Entwined Together

Summery: Jack was the doctor leading the seemingly perfect life. Kate was the independent woman running from the law. Both had baggage, had flaws, but when they meet one lonely night in a bar, their lives become entwined, almost as if fate brought them together.

Chapter Six: Discovery

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Jack felt as if his knees were going to buckle. His ladder had never been the sturdiest thing he had owned, but it had always done him well, up until this point. He had never really liked the mini-chandelier that hung from the ceiling in his living room so he had never used it, with the exception of the first five months that he and Sarah had lived here.

But Kate was the one who had pointed out that she thought it was beautiful, and that it was too bad it no longer worked. Jack knew that she hadn't said it in that whiny way women sometimes did to get what they want; she was simply stating a fact. Which was why he was fixing it in the first place.

He still didn't understand what it was about Kate that made him want to please her. Every time she said something or did something all he wanted to do was listen and comply. He hoped the act wasn't coming off as too clingy or eager to please, though he could see nothing wrong with the latter.

Kate had gone upstairs to take a shower, and he had decided that it would be a good idea to fix it for her. Just a nice little surprise that would make him see that beautiful smile she had. Jack didn't think Kate realized just how beautiful her smile was.

The problem was that he hadn't touched the damn thing for close to five years, and wasn't very good with heights, and he didn't have all the right kind of bulbs to place in there. She would just have to settle with only half of it working.

Pleased that it had actually turned on, he quickly climbed down the ladder and placed it back in the storage shed that was in the backyard. Since Kate was still in the shower, he decided to watch some TV until she came out.

Kate had only been in the shower for twenty minutes, which was a nice change from the hour long ones Sarah had always taken. She would just waste all the hot water, then complain that they never had enough. Sometimes he wondered why they had even taken their vows in the first place. They were as different as night and day.

"Hey," Jack said over his shoulder, smiling when he saw her. She was back in her black tank top.

"Hey yourself. You fixed it," she pointed out, taking in the half-lit chandelier with understandable like.

"Yeah, only a little. If you want we could go out, maybe get two more so that it can be properly lit, and you could get some more clothes, if you want," Jack said, hoping he had eased into that conversation enough that she might say yes.

Kate frowned. "I sort of like it like that. Not too dark, but not too bright either," she said, putting her brush to her wet wavy hair, turning away from him.

"Well, at least let me take you so that you can have more than two shirts and two pairs of pants," Jack offered.

Kate didn't reply. She didn't really know how to without exposing herself.

"Please," he pleaded.

"Why? Why do you care so much?" Kate suddenly burst out, turning on him without warning.

Taken aback for only a moment, Jack's face suddenly became harder. "I would've thought that was obvious. It's just a simple offer."

"I don't need you to tell me what I should and shouldn't do. I can take care of myself," she said more calmly, though there was still bitterness that all but dripped from her voice.

"Alright, we won't go anywhere. But can you at least tell me why? Only the other day you were telling me how much you wanted to go out and explore the city, maybe even find a job. Now you just want to stay cooped inside my house all day and you jump down my throat every time I even give the hint of suggesting to leave, if only for a couple hours. What happened?"

"What?"

"What happened back at the hotel that changed you so much?" Jack demanded.

Kate's eyes dropped down to the floor. "Nothing," she muttered, and made to go into the kitchen, but Jack's hand gripping her wrist stopped her.

"What happened, Kate?"

"Nothing, okay? I didn't get hurt, mugged, maimed, raped, anything like that. Nothing happened, so please just let it go!" she snapped, trying to get out of Jack's grasp.

He let go hesitantly, but he knew she was keeping something from him. Something she desperately didn't want him to know.

Glaring at him, she went upstairs, and Jack couldn't necessarily blame her. Maybe it was none of his business, or nothing really happened, but there was something there that had scared Kate enough to make her leave that hotel and go back to him. He needed to know what it was.

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Kate knew she was slipping. Jack was suspicious and it was only a matter of time before he found out what it was. She should've never agreed to let Jack take her to his house. Then she could've been out of this lousy city. She had always managed to get by before. She had always done okay considering the circumstances. What was so different now?

Ever since her mother had brought home Wayne and seen what he did to her day in and day out, she had promised herself that that wouldn't be her. She wouldn't let herself grow dependent on a man, no matter how much she loved him. Because once you become dependent, the man notices, and uses it to his advantage in one way or another.

Kate had done her best not to become reliant, but that was becoming difficult with each passing day that Kate stayed in Jack's house. Her worst mistake had been coming back. When she had been recognized, she should've just kept a low profile in the shadows of the town like she always did. But because of Jack and his constant efforts to get her to come back, she felt like she had a security blanket of sorts.

There was really only one logical action left in her mind, and that was the action that she had sworn by practically her whole life.

She needed to run away.

It wasn't like Jack would really miss her. No matter what he said, she felt like she had been nothing but a burden to him, even through his insisting that she wasn't. But he had plenty of worries already without adding hers into the mix. She knew he was going through a divorce, and what could be more stressful than that?

Besides, if she got caught, there was no way she could let Jack go down with her. The longer she stayed in his house, the bigger the chance got that she would be spotted, and when the police came barging into his house all because some nosy neighbor had seen her and recognized, what was she going to say? How could she even begin to explain everything to him? He would never forgive her, and that was just something she couldn't stand.

An unexpected knock came from her door, making her jump slightly. "Kate? Can I come in?" Jack asked, his voice slightly muffled.

"Sure."

He slowly opened the door, then went to sit beside her on the bed. "I know it isn't any of my business and I shouldn't force you to tell me if you don't want to. I don't know…I guess I'm saying that I really don't care. I don't care why you came to be this way. I'm ready for anything, and if you ever decide to confide in me, I want you to know that you can. Don't be afraid to let me in, because everybody needs someone to talk to, to confide in. Even if you don't have anyone else, you do have me. I'm sorry I was so demanding downstairs," he told her.

The more Jack said, the more Kate wanted to break down and just confess it all to him. So desperately she wanted to relieve the weight of everything she had done off her shoulders, maybe give some of it to someone else who was so willing to listen like Jack was. But he had no idea what he was saying. He could say he was ready for anything, but Kate knew he would accept her problems.

"Thanks, but I can't. Not yet."

Jack nodded. "That's fine. Whenever you are, I'll be here."

" Thanks, Jack. And you know, you could go out for a while, do all those things you suggested before. I could stay here, maybe fix some dinner…" she suggested, glad to be changing the subject.

"You know how to cook?" Jack asked, amused.

"Surprised?" Kate faked shock.

"No. I just…"

Kate smiled. "Act any more surprised and I might get offended. I'll show you. I might even prove to you that I'm a better cook than you."

"Oh really? What are you saying, you don't like my cooking?" Jack asked, his smile getting bigger, though he was trying not to laugh.

"No, not at all. I'm just saying I could surprise you with mine," she explained.

This time Jack laughed. "We'll see. I'll be back in a few hours, which should be plenty of time for you to fix something up. Then we'll see who the better cook is," he said, grabbing his keys and turning to leave.

"It's a deal!" Kate called after him. Then she went into the kitchen, seeing what he had that she could make.

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Two hours later Kate was putting two plates of chicken parmesan down on the table when Jack entered the house. He was carrying a bag from Kmart, and three bags from various clothing stores LA.

"I really hope you didn't go out of your way, I don't want anything too expensive," Kate said, seeing the bags Jack had brought inside.

"I didn't know your size, so I just guessed. I hope I got it right, though, but if not I can always exchange them," he explained, ignoring her comment and watching her as she looked inside them, apparently pleased with what she saw.

"Well, you guessed right. Dinner's on the table," she said, leaving the bags where Jack had put them and went to the all too familiar dining table.

"Chicken parmesan?" he questioned.

"What, don't like it?" she teased.

"No, I do. I just haven't had it in so long," he pointed out, cutting a piece of the chicken and tasting it. Kate watched in amusement as he took another piece, and had eventually devoured the whole thing.

"You always manage to surprise me, Kate. That was really good," he said when they were finished.

"I knew you'd like it," Kate stated obviously.

They sat there for a few minutes in silence, taking in each other's presence. Then Jack got up and took the plates to the sink. He'd just do them tomorrow.

"I'm going to try on the clothes you bought," Kate said, getting up and taking the bags upstairs.

Jack didn't say anything. He went in the living room and turned on the news. It was always the same thing. Crisis in the middle east, growing threat of hurricanes, hot as hell weather. Then the last thing he ever expected to see on the news.

"And in other news, wanted fugitive Katherine Austen has been spotted in Los Angeles. She was spotted in front of an Embassy Suites when she was spotted and confronted, but has since gotten away. She is wanted for the murder of Wayne Jansen back in Iowa, if you have any information, please call…."

Jack couldn't hear anymore. All he could do was stare at the face on the screen before him. The face he had come to love. Kate's face.

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A/N: So a chapter I actually like! That's a first! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out later this week, but no promises with school and all.

Thanks to SoInLuv, Orlando-crazy, jimmy-barnes-13, X-Kate-X, Ella Julian, iamlOst815, Peppy87, DarknessBlossoms, and IrishJateFan for reviewing! Please review this chapter, I'm quite anxious to hear your thoughts on it.