Kate stands staring at the waves hissing on the sand. She knows she has to go get changed in a few minutes, but at the moment, she's enjoying herself just thinking. She's had to do a lot of "just thinking" for the past year. It was a long year, but not a terrible one, not at all.

She can't believe it had been a whole year since Iowa.

They'd driven in Sawyer's truck for days and days, meandering as if they didn't even have a destination. Jack knew without asking that she was delaying the confrontation with her past. Sometimes they would talk and sometimes they wouldn't, soft music always coming out of the crackly radio. As soon as they opened their mouths to discuss that terrible week's events between them, Kate couldn't stop herself from spewing every thought about it out of her head. It felt good.

When they reached Kate's yard, Jack said he would wait for her in the car, but she had told him to come with her. She opened the door with cold, shaking hands and raised her eyes.

She didn't know what she'd expected. Maybe in her twisted mind she'd thought she'd see the house exactly as she'd left it – flames crawling through walls, smoke singing her face as she sped away into the dark. No, as she crossed the street and gazed ahead of her, she saw that any shred of evidence that her home was once there was gone. In place was a different house, a bigger house painted a pale yellow with blue shutters. There was a swing set in the front yard. Kate stepped closer, putting her hand out and touching with her fingertips the perfect white picket fence that enveloped this new house in… what? Happiness?

Jack touched her arm lightly. She felt herself lean back on him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"It's gone." She said flatly. "That's not my home… it never was my home." She gazed forward, and repeated to cement in her mind, "This was never my home."

She shuddered, and felt a great sigh escape her. Jack looked at her with concern, but she felt as if all of her pain was lifted out of her. She couldn't describe it, so she didn't say anything else.

Kate couldn't pry her hands off the fence, so she remained rooted to the ground. After about ten minutes, a woman came out of the house and tentatively called,

"Can I help you?"

Kate lifted her head and smiled a brilliant smile.

"You already have. Thank you." And she looked at Jack, and she looked at the house and at the woman who lived in this strange place she didn't know. She turned and crossed the street that was not hers and climbed into the car.

Now, on the beach, Kate smiles a little to herself. Not everything was perfect after that moment, of course not. But it was definitely better. And over time, she became herself, her real self. The one on the island. And now she is here.

"Kate."

She turns to see Jack, standing behind her, wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

"Is that what you're going to wear today?" she asks him, smiling and giving him a soft kiss.

Jack laughs, putting his arm around her. "What about you?"

She looks down at her tank top and jean shorts. "I guess not." They stare at the waves together, feeling the salty air on their faces.

"I love the ocean." Kate murmurs.

"Hey, isn't seeing you right now back luck?" Jack asks suddenly, pulling away from her and studying her face.

Kate grins. "I've had enough bad luck for a lifetime. At this point, it can only get better." And she's right, she knows she is.

Jack looks at his watch. "It's almost nine. Are you ready?"

"I will be in a minute." Kate says softly. They sit down in the sand, and Kate leans her head against him. The wind blows her hair around, and she feels goosebumps on her arms. They sit silently; at this point, they don't need to talk to be heard. After a few minutes, she pulls herself to her feet, suddenly full of a wild energy.

"Okay, Jack, I'm ready." She says. "Let's go get married."

Tabula rasa. Finally.

A/N - Wow, I can't believe I finally finished it. I actually started this project when I wrote my chapter on kate in my fic Troubled Water. That was a year and a half ago! Unbelieveable. Anyways, I hope you liked the ending. Thanks to all my reviewers, I've really appreciated your comments. Keep your eyes peeled for my new idea, I'll be posting the first chapter in a few days. I won't tell you anything except that it's going to be called Black Ice and Snow Angels. Intriguing, no:)