Chapter 26. Twenty Years

Having reached an understanding about what they'd come there to do, they picked up their watering cans again, moving from room to room as they doused the curtains, the walls, the furniture, the floors, every flammable surface, with kerosene.

They didn't talk, each focused on their own thoughts, but every so often Kate would stop and look at him, and Jack would follow her gaze to Diane's sewing machine, or the marks on the wall where they'd measured her growth, or her mom's favourite chair, where she'd sat in her lap, reading with her, or watching TV, on the rare occasions that Wayne wasn't home. These walls held good memories for her too, memories of her mother, even if they were few and far between, and tainted by Wayne's presence. Jack could tell that she didn't want to let go of those parts too, but they both knew that if they were going to do this, it was all or nothing. She couldn't pick and choose what they destroyed.

Steeling herself with a deep breath, she dumped kerosene over each of these things in the end, showing the same stoicism he'd seen in her when she shot her horse all those years ago. She'd already salvaged the things Jack knew she couldn't live without – letters, pictures, her mother's jewellery, the things Diane had kept from when she was a baby – back when she'd first moved out of the house. Everything else was just kindling.

When they'd been through the whole house, and the cans were empty, they climbed back out through the window, returning to their previous place on the lawn. Taking her hand, Jack pressed a box of matches into it, closing her fingers around it.

She looked up at him, then down at the box in her palm, not longer sure of herself.

"I'll go first if you want," he offered, but she shook her head, her courage returning as she said, "I have to do this."

Her whole body was shaking as she opened the box, her hands trembling so violently that Jack had to hold it for her while she struck the first match. It didn't even spark, the second dying instantly, leaving her so frustrated that Jack was tempted to take over. But on her third attempt, she managed to get the match burning, stepping towards the house, her hard expression illuminated by the light of the flame.

She looked back at him, hesitating, and he nodded, urging her on. She was right; she had to do this. They both did.

With a savage cry, she hurled the match through the broken bedroom window, a tiny, satisfied smile spreading over her face as the room erupted into flames, igniting one end of the house.

As the front wall crumbled, Jack threw a second match into the house, pulling Kate back to the driveway, and shielding her with his body, as the kitchen went up, the gas sparking an explosion that blew out the rest of the windows.

There was nothing they could do after that but stand there and watch it burn. Even if the fire department had showed up right then, the house was unsalvageable. It was finally over.

Straightening up again, Jack slid his arm around Kate's shoulders, but instead of setting into his side like before, she turned to face him, pulling him down towards her. Before he had time to realise what was happening, she was kissing him, there in the ruins of her old life, while the flames crackled and roared behind them, taking down the house that had been the source of so much torment to her.

He couldn't meet her eyes at first, afraid he would discover that she was just being needy and vulnerable like on that first night at the motel, but when she pulled back, and he finally looked at her, he saw only love and gratitude reflected there.

Grinning, he rested his forehead against hers, catching his breath, and allowing her to do the same. Just like he'd imagined, it was better the second time, not fumbling and awkward like the kiss they'd shared when they were twelve.

Once their chests had stopped heaving, and they were both breathing normally again, he leaned back in, kissing her without any fears or inhibitions this time, all of the frustration of the past few days finding its way into the action.

Like the kiss she'd instigated, it started off slow, tentative, their lips barely touching, but it grew in passion as they poured everything they'd experienced together and apart, as a result of each other, into it. Jack could still taste the salt of all the tears she'd shed tonight on her lips, and he was pretty sure she could taste his too, making the kiss even more amazing because of what they'd had to go through to get to that moment.

He could have stayed that way all night, drinking in the softness of her lips, the scent of her skin, the warmth of her body against his, but she pulled away first, bracing a hand against his chest to keep him from moving in again right away. "Thank you," she said, still breathing hard as she looked up at him, her eyes shining with joyful tears this time. "What you did for me tonight… I can't describe it. I feel like you've done so much for me these past few days, and I haven't done anything."

"That's not true," he told her, sliding his arms around her, and pulling her to his chest. If he couldn't kiss her again yet, he wanted to at least be close to her. "You're coming to L.A."

"That's not exactly a sacrifice on my part." She moved her hand, settling against him, her words muffled against his shoulder.

"It doesn't matter, because I don't want anything from you. I just want you to be happy. I love you, Kate. I always have." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, but he didn't regret what he'd said, especially when she murmured, "I love you too," lifting her head to meet his lips again.

He couldn't regret it, because after twenty long years, she was finally his. And he was finally taking her home.

There. I've put you all out of your misery. Was it worth the wait? I was a little disappointed that some of you predicted the ending halfway through – I really thought it was original. I hope you liked it though, because I built the whole fic around the idea – I got it from the Coldplay song, A Rush of Blood to the Head. For those of you not familiar with it, the part I'm talking about goes:

He said I'm gonna buy this place and burn it down

I'm gonna put it six feet underground

He said I'm gonna buy this place and watch it fall

Stand here beside me baby in the crumbling walls

Oh I'm gonna buy this place and start a fire

Stand here until I fill all your heart's desires

Because I'm gonna buy this place and see it burn

Do back the things it did to you in return

I loved the symbolism, so I thought it would be fun to write a story around it. When I realised how well the idea fit in with these characters, I decided to make it a Lost fic. It's not Lost-specific though, and I'm really proud of it, so I'm thinking of extending it, and changing some of the details, and maybe turning it into a book. The same song inspired the title too by the way.

One more thing:

I wasn't going to write another fic for a while, but I had an idea I wanted to run by you guys. I was thinking of calling it A Rock And A Hard Place, and it was basically going to be about Jack helping Kate (I know, I'm addicted to Jate stories!) go on the run again when the rescue ships arrive. (They were going to use Desmond's boat.) I thought it would be an interesting role reversal, her wanting to turn herself in, and him not wanting to let her go. I wasn't sure love would be a good enough reason for him to compromise everything else in his life though, so I was thinking that maybe she should be pregnant – he'd be trying to keep his family together then, which gives him plenty of inner conflict – but I've heard some of you say you're sick of Jaby stories, so if you've got any other ideas for motivation, I'd love to hear them. Message me, or include them in your reviews if you like.