Talk about a mixed reaction. The four people who reviewed said they enjoyed the fluff, but it doesn't seem to have gone over so well with the rest of you... Oh well, the angst comes back in full force this chapter, so maybe that will be more to your liking.

Chapter 39. Ethan

Claire emerged from her tent in time for dinner, and with a disappointed sigh, Kate handed Aaron back to her, missing the feel of him as soon as he left her arms. The eight months until her own baby was born felt like an eternity; as afraid as she was that she wouldn't be able to protect it, after spending the afternoon playing mommy to Claire's, she couldn't wait for it to arrive.

"I can't believe the next baby I deliver is gonna be my own," Jack said, pushing up her shirt, and applying gentle pressure to her abdomen as they lay in her tent that night. She wasn't sure if he was looking for something in particular, or just trying to connect with the baby, but when he was done, he pressed his lips to the bare skin, sending a shiver through her as he covered it again.

"Nervous?" she asked, rolling onto her side, noting his intense look, and he gave her a wry smile as he changed positions with her, settling on his back.

"Are you kidding? I'm breaking into a cold sweat just thinking about it."

"I know I freaked out before, but it's gonna be okay," she assured him, snuggling into his side, getting as close to him as she could while her stomach was still flat. "We're gonna be okay."

"Are we?" he pressed, his arms going instinctively around her, but his expression was troubled. "A baby – that's a lot of pressure so early in a relationship." When she didn't respond, knowing that he had a point, he added, embarrassed, "I don't even know what your name was before you got married."

The idea was so absurd that she had to laugh: Kevin hadn't known her first name when they'd gotten married, and now, Jack didn't know her last. "It was Austen," she told him, and he relaxed, comforted. "And I know it's soon – maybe too soon – but I don't think it's so bad if it's something we both want."

He nodded, closing his eyes, and she thought he was asleep until he said, so softly that if she hadn't been lying with her head under his chin, she wouldn't have heard him, "When you told me the baby was ours… Are you really sure, or did you just say it because you wanted it to be true?"

Surprised, and alarmed, she lifted her head, but before she could answer, he rushed on, his voice hoarse, "Even if…" He licked his lips before trying again. "Even if it's… not… it doesn't change the way I feel about you, or the fact that I want us to do this together, I just… I just need to know."

The pain she could hear in his voice made her heart ache for him, enough to convince her to push past her discomfort; lacing her fingers through his, she explained, "I was on my period our last week in Australia, and we only had sex a couple of times after that. I knew if I got pregnant, I'd be stuck as Monica, so I was careful, at least until I found a way to tell Kevin the truth. The night of the crash was the first time in six months that I didn't take it, so yeah, I'm sure."

He nodded, closing his eyes again, and swallowing hard as he dropped his head against the pillow with relief. "I've been thinking," he said when he recovered, "That if we're gonna have a baby together, we should try living together first."

"Isn't that what we're doing?" she asked, confused; since getting together, she could count the number of nights they'd spent apart on one hand.

"I mean really live together," he explained. "No more moving back and forth. The medical supplies are still in my tent, so we could turn that into an infirmary, and…"

"You could move in here with me," she finished, half elated, half terrified by the idea. It was a big step, admitting him into the one sanctuary she had from him, but he was right: it was definitely smaller than having his baby. "Okay," she agreed, and he grinned, sealing the deal with a long, tender kiss. "We'll get your stuff in the morning."

He had to get up early for his shift, and she was tired from hiking to the medical station, so returning her head to his chest, she settled back into him, letting the slow, gentle rhythm of his breathing lull her to sleep. She was so in tune with him now that she stirred when he did, offering, groggily, to keep him company, but he laid his palm over her belly, kissing her and telling her to go back to sleep, and this time, she was too exhausted to argue.

When she woke again, it was morning, the sun streaming in through a chink in the flap. Hearing voices outside, she forced herself to get up, clambering out onto the beach to see if Jack was back yet, but her relief was short-lived when she recognised his look.

"Did something happen out there?" she asked, breaking into his conversation with Sayid. "Did you see one of Them?"

"It was Ethan," he agreed after a long moment, as if he wasn't sure that he wanted to tell her, and Kate felt her breath hitch, her hand flying to her lower belly as panic seized her. "He told me he'd start killing people if we didn't bring Claire back. I don't think he knows she's had the baby."

"Did he say anything else?" she pressed, ashamed at herself for feeling so relieved when he shook his head.

"No."

"So what're we gonna do?" she asked, relaxing now that she knew her own child wasn't in any danger, from Ethan, or any of the Others.

"We're not gonna do anything, Kate," he corrected her, setting his jaw. "Sayid and I'll handle it."

When she opened her mouth to protest, he added, "If we need back up, we'll ask Ana and Kevin."

She knew that he was only trying to protect her, but somehow, this just made her madder, and more determined to help, to prove to him that she could take care of herself. "So that's it?" she retorted, the combination of stress and hormones shortening her already limited fuse. "I don't even get to help plan anymore?"

"You can plan, but that's all," he agreed, and she couldn't help thinking sarcastically how gracious it was of him to give her permission. "This isn't gonna turn into a repeat of yesterday."

Sayid, who had been following the exchange with an air of impatience, cleared his throat then, giving them each a stern look. "If you two are done quarrelling, we should decide how we wish to approach this," he said to Jack, and with a sharp glance at Kate to signal that, as far as he was concerned, the conversation was over, he nodded.

An hour later, he had agreed, with a reluctance bordering on resignation, to let the Iraqi use Claire as bait so that they could capture and interrogate Ethan. Seeing the grim determination in his eyes as he related the plan to his sister, Kate couldn't help wondering if his acceptance had come as much from his need to protect their own baby as it had Claire's.

Once Claire was on board, Sayid handed out weapons to Jack, Kevin, Ana and Locke, tucking a fifth knife into his belt, and Kate felt herself grown increasingly incensed. She had more reason to hear what Ethan had to say than any of them, even Jack; giving him a cool look, she stormed over to the Iraqi, holding out her hand as she asked, "Do you have one of those for me?"

He looked conflicted, offering her his own knife, but Jack snatched it out of his hand before she could take it, his eyes flashing angrily as he snapped, "She's not coming."

When she continued to stare him down, defiant, he added, loudly enough for everyone around them to hear, "I mean it, Kate – this is not a discussion. I don't want you putting yourself or our baby in danger."

Seeming to realise what he'd said, he averted his eyes, embarrassed, massaging his forehead with his palm. Ana and Claire were staring at them, open mouthed, while Locke and Sayid pretended not to have heard. Only Kevin was unsurprised by this announcement, though Kate saw a flicker of pain pass through his eyes at the realisation that Jack wanted the baby as much as he did.

Not wanting to make more of a scene than they already had, she sighed, backing down.

"If you wanna do something to help, you can take Aaron," Jack said, softening towards her once he was satisfied that he'd won the argument. Taking his nephew from Claire, he transferred him into a beach towel and handed him to Kate, fashioning a decoy baby that he then passed to his sister. "All set," he said with a nervous grin, kissing Kate's cheek before leading the way into the jungle.

With each moment that passed, Kate grew more and more anxious, and not even Aaron could provide her much comfort. Libby came and sat with her after a while, following her gaze to the tree line, but they didn't talk, keeping watch in silence.

Kevin was the first to reappear, looking grim. Libby jumped to her feet and ran at him; his eyes widened with surprise as he accepted her hug, walking alongside her as he filled her in on his adventure.

Watching them, Kate felt a pang, not so much for Kevin, but for Jack, who still hadn't come out. Her stomach knotted with fear as Locke strode out of the jungle next, with Claire clutching Aaron's blanket at his side, then Sayid, and finally, Ana, supporting Jack, who appeared to be in shock.

Half shoving the baby into Claire's arms, Kate sprinted over to them, ducking under his other arm as she studied his face. It was pale, almost colourless; his eyes disturbingly blank.

"Is he okay? What happened?" she asked Ana, but it was Jack who answered, looking stunned, as if the truth hadn't quite sunk in.

"Ethan… I… I killed him."

Poor Charlie, I've given a lot of his storylines to Jack, but in this fic, it just makes sense that Jack would be the one to do it.

Next chapter: More on what happened in the jungle, and Claire confronts Jack about why he reacted the way he did... ;)