Desmond's words came out as incoherent noise to the ears of Jack. It had become a tradition for Jack and Desmond to meet an hour before poker night to talk business just between the two. Usually Jack was all ears when it came to his most trusted friend, but tonight he was off and he could not focus on his company at all. His thoughts kept going to Kate and Gracie how badly he wanted to be with them instead, but there was one question that he was dying to ask Desmond.

"Pardon my interruption friend, but would you mind if I asked you a question not regarding the company?"

"Not at all brother."

"Desmond after all these years that I have known you why have you only had one wife? I mean you are a man like myself and have plenty of wealth to take on another wife or two or three. I guess I'm just curious as to why you have not done so."

"Well the answer is simple my friend and it is love. I have seen you and our friends get married to multiple women and you may have more sons to carry on your family name, but I don't need any of that. I all need is Penny and the son that we share it may not be much, but there is so much love that surrounds me that I would never exchange that for all the money or beautiful woman in the world. Now, may I ask you a question brother?"

" Of course."

" What makes you ask me this question now, after all these years?"

Jack knew the answer to the question that Desmond asked, but he was just not so sure he was willing to share his feelings with someone else.

Desmond then gave Jack a knowing smile, "I will tell you what happened brother, you fell in love. All the other woman in your life just don't seem to matter, but that one."

" Desmond what your saying maybe true, but it is just not that as simple or easy as you and Penny."

" It does not matter how difficult it is. This is love we are talking about Jack. Love is the most important thing on earth. Now, as your friend Jack I highly advice you to go to Kate right now and beg for her forgiveness for what you have done to her and your daughter and then tell her that she is your world and you can't live without her."

" How did you know that it is Kate?"

" Jack I think even a blind man could have figured out this one. The moment that I saw you look at her the very first night you introduced us to her. I knew that she was different and someone special to you. I had seen you with Juliet and Sarah for years and never once did you look at them the way you look at Kate. Then after you disowned her as your wife, you have been nothing, but a walking corpse. "

"Desmond you are right and I have wasted too much time being apart from her. Do you mind if I skip out on tonight's game?"

"Not at all Jack. Now go get your girl."

Once Jack reached the door he turned back to Desmond, "Thanks brother for everything."

Jack had it all planned out he was going to finish telling the story to Gracie and then once she was asleep he was going tell Kate how much Gracie and her meant to him and there was no possible way to live his life without them. Jack was so excited to tell Kate that he loved her and would do anything do be with her that he did not even knock on the door and when he pushed the door open the last thing he expected to see was his girls in bed with another man, one that he had never seen before.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing with my family!" The shock and anger oozed from his voice, but what got to Kate the most was the undeniable hurt that overpowered his shock and anger.

Kate was unsure of what to say or do and whose side she should be on, but Gracie saved her from having to respond.

" Jack!" Gracie beamed as she ran to him.

"Don't worry about him Jack, That's Tom he is really nice you will like him. He has all kinds of funny stories about Mommy." Jack lifted his daughter in arms and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

The tension in the room was deathly to all the adults, but Gracie seemed to be blissfully unaware of this. Jack did not want his daughter to see any of this.

" Kate I want you to take Gracie to Rose."

" Jack." She said in a questioning tone trying to figure out what his next move was going to be.

" Kate just do it!"

Kate then took Gracie from Jack and brought her to Rose .

" Rose I'm sorry to wake you, but could you please put Gracie to bed and watch over her for the night?"

Rose was a little taken aback by Kate's panicked voice and worried eyes.

"Kate what is going? You like someone is hunting you down."

" I wish had more time to explain Rose, but Jack knows about Tom. Would you mind watching after Gracie?" Kate asked in a rush. She had to hurry back to the two men and try to prevent any harm that most likely was going to happen.

" Of course I don't mind and if there is anything I can do let me know or if things get ugly Kate you don't try and be a hero you come over here, do you hear me?"

"Thank you so much for watching Gracie and don't worry if I'm in any harm I will run back to your place." With that Kate gave Gracie a quick kiss and waved goodbye to the two.

" Now, As I asked before who are you and what the hell makes you think that you have any right to be reading to my daughter and laying in bed with my wife!"

Tom could not believe the nerve of this guy. "I can't believe you actually have the audacity to stand there and act as if you even have the right to ask those questions. When we both know that you threw away your own daughter like trash and you don't even want me to get started on how sick you make me at what you have done to my Katie!"

" My Katie!" The statement almost chocked Jack who ever the hell this guy was he had no right to refer to his love has his own. "The last time I checked the person that you call my Katie is very much MY wife!"

" God you really do make me ill. Katie should have never been a wife to some asshole like you that would take her virtue and not stand by her. You have treated her like some common whore and Katie is anything, but that! She is special and should have been wed to someone that would take care of her and treat her with the respect and love that she deserves."

" Let me guess you the perfect man for the job."

" Yes I just so happen to be!"

Right then Kate walked through the door to find the two men in a heated conversation. Jack turned his gaze towards her and looked at her with sad eyes. Tom's words were getting to him and he knew that he had done the unthinkable to the two people that he loved the most. Her piercing green eyes burned right to his heart. He was so caught up in her beauty and the love that he felt for her Jack did not even see what was coming.

"Tom No!" shouted Kate. As Tom's fist ran into Jack's face causing to move back a few steps almost falling over. Jack then spat blood out onto the floor and looked Tom dead in the eyes.

"That was a huge mistake." Before Tom could even think what was happening next Jack had him pinned against the wall.

"Do you have any clue who I am? I have so much power that I could kill you right here and now and nothing would be done to me. In fact I informed all the servant boys that if they even touched Kate in anyway that I would kill them. So, I don't see why you should be any different."

" I don't care who you are or how much money and power you have! Katie loves me and you could never have what we do. Gracie and Katie are going to come live with me where they should have been this whole time. So yes you may have more power and money, but I will have Katie and in my eyes that is far better. When you go to bed at night alone or with some sham of woman and know that I will have Katie in my arms. I will be the one that she goes to for comfort and love. I will be the one that gets to be a father to that beautiful little girl and I will also be the one to be lucky enough to have Katie carry and be a mother to my children. That makes you the real loser Jack."

At this point Kate was petrified, not for herself she knew that Jack would never do any physical harm to her, but she was worried for Tom. Not only did he have the power that would allow him to do whatever he pleased to Tom, but he was also the far taller and more muscular of the two. Now, that Tom had made the first strike she was not sure if there was anyway to get Jack to do no harm to Tom.

But she had to try.

Jack had his fist formed in a ball and was about to start pounding into Tom.

" Jack please I beg you don't do this." Jack looked over at Kate who was a complete mess, she was weeping and hugging herself in the corner and in that moment Jack's rage disappeared and all he wanted to do was go comfort her. Jack then released Tom from his grasp and the shorter man fell to the ground.

"Just leave before I change my mind." Jack said in a harsh cold manner.

" I'm not leaving Katie with you. God knows what you will do to her if I leave."

Kate then had to interject, "Tom please, you have to go. Jack would never hurt me, but if you don't go he could kill you." She cried out and Tom could tell that she was truly scared for his life.

" I don't like this one bit, but if I don't have a choice in the matter then I guess I will go. Just know this, I'm coming back with the money for Katie and she will be coming home with me." With a long look at Kate that showed her that he would be back for her and then he left into the night. Tom had a lot of money to collect and the sooner he could get it the better.

After Tom had left the two, neither one had said a word or moved from their respected spots; the only sound that could be heard was the heavy breathing from the pair. Jack was drastically trying to come down his rage and Kate trying to get control of her tears as she would wipe them away from her face.

Once Jack felt that he had calmed down enough and could talk to Kate with out yelling he spoke.

" Is what he is saying true? Do you plan on leaving with him?" Jack could believe how broken and weak his voice sounded, but he did care the only matter that Jack cared about at the moment was what was going to come out of Kate's mouth.

It was barely audible whisper, but never the less it was heard, "Yes."

Jack forced his eyes shut and let a few tears trickle down his cheeks.

Kate was not sure how to respond; a part of her wanted him to feel this pain, to know what it felt like having someone you love belong to someone else and then the other part wanted to go hold him and tell him that everything was going to be ok.

"Kate please don't do this to me."

Kate was not sure why, but this statement struck a nerve with her. " Excuse me? Don't do this to you? Jack you will be just fine without us. Hell you have had three years of practice with us out of your life and you have Sarah, Juliet and even Ana to keep you company." She stated with venom. Before Jack had a change to respond Kate kept going having still so much buried anger, but this time she moved right in front of him with only inches between them, "How dare you say that! When you are the one that already let us go! What you did to Gracie and I is ten times worse and you stand there like I am the one who has commented the greater crime by even just thinking about being with another man. You know Jack when you ordered me out of your life did I go kicking in screaming? No I held my head high and put on a brave face!"

Jack began to weep in front of her and his words came out in sobs, " I'm so sorry Kate. I'm just so fucked up inside and kills me to what I have done to you and Gracie. I have been a miserable mess of a man these past three years without you. I know how unfair it is and I know that I have no right to say anything, but all I know is just the thought of not having you in my life stops my heart."

His cries and pleas had taken her aback. She had expected him to yell at her for being disobeyed to her Master and to tell her that it was all her fault for betraying him like he had done earlier (even though it never was her fault in the first place).What she did not expect was for him to admit being wrong and feel bad for what he had done. He sounded so broken and disparate to have her in his life.

Kate moved away to the center of hut and stood there with her back to him and a heavy silence fell upon them again. The only light in the room came from the fire and it cast their dark shadows across the wall.

Jack asked the question that he was dreading the answer to, but he just had to know, "Do you love him?"

With a simple nod of the head, " Yes."

Jack let out a heavy breath that he was holding the tears were flowing down and the silence over took them again.

Then Jack somehow found the nerve to speak again," Do you love him the way you love me? Do you love him more than me?"

Kate did not answer Jack, her back was still to him and all that could be heard were her heavy sobs.

" Answer me Kate!" Jack yelled his heart already broken.

Kate then turned to face him, showing Jack her tear stained cheeks, in low deep whisper that came from deep from her soul, " No. I don't love him more than you."

Jack just looked at her with shocked eyes.

When he did not respond at first, Kate continued to speak.

" I don't know why and God help me, but I love you so much Jack that it burns. It hurts so much to be this close to you and not be able to be with you. Being apart for so long as torn me…"

Before Kate had a chance to finish her statement Jack had already closed the gap between them and sealed her mouth with his own.

The intensity of the kiss was mind blowing to Jack he had missed her so much and he had not felt this alive since he last kissed her. Now, that he had tasted her he wanted to feel and taste every inch of her body. Jack could feel Kate's little hands making work at removing his shirt and as she did so Jack moved his mouth down her neck making little moans escape her lips. Kate had stopped removing his shirt the kisses along her neck making her paralyzed in pleasure. Jack then bent down and removed her garment and Kate willing raised her arms above her head to help with the process.

Once she was completely naked standing in front of him Jack took in all of her beauty wanting to take in every little detail that he had missed and long to touch.

Jack then brought both his strong arms around the small of her back bringing her close to him and began to suck on her nipples. Kate running her hands through his hair. Jack then moved back up to lips for another breath taking kiss.

Kate's hand began to roam his body every where she touched she would leave a heat that intensified the already boiling passion.

Kate slowly brought her mouth to Jack's ear and whispered in his ear, "Jack make love to me" she said in a husky voice.

Jack held her naked body close to his clothed one and looked into her eyes to make sure that she truly wanted this.

Without saying a word to each other Jack knew that Kate loved him and what she truly desired and needed was him. Not just part of him she needed all of him and after being without her for so long Jack knew in his heart that this is what he needed as well.

Jack then slowly took off his shirt and stepped out of his pants. He then lifted Kate up and she in return wrapped her arms and legs around him.

While he did all this he never broke eye contact with Kate.

When they both finally connected they let out moans of pleasure and joy.

Jack then began to make love to her in the middle of the hut and with every thrust he tried to convey the love he felt for her and just how much her needed her in his life. Kate wanted more of him and she was so close to the edge that she began to match his thrusts with the same intensity, soon after they both came screaming each others name out in happiness and claiming the love they felt for one another.

Kate then rested on him as he carried them both over to the small bed in the corner. He kept them connect as he laid them down. The bed was too small for them to lie side by side so Kate lay on top of him as they drifted off to sleep together.