It's embarrassing to find that the cargo pants she has worn most days since she arrived on the island are getting uncomfortably tight.
There's no bump as yet showing, only her body is changing. Her breasts are fuller – maybe a half a cup bigger, and her figure, once reed thin, has gained a couple of pounds.
It's not visible to the outside world yet, except for the facts that she has to strain to get her cargos to do up, and she's worried the buttons are going to pop.
It's another tell that her body is changing and it hurts her to think that sooner or later she won't be able to hide the truth.
But while she can she needs something looser, with more give, and no defined waistline. Something's that's not going to give her away as her stomach starts to grow over the next few weeks.
She ends up picking out two dresses from the pile recovered from luggage. One floral knee length dress with a lowish cut neckline and another longer yellow maxi dress.
"You look nice Kate," Sun smiles at her when she makes her first appearance in the shorter floral dress.
"The cargos were getting a bit hot for me," Kate explains.
Sun nods quickly. "Sure."
She's spent the past twenty minutes preparing lunch at the beach.
She's standing at the makeshift table, chopping fruit and cooking fish, popping up and bending down to fetch implements and ingredients to get everything just right.
Sawyer's dropped the book he was reading and has been watching her lazyly all the time, and she knows exactly why.
"Stop staring at my ass Sawyer," she clips, sounding annoyed as she pops up once more to check on the fish.
She hadn't considered Sawyer when she chose the dress, but between the boobs and the view of her legs, she's thinking maybe she should of.
"The Good Lord decided to give you a fine ass, so I think he wouldn't mind my appreciating it," he quips back.
Kate gives him an exasperated look.
"You know making lunch isn't a spectator sport. If you need something to occupy you, you could help me out here." Kate bites back.
"I'm good," Sawyer replies, cosily relaxing back into his chair.
She ignores him for a further ten minutes until dinner is nearly ready.
She has her back turned to him when he suddenly plants himself in front of her, grabs her then leans her back and presses a passionate kiss onto her mouth.
It doesn't end quickly but goes on for a minute or so, until she pushes her fingers back against his chest and he finally lets her go.
Kate's breathing heavily. "What the hell were you thinking?" she questions.
She's half trembling from the contact with Sawyer – and she doesn't know if its because she's afraid of the way he touched her, or if its evidence that she likes him too much.
"I just couldn't help myself. You just looked so damn cute in that dress."
The constant flashes of boob, ass and toned legs for the past fifteen minutes have really got to him.
"Hey, you can't just do that," they're interrupted as Jack comes storming up to them.
It's only then that Kate turns and realises half the camp has been watching this scene. She cringes inwardly.
"Kate has a back injury and you can't just go flinging her around like that. She could have gotten hurt," Jack is right up in Sawyers face, yelling and he's so angry.
"Hey Doc, just settle down there. Freckles is fine," Sawyer comes back with, looking both annoyed and bemused.
He looks over at her, "Ain't you freckles?"
Kate nods quickly, hoping this will all blow over.
"I didn't know she got injured but I'll be sure to mind that in future," Sawyer says smoothly.
"Unless you got some claim on Freckles that you're not telling anyone else about?" Sawyer adds next, smirking.
That makes Jack even madder, but he doesn't directly reply.
"You keep your hands off her," Jack threatens, angrily.
Sawyer brushes off the threat without reply.
"Say how you get injured, Freckles?" he asks next.
Kate watches the crowd that's gathered around them, then averts her eyes, cheeks blushing.
Apparently this situation is interesting enough that the whole camp is still listening to the drama playing out in front of them.
"None of your business," Jack replies.
"It's an old injury," Kate says, at the same time.
Jack continues to ignore Sawyer and walks up to Kate until he's within a breath of her face.
"You ok?" he asks in a low tone.
He's not just worried about her back, but that what he can only think of as Sawyer's assault on her is going to bring up fresh memories of the marshall.
Kate nods quickly.
Jack looks her over carefully quickly, and he doesn't fail to notice her hands are trembling slightly.
"Kate," he says in a low voice. "Let Sun or someone else finish making lunch, you just need to take a moment out."
Kate looks up at him and puts on a brave smile. "It's fine. I'm good."
He thinks about calling her out on it by pulling her hand into his, so she knows that he can see the way its trembling.
But then he thinks better of it. Because she doesn't need that on top of first Sawyer, and then everyone watching them.
He nods. "I've gotta get back to the hatch. If he tries anything else I'll sort him out." His voice sounds controlled, yet threatening.
Jack walks away with that threat in place, while Sawyer returns to reading his book, looking entirely nonplussed by the drama.
Kate's left standing there feeling mortally embarrassed and confused.
She doesn't know if she liked Sawyer's kiss or hated it.
But she definitely hated becoming the centre of attention, speculation and gossip for the whole camp for today, and probably the next week.
Later that evening Jack's on duty with Sun at the hatch.
Sun has been cooking for them, and they both chat easily together.
Jack feels like Sun is one of the few people he can truly feel comfortable with on the island.
He doesn't feel the expectation to be perfect, or infallible with her. He feels like he can be himself, flawed as he is.
Their work together to treat patients makes him feel as if they are a team of sorts.
"Is Kate ok now?" Sun questions him, as she cooks.
Jack nods, still sounding annoyed. "Sawyer is such a prick. He could have hurt her."
Sun processes this for a moment.
She thinks about the times she's seen Kate looking pale and clammy in the mornings, Kate's sudden desire to wear loose fitting dresses after being wedded to cargo pants, Jack telling her to stop carrying the heavy log and being suddenly over protective of her – the same way Jin is of her now.
"Kate's pregnant," she states.
Jack looks up at her. It's not a question, it's a statement.
He wonders how she knows with certainty because he's pretty sure Kate sure as hell didn't tell her. But then if anyone would know the signs, it would be Sun.
Sun doesn't need his reassurance and she's not even looking at him to receive it. Because all of the symptoms Kate has, she has herself, so she knows it to be true.
Jack sighs. "You can't say anything to anyone. Not even to Kate. It's safer if people don't know right now. The same as if people don't know you're pregnant."
Sun nods, then smiles slightly to herself.
"Congratulations Jack," she adds, sweetly.
Jack's turned away from her staring at his computer screen and he's startled by her words.
He supposes she would assume that he is the father of Kate's baby. After all, half the camp jokes about Kate being his girlfriend.
If he tells her he's not it's not doing Kate any favours because then Sun will start wondering who the father is, and maybe even ask Kate that question.
He doesn't want her exposed to any more hurt and hardship than she already is, dealing with an unwanted but unpreventable pregnancy as the result of being raped by the marshall.
If it saves Kate any more hurt he's going to have to suck up Sun's assumption that he's the father and live with it.
"Thanks Sun," he says quietly, and goes back to focusing on the computer screen.
Please keep reviewing if you are liking this story. I'm not too sure whether to continue it or not.