Hi everyone. Thanks a lot for the reviews and thanks for bearing with me through my "hiatus". Anyway enjoy this chapter (which is short I know). I'll try to et the next chapter up as soon as I can, but you know how it gets when the semester gets to an end, especially when you have a thesis (who knew it needed so much work :D). enjoy and thanks again.

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Chapter 6

The rain grew stronger, drenching the three as they stared at one another, the air shaking with tension. Jack knew that Kate was there now and could sense her trembling behind him, but he could not bring himself to turn around. He could feel his legs, frozen to the ground, refusing any movement, and his eyes, wide and disbelieving, could not move from the figure before him, one he had never thought or hoped to see again. Kate's entire body was shaking, not a response to her wetness, and her breath, though heavy from running, had stopped short and caught in her throat.

Ethan smiled at them.

His eyes turned, and he said, "Hello Kate."

Kate gasped and felt Jack's arm wrap itself around her waist, pulling her behind him.

Standing behind Jack, who still had his arm in front of her protectively, Kate put her hand on his back, held on to his shirt and whispered in a tremulous, shaking voice, with one eye on Ethan, "Jack…"

Hearing her terrified whisper, Jack managed to turn his head slightly towards her, keeping Ethan in the corner of his eye, and look at her, trying to calm her down. But he couldn't. As much as he wanted to do so, and as much as she wanted to feel safe and protected by Jack, the fear on his face was obvious, shivering his very eyes, and echoing through his unstable breath. It was the first time Kate had seen him totally taken over by apprehension and left vulnerable.

Ethan moved his eyes away from Kate and back to Jack, and, his unsettling smile widening, he said, "I'll be seeing you around, Jack."

With that, Ethan turned once more to Kate, and nodding, he turned around and walked into the jungle.

Kate and Jack watched apprehensively, their feet still glued to the ground, as the darkness swallowed the last image of him. A moment passed in which nothing but their heavy breathing could be heard, then Jack started to walk after him. He was stopped short by Kate's terrified grip on the back of his shirt.

Jack turned around slowly, allowing Kate to release her hand as he looked at her. His firm expression grew softer and his eyes concerned as he looked at Kate, her hand slowly moving back to her side as it shook uncontrollably. Kate face was ashen white, frozen in a terror that caused her lips to tremble and eyes to widen, swelling with tears of the confusion of emotions and thoughts. She was standing in the way she had been for the past few minutes, her eyes still transfixed at the spot where Ethan had been. She looked at Jack, trying to remember the language she spoke and managed to mumble some of what was spilling around in her mind, "But… he's dead… was… how…".

Overpowering emotion taking over him and drowning out his fear, Jack's only need was to comfort Kate as he moved over to her, putting his arms around her in a forceful embrace. Kate moved closer, not struggling this time but accepting and allowing Jack's arms to hold her tightly, she buried her head into his chest, her tears pouring down her face, wiping away white with red and fear with foreboding. Kate felt her fear leave her, being absorbed by Jack's determinacy to comfort her.

Jack held on for several minutes as Kate's last tear fell and her breathing grew steadier. When he felt her loosen in his grip, he drew back, looking at her with concern. Then he moved back, and beginning to walk said, "We better go to the hatch".

Turning back around, Jack saw that Kate was still standing, anxiousness still holding her back, and fear returning to her as Jack's body moved away from hers.

"It's going to be alright, Kate."