A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, I really appreciate them. They are what motivate me to write, so the more you review the faster I write. keep that in mind :D.

After last episode I needed some Jate fluff (way to undermine the last 20 episodes with some crappy retcon, Darlton). I mean seriously...Sawyer broke Kate's heart? Sorry, but if anyone broke Kate's heart, Jack did when he left her and Aaron. Anyway I still have hope for Jate, and I'll stop ranting, next week looks amazing.

So, Enjoy! Please review!

Chapter 6: The Test

The next morning, Jack was up early making breakfast before his surgery. He had already brewed a cup of coffee and was putting the finishing touches on a bagel when he heard Kate walking down the stairs.

"Morning, Jack." She said from behind him.

"Morning." He replied lightly, without averting his eyes from the bagel he was preparing on the counter.

"You sound unusually happy, this morning. Anything I should know about?" Kate asked kindly.

"No, it's nothing really. It's just I'm 4 months sober now. Feels good." Jack explained, still focused on his bagel.

"Four months sober, huh? Doesn't that mean tomorrow is your four month anniversary with Sarah?" Kate asked politely, even though she could care less about the blonde woman.

Jack had forgotten about that. He had indeed met Sarah the last night he got extremely drunk. If Kate hadn't mentioned it, he wasn't sure if he'd have remembered at all. Was that a bad thing?

"Yea, that to." Jack laughed. He had finished buttering his bagel and turned around to say something else, but no words came.

Instead, his jaw just dropped.

He was speechless.

Kate was barely wearing any clothes. She was wearing black panties and a lacy black bra, and quite frankly, she looked amazing. He tried to compose himself and stop staring before Kate looked up, but failed miserably.

"Something wrong, Jack?" Kate asked, with a mischievous grin on her face.

"No…no…just uh, well, never mind." Jack stammered, sitting down at the table and planting his gaze firmly on his bagel.

Kate knew he had been checking her out, which meant her plan worked. He still did have some sort of romantic feelings towards her. Kate just wasn't sure if he realized it yet. Most men would have checked her out wearing so little, but the effect it had on Jack- she knew it to well.

He was utterly speechless.

Well, I got all dressed up…well down…for him. I'm not stopping now. I'll have a little fun with this, Kate thought.

A few minute passed in silence as Kate sipped her coffee and Jack ate his bagel. Kate had an interview later in the day which her mind probably should have been on, but wasn't. This news was the only thing that mattered right now.

Jack may have been sitting in silence for the past few minutes, but that was only because he couldn't stop thinking about Kate. Even when she was fully clothed he had a hard time keeping his mind off her. But after that moment, there was no chance of thinking about anything else. It was almost unfair. Not that he didn't enjoy it.

"So, Kate. Did I hear you have an interview today?" Jack said nervously, trying to get his mind off of the semi-naked goddess sitting across the table from him.

"Yea, it's later today. Jack, tell me, is there something wrong?" Kate asked, faking a concerned voice.

"It's nothing, I'm fine. Really. So where is it?" Jack answered, changing the subject.

"It's at that restaurant, DeAngelo's, on Wilshire. I'm applying for a hostess position. Jack, you don't sound good. Are you sure you're OK?" Kate said, not letting him move the conversation on.

"Kate, really I'm OK. Just…didn't peg you as one of those girls who…well you know." Jack said, clearly still uncomfortable about all the events of the morning.

"What type of girl, Jack? I'm not really sure what you're saying." Kate said, with a playful glint in her eyes.

"You know…walking around…like…well that." Jack stuttered out, pointing at Kate's lack of attire as he walked over to place his plate in the sink.

"Oh. Well if you want me to stop, all you have to do is ask." Kate said smiling roguishly.

Jack cringed to himself. That was definitely a loaded question. If he asked her to stop, he would basically be telling her he didn't enjoy seeing it and he didn't want to hurt her, and well…saying no would be lying.. If he said no, he would be admitting he liked seeing it. He wasn't sure which was worse in this situation. What have I gotten myself into?

"Kate. It's your house too. You do whatever you want to. I don't mind, really." Jack answered, satisfied with his evasion of the question.

Kate on the other hand, was hoping for a more definitive answer, and she couldn't hide her slight disappointment at his response, but she recovered quickly.

"OK Jack. I have to go get showered and dressed for my interview. Will you be here when I get out?" Kate asked. She was satisfied with how her 'test' went today, and as far as she could tell there was still hope.

"No, I don't think so. I have some paperwork to finish before the surgery." Jack answered, glad to have an excuse to get out.

If he was still here when she got out of the shower, Jack was pretty sure he'd need one to. A really cold one. After this morning, he didn't think he could handle her in just a towel.

"OK, Jack. I'll see you later. Good luck with the surgery." Kate finished, flashing him the smile she reserved only for him when they were together on the island.

"Bye Kate. Good luck with your interview." Jack said as he headed out the front door to his car. He needed to get out and compose himself.

Kate was grinning for her entire shower, and she was enjoying so much she spent almost 25 minutes in it. Much to her dismay, she eventually had to get out and get dressed for her interview at DeAngelo's.

She dressed quickly into a professional looking blouse and skirt and quickly walked downstairs; halfway down though, a sound made her stop in her tracks. She heard a clatter from the kitchen, followed by a woman's curse.

Kate slowly walked down the stairs to investigate. The woman heard her enter the kitchen and looked up at her, glaring.

"You must be Kate." She said, almost spitting when she pronounced her name.

"Sarah." Kate replied, equally as annoyed at Sarah's presence. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh. Just collected a few things from the last time I spent the night here with Jack. I mean most of my stuff is in his bedroom, but some of it is down here." Sarah said, attempting to provoke Kate.

"Oh, you and Jack are still together? That's funny, he hasn't mentioned you once since I moved in with him." Kate wasn't letting Sarah win this.

"Look, Kate." Sarah almost spat. "I don't like you moving in with my Jack. He's mine. So you better watch out, and keep to yourself."

If she was angry now, I don't wanna know how angry she'd be if she was here this morning, Kate thought, chuckling to herself.

"Oh, don't worry Sarah. I have no intention of coming between you and your Jack." Cause when I'm done, there will be no you and Jack, Kate added to herself. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have a job interview. You'll have to come back some other time to get your things. Preferably when Jack and I are home." Kate finished, holding the door open, gesturing for Sarah to walk outside.

"Just know Kate, that I've got my eyes on you." Sarah said menacingly as she walked out of the house and to her car. "You try anything, and I mean anything, and I'll know about it. I won't be happy."

She continued to walk towards her car, turning around halfway down the drive, and finished, "Trust me, you don't want to see me mad."

Kate could only smile and shake her head, watching as Sarah walked to her car and drove off. Jack deserved so much better than that bitch, she thought. She wasn't anywhere near good enough for him, and everybody but Jack knew that.

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Meanwhile, Jack was in his Black Lexus ES350 on his way to St. Sebastien's. He still wasn't sure what to make of this morning. Was Kate taking advantage of her roommate status? Was she trying to make him jealous? Kate always had been a difficult person to read, and after minutes of thought still had no reason she would pull a stunt like that. Jack quickly fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed the one person who might know what was going on.

"Hi, Jack. What's up?" His half-sister answered the phone sweetly.

"Hi, Claire. How was the tour with Driveshaft?" Jack asked to get her talking.

"It was great, even if their music is a bit…well, it's not my cup of tea." Claire said chuckling.

"Haha, yea I bet Claire." Jack answered, laughing as well.

"So how are you and Kate doing? I hope living together isn't posing to many problems?" Claire asked innocently.

Jack couldn't help but think at the way she had asked. Did she know something? He knew Claire had always loved Kate and she'd even told him that Kate was 'the one' for him multiple times. Still though, he couldn't be sure, so Jack decided to play dumb.

"Actually, that's what I'm calling you about..." Jack began, but was interrupted by Claire.

"If you're about to say what I think you're going to say...then don't even think about it. If you break that poor girl's heart one more time I swear I will come over there and beat some sense into you." Claire spoke loudly into the phone, causing Jack to move it slightly away from his ear.

"While I'm flattered that you think of me that way," Jack began sarcastically. "That's not what I'm calling about. What the hell did you think I was gonna do anyway?" Jack asked confused.

"Well, from the way you said it…I thought you were gonna kick her out because you still have feelings for her, but you also have feelings for Sarah. So it kinda puts you in a tempting, but bad, situation."

Jack could only laugh. "Claire, I would never kick Kate out."

"Aha! So you've already given in to the temptation then?" Claire asked hopefully.

"Sorry Claire, no. As much as you'd like me to. I'm as committed to Sarah as ever." Jack answered, not really believing his answer.

"So…you say you like Sarah…you like Kate, your ex-girlfriend, enough to ask her to move in…but you don't find it awkward at all? OK Jack. Whatever you say." Claire said, putting it all together.

"Look Claire, Kate came into the kitchen this morning barely wearing any clothes." Jack blurted out.

Claire could barely contain her amusement. It certainly had affected him like she'd thought. Time to mess with Jack a little; it was just too much fun. "What do you mean barely wearing any clothes?"

"Well, she had a black bra, I think it was lace and some panties on." Jack explained.

"You remembered exactly what she was wearing?! You enjoyed it didn't you?! You liked it! Big brother, you got it bad!" Claire squealed.

"Look, I just wanna know if you had anything to do with this." Jack asked frustratedly, his sister's question not justifying a response.

"Kate's an independent girl Jack, maybe she just likes letting loose every once in a while. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it Jack?" Claire offered an explanation.

"Look Claire, I know you. You like messing with me. You sure you didn'thave anything to do with this?" Jack asked sternly.

The fact that Jack had evaded her semi-question did not go unnoticed. But she didn't expect him to do anything else, "No Jack. When I saw her yesterday we just talked and caught up with each other's lives. I'm actually kind of upset you think I'd do that." Claire asked.

Unbeknownst to Jack, she was grinning on the other end of the line.

"OK, Claire. Well, I'm just pulling up into the hospital; I'll talk to you soon. I hear Hurley's having another one of his re-unions in a few weeks. I guess I'll see you and Charlie there." Jack finished.

"Yup, Aaron to." Claire paused, like she was forgetting something. "Oh, Jack. She asked me not to tell you this, but its Kate's birthday on Friday. Get her something nice. If you need help picking something out, just call me. If I were you, I wouldn't give it to her when Sarah's around. Somebody might get a little jealous. "Claire finished with a joke.

"Will do, Claire. Thanks." Jack said, hanging up the phone.

"Bye." Claire responded, hanging up the phone, unable to hide her excitement.

A/N: So there it is, I hoped you liked it. Please Review!!! It's what motivates me to write. The more reviews I write the faster the next chapter will be up. I'm going to hope that motivates people to review better than setting a number, so just keep that in mind when reading. It only takes a few seconds :D.

Next Chapter: Kate's birthday...maybe a little fluff :D