Author's Notes:

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Same day - Palm Springs, CA

She was lying on her back, starring at the ceiling above her, when her friend came in and sat down on the bed with her.

"Are you gonna mope around all day, Kate?" She looked at her friend, smiling, trying to get her to come out of bed.

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"Well, you could help me fix lunch, and then Clementine would just love to put make up on you." Both women smiled at each other.

"I don't know what I would've done without you, Cassidy. Thank you so much for letting me stay here."

Cassidy put her hand on Kates and said, "Of course, and you can stay here as long as you want. No matter what happens, I'm here for you. But I still think it's a mistake to leave Claire in the dark about all of this. She's your friend too. And Sawyer should know too. He's a big boy, he can handle it, I'm sure."

"So you think I should tell Sawyer the truth, but at the same time you tell me that you don't want him around Clementine. You do realize that that doesn't make any sense." Kate looked up at Cassidy.

Cassidy didn't get a chance to answer, because Kate continued before she could. "I really wish you could see that he isn't the same man anymore. He would not do anything to hurt Clementine. I just wish you would give him a chance to proof it."

Cassidy rolled her eyes at Kate. "You still love him, and I get that. But I don't, and I have to protect my child, can't you understand that?"

Kate sat up now and raised her voice, "Protect her from what? You haven't seen him with Aaron. I mean everything he did since we got off that damn island, was take care of Aaron and Claire. He's been amazing with both of them."

"If he's so amazing, then why are you hiding out here? Why won't you let him take care of you?"

"Don't try to change the subject, one has nothing to do with the other. I told you how heartbroken he was, probably still is about Juliet dying."

"But you think he still loves you too, isn't that what he said to you the other night?"

"Morning, it was in the morning." She corrected her friends recollection of events.

"Night, morning, whatever. Fact of the matter is that he said he was falling for you again, but he thinks that you don't care about him. So, you really think it's better for him to think you don't care, to think that you don't love him, instead of just telling him the truth."

"But what if I have this surgery, and then the tests come back and it's something bad. What then? I mean the first time around, it turned out to be nothing. I just don't think I'd be that lucky twice."

"Kate, you've survived 3 plane crashes. A crazy island. I can't even imagine the hell you've all been through, so I have no doubt that you're going to be just fine."

"But what if I'm not? What if it turns out to be cancer, like my mom had, and I'm going to die. Why would I get with him knowing that there is the possibility of hurting him like that? She died in his arms, Cassidy. I couldn't put him through that again."

"You do realize that you sound like a crazy person. Because normal people wanna be with the ones they love, and not push them away. He could meet some girl tomorrow, fall in love with her and then the next day she gets hit by a bus. Life is Life, you can't change what's going to happen, you just have to make the best of it."

"I'm trying to make the best of it. Claire and Aaron are perfect. Sawyer's doing great, other than our fight and you not letting him see Clem. Miles and Claire started dating a little while ago, and I think now that I moved out, he might move in. So, everything is working out great."

"Except that you pretend to not love him, breaking his heart that way and yours too. But you're right, Kate. Sounds like everything's perfect." The sarcasm in Cassiddys voice could not be missed by her friend.

"Who's side are you even on? Don't want him around Clem, but then lecture me about that I should be with him."

Cassidy let out a sigh, "You know I've talked to him on the phone, and I've decided that maybe I arrange some kind of meeting with him. But just me and him, not Clem. Because …" (Kate interrupts her)

"You didn't tell me about that. Why didn't you say anything? What made you change your mind?"

"I changed my mind when Clementine asked me the other day if she has a daddy too, like the other kids do. Up until that point I was convinced that she wouldn't miss what she didn't remember. Never even knew. And I didn't tell you, because I haven't told him yet. And now with you being here, I have to wait anyways, since he's not supposed to know you're here."

"So what, now you're trying to make me feel bad, that he can't see you or Clem, because I'm hiding out here?"

"No, that's not what I meant. Look, it doesn't matter. The last thing I wanna do is fight with you. I think you're going to be just fine. And I think that you're putting yourself through more misery because you won't tell Sawyer or Claire. That's it, but it's all your call. Now get up, and make yourself useful, since you're not paying any rent." With that Cassidy pulled Kate out of bed.

-
3 weeks later – Claire's house, L.A.

Miles walked in the front door, walking straight into the kitchen.

"Oh, hey there Jim, I guess I should have known I'd find you here. I just tried to call you, but your voicemail picked up instead. I have to say interesting outgoing message you've got there." Miles smiled at him.

"Well, I guess I took your girlfriends advice, and decided to say what I really think." He acted cocky, although he knew how pathetic it must all seem to Miles.

"Good for you. Hopefully she will call soon, and get's to hear it. Her little vacation should be almost over, right?" Miles tried to be nice, knew how much it must have taken for him to take that step, especially such an overly dramatic one.

"Yeah, let's hope so anyways. Hey, I was wondering, do you think your landlord will let me take over your lease when you move out?"

"Hey, hold your horses, Claire and I just started dating a little while ago. No need to talk about moving in together yet. I know you're in some sort of a rush with Kate, but I'm not."

"Alright then, I was just asking. Considering you spend most your time over here anyways."

Miles chuckled, "Yeah, look who's talking. Maybe you should move into Kate's old room?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

Claire walked in, "Who's trying to get rid of whom?" She went over and gave Miles a quick kiss. "Hi."

He said, "Hi yourself."

"Did you hear Romeos little voicemail message yet?" Miles questioned Claire. Sawyer rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, actually I did. And I think it's romantic. Don't you?" She looked at Miles.

Miles looked over at Sawyer, "See what you've done now? Now blondie here is gonna expect me to do some grand romantic gesture for her."

Everybody smiled and Claire gave Miles a push. "Leave him alone, he's trying to win her back, and since she has her cell phone off, that's the only chance he's got."

"That's the only chance I got? Hell, thanks goldilocks, for the vote of confidence!" Sawyer looked at her.

"Oh, don't get all mad, you know what I meant. She's stubborn, but when she does call your cell phone and listens to that outgoing message, she'll realize what an idiot she's been. I mean she disappears and doesn't answer her phone. Granted I know where she is, but still I expected her to call or at least call back when I called and left a message. But she hasn't. She's being really weird these days, so you just keep your head held high, and keep the voicemail messages coming."

He just smiled. He knew how stupid she was acting, but then again, he's been that stupid before too. Claire is right, he just has to hope that she'll realize that she made a mistake. Or at least realize that their little make out session 5 weeks ago wasn't a mistake.

-
Same day - Outside Miles apartment

She knocked a few times, but no answer. Her test had come back negative again, so no signs of cancer yet. Maybe she was just paranoid, because of her mom. So now Cassidy had convinced her to take this leap of faith. Just go see him, she'd said. Tell him you still love him, and see where that will lead.

She walked back to her car and got in. He's probably at Claires right now, she thought. She'd lost her old cell phone when she took Clementine to a playground a week ago. She dug through her purse to get her new phone out. Then she got her wallet out, digging through the little compartments, she knew somewhere in there she'd a little piece of paper with his number on it. She smiled at his handwriting. He was left-handed, so sometimes, if he wasn't careful, he'd smudge what he'd already written.

Her hands were shaking as she dialed his number. She put the phone to her ear. She could feel her heart beating faster, every time it rang. After 3 rings, his voicemail picked up and this is what she heard.

"If you're callin' 'bout the car I sold it. If this is Tuesday night I'm bowling. If you've got somethin' to sell, you're wastin' your time, I'm not buyin'. If it's anybody else, wait for the tone, you know what to do. P.S. if this is Freckles, I still love you!"

She hung up the phone without saying anything. She'd heard but she couldn't believe it. Tears started stinging at her eyes. It took her a few minutes to regain her composure, then she pushed the redial button. Again she heard it ring 3 times, before his voice mail picked up. She never said it to him, he hasn't said it to her since that first time in the cage. Her heart was racing, as she listened to his message again.

-
Back at Claires house

Sawyer and Aaron were sitting at the kitchen table, playing a Winnie the pooh memory game.

"Alright, man. You're turn." Sawyer said looking over at the little boy sitting across from him.

Aaron picked one card up and turned it over. It was tigger. His little hand then moved across the cards and as he was just about to turn one over, Sawyer made a noise, as if he was clearing his throat. Aaron looked up at him for a moment, and then moved away from that card. He was clearly lost now, didn't know which one to pick up.

"You're taking way to long kid. Why don't you pick this one up?" Sawyer pointing to one in his right corner. "That way I can finally have a turn again."

Aaron smiled, picked it up and sure enough, it was the match he was looking for. "I won again."

"Hey, hold your horses, bud. Nobody won yet, I still have a chance to beat you, the table still full with bears, tigers, rabbits and pigs."

"And Eeyore." Aaron felt the need to add.

"Eayore? Who the hell is Eeyore?" He knew he shouldn't have said hell, and looked around real quick to see if Claire was anywhere near.

After a little while they finished the game. Aaron wanted a snack, so he went looking for his mom. Sawyer walked out the back door to smoke.

He sat down on one of the patio chairs that Claire had on her back porch. He'd just lit his cigarette when his phone made a noise. With the cigarette hanging from his lip, he stood up, and dug into his jean pocket, retrieve his phone. The display flashed 'new voicemail'. He dialed to hear his voicemail, thinking it's probably Miles' from earlier. He had absolutely no reception in Claire's house. As he held the phone to his ear with one hand, he put the cigarette to his mouth again and pulled the smoke into his mouth.

All he heard was "I love you too."