Thanks for the reviews. :) I thought it was about time I posted something, but don't worry, updates should become more regular now that I only have one fic to contend with!

And the next Lostie cameo is, you guessed it... (Although some of you will be pleased to know I have plans for Jack and Kate to visit Florida and Tennessee later!) ;)

Chapter 24. Claire

Filled with a renewed sense of purpose now that they had a clear objective, they booked a flight to Sydney for the following morning.

While Sun, and even Jin, seemed sorry to hear that they were leaving, Kate could tell that they too were relieved, just as Desmond had been, because it meant that they were free from suspicion; a luxury Jack and Kate didn't have. After examining it from every angle, they decided that they had no choice but to travel together using their real names now that their cover had been blown. With airport security so tight, producing fake papers was risky, especially with a baby in tow; Kate suggested using different airlines, or flying in a day apart, but Jack was afraid to let her and J.J. out of his sight.

Secretly she was pleased when he shot down every one of her arguments; she wasn't ready to be separated from him, and neither was their son. Before they'd landed in Seoul, he hadn't known what he was missing, or even that he was missing anything at all, but now that he'd spent time with Jack, she suspected that he wouldn't be satisfied with just her anymore. Things would change when Jack went back to work, but for now, J.J. seemed happy to be at the centre of his father's world.

He wasn't the only one enjoying the attention.

"What?" Kate asked as they finished breakfast in the food court at Seoul International Airport, when she glanced up from wiping J.J.'s hands with her napkin to find Jack staring at her.

He shook his head, turning his eyes back on his food, but when she continued to smile at him, expectant, he confessed, "When I think about where I was a couple of weeks ago – I can't believe this is my life now. I figured I'd be dead in a month, and here I am with you and our son…"

"What're you saying Jack?" she asked when he stumbled over whatever it was he was trying to get out, shuddering at the mention of his drug problem. He was doing so much better now that, sometimes, it was easy to forget how she'd found him, but she still lived in fear that he would relapse again the moment things got too hard.

"I guess I just want you to know how much I love you," he finished, sounding less sure of himself now that he was arriving at his point, and it occurred to her that in all the time they'd been rebuilding their relationship, it was the first time either of them had dared to use those words. It was like they were avoiding them, in case it all went wrong.

It still could, but she was glad to hear his resolve strengthened by the promise of a future with her. "I love you too," she agreed, her heart swelling with happiness as she leant across the table to kiss him.

J.J. was much better behaved the second time around with Jack there to do what his bear had before; he held him in his lap and talked to him softly, and after shedding a few tears during take off, he was fine. It should have made her jealous; defensive; but as time went on, she found herself getting used to it, even liking it.

With Jack around to pick up the slack she didn't have to be perfect, or worry about screwing him up; she could enjoy her son without feeling like there was something more important that she should be doing.

It was late by the time they checked into their apartment; J.J. was getting fussy, so after dinner, and a quick bath, they put him straight down in his rented crib.

"All this travelling is wreaking havoc on my body," Kate complained when they moved to their own room, flopping down on their bed with her wrist flung over her eyes, buzzed and exhausted at the same time. "I don't know which time zone I'm in anymore."

She sighed when she felt the mattress sag, and a hand lift hers away so that a stubbled mouth could graze the side of her throat. "Jack? Are you even listening to me?" she checked, cracking one eye open and sneaking a peek at him, where he was balanced on one knee, leaning over her. "What did I just say?"

"You said something about your body," he murmured against her neck with a soft chuckle, and she couldn't help laughing when their eyes met, and she saw the mischievous twinkle in his as he brought his lips up to hers.

"Oh yeah, what?" she teased him the next time they broke from each other, feigning disapproval, but she pulled him down onto the bed with her, pleased to have him to herself for a few hours before their son needed him again.

The first thing Jack did when the woke up the next morning was set up an appointment with Christine DeVries, claiming to be a close friend of Gary Troup's.

"What do you think she'll say? Do you think she'll tell us anything?" Kate asked when he got off the phone with her assistant, and read the details back to her.

It wasn't until the afternoon, so they had a whole day to come up with a list of questions. Of course that didn't mean she would be willing to answer them.

"I don't know," he agreed, shaking his head, and she could see that he was apprehensive about this too. After Elsa, it was hard to know who, if anyone, to trust. For all they knew, she could be working for Hanso as well. "I guess that depends on if someone else has gotten to her first."

They spent the next hour discussing whether or not they should take J.J. with them to the meeting. Jack suggested Kate stay with him, rather than take any chances, but she didn't want him going alone, in case it turned out to be some kind of trap.

"Too bad we can't just hire a babysitter," he said as he watched Kate feed him some of her eggs, and she realised that this wasn't a bad idea.

"Maybe we can. He was safe with Sun…" she pointed out, causing him to furrow his brow in confusion.

"It's not like we can just walk down the beach to her tent," he reminded her with a rueful smile. "We're pretty much on our own here."

"No we're not," she argued. "We have Claire. She might not be just down the beach, but she lives with her aunt a couple of blocks from here."

"You think we should ask her?" he checked, still not sounding convinced; or maybe he just wanted an excuse to leave her back at the apartment, out of harm's way.

"Why not? She does have some experience," Kate told him. "And the best part is, we know we can trust her."

Next chapter: Jack and Kate go in search of Claire, Claire meets J.J. and gives Jack some life-changing news... ;)