Chapter Sixteen: Someday You Will Find Me

Kate Austen felt as though she were living someone else's life.

Shannon's life, perhaps. Shannon, who led her around all morning like a dazed child, seemed to be perfectly at ease.

Margo had set up the entire day, but was mysteriously absent. Kate suspected that Jack had somehow convinced his mother to leave his fiancee alone on their wedding day, and for this she was grateful. She could handle the hair appointment, the manicure, the final visit to the country club to ensure that everything was prepared as it should be. She could handle it much better than she would have if Margo had been around, offering helpful suggestions and dropping hints about the kind of wife she expected Kate to be.

Shannon navigated and suggested hairstyles while Claire spent the majority of the day attempting to gage Kate's nerves, to decipher whether or not she needed to be calmed down. Shannon viewed the event light heartedly, seeing it as a chance to dress in a reasonably attractive dress and have a fair amount of people staring at her. Claire was more understanding, having already had a wedding of her own, and Kate appreciated her presence more than she'd thought possible.

Under Shannon's advisement, Kate instructed the hairdresser to twist her hair into a bun, leaving some of the shorter strands down, to give it a toussled look.

She watched as Claire and Shannon changed into their bridesmaid dresses, remarking once again on how much they looked like stereotypical bridesmaid dressed. She shut her eyes as they helped her into her own dress, imagining how Jack's eyes would look when he saw her in it.

For a man about to get married to a woman he'd only known for a few months, who he knew very little about, who he'd never actually seen completely naked, Jack Shephard was remarkably calm.

At the time of his first wedding he'd been nervous. That he wouldn't be able to be a good husband, a good father. Now he'd experienced being a bad husband, and knew he could correct his mistakes. He had no doubt that he could be a good husband to Kate, a good father to the children they might one day have. He would be a better husband and father than his own father, and he would love his Kate until the day he died.

Once Marc, his best friend since childhood and his best man had gone out to pick up the tuxes they'd reserved, Charlie watched him in bemusement.

"You're remarkably calm," he commented. Jack grinned.

"It's different from your wedding. I don't have a shotgun pressed into my back."

Charlie laughed appreciatively.

"Seriously though, mate. Claire made me promise I'd talk to you. I mean, we love Kate, but doesn't the whole thing seem kind of suspicious. Don't you barely know her?" asked Charlie.

"I know a lot more than when we started dating," he said defensively.

"That's because it took you a month to learn her last name."

"Drop it, Charlie."

Charlie nodded, knowing that he'd done the best he could.

"So long are you're sure."

"Of course I'm sure." He smiled, thinking of his beautiful fiancee for a moment. "She's pretty amazing. You've got to admit."

Charlie thought about Kate: how she was beautiful, unpredictable. How actively Margot disapproved of her, how vastly different she was from Sarah.

"Yeah. That she is."

Kate listened nervously to the growing sound of chatter coming from the chapel, and reached up to brush an imaginary strand of hair from her face. Claire stopped her as she reached for a makeup brush to correct an imaginary flaw.

"Stop that. You look perfect," she said comfortingly.

"Thanks," she said gratefully. "You too."

Claire, dressed in her bridesmaid dress, smiled.

Both girls looked up, expecting Shannon, when the door entered. Both were surprised when a man entered.

"Sawyer!"

Kate was instantly on her feet. She went forward to hug him. She hadn't seen him lately. He hugged her tightly for a moment before releasing her, looking almost guilty.

"Claire, this is my best friend, Sawyer. Sawyer this is Jack's sister, Claire."

Kate turned to Sawyer.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Well I was invited, wasn't I? Anyway, I thought you might need support. Figured your Daddy couldn't make it," explained Sawyer. Kate frowned for a moment.

"You came... to give me away?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Figured somebody ought to."

Kate grinned, throwing herself once more into his arms. Claire watched as once more, he held her stiffly. As if he was holding back from something.

And then let go, once more.

Jack, though not being a superstitious man, was glad that his wedding day was beautiful. He didn't think he would be able to handle another subtle hint that this was not meant to be. His mother's disapproval, his sister's concern, and his fiancee's reluctance was enough for him. He was glad that at least the shining sun and the cloudless sky agreed with him.

Though, to be fair, it was often sunny in southern California.

He stood with Charlie and Marc at the front of the church as it gradually filled with people. He knew, because his mother had told him, that Kate and Claire and Shannon were already preparing in a room off the main chapel, but he hadn't yet seen her.

He felt his throat tighten in anticipation as the organ began to play and the doors were thrust open.

Jack vaguely noticed his sister and Shannon walking down the aisle, before Kate appeared and his eyes focused in on her.

Before he could notice that she was on Sawyer's arm, he noticed that she was beautiful, and above all that she was smiling. Eventually he noticed that her best friend was escorting her, but he pushed back the jealousy he felt at this after a moment and returned the smile she gave him.

Jack forced himself to nod politely at Sawyer when the two reached him. A moment later the man faded from memory once more as Kate took a step toward him and slipped her hand in to his.

As the reverend began to speak, all the nerves that had been building up inside of him for the last hour vanished. He was finally content with the single notion that Kate made him happy, and that he was willing to do anything to make her feel the same.

As the guests loitered, waiting for Kate and Jack to make an appearance at their reception, Shannon located Sawyer and went quickly to join him.

Sawyer didn't acknowledge the tall blonde who came to stand beside him. She'd never liked him, always disgruntled that he'd never bothered to hit on her. Noting her dislike of him, he'd never cared much for her, either.

"That was a nice thing for you to do, giving Kate away like that," remarked Shannon. "You know. Considering."

"Considering what?" he asked in annoyance. He didn't know why he'd bothered to hang around for the reception. The chance that he could find a woman at an event like this drunk enough to go home with him was unlikely.

"Considering the fact that you're in love with her. Must suck."

Sawyer scowled.

"If I was in love with her, why the heck would I be here?" demanded Sawyer. Shannon shrugged.

"Maybe because you're a glutton for punishment. Or maybe because you figure if you hang around long enough she'll leave him and suddenly notice you."

"She's going to leave him. It's all part of the plan, remember?" asked Sawyer. Shannon shrugged.

"If she wanted to con him, she already would have. Oh, my date's over there. I'll see you later."

Sawyer watched, scowling, as she walked toward Sayid and kissed him. As Jack and Kate finally appeared and were announced as Mr. and Mrs. Jack Shephard for the first time, he headed toward the bar.

"Do you know all these people?" whispered Kate.

Jack smirked and reached out to grab his wife's hand.

"Some of them. A lot of friends of my parents. Marc," he said, gesturing to his best man, "has been my best friend since grade school."

He smiled as two more of his friends approached.

"Kate, this is my friend Jin and his wife Sun," he said.

The woman leaned down to shake Kate's hand, beaming.

"Congratulations. It was a beautiful wedding," said Sun.

"Thank you. How do you two know Jack?" asked Kate, gesturing towards Jin, who was smiling politely but still had not spoken.

"We live nearby. You two should come for dinner soon," said Sun. Kate nodded, shaking off the strange feeling that she would soon be living with Jack.

"We will."

Kate watched them retreat, and turned back to Jack.

"We have couple friends now," she commented. He agreed, and stood up to lead her to the dance floor.

"I guess it comes with being a couple."

Kate sighed and leaned her head on his chest as the music started and they began to dance.

As he murmured into her ear that he loved her, she realized once more how very hard it would be to continue to not return the sentiment.