Chapter 3: Overwhelmed

Author's Notes: Sam's been missing for four months. Jack blames himself and after countless unsuccessful leads, he is beginning to loose all hope of ever finding her.

On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand

Jack didn't reply… couldn't.

"What can I get you sir?" she spoke to him.

'Sir'…it wasn't said with an air of military protocol or necessity… it was said with politeness, and again held no sign of recognition.

The arrival of 'a customer on table six in the restaurant' was yelled into the kitchens, so she grabbed her pen and pad and went outside. She looked up and saw the gentleman sitting alone. He was tall, with a quite muscular build, his hair was short and silver and he was tanned. She walked over to him and greeted him with a 'good morning'.

He looked up and upon seeing his face properly, she felt an immediate attraction to him.

His eyes were warm and soft and his face held lines that she felt shouldn't be there… they were too premature. His eyes connected with hers and she saw shock overcome him.

He did not speak even when she asked him what she could get for him. She couldn't help it but she felt worried for him.

"Is everything okay sir?"

'Woah.' She thought to herself, she called every male customer, 'sir' , it was part of the job, and yet… with him, it felt different. Suddenly she felt a little light headed and spoke softly.

"I'll give you a few more minutes"

"No!"

She turned around at the sound of his voice. Oh god, his voice… it sounded so… beautiful… could you call a man's voice beautiful. The 'no' was filled with desperation and hope intermingled.

She couldn't help but wonder… 'do I know him?'

The accident four months ago that had nearly claimed her life, had left her with a brutal case of amnesia. She couldn't remember anything about her life before the accident. She remembered everyday things such as who the Prime Minister was, who the President of the United States was. She could recite the periodic table which lead her to believe that whatever her job was before the accident had been something scientific. Her family had been by her bedside the entire time… her mother and her father had brought her home with them afterwards and had tried desperately to help her regain her life.

The problem was… she didn't remember her family. But she did not question that they might not be her family… they had been by her bedside in hospital and she wondered what would anyone gain from pretending to be her parents? They had told her, her name was Kate Carter and that was the only thing that had seemed real to her, her name.

Over the last four months she had never felt a connection to anyone who had entered her life after the accident that had claimed her memories. That was until now… this man in front of her made her fell warm... made her feel safe.

As he had said 'No' he had grabbed her hand, and she looked down at them… and for the first time in four months she remembered something. It was vague flash of a memory and yet she could see it… two hands interlocked, bathed in a blue light. One hand squeezed the other softy. She knew it was a memory of before the accident because she had never seen anything like it since.

She looked up at him again and looking into his eyes,

"do I know you?" she asked him quietly.

She saw a flicker of pain in his eyes... it was too much.

She turned and fled the restaurant and heard him call after her.

"Sam wait!"

She stopped and turned to him, the name sounded so familiar but it wasn't right, that wasn't her name… was it?

"My name's not Sam… its Kate." She didn't know why she said it, if felt wrong but she said it anyway. She had to get out of there so the turned and ran for the doors leading out of the hotel.

He didn't know what to do. When he had grabbed her hand and she had looked up at him he knew he had seen something in her eyes.

And then he had asked him, "Do I know you" and he felt his insides constrict, what had happened to her to make her ask if she knew him, after everything they had been through.

And then she turned and left. He couldn't let her leave… not when he had only just found her. All he wanted to do was hold her but how could he when she didn't even recognise him.

He had called out to her, "Sam wait!" but she had turned to him and told him her name was Kate, and then left.

'No' he screamed internally, 'this wasn't happening, he wasn't going to lose her again.' So he ran after her.

Out in the car park he caught up to her and grabbed her arm spinning her round to face him… seeing tears marring her cheeks.

"I'm sorry I can't…" she spoke to him quietly while trying to run again.

"Please don't, I can't lose you again." Jack pleaded.

"This is too much… I feel like… I feel like I know you… but I don't… I… I can't remember."

"It's okay, please… just… don't run away." He spoke softly.

Hearing the desperation in his voice and seeing the fear in his eyes caused her to stop trying to pull away. He didn't remove his hand from her arm and yet… she didn't want him to.

"Okay." She whispered.

Jack relaxed slightly and what she did next shocked him, she pulled him to her into a firm embrace.

Jack wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her close. Tears formed in his eyes as he realised that although it seemed like she didn't really know who he was, she felt like she knew him well enough to embrace him, and he revelled in the feeling of her in his arms again.

He ran his hand through her hair and whispered softly. "Its okay" and her arms tightened around him. The tears slipped down his cheeks and his voice choked as he whispered again, "It's okay".

When he had grabbed hold of her in the car park all she wanted to do was run but when he turned her to face him her heart begged her to stay.

She tried to apologise to him, and when pleaded with her, "Please don't, I can't lose you again." She felt her resolve crack and she tried to explain.

Looking into his eyes, she knew in that instance she could trust him and stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around him. When she felt him embrace her she felt safe and… she knew she knew him… she just didn't know how.

I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
'Cause you know, you know, you know…