Chapter 2

Jack walked back to the beach. All the fires were combined into one massive fire. The smoke was about 35 meters high. The plane would definitely see it. Many people were still throwing large chunks of wood into it. And other people were getting more wood. They were all systematically passing it to one an other.

While one small group of people were huddled around a wood table tweaking some big metallic thing. Ana-Lucia ran off and started barking commands.
"Wow. Pretty good job" commented Jack.
"Thank you. I thought you would help. But seems you had better things to do" said Sayid a small smile on his face now.
"Oh. What are those people doing on that table" said Jack. Completely ignoring Sayid playful joke.
"Connecting all sources of our transmissions into one big radio" said Sayid walking up to the table.
He started explaining some of the technicalities, batteries and some stray weak signals he found and put together.

Jack nodded trying to take everything in. But the only thing he could think of was Kate. And where she had went.

Kate looked at the hut. Still mistified. How on earth can a medium size hut be in the jungle. And no one had actually seen it yet. Kate had been running for two hours so that meant it was pretty deep in the jungle. 'I haven't past the tree line' thought Kate. Mentally scratching off "the others". 'Rousseau would have a much more sophisticated and boobytrapped house'. Checking Rousseau off the list too. It seemed to be used recently. A small garden was on the side of the hut. The inside was be blanketed. And had a lot of room.

"Hello?" Kate called loudly.
"Oh hello Kate" said a figure emerging from the bushes. Kate quickly took out the gun (she had stole from Sawyer) and aimed it at the voice.
"I thought I might find you here" said Locke now fully visible. He hadn't flinched at all even when he saw the gun. Kate lowered the gun.
"This hut is yours?" asked Kate.
"Yes it is" said Locke smiling. Tenderly fingering the hut.
"Why? What about your hatch?"
"Because I knew one day a stray plane would pass by. And If I wanted to stay. I'd have more of a chance hidding here. And the hatch isn't 'mine'" said Locke now sitting next to the fire. Kate was stunned. She hadn't thought that other people, other than her, would want to stay. As if reading her mind Locke spoke:
"Yes, there are others who want to stay too. They can't take us against our own will you know"
"Who else?" said Kate laying her bag down beside her.
"Whoever wants to" said Locke waving his hands around.
For a while Kate sat there. Thinking about if or when the castaways would leave. She'd miss all of them Claire, Charlie, Sun, Rose, Bernard, Vincent, Sayid, Hurley, Sawyer… After a year of surviving, troubles and even some happy times. Kate got to know all of them well. Of course there was one of them who she'd miss terribly but she couldn't even bring herself to think his name.

"So are you going to say goodbye?" asked Locke. Kate knew the word goodbye well. And it was a tearing, breaking word.
"I'm not good at saying good bye" said Kate looking down. Luckily Locke didn't say anything else. They just both stared at the fire. Knowing that their happy life of survival was coming to an end.

Jack sat at the fire. After a long day of transmitting and working on the fire they had finally got a hold of the plane. The pilot had said it would turn back and get a bigger plane to take them all.

Everyone had started packing. Taking little souveniers of the island. All of them glad to finally be rescued. After a while everyone had drifted off to sleep. But Jack had a lot to think about. Jack lay back in his sleeping bag. Looking at the stars. They were beautiful. He had remebered when Kate had taken Jack's hand and walked up to the cliff they had watched the stars and kissed. It had been their second kiss. And that time no one was sorry.

Suddenly, Jack heard tiny footsteps they were coming closer. Closer to him. He couldn't tell who the person was. But he or she was doing something with Jack's suitcase. Jack had a sudden urge to jump the person. Why would he/she be in his stuff. Slowly he turned over as if to pretend to be in his sleep. But the person had already left.
"Damn it!" Jack whispered. He quickly jumped up. Immediately searching through his stuff. Nothing was missing. But there was something new. It was a box.

"They're not coming" screamed Charlie angrily.
"Just be paitent" barked Ana-Lucia. Everyone was standing around the signal fire all packed ready to be rescued.
"Are you sure they'd say they'd be here" asked Jack. Looking at Sayid.
"Yes" said Saiyd firmly yet again he screamed : "mayday. Anyone there?" into the radio.
"Face it you're damn radio's not working. And they are not coming" screamed Ana-Lucia. Her temper rising.
"Whats gotten into her?" whispered Charlie so that only Claire, Aaron and Jack could hear.
"She just wants to get rescued like all of us" said Jack.
"I think you should talk to her" said Charlie, "Get some sense into her".
"She just needs to cool off" said Jack not wanting to be stuck between Ana and her temper.

Rose and Bernard had shown up a while later. Soon enough Kate, Locke, Rose, and Bernard were settled in their hut talking about their future on the island.
"Do you think… They um got rescued by now?" asked Kate her voice hoarse.
"I think so. But not to worry" said Rose kindly. Kate smiled weekly at Rose. Rose had no idea what she was going through. She had Bernard right beside her. But Kate, well she had no one.
"I think I'll go and get some wood" said Kate standing up.
"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Locke.
"I think I'm capable enough Locke, thanks" joked Kate as she slung her backpack onto her back and walked off.

"Why does she want to stay here?" asked Bernard when Kate was out of earshot.
"All our pasts hold stories. Some can be cured" he smiled at Rose, "some can't, we don't know Kate's past. So we can't judge" finished Locke.
"Poor girl" muttered Rose whatching Kate walk off.
"What do you mean, Do you know her past?" asked Bernard throwing some wood into the fire.
"All I know is that Jack's leaving her"
"Oh" there was a long pause as both of them knew how precious it was to have a soul mate, "Why can't I go ask Jack to stay?" asked Bernard.
"Because that's a decision Jack has to make on his own" philosophised Locke walking out of the hut.
"I guess he made it already" sighed Rose looking down.

"Why hello there freckles" said Sawyer making Kate jump.
"Oh hi Sawyer" said Kate turning around.
"So where's the doctor?" asked Sawyer teasingly. Kate didn't answer. That matter wasn't a joking matter.
"Oh. So the doc left ya" said Sawyer smiling smugly. Hot tears streamed down Kate's face. Jack had left her. Not even saying goodbye. That was the truth. The ugly truth.
"The 'doc' didn't go any where" said Jack emerging from the trees.
"Jack" cried Kate not believing her words or her eyes.
"Isn't it high time that the plane got here" said Sawyer rushing his hands through his hair.
"It didn't come" said Jack staring into Kate's astonished eyes.
"Oh." Said Kate all her hope and happiness died. So the plane hadn't come that's why Jack came back. Not because he wanted to say goodbye. Not because he loved her.
"But it is coming tomorrow." Continued Jack.

Sawyer, Kate and Jack walked back to the hut. It was already dark. So Locke had suggested they all stay for the night.
"Jack!!" cried Rose
"Jack!" belowed Bernard
"Hello Jack" said Locke calmly. Almost saying : 'I knew you'd come back'
"What, no welcome for the southern man?" said Sawyer pretending to look hurt.
"Hello Sawyer" said Rose politley, "Jack I thought you had gone" Rose continued obviously showing she cared more about what happened to Jack.
"The plane didn't come. So Sayid tried to get a signal. And the pilot said they were coming tomorrow. Around the afternoon…" said Jack sitting down starting to explain the whole thing.

Chapter 3

All night Kate twisted and turned sweating like mad. She felt her forehead many times incase she had a fever. But she knew that a meer fever wasn't the thing that was keeping her up. It was Jack. Sympathetic doctor. Until yesterday Kate had thought Jack had loved her. He was slowly opening up to her. But now Kate knew what he thought of her as. Just a game. In real life she wouldn't be as special. No a proffesional spinal doctor could never go with a con woman. No matter how hard she would try Jack would never love her back.

Little did Kate know that she wasn't the only one who didn't sleep all night. Jack had been thinking hard too.

After about 1 and a half hours of sleep Kate woke up with a start. She got up and looked at where Jack had slept. No Jack. She rubbed her eyes two or three times. Still no Jack, he had taken all his stuff and left.

Kate quietly changed. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the hut. Kate had this whole sinking breaking feeling in her stomache. As she walked closer to the beach she heard a rumbling of a plane's engine. 'They are still here' thought Kate as she started sprinting faster towards to beach.

She hid behind a thick bark and watched everyone as they started to board the huge jet. Some of them taking last glances at the island. They all seemed very happy to leave. Well after a year of hardship they all were ready to go home.

Suddenly, Kate knew it was her last hope. She needed to scream something to Jack. Say something she was wanted to say to him ever since the first time she met him. As she opened her mouth to scream. A strong hand covered her mouth pulling her back.

Terrified Kate dug her fingernails into the persons arm and knocked him back with her gun. She turned around in horror to find Jack kneeling over in pain he was clutching his bloody arm.

"Jack" cried Kate her mouth falling open, "I'm sorry I just thought you were …." Jack interupted her:
"Its ok I shouldn't have jumped you like that, I just …" he trailed off. Out of nowhere Jack took of his shirt. Kate could only think of one thing he was going to do. But of course Jack wasn't that kind of guy. He wrapped his shirt around his bloddy arm.

"Sorry, I just needed to put pressure on the wound" said Jack smiling obviously knowing what Kate was thinking.
"Oh, I mean I know…" But Kate wasn't thinking about that anymore she was looking around. She had a feeling this place was familiar.
"I remember…" whispered Kate.
"…this place" finished Jack.

And then it hit them both. They knew this place was familiar because they had first met in this place. When Kate had stitched Jack's cut.

"Do you want me to stitch your cut?" asked Kate jokingly pretending to recreate the moment.
"Its not deep enough" said Jack.
"Aww… I was getting good at it" pouted Kate.
"Fine fine…" replied Jack laughing.
"Any color pref-" Kate got stopped as she looked at the plane. The last people were boarding. She knew if Jack ran he would make it.
"I guess this is a good bye" said Kate. The sinking breaking feeling came back. This time it was harder than ever.
"Kate, I'm not going anywhere unless you are ready to come with me" replied 's mouth. They both stood up and kissed. A deep, loving, sincere kiss.

"Guava connection"

With his arms around Kate and his lips on Kate's. Jack still heard (barley) the plane leave. But he knew he'd never want to be anywhere but right by Kate's side.

After the kiss they walked hand in hand onto the, now empty, beach. They both watched the sunset. Kate snugled against Jack's warm strong chest.
"I got your box" said Jack ending to peacful silence.
"How did you know it was mine?" asked Kate her dimples showing.
"First I thought it was Sawyer. But we don't have the guava connection" said Jack sarcastically. Kate let out a laugh. Finally her dream had come true. Her love for Jack was open. He loved her and she loved him.

Jack took out the handmade wood carved box. He unlatched it and opened it. Inside was a velvety covering. Most importantly inside were too things.

First Jack took out the guava seeds. They were in a handmade net. Jack felt them, looked at them and studied them. He turned and smiled at Kate. As if a silent way of saying: "Thank you"
"I couldn't find passion fruits" Kate half whispered.

Next Jack put the guava seeds carefully back and unfolded a letter. He had already read it many times. About 20 or so. But he read it again. It said:

Dear Jack,

I have wanted to tell you this for so long. You have changed me as a person. The ways I used to think is different of the way I think now. All because of you. Thank you.

You have helped me find my self. My past has been bad but I shall pay the conciquences soon. . . You also have healed me inside. You might be a doctor but you touched me inside more than you helped me on the outside.

But those aren't the only things I want to tell you. I need to tell you: that I was never sorry I kissed you. And I love you.

Love,

^ There was no name on the letter. But Jack had known it was her all along. The carefully made box, the guava seeds. And now the letter.

"I love you too" said Jack. Meaning it with his full heart. As the sun set they kissed once more.