A/N - All right, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, here is your lighter chapter! But don't worry, my friends, this fic has not become fluff; (though I do love a good fluff...) the next chapter should be fairly depressing, and let's just say it's going to get worse before it gets better. I love all reviews!

"Kate? Kate!"

She awoke to gentle prodding and a whisper in her ear. Out of sorts, Kate sat up and looked around. Jack was kneeling in front of her, where she was still lying on the sofa. Outside, it was still pitch-black.

Jack had an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry I had to wake you up, but I forgot that my next shift would be at six. I have to go."

Kate rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Four forty-five. Listen, just go back to sleep, but I've set the alarm in the kitchen for nine. Make sure you're up by then, okay?"

"Why?"

But Jack was up and was shrugging on a navy blue jacket. "If you go outside, put on one of my coats, okay? The temperature's really dropped. Oh, and sunglasses, maybe a hat? I don't want you getting mauled by reporters." He strode across the room back to her, and kissed her. "I love you."

He turned, but glanced back at her, saw her shocked expression and froze. "What's wrong?"

She inhaled deeply and hesitated. "I don't think… you've ever said that before." She half-whispered, staring at him.

Jack looked surprised. They locked eyes for a long, silent moment. Then he repeated loudly, with a slow smile, "I. Love. You."

Kate jumped up and threw her arms around him, squeezing him so tightly that he gasped. "I love you too." she spoke into his ear. "Come home as soon as you can. God, what am I going to do all day?"

Jack grinned. "Just wake up at nine." He told her, and he was out the door.

Perplexed and giddy, Kate flopped back down on the couch to fall back to sleep, but couldn't. She turned the television on, but there was nothing that interested her. She was being her typical restless self, and she knew that it would only get worse if she didn't do something. Turning on the coffeepot, she pulled her tangled hair out of a ponytail and raked her fingers through it. She took a quick shower, poured herself a travel cup of coffee, and left the apartment by five-thirty.

As Kate stepped out onto the sidewalk, the sky was lightening to an ugly brownish color. She set off at a brisk walk, not knowing or caring where she was going. All she wanted was to feel the cool air on her face and look up at not a ceiling, but disappearing stars; look forward at not a wall or cell bars, but trees and apartments with people just beginning to wake up. She wondered about these people – they were normal, she guessed. They were maybe bored and unhappy, but they were normal.

They had never killed anyone, or been on the run, or been in a plane crash, or faced monsters and crazy islanders, or been in prison. Or been through all of that, and been miraculously as happy as she was now.

She walked and saw and thought until the people swarmed around her, going to work and school and God knew what else. She continued to stroll lightly down the road.

Finally growing weary, Kate headed home. As she neared the garage, she noticed a couple sitting on the bench in front of the apartment building. The woman had long, blonde hair, and the man's hair was brown. They were sitting close together, about the same height, and they were discussing something that seemed important. She switched her gaze to two girls in matching school uniforms. They giggled and lugged their heavy backpacks and for a quick moment, Kate felt a pang of homesickness.

Not that Iowa was really her home. Her family life was not… considered the best in the town, and it went without saying that everyone knew that now. But she used to have a normal school life – best friends, petty jealousies, parties… there were years before everything happened that were fundamentally good.

She smiled at the girls over her sunglasses, and they shyly smiled back. She was fumbling in her pocket for the key to the building when someone called her name.

"Kate?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin. She did not want to be recognized, not when she was in such a good mood. But she turned to look around all the same.

The couple on the bench had stood up and was advancing on her. For a split second, Kate panicked. Then she gasped and dropped the keys onto the ground in astonishment.

It was Claire and Charlie.

Suddenly the two of them were all over her, hugging her and asking her questions and kissing her on the cheek until she was flushed with embarrassment. She pulled them inside the building before anyone wondered what the fuss was all about.

"Kate!" Claire beamed once again as the three of them climbed the stairs to the apartment. "How are you?"

Kate grinned at her long lost friends. "I'm out of prison, that's how I am. How are you guys? Where's Aaron?"

"Oh, we're fine. Aaron's fine. We got a babysitter. Jack said he was going to work and you needed company, so he told us to surprise you. We thought you'd never come!"

"Guess Jack doesn't know you very well." Charlie exclaimed cheerfully. "You're your own company."

"Not always," Kate assured him, smiling.