun had risen, she felt like she could go to sleep then and there. Too bad that wasn't
an option. There was always so much to be done; collecting fruit, bringing water from the caves to the beach, helping collect firewood, helping start fires, stopping any little fights that seemed to
break out every day. So, after a long morning, it didn't even bother her that Sawyer was the one that distracted her from her work.
"You look mighty busy this morning, Freckles," He said, in his charming southern drawl. She turned around to see him leaning against a tree, watching her as she cut down a small tree and
added it to her pile of wood.
"I am," She said, shortly, moving to another tree and beginning her work again.
"You know, if you keep working like this without water breaks, not even the hero will be able to save you." His voice held no concern. He held a bottle of water up and waited for her to take it.
"No, I am sure he would save me in plenty of time. All I would have to do is scream." She grinned and took the water from him, unscrewing the cap and taking a long drink, before replacing it and
handing it back to Sawyer. She dropped her backpack on the ground and leaned against a tree, her exhaustion finally catching up with her. She let her eyes fall closed for a moment, though she
could still feel Sawyer's gaze on her.
"Oh, yeah, he would be here in about twenty seconds," Sawyer said, shaking his head. He was annoyed. Kate seemed to be spending more and more time with Jackass, and it was driving him
crazy. Jack didn't seem to mind, either. What was worse, he didn't have any idea why he cared so much.
"No, more like thirty," Kate found herself saying. She opened her eyes and glanced at Sawyer, a light smirk on her face.
"Is that so?" Sawyer said, his brow furrowed. "Wanna bet?"
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Jack had been having a very slow morning, considering where they were. He had checked on his patients in the caves, and brought water to the beach. He was just taking a light strole along the
beach, making sure everything was in order, when he heard a scream. Kate. He knew it. He didn't know how, but he knew.
Before he knew what he was doing, he was running in the direction of the scream. It didn't take long for him to find her. She was standing underneath a tree, holding a watch to her wrist. She
seemed to be timing something. As soon as he reached her, she pushed the stop button.
"Very good," She said, laughing. "Thirty three point five seconds. I'm impressed. And Sawyer owes me almonds." She laughed more at the shocked look on Jack's face. He was still trying to
figure out exactly what had happened.
"Wh-what?" He said, trying to catch his breath. "You were just...timing me?" He didn't know what he was feeling, at the moment. Relief that Kate wasn't hurt...anger, that she and Sawyer
seemed to have set him up...and annoyance at himself, for caring so much about what happened to Kate. Had it been anyone else, would he have hurried like that to the rescue? Would he have
been that scared? Would he have been thinking exaclty what he would do if anything had happened to that person?
"I'm sorry, Jack," Kate said, moving closer to him and supressing giggles. "I had to. It was so easy. And you should have seen the look on your face...I'll share the almonds with you, if you like."
Jack shook his head. "Yeah, that would be good. Just...don't ever do that again. Alright? I thought you were going to be dead or kidnapped or something!"
He sighed as Kate nodded and a grin tugged at her lips.
"Thirty three seconds, eh?" He said, feeling hs mouth curl into a smiel. "That is pretty impressive."
"Yes, it is. And you are humble, as well." Kate said, still laughing.
"I know," Jack replied. Even if he had been scared half to death, it was almost worth it for this moment with Kate. It was a rare occurance, these days. Even when they had time together, they
always had something to disgree about.
Kate took a step towards him, and he felt his stomach do a backflip.
"I'm sorry I scared you," Kate said, wrapping her arms around his neck in an embrace. The guy deserved something, after what she had put him through, and she really didn't want to share her
almonds.
"But it WAS really funny, and I'm afraid that I'm not willing to share my almonds, after all." And with that, she pulled away, and was walking down the beach, leaving Jack feeling as if he'd been
hit by a ton of bricks.