(Author's Note: Wow, thank you guys so much for all the great feedback I got on my last chapter. It's been wonderful! If I forgot to address any questions you asked in a review, just shoot me a PM and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)

It was nearing midnight, and Katherine didn't want to fall asleep, because falling asleep would mean waking up, and waking up would mean Jack would leave her. Their week was up. She sat quietly on the couch next to him, silently cursing him for having to go. Jack had his arm wrapped around her shoulders firmly, and he whispered,

"You know I hate leaving you, Ace. I'm real sorry." That must have been the fifth time he'd apologized to her that night. He pressed his lips to her temple and she leaned into him. He smelled like paint.

"What am I gonna do?" She asked plainly, suddenly feeling very desperate, "Jack, what if-well-what if you don't come back?" It was a question that had been on her mind all week. What would she do without him? Of course, she'd been fine on her own-before Jack-but now? Katherine couldn't bear to think of what she might do if... well...

"I'll come back Ace," he started, but she interrupted him, strangely calm.

"I know. I know you will, I trust you, but you have to know that it's possible. You don't have control over what goes on out there. We both know that, and there's no sense ignoring it."

"Then... you'd make do Ace," he said after a moment of hesitation, "and you'd still have the boys and all, but it's not gonna happen. Okay?" Katherine's emotions were all over the place. As calm as she'd been a moment before, she was a wreck again now.

"Okay-" She would have said something more, but Jack leaned over and kissed her slowly. She reached up to touch his cheek, and before she even knew what she was doing, Katherine was on top of him, sitting in a straddle on his lap. She kissed him hard, running her hands through his messy hair-his hair always seemed to be a mess for some reason, and Katherine took a mental note of this. She knew it would likely be the last time she kissed him for a long time, and she wanted to remember every detail of it. Her blouse had come slightly untucked in the back, and Jack's fingers brushed lightly over her skin. Katherine shivered as he tugged gently at the hem, until his hands could eventually rest securely on her bare waist. All that mattered to her then was his hands on her skin and his mouth on hers. She wanted to stop time, to freeze everything into that moment and never let go, but as it grew later into the night, Jack finally murmured,

"You need to get some sleep sweetheart."

"I don't want to sleep," she mumbled, trying to convince herself she wasn't tired. She continued to protest half-heartedly, as Jack picked her up and carried her, like a child, to their bed. Katherine was determined to stay awake, but she was fighting a losing battle. Jack laid down next to her, and she clung to him desperately.

"I love you," he said, "more than anything, Katherine Kelly, I love you."

She was asleep before she could even respond.

The next morning was a blur of trains and far too short goodbye's. Katherine hardly even had time to process everything before Jack was walking towards his train-away from her. She ran out from the small group of boys (Crutchie, Davey, and Les) that had been allowed to come see him off.

"Wait, Jack!" She called, after him. She wanted to say something, anything, but when he turned to her, his face drawn and serious, all she could think to say was, "Um, I just-be careful." Jack squeezed her hand, nodded, and then was gone, lost in the rush of the crowd.

It was lucky Davey was there, because if he hadn't caught her, Katherine probably would have fallen completely to the ground. Something just snapped and suddenly, she no longer knew how to stand. Her knees buckled under her, and Davey's arms closed around her waist before she even realized she'd fallen. Tears started to stream defiantly from her eyes, and no matter how hard she tried to regain her composure, it just wasn't happening.

"Shh, it's gonna be all right Katherine, I know it," Davey reassured her, and she hugged him tightly, knowing she was probably completely soaking his shoulder.

"Thank you for everything," she said, smiling though her tears, "You're a great friend Davey."

"Hey, what are friends for?" He, Les and Crutchie smiled grimly at her, and she was so glad that they were there with her; her boys. They headed out of the station together in silence, and Katherine decided right then and there that she was going to be strong for them, as well as for herself. She could wait a year. A year wasn't so long, right? She was going to make it through a year, and she was going to be strong.

(Thanks again, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter as well! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and a happy 2015 ahead of you!

Much love,
PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)