A/N: I noticed the amount of reviews dropped for this chapter, is there a specific reason for that? Was it generally a not well liked chapter? If that's the case please let me know instead of saying nothing, I can take it I swear :D. Just tell me what you didn't like so I can improve it.

That said, here's Chapter 12. Things are beginning to be set in motion, and so hopefully updates will come a little faster, as long as I know you're still enjoying the story.

Chapter 12: Suspicions Confirmed

"You're really not gonna tell me where we going?" Kate asked annoyed.

"Nope, if I did it wouldn't be a surprise." Mark replied, flashing a smile.

"What if I said I don't like surprises?" Kate asked pointedly.

"Then I'd say you're lying." Mark said cleverly.

"Oh? What makes you think that?" Kate said, enjoying the banter between them.

"'Cause over half of Jack's very detailed account of your time together involves all the good stuff that came after the surprises." Mark explained.

"Oh, so you're after what comes after this, then?" Kate said with mock indignation.

"No, Kate, all I ask is dinner. We'll see where it goes from there." Mark said, chuckling, as they pulled in to the parking lot at a fancy restaurant. "Here we are. Due Amici."

Mark parked the car; they walked inside and straight to their table courtesy of Mark's reservation for two.

They quickly placed drink and entrée orders and were busy with small talk when Kate finally decided it was time to get down to business.

"So, Mark, you promised you'd tell me more about the 'old' Jack." Kate said.

"I was kinda hoping to avoid that, but I guess I did promise." Mark resigned. "You know he's not gonna be happy about this, right?"

Kate just nodded her head; she couldn't turn back now.

"OK, OK. Where to begin?" He muttered to himself. "It all started about a week after you all returned. The man had basically worked an entire week and I asked him if he wanted to blow off some steam."

Kate nodded for Mark to continue, listening intently.

"He said he had some stuff on his mind, and that things would fix themselves soon. He said that going out drinking and getting laid would be giving up, and he wasn't ready to do that." Mark continued. "Naturally, I didn't have a clue what the hell he was talking about. So he had to fill me in."

Kate nodded, cringing inwardly at how much she hurt Jack. It had never been her intention; she had thought he would lead a better life without her.

"He told me about you and your time together. He told me about the kiss in the jungle, and how it was the best moment of his life. He didn't understand it, but it had just felt so right. It took an entire night, and a lot of beers, but by morning we'd gotten through every story he had."

"All of them? How many stories did he tell you exactly?" Kate asked interested.

"Kate, I felt like I was a fly on Jack's shirt from the moment you two met each other to well…when you left him." Mark explained, "He even told me about the times before you were officially together; how it felt like he'd been stabbed through the heart when he saw you on the monitor with that dude, and when you jumped that other guy's bones the night he asked you for a spoon…"

"Wait. How did he know about Sawyer and me? I didn't exactly make that public knowledge…" Kate asked disbelieving that Jack had known about her revenge sex attempts.

"Jack's always been one of those guys that sees everything, whether he wants to or not. He told me he felt horrible that you went to...Sawyer…that night, and it made it worse to think that he was possibly the reason. I never thought Jack was the type to get jealous, guess I was wrong." Mark admitted, laughing to himself.

"Wow." Kate muttered to herself, "I can't believe it. I didn't know that hurt him so much. I wish he knew how much he was hurting me being with her…it never would have happened." She said softly.

"Yea, I got the entire story. There wasn't one detail missed out. I mean, when two guys talk for 9 hours straight about one woman, it's epic. I mean that kinda thing belongs in the Guinness Book. I know things about you two that I'm pretty sure I don't want to." Mark muttered, chuckling.

Kate remained silent, taking it all in.

"Can I ask you something, Kate?" Mark asked, looking up from his thoughts.

"Sure, Mark." Kate replied, smiling slightly.

"When did you know you were in love with him? Not when you felt the spark, when did you know you were in love?" Mark asked, interested to know.

Kate thought about the question for a while. To this day, her time with Jack was all a blur. It had all been so perfect…well, almost.

"The moment Juliet told me that he might die on the operating table. I'm guessing he told you about that?" Kate admitted for the first time after a slight pause.

Mark almost laughed, "Yea. You could say that."

"Just the thought of losing Jack, and my heart almost broke. Then when he tried to tell me something before the surgery, I told him to shut up, because I couldn't admit that I might lose him. I was selfish. If he had died…" Kate voice trailed off, a single tear falling from her eye.

"Kate. You know what told me about that day?" Mark asked.

"That he enjoyed Juliet feeling up and around his insides?" Kate joked through tears, attempting to lighten the somber mood. It no longer felt like a date.

"No," Mark laughed, "He told me the reason he wanted to be awake through the surgery, and the reason he wanted you to be holding the mirror was just in case it all went wrong. You remember when Juliet told you to leave so they could knock him out?"

"Yea." Kate said, reliving it in her head, "It was the scariest moment of my life."

"He was trying to tell you right then. He was trying to tell you he loved you."

"He told you that?" Kate asked incredulously.

"Yea, real macho guy talk, huh? Don't tell anyone that though, I do have somewhat of a reputation to uphold." Mark replied jokingly, but Kate's eyes were elsewhere.

On the blonde woman sitting a few tables over to be precise.

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Jack had been right. It had been a horrible day, and it was only lunchtime.

He had so much on his mind, and the paperwork piling up on his desk wasn't helping things. All the things that had happened recently had really done a number on him.

He really needed to talk to someone about that damn dinner a few nights ago, and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew exactly whom that person was.

Jack knocked on the open door as he walked in to the room, "Hey."

"Hello, son." Christian replied. "What can I do for you?"

"Can we talk?" Jack asked.

"Why do I get the feeling we're about to have another one of those conversations." Christian said, half joking.

"One of what conversations, dad?" Jack asked frustrated and dejected.

"One of the ones where I have to tell you whichever bimbo has got you hooked isn't worth it." Christian replied.

"I'm flattered you think I have such a good taste in women, dad, but yea, this is one of those conversations." Jack said sarcastically.

"Well, judging by the expression on your face, you're not leaving until you get some kind of help, so I suggest you start talking." Christian commanded.

Jack began slowly, but got through the entire story. Not in as much detail as with Mark, but enough.

He told his dad about meeting Sarah for the first time, and then the moment Kate had walked back into his life. He told him about the mixed feelings he had around her. How one part of him wanted to be with Kate, but another felt committed to Sarah.

To his credit, Christian listened intently. Normally by this time he would have sent Jack packing with a snide remark about his social life, or lack of, but not this time.

It was like he could tell how much this decision could impact his life.

"…and then Sarah just…exploded…I mean…what she did to Kate was… evil. No human being should ever have to be treated like that. It just…" Jack continued explaining, but didn't get the chance to finish.

"Jack. I know I haven't really helped you out much in the past, but trust me when I say this. I care about you, I always have. I know I haven't always shown it, but I love you. Normally when you ask for my advice I can see that you don't genuinely care for the people you're involved with, but this time…this time it's different." Christian began.

"That's great dad, but it doesn't help." Jack retorted quickly. Honestly, he didn't know how to react to his father's confession, and so he deflected.

"Let me ask you this Jack, and think carefully before you answer this. Think back to the dinner with Sarah and Kate. Why were you mad?" Christian asked.

Jack didn't understand what his father was getting at, but he listened and thought about an answer. After several moments though, Christian grew impatient, and attempting to guide his son to an answer.

"Jack, were you upset because of the way Sarah acted towards Kate? Or because it was Kate?"

It took Jack only seconds to find an answer.

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"Jack! Are you home?" Kate asked, running in the door from her date with Mark, "Jack?"

As soon as she had seen Sarah out with another man, she had told Mark their date needed to be cut short. Sensing it was something important, he asked Kate what the problem was.

Kate slyly pointed the blonde at the table out as Sarah, and heard Mark mutter under his breath, "What a bitch."

Realizing the importance of the situation at hand, Mark asked for the bill and they headed for the car for the short drive back to Jack's.

They reached the house, and said their goodbyes. Being the classy man Mark was, he didn't even try to kiss her, just bid farewell and gave her a peck on the cheek. As innocent as it was, Kate couldn't help but wonder if Jack had seen it.

She really hoped he hadn't.

She got out of the passenger side of the car quickly and almost ran into the house.

"I'm in here." Jack's faint reply could barely be heard from the door, but she ran to the source of the voice instantly.

"Jack!" Kate said, panting slightly, "I need to tell you something. But you're not going to like it. I just think I have to…" Kate noticed several beer bottles lying on the table in front of him, and Jack staring expectantly at her. "I saw…Sarah…with…"

"Another man?" Jack asked, looking up from his drink for the first time.

"How'd you know?" Kate asked skeptically, taken aback that he already knew.

"We finally had that talk. She told me everything." Jack admitted.

"What do you mean everything?" Kate asked confusedly.

"Sit down. It's a long story." Jack suggested, patting the sofa beside him.

"I stormed into her apartment and told her we needed to break up, mainly because of what she did to you, but also because it felt like we'd been drifting apart...for uhh, other reasons." Jack began, and looked at Kate.

Kate didn't respond, and just continued to listen.

"She asked my why. Maybe she wanted to know if there was someone else. I guess she wanted a way out, a way to feel less guilty about what she did. She must've known the reason, even if I hadn't said it yet." Jack continued, stuttering slightly.

Kate wanted to know the reason he told her, but decided it was best to avoid the subject for now.

Jack didn't wait for a response, and continued. "I told her, and then she told me the entire story. I never meant anything to her. It was all an act. She'd been seeing someone else before me, an old patient of mine, actually. Evan Green."

The name hit Kate like a ton of bricks; it was the same name she'd uncovered on the surgical reports at St. Sebastien's. She cursed herself for not bringing it up sooner; maybe she could have helped Jack.

"Apparently, they didn't have the money to foot the bill, and figured I was her ticket in. It makes sense now, that's why she was so protective of me, why she wanted to hurry into marriage, and why she took an instant dislike to you." Jack said, finally seeing the bigger picture, smiling dejectedly to himself.

Kate just gave him a puzzled look, and Jack clarified. "She felt threatened."

"I'm so sorry, Jack" Kate said, Jack's story bringing a tear to her eye.

"I'm not." Jack said, cracking a smile.

There voices both subsided and for a moment, they just started into each other's eyes, enjoying the company.

"I uhh…found…a file at work that might have had something to do with this. It was the surgery report of that guy's surgery. I saw you as the surgeon and Sarah as the contact, I figured that there was something going on…and I should've warned you sooner. I'm sorry." Kate said guiltily, breaking the silence.

"Kate, don't be. I never would have believed she was capable of doing something like that… until now. I'm just glad I found out about it now, before I made the biggest mistake of my life." Jack finished, relieved to get it out of his system.

"Do you want me to just sit with you?" Kate asked, concerned. "Help you forget about all this?"

"Nah, Kate. I don't wanna ruin the rest of your night. I'm only gonna sit here and feel sorry for myself. You don't need to see that." Jack lied. In truth, he wanted to feel the comfort Kate brought when she was around him, but he couldn't open up again so soon. He still wasn't even sure if Kate held the same feelings as he did, and he couldn't scare her away again, not after she'd just re-entered his life and he'd finally freed himself from what had turned out to be the worst relationship of his life.

"OK, well I think I'm going to go to bed." Kate said, hurt that Jack didn't want to be in her company. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She offered.

"Yea, hopefully." Jack muttered softly.

"Hey, Jack?" Kate said, turning around to face him.

"Why did you tell her you were leaving her?" Kate probed, still interested in what he said to Sarah. "I mean, before she told you about the other guy."

Jack laughed. "I told her, it doesn't matter what my friend's think of my girlfriend, but it sure as hell matters what my girlfriend thinks of my friends."

A/N: That's it for Chapter 12, I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review either way, it only takes a second and it makes me update faster :D Roll on Wednesday.

Coming Up: Jack gets some advice from a certain Rock star.