Author's Notes: I got this part up pretty fast:) Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first installment, I hope you enjoy this one just as much. I'll be in Cancun for the rest of the week, so please just R & R!

Kate had definitely not planned on getting trapped in a net with Jack on their little adventure. She would have banked on getting in a gunfight with him before this.

It was certainly an awkward situation. There wasn't exactly room to move in the net, and every inch of her flesh was rubbing against Jack's. His chin rested on the top of her head. He smelled of sweat and soap, entirely masculine and strong. Kate felt her knees go a little weak as she inhaled.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

Sure, Kate thought, except for the fact that we are basically having sex with our clothes on. "Yeah," she said out loud.

He shifted his head so he was looking down at her. She was afraid he would be angry, but to her pleasant surprise, he was smiling. "Oh good so, you can hear me?"

Kate looked up at him sheepishly. He turned his head, surveying the net, as she turned hers. Her nose grazed his chin. The touch sent shivers down her spine.

"This isn't one of theirs," Jack observed. He adjusted his body position. He was, if anything, even closer to her.

Concentrate on the situation, Kate scolded herself. "No," she bit out, "It's not sophisticated enough. It must be one of Rousseau's traps, so hopefully she's not far from here."

Jack moved his head so his breath softly grazed her skin. Are you trying to drive me insane? Kate asked silently, wondering, not for the first time, if this was some kind of punishment designed to make her pay for leaving him that day.

She supposed it didn't really matter. She was actually kind of having fun.

"It could be a week before she shows up," Jack said. Kate groaned. He moved suddenly, his hands traveling down her sides. He seemed to be trying to avoid contact, but they were in such close proximity it was impossible. She felt a little bit alarmed as they traveled lower.

"What are you doing?" she asked, hoping she sounded casual.

"I'm trying to get the gun." Of course, Kate thought, I am such an idiot. "I can't get my arm around."

It seemed as if she would have to get the gun. She took a deep breath and snaked both of her arms around his waist. His shirt was tucked into his pants, so she had no choice but to pull it out. Her fingertips grazed his skin and she heard him inhale sharply. Kate looked up, thinking she had hurt him, and was shocked to see Jack staring down at her. His eyes were clouded with what seemed to be lust, but she couldn't tell for sure. Their mouths hovered close together for several long seconds. Then, the net shifted and Kate remembered the task at hand.

She pulled out the gun, her fingertips grazing the top of his underwear. "Alright. Sorry," she said, as she moved slowly, undoubtedly hurting him a bit. "I don't want to shoot you." She pulled again. "Okay…"

Jack grunted above him, his mouth getting caught in her hair. "You got it?"

Their cheeks rubbed together. "Okay, ready?" She pulled one last time. "Got it, got it, got it."

"Oh alright," Jack sighed. Kate lifted up the gun in front of her face. It was the farthest apart they had been the entire time. She breathed heavily for a few seconds. "Now give me the gun."

Kate stopped. "Why, what for?"

"I'm going to try to shoot the rope," Jack said. They both turned to look towards the rope. Kate privately thought he had lost his mind. She was, after all, a bank robber. She took aim. "Oh, hey, hey, hey!"

Kate continued to train her eye on the rope, paying him almost no mind. "I'm a better shot than you are." It was true after all.

He laughed. "Oh really?"

She rested a hand on his bicep. It was harder than she imagined. "Yeah, I told you," she said, "I grew up hunting with my dad."

Kate shot. It missed. "Damn!"

"Well," Jack said, "At least they know where we are. Okay, now give me the gun."

She wasn't giving up that easily. If they ever got out of there, they would need as many bullets as possible. "Are you going to waste another bullet?"

"We still have thirteen more to shoot each other with," Jack said, chuckling. She smiled up at him. He seemed to be cracking a lot more jokes on this trip than usual.

"Fine," Kate said, passing the gun to him. "You have a better angle than mine anyway."

He looked at her, obviously amused. "Oh, that's going to be your excuse when I make the shot?"

She liked this new relationship. She liked being able to tease him. "When you make the shot?" Jack looked at her and smiled. He took aim, and fired.

He made the shot.

Jack breathed an inaudible sigh of relief when the shot hit its mark. He hadn't wanted to miss in front of Kate. He didn't really have time to think, however, as the net broke apart and they came crashing to the ground.

They fell hard, Kate landing directly on top of him. The wind was knocked out of both of them and they lay there for a second. She smelled sweet, and he wasn't sure how she managed that. He wasn't sure he cared.

Kate lifted her head a few inches and looked towards the shot rope. Jack lifted his own head and they smiled at each other, still close together despite being freed from the trap.

"Nice shot," Kate said, grinning.

She laughed, a little hoarsely because she was still out of breath, and leaned back on him. She rested her head against his neck and inhaled and exhaled slowly. He was tempted to wrap his arms around her, but refrained.

"Am I squishing you?" she asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

Not a problem, Jack thought. "No, don't worry about it. You're not heavy at all. I need to catch my breath, too."

They lay there for a minute or so before Kate rolled over and sat up. She crossed her legs and put her chin in her hands beside him. She smiled again. It struck him then that they hadn't really smiled at each other in awhile. He smiled back.

"Well," Kate said, studying her fingernails. They were caked in dirt. "Did you have that planned, or was that just a funny detour?"

Jack laughed. "That was definitely not part of the plan." He lay there for a few more moments, collecting himself, before he jumped to his feet and extended a hand towards her. "Come on. We still have a ways to go."

Kate groaned, but accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her up. "I have a feeling this is going to hurt more in the morning."

He laughed again. "Well, hopefully by this time tomorrow we'll have Walt back and the pain won't matter."

They began to walk, Jack again taking the lead. He chewed the inside of his cheek, concentrating on getting his bearings. At first, most of the jungle had looked alike. Once Jack had gotten more familiar with his surroundings, however, he began to notice the subtle differences between the trees and the animals that tended to inhabit different parts of the island.

Even if he hadn't known the paths well, he would have never forgotten how to get to the "line." Its image was imprinted in his brain. He still woke up from nightmares of Kate, bounded and gagged, with a gun pointed at her head. He was more terrified in that instance than he had been in his entire life.

"You're quiet," Kate observed.

Jack shrugged. "I guess there's not that much to say."

She seemed offended by that. "Well, I won't bother you."

It's not that, Jack wanted to say. I don't know what I can tell you. It's too complicated, our relationship. I don't want to say too much or too little. I can't just talk to you, because I'm afraid of what I might admit. I'm afraid that I might lose you, just when I am starting to get you back.

He didn't say anything. He shrugged one more time, and then allowed thoughts of Walt, the Others, and Henry Gale to consume his mind.