Thank you for all of my reviews! It's midnight here when I've written this, and I've got back from a party (first seen stripper! yay!), so if it's bizaare in any way, blame that. Because of my wonderful reviewers, I decided to post another chapter as soon as possible, because you all rock so much! If I were stuck on an island, I hope you are all there (and Jack and Kate of course, perhaps Vincent as well.) I'm sorry that I might not update for a few more days because I've stupidly left myself with three essays to write tomorrow for the following day and I'm going to be busy with school, but hopefully I might get a chapter written Monday night, possibly posting before Lost airs on Wednesday night. Sayid's story is this week. It's annoying, I try to find pictures on the internet and all I get is spoilers for the season 2! That won't be in England for like 2 years!
Sam
Xx

Kate awoke feeling more comfortable than she had been in years. Still feeling the last remains of sleeping ebbing at her, she kept her eyes closed, engulfing herself in the warmth around her. It took her a moment to realise that the clean sheets, thick duvet, and plump pillows meant that she was no longer on the island, and she remembered being rescued the previous morning. She smiled at the fact that she no longer had to wake up and have to eat wild boar or fish. She wouldn't have to bathe beneath a waterfall or in a stream. She wouldn't have to hope that water was available for them all that day. She wouldn't spend the day feeling edgy, waiting for a disaster to happen. She wouldn't feel worried that Jack was over working himself.

No, today was going to be good. Food was once again all around her. Water was a surplus. In the room leading off opposite her there was a large bath and shower, each of them so tempting that she didn't know which to have first. No disaster could reach them here, where they were safe amongst civilisation once again. Jack was released of his leadership duties...

The thought made her open her eyes, but the room around her didn't come into focus. She suddenly realised how many changes they had made on the island, and how used to them they had become. Jack had said before that he had long hours at the hospital. Would he go back into that habit? She used to be on the run all the time - would she have reason to go again? Worrying about the pair of them brought on worries for the rest of her friends. Would Sun and Jin drift further apart again now that Jin would no doubt be returning to work, and would they go back to Hong Kong? How would Charlie cope being introduced back into a world of drug abuse? What would specialist child doctors have to say about Aaron's growth? Jack had said that the baby was smaller than most at his age, did that have more to do with the island than they originally thought? And what about Michael and Walt, would their relationship change after they had worked so hard to rebuild it?

"What's on your mind?" She heard from above her. Looking up she saw Jack gazing down at her. She had realised that he was awake, and curled closer to him.

"Nothing important." She told him, moving her head from his shoulder to his chest.

He picked up a loose strand of her hair and toyed with it with his fingers. "You looked like you were thinking pretty hard." He told her.

She smiled. That was Jack, always paying attention to detail. "Just wondering about all the changes everyone's going to have." She replied simply.

"None of them can be worse than what we've already adapted to." He declared, and she agreed. How could anything be worse than having to survive on a dangerous island for a year with limited supplies and dire situations behind every turn?

Kate was about to reply when she felt a burning sensation rise up from her stomach. Without saying a word to Jack she flew from underneath the bedclothes and into the bathroom, where all the gorgeous food she had eaten last night ended up in the toilet. Jack was right behind her, but she didn't realise until she felt his fingers rake her hair away from her face. "You ok?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Guess I'll have to get used to this." She said with a shaky laugh.

"Don't worry." Jack said. "Morning sickness only lasts for the first few months tops."

"What a relief." She said with a sigh, sitting back against him. She thought hard for a moment. "Jack, do you think we'll be good parents?" She asked him.

He smiled. "'Course we will." He told her. "We're going to turn out to be a right typical family." He said in posh accent that made her laugh. "No, seriously, we'll do fine. Just ignore what Shannon said about inheritance." He pointed out, remembering 'danger baby' with a supressed laugh.

Jack showered, and then went back into the bedroom, where Kate had curled underneath the duvet again, huddling herself into a tight ball with the blanket wrapped around her. Her head was buried so far into the pillow that only her chocolate curls could be seen over the blankets. Standing and watching her with a small smile of content on his face, he could see the rising and falling of the shape of her curled body from her breathing. Thinking she was asleep, he dressed as quietly as possible. When he finished, however, he turned to see two glowing brown eyes watching him playfully.

"You checking me out?" He asked her slyly, remembering their times on the island where that line had been started.

She nodded. "Uh-huh."

He went over to the bed, grinning, and sat down before her, leaning over to kiss her passionately. "Good." He whispered when they broke apart. "Now, are you going to get out of bed or not?" He asked with a small laugh.

Kate grinned, and shook her head. "No. Too comfy." She told him, and curled back down into a ball.

Jack laughed out loud. "Come on, get up." He encouraged, seeking out her hand and tugging it from underneath the blankets, grinning wider at her whines of protest.

"Jack, I haven't been in a bed this comfortable for way too long, let me enjoy it." She pleaded, lifting her head from the pillow before letting it drop back again.

"You can enjoy it anytime." He pointed out, but she already had a counter comment planned ahead.

"If that's so then I choose to enjoy it now." She said with a smile playing on her lips.

"That's a shame." Jack said, rising from the bed and going over to one of the bags of clothes from the previous day, pulling a packet out of it and holding it behind his back. "I guess I'll go eat it on my own."

Kate frowned and looked up from the pillow. "Eat what on your own?" She asked.

Jack grinned. "Oh, nothing." He said innocently. "Just something I picked up yesterday. But, if you want to stay in bed," He produced a bar of milk chocolate from behind his back and watched Kate's eyes light up, "then I guess I'll have to eat it all myself."

"Jack Sheppard, you are a cruel man." She said unfairly, unable to make the choice between the lovely comfortable bed, and the no doubt wonderful tasting chocolate. Like Jack had said, she could enjoy the bed anytime, but would he really eat a whole bar to himself if she chose to stay in bed? She decided it was not worth the risk, the chocolate was too important to sacrifice. Bed could wait. Comfort could, must, wait. Hunger must be satisfied. Precious chocolate must be rescued from the evil doctor.

Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, she sighed. "All right, all right." She surrendered. "I'm up." She said. "Hand it over."

Jack grinned. "Nope." Kate jumped up, but he rushed out the door and down the hall. She stood in the doorway watching his retreating form. He looked over his shoulder at her. "See you at breakfast, Kate." He said innocently.

After Kate had showered and dressed, she dried her hair and prepared to go after her chocolate. She went down the hall and into the dining area, where she saw Jack eating with the others. He had his back turned to her, and it was only Hurley who saw her approaching. She put her finger to her lips, and he quickly looked away from her, pretending he hadn't seen her. She moved carefully, as she had done many times before, and crept up slowly behind Jack. She waited behind him for a few moments, and Shannon and Claire noticed her arrival, looking sneakily at her, waiting to see what she would do. She waited until he didn't have food in his mouth, after all, she didn't want him to choke. Finally, she got her chance, and somehow managed to tackle him out of his chair and onto the floor.

Everyone around them erupted in laughter at the sight of surprise on Jack's face when Kate had grabbed him. He was trapped on the floor by Kate sitting on his stomach. "Care to reconsider?" She asked him, knowing that he knew what she meant. Cocking her eyebrown for effect, she watched him stubbornly. As they were the only group in the dining hall that early, no one seemed bothered by their position. He smirked.

"Um...can't I take what's behind door number 2?" He asked her.

"Jack, honey, right now, you have three choices." She told him, making sure that she grinned confidently at her fellow females as she did so.

"Really? What are they?"

"Number one: You give me the chocolate, I don't hurt you, and we're all happy." She said.

"Too easy." He said with a roll of the eyes.

"Number two: I remove the chocolate myself. It will hurt."

"Nah, you wouldn't do that." He said confidently.

"Number three: I like to vary the details a little, but you are unable to walk for a week and I get the chocolate."

Jack thought this over. Did he really want to cross a pregnant, chocolate-craving Kate?

Behind them, Sawyer laughed. "Never come between a pregnant woman and her chocolate." He advised.

Ten minutes later, Kate sat contently next to Jack at the table, munching happily on a well-earned bar of chocolate, whilst Jack nursed the beginnings of a bruise on his upper arm.