Chapter thirty five: The fear of losing

Two weeks after the events on the ship:

Kate walked down the empty hallway, a passerby gave her a sympathetic nod, she mustered a weak smile, her tearstained cheeks formed slight dimples.

The look in Jack's eyes before he faded away on the ship haunted her. Someone had once told her that you only realise how much you love someone when you're the closest to losing them. It was true. She hadn't been sleeping properly, she had spent the last week and a half in shock of what had happened.

A greying man walked towards her, Kate studied him, he was sharply dressed, 'Miss Austen, I'm Richard Carter, the chief of medicine, I've made sure he's had the top doctors working on him.'

Kate nodded, 'thank you,' her voice sounded weak, reflecting just how she felt.

'He almost died Miss Austen,' Richard studied her, 'I have to fill out a report about what happened to him...so you two were on a ship...?'

'I just-I wanna see him.'

'Okay, but he's very weak. He might not recognise you...his arm is bandaged, but there was alot of trauma to his head and his abdomen.'

Kate fought back tears, 'will he be okay?'

Richard smiled sadly at Kate, 'I can't make any promises. You recovered quickly, you were pretty banged up when you two were wheeled in...'

'I guess I'm just lucky...'

'Let's pray for his sake that he's lucky too.'

'Can I see him?'

Richard shook his head, 'I advise that you don't-'

'I WANT to see him, its been 9 days, and I have waited and waited outside his room every night...I need to see him...I just...' she trailed off, 'if he doesn't make it-' she stopped speaking as her heart ached in her chest, 'I just...please.' she looked up at Richard helplessly, Richard studied the young woman, she reminded him so much of Lyla, the long dark curls, the emerald gaze, the tragic beauty.

'Okay, but don't distress him...he's not fully articulate yet.'

'Thankyou, thankyou so much,' she brushed past Richard and headed towards Jack's room, before entering, she peaked through the blinds, and there he was, laying completely still, barely breathing.

A wave of emotion washed over her as she froze at the door, she mustered all the courage she had to go inside, closing her eyes for a moment, she pushed the door open and walked in.

The monitor beeped calmly, Kate opened her eyes, and on seeing him in this state, her heart broke along with her defences as she began to weep.



Richard watched the young woman weep over Jack, he had seen people weep like this before, couples who were in love. He felt his heart lurch in his chest as he remembered how much he had ached and wept when he heard from Benjamin Linus that his wife was dead. His Annie was dead. He had never felt such raw pain in his life. She had gone to work with Ben, her childhood friend, for a history expedition. She was an archaeologist who had befriended Linus when they were children. Ben had heartbrokenly told him that she had an accident when they were trekking through the jungle.

In Jack's room:

'Kate...?'

Kate looked up from the chair she was sitting on besides his bed, he was awake, 'Jack?' she leaned closer to him, he tilted his head towards her, 'Kate...?' his hoarse voice didn't hide the pain he was in. 'what happened?' he asked weakly.

Kate grinned through her tears, 'oh thankgod you're okay...' she cupped his face, he winced slightly, she immediately let go.

Jack's eyes were out of focus, he squinted for a moment, and as if giving up, he shut them again.

'Jack?'

He replied by simply tilting his head in her direction again, Kate smiled through her tears as she explained, 'The doctors said you had a broken rib, and alot of bruising, you hit your head pretty hard too...so you're gonna be in a lot of pain...'

Jack nodded weakly, 'yeah, I noticed that,' he quipped. 'What happened to us Kate? How did we get here?'

Kate shook her head, 'I remember the ship shaking after you lost consciousness, and I remember feeling something on my back, I think some wood broke off as the ship was falling apart...but after that...I have no idea...'

'Ben did this-' Jack tried to sit up, he groaned in pain, 'Jack, NO, you HAVE to rest...' she ordered, as she helped him carefully lean back.

'We're not SUPPOSED TO BE HERE-' he tried to sound strong and determined, but he just didn't have it in him. 'we were gonna fix this Kate...'

Kate shook her head, frustrated at his stubborn drive to fix the past, 'Jack, just...stop, for a second, just...Stop. For me.'

He felt as defeated as he looked, he could barely face himself, the pain he was in was almost mind numbing, he looked away, not wanting to face Kate. He knew she was right; he had to focus on getting better.

Kate felt sadness welling up inside her, she knew exactly how much Jack hated losing, failing, and being weak, she knew how much it killed him. She reached out, slipping her fingers through his, 'hey, I watched you almost die in my arms Jack...'

Jack's eyes flickered to her tormented gaze, she shook her head, he could see she was in pain, 'and I have Never been so scared in my life...Okay? we don't belong on the island...Aaron wasn't meant to be with me, maybe this is the way it was meant to be. Just you and me...Maybe Aaron's better off with his mother...and the more I think about it, the more clearer it all seems, you're meant to be here, with me.' She felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she spoke, Jack felt tears filling his eyes,' why was 

the truth so painful' he wondered. He closed his eyes, he couldn't handle seeing Kate cry, not when he couldn't reach out and hold her. Not when he couldn't make it stop.

He blinked back tears and looked up at the ceiling, Kate gave his hand a small tug, 'Hey,' she said softly, Jack glanced at her, 'I love you...and I need you to get better, for us. Okay?'

Jack's eyes looked pained as he furrowed his brow, 'Kate-'

'Jack...?' she gave him a look. She needed him to choose her.

Jack nodded through his tears, Kate let out a relieved breath as she fought back a sob, he nodded as he whispered, 'okay.'

She felt him squeeze her hand, she looked up from the floor and smiled at him sadly.

End chapter thirty Five:

Chapter Thirty Six: The healing Process

Richard walked into his office, surprised to see a familiar face, 'Ben...? What're you doing here?'

Ben smiled slowly at his old acquaintance, 'Hello Carter,' he climbed to his feet, 'I need to check on the two people I bought here two weeks ago.'

'Jack and Kate Austen?' Richard asked, Ben nodded, 'Kate's alot better, she healed fast, but Jack's struggling...'

This seemed to sadden Ben for a moment, he walked upto Richard, standing inches apart, 'Richard...I will pay any amount you request, just make sure, he lives. Make sure he survives.'

Richard frowned at Ben, 'how do you know them Ben?'

Ben smiled softly, 'If I tell you, I'd have to kill you.'

Richard watched Ben walk away.

In Jack's hospital room:

Kate gave Jack a look, Jack frowned at her, the bruising on his forehead had gone down alittle, but still throbbed whenever he furrowed his brow, 'I don't need you to spoon feed me Kate...'

Kate sighed, 'will you stop being so proud?'

Jack glared at her, then he quickly winced as his body reminded him he was in no state to argue, 'you okay?' Kate's worried tone made him smile slightly, 'yeah...' he had to admit, as much as he felt powerless when Kate took control and took care of him like this, he also enjoyed it. She scooped up some jell-o into a spoon and shot him a threatening look when he shook his head, he sighed and opened his mouth. She contently force-fed him the jell-o. When they were done, Jack looked at her 'Hey Kate?'

'Yeah?'



Words were suddenly lost on him as he lost his train of thought, whilst gazing at her, Kate blushed, she got the message.

'How're you holding up? Without Aaron, I mean.' He asked gently.

Kate nodded sadly, 'I won't lie to you Jack, I miss him, but this works out good too...' she tried to give him a sincere smile but struggled, she looked down, 'and he's better off with his mother anyway...'

'You were a good mother Kate.'

Kate smiled sadly at him, 'yeah? It's a good thing I got the practice with Aaron, how else would I nurse you back to health?'

Jack laughed, 'I should be able to get outta here in week...'

'I think you should take your time Jack, there's no rush...'

Jack sighed, 'Kate, I hate laying in bed all day doing nothing...'

'Well what do you wanna do?'

Jack tried not to grin, she raised an eyebrow at him 'we're not doing THAT until you're better...'

Jack sighed and stared up at the ceiling, 'After this, I think i'm gonna work less...spend more time with you, you know...with the people who matter...'

Kate smiled softly at him, she leaned over to him, kissing him softly and slowly, so not to hurt him. She pulled away after a lingering moment, Jack gave her a longing look, Kate shook her head, 'no, not till your better...'

Jack frowned, 'It could take weeks for a full recovery-'

'You better hurry up then,' she said as she threw him a smirk. 'I'm gonna go grab a coffee...do you want anything?'

'Besides you...?' he shook his head.

Kate gave him a look, 'nice try...but you're not getting into my pants until you're better, so I wouldn't waste your time trying if I were you...Okay, I'll see you in ten minutes,' Jack grabbed her hand before she climbed to her feet, she leaned in, 'what?'

He kissed her softly, 'see ya,' she smiled at him adoringly as she stepped back.

Jack watched her leave his room, Love was awesome, he smiled to himself, he looked down at his bandaged abdomen, he glanced at the monitor, it beeped steadily, he was doing good. Not long before he could get out of this place.

He closed his eyes and rested his head, falling asleep in his bed.

End chapter thirty six:

Chapter thirty seven: Something Special

'How is he?' Kate froze as she took a sip from her coffee, she turned around, 'Kevin?' she asked, shocked to see him.

'Hey, I heard about you and Jack, I thought I'd come and see if you were okay...'



Kate smiled at Kevin, 'that's sweet of you Kevin, but I'm fine...' she replied politely.

Kevin smiled, he touched her arm, Kate was surprised to find herself pulling away from Kevin on instinct, 'Look, if you need anything Kate...' Kevin said charmingly, 'you know I'm here.'

Kate smiled, 'Thanks, but I've got Jack.'

This stung him, but there was no other way to make her loyalties any clearer.

Kevin paused for a moment, his patience seemed to be waning, 'what's so wrong with me that you don't want me anymore? You were in love with me Monica-'

'Stop calling me that.' She said, 'Look, Kevin...' she shook her head, 'If I really loved you...would I have ran?'

Kevin stared at her, how could she be so cold?

After standing in an awkward silence, he looked at her one last time.

'Good Bye Kate.' He shortly replied before walking away.

Kate frowned as she watched him go.

She turned around and headed back towards Jack's room, 'How is he?'

Kate frowned, 'didn't you just ask me that?' she queried as she turned on her heel, she fell silent as she stared at Ben. 'Ben...what're you doing here?'

'Have you told him?'

Kate felt dread fill her gut, 'Ben...please.'

'You don't think he deserves to know why he woke up in the hospital instead of the island?'

'You said he would DIE if we carried on going towards the island!'

'And you begged me to bring him here instead, you picked his destiny, I'm no expert on this, but I don't think he'll be too happy when he finds out what happened.'

'Who's gonna tell him?' She asked.

Ben smiled at her, something changed in him now, he dropped the mind games for moment, 'You actually did a good thing Kate, by saving him. The island doesn't want him back, but he needs to go through this, that's why I played him...if he didn't do this-'

'You played him-?! He ALMOST DIED-'

'Kate, do you honestly think he would love you even if he saved the island and redeemed himself? He only loves you, because he needs you.'

Kate glared at him, Ben clearly didn't know what love was.

'Why did you save us? Why didn't you just let us both die on that island?' she demanded.

'Because the island wouldn't want that and...to be honest with you Kate, when I came to the deck and found you and Jack both bleeding out, you were passing in and out of consciousness, and the fact that when I offered you my help you said 'help him first...please...' well, I'm no machine, it tugged at my heartstrings.'



Kate frowned, this wasn't the Ben she was used to.

'I can take care of the island and it's baggage myself, I think you're right. You and Jack deserve to have a life here. Together. Good Luck, I'll be in touch.'

Ben began to walk away, Kate paused, 'Ben?' he looked back at her, she simply replied, 'Thank you.'

Ben nodded, 'Don't lose him Kate, you two have something that I don't see every day...'

With that, he walked away.

Kate watched him go.

End Chapter thirty six:

Chapter Thirty Seven: Maintenance

Kate unlocked the front door, she turned to Jack, 'sure you don't want me to help you?'

'I'm fine.' He replied stubbornly, as he re-adjusted the bag he was carrying.

'Home sweet home, huh?' Kate quipped at they walked into his apartment, Kate stopped in her steps as she stared at a stunning blonde in a maid's outfit, 'uh...' she looked to Jack, the blonde smiled at them, on seeing Jack her smile turned into a full fledged grin.

'Mr Shepherd...welcome back, I kept the apartment very clean...'

Kate's jaw was still hanging open at how stunning the maid was, Jack smiled at the maid, 'thanks Amy.'

'Just ding my job Mr Shepherd,' Amy smiled at Kate and Jack, as soon as she left, Jack tossed his bag aside and pulled Kate towards him, 'Jack...?!' she laughed as he began to kiss her hungrily, she pulled away, 'Woah... slow down there...you never told me you had a maid...' Jack paused as he pulled away, 'I must have forgotten to mention it,'

He leaned in again, but Kate leaned back, trying her best not be paranoid or jealous, but she had to say it, 'she's...hot...'

Jack furrowed his brow, 'Yeah, I guess...' he didn't really care, the only woman he wanted was in front of him, he leaned in for his third attempt, this time, Kate let him kiss her, she began to kiss him back, momentarily forgetting about the maid, she leaned up against him as she kissed him deeply, Jack let out a groan, Kate immediately pulled away and asked, 'are you okay?'

Jack nodded, wincing as he glanced down at his abdomen, 'My ribs are still kinda bruised.'

'Sorry,' Kate blushed, Jack broke into a grin, 'I'm not...' she gazed up at him, smiling at the bittersweet memory, he kissed her tenderly this time, as she pulled away, slipping her fingers through his, she led him into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

The next morning;



Kate smiled blissfully as she lay in bed, she was exhausted from last night, she reached across the bed with one arm, expecting to find Jack, but he wasn't there. She frowned as she sat up in bed, she didn't like waking up alone, at one point she used to love it, but after meeting Jack, she had become brave enough to be okay with needing him. She pulled on a shirt of his, and strolled out into the lounge, she slowed down as she heard laughter and talking.

'Really?'

Amy nodded enthusiastically, 'you should have seen us, we were all running around butt-naked trying to grab our clothes as these old men just stood there...it was horrible, moral of the story, always check your hotel room number twice...'

Jack laughed as she told the anecdote, Kate was right, Amy was stunning, he hadn't really given it much thought before, maybe he was done looking at women in that way, now that he had Kate, she was all he wanted. But Amy was different, she had finally caught his eye, she was a sweet person, a funny person. If Kate hadn't mentioned her, he probably never would have noticed. He studied her, she had gentle features, a cute smile, earnest brown eyes, her blonde hair sat just below her shoulders.

'Am I interrupting?'

Jack and Amy looked up to see Kate dressed in one of Jack's shirts, Kate could have sworn Amy's face fell slightly, Jack smiled, 'no, ofcourse not...' He climbed to his feet and walked over to her, the kiss he gave her was brief; he had never been a fan of public displays of affection. Swinging his arm around her shoulder he turned to Amy who was picking up her bag, 'you goin?'

'Yeah, 'Amy nodded, 'I should get going, I'm meeting a friend this afternoon,' Jack nodded, slightly dismayed to lose her company, 'alright, I'll see you later...'

'Yes you will,' she gave Jack a playful smile that made him grin and made Kate feel restless.

Amy smiled sincerely at Kate, 'Have a nice day.'

Kate nodded, smiling back politely, 'you too.' With that Amy walked out of the door, Jack turned to Kate, pressing his forehead against hers, he kissed her softly, 'good morning,' he whispered, Kate fought the urge to give in to his kisses, resting her hands on his chest, she pulled away, 'good morning yourself. Why do you need a maid?'

Jack shrugged, 'I work alot, I'm never really home, someone's gotta keep my place clean...' he grinned, 'and if that means having a girl like Amy working for me, I'm not complaining.'

Kate shot him a look, he grinned, 'Kate, come on...You know what I mean, she's a nice person.'

'I'm sure she is...'

'And she's good at whatever she does...'

'I'm sure she is.' Kate said tightly.

Jack watched her as she walked over to the kitchen counter and took out a cup from the cupboard. He knew her well enough to know when she was unhappy, he frowned, almost amused at her apparent jealousy. Strolling over to her, he came to a halt as he stood behind her, placing both hands on her shoulders he messaged them, 'what?'

'Nothing,' she turned around, so she was facing him, his firm but gentle grip on her shoulders made her lean in to his touch, 'How're you feeling?'



Jack smiled, 'Tired...'

Kate grinned, 'that's a shame...'

'Why's that?'

Kate leaned in, teasingly, 'I thought we could do something...'

Jack's eyes drifted down to her lips as she leaned in tauntingly close, 'Like what?'

'Aren't Doctors supposed to be smart?'

He smirked, wrapping an arm around her waist, he drew her up against him as he kissed her.

End chapter Thirty Seven:

Chapter thirty Eight: Animal Attraction

Amy lingered in Jack's bedroom, she studied the photograph of him and Kate on the bedside table, she couldn't help but feel jealous. Jack was a wonderful man and Kate was a lucky woman. She heard the happy couple in the kitchen, she peered out from the bedroom door to see the beautiful brunette walk up behind Jack as he cooked for them and hold him, resting her cheek on his back, Amy felt something sting inside her, Kate then leaned up with a blissful expression on her face and kissed his neck, he smiled lovingly and turned around, taking her into his arms as they held each other for a moment.

Amy looked away, was she really jealous? Ben would NOT be happy, he had sent her to keep and eye on Jack. Not to fall for him, she shook her head, glancing at her watch, she picked up the lamp and removed the bug she had planted to keep tabs on Jack for Ben, and slipped it into her pocket. She had been observing Jack since he returned, she had seen him at his worst and at his best, and Kate was usually the cause for both of those situations. She shook her head, she shouldn't be thinking like this, Ben would figure it out if she wasn't careful, and then he'd probably kill her.

Kate raised an eyebrow as she tasted the lasagne, 'okay, I gotta admit, I'm officially impressed...You cook, you clean, is there anything you don't do?'

Jack nodded as he took a sip of water, 'Spiders. I don't like em at all.'

Kate stared at him with a very amused expression, 'you're scared of them?'

'I'm not SCARED-' he said with attitude, 'I'm just...not FOND of them...'

Kate smirked as she muttered, 'the rumours are true, Denial isn't just a river in Egypt...'

Jack scowled stubbornly, 'yeah you're funny.' He said with a moody expression, Kate grinned at him, 'well, you're cute, so I guess we're even.'

The sound of a door shutting got their attention, Amy looked flustered to find them both looking at her, 'sorry, I didn't wanna interrupt...'



Jack looked at her, 'you're going home? Do you want a lift? Its raining...'

'No, thank you, I'll be fine. Enjoy your dinner.'

'No, no,' Jack insisted, 'I'll drop you.'

Kate smiled at Amy, Amy felt guilty, 'no, really, enjoy your dinner, I don't wanna interrupt.'

'Amy, its raining and its dark, you're not walking home in this weather...I'm dropping you,' He looked at Kate, ' is that okay?'

Kate nodded, 'yeah, sure...'

Jack climbed to his feet, he gave Kate a sorry look, Kate smiled as he pecked her on the cheek, 'Just go,' Jack smiled at her, 'thanks, I'll see you later tonight...'

Kate nodded, 'Night Amy,' Amy smiled at Kate, 'Goodnight.'

Kate watched Jack fuss over Amy, she shook her head slightly, Jack couldn't help it if he didn't realise what a good catch he was, he was naturally a gentleman, and she couldn't blame him for that. He'd have done the same thing if Amy was a fifty year old woman with five arms.

Kate watched them leave, a slight pang of anxiety filling her mind, he wasn't attracted to Amy, he hadn't really noticed her until Kate pointed it out, Kate had nothing to worry about...

Jack drove the jeep, the rain poured heavily across the roads, he squinted through the dark, 'can you see anything?'

Amy shook her head, 'no, but my house is only a few miles from here, so we should be there in 10 minutes, just keep heading straight...' she looked down, after a moment she added, 'Thank you, by the way.'

Jack glanced at her, 'for what?'

Amy smiled, 'for giving me a lift.'

Jack shook his head, 'its not a problem...'

Amy gave him the kind of smile that made him feel almost guilty for not being with Kate, and being with Amy. He was beginning to notice how attractive Amy was, and he found himself noticing her a lot more frequently than he should.

Amy frowned slightly, 'what?' she asked, with a twinkle in her eyes.

Jack quickly looked away, 'nothing. You're just, do you know how attractive you are?' he asked with a small laugh.

Amy blushed furiously, Jack paused, was she blushing? He began to feel uncomfortable, was he giving her the wrong idea?

Amy smiled at him, 'you're not so bad yourself Mr Shepherd.'

Jack gave her a relieved smile, this was just a budding friendship, nothing more, 'call me Jack.'

'Jack.' She said with a small smile, her eyes lingered on his a moment longer than they should have, Jack turned away-the car let out a popping noise and rolled slowly to a halt.



'I think we just blew a tyre...' Jack said.

Amy flinched, 'that is not good.'

Jack laughed, 'I think I've got a spare.'

Amy nodded, checking him out as he reached past her and into the back of the jeep, her eyes lingered on his muscular arms,

Jack sat back in his seat, 'I'm sure I had a spare tyre...'

Amy offered up, 'We can run to mine, it'll take us 5 minutes...You can dry off and we'll get help in the morning...?'

Jack nodded, 'Can I call Kate from your place? I left my cell phone home.'

Amy nodded, great. He was thinking about Kate. This was just great.

She climbed out of the car, Jack followed, they sprinted through the rain, Amy slipped, losing her footing, but Jack caught her just in time, 'woah, watch your step,' Amy smiled up at him, he smiled back for a moment, not before letting go of her as she stood up.

He carried on, 'come on...!'

Amy felt slightly disheartened, was he not interested in her at all? She wasn't used to men not wanting her. She followed Jack, 'I'm coming...'

'This is it!' she yelled after two minutes, 'this is my place,' she jogged upto the front door and unlocked it. She peered inside, 'come on,' Jack followed her in, she put down her bag and went into a room, she emerged a moment later with two large towels, 'here you go...' Jack gratefully took the towel from her, 'thanks,' he said, shivering as he pulled off his jacket, his t-shirt was soaked through, He groaned as he looked down at it, he glanced up to see Amy unbuttoning her shirt, he quickly looked away, what was she doing...?? she glanced at Jack to see if he was noticing her, but he wasn't even looking at her, she frowned as she wrapped a towel over her shoulders.

Jack looked down at his t-shirt, 'you gonna take that off or what?' she asked.

Jack looked at her, he smiled nervously, 'yeah, yeah,' why did he feel so nervous? He yanked his t-shirt off, revealing his wet but muscular torso, Amy gazed at him, Jack smiled politely and rubbed himself off with the towel,

He turned away from her as he put his t-shirt aside, he froze as he felt her warm hands on his back and arm, they were circling a specific area, his tattoos.

'What're the tattoos about?'

Jack smiled at her, 'Its kinda personal...'

Amy nodded, pulling her hands away, both of them stood absolutely still, Jack glanced at her, 'Amy...'

She cut him off, 'My phone's over there...''

Jack nodded, shaking it off, he had no reason to feel guilty, he was doing nothing wrong.

He dialled Kate's number, Amy watched him, the soft lighting from her lamp made his abs glisten as he turned back to glance at her, she looked away, tightening the towel around her shoulders.



Jack was with Kate, she had seen it with her own eyes, they were happy. But she couldn't help but feel attracted to him. Even if she knew that no matter what happened between them, he'd probably always choose Kate.

It would still be worth it, just to see what it was they had...

'Hey,' Amy scowled, there was a tenderness in his tone as he spoke to Kate, 'We got a flat tyre, can you do me a favour...?' Amy watched him give her the address, she walked into her bedroom and picked up a t-shirt, dabbing her hair, she walked back into the living room.

Jack put the phone down, 'Kate should be here in afew minutes.'

Amy nodded, she walked upto Jack, 'how long have you and Kate been together...?'

Jack smiled, ' a while now.'

Amy nodded, 'You're a nice guy...its nice to see you happy.'

Jack looked at her, she stepped closer, and his heart raced in his chest, he silently scolded himself, he knew this was wrong, he knew he was in love with Kate, he knew that Amy's hotness was not a good enough reason to ever cheat on Kate...he knew it. But before he could say anything, Amy reached past him, he thought she was about to kiss him, he let out a relieved sigh, as she brushed against him and picked up a tissue, she smiled at him, wiping his cheek with the tissue.

'You're all wet.'

Jack felt alarm bells ringing in his mind, this was wrong. His mind kept saying it over and over, this was wrong. But his eyes just couldn't look away from hers, he quickly looked to the front door, hoping Kate would walk in.

Amy touched his chin, grabbing his attention, so he couldn't escape her gaze and leaned closer, Jack gulped, the front door swung open as Amy's lips were inches from his, he brushed past Amy and grabbed his t-shirt.

Kate stared at the two of them, 'hey...what's uh...what's going on?' she asked with a false smile. WHY WAS JACK SHIRTLESS? Her mind screamed silently. She gave Jack a look as Jack practically scrambled over to her side, he seemed spooked.

'Kate...I'm so glad to see you, let's go.'

Amy studied Jack, she smiled slightly, she knew she had gotten to him, she knew she had stirred something inside him.

'Thanks for the lift.' Amy smiled politely, as Kate studied Amy, who had a towel wrapped around her shoulders.

Kate smiled, taking Jack's hand, she led him out of the house. She looked at him as he clutched the t-shirt against his chest 'Car. Now.' She ordered.

End chapter thirty eight:

Chapter thirty nine: Problems

Jack climbed into the car, as soon as Kate climbed into the seat, and closed the door Jack let out a relieved 

breath, 'I'm so glad you turned up...She's uh...I think she's attracted to me...'
The sarcasm in Kate's voice was thick, 'gee, you think so?'
Jack fell silent, Kate turned on the engine, as she reversed out of the drive she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn't turned up at that time...
Jack studied Kate as she drove silently, 'you okay?' he asked gently, Kate simply smiled, but it didn't satisfy him, he knew Kate, and that wasn't a genuine smile.
'Kate...?'
'What do you want me to say?' she asked, 'I just walked in on Amy, who was about to kiss you from what I saw...what exactly do you want me to say Jack?'
Jack suddenly felt offended, 'Kate...You know I would NEVER cheat on you...ever. You know that...' she didn't respond, Jack frowned, 'right?'
Kate gave him a small smile, 'Okay.'
'Okay? What does 'Okay' mean Kate?' he shifted, suddenly upset, 'do you really think I'd cheat on you??'
Kate sighed, 'I don't wanna talk about it Jack. Let's just...get home.'
He sat back into the car seat, Kate glanced at him, she could see that he was upset as he pulled on his wet t-shirt, 'there's a towel in the back.'
'I'm good.' He replied gruffly.
Kate glanced at him, finding herself alittle irritated at his response, 'I deserve to be mad at you Jack, not vice versa.'
'What did I do?' he asked defensively.
'It's what you didn't do Jack. You didn't look like you were doing anything to put a stop to it-'
'Why can't you just TRUST me? If it came down to that-I would...and you know that. Let's not talk about this Kate...'
Kate frowned, 'No, we WILL talk about it Jack, for once, we're gonna talk about everything...'
'What do you mean, ''for once''?' he asked, Kate stared at him as she pulled into her driveway.
'Jack, SO much has happened, and we haven't ONCE talked about it...'
Jack studied her, Kate's expression softened, 'I want you, to talk to me.'
Jack looked down for a moment, he nodded as they climbed out of the car, 'I can do that.'
Kate held his gaze, 'yeah?'
Jack nodded, 'but its a two-way road Kate.'
Kate studied him, 'yeah, it is.' She gave him a small smile, he smiled back.
'We need to trust eachother,' he said, Kate nodded, 'yes we do.'
With that, he walked inside, Kate followed him inside. She suddenly discovered why she noticed Amy immediately, she had seen her before.
Once Jack went upstairs, Kate picked up the phone and dialled Ben's number, before Ben could greet her, she said, 'I know you sent Amy, I recognise her from the island, she was one of your people. If you try to screw with us Ben, I will screw with you. Jack is in love with me, and no woman will change that.'
'We'll see Kate.'
Kate could almost hear his small manipulating smile on the otherside of the phone, she put the phone down.

Ben pulled the phone away from his ear, he hadn't planted Amy in Jacks like to seduce him, not yet anyway, so far her orders were to report back to him if Jack or Kate mentioned the island. He wondered why Kate had threatened him, he did not appreciate being threatened. Especially when it wasn't justified. He picked up his phone and dialled Amy's number, maybe he would order Amy to seduce Jack, just so Kate knew who she was dealing with.
He smiled coldly.

End chapter thirty-nine:

Chapter Forty: Home truths

'What do you mean 'You're not always into me'-?!' Jack demanded, Kate sighed, 'You know what I mean...' she said, 'When most guys call a woman over for a late night coffee, it's usually a euphemism, but when you call me over for coffee Jack, what do we have?'
Jack looked away as he mumbled, 'Coffee...?'
'Exactly, so you can't blame me if I don't like drooling over your maid when you don't even look at me-'
'I look at you!' he sounded more offended than defensive, 'and secondly, I don't drool over Amy-'
'Fine,' Kate said decidedly, Jack nodded, 'yep, what's next?'
Kate glanced at the list she had made, 'Its your turn, what's on your list?'
'Uh,' Jack glanced down at the blank piece of paper as he wracked him brain, trying to think of a topic, 'I think you should do another one from your list-'
Kate frowned, 'gimme that-' Before Jack could react, she had swiped the piece of paper out of his hand, 

'Jack...?' she threw him a defeated look, 'you haven't written anything-'
Jack smiled innocently, Kate glared at him, 'Okay-if you didn't wanna talk-you should have said so-' with that, she turned on her heel and headed for his bedroom, which she had been treating as hers lately, 'Kate... wait,' it was too late, she was pissed.
Jack flinched as she slammed the door shut just before his face, missing him by centimetres, he slowly opened the door, she lay back on the bed, exasperated and exhausted with him, Jack smiled softly, 'hey...' he said as he approached her. She didn't reply,
'Kate,' he said gently, 'I didn't make a list because...I'm happy with us, the way we are.'
'Then why did you agree to talk??' she demanded as she sat up on the bed, he could see she was far from impressed with him.
'I thought it'd make you happy...' she looked down, hoping not give away the effect of his words on her, he somehow managed to break through all of her walls and make her melt with just a few words.
'Are you really happy?' she asked, 'be honest.'
Jack walked over to the bed, sitting besides her so their shoulders rubbed, 'yeah, I am...no two people can be perfectly happy Kate, but I think you do a pretty good job with you and me...' she rested her head on his shoulder, 'yeah?' she asked softly, 'yeah.' He replied.
Kate took in a calming breath, after letting it out, she rubbed her nose against his neck, then leaned up, pecking him on the cheek, 'I love you.' She said softly, Jack glanced at her, 'that never fails to surprise me...' he whispered.
Kate frowned as she sat up, 'why's that?' she turned to face him as he lay back onto the bed, running his hands over his face, he closed his eyes, enjoying the soft bed beneath him.
'The people I uh...' he looked at her for a moment, 'the people I love,' Kate smiled at his attempt to word his emotions, 'usually wind up being disappointed...'
Kate's smile turned into a melancholy expression, 'I know the feeling,' she spoke softly, as if she was handling her heart with as much care as she handled her words with.
Jack sat up, he didn't need to muster his courage as the truth left his lips, 'I'm just scared that, one day I'll come home, and you'll be gone, for whatever reason...I didn't live much before you, but I won't live without you...I just-can't imagine waking up everyday-'
Kate cut him off, 'Jack...' he wore a soulful gaze as he faced her, she was doing her best not to let a single tear escape as she promised, 'You will never lose me. Ever.'
Jack felt his heart warm to her words, he smiled, feeling exposed, he looked down a the ground and took in a deep breath, thinking of how to change the subject, he glanced at her for a moment, no, he decided he didn't need to change the subject, being with Kate was okay, being real with her was all he knew, he leaned in, kissing her softly. Kate felt a pang of guilt as Jack kissed her, he had just bared his soul and she was keeping something from him. Before she could stop herself, she blurted it out, 'Ben's sent Amy.'
Jack looked at her, caught off guard, 'what?'
Kate nodded, 'he planted her here...'
Jack furrowed his brow, 'how do you know this?'
'Last night, when I got a good look at her again-I remembered her, from the island. She was an Other.'
'You're sure?'
Kate nodded, 'What do we do?'
Jack shook his head, 'No, I don't want you to do anything, I'll talk to her...'
Kate studied him, she didn't like the sound of that, but she had to trust him.
'Ben's too dangerous Kate, and so are his people-'
'Okay...'
'Does Amy know we know?'
'I don't think so...but we should keep it that way, if she knows, who knows what she might do...'
Jack nodded, why was Ben doing this? Couldn't he leave them alone? He felt a surge of anger fill his gut, he pulled out his cellphone and dialled.
Kate looked at him, trying to figure out what he was doing, 'what're you doing?'
'Hey Amy,' he spoke into his cell phone, Kate fell silent, listening intently as he continued, 'I wanna see you...' Kate knew what he was doing, 'Okay, great, I'll be there within an hour...' He hung up and climbed to his feet, Kate held his hand, giving his arm a tug, he looked back at her, he knew she hated waiting on the sidelines.
'I'll be back in a few hours...okay?'
Kate nodded, 'alright, I'll call you...' she felt concerned and couldn't hide it, 'And Jack?' he paused at the door, 'be careful.' She ordered.
He nodded, 'I will be.' He gave her a lingering look, before walking out.

Ben climbed into his car, the blood sample he took when Kate was unconscious in the hospital had bought him some interesting news. He ordered the doctor's he had hired to tend to Kate to remain silent about their discovery. This could be used as leverage. Or she could be used as a hostage if the situation arose tonight. He 

had plans, he knew what would make this all stop. He knew why Jack and Kate had been seeing apparitions, he knew why the island had taken Aaron back. The island wanted something that belonged to Jack and Kate, something it had taken once to restore the balance after Jack's people murdered Ethan when Jack was the leader, in turn the island waited and took their unborn child. For every death caused by Jack's people, a tragedy soon reached them, Ben hadn't taken much notice of the island's intricate balance system.

The revelation hit him when he had glanced over Kate's records earlier today, Kate had taken a life before the island, and now...the island wanted to take another life from Jack and Kate, then they would be even. Then it would be over.

Ben glanced at the test results on the passenger side seat as he drove, he smiled calculatingly, Kate was pregnant again, only she didn't know it just yet. But the island did and it wanted her baby and Ben would help the island. If he did this for the island, if he killed Kate's baby, maybe it would take him back, it was his home after all, it was where he belonged, an eye for an eye. His foot pushed against the accelerator as he sped towards Jack's apartment.

An unsuspecting Kate glanced at the clock, she was feeling different, she didn't know what it was, maybe she was just content with her life, maybe that was it. She hadn't told Jack, but she had thrown up earlier that morning, and a few mornings before that, assuming it was just a bug she had caught. She headed into the bedroom, deciding to get some sleep before ringing Jack in an hour, sitting around would do nothing but make her jealous or anxious...

End chapter Forty:

There are two more extra long chapters left, I'd appreciate it if you guys let me know what you thought of it so far, as the hits are going up but there aren't any reviews?

Thanks, keep smiling,