Lost and its characters belong to JJ Abrams, Bad Robot and co. I'm just borrowing for some good times. Post Tabula Rasa. Summary -- Kate reveals to Jack what haunts her dreams.

Lost – Sweet Dreams
By Mystic
November 2nd 2005

His face was grotesque, but smiling. That same damned smile he'd had when he was alive only now it was half eaten by maggots and rotting. The Marshall clamped a hand down on her shoulder and moved forward, his mouth opening and moving towards her neck. It was too real. He was too close. She gasped and shouted.

Kate awoke with a jump and pushed away at the hand that held her shoulder. She grunted in protest when it refused to move and she kicked, hard, feeling her foot make contact with a solid body. Her heart jumped in her throat when she heard him shout, heard him say her name. Then he laughed and she opened her eyes.

"It's alright, it's just me," Jack told her quickly from the spot where he lay. He sat up, watching her with amused eyes. Eyes that studied her and softened with concern.

"Sorry," she mumbled, scrambling to sit up as she took in the sunrise on the horizon and the lapping waves of the ocean. She'd fallen asleep right where she'd been sitting the night before. Right where she'd watched the waters as the sun set behind her.

Jack nodded and sat up, brushing sand off his elbows and he laughed again, shaking his head at her. Kate lowered her eyebrows and wiped her hands on her jeans, wishing she could take the sticky salt off them. She balled her fists, opening them and feeling the cracks mold together with the heat. Rubbing her eyes, she felt something nudge against her thigh and she jerked away, finding Jack holding out a water bottle to her.

"You were having one hell of a nightmare," he told her, tapping her with the bottle again.

She only nodded, taking the bottle and drinking from it. Kate wanted to pull over her backpack, show him her own supply and tell him she could take care of herself, but she couldn't. Some part of her didn't mind him trying to take care of her. Taking another long sip, she watched him dig his boots into the sand and rest his arms on his knees.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jack asked calmly, watching the ocean, avoiding her eyes.

She studied him. The way he tensed when she moved. The way his eyes darted over every few seconds. The way he contemplated what she'd do. It made her smile, made her heart calm and her body ease. It almost made her fear go away. Almost.

Jack turned and watched her recap the bottle. She handed it back, tapping him on the leg the way he'd done to her. "Not really," she told him, shrugging her shoulders and pulling her hair loose from the ponytail. She shook sand from her long waves and ran her fingers through it again, feeling it slick with sweat and grease. If Kate could have anything, it would be a shower.

A long. Hot. Shower.

"Ok," Jack sighed. She felt him watching her as she pulled the stray strands tight together and twisted it on top of her head, wrapping the brown elastic band around it several times. She turned, smiled awkwardly and shifted, sitting with her legs tucked under her.

"What?" Kate finally asked when his grin became too much. She hated feeling like people were keeping secrets from her. It was why most people called her nosy. She was. She'd admit it to anyone who asked. Kate just hated being in the dark.

"I just never thought I'd see you have a nightmare," Jack told her with a shrug as if it truly were the most insane thing in the world. "I thought you weren't afraid of anything." He laughed. "Except maybe cops and handcuffs."

"Funny," she mock-laughed and pulled her backpack closer to her, unzipping the compartment and removing a mango she'd picked the night before. She pulled out a knife, flipping it in her hand and she sliced easily into the fruit, handing a piece out to Jack.

"Thanks," he told her, raising the piece slightly before taking a bite.

"It was just a nightmare," she admitted. She hated that she wanted to tell him. She hated that it was because she knew he wouldn't laugh. He would take her seriously. He would listen to her and he'd make her feel better.

Jack watched her, knowing she'd continue if he waited.

"My dad took me to see one movie when I was a kid. Some dumb movie about zombies." She paused to gauge his reaction. He took another bite of the fruit. "Don't know which one it was, but they were just chasing people down the streets… not really chasing. Just. Walking. Like no matter how fast you run, they'd walk right up and catch you."

Jack nodded. "Zombies."

"Zombies," she repeated with a quick jerk of her head. "Sometimes, I have nightmares."

He looked up, meeting her eyes and she saw them look her over. She wondered what he was thinking, but she knew. He was wondering the same thing. He wanted to know why she still dreamed about zombies. Jack wanted to know why she was so afraid. Kate shrugged and turned away from his gaze.

"You grabbed my shoulder," she told him gently.

He smiled. "You thought they caught up."

"I always outrun them. I'm always faster." She sighed. "You grabbed my shoulder."

"Sorry," he said softly, biting his bottom lip.

Kate ate her own mango and stared at the ocean. She glanced over, seeing him doing the same. Jack smiled after a moment and it made her smile and she nudged him with her shoulder. He nudged her back and they laughed. Zombies, she shook her head slowly knowing it was ridiculous.

"Next time I'll just bite your neck," he teased.

Kate turned quickly, just a bit shocked, but he stared at her with raised eyebrows and it made her laugh. She hated that he made her laugh. But the longer she sat there watching him make faces, the more she forgot the Marshall finally caught her. In her dreams.

Finis