This is the THIRD of THREE chapters posted tonight. If you have not yet read 15 or 16 please go and read them before continuing on with 17!

I really enjoyed this chapter. And the next chapter is going to be very meaningful to me and it should be up within a week or two! Chapter 18 is the reason I have written Almost Home -- so I hope you like this chapter, and I hope you really like the next one. Although I'm not too sure. . .

Enjoy! And PLEASE respond!


Chapter Seventeen

Jack's alarm started buzzing at quarter 'til six the next morning. Glancing at the clock, Kate let out a moan and buried her head in the pillow. "Ten more minutes."

Laughing, Jack pushed the covers off both of them, ignoring Kate's irate protests. "We could have slept later if you hadn't crawled in to bed so early. We still have to pack. And you have to make sure that cat hasn't peed all over my laundry room."

Sighing, Kate looked at him imploringly. "Five more minutes?"

"No more minutes," Jack informed her, standing up. "Come on, Kate. Get up. I would have thought you'd be used to only getting a few hours sleep at a time with being on the run for so many years. You can't just fall asleep for hours with the Feds breathing down your neck, can you?"

"Well, it's your fault for spoiling me, isn't it?" Kate asked, her voice muffled by the pillow. "You've given me too much of a sense of security. Now I can't do with less than 8 hours. You've ruined me. . . ruined me."

Jack smiled at her affectionately, almost glad she couldn't see the look on his face. Walking back over to the bed, he scooped her up. "Go check on your cat!"

"Our cat," she corrected him, covering her mouth as she yawned and heading for the door. "And he has a name. It's Boo."

"It's Boo," Jack muttered under his breath as Kate exited the room. Grabbing his own suitcase from the closet, and the one he had given her the day before, Jack laid them down on the unmade bed.

The clothes that had been her Christmas presents lay in haphazard piles around the room. Jack grabbed a pile and began to sort through what he thought she needed, and what she wouldn't. After packing a few sweaters he looked up and saw Kate in the doorway, a sheepish grin on her face. Boo was tucked under one of her arms, and the other was behind her back.

Stepping into the room, she showed him her left hand which held what looked like silky green rags. "You didn't really like this tie that much, did you?"

Jack glanced from what had been his tie to Kate's face. He let out a long sigh, "It was one of my favorites. It cost me $600. It's irreplaceable."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Please. You don't think I know you better than that? You won't even sit in first class on an airplane; there's no way you'd spend six hundred dollars on a tie. An ugly tie, at that."

"You're right," Jack smirked. "Sarah bought that for me on our first Christmas together."

Kate placed Boo on the floor and smiled, "Good kitty."

Rolling his eyes, Jack resumed packing. "I take it he tore the room apart?"

"No," Kate told him, sitting down on the bed. She yawned and stretched out, cuddling up with Jack's pillow. "He was a perfect gentlemen."

Jack watched with distaste as Boo clawed around the room, most likely on the look out for something else silky and expensive to destroy. He turned his attention back to Kate, "What are you doing? You could help me pack, you know."

She didn't move. "Merry Christmas."

He tossed down the pair of jeans he was wearing and kneeled on the bed to kiss her, "Merry Christmas, Kate."

Kate tugged gently at the t-shirt he was wearing, inviting him to join her in her reclined position. He resisted, "We don't have time."

"Why does everything always have to be on a schedule?" Kate asked softly. "We have to next few days to take it easy."

Jack relented, and leaned down once again, kissing her with more passion this time. He ran his hands under the t-shirt Kate had worn to bed and was ready to remove it, when he heard a hiss coming from right beside them. They both looked up to see Boo crouching next to them, hissing in Jack's direction.

"Seriously, Kate."

With one last aggravated grunt, Jack stood up and returned to packing. "A little help would be nice."

"Why are you packing so much clothes anyway?" Kate asked, a playful grin on her face. "I thought these next few days were all about amazing sex."

"You have a one track mind, Kate," Jack shook his head, and concentrated on folding the shirt on his hands, trying not to crack a smile. "A one track mind and no self-control. It's sad, really."

Kate rolled her eyes, and didn't dignify his comment with a response. Instead, she stood and started to help him pack. They worked in silence for several minutes, when Kate felt Jack's gaze on her. Turning to him, she noticed he looked as if he were deciding whether or not to say something.

"What?"

He opened his mouth then closed it, shaking his head. "How many men have you slept with?"

Jack's tone was light, almost teasing, but Kate could tell he wanted an answer. "Excuse me?"

"Not including me," Jack said, the smile still on his face. When she didn't respond, he spoke again, not sounding quite so jolly. "How many men?"

Kate didn't look up to meet his gaze, and her folding became quicker and messier. "Enough."

He didn't say anything, and she finally looked over at him. "What difference does it make? You're the only man I'm sleeping with now. Do you want me to ask you how many women you've had sex with?"

"Six, including you," Jack responded, not missing a beat. "My first time was with a girl in high school, a few in undergrad and during med school. I was pretty busy studying then though, sex wasn't on the top of my priorities. Sarah. One woman after her. Then you."

"Six women ever?" Kate raised an eyebrow. "You've only slept with six women, including me?"

"Six," Jack repeated. "And you?"

"Why is this so important all of the sudden?" Kate asked, clearly aggravated. She walked over to where she had piled the clothes Jack had given her the afternoon before, selecting a few sweaters to pack.

"Why are you so afraid to tell me?"

Removing a few of the sweaters she saw Jack had already packed, she began to place the ones she wanted to take in her luggage. "I did what I needed to do to survive when I was on the run, okay? It's not something I'm proud of, but it got me where I am today. I can't go back and change who I was."

Jack wasn't sure how to respond. "A lot then, huh?"

Kate placed the final sweater in her bag. It was soft and blue, and in her opinion the prettiest of them all. She ran her hand over the material. "A lot."

Taking her by surprise, Jack took hold of her hand and pulled her over to him. Kissing her softly, he whispered, "I'm the best, right?"

Kate laughed, glad for the break in tension. "You're the best, Jack. You'll always have been the best."

Pulling away, she glanced around the room. "Where did Boo go?"

Kate managed to coral Boo, and get him ready to go while Jack finished up packing. It was close, but they managed to make it out to the door and to Margo's before 8.

"You're mom's house is really nice," Kate commented as they stood on the front stoop, waiting for Margo to answer the door. "It's big. You grew up here?"

"Same house since as long as I can remember," Jack nodded. "We lived somewhere else first, but moved here when Dad got the job at St. Martin's."

Kate started to respond, but was interrupted when Margo opened the door. "Hello, hello! Good morning. You haven't seen the house yet, have you, Katherine? Come in."

Jack and Kate exchanged a glance. Margo was in an uncharacteristically good mood. Kate leaned into Jack as they stepped into the house, "Maybe she's getting laid?"

Glaring at her, Jack whispered, "You're disgusting."

"Just an idea," Kate smirked, shrugging her shoulders. "Sex definitely made you more laid back. Maybe it runs in the family."

"Kate," Jack drawled out her name. "Stop it. You're seriously going to put me completely out of the mood. Is that what you want?"

She leaned into him closer, "I want a tour. How about you show me your childhood bedroom? I bet you'd get a rush out of doing it in your old bed."

Jack brushed his lips against her ear. "Well, now you're just turning me on."

"What are you two whispering about?" Margo called. "Come on in here. I want to show you the house, Katherine."

Kate smiling apologetically at Jack. "Guess you're just going to have to keep that horse wrangled up, cowboy."

"Tease," Jack muttered as they made their way into the living room.

The first thing Kate noticed when she walked into the living room was the mantle, which was covered with photos of Jack. She pointed to one where he was cloaked in black, presumably when he was graduating med school. "Hmm. Nice hair."

"You know," Jack said, walking in front of her, attempting to block her view. "I don't think you need to look at these. Just drop the cat, and let's get away while we can."

"Over here, Katherine," Margo called, from where she was sitting on the couch, a photo album open on her lap. "Jack's taking a bath in these."

Before Kate could sit next to Margo, Jack grabbed her arm. "Okay, and that's our exit cue. Give my mother the cat, Kate, and let's be on our way."

"Oh, Jack," Margo admonished, walking over to the couple and taking the cat from Kate's arms. "You're always in such a hurry. I'll show you some pictures when you come to pick up Boo, okay Katherine? I'll pick out the best ones."

Kate nodded, and scratched Boo behind the ears. "You be good, okay Boo? Listen to what Margo tells you. Don't eat the furniture. Or pee on it. Alright?"

She continued on, cooing and petting until Jack spoke up. "Kate, it's a cat. Not a baby. Let's hit the road."

Rolling her eyes, Kate gave Boo one final kiss on the head. She smiled at Margo, thanking her again, "Hopefully he won't be any trouble. He was very good last night."

"He won't be any trouble at all," Margo assured Kate with a wave of the hand. "I made an appointment to take him to the vet tomorrow. You want to make sure he doesn't have any diseases or need any shots."

The thought of Margo taking Kate's cat to the vet was too much. He grabbed Kate's arm, quickly ushering her out of the room, "Come on. Time to go."

Kate's thigh bumped against an end table as they walked out of the room, and she caught a picture frame that was falling just before it crashed on the floor. Instead of setting it back where it fell from, she stared at it for a few seconds. Finally, she looked to Jack, "Is this you and your father?"

It hadn't occurred to Jack that Kate had never actually seen his father. He knew what picture it was without even looking at it. "Yeah. That was taken about six months before he died."

Kate squinted at the picture, then glanced at Jack. "I can see a little of him in you. You can tell he's your father."

"You think?" Jack was surprised that her words didn't upset him. "I never really thought so."

"I think so," Kate said with a nod, setting the picture back on the table. She turned and smiled at Margo, "But you have a lot of your mom in you too."

Jack kissed Kate softly, then cupped her face in his hands. "Are you ready? I'm not getting any younger here."

"That's for damn sure," Kate teased. She turned, waving to Margo, "Bye! See you in a few days!"

After about an hour of driving, Kate tried sleeping. She couldn't manage to keep her eyes closed long enough to actually fall asleep, so she began to fiddle with the radio. Finding nothing, she sighed, and switched it off, squirming in her seat.

"Bored?" Jack asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"A little," Kate smiled, staring out her window. They were out of the city now and endless open land stretched out in front of them. Kate could see the peaks of the mountains in the distance and wondered how long it would take to get there.

Jack glanced at her quickly, "Do you really think I'm like my mom?"

"Sure do," Kate nodded, turning to watch his furrowed profile as he drove. "You both have issues with letting people in for obvious reasons, I suppose. You both have a kind of abrasive nature."

"I am not abrasive!" Jack interrupted. "Well. At least not to you. I never have been!"

"Oh, yeah," Kate rolled her eyes and laughed. She puffed out her chest and lowered her voice, doing her best Jack imitation, "I am not a murderer, Kate!"

Jack laughed and shook his head, "I'm not! And neither are you."

She glanced over and saw he was looking at her. Shaking her head ever so slightly, she whispered, "Just watch the road."

Doing as she said, Jack reached over and took her hand in his. Pretty soon she was asleep. He spent the rest of the trip alternating keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him and glancing at her every so often.

Kate was still fast asleep when Jack pulled in front of the cabin. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he leaned over her, shaking her slightly. "Hey, you. Rise and shine. We made it."

Attempting to stretch, Kate shifted, raising her arms above her head and fluttering her eyelids several times. Jack unbuckled her seatbelt for her as she wiped her chin. Smiling sleepily, she huskily informed him, "I drooled."

"Yes, you did," Jack grinned, brushing away a few strands of hair that were matted to her forehead. "You look cute."

Kate gave him a look, not even bothering to check herself out in the mirror she knew was on the back of the sun visor. She probably looked crumpled to say the least. Glancing past Jack, out the car, Kate's face lit up.

"Jack. . . this place is amazing."

Giving him an excited grin, Kate grabbed her coat from the backseat and quickly yanked it on before hurrying out of the car. Jack watched as she did an out-of-character free-spirited dance in the front yard, scooping up an armful of snow and tossing it over her head. She waved at him, "Come play with me!"

Setting the bag he had been getting ready to carry into the cabin onto the seat next to him, Jack grabbed his own coat to go join Kate. As soon as he had shut the car door Kate sent a giant snowball in his direction, smacking him square in the chest.

Kate pumped her fist in the air, "Score!"

He tried to give her a disproving look, but couldn't stop smiling long enough for it to work. Walking toward her, he laughed, "You're like a little kid, you know that, right?"

She met him half way, encircling her arms around his neck, kissing him gently and quickly, "Make a snowman with me."

"How about we make a snowman later?" Jack suggested, kissing her again. "Let's take our stuff in. Don't you want to see the house?"

Kate agreed and between all the luggage and grocery bags, they made it into the cabin in two trips. Jack began a mini-tour of the house, "There's two fireplaces, one here in the living room and another in our bedroom. Oh, and go look at the backdoor, there's something you might like on the back porch."

Almost skipping, Kate hurried to the back door glancing outside. "A jacuzzi? How fun! Did you pack me a bathing suit? I don't even think I have a bathing suit."

Smirking, Jack leaned against the wall. "I don't think you need a bathing suit."

Kate rolled her eyes, "You and your obsession with my naked body. It's too much, really. Let's finish up this tour."

After the quick tour of the rest of the fairly small cabin they ended up back in the living room, standing in the middle of their luggage, wrapped up in each other's arms. Jack kissed Kate's neck softly, "You want to go back outside?"

"Actually," Kate murmured, turning her head just enough so her lips met his. "I want to go back to the bedroom."

Whispering his agreement, Jack slipped his hands up Kate's shirt, their clothes falling piece by piece to the floor as they kissed their way slowly back to the bedroom, neither in the mood to rush anything.

Kate lay with her head on Jack's chest, fighting to keep her eyes open. She had slept most of the car ride to the cabin, but she was nearly overcome by fatigue already. Jack smoothed her hair back, "You've been tired a lot lately."

"I'm not tired," Kate shook her head, propping herself up on her elbows so she could look at Jack. "I'm just comfy."

Getting out of bed, Kate stretched and searched around the room for her clothes. Finding only half of them she gave up, crawling back into bed, "Okay, maybe I am tired."

"I knew it," Jack whispered, kissing her on the temple. "You stay here and rest, I'll go fix us a late lunch/early dinner, okay?"

As Jack went to work making dinner he thought about how tired Kate had been lately. She had been going to bed early almost every night, taking naps, waking up later than normal. She didn't seem to be getting a cold, or the flu. It wasn't as if she over-exerted herself during the day. What else could make her feel so constantly sleepy?

She had been steadily gaining weight lately, too, hadn't she?

Not that much, the more logical side of his mind argued with him. She had been eating better. Regular, healthy meals. Some not so healthy meals. But more food. Probably a lot more food than she was used to. He had put on weight after returning home from the island.

But not as much as Kate.

They had been careful though. That was the most important fact to cling to. He had brought her birth control pills. They always used protection. Well, they usually used protection. They were careful. Careful enough not to get pregnant.

Weren't they?

Jack continued his mental battle, moving on to struggling with whether or not he thought Kate would actually tell him if she suspected she was pregnant as he whipped up a small meal. He was so wrapped up in himself, that he jumped when he heard Kate clearing her throat behind him.

She smiled sleepily, "I said your name three times."

"Sorry," Jack said sheepishly, as she kissed his cheek. "I was just thinking. You didn't sleep very long."

"I didn't actually sleep, just rested. Actually, I was just trying to get out of helping you cook," Kate winked. "What were you thinking about?"

Jack looked into her eyes. He'd be able to tell if something were different, wouldn't he? He knew her that well, didn't he? And she would tell him if something as important, as scary, as her being pregnant was going out. Kate trusted him.

"Nothing important," he told her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in for a kiss. "You hungry?"

"Starved," Kate replied with a nod.

They ate quickly and quietly, Kate staring over Jack's shoulder, out the backdoor most of the time. As they ate, tiny snowflakes began to fall in blankets from the sky. Sighing in contentment, she stood up and walked to the large, front picture window, staring outside in awe. "Let's move here."

Jack came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Pulling her against him, he swayed back and forth just slightly. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Just you and me," Kate murmured, massaging her hands over his arms. "Away from everyone else. In our own little corner of the world."

Instead of trying to respond, Jack kept silent, letting Kate continue on. "After my parents got divorced and my dad moved away, I spent a few Christmas's with him. He wouldn't work the entire time. We'd just play games around the fire, and drink hot chocolate, and we'd always make snowmen and my Dad. . . he would find the craziest old clothes to drape around them. When I was with him, I used to wish that time would stand still and I could just stay there with him forever. It was the only place I had ever felt safe in my life."

She paused, and swallowed hard. Jack could see tiny tears shining in her eyes. Keeping her gaze on the snow, she whispered, "Until I met you."

Jack felt on the edge of tears, himself. Kate never said things like that. Stepping in front of her, he wrapped her in a real hug. Cradling her against his chest, he stroked her hair, "You never have to go anywhere, Kate. You can stay with me. We can be together. We'll make it work, I promise."

Stepping out of his embrace, Kate gave Jack a sad smile. "Let's go build a snowman, Jack."

Building a snowman was just about the last thing Jack wanted to do at that very moment. What he wanted most was to pull her back into his arms, kiss every freckle on her face and make endless promises about how he would protect her. But what he wanted didn't matter. This was time for Kate.

"Let's go build a snowman," Jack agreed with a nod.

The pair bundled themselves up in their coats, hats, gloves and scarves. Kate finished quicker than Jack and scurried outside, urging him to hurry. He watched as she threw another puff of snow in the air, loving how it stuck to the curly mess of her hair as it rained back down upon her. The change in her mood was so quick it was almost imperceptible.

She rolled up a large snowball and turned to the doorway where he was standing, threatening to lob it his way. "Come on, you slow poke. The party's out here!"

Jack joined her and they went to work on their snowman. The first one didn't turn out to well. Instructing Jack that the bottom ball had been too small, and he needed to do better, Kate started to roll a better one. "You roll one too, and then we'll smash them together."

"I don't think that'll work," Jack shook his head, grinning at her. "Come on, I thought you were some kind of snowman expert."

Kate rolled her eyes, "It's been a long time since I was 12, Jack!" A mischievous grin crossed her face and she added, "Not as long as it's been since you were 12."

"You know what," Jack turned to her, forsaking the snowball he'd been working on. "I'm about to come over there and roll you into a snowball."

"Ha," Kate scoffed, placing her gloved hands on her hips. "I'd like to see you try."

That was all the invitation he needed. In mere seconds Jack and Kate were on the ground, rolling around in the snow. She let out a chorus of giggles as he pinned her down and smashed a snowball in her face. Struggling underneath him she tried to get him back, but he was too strong and too quick. Her hat fell off and she could feel the snow seeping into her hair, but as Jack's lips met hers in a sweet, snowy kiss, Kate was delighted to find she didn't feel a bit cold.

"Can we get back to our snowman now?" Kate requested after Jack pulled away from their kiss. She pretended to be aggravated, "You always get distracted from the simplest of tasks. Even in all this winter gear my body draws you away from whatever you're doing!"

"I think you're just a little to pleased with yourself," Jack told her, standing up and offering her his hand. He hoisted her up, letting out a grunt. "Huh, you really have packed on the pounds, haven't you?"

"I'm going to do you a favor," Kate told him, shaking her head, "and pretend that you didn't say that!"

"I was just kidding," Jack assured her, leaning down for a kiss. "I think you look beautiful."

"I think," Kate scrunched up her nose and smiled sweetly at him. "That you just say things like that when you want to get laid."

Jack laughed, "If that were true, all I'd ever be doing is complimenting you."

Kate rolled her eyes, and instructed Jack to get back to working on the snowman. Twenty minutes and two tries later, a decent sized frozen fellow stared back at them complete with rocks and bark for eyes and a mouth.

"I, for one, think our little man is quite attractive," Kate informed Jack with a wink. "It seems like he's missing something though. . ."

A mischievous grin spread across Jack's face. Winking at Kate, he headed back towards the house, "You wait right there. I think I know just what he needs!"

Kate waited curiously as Jack rummaged around inside the house. Less than two minutes later, he returned, an old mop-head in his hand. He placed it proudly on their snowman's head, it's long, yellowed strings hanging over his face in a straw-like manner.

Jack grinned, "Let's call him Sawyer."

Kate wasn't sure whether she should be amused or annoyed. Grinning, she shook her head, "Sometimes you're really too much, you know that?"

Shrugging, Jack pulled her in for a hug, "It's one of the reasons you love me."

They stayed outside awhile longer, kissing, tossing a few snowballs at each other and attempting perfect snow angels.

Kate was shivering by the time they went back into the cabin. She held up her prune-y hands, placing them on Jack's cheek. She laughed as he balked at her touch, "I'm freezing!"

"I can tell!" Jack said, grabbing her by the wrists in an effort to dodge anymore cold touches. "Why don't you go take a hot shower while I start a fire?"

Kate pouted, trying to wriggle her wrists from his grasp, "You won't come join me?"

"Let me start the fire," Jack shook his head, pulling her into a hug and kissing her cheek. "Make it a quick shower and I'll be out here waiting."

Letting out a long sigh, Kate closed her eyes, pretending to take the news very hard. "I guess I can handle one shower without you. But I'm warning you, you better be joining me for the rest of the trip. A girl gets lonely. . ."

"It's a deal," Jack agreed with a nod. He kissed her one last time and watched her retreat towards the bathroom, almost chasing after her and announcing he had decided to take her up on her offer.

Instead, he stayed in the living room, lighting a fire. After that was done he moved to an old chest, opening it to see if the radio that his parents had kept in the cabin was still there. He thought he had seen it while he was cleaning the place up but wasn't sure. Luckily, as he opened the chest, he found it nestled between two blankets.

Removing it, he turned it on to see if he could find a signal. Cursing, he realized that all they could get was fuzz. As he was reaching to return it to the chest, he noticed a single cassette tape lying at the bottom. Curious, he picked it up.

To Margo, was written on scotch tape, in his father's handwriting.

Even more curious, he plugged the radio in, popping the cassette into it's holder. Pushing play, Jack was more than surprised to hear a romantic song blaring out at him. He pressed fast-forward. One by one, romantic song after romantic song streamed out from the player.

The fact that his dad had made a romantic mix-tape for his mother astounded Jack.

That had to mean that years ago things had actually been good between his parents. His father had mostly likely brought Margo up to the cabin on countless romantic week-end getaways. Just like the kind Jack was on with Kate at that very moment. For the first time in over a decade, Jack saw his father as human.

Jack sat and wondered how many promises Christian had made to Margo in this cabin. Promises just like Jack had made to Kate earlier? Promises he hadn't been able to keep, just like Jack was afraid he couldn't.

Maybe everyone was right. Maybe he was exactly like his father.

The demons in his mind were chased away by the sound of Kate shuffling into the room. Her hair hung in damp curls, framing her face. She was wearing a pair of blue polka-dot cotton pajama pants he had given her the morning before, and a matching tank top he knew she would soon get cold in. She wiggled her socked feet at him, "I had to put on a pair of yours. I forgot to pack any of mine!"

At the sight of her, Jack's voice caught in his throat. He didn't know if he had ever seen her look more beautiful then she did, standing in front of the fire, illuminated in it's glow. Dark shadows had fallen across the room, as dusk settled in outside, and there Kate stood in the middle of it, the only thing glowing in the room. She made him want to be so much better than he ever could.

Kate looked concerned at his expression and took another step forward. Before she could speak, Jack pressed play, and the first few familiar notes of 'Unchained Melody' floated around them. He stood up, holding out his hand, "Do you want to dance with me?"

Nodding wordless, Kate took hold of his hand. He pulled her against him, their bodies swaying slowly in perfect rhythm. As the music played, he lowered his hands to the small of her back, pulling her as close to him as possible.

Kate laid her head against his chest, a content smile on her face. "This is nice."

Jack brushed his lips across her forehead, inhaling the scent of her hair. "You smell good."

"It's just my normal shampoo," Kate murmured, the feel of Jack's hands massaging her back as they swayed lulling her into a half-lucid state. His hands continued to roam over her back, under her shirt, everywhere. He wanted to feel as much of her as he could.

Their lips met as the music swelled around them, drowning out the sound of the crackling fire. Jack's fingers traced the top of her pants, causing her to softly giggle against his lips. Untying the drawstring, he dipped his hands below the hemline, stroking the outline of her hipbones, trying to pull her even closer.

The tape clicked off, causing each to become aware of the other's frantic breathing. Kate moved her hands from around his neck, undoing his belt as she wriggled out of her pajama bottoms. Jack's jeans soon followed suit.

His hands moved up to cup her face, pulling away just slightly, "Bedroom?"

"No," Kate whispered, shaking her head and running her hands up his sweater and over his torso. She tugged just slightly so he'd let her remove it. "Right here."

Jack nodded, kissing her again quickly before grabbing a blanket off the couch and spreading it out on the floor. Their lips met again as they lowered themselves down in front of the fire, onto the plaid blanket.

"You're still half-dressed," Jack whispered, running his hands up her tank top. "That's not fair."

Kate smiled, raising her hands silently in the air. Her tank top fell on top of the pile of clothes. As they laid down on the blanket, she shivered under Jack. He laughed softly, "You sure you don't want to go to the bedroom?"

Kate nodded, leaning up and meeting his lips. "You keep me warm."

Jack agreed, pulling her body to his. He began to kiss her neck amazed as always at the way their bodies fit perfectly together, as if one had been specifically designed for the other.

They had made love so many times before that Jack would have lost count if he had been keeping a tally. They had had average sex, amazing sex, quickie sex, shower sex, couch sex so many times he couldn't remember all of them. But this time he wanted to remember. He paid extra attention to the expressions on her face, each and every sound she made as they moved together in front of the crackling fire place. He tried to keep count of how many minutes they spent intertwined in each other, holding each other close afterwards. He even wanted to remember all the words they whispered as they laid cuddled together close in bed that night after he had carried her to their bedroom.

But most of all what Jack hoped to remember was the completely trusting look on Kate's face as the last thing she whispered before she fell asleep was, "I love you."

They stayed in bed late the next morning, talking and cuddling. When they got up Kate made breakfast while Jack showered. After he finished, he walked to the kitchen to see what she was doing.

Kate turned, smiling at him. She tugged at the edge of his sweater she had thrown on, trying to make sure it covered her up well enough in order not to distract Jack. "Ready to eat?"

Apparently her tugging had not worked. Instead of answering her question Jack walked over to her and pulled her in for a kiss, his hands traveling up the sweater. "You expect me to think about breakfast when you're not wearing anything under this sweater?"

Kate laughed, trying to push him off of her. "Stop it! You're hungry, I know you are. I heard your stomach growling."

"Hungry for you," Jack responded playfully, causing Kate to start laughing once more.

"Eat while I get a shower, and then you can have your way with me as many times as you like, alright?" Kate offered, now only half-trying to fight off Jack's roaming hands.

"What a coincidence," Jack smirked, trying to make her lift her arms up so he could remove the sweater. "I need a shower, too."

"You just took a shower!" Kate argued, giggling as his hands brushed across a few sensitive spots.

"But I'm dirty again," Jack whispered, capturing her lips with his and stealing her breath away. When Jack pulled away she was too turned on to argue any longer.

Turning off the oven with a flourish, she winked at him. "Race you there."

After their shower they finally managed to eat, spent awhile in the jacuzzi and ended up cuddling on the couch, watching the fire while the mix tape Jack had found played softly in the background. It didn't take long for Kate to fall asleep, while Jack stayed wide awake, watching her.

She was only asleep for about an hour before Jack felt her stirring next to him. Stretching out, Kate pressed her body against Jack's. She giggled as she rubbed up against him, "Why exactly are you turned on right now?"

Jack laughed, dropping his head down to kiss her neck. "I can see down your shirt. This entire time you've been napping, I've just been enjoying the view."

Kate rolled her eyes, smacking his chest playfully. "And you say I have a one-track mind?"

Slipping his hands up her shirt, Jack began to tickle her mercilessly. She rolled over, straddling him and attempting to tickle back. Their tussle soon became too much for the couch and they tumbled to the floor, Jack breaking Kate's fall. Their frantic tickling motions turned to soft caresses and once again, their clothes ended up in a pile in front of the fire.

Later that night they lie in bed, on top of the covers and not quite touching, the only light in the room was the fire burning to the left of them. Jack glanced over at Kate, once again loving the way she looked all lit up in the amber glow of the fire.

It was times like this he felt like he could talk to her about anything. Sighing, Jack rolled onto his side, "I miss him."

Kate glanced over at him, a soft smile on her face. "I know you do, Jack."

"When he was alive there were times I would have given anything for him to be out of my life forever. I was so sick of his constant berating, how he had an opinion on everything. Nothing I ever did was good enough for him, it seemed," Jack shook his head, and let out a short laugh. "Is it weird I almost miss it?"

"I don't think so," Kate said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's not like you miss the way he treated you. You just miss having your father around."

"I just wish things hadn't ended the way they did," Jack said, talking to himself as much as Kate. "Even -- even if he had been alive when I had gone to Australia, I'm not sure we would have fixed things between us. As far as I know, the only person he ever told about how he felt about me was some stranger he met in a bar."

"Sawyer," Kate filled in.

"He told him he wanted to call me. Call me and tell me he was proud of me," Jack covered his face with his hands, not sure why he was even talking about all this. "He said he thought I was a better doctor than he would ever be. And that he loved me."

Kate propped herself up on her elbow and watched Jack as he talked. When he removed his hands from his face, she saw that he had tears in his eyes. She offered him a sympathetic smile. "At least you know those things, Jack. No matter what way you found out, at least you know how he really felt."

Jack nodded and Kate leaned back onto the bed. They lay together in comfortable silence for several moments before Jack reached over and intertwined their fingers together. "Did you ever think about having kids?"

Surprised by his question, Kate didn't respond at first. "What?"

"You know," Jack said softly, wondering if she was going to get angry. "When you were younger. Back before you had to run. Didn't you ever think about it?"

More nervous than aggravated, Kate sighed. "Yeah, of course I did. Who doesn't?"

"How many did you want?" Jack knew he was pushing it, but he felt compelled to keep going for some reason he didn't understand. Maybe he just wanted to further the illusion that they were a normal couple, or maybe it was something deeper.

"Two, maybe" Kate responded automatically, slightly surprised by how easy the words came. "I always was kind of lonely being an only child or I would have probably wanted just one. I would have been a better parent than my mom though. Maybe that would have made a difference. . ."

"Two is good. No more than two. I've always wanted a boy and a girl, but a boy first. Like you can control those things, right? I'd want to be a good dad. A great one," he looked over at Kate and saw she was smiling at him.

Reaching over, Kate laid her hand on his cheek, stroking it softly. "I think you would be."

Jack swallowed hard, then licked his lips. "If we could get married, and I asked you, would you say yes?"

Kate recoiled, drawing her gaze away from him. "Why do you want to talk about things you know can't happen?"

Jack sighed, "I'm not saying it could happen. I know it can't. I just -- I don't know. I'm sorry."

Several seconds passed, each one filling the room with more and more tension. Finally, Kate broke it.

"You know I'd say yes."

Jack lay next to her silently for several seconds before whispering, "I love you, Kate."

"I love you too," Kate responded, leaning over him once again, wondering when exactly those words had become so easy. He raised up just enough to meet her lips in a long, slow kiss.

When they finally parted they crawled beneath the covers content to, for once, just hold each other.

The next morning Kate woke up sad. They would have to start packing soon, and depart that afternoon. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay tucked in this little hide-away with Jack forever.

Becoming more coherent as she awoke completely, Kate noticed that Jack wasn't beside her. She had a panicked moment before Jack walked into the bedroom, tray in hand. She smiled, "What's this?"

"Breakfast in bed," Jack smiled, setting it on her lap as she scooted into a sitting position. They shared the plate of food and had quiet conversation as they ate. When they were done, they both began to pack.

Kate's heart grew heavier with each article of clothing she placed back into her luggage. After she was done, she walked around the cabin, taking in each detail, trying to tuck the entire house away deep in her memories.

As Jack loaded all the luggage into his car, Kate stood, staring forlornly at the cabin. When he came to stand next to her, she asked a question that had been bothering her over their entire trip, "How many women have you brought here?"

Jack turned to look at her, a coy smile spreading across his lips. "Enough."

Kate arched her eyebrows, "And how many does enough equal?"

Jack paused, trying to give what he was about to say more emphasis. "You."

"Me?" Kate rolled her eyes, clearly not believing him. "I'm the only girl you've ever brought to this place?"

"Just you," Jack told her with a nod. Seeing that she wanted an explanation, he continued on, "This place was almost. . . sacred. It represented one of the only good things I ever had with my parents, especially my father. No one I dated ever seemed worthy of a trip here. Then when I married Sarah, I never took time to take her anywhere."

Kate cast him an impish grin, almost embarrassed by his words. It wasn't like she didn't know how much she meant to Jack, but there was something about him actually telling her that she was more important to him than any other woman ever had been that shook her to the core. In an attempt to lighten things up, she teased, "Well, no wonder you hardly ever got laid."

"No wonder," Jack repeated softly, taking hold of her hand and pulling her in for a kiss.

When they pulled away and got into the car, Kate smiled over at Jack, "Thank you for bringing me here. I had an amazing time."

Jack smiled back, turning his key in the ignition. "Anything for you."

On the way home, Jack passed the time by telling Kate about his favorite childhood memories at the cabin. He and his father had played many a game of snow football, it seemed. Kate listened in content silence, enchanted by the serene look on his face as he recounted his youth.

When they got home, Jack unlocked the front door for Kate, but didn't step in the house himself. "I'll go get the rest of the luggage, if you'll run these two bags up to our room. Do you want to go get Boo tonight?"

Kate shook her head, "Let's wait until morning. I want it to be just us for a little while longer."

"I like the sound of that," Jack agreed with a nod. Kate turned to head all the way into the house, but just before she was out of a reach Jack grabbed her arm, swinging her back around into his embrace. Before she could say anything he pressed his lips hard against hers.

Allowing herself to get lost in the kiss, Kate dropped the bags she was holding and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck. One hand tangled in her hair, and the other pressed into her back, pulling her close to him.

It took her a moment to catch her breath when they parted. Touching her nose to his, Kate whispered, "I love you, Jack."

Jack kissed her again quickly, "I love you more, Kate." A smile on his face he returned to the car as Kate carried the bags to their bedroom.

Tossing them onto the floor next to the closet, Kate hurried into the bathroom. While in there, she was struck with an idea. After searching through a few drawers for a lighter, she placed several candles around Jack's two-person whirlpool bathtub, lighting them up. She shut off the lights and gave the room a satisfactory smile. A soothing, romantic bath sounded perfect at that moment.

Kate decided to wait for Jack before starting the water. She didn't want it to get cold. In an effort to hurry things along, she hurried downstairs to help him carry their bags in. When she reached the living room, the joyful smile on her face was replaced with a look of horror.

Jack sat rigid on the couch, the expression on his face a mixture between confusion and fear. And next to him stood Rachel Brennan, pressing a gun against his temple.