A/N: Right, the usual stuff, thanks Hannah for your input :o) and as always, leave me reviews with your thoughts/comments/ideas/criticism...

I watch silently, as Kate turns from me and walks into the dense undergrowth, her words trailing behind her, 'My name's not "Freckles"; it's Katie.'

In that instant, I know that something is wrong. Since we arrived on the island, she's always been Kate, it's how she introduced herself to everyone. Confusion soon turns to frustration; I don't think I've ever managed to finish a conversation with her, without her turning away, or running from me.

'Kate, stop!' My voice cuts through the air, sounding hollow in the cool silence. Frustrated, I know that shouting after her won't change her mind; she's so damn stubborn.

'Fine. You want to get eaten by a polar bear, Freckles? Go ahead. Just don't count on Prince Charming comin' to the rescue.'

Normally I'd let her be; she knows enough to take care of herself. Hell, she's probably better at living in the wild than I am, what with all her tracking skills. I smirk inwardly at the deal I made with her, the night we spent together, when she offered me carte blanche for her help in tracking that damn boar. I shake my head; that was another world, another life, different again from the one I led before this island, and the one I'm living now.

My thoughts are interrupted by a loud crash off to my right. Fear grips at my heart, as I realise that Kate will have no idea what's going on, judging by her earlier confusion. Running through the trees, I hear a scream, and my heart stops cold, before I turn towards the sound.

The sudden silence in the absence of the explosions rings in my ears as I gain my bearings. Rubbing my head, I stumble through the bushes, hoping to hell that she's okay. Looking up, I see a figure take a step out of the bushes, and smile in relief. I am surprised by the conflicting emotions inside me; part of me wanting to hold her close, never letting her go, the rest of me wanting to shake her, shout at her, for being so careless.

'It's you,' her words cut through the stillness of the trees, full of disappointment that hurts more than it should. There is also caution in her voice, apprehension. The fact that she doesn't know whether to trust me scares me. We had grown so close, and to be torn apart like this is hell. To have her standing so near, and yet being unable to touch her evokes emotions I didn't know I had. The note of disdain in her voice reverts me to the man I once was: cold, hated. Alone.

I harden my tone, push down the feelings of regret, 'Yeah, 's me, Freckles. Sorry to disappoint you.'

With a wry smile hiding the worry drifting beneath the surface, I step towards her, ready to berate her for running off like that, but my eyes home in on the gash on her cheek. My pain thrown aside, I move quickly to her, not able to bear the fact that she is hurting.

I take her face in my hands, scanning for other injuries, before examining her cut.

'Are you okay, sweetheart?'

Surprisingly, after all that's happened, she doesn't pull away, but her muttered 'I'm fine' betrays her frustration, and I smile. Now she sounds more like the Kate I know.

When she asks about the monster in the jungle, I dispel my fear, knowing that I have to be strong, confident, for her. For so long I've only had to take care of myself, not once looking behind to see if anyone followed my example. But she…she's changed me. And not necessarily for the better, I remind myself. I always found those who worked with a partner weak, foolish, especially when that partner was a woman. But Kate…I smirk as I picture working with her, conning together; I have no doubt that we'd make a great team, my experience combined with her distracting smile, her quick conversation. I shake my head, ridding myself of the fantasy.

As for the monster, it's black smoke, for Christ's sake! The explosions have never hurt anyone, disconcerting though they are, and whatever it is, I'm sure I've seen worse before.

I answer her with a grin, stepping away slightly, 'Hell, sweetheart, how would I know? Maybe it's the polar bear, come back from the dead to haunt me.'

She rubs her head, and immediately I am on guard. Could it be she's hurt inside, somewhere I can't see? The speed with which she can bring panic to my mind is crazy. The only other person who came close to doing that was Cassidy. And you know how that turned out. But this isn't spontaneous; Kate's a chisel, small and determined, slowly breaking down my barriers, one brick at a time.

'Your head okay, Freckles?'

She smiles and nods, alleviating my worry. The fact it's 'just a headache' doesn't mean anything; there are all sorts of problems that start with a headache, but I force myself to let it go.

I look around, trying to judge the best way to go, before glancing back at Kate.

'I guess we should make a move on. Find someplace to make camp for the night.'

I walk into the trees, knowing that she will follow, has no choice; I am her only chance of survival. That thought gives me strength, the knowledge that she will have to rely on me. For once, I want to be able to look after someone, take care of them; when I was a kid I could barely take care of a gerbil, let alone another person. Any pet granted me by my parents never survived more than a month. I've always been selfish, always wanting, never giving back. And now it seems as though Fate has finally given me the opportunity to redeem myself.