Thanks for the reviews. I'm making you suffer, I know. And I'll apologise again, but unfortunately, I come from the Jane Austen school of writing romance, which is all about anticipation. (And no kissing! Just keep in mind that Pride and Prejudice is widely considered to be the most romantic book ever written, and they never even get to first base!) It's amazing that in her books, little things like the touch of a hand, or the tone of someone's voice, can count for more than sex in another story. I'm not going to go that far, but there's a purity to that that you've got to admire, especially considering how overexposed we are nowadays. I think that's one of the things that attracted me to these characters in the first place, that perfect platonic love that allows them to just sit there without talking and completely understand each other. Not that I'm saying that I don't want them together, because God knows I do (I got just as excited as everyone else when they kissed), but so long as Kate's not with Sawyer, I'm content with that for now.

That said, I can absolutely positively one hundred per cent promise that the kiss will happen in chapter 24, at Kate's old house. I'm still working on that now, but I have written that part, so I know it will definitely be there. And given the symbolism, I'm pretty sure it will be worth the wait. If not, you can all send me angry reviews, which you'll probably do anyway after another kiss-less chapter… ;-)

Chapter 23. B.F.F

They were leaving for L.A. early the next morning, so that night was Jack's last chance to carry out his plan for Kate. He still wasn't sure she was ready to go back to the house, but that only made the trip all the more necessary. Sooner or later she would have to let go of it, and the memories associated with it, and Jack wanted to be there to support her when she did. If James had been able to read her well enough to know that that was what she needed, she might have married him when he asked, instead of pushing him away. Jack didn't want to make the same mistake in his relationship with her; he wanted her in the present with him, except when they decided to revisit the past together. They'd been apart for so long; he didn't want to feel distanced from her anymore.

Kate was working until closing that night, so Jack asked her to meet him by the road when she finished, the same road where they were supposed to meet to say their goodbyes all those years ago. He wanted to show her that he wouldn't let her down this time, that he'd waited, like he should have that day, the day that changed the course of both their lives forever

Even though they were together now, Jack couldn't help wondering what things would have been like for them if he had. She would have been in L.A. already, with a better job, and possibly even a college degree; they might even be married, with a couple of kids. He still would have left, still wouldn't have been there to protect her from Wayne, but he could have eased her suffering by letting her know that he loved her, that she wasn't alone, even if it felt like it sometimes.

He couldn't change the past; he couldn't even make it hurt less, but he could do that for her tonight. It wouldn't be easy, for either of them, but it was what they both needed. Once it was over, they could finally start their new life.

Kate wouldn't get off until at least ten, and Jack knew that she would want to go back to the motel and shower before meeting him, so when he arrived at a quarter to, he climbed onto the rock where they'd sat together as kids, and watched the cars go by for a while. Running his fingers over the smooth stone, he could still feel the grooves where they'd carved their initials with a scalpel they'd taken from his father's practice: KJ + JS. But instead of surrounding them with a heart, like the other kids in their class, Kate had written B.F.F. underneath, underscoring it several times.

Best friends forever.

That was maybe a week or so before his parents announced their divorce, before his mother told him they were leaving. It was amazing, how quickly things changed, and changed back: one day they were best friends, the next, she hated him. Twenty years passed, he was drawn back by forces beyond his control, and everything changed again. She still hated him, but then, before either of them had time to realise what was happening, they were falling in love, and she was coming back to L.A. He just hoped that things between them would stay the same after tonight, that she would understand, and forgive him for hurting her. He couldn't lose her again, but he couldn't watch her wither away either, because it amounted to the same thing in the end.

Jack was so busy thinking about Kate, that he didn't hear her approach, looking up to see her standing in front of him, her damp curls backlit by the moonlight, her features even more striking now that her stitches were gone.

"Hey," she said, smiling that gentle smile she seemed to reserve just for him now, her jade-green eyes shining brightly in the darkness.

"Hey," he replied, a pang gripping his heart. She looked happy, excited even. It pained him, the knowledge of what he was going to do, of where he was taking her. She wouldn't be smiling at him like that if she knew.

"I used to sit right where you are when I wrote you those letters," she said, moving closer, tracing the carving lightly with her index finger. She barely had to look; she seemed to know every stroke by heart. "I knew you weren't coming back by then, but it made me feel closer to you."

She sounded so wistful, so sad all of a sudden, that Jack didn't know what to say, so he just stared down at their initials, until an idea occurred to him, one he hoped might bring the smile back to her face. Silently, he took out his keys, and on impulse, etched a heart into the stone, encircling their inscription, to mark the change in their relationship. They weren't just best friends anymore, though he hoped they still would be, no matter what else happened between them. She had quickly become the most important person in his life again; he wanted her to know, even if he didn't have the words yet.

She looked surprised at first, then wary, but she must have caught something of his earnestness in his eyes, because she smiled, sitting down beside him, her knees drawn up to her chest. Leaning against him, she rested her head on his shoulder, watching the road with him in silence.

"Remember when we used to say that one day that would be us?" she asked after a while.

"Yeah," he agreed, though he knew he wasn't as content as he should be, as she was. As perfect as this moment was, he couldn't help but be distracted, knowing that if he went ahead with his plan, the peace he saw in her now wouldn't last long. He was tempted to forget the whole thing, but tonight was their last night here. If he didn't do it now, that part of her life would still be looming over them in L.A.

"Well, tomorrow it will be," she finished, grinning up at him.

He couldn't bring himself to take away that happiness just yet, so he slid his arm around her shoulders, letting her bask in her excitement for a while. She'd waited thirty-two years for this day, the day that she would finally get to see the world beyond this road. He wanted her to enjoy it as much as possible.

When she spoke again, it was with a slightly more tentative voice. "James came to the diner today," she said, extricating herself from him so that she could watch his expression.

Jack felt his stomach tighten. He wasn't sure if it was jealousy, or just concern for her, but he didn't like the idea that they'd spoken, especially without him there to keep an eye on things. Hadn't James threatened her on the day of the break up?

"It's okay," she said, sensing his tension. She traced the heart with her thumb as she went on. "He heard I was leaving, and he just wanted to say goodbye. He told me he was sorry for what happened the other night, and for all of the times before that." She looked up at him, giving him a small smile as she added, "He also said that you'd take better care of me than he ever could. That it was for the best, because I needed you, and he needed someone like Ana Lucia to keep him in line."

"James said all of that?" Jack asked incredulously. He had a hard time imagining something so selfless and sincere coming out of the other man's mouth.

"Yeah. He can be pretty surprising," she said. "I noticed that after you left. I was so depressed – I spent the first week crying in the bathroom at recess. He wasn't very good at saying the right thing, but he waited outside for me every day.

"That's what I meant the other night. He's not… he's not Wayne. I never would have stayed with him if he was. He's had a rough time too, without his parents. He doesn't always know how to keep his emotions in check."

While Jack knew he would never be able to forgive James's treatment of her, he was glad to hear that their relationship had brought her some good memories, along with the bad. He couldn't bear the thought of her unhappy for so long, without some sort of relief. If it had been him, he knew, he would have followed her into that bathroom, even if it was against school rules, and the other boys teased him, but it meant something to both of them that James had tried. For all his faults, he really had loved her; he just didn't know how to deal with her. He was too damaged himself.

While Kate was obviously making an effort to be honest with him like she promised, she didn't seem to want to dwell on that chapter of her life. Sliding off the rock, she slipped her hand into his to help him up, changing the subject. "So where're we going?" she asked, grinning, when he was on his feet. "I know you said it was a surprise, but you were being so mysterious… you can't blame me for being curious."

Jack felt another pang grip his heart as he realised this was it. It was too late to back out. He was all in now; he just hoped the risk paid off. "You'll see," was all he could bring himself to say as he led her towards the intersection that separated the road from her house.