Chapter Two: Fallen Pieces

Flashback: On island:

After their return to the island:

Kate smiled at Jack as he pulled on his shirt, he noticed her watching him.

'What?'

Kate blushed as a coy smile spread across her lips, 'nothing.' She looked down for a moment, almost feeling guilty for enjoying herself when Sawyer lay wounded in a tent a few metres away.

Jack noticed her expression, 'I gave him antibiotics last night, I hope his body hasn't rejected them.'

Kate picked up her backpack, 'do you think he'll be okay?'

Jack didn't hesitate before delivering the truth, 'I don't know.' Kate looked down, seeming saddened. 'He's been shot in the abdomen, infection spreads fast...' Jack felt his heart turn heavy as he saw her face fall, he added, 'but I hope he is.'

Kate nodded silently. She watched Jack head out of the tent to check on Sawyer, she hadn't had a chance to tell Sawyer that she was with Jack now. They had been back to the island for a week now, but so much had been happening, Ben's people attacking them didn't exactly help either. Sawyer had gotten himself shot by wise mouthing one Ben's people. They had tied the man up, but Sawyer was wounded badly.

Claire ran into Kate's tent, 'Kate!'

Kate looked up to see a panicked looking Claire, 'Its Sawyer-'

The look on Claire's face said it all, Kate ran out of her tent, she sprinted to Sawyer's tent, Hurley, Sun, Jin, Locke, Rose and Bernard were all crowded outside.

Kate brushed past them, she burst into the tent to find a defeated looking Jack, who was trying to hold Sawyer down, as Sawyer's body convulsed writhed against his will.

Kate looked to Jack, 'Jack...what's happening to him?'

Her voice sounded thick, it was laced in concern and sadness, she was afraid she knew he wasn't going to make it.

Jack simply shook his head, 'his body rejected the antibiotics. The infection's spread too deep.'

Kate felt tears fill her eyes, Jack climbed to his feet, he touched her cheek, 'I'll give you a moment.'

'For what?' she knew the answer, but she needed someone to say it.

Jack looked down, 'To say goodbye.'

Kate kneeled besides Sawyer, she lifted him, resting his head in her lap, he groaned.

She whispered softly as she touched his cheek, 'Sawyer...'

'Kate...'

Her tears landed on his cheek, he leaned in to her touch.

'Am I dyin?'

Kate fought back a sob, she whispered, 'Yeah.' She stopped abruptly, unable to breathe, her heart felt heavy in her chest.

She took in a sharp breath as her heart ached.

'Yeah, you are.'

Sawyer cursed under his breath, Kate couldn't help but smile at his attitude as tears rolled down her cheeks, he was too weak to open his eyes, turning paler by the second, he murmured.

'I think I love you Kate...'

Kate wanted to say it back, but she couldn't. The words wouldn't come out, she strained with all her courage but it was different now. She couldn't lie to him on his deathbed. She couldn't string him along when he was dying. She may have been deceitful in the past, but she was never cold to him.

He was aware of the silence. He smiled softly, 'its okay.'

Kate felt tears streaming down her cheeks as sobs began to wrack her body, her tone was tender now as she pressed her nose against his forehead and whispered, 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...'

Sawyer whispered, 'it aint your fault-I should've- ...'

He never finished the sentence, Kate stared down at his limp body as it lay in her arms, she broke into sobs.

The survivors had all witnessed his last moments, Jack walked into the tent, 'hey,' his heart went out to her as he reached over to her, 'come here,' Kate shook her head violently as she let her heart ache, Jack couldn't stand to see her like this. He reached for her again, he knew she didn't want to accept Sawyer was dead, but as much as it hurt, she needed to.

He reached out, pulling her to him, 'he's gone Kate-'

Kate shook her head, not wanting to believe it, she struggled against Jack as he pulled her closer-Jack firmly grabbed her by the shoulders. He forced her to look into his eyes, he wished he didn't have to do this, but she left him no choice.

'He's GONE Kate.' Kate closed her eyes for a moment as his words took their toll on her.

Kate crumbled in his grip, Jack pulled her into his arms as she wrapped her numb arms around him. She felt cold as she sobbed into his chest.

Jack held her in a protective embrace as the survivors stared at her, Jack lifted her into his arms and carried her back to their tent as it began to rain, she sobbed silently. What had happened slowly grated on him-Sawyer was really gone. One of their own was dead.

End Flashback:

The sound of glass breaking drew Kate out of her thoughts, she furrowed her brow at the glass shards on the floor. They glinted softly in the sunlight.

'Aaron, come here, don't go near the glass.'

Kate called Aaron to her side as she walked over to the glass herself, Aaron did as he was told, a guilty expression on his face.

'Sorry mommy.'

Kate smiled at him warmly, his earnest blue eyes sparkled as he sat on the sofa.

'Its okay sweetie. We all make mistakes'

She crouched opposite the pieces of glass, she flinched as she cut herself. On some level, she was relieved to feel something real, even if it was pain. She loved Aaron with all her heart, but leading this life was difficult. She would never abandon Aaron, not in a million years, but she would be lying if she said this was the life she had wanted.

Frankly, she didn't know what she'd do without Aaron. He was all she had left.

Jack seemed to have moved on, he had made it pretty clear by his distant behaviour at the hospital last night. It was almost as if she had dropped in on a complete stranger. Let alone the fact that he hadn't even kissed her, or asked about Aaron.

Kate couldn't blame him though, after everything that had happened to them on that island, a new beginning was well deserved. Jack deserved to start over, as for her; she was responsible for Aaron. All she could do was raise him to the best of her ability; he deserved that much.

The sound of the house phone ringing made her jump, Aaron picked it up, Kate sighed as Aaron attempted to gallantly answer the phone.

'Hello?' On hearing the voice on the otherside, he broke into a grin, without answering the person, he ran to his mother.

'Mommy, its for you.'

Kate gave Aaron a confused smile as she took the phone from him, 'Hello?'

'Hey,' Kate froze, Jack's voice softly queried, 'Kate? Are you there?'

Kate gathered herself and quickly answered, 'yeah, yeah, I am.'

There was an awkward pause, neither said a word.

After a moment Jack offered, 'You wanna grab a cup of coffee today?'

Kate replied, 'I can't-the nanny isn't in today, so i'm watching Aaron, unless you want me to bring him?'

There was another pause. Kate felt her heart sink, he really wasn't ready.

'Yeah, sure.'

It was Kate's turn to pause, she was caught off guard-that wasn't the reply she had been expecting. She felt a relieved smile reach her lips, 'Actually, do you wanna come over?'

Another pause, 'Yeah, okay...' Kate smiled to herself, she could almost picture him nodding as he spoke over the phone.

Kate heard beeping in the background, he must have been calling from work, 'what time do you finish today?'

'My shift ends in half an hour. I would have called earlier, but I've been swamped with patients.'

'Its okay, I've been pretty busy today.'

She lied.

Jack replied, 'See you in afew hours?'

Kate nodded, 'Yeah, see you-oh and Jack?'

'Yeah?'

'Thanks.'

Jack paused, his tone sounded confused, 'For what?'

Kate felt her throat tighten, 'for calling.'

Jack didn't reply for a moment, his voice sounded distant, 'I'll see you later Kate.'

Kate winced slightly, his reluctant behaviour stung her, she needed him in her life for her own sake and for Aaron's sake, but he just wasn't ready.

And she didn't blame him.

Flashback: Five days had passed since Sawyer's death. The group had been shaken to its core. After Jack and Kate had left the island, Sawyer had stepped up and taken care of Claire, Rose, Bernard and the remaining survivors.

Locke had sided with Ben, both men were dealing with issues that were much bigger than the remaining survivors and they wanted the survivors dead or gone, so they could continue their quest on the island.

The survivors were waiting for Sayid to return with fuel for the ship, he was due to be back in the next few days.

Jack had watched Kate growing distant for the past few days, he couldn't understand why, at first he had assumed it was Sawyer's death. But after three days, he realised it was something else. She was keeping something from him.

Kate watched Jack and Juliet talking from the doorway of her tent, she was surprised to find that she was no longer jealous of Juliet, after Jack and Kate had consummated their love on returning to the island, losing him to her wasn't a worry of Kate's. Jack was a good man, he wasn't like the other men she had been with. He was committed.

She glanced at the pregnancy test on her bedspace, she turned back to look at Jack. She had known she was pregnant for three days now, and it scared her. Would Jack still want to be with her? She studied the handsome doctor as he nodded at something Juliet said.

Maybe he would feel betrayed by her, she had told him she couldn't get pregnant. But it was true-before the island, she was unable to have children, it made no sense. But the facts were these; she was pregnant and Jack was the father.

She needed to tell him, she knew she would have to tell him sooner or later. She had been avoiding even the smallest conversations so she wouldn't have to face Jack, she knew he would see straight through her and figure out something was up. That was one thing she loved and hated about him. She could never intentionally deceive him when he looked in her eyes.

Jack looked up from Juliet, he turned and looked straight at Kate. He had felt her eyes on him for a few minutes now, she was dressed in a black tanktop and navy jeans. Her emerald eyes were trying to hide something from him in broad daylight. She gave him a simple look and a slight nod before turning and heading into her tent. He immediately knew what she meant; she wanted to see him.

Jack entered Kate's tent, a thousand thoughts ran through his mind, was she about to break up with him? Was she unhappy with him? His heart raced in his chest as he found himself staring at her.

His eyes landed on her bedspace. He felt sick. Kate looked down, he gave her a nervous look 'what's goin on Kate?'

'I'm pregnant.'

Jack paused, 'are you sure?' he asked, his tone didn't mask his anxiety.

Kate nodded, Jack ran a hand through his hair, he turned to face her.

'Then we need to leave the island soon.'

Kate shook her head, 'What about finding the remaining survivors? We can't keep coming back. You know that.'

Jack levelled her with a look as he argued, 'Its not safe for you to be on the island if you're pregnant.'

Kate looked at him, 'is that it?'

Jack paused as he studied her, she had a disappointed look on her face.

'Is that the only thought running through your head?'

Jack stared at her, 'what do you want me to say Kate!? 'good-you're pregnant and you could die'? Or should I mention the fact that you told me you couldn't have children-'

Kate scowled at him, 'you think I lied about that?!' Her heart sunk in her chest, 'Do you even want this child?'

Jack fell silent, his eyes avoided hers. Kate stared at him in disbelief, she felt as if she'd been slapped across the face. She didn't want children either-but the thought of having a child with Jack, it was different, it actually made her happy.

'I'll see you later Jack.'

Jack winced, the last thing he wanted was for Kate to be mad at him.

'Kate...its complicated-'

Kate didn't intend on waiting for his explanation, brushing past him, she didn't look back as she left the tent.

Jack groaned in defeat, he glanced at the pregnancy test.

End Flashback:

End chapter two: