It was afternoon the next day as Kate slowly moved her fingers and out of mere impulse whispered his name. The name of a man whose face, with those heavenly brown eyes, were so carefully placed in her mind.

"Nope sorry Freckles the Doc ain't in." Sawyer moved closer to where she was lying "Glad to see your awake, I was getting kind of lonely without you here bossing me around."

A smile curved onto her lips as she began to get some of her strength back. She suddenly put a hand up to her forehead as she tried with all her effort to sit up "Hey Sawyer," her voice dry from lack of water, eyes shut tightly in pain "get Jack."

"I really don't think there is anything wrong with you." Jack told the woman after she claimed that she had a 'sprained' wrist. This woman, whom Kate had seen eyeing after Jack, ever since her own relationship with him took wrong turn. She seemed to be just looking after her own needs.

"But it hurts. Right...there." she replied and took his hand in her own and lightly traced it over her skin at the palm. But unfortunately for her, Jack barely even noticed, for his heart was unknowingly already given to that certain brunette that still lie unconscious in the tent. He never wanted to hurt her even when he gave her the cold shoulder most days, but when he saw her tied up with a gag in her mouth all he wanted was to get her away from the man's clutches and take her into his arms and hold her forever. To just let her in. But something inside himself told him not to get to close to her. She runs...she likes to run...

"JACK!" Sawyer yelled as he quickly walked up to him.

"What is it?" Jack asked with a gleam of hope in his tone.

"Your girlfriend's awake." he said sounding somewhat defeated "She's asking for you."

Jack ran to her tent, leaving the woman still siting in the sand. She pouted, and stormed off.

"Kate?" Jack drew the flap at the entrance away and stepped inside, he rushed over to her side. He gently placed a hand on her cheek to rouse her. She obviously couldn't sit up any longer and tried her hardest to keep her eyes open so she wouldn't fall back asleep.

"Jack?" she said unsure of who it was.

Jack smiled "Yeah Kate i'm here."

Her eyes opened almost wide and she gave her the most beautiful genuine smile "Hey you."

"Hey. How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"he asked warily.

"I have a headache. And my throat is a little...dry." she scratched out the last word.

He quickly got up grabbed a water bottle and knelled down next to her "Can you do it yourself?"

She nodded and took the water in her hand and drank it down thirstily. She couldn't remember back to when the last time she had water but she was grateful all the same. She handed it back to Jack and he set it down in easy reach of her so she could take it whenever she needed it.

"So how long have I been out?" she asked

""About 32 hours." he admitted sadly.

After a moment she asked "Where you here all that time?"

He nodded "Well I had to leave to look at a woman's hand an hour or so ago but other than that..."

Kate felt a hint of jealousy at the mention of that woman trying to make a move on Jack. She secretly promised herself she's going to have a little chat with her when she gets her full strength back. Tell her that he's off limits. Doesn't she know that her and Jack have something between them? She mentally hit herself for such a comment. A bigger part of her, a more obvious part, was the fact that he had stayed with her all that time. With no regard for his own needs to sleep or eat.

"Wow. No one has ever done something like that for me before." she started to sit up, a new strength growing, almost brewing inside her. "Even when I was kid when I got sick with the flu or just a cold...Neither Wayne nor my mother cared---"

"Kate they--" he started but she interrupted.

"I mean, my mother once gave me some soup but nothing like what you did. You stayed here...with me...all that time. You didn't give up on me..." she said tears eagerly wanting to spill over "Why?" she asked firmly.

Jack didn't say anything for a moment "I care about you a lot Kate. When I shut you out. I didn't know I was turning away someone I felt so much for. I'm sorry Kate, for hurting you in anyway."

Kate tried to swallow a gulp "And...how... do you feel towards me now?"

"KATE! YOUR AWAKE! I was worried sick!" Claire came in suddenly and ran over to Kate and gave her a big hug. But Kate's eyes never left his, and Jack's never left hers. The two tried desperately to read each others expression, looking for any sign of what truly lies beneath. Claire finally pulled away and noticed Jack and Kate completely entranced with each other "Oh my goodness I am so sorry, I hope I didn't interrupt anything. I just heard Kate was awake."

"Its allright Claire" he stood up " just make sure Kate eats something before she falls back to sleep." And with that, he gave a simple nod saying goodnight and exited the tent.

A couple of days later Kate was break to full health, eating regularly, and went back to her old ways. Now, high up in fruit tree she hastily began picking mangoes. But her mind was elsewhere. She hasn't actually spoken to him since that night, except the occasional smiles they would exchange. She felt frustrated with herself, wondering if their was anything she could do to take down the ever increasing wall that separated them. What could she say? What could she do to have things go back to the way it used to be?

She climbed down the tree and safely landed on her feet. She wiped the sweat off her brow, took a swig of water and started walking back. She stopped suddenly, she felt someone...a presence. As who it was drew closer she began to ease up. She could feel his warm and loving feel about him. She smiled sweetly and pretended she didn't hear him coming as she hid behind a large tree, basking in the shade for a moment. Her playful side took over as she prepared to jump out once he passed her. She heard his footsteps growing closer and closer. She bit her lip as she got ready to pounce--

"Now now Kate you didn't actually think I would just walk straight into that one did you?" Jack turned up behind her before she could make a move, he grabbed her by the waist and drew her closer, her back pressed up against his chest. She could feel almost every inch of him and shivered when he whispered those words into her ear.

"That wasn't fair." she said smiling big making absolutely no effort to move from his safe arms. She felt her heart pounding rapidly and that familiar feeling that only Jack can do to her took control. Just a smile, a touch, a kiss from him...it was like being on a natural high. He couldn't help but be intoxicated by anything and everything she does. Her smell, her hair, that smile that can bring him to his knees. The feel of her soft warm skin, that happened to be slightly exposed around her waist. But it was Jack who eventually pulled away and she couldn't help feeling disappointed. She blushed lightly as she turned to face him. "How did you find me?"

"Sun told me you were out picking some fruit and I just walked for bit and...here I am." he answered.

"Jack were at least 2 miles away from camp, theirs absolutely nothing around, did you walk this far just to see me? Or...is their something you wish to tell me." she pushed, looking at him sincerely, she wanted an answer, and this time and no one was around to interrupt.

A/N: So the next chapter is probably going to be the last one. I apologize for taking so long to update i've been sick, but I needed to get this chapter done! Any who, sorry if this chapter was crap.