Kate took a long sip of water from the stream. Her stomach pains were finally dying down and she was very grateful for that. Before standing up, she splashed some water on her face and sighed.
"Where are you Jack?" She turned around, looking out over the now deserted caves. It was too quiet here. She had never before went out looking for Jack, she did usually enjoy her space. She didn't want to be alone now though. Not after this.
Taking a few steps forward, she doubted her decision.
"No Kate. Give him space. He needs to be alone for a bit. You'll each deal with this your own special ways." Kate sighed. "He seems to be a bit distracted. Like he's been through something like this before and…" Kate squared her jaw. "Jack. You made me push away my demons. Why should this be any different for you?" Kate decided.
Kate walked over to her bag and sighed, pulling out a new shirt and pair of pants. She took off her orange tanktop and replaced it with a dark blue one. She sighed, looking down at her pants. She unbuttoned and unzipped them and pulled them down, avoiding to look down at them.
Pulling the new pants up, she sighed and closed her eyes.
"Jack… please don't let this be it." She said it out loud, hoping that hearing it would make her want it more then she did, but she couldn't fight the feeling that she had known this was going to happen. That part of her had expected it to be quicker then this.
She knew that she had been holding on to the ghost of them for a long time. She knew that she hadn't been holding on for Jack. She'd been holding on for Sawyer. Because she couldn't let anything happen between them. Sawyer was the kind of guy who hurt women. Jack was the more stable one.
Or that's what she had thought. Apparently she'd made a lot of mistakes on the island. Not the least of which was her relationship with Jack.
Kate sighed and made her way to the jungle. She needed to find Jack.
---
Kate looked around the beach. People were going about their business. She couldn't see Jack anywhere.
"Hey Kate." Kate turned to see Claire walking up to her, holding Aaron on her hip. "How are you?" Kate looked at Aaron. She sighed, then looked back up to Claire.
"Hey Claire... you uh... you seen Jack around?" Claire scrunched up her face, trying to think.
"Um no. No I haven't." She shrugged. "Haven't seen him for awhile actually." Kate nodded a bit distracted/
"Oh Alright. Thanks anyways." Claire smiled.
"Yeah, sorry." Kate looked over to the jungle and remembered something. She prayed that she was wrong.
---
Kate heard noises as she neared the site on the cleaverly hidden path in the jungle. She heard talking and laughter.
"No..." She stepped forward in time to see Jack leaning over, his lips over Ana Lucia's. "Jack!" Kate gasped, tears in her eyes. Jack pulled away from the other woman.
"Kate! What are you..."
"Don't even. I was looking for you. Sorry to interupt." Kate backed up a bit.
"Kate." Jack stood up, looking back and forth between the two women. "I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you but..." He paused. "It was such a thrill. I never wanted to hurt you. So I didn't tell you about us. I was..."
"Save it Jack." Kate turned around.
"Kate..."
"Don't follow me Jack. It's over."
"I know." Kate's hands shook, she had done what she'd come to do. But she hadn't expected to find him with another woman. She didn't want to know how long it had been going on. So she took off at a run.
Kate ran as fast as she could. She ran until and pushed everything away from her. She ignored the tears on her face and ran, not even processing where she was going. Like it was all second nature to her. She was there quickly too.
She didn't say anything. Just came to a stop, breathing hard, her sobs racking her entire body.
"Freckles?" Sawyer said, turning around from the log of wood he had been chopping. Upon seeing the current state she was in, he droped the axe and got to her side quickly. "Kate what's wrong?" His voice was soft, caring.
Kate couldn't stand anymore. She collapsed into his arms and began to cry into his chest.