A/N: The next-to-final chapter of 'Auf Achse'. Thanks for all the reviews, you guys! You have no idea how much they mean to me! And, to answer Dogwood Flower's question, Auf Achse means "on truck" or "traveling a lot" in German. Figured that might interest you people.
I'm dedicating this chapter to EternalConfusion, who first off, asked me to make it long and fluffy, and secondly, she agreed to be my beta! Yay her!
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Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I don't own.

Previous Chapter:

Jack was sitting in his, bed contemplating the day. More then he ever cared to think about, he knew had probably ruined his only chance to ever get back with Kate.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Jack looked at his clock. 4am. 'Who on earth would be calling on me this hour?'

And then it clicked.

Auf Achse
Part Five

Jack whipped open the door faster then lightening, and there was Kate, a sleeping child in her arms. The woman looked drenched and tired, nearly having fallen down when Jack opened the only thing she rested on.

"Kate…" He said, letting out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. "You're okay."

The prior criminal only gave him a weary grin before embedding him in a hug. "Of course I am. What'd you think happen? Me getting killed in the thirteen hours we didn't talk?"

"…But… I thought you were mad at me…" Jack said, babbling bewilderingly as she let go of him. 'What on earth is this all about?' He thought to himself.

"Well… I mean… I wasn't mad at you, exactly." Kate stumbled over her words, trying to think of a way to word what she was about to tell him.

"You weren't?" He smiled slightly. Jack had never seen Kate so insecure as she was now. It was amusing, yet concerning. "Well, come on in, and tell me what's going on…" He looked at Emma dolefully, and then peeked around outside the hallway. "Where's Sawyer, anyway?"

'Maybe she left him. Maybe she's here because she wants to be with me. Maybe I'm the last resort.' He thought to himself, the last upsetting him a bit.

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about."

That sentence brought him back down to reality, and he quickly entered after her, closing the door behind him.

Jack was glad he had cleaned at least some that day. He would have made sure the apartment was in pristine condition if he had known Kate was coming before ahead of time.

"Want something to drink?" He asked her with false cheeriness that made him cringe, heading into the kitchen, grabbing a beer for himself. 'Why am I acting so weird all of the sudden?' He mentally slapped himself, 'It's just Kate.'

Just Kate.

"Err, no, I'm fine." He could tell she was lying. It was that instinct he had when he was around her. She had all sorts of tones, and Jack could tell every one of them apart. From her happiest one, the one she probably used when telling Claire she was pregnant, to her angriest, when she used to tell off Sawyer for scaring the little kids back on the Island.

He got her a beer anyway, and walked back out to the living room, handing it to her as he sat down next to her. "You at least want to change? I've got a couple of old shirts and pants, and such." Jack imagined her with his shirt on, and he shivered with delight at the image.

Kate nodded, postponing whatever she wanted to tell him, and got up. "Yeah. These are starting to annoy me…" Another lie. It still amazed him when she could lie straight to his face, and not bat an eyelash about it. But then again, she was a criminal.

Jack went along with it, knowing Kate would tell him whatever it was in due time, and went to his bedroom to pick them out from his dresser.

When he returned, Kate traded Emma for the clothes, and walked to the bathroom quickly.

Jack had no idea about babies. He never really wanted a child; when they screamed and cried, it tended to annoy him.

Emma yawned, outstretching her arms, and wrapped her small fragile hand around his finger. Opening her eyes, she stared straight into his brown ones.

Jack knew they were familiar. The green couldn't be kept hidden forever, and the stubbornness brought them out even more. But what really stumped him was the dark hair. It was almost like he was holding a miniature Kate in his arms.

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Kate watched the two bond from her hiding place around the corner. She smiled to herself, breathing lightly. The shirt reeked of Jack, the smell of man, and she loved it. Knowing him, he probably wouldn't care if she nicked it from him for memory purposes.

"Jack…" She said quietly, peeling herself from the wall. She might as well tell him, and take the storm now. Her round-trip tickets were for an 11pm flight. She had two hours to tell him, and talk to him, and then she would leave, with Emma in tow.

Jack would never have full custody of that girl, not if Kate could help it.

He looked up, and smiled, "She looks exactly like you." Was all he said, staring back down at the joy in his arms.

"You know, I think she has your hair." Kate walked over to Emma, and smiled. "Maybe your ears, too. And most definitely your patience. Claire and I haven't gone over the full list yet, though."

Jack's head shot up, and his eyes penetrated Kate, "What do you mean?"

"She's yours, Jack. She's yours…"

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And Jack could tell that this time, Kate wasn't lying.

A/N: Awww… What a nice ending to that chapter…
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