Disclaimer: I still don't own Lost (I would me in Foxy's arms if it was the case hehehe!)

A/N: Here's chapter two. Please let me know what you think, reviews always make me go all warm and fuzzy lol.

Chapter two: Getting to know them.

Kate tried to regain her composure and was about to sit down next to Claire and Shannon when she realised that the only seat left was between Jack and Sawyer. She took a deep breath and sat between them. She took off her jacket revealing her bare arms and looked around her. Shannon was kissing Sayid on the cheek and Claire was laughing with Charlie. Jin was holding Sun's hand and she was smiling at him. Hurley, Boone and Sawyer seemed to be having a very interesting and heated conversation about sport while Michael, Marissa, Lilly and Libby were talking about the exhausting week they had. Then she, eventually, aloud herself to look at Jack again. They smiled at each other. She had never seen such a sweet and genuine smile before. Realising she was starring, she quickly turn her eyes away.

"So what did you guys prepared?" Boone asked Jack and Sayid.

"It smells really good!" Libby added.

"Sayid made one of his specialities." Jack said grinning at them. "It's called 'délice de Baghdad'. He said sounding like a five stars restaurant's waiter and pointed at the dish in the centre of the table. It was meat with vegetables and cheese attended with semolina.

"Awwww honey, you remembered!" Shannon said putting her arms around her boyfriend's neck. She turned to look at Kate. "Today's is our anniversary and the first time we had dinner, he had prepared the same thing." She explained grinning and Kate smiled. Sayid kissed Shannon.

"Happy second anniversary." He whispered smiling.

"Happy second anniversary." She repeated dreamily. "I'll thank you more later." She said in a seducing tone and he grinned widely.

"And what did you do, Doc?" Sawyer asked his best friend. Jack rolled his eyes at him.

"Would you please stop calling me that?" he asked his eyebrow rose.

"No." Sawyer simply answered, smirking as usual and Jack laughed.

"I made pies." He said grinning at Claire. Her eyes lit up and she clapped in her hands. "Blueberry and apple."

He added.

"You know I love you?" She said smiling.

"Yeah I know!" he said smirking at Charlie but he had not noticed. He was looking at Claire lovingly, enjoying the sound of her happy giggles.

"Let's get started!" Hurley said, getting up and began to serve the others. They begun with the potato salad the girl had brought.

"It's delicious Claire." Jack said after two bites.

"Kate did it." She said winking at her. Jack looked at Kate and smiled.

"Well, good job, Freckles."

"Thanks Sawyer." she said smiling. Deciding it was time to start making conversation she asked: "Do you cook?" everybody, except her and Sawyer burst out with laughter.

"Yeah he does but I won't eat anything coming from him." Jack said, hardly containing his laughter. "Unless… you wanna die a horrible death!" he added and Kate laughed.

"Shut up Jack-o!"

"It's true!" Charlie said and they all nodded in agreement not able to stop laughing.

"I can make sandwiches!" Sawyer said defensively and that make them all laugh harder.

"What else do you do?" Kate asked when everyone had calmed down. He looked at her confused. "I mean what's you job?"

"I'm a seller." He said bitterly. She looked confused by his tone. "Long story." He added.

"How did you guys meet?" she asked feeling more and more comfortable around the group.

"Jack and Sawyer were friends since kindergarten." Shannon said. "The two of them were in high school with Sun, Jin, Michael and Ana Lucia –who's not here tonight because she's at work…"

"She's a cop." Charlie added grinning. Kate nodded, chuckling.

"Then Jack went to College and this how he met me, his roomy." Sayid said smiling.

"Charlie and I were their neighbours, before Jack became a resident and Sayid began his work." Hurley said

"What do you do?" Kate asked Sayid, curious.

"I'm an electronics engineer."

"A doctor, a seller, a cop and an engineer… what else do you got?" Kate asked chuckling.

"You have no idea, Sweetcheecks!" Sawyer said.

"Where were we?" Claire asked herself ignoring Sawyer's remark. "Ah yeah right…Jack and Sayid got a bigger apartment and that's how they met us." The blonde announced cheerfully. Shannon, Claire and now Kate were Sayid and Jack's neighbours; they lived three floors up from them. "Sayid and Shan began to date soon after that. You're still with me?" Kate nodded and turned to Libby.

"What about you?" she asked the women who had not spoke a lot.

"She's my girl." Hurley announced proudly and Libby smiled. "We met a year ago, when I needed help." He said smiling genuinely at her. The blonde smiled at her boyfriend and put a peck on his lips.

"And Lilly is a model, she was a good friend of mine before she became a very good friend to every one else." Shannon said. Boone's sister wanted to become an actress but it was not as easy as it seemed. While waiting for her chance and passing auditions, Shannon was posing for famous magazine and that is how she met Lilly; a tall, brunette with rich brown yes and full pink lips.

"How come you didn't celebrate your anniversary?" Kate asked Shannon and her boyfriend.

"You mean this dinner isn't special enough?" Jack asked her, faking offense.

"It's not that." She replied smiling and he felt his heart drop at the sight of her sweet smile. "It's just that a second anniversary is something pretty big, don't you think?"

"It is, but our Sunday night dinners are too." he said very seriously. She raised an eyebrow.

"It's tradition." He explained.

"It is as important as Christmas or birthdays." Charlie said.

"Blablabla…" Sawyer said annoyed.

"Don't be a hater!" Sun said.

"Especially when you never missed one!" Jack pointed out smirking.

"I'm here for the food."

"Because you can't cook." Kate added smirking and they all laughed. "Who established the tradition?"

"No one." Jack said. "At first we all gather around at the end of the week and then it became like a bad habit." He said and she laughed.

"What about you Kate?" Jin asked and she looked down, avoiding their eyes. She tried to find something to say but Claire saved her from that.

"It's top secret!" she said laughing.

"It's not top secret…" Kate said blushing a little. She was not used to this kind of situation. Even though she was a nice person and was able to socialize easily, most of the time, she preferred to stay on her own. Being starred at by fourteen quasi-strangers was quite disturbing for her. Moreover, she was not the kind of person who liked to share her past. She never did and she will not start now, no matter how comfortable she felt seating with them. 'It won't last.' She thought bitterly. Jack noticed her embarrassment and changed the subject.

"How's work, Sun?"

"Good. The kids are really excited by next week's trip." She said smiling widely.

"Where are you going?" Lilly asked; she loved Sun's job.

"To the zoo." She replied.

"You're a teacher?" Kate asked

"Yeah; 4th grade." She answered and Jin smiled. His wife was the nicest and sweetest person he had ever met. She was made to be a teacher; he could not imagine her doing anything else. She loved children and they loved her just as much.

"The last time I went to a zoo it was in England." Charlie said with a dreamy voice. "I'm British." He added to Kate.

"I figured that out." She said chuckling lightly. "You're accent was pretty obvious. When did you come to the States?" she asked.

"Hum… about six years ago." He answered. "I studied music here and I became a music teacher." He said proudly before taking a sup from his vine glass. Claire smiled.

"And how long have you guys been dating?" Kate asked. Charlie nearly choked and Claire blushed slightly and deliberately avoided Charlie's eyes.

"Uh… we're not…" she tried, shaking her head.

"Oh, sorry." Kate said, sounding sorry. "You said you had a boyfriend… I-I just thought…"

"It's ok, Freckles." Sawyer said smirking even more than usual (if it was possible), clearly delighted by Kate's mistake. "They're acting like a couple anyway."

"Shut up, James." Claire said angrily. At the sound of his real name, Sawyer tensed but did not reply. "My boyfriend is Thomas. He's not here tonight." She said turning back to Kate.

"He's not there a lot." Charlie pointed out annoyed at the mention of Claire's boyfriend.

"Don't start!" the blonde warned him and he looked down at his hands.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"It's ok." She said sweetly, forgetting her anger when she saw his sad expression. "As we are on that topic…Jack, where's Sarah?" she asked. Kate felt the atmosphere change so quickly that it scared her. No matter who this Sarah was or who she was to Jack, it seemed obvious to her that she was not appreciated. Even Jack lost the sparkles in his beautiful eyes at the mention of her name.

"Dunno… she said she was going out with her friends tonight." He said gloomily.

"Yeah right!" Shannon said sarcastically.

"Don't start!" he warned her, with the same tone that Claire used with Charlie.

"It's not a secret." Sawyer said. "You're girl doesn't like our company." Kate felt her heart drop in her chest. He had someone in his life and even if his friends did not like her, it was obvious that he cared for her a lot. 'Why do you care anyway?' she thought, surprised by her own thoughts.

"Not that it matter." Shannon finished for sawyer bitterly.

"Please guys…" Jack pleaded tiredly.

"It's delicious, Sayid." Kate said changing the subject, just as he did for her a few minutes ago. Jack smiled softly at her and she smiled back.

"Thank you." Sayid replied smiling lightly.

"It's nice to know that some men can cook." She said glancing at Sawyer, mirroring his smirk.

"Just wait to taste Jack's pies." Claire said winking at them. "They are absolutely amazing."

"I paid her to say that." Jack said laughing.

'I can't wait to taste them."

"Well if the others are done, we can pass to desert now." He said and they all agreed.

He got up to get the pie from the kitchen and Sun helped him. She was gathering the plates when she spoke.

"You're Ok?" she asked concerned by the change in his mood.

"Yeah I'm fine." He said putting on a fake smile.

"Jack, please don't fake- smile me; it's insulting. I know you too well." She reminded him and he smiled sadly.

"It's just hard… and the worst part is that it's going to be harder. I can't understand what it is that I'm doing wrong!" he said frustrated.

"I know." She said compassionately. "Why don't you try to talk to her?" she asked.

"I will." He said before turning back to his pies. "Let's go back, before Claire dies from eagerness." He said smiling and she laughed. Before they walked back to the living room she grabbed him by the arm and looked into his tired and sad eyes.

"I don't think you're doing anything wrong." She said smiling and he smiled back.

"Thanks." He whispered.

"You're welcome." She whispered back, rubbing his arm.

When they got back, they found Libby and Boone clearing the table. Kate had proposed to help but they refused. A few minutes later, they were all sampling the pies. Claire was moaning with pleasure every time she put a slice in her mouth. Kate was smiling at her but she could not agree with her more, if she was not in presence of so many people, new people moreover, she probably would be moaning as well.

"Jack, you're a genius… a pie genius." Claire said getting up before putting a light kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you." He said chuckling.

"Oh no! Than YOU!" she said and they all laughed. "I've been begging for him to cook pie for like a year but he kept saying he was too busy."

"I'm a 3rd years resident in surgery; I am busy." He pointed out.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm busy too; I've a memoir to finish but I always find the time for food." Claire was studying psychology.

"By the way, how is it going? Did you found everything I've shown you?" Jack asked her. He had helped her with a medical case a few weeks ago.

"It's going great and thanks again for your help." She said smiling and he nodded.

"No problem. What could be more fun that help you go through a completely disturbed and irrational mind?" he said and she chuckled.

"Exactly!"

They finished desert and began to clear up the table. Lilly and Sawyer washed the dishes and the rest of the group gathered in the living room talking and laughing about their week. Kate could not remember the last time she laughed that much, these people were really nice. What surprised and pleased her the most was their closeness. They were very different from each other but it did not seem to be a problem for them. She felt something she did not feel in quite a long time; peace. They made her feel comfortable and welcome, a feeling she had forgotten a long time ago. She knew it was partly her fault, never staying in the same place for more than six months did not help bounding with people.

Jack could not help but look at Kate, even when she was not speaking. Her beauty was mesmerizing. He loved how her chocolate curls fell on her shoulder, the way she smiled, the depth of her green eyes and the sound of her sweet laughter. He did not know why but he felt attracted to her and not just in a physical way. Everything in her was appealing. He could not forget the cold look she got when Jin asked her to talk about her. He knew that the last thing he needed or wanted now was another person to care and to worry about but he did not mind at all as long as this person was Kate.

At 11:30, Boone got up and yawned.

"I didn't have much sleep yesterday and I have to work early tomorrow." He grabbed his car keys and turned to Lilly. "Do you want a ride home?" he asked.

"No, it's ok. Sawyer is going to bring me back home but thanks." She said smiling and he nodded.

"Kate it was a real pleasure to meet you." Boone added turning to her.

"Thanks, see you soon." He nodded.

"Absolutely. Guys, see ya all next Sunday and I see the men on Thursday, right?" everybody nodded and Boone took off.

"What's Thursday?" Marissa asked.

"We're playing basketball." Michael replied. "I think I'm gonna follow Boone." He added as he and Marissa got up.

"So are we." Sun said.

"Thank you guys for dinner." Jin said. The four of them quickly said good buys and left. Hurley, Libby, Sawyer, Lilly and Charlie followed them. Sayid, Jack, Claire, Shannon and Kate stayed together a little longer.

"Oh my god, Jack!" Claire said her eyes widening.

"What?" he asked worriedly.

"You're still up!" and they all laughed except Kate who seemed a little confused.

"He's usually the first one to go to bed, always leaving us even before Boone." Shannon explained.

"Well, we had company tonight." He said softly and Kate could not hide the smile that appeared in her face.

Shannon and Claire exchanged a meaningful look, which did not go unnoticed by Sayid who smiled, knowing what the young women had in mind.

"Not to mention that he has a day off tomorrow." Sayid added smirking and they laughed.

"Thank god!" Claire said. "You look so tired." She added concerned.

"That's why I'm planning on doing one and only one thing tomorrow."

"Sleeping!" Shannon, Claire and Sayid chorused and Kate and Jack chuckled. Claire turned to her roommates.

"We better get going too." she said. "I have an important exam tomorrow afternoon and I want to be ready." Kate nodded and got up and glanced at Shannon who had not moved.

"I'm staying here tonight." Shannon said grinning at Sayid and Kate laughed lightly.

"Thanks so much Jack for the pies." Claire said throwing her thin arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"You're welcome." He said smiling. He turned to Kate and held his hand to her. "It was nice meeting you." He said smiling genuinely and looking right into her beautiful green eyes.

"It was nice to meet you too." she replied never breaking eyes contact. 'Oh my god! These eyes!' she thought. She quickly let go off his hand and turned to Sayid who smiled at her.

"Thanks for having me, it was really nice." She said smiling and for once, meaning every word.

"It was our pleasure." And he shook her hand as well. Claire put her arms through Kate's and led her to the door. They waved one more time at them and then left.

Jack got up and began to clear the coffee table while Shannon sat on Sayid laps and began to "thank" him for remembering their anniversary. When he finished he went to his bedroom to take a quick shower before heading to bed. He had just taken off his shirt when he heard a knock at the door. He arrived shirtless in the living room but the couple was too busy kissing to notice. He saw Kate's jacket on one of the chair and thought Claire must have come back to take it. He grabbed it and went to open the door.

"Hi Jack…" she trailed off when her eyes fell upon his bare and muscular chest. Her eyes travelled up and down his body and she felt her stomach flip flopped when she saw his tattooed arm. She tried to avert her eyes away but it was more difficult than it seemed. 'I love tattoos' she thought and could not help the smile that appeared on her face once again. She took a deep breath, looked up at him again, and was surprise to find him smirking. He put his free hand on the frame of the door and waited for her to speak. It was nice to be checked out, especially by Kate, the beautiful and sexy Kate. She swallowed and finally opened her mouth to speak, now that she remembered why she was here.

"Hi." She repeated, cursing herself for blushing.

"Hi." He said, clearly amused.

"Nice tattoos." She said grinning.

"Thanks." He said smiling.

"I just came back to check…uh I mean to get my jacket." She said stuttering and turning redder at her mistake. He chuckled lightly and gave her the jacket. She quickly took it and muttered a "Good night" before leaving. He closed the door and leaned on it. He smiled at himself before heading back to his bedroom. Shannon and Sayid glanced at him curiously as he walked through the living room, chuckling.

"Who was it?" Shannon asked.

"Kate." He said. "'Night, guys!" he said cheerfully.

"'Night." They replied smiling. When Jack's bedroom door closed behind him, Sayid looked at his girlfriend.

"I never saw him smile like that with his Ice queen!" he pointed out, referring to Sarah.

"I know." She said giving him a meaningful look before brushing her lips against his once more. He pulled her closer to him and deepened the kiss.

A/N: hope you liked it, please tell me you did! I love writing this fic!

Thanks again to those who reviewed I really appreciated it. Lu ya! I'll try to update as soon as possible.