A million thank you's for your continued patience and lovely, invested feedback and without further adieu here it finally is.
Note: Just to also give you guys a heads up, I have a brand spanking new oneshot nearing it's completion and it will be posted within the next few days. It's called "Finding Out" and will be set around the events of the episode D.O.C, but from Kate's perspective….
Many apologies for the delay.
124 letters and each one of them remained un-posted thanks to Diane's determination to sever all ties, right down to withholding where Kate currently resided.
However that failed to stop him and his search, thanks to a little initial friendly encouragement, and finally he'd found it; found her. Only to then be welcomed with a scene he didn't know what to feel in light of.
"If only I'd tried harder" was his mental conclusion. Certainly feeling like he'd brought this future upon himself, thanks to his self pity.
(1 month ago)
He'd started to become a rare sight at work and the same went for his apartment as well. The only place he did spend time at was behind the Bar. Seeing no point in life, not when it had been taken away from him, he instead chose to put an end to his. Trying every possible method to quicken the process yet it still failed to make the pain less.
"Drinking again I see?" came a voice Jack simply sighed in response to before refocusing on the half full drink in his hand.
"What do you want?" Jack responded after noticing that the person currently seated beside him wasn't planning on budging.
"You to stop doing this" the person replied in all honesty but all Jack offered was a bitter chuckle.
"Thanks for the concern, but no thanks."
"Jack…."
"Look, I just wanna be left alone!" he snapped, attracting public attention and urging the person next to him to consider doing just that, but at the same time felt the need to try even harder, cause Jack wasn't just any friend to them.
"I know you're angry and you have every right to be but…"
"Just go Kathy." Jack cut her off, knowing where this was heading and in no mood for a pep talk.
"No." Kathy challenged. "I'm not gonna let you just drink yourself to death over her."
The referral only worsened the situation and Kathy was lucky that Jack wasn't the kind of guy who resorted to physical violence on women.
"C'mon Kath." A third party suddenly stepped in. Casting a brief glance at what remained of his friend before refocusing on Kathy.
Kathy was a little more than reluctant to follow through and with seeing this Marc made a spontaneous decision and then asked her to wait outside for him in the car. Winning the argument firstly with a firm kiss planted against her lips followed by saying…..
"Let me talk to him."
"Good luck." Jack scoffed, clearly overhearing the conversation even in his mid drunken state.
Trusting in his assurance, Kathy responded with a soft, "okay", looking at Jack one last time before leaving the Bar.
This time Marc took a seat where Kathy previously had and seeing as Kathy drove them here, he didn't see the harm in having a drink himself.
"What ever you have to say that hasn't been drummed into my head a thousand times already, I'm not interested." Jack started out, putting emphasis on the last part for Marc's benefit.
"I'm just here for the drink." Marc defended, showing the extent of his innocence through the glass he raised.
The first few minutes was spent in silence. Marc patiently playing along with it and the method worked like a charm. Though not necessarily in the way he'd predicted.
"So you and Kathy huh?" Jack marvelled at the concept with an unreadable expression. Making it that much harder for Marc to respond respectively.
Ever since Jack found out about their relationship, which in itself was a very embarrassing moment, but never the less Marc felt guilty for allowing history to repeat itself. Marc believing that Jack had never having truly gotten over him dating Kate back in College, but this was different.
Different cause Jack wasn't in love with Kathy. At least not in the way he still obviously was with Kate.
"Yup." Marc replied. "Hard to believe it's only been 3 months but she's unlike anyone I've ever met." He mused, smiling in acknowledgement of how much his life had changed since being with Kathy.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Jack responded, completely unaware of the opportunity he'd just presented Marc with.
"So why are you here then?" Marc pointedly questioned.
"Marc….."
"Go get her Jack." Marc persisted, hating to see his friend so broken and defeated.
"I don't even know where she is." Jack revealed, exuding further hopelessness in his demeanour and tone at that fact.
"Well, you know she's in Iowa. So that's a start." Marc reminded him. "And if you love her the way I know you do, you won't stop." He finished, finally winning Jack's full attention over the alcohol.
(End of Flashback)
From there on the journey had been endless. Often awarding disappointment and frustration, but what maintained his faith throughout was her. Seeing her beautiful face again and saying the things he wished he'd said earlier.
He was getting the former now but he struggled with the latter. Mainly cause of the guy he could now see with Kate. Both content, almost jovial, with each other's company and that only drove the wedge even further into his already breaking heart.
"What are you doing here?" a voice behind him demanded, taking note to keep their voice down but refusing to let the anger show through.
Much to their dismay Jack felt the same, if not more, for the one person who ruined his life.
"Nice to see you too Diane."
Diane simply grabbed hold of Jack's left arm in response. Yanking him to the side in an effort to give him the 3rd degree.
"I thought I made myself clear." She firmly reminded him, but Jack refused to let her berate him once again.
"As I said then, you didn't give me or Kate a choice!" he hissed in a state of fury Diane felt slightly intimidated by. However with it came the urge to throw it all back in his face cause things had worked out in the way she hoped.
"A choice that finally gave my daughter the happiness she deserves. So don't you dare come here and accuse me of being the bad guy!" Diane shot back, putting Jack on the spot with the disheartening revelation.
Then came the mental questioning and Diane used the opportunity to make the final blowing reminder.
"Just accept the fact that she's moved on."
With that she walked towards the scene Jack had initially witnessed. Joining in on the laughter and leaving Jack to simply deliberate whether Diane was right.
"If you love her the way I know you do, you won't stop."
Marc's words suddenly rung through and with keeping that in both his mind and heart, the questions seemed to go away. Replaced then by the determination to find out for himself and not from Diane or this "new guy" but from Kate.
The one person who still mattered to him the most.
Her thoughts were still consumed by him but Tom managed to help her not get completely crazed by them.
Tom was a good childhood friend to her, despite Diane trying to discretely change that, but Kate still remained true to her feelings for Jack.
A reminder of them not only existing within her heart, but also within the safety of her womb. 4 months to date.
So there you go, 4 months on. Now the length of the Chapter is deliberate because I didn't want too many things happening and changing. I wanted primary focus on the next storylines of this fic. Some of which are already revealed in this Chapter.
Next Chapter: Kate gets a surprise visit and Tom bumps into a stranger who appears to know him more than he does them…