Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own LOST.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. They really keep me going!

The next morning, Kate awoke to find Jack missing from the bed. Kate sat up sleepily, and yawned. It didn't take her too long to figure out that Jack was in the kitchen, making breakfast for them both.

"What are you making?" Kate asked as she walked in the room. She was tying her robe around her waist.

Jack turned and grinned at her. "Hey! Did you sleep well?

"You didn't answer my question." Kate walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Jack couldn't help but smell her hair. He missed her so much. "Ten days a year isn't nearly enough time for us."

"I know." Kate pulled away. To shut him up before he would go on his 'Will you marry me?' kick again, Kate kissed him.

"I missed that too." Jack grinned as they broke apart and Jack went back to making breakfast.

"I had forgotten how loud you snored Jack. I'm surprised the neighbors haven't complained." Kate sat on a barstool at the island in the middle of the kitchen. She leaned her elbows against the counter as she watched Jack.

Jack looked at the eggs in the pan. "So what did you do this time?" He could feel her stare against his back. When she didn't answer, Jack turned around to look at her. She wasn't there.

"Kate?" Jack left the kitchen. He found her in the hallway staring at the pictures.

"We look so… normal." Kate was staring at the picture of them.

"I know. That's why I like it so much."

"You would never know that a couple years ago we were stuck on a island. No one would know all the pain we've had to go through."

Jack remembered the conversation he had had with Sayid about Sawyer.

"I know." Jack said softer. He approached Kate and put his arms around her.

"You gotta stop asking me about what I'm doing Jack. I'm not going to tell you, not yet at least." Kate whispered into his shoulder.

Jack smiled at her saying not yet again. "I know. I wish you would. Why do we have to have so many secrets?" Jack asked.

"I'm not ready yet."

"It's been three years since we got off the island Kate. When will you be ready?"

Kate didn't answer.

"You have to settle down sometime Katie." Jack whispered in her ear.

Kate shook her head and said those two dreaded words once again. "Not yet."

Jack thought about questioning her more about it, but then he thought better of it. She would only be here for a couple days and then be gone again. He didn't want to chase her off too soon.

"So you ready for breakfast?" He changed the subject.

Kate lifted her head off of Jack's chest. "Yeah." She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling, and they walked back into the kitchen hand in hand.

They spent the next couple of days together. Jack called in at work, saying that he had a family situation that he had to take care of. Everyone at work knew it was because Kate was back in town.

They did everything that they could think of, from going bowling to just sitting on the couch enjoying the fire in the fireplace.

On one such night, they were sitting in front of the fireplace. It happened to be the night before Kate was going to decide to leave again. Whenever Kate would leave, she would never tell Jack, she would just be gone and Jack would have to just move on and wait for Kate to come back again. Jack never got used to that, and dreaded it whenever it happened.

But for now, the couple was just enjoying each other. Jack stroked Kate's hair as she leaned against him.

Kate sighed. "Just go ahead and ask it."

"What?"

"I know you want to." Kate stared at the fireplace.

"Okay, fine. Will you marry me?" Jack asked her in a dull voice, already knowing her answer.

"Not yet. All right. You asked. Now let's get on with our night." Kate stood up.

"What do you mean?" Jack looked up at her.

"I'll meet you in the bedroom." Kate grinned at him and went into their bedroom.

Jack stayed on the couch for several minutes, thinking. It wouldn't be the first time that they had made love but it hadn't happened for a while. He had imagined it being a special thing between the two of them when they got married, but the temptation had gotten too strong for the both of them one night and they had given in. Needless to say, neither of them had regretted it. But it didn't happen frequently.

If Kate was suggesting it now, it must mean something. Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to go through with it. But he already knew that he would. He stood up and walked into the bedroom.

"Took you long enough." Kate's playful voice came from the dark room.

"Sorry, I was thinking."

"Thinking?"

"Yeah."

"About what?" Kate instantly regretted asking, because Jack instantly started into a long conversation.

"Look Kate, I'm getting tired of always being here every time you're ready. I can't keep doing this."

"What do you mean?"

"You may not be ready to settle down, but I am. I wish you were ready too." Jack sat down next to her on the bed. She sighed and stood up. She grabbed her robe from the closet and put it on.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked her.

"You want to talk and I'm cold."

"You're naked? " Jack asked, horrified.

"Nearly. I thought we could save some time." Kate shrugged as she sat back down next to Jack.

"This is what I'm talking about. You're so eager to get in bed with me, yet you refuse to get married to me."

"Jack I want to be with you, but if you keep treating me like this, then I will have to stop coming back all together."

"Maybe you should."

Kate stared at Jack in the dark, fighting tears. "Yeah, maybe I should." She stood up and left the room.

Jack sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He loved Kate, but he couldn't handle her doing this to him.

Kate was in the kitchen, getting some water when Jack followed her there.

"I'm sorry." Jack said as he leaned against the counter next to the refrigerator. "I shouldn't have said that. I told you when you moved in that it was okay for you to leave, and it's still okay. I'm just getting frustrated."

Kate set her glass down. "I know you are. It's not fair to you. You're right. I should leave and just let get on with your life."

"Kate, you don't understand. My life isn't anything without you." Jack told her, his voice thick with emotion.

Kate turned around and stared at Jack. She walked over to him and put her hand on his chest. His shirt was a dark shade of blue, and she loved it.

She laid her head on Jack's chest, and Jack put his arms around her.

"I miss holding you like this." Jack whispered.

"I miss it too." Kate whispered back.

Kate lifted her head and looked up at Jack. This man was so devoted to her, and she had nothing to offer him. She wanted to offer him marriage, a normal life with a family, but she just couldn't imagine herself in that place yet.

Jack kissed her tenderly, and Kate's hands wrapped around Jack's neck.

Jack fingered Kate's robe around her waist, where he could easily just pull on the robe's knot to undo it.

Kate stopped kissing him for only a second, and she looked up at him questioningly. "I thought you said-"

"I think we need to do this." Jack stared at her, asking for her permission, and Kate nodded.

She took Jack's hand that was touching the knot around her waist, and pulled him into the bedroom with her. It was in that moment that she decided that she was going to leave the next day, and she decided to make this night the most special night either one of them had ever had.

A/N: I'm sorry that this was so long, but the next chapter is going to be kinda short, so I wanted to give you guys a long chapter first. Please let me know what you thought!