Okay, I love you guys.I love Jate. I love...writing?I don't know. Anyway, I took a while to come up with this chapter 'cause I was afraid I'd mess it up. Hopefully I did that Jaters proud.

R&R, please!

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Honesty is important in any art. In drawing, acting, singing ,dancing.-Lying?Could Lying be considered an art? Perhaps. But, doesn't that sound a little cliche'? And of course-how can one be honest when they're lying? The point is-is that when faced with a question as serious as Kate asked-Jack knew he had to be honest. Because Love is considered an art-it takes work. And Kate? Well, she was a work of art.

Jack stared back at her, sure of what he wanted to say-but not sure how to say it.

"Jack?"She repeated, eyes hopeful.

"Yes.I meant it."He said, looking across the room.

Kate, clearly shocked by his announcement wanted to run. But she couldn't run. She couldn't leave-she could barely walk as it was. So she sat. She sat, and she prayed words would come.

He looked over at her, gauging her response. He loved her. As much time he spent lying to himself, lying to Sawyer, Kate-everyone...he loved her.

"Kate?"He said, hoping he hadn't offended her.

She looked at him, smiling weakly. "Thank You."

Jack stared back at her, puzzled. He had expected some big speach, or an explanation. But instead, his eyes met with hers-silent.

He felt he should ask why, but knew better. "You needed to know."

She swallowed, nodding. "Right."

"Right."

Jack looked over at her, wishing she'd say more. He'd scared her-he knew it. She was scared and he knew it. "Look, If you don't-"

"But I do."

He jumped back, surprised by her reaction. "What?"

She looked at him, a look of vulnerability in her eyes. "I'm tired, Jack. I'm tired of being this big, strong independent person that everyone thinks I am. It's who I am now-because that's all I know. That's what I've been forced to be my whole life. And when the plane crashed-here on the island...I knew that's what I had to be.Then I met you."

Jack smiled, squeezing her shoulder.

"I don't know why I started gravitating towards you. I just feel a need to be close to someone who was like me. Damaged...hurt."Kate stopped, laughing. "I'm sorry, Jack.I-"

"It's fine, Kate. I understand."

She smiled, his voice sounding so soft so...soothing. "Jack?"She said, fighting the feeling that was starting to come over her.

''Yeah?"

Smiling, Kate laughed. "I love you, too."

He had expected something different. A laundry list of reasons why 'they' couldn't happen. He felt the weight of her head falling on his shoulder as she slumped over.

"Kate?"He called, worried.

Shaking her a bit, Jack felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Kate?"He repeated, a little louder.

Lifting her chin, he was met with her eyes, somewhat more distant than they were before. "Damn.Charlie!"

He screamed his name, praying the man would hear him, but knowing he wouldn't. Carefully standing, he tried his best to support her weight. "Come on, Kate."He said, as if that would help.

"Jack..."She whispered, trying to stay awake.

"It's okay."Jack said, more to himself than her.

Eventually, he managed to get her back into her bed across the hall, feeling frantic.

"What happened?"Charlie asked.

"We were talking.She just leaned against me, feeling weak I guess."Jack said, checking her blood pressure. He wasn't sure why he did-any precautions now.

Staring at her, he wondered if she'd remember. She's said she loved him. He knew that things would be different between them now, he just wasn't sure how different.

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"Jack!"Sayid called, climbed over fallen tree limbs. After the incident with Kate in the hatch, he left.

Jack kept walking, ignoring Sayid. He didn't know where he was going exactly, he just wanted to get away.

"Stop walking."Sayid said, this time in a more warning voice.

Turning around, Jack faced him. "What?"

"What happened?The way you tore out of there, you looked like you could have killed someone.You're no good to her like that."

Stirring the leaves beneath his feet, Jack sighed. He knew Sayid was right. He knew that he left, but he wasn't sure why. Looking around them, it wasn't until then did he realize how far out into the jungle he'd ventured.

"I'm sorry, Sayid.I shouldn't have-"

"This is the spring."Sayid said. "The one they came to."

"Oh."Jack said, surprised.

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Charlie sat in a chair before Kate's bed, wishing she'd wake up. The way Jack tore out of the room-desperate to leave-he almost felt worried for him.

"Is somebody here?"

Looking up, he went to Libby's bedside.

"Hi"She said, seemingly distracted.

"Are you okay?"Charlie asked.

Libby looked towards the wall, laughing aloud.

Frowning, Charlie was confused.

"It sounds immature.I just had a-"Libby stopped, coughing. "A bad dream."

Charlie laughed. "It's quite fine.All of us have those every once in a while.Just relax."

"If it were only that easy.How is everyone?"

"Everyone?"

"Outside of this...place."

"Oh-"Charlie said. "Well-Hurley reads alot.Locke-well, he's Locke.I'll never understand him.The beach is pretty quiet without everybody down there."

She smiled, almost content.

Sun entered the room. "Charlie?"

He looked towards her. "Yeah?"

"Claire asked to see you."

"You can go."Libby said, nudging him.

He left the room, which left Sun to attend to the patients. "Is there anything I can get you?"

Libby coughed, clearing her throat. "I'm thirsty."

Sun nodded. Amongst supplies, they found juices. Figuring that they needed vitamins, Sun poured her some of the juice.

"Anything else?"

Libby shook her head, indicating no.

She walked over to Shannon, studying the girl. She seemed to quite, so frail. Her eyes were sunken from the sleep. She was tired. Even when she was sleeping she was tired. She had had a dream the night before. She was running. From what she couldn't say.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sun thought she should wake her up. "Shannon?"

Opening her eyes, Shannon tried to speak. "Sun?"

"Yes.On your chart-it says you should be taking these.Jack said you should stay awake for a while after that."

Though a look on uncertainty shrouded her eyes, Shannon did as Sun asked.

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"You're sure you are alright?"Sayid asked as they arrived back at the caves.

"Yeah."He said, tossing Sayid a bottle of water.

"To be honest you had me worried. You have been down there so long everyone has been worried about you.Maybe spending the day out of the hatch will be good for you."

''The Day?"Jack asked, surprised.

Sayid stared back at him. "I figured you would spend the day out here.Sawyer has a sprained arm, you know."He said, sarcasm tinging his voice.

Though he felt somewhat guilty about it, Jack knew Sayid was right.

"Fine.I'll stay out here.But once my shift starts-"

"You go back."

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Kate stirred in the bed, waking up.

Where am I?Kate thought to herself. And where's Jack?

The sheets felt itchy around her, like they were crawling. Squirming, Kate tried to focus on something else.

Where is Jack? She thought, looking around.

Her mind went to the last thing she remembered.

I love you, too.

And she froze. He knows. The solitary thought that ran through her head was not of when she'd walk again, or when the itching of the sheets would stop. The truth ran rampant in her mind. He knew.

Shutting her eyes, she almost wished it was a dream. He can't.He probably thinks it's something due to the meds. He has to.

Kate knew better. When they were across the hall, something changed with them. It wasn't like before, when they could hide everything, pretending like it wasn't there. Now-everything was out in the open-like when you rip off a band aid. And sickness or not-she couldn't hide.