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shesborntorun ([info]shesborntorun) wrote in [info]taintedsprings_,
@ 2008-08-08 17:34:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Maybe Baby?
Who: Juliet, Kate,Jack and Sawyer
When: Dinner
Where: A Romantic restaurant
Rating: PG

It felt like riding on glass, her hand stroked the leather on Jack’s steering wheel. Driving was something Kate loved; it feed the nomad in her. Her top teeth nervously pulled over her bottom lip. She’d never admit to Jack that she felt a tad dizzy; she’d never tell him that he was right and she should have waited until she was stronger for her first outing, which was in her mind their first real date.

The days since she’d been sick were, for the most part, a fog; days lost, blurred in her memory. Like now she should have stayed at home letting Jack go to his mother’s funeral alone, but she hadn’t. The pneumonia took its toll on her frail body. Catching the flu from one of the nameless faces attending the funeral didn’t help either.

It had been months, under his eagle eye she’d recovered, but just barely. What did she remember? Jack. Scraggly faced, hollow eyes at times, he’d been there. Lids would flutter open, looking for him, and there he’d be, his quirky smile greeting her, at times chastising her, and if memory was correct commanding her to live.

Healthy enough to be on her own, Kate’s confidence wavered as she prepared for dinner. He’d put her in his bedroom, taking guest bedroom. She doubted if he’d used it much when she was first home. Yes it was all blurry, but there were times she would wake up cuddled up to his back, seeking his warmth. If that were true, he’d never said a word.

Kate took extra time preparing, waiting to take his breath away. For so long she’d looked like a gaunt ghost of herself. He wouldn’t tell her to leave, he couldn’t. ‘Hell yes, he could,’ she told herself aloud. Looking to the left, noticing the passenger in the car alongside her staring, she pretended as if she were singing along with the radio. Then it dawned on her, it didn’t matter what anyone thought. ‘Calm down Kate, it will be okay.’ She caught her reflection in the mirror and for the first time in a long while she liked it. Pinching her cheeks, to give her more color and to hide the paleness of her skin, she didn’t want a ‘told you so,’ from Jack.

Cursing under her breath at the car in the spot next to the one she was taking, she maneuvered into the parking spot, taking her time as she made her way into the restaurant. As usual these days, Jack had to work late. This was close enough to the hospital for him to walk, yet had that quaint feel that gave the evening a romantic touch. Or maybe that’s what she wanted to think.

Asking for water, Kate waited for Jack. Pulling a book out-of-her purse, she opened it to the book mark and began to read, long curls spilling around her face.

Kate Austen was happy.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-08 08:37 pm UTC (link)
Juliet had just finished a study meet with a few of her students that were concerned about their grades. There was a big exam tomorrow, and they wanted to be ready. By the time they left, she felt confident that they'd all ace the test - or at least pass with flying colors. She also took note of who showed up, because that meant they cared about their education. If for whatever reason she noticed them falling behind or slacking off, she'd make it a point to remind them of how dedicated they'd been before, and she expected that determination to succeed to continue until the semester was over. She also granted those that made an extra effort 'mercy points' if they were close to achieving a certain letter grade. Attendance factored into that as well, and she did give extra credit opportunities. She was as fair with her grading system as possible, and far more lenient than most of the other professors on campus. Why? Because she'd dealt with enough drama. She didn't want to put these kids in a position to fail. She knew what it was like to try and try, and yet never quite understand something.

Now she was exhausted and starving. She decided to dine out so she wouldn't have to scrounge up something herself. The restaurant she ended up in was randomly chosen. It was close, and she'd eaten there a few times in the past. The food was good. The service wasn't unreasonably slow, and the environment was nice - not that she needed anything other than a seat and a hot plate of food to make her happy.

She was greeted warmly and shown to a table. However as she was walking, she spotted a familiar face. Granted, it was partially hidden by a book, and loose curls framed the woman's visage, but she recognized her anyway - or thought she did. After directing a quick 'nevermind' in the host's direction, she pivoted and slowly approached the table. An uncertain glance was cast over her shoulder, an action carried out mostly to stall from having to say anything. It was inevitable though. It was best to break the silence instead of getting caught just standing there, staring - especially if she had the wrong person. She'd really wanted to get a closer look before speaking, but ... now she was almost sure.

"Kate?" The safest way to start this conversation was with an exchange of formalities. She wasn't sure that Kate would be too thrilled about seeing her. They hadn't exactly been close when they were marooned on the island, though being free had improved Juliet's disposition. Maybe they could both let the past stay in the past - and they'd almost come to an understanding in their final days. Bottom line was that she had 'crossed over' to their side.

What this meant was that all of them: Kate, Jack, Sayid, Sun, Jin, Hurley, and Desmond ... they hadn't been on the freighter when it exploded. Sawyer had escaped the ill fate as well, only by other means. But until now, she'd thought that everyone had gone down with the ship. She'd been wrong. They'd survived. Obviously, they'd made it safely back to the mainland somehow. It was almost too good to be true, but it was, and Juliet couldn't have been happier. At least, even if this encounter was brief, she'd come away with that realization: they'd all made it.

As for right now, she stood there ( rather awkwardly, might I add ), arms hanging loosely by her sides as she waited to be acknowledged and tried to guess what Kate's initial reaction might be.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-08 09:46 pm UTC (link)
Instinctively, Kate’s head rose at the sound of her name. She’d been lost in her book, something she took great pleasure in not paying attention to her surroundings. Not even listening for the familiar footstep she loved so much.

Her eyes looked up at the blonde standing there, then she did a double-take her head moving forward, book almost falling.

“J…J.. Juliet?” Her first thought was ‘NOT NOW,’ thankfully that didn’t come across in her tone. Shock didn’t nearly explain her surprise.

“Off the island, here,” then she took a breath. “Good to see you, sit please?” She was honestly glad to see her, just not at this moment. They hadn’t been in contact with anyone else from the island, so knowing Juliet was alive made her feel, that she couldn’t explain.

Juliet was the one person who made her doubt herself. Yet, she’d saved Jack, and given Kate the reason she was here now.

“How are you?” Kate asked, pulling aside a stray hair, wondering just how Jack would react.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-09 03:12 am UTC (link)
She smiled warmly when Kate asked her to sit, but she gave her a moment to adjust. Clearly she was surprised. Juliet was too, but she accepted the invitation and took a seat in one of the vacant chairs. A part of her felt like she was intruding even if she had been asked to stay. At least Kate was alone. They wouldn't have to give an awkward explanation as to how they knew each other like they would've if she'd had a friend with her. Though to be quite honest, she hadn't expected to find her alone. Back on the island, she'd always had men vying for her affection. Then again, she hadn't expected to run into Kate at all. Funny how things worked out. Of course, Juliet remained oblivious to the fact that she was expecting someone, and not just any someone.

She folded her hands and placed them in her lap, tilting her head to the side slightly as she responded. "I'm good." It was a shame that she didn't really know what else to say. It'd been a long time. Ultimately she decided to stick to the basics. "How are you?" If she had been bold enough, she would've pointed out that Kate looked a little pale - possibly a little on the frail side, but she could've just dropped a few pounds or maybe the lighting in the restaurant had changed her appearance somewhat. Asking if she were okay would imply something was wrong - which would imply she looked bad, which she didn't. Best to stray away from that line of conversation.

"I teach a class at the university. Do you live here in town?" Most of her time was spent on campus, so it was possible that Kate had been here awhile, and they just hadn't crossed paths until now. After all, it was a small town. That was the most reasonable explanation she could think of for why they hadn't seen each other around before. Juliet still considered herself a very observant person. Some old habits were harder to break than others, and Kate's shock was too convincingly conveyed to be fake.

"It's really good to see you, Kate. When the boat blew up, I thought ... we all thought that you guys didn't make it." Juliet had been slightly taken aback by how much she'd grown to generally care for the few survivors of 815 she'd gotten to know, so it had been devastating to witness - not just because it was supposed to be her rescue too, but because she'd come to admire and respect those aboard it. She certainly hadn't wished for them to die, not after everything. She wouldn't have even wished that on her worst enemy. So the statement was a sincere one, and it undoubtedly showed. Her entire expression had softened. It helped that her nerves had calmed a bit.

Her smile broadened momentarily as she leaned back a little in her chair, settling into a more comfortable position as she fell silent, giving Kate the chance to answer her questions.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-09 01:07 pm UTC (link)
Fighting for your life had a tendency to bond people together, no one else would understand, could understand. In a weird way they were family and always would be.

“This is awkward, isn’t it?” Kate began to laugh, and laugh and laugh. She didn’t know why she felt it was funny, but it was. Thankfully Juliet’s eyes let her know that she understood the unexpected outburst.

“I need a drink, how about you? I don’t even know if you do drink. Damn Juliet, we’ve fought side-by-side and there’s so much I don’t know about you.” Kate relaxed, there wasn’t anything she could do at this point but watch this play out.

Kate sipped on her water, as she waited for her drink to arrive.

“I don’t know where to start,” Kate admittedly. “I’m good now, I’ve been … ill, this is my first night out.” The waiter brought drinks; Kate sipped not waiting to drink too much too soon. Jack would chastise her yet she figured he’d understand. Any reasonable person would.

After the island, they trusted few people. After all Charles Whitmore was still out there. At night she had nightmares about Ben and the island, nightmares she’d never shared with Jack.

Leaning in to Juliet, she spoke slow and cautiously. “Something’s going on here, you know that. For us to come to this place, slowly one-by-one, we have to be careful and stick together.” Kate felt like she was making a ‘Survivor’ alliance. During her recovery, she found herself drawn to the show, if they only knew, but no one would.

“As to live here, that’s a good question. I came to visit Jack, caught pneumonia in a freak snowstorm; I haven’t been strong enough to leave.” There was no romantic insinuation; she was more matter-of-fact in her manner. “Prepare yourself; he’ll be joining us for dinner. That is if he can get away from the hospital. Otherwise, it’s just us.”

Kate didn’t want Juliet blind-sided when Jack arrived, Jack on the other hand would just have to deal. If Kate were honest, she wanted to see his reaction, then she’d know how he felt towards her blonde companion.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-09 05:48 pm UTC (link)
Awkward, yes. Awkward in a bad way? No. This reunion was going much better than Juliet had expected. Maybe she worried too much about other people's opinions. She preferred to be well-liked. Not to the extent where she'd do something that went against who she was simply for the praise or attention, but going with the flow most often than not left her content, unless it was something she knew was wrong. Back on the island, that line had become blurred. It was nearly impossible to tell which was the best course of action to take, and which was the worst. If was even harder to determine who was trustworthy and who wasn't. Ultimately, she'd found it easier to put her faith in Jack than try and figure out Ben. Gaining the trust of the other castaways hadn't been easy, but she still to this day felt it'd been right. Everyone came to the a crossroads at some point in their lives: that had been her defining moment.

A small laugh fell from her lips as she nodded. Alright, so neither of them would've pictured themselves sitting across from each other carrying on a casual conversation like this, but it was happening, and it was kind of nice. While Kate had been her greatest 'competition,' she admired the woman. She had strength and stamina and many other admirable qualities. Now maybe she could appreciate those instead of having to worry about how the other would retaliate or react to something under-handed Juliet had done. Hopefully the experience had caused them both to grow, and they could let bygones be bygones.

"I could definitely use a drink." Yes, she drank. Not heavily, but enough to order a glass of white wine. Anything much stronger than that she usually strayed away from unless there were dire circumstances that merited something with a little more kick. Then rum would have to be her drink of choice.

After the waiter swung back around with their drinks, she'd take a sip, before gently setting the glass down. Kate had remarked about not knowing much about her. The observation caused the corners of Juliet's mouth to twitch before drawing up into a smirk. "I'm really not that interesting." Ironic, considering she'd been such a mystery back on the island. But who she'd been there was who she'd become to survive - not who she actually was. At least that's what she chose to tell herself. It helped her sleep at night, and for the most part, she believed it. "I could say the same about you, Kate Austen, but it would be a lie." She might've peeked at Kate's file once or twice, although in all fairness to the brunette sitting across from her, that didn't tell her everything. Just the facts that could be neatly outlined.

Her smile dipped down into a frown when Kate said that she'd been ill, but she didn't press the matter. She could bring it up again later. Her current companion had moved on to tell her something else: something important and secretive, or so she figured because of the way she'd repositioned herself. Juliet leaned forward too, listening intently as she was told that something was going on here. It was hard to believe that them all showing up like this was coincidence. She hadn't really run into anyone else, so she hadn't found it that suspicious, but now that she knew others were here ... sticking together was definitely a good idea. "Of course." There was always strength in numbers, especially when the alliance was formed with someone she already knew and trusted.

Then Kate dropped the most shocking revelation of all: Jack was here. He worked at the hospital. No surprise there, but Juliet hadn't expected to see him again, ever. Her feelings about this were mixed. Jack was joining Kate for dinner. Translation: this was a date. Their date, and here she sat: 'the other woman.' Sure, it'd only been a couple of kisses. It was mostly a relationship built on desperation or need to have the other on their side, but it was still complicated for her. And Kate ... this couldn't be any more comfortable for her. Not to mention what Jack would think ...

She probably should've left right then, but she didn't. Instead she reached forward and took a big gulp of her drink. After the action was carried out, she forced a broad smile to try and mask her inner conflicting emotions. "I can't wait."

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-09 10:37 pm UTC (link)
Kate saw the look that flashed across Juliet’s face, and the two word answer, yes her rival for his affection still had feelings for him; how could anyone not love Jack?

“Juliet, there isn’t an ‘us,’ a Jack and Kate, not yet.” Kate on the island would never say those words or the ones to follow. But this wasn’t Kate from the island. She’d caused enough pain; she wouldn’t again not on purpose. “This isn’t what it looks like; it’s not a date, as much as I’d like to think so. If it is Jack is being secretive. “Maybe there is a Jack and me and maybe it’s you and Jack; hell maybe it’s you and me.” Kate laughed.

“We can’t avoid each other; what were the chances we'd all end up here?"

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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-10 03:16 am UTC (link)
Jack was inwardly kicking himself for being so late. Being Chief of Surgery was a demanding job, especially in a town as strange as this one. He was almost relieved he and Kate had been away during the incident with the phantom pregnancies. Yes, they’d been away for a horrible reason, but staying behind for that would have been almost as bad.

He wasn’t the sort of person to delegate – he liked to be in control, after all – and consequently took on more work than he really needed to. But it didn’t matter that much, because he’d escaped eventually, and was currently attempting to straighten his tie as he entered the restaurant. He wished he’d had time to get a shower and a shave, but, all things considered, he could have looked a lot worse.

As far as Jack was concerned, establishing an actual ‘us’ was merely a formality. He’d tended Kate through her illness as diligently as any lover or husband would have done, and naturally assumed that she’d assumed that. Sometimes he took for granted things he really needed to deal with.

He spotted Kate immediately, and spotted Juliet only a fraction of a second later. He’d grown used to expecting the unexpected here in Franklin Springs, but he still felt a sensation akin to a bucket of cold water tipped over his head. Kate turning up had been shocking enough, but Juliet! It was a little bit like seeing a ghost. The Island seemed a whole world away now, and he’d done his best to make sure it stayed that way.

He wasn’t sure what to do. In fact, he’d frozen in mid step. They were caught up in conversation, and he wasn’t sure if he should join or back away hastily. A coward could slip away unnoticed, and pretend the hospital simply wouldn’t realise its hold. But he wasn’t a coward. Or, at least, he didn’t think he was. Although he wasn’t sure he was brave enough for this.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-10 04:39 am UTC (link)
As if Juliet really believed a word Kate was saying. But she believed that Kate believed it. For some reason, she wasn't very good at realizing just how much the men in her life cared for her. Then again, the psych profiles the Others had compiled on the survivors somewhat helped Juliet gain more insight into how things actually were. Observation was a key survival technique, and she'd taken a personal interest in Jack and his friends - namely Kate, who she'd soon enough discovered was far from just a friend. So like it or not, she'd sucked it up and accepted that she would always come in second place when it came to Jack. Romance usually ended in tragedy for her, so it was probably better that way. It didn't take away the initial sting, but she'd never expected to fall for the doctor. That hadn't ever been the plan. It was supposed to be an act.

Eventually she'd come to appreciate Jack's generosity and recognize his actions as strictly platonic. He was everyone's hero, not just hers. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, but he was always fair. Sure, they'd gotten off to a rocky start, but she might've deserved a little sarcasm and a few harsh words here and there. After all, she had been 'the enemy.' Though basically he'd saved her life: rescued her from Ben and the existence she was forced to live because she'd had no other options. Of course things could've been simpler had he not kissed her, even if it was just the once ... When she had kissed him, it had been different. She wasn't sure if she and James would survive, and she wanted to express her gratitude. But Jack ... let's just say she hadn't ever figured out why he'd made that particular move, and really, thinking about it would lead nowhere good, so she would just forget about it - and she had. You know, until now.

So Kate could deny that she and Jack were a couple, but Juliet didn't need to see them together to know it was true. Date ... romantic dinner ... whatever. There was a Jack and Kate: always had been, and always would be, apparently. But, to keep the mood light, she laughed shortly after Kate did. It's not that she wasn't enjoying this little get-together. It was nice to see a familiar face, even if it brought back a few bad memories. She hadn't yet forgotten the island or how she felt when she'd been trapped there. She still dreamt about it sometimes. However, the current topic of their conversation made her even more uneasy for various reasons. Most of them should've been obvious, although she hoped it didn't show. Why should she still be holding on to a fantasy that died a long time ago? She wasn't a dreamer, not anymore. She was a realist. Still, he'd believed in her when no one else had. That meant more to her than he'd ever know.

"It is pretty strange." Almost as if they'd been specifically placed here. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

She parted her lips to say something else, but pressed them back together and casually reached for her glass after spotting the man of the hour standing a few yards away. "You know, I think maybe we should've given Jack a heads up." She tried to play coy. Her eyes didn't stray back to him, as tempted as she was to do so. Instead, her gaze locked on Kate. "It's going to be kind of hard for him to eat standing over there." It wasn't that she wanted to go. Honestly, she was curious to know how Jack had been. He looked the same, except a little more spruced up than she was used to. Oh, no. This definitely wasn't a date. Yeah right. Everyone wore a suit and tie to dinner.

"I can pretend that I have some place to be. We can do this some other time. It's no big deal." Maybe she was a bit lonely. She still didn't have many friends, but she was trying to be the bigger person here, and she wasn't sure the fact that Jack wouldn't come to the table was a good kind of shock.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-10 12:32 pm UTC (link)
She knew he was there, she felt his presence. Turning her head, she gave him a, “don’t you dare,” look, yes it was mixed in whimsy. He was the one who brought Juliet into the fold, under his protective wing stamping her forehead with approval. ‘I trust her,’ yeah, he trusted her enough to kiss her chasing Kate to Sawyer’s arms. Sawyer, she loved him their connection only they would understand it; if anyone could. She doubted they would even understand what was between them. He was in love with her; Kate didn’t think he’d loved anyone in a long time. On the island, Sawyer had the safe one; the one who wouldn’t love her.

Yes, Kate loved two men; her heart was entwined with Jack’s. The difference? Kate was in love with Jack. If it had been anyone else but Jack, wearing the work clothes he’d worn to work would have disappointed her, but this was Jack. He’d showed up; that was the important part.

After all this time, she’d learned the nuisances of his looks, his movements the way his eyes reacted to places and things. She chuckled; it wasn’t as if they were being attacked by the ‘Others.’

“No, really it’s fine,” she reassured Juliet. “We want you to stay.” Kate almost added, ‘don’t we Jack?’ But she thought better of it. He seemed lost. Put him on an island, let people attack him, he can handle it. Two women who loved him, he was out-of-his league. “Unless you want to,” Kate finished her dangling sentence.

“Sit,” her voice sweet and lyrical, commanded him to join them at the table, it was if he didn’t hear her. He seemed sucked into the abyss of memory lost on the island.

If they’d been alone, Kate would have wrapped her arms around him, kissing him hello. There was something about this town, she half expected Sawyer to show.

“We flipped a coin for you,” Kate teased. “I had heads, Juliet tails, Ben won.” What could you do honestly? This was like a huge secret that hung in the air threatening to suck the air out-of-the room.

Kate picked up Jack’s drink, stood letting him take in the trouble she’d gone to in dressing for him, walked to him, handing him his drink, one hand on his lapel, “You never get this right.” Not that Kate needed to tell him, the tie was better, but she corrected it, the act intimate, loving and natural. Her eyes caught his, eyes speaking volumes silently telling him she loved him.

Wandering back to the table, Kate sat across from Juliet, swiping her book off the seat next to her.

Kate didn’t like Franklin Springs; the phantoms of her dreams walked the streets of this town. Maybe they weren’t the horrors from island, maybe they were something worse, but Kate was convinced something was wrong about this town. Charles Whitmore was a powerful man, as was Ben. Either of them could behind the things that went on here.

Jack wouldn’t leave, not permanently, he’d taken a job and he was going to do it. Kate had to respect that. She’d rather face the worst with Jack than the best without him.

“We were waiting on you to order, I’m starved.” She held up the menu. Kate wasn’t freaking, she wasn’t jealous, she was probably the calmest of the three, and suddenly confident.




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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-10 02:53 pm UTC (link)
Although, in reality, it only took Jack a few seconds to recover from the initial shock of seeing Juliet, it seemed – from his point of view, at least – to take an eternity. He travelled back to the Island automatically, reliving the key moments in their relationship in quick succession. His time in the Hydra and the attempt to breakout, performing Ben’s surgery, the slow and awkward build up of trust between then. Taking her back to the camp. And…

Although he never attached the word ‘love’ to his relationship with Juliet, he couldn’t deny that he’d had - still had? - strong feelings for her. Admittedly, he’d done his best to be responsible for everyone on the Island, but Juliet had been different. He’d rescued her, in a way, yes, but it wasn’t as cut and dried as that. They had been enemies, once, but he’d meant that kiss. Truly meant it. In a different time, and a different place, things between them could have been very different.

He was a practical man, most of the time. A man of science, who didn’t deal in ‘what if’. Jack was making his way over to the table before Kate had a chance to give him her formidable look. He owed both of them more than that, and he was going to be at his most practical and matter-of-fact this evening. It couldn’t be that hard.

As he drew up the nearest vacant chair, he noted Kate’s use of the word ‘we’, even if he didn’t comment on it. His lips twitched into a slightly smile, though. Things like that kept slipping naturally into her speech these days, and into his. Although he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it, it was undoubtedly positive.

It was probably best that he was too distracted to notice Kate’s attire, or her appearance. He would have appreciated it, but he would also have commented on her slightly pale cheeks. He was a doctor to his very core, and the fact that it passed him by said a lot. He was out of his league. He’d rather be back at the hospital, dealing with a mountain of paperwork or a complicated surgery than dealing with this.

“Hello,” he said, giving Juliet a nod and a slight smile that he hoped proved he was pleased to see her. Stunned, yes, but pleased.

“At least you weren’t waiting on your own,” he pointed out to Kate, taking a sip of his drink.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-10 05:48 pm UTC (link)
"No, I don't want to." And she didn't. It was just ... extremely awkward was an understatement.

She fell silent as Kate coaxed Jack over to the table. Honestly, it was kind of cute. This man had survived a plane crash, pulled people out of burning wreckage, performed a complicated spinal procedure with very little resources, and escaped the clutches of evil gunmen and smoke monsters, and yet he couldn't quite make it to the table because she was sitting there. Men were certainly complicated. No matter who the guy was, a girl would do a lot better just to sit back and quit trying to figure him out. Because at the end of the day, life was far too complicated. Whatever was meant to be would be, and one of them had to ease up before this surprise reunion became too stiff. Kate was already trying her best to break the ice.

One slender brow raised when her female companion said that they'd flipped a coin for him. Ben won. The phrase, even if it was meant as a joke, was enough to cause the corners of her mouth to dip down into a small frown. Looking back on it all, he hadn't really ever lost, not for long - well, except for Alex. Her death had been unexpected. Yes, Juliet had heard about it after-the-fact, and she was very sorry it'd happened. But that was one of those things that was all in the past now. It was time to focus on the present. Yet here they all were. Who would've thought they'd end up here, together like this?

Juliet's gaze lowered to her glass when Kate went to fuss with Jack's tie, though she couldn't suppress a tiny smile from forming. It'd been a long time. However, she quickly resumed a more neutral expression once the two had joined her at the table. She didn't want to appear too anxious. 'Giddy as a schoolgirl' wasn't exactly the impression she wanted to make, especially in front of Kate ... who was taking this much better than she was, actually.

She'd been brought a menu too but had yet to glance over it. They'd been too wrapped up in talking ( and drinking ) to make a selection. Besides, it was only fitting that Jack order first. After a hard day's work, now this ... let's just say he'd earned it.

"Hey." Her smile broadened when he spoke to her directly, but she tried to keep her tone level. Really, it was unnatural for her to be this excited about seeing someone. Was she blushing? God, she hoped not. She liked to think she was incapable of it or that she could control her emotions enough to where the one's around her wouldn't know unless she flat out told them what she was thinking or feeling. That could be good or bad, depending on how one looked at it. But it was playing it safe. Contrary to any reputation she might've gained on the island, she did not set out to wreck relationships or destroy anyone's lives. If these two were happy, it's because they deserved it. She had no intentions of messing with that, though it was a lot harder to stand by that mentality with Jack so close.

"Nice of you to finally show up." The irony in that statement was that she hadn't been the one doing the waiting, but she felt strange just sitting there, not saying a word. 'Good to see you' just seemed so cliche. Besides, she'd already said that to Kate. Hopefully he could read her well enough by now to know that she was happy that life had thrown them into close proximity once again.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-10 07:34 pm UTC (link)
“He works too hard,” the undertone of concern evident in her words Kate spoke. Looking back and forth at the two of them, her face filled first with curiosity, then understanding and finally amusement. “Doesn’t this feel like a soap-opera?” this time her words were more animated, partially because she and Juliet were a few drinks ahead of Jack, actually she would have to take the lead. Liquid courage, after all this wasn’t the most comfortable of situations.

“No, oh,” her fingers snapped; “something with more class, you know the way Alias is written, or maybe it’s the island’s way of kicking us into the ‘twilight zone’. She was laughing, but serious. “Come on guys, you gotta laugh. We don’t have to be best friends, but this is a preverbal fog with and the preverbal knife. Lighten up. Have to admit this town is strange, we need each other.”

Kate’s long fingers moved toward the stem of her wine glass as if to toast. “To the living and the dead,” she couldn’t toast to a joy a being alive and next to the one you loved and not remember those they lost.

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[info]acomplex_guy
2008-08-13 04:25 am UTC (link)
Life wasn’t what he thought it would be off the Island, there was no happy ending or anything like that for James Ford. He couldn’t even use his real name anymore, not that he ever did anyways. He was dead to this world, he went down with the plane. He knew what happened to the other six and how they “survived”. The story they had to tell was so horrible but he understand why, it was to protect those on the island. Sawyer still wasn’t exactly sure all of all the details of the situation but he knew enough to figure it out. The Island moved and no one could find it or even know it ever existed.

Sawyer thought about finding Kate when he came back but it never seemed to go the way he wanted it. She was in the media spotlight for the most part and there was no way he could step into that. If just one person recognized him then all would be lost. Somehow Ben got Juliet off the island and she was able to get Sawyer to come with. Of course Ben didn’t know that and he was still out there somewhere as well as his lackies. So if any of them saw him that wouldn’t be a good thing for either him or Juliet. Then there was the fact that if anyone realized he was from the same plane crash then the others story would mean shit.

A few times he looked for Kate but it always seemed he got there too late. They would be news of survival Kate here and there but whenever he’d travel there she wasn’t there. It just wasn’t meant to be, and it wasn’t like he was the type to give up but sometimes it was better to put an end to something. Besides he was sure she was living her life with the doctor now. It would always be those two as much as Sawyer didn’t want to admit it.

Somehow Juliet had been his rock since the other six got off the Island. Things were different between them now that Jack and Kate were both out of the picture and they bonded more then they ever thought they would. It was a nice kind of friendship that they had which was rare for him. That’s why they had been keeping in touch, besides the fact that she did get him off the island so he was thankful for that. He knew she was now living in some town called Franklin Springs, seemed like a nice place and she even had a job teaching. He was happy for her and always said he would visit just wasn’t sure when. Sawyer on the other hand was trying his best to return to his old life of conning only now it wasn’t the same. He just didn’t have it in him like he used to, it seemed the Island really did change him somehow. But that was something he would never let anyone know, especially if he ever ran into Kate or Jack. The former con man wasn’t sure what to do or where to go next so he did the only thing he could think of, visit Juliet.

Dressed in a pair of jeans, white t-shirt and a black leather jacket Sawyer entered the restaurant. Earlier that day when he was still a few hours away from Franklin Springs he texted Juliet to find out what she was doing that night, he didn’t want to tell her that he was coming yet, he wanted to surprise her. She texted him back telling him that after work she was going to stop at this restaurant that she went to often. He remembered her telling him about the place before, seemed like it was a favorite of hers and he always wanted to try it out. So here he was now, standing in that very restaurant looking to surprise Juliet.

The host right away gave her attention to Sawyer and asked how many. “Lookin’ for someone. Tall blonde..” He trailed off as his eyes scanned the room. It took him a few seconds before he noticed her and she wasn’t alone. He started to walk in the direction of her table and that’s when he was able to make them out. It was Kate and Jack. There was a look of surprise and shock written all over his face but before he’d get to the table he’d hide that look.

He wasn’t really sure what to do or think but he was good a being a smooth talker and making it seem like he didn’t care. As soon as he stepped up to the table to looked at the three of them, “Seems the party started without me, suppose my invite was lost.” He gave a coy smile as he grabbed a chair from the empty table behind and pulled up a seat and sat down.

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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-13 10:31 am UTC (link)
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” he said with a grin, trying to decide if that was a pink flush in Juliet’s cheeks, or the lights in the restaurant. At least she didn’t seem to be unhappy to see him. Now he was over the initial shock, he hoped she could tell he was pleased to see her, too.

Jack looked more than a little concerned when Kate started to babble. That was the only word for it, babbling. She was talking about soap operas and twilight zones, and despite her words he found that he wasn’t able to laugh. How long had she been waiting, and how much alcohol had she consumed in that time? Too much, certainly. With all the medication she’d taken in recent weeks, she shouldn’t get carried away, and he would have told her that if Juliet hadn’t been nearby. He knew Kate well enough to know she wouldn’t like being patronised – even if it was only natural concern – in front of the other woman.

He didn’t join in her toast, either. The words sounded odd – unnatural - so far from the Island. Before he could say anything else, though (and he was well aware that he’d have to think of something to say, eventually), another familiar face – a considerably less welcome familiar face – appeared and joined their group. He really was regretting leaving the hospital now, but he supposed it was better than leaving Kate to face this alone. Sawyer! Of all the people who could have turned up, it had to be Sawyer.

Was that the faint stirrings of jealousy curling around his abdomen? Yes, probably. Brilliant.

He took another, deeper, sip of his drink before addressing Sawyer.

“I wasn’t aware you’d been sent an invite at all,” he said.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-13 03:49 pm UTC (link)
Kate almost spat out her wine, this truly was a twilight episode. The familiar twang brought back memories; memories she’d put into the back of her mind only taking them out now and then. She loved Sawyer, he’d been there when she’d hurt and that hurting did more to Jack. The chocolate-hair beauty cared for both men and would always be loyal; yet she was in love with Jack and that made all the difference.

She fought down the sickness, as much as she wanted to excuse herself and flee to the bathroom spewing the wine in the porcelain god she would have to worship. Drinking this much on an empty stomach wasn’t smart, she knew. But it was Juliet in front of her, and now this.

At first she thought he was a figment of her imagination. As she could with Jack, she could sense him. The look that Juliet gave him was one of fondness. Of course it made her stomach turn, she couldn’t explain why. The blonde brain across from her was imitating enough without her weaving her web around both of the men she cared about. Not that she would run into Sawyer’s arms if Jack chose Juliet; but then she always had before.

Sawyer’s presence made her semi-sober, at least Jack was still Jack. Maybe his entrance was a blessing in disguise; it would certainly take the spotlight off of Juliet.

Jack’s lack of participating in the toast shouted volumes. She was going to get it when they got home. Home, what a great thought that was. If only they could leave. Looking at Sawyer was a reminder of what she’d done to Jack. If only Jack had … then she and Sawyer. Things were so complicated, again. All the time she’d had alone with Jack and she’d been sick. Even now the island was playing them like chess pawns or maybe it was Ben; even worse she wouldn’t think about it. He’d wanted them dead, and was the only thing that seemed to rattle Ben.

Jack’s comment brought her back to reality. She played with the napkin in her lap so it wouldn’t be so obvious that her left hand was seeking his right.

“I’m glad to see that you’re well.” It was all she could muster. Her head was reeling. This wasn’t happening. This was supposed to be something special that’s what she told herself. It felt as if the air were being sucked from the room. She could feel the color drain from her face.

Kate squeezed Jack’s hand and hoped that he would continue to hold it.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-13 06:26 pm UTC (link)
Kate was certainly feeling good, or at least starting to. How many drinks had she had? Juliet hadn't figured she'd need monitoring, but apparently she should've been keeping up. Especially since Kate had been ill, it probably wasn't wise for her to be guzzling high amounts of alcohol. She was no doctor, but she was fairly certain that Jack would confirm that drinking a lot ( presumably on an empty stomach ) wasn't a good idea. Then again, he did sometimes go a little overboard when it came to caring for others. After all, Kate was still forming coherent sentences, even though they were all rather bizarre. There was some truth to what she was saying. To put it mildly, the situation was awkward, but she wouldn't have put it quite that way. But Austen was a very free-spirited individual, and right now her tongue was leading the way.

Juliet didn't lift her glass to make the toast either. Instead, she raised one slender brow and cut her eyes over to Jack. Maybe staying hadn't been such a good idea. Now that he seemed to be recovering from the shock, Kate was finally reacting to it. Had she been behaving this strangely while she was sick, or was this strictly the alcohol playing its usual role on someone of Kate's size and build? Of course she wasn't about to ask that aloud. It would be rude, but she could tell Jack was concerned. So even though he was worrying about another woman, the woman he'd ultimately chosen, Juliet was concerned too.

She hadn't gotten the opportunity to respond before Kate swaggered into the conversation, but she'd reply now to Jack's apology. "I guess we can forgive you." Yes, she was polite enough to use the word 'we,' even though in a way she felt like she'd been robbed of the chance to fight for Jack's heart. In between keeping them alive and getting off the island, there just wasn't enough time for romance. But it might not have made a difference, one way or the other. She'd come in too late in the game, and as much as she'd loved Jack ( still did, if she were to be completely honest with herself ), the best thing she could do for him now was see him happy. And he was - with Kate.

On that note, she'd gone to take another drink of her wine, nearly choking when Sawyer suddenly showed up. A couple of weak coughs was all it took to clear her throat as eyes cut over to the new arrival who didn't get a very warm reception from anyone else. Truthfully, she was a bit disappointed in how cold Jack's greeting was. Sure, the two had competed for Kate's affection back on the island, but he had jumped out of the rescue copter so they could all make it back. It should've scored a few points with the doc. Deep down, she knew Jack could hold a grudge, but she also knew that he was better than that.

As for Kate, it would definitely be interesting to see her reaction.

The look of fondness that hadn't gone unnoticed by the other woman seated at the table should've been perfectly understandable. She and James were the ones left behind. It was only natural that they would bond eventually. It hadn't been an overnight process. They'd had their share of disagreements, mainly because she asked a lot of questions, many of them deep, and he didn't like to answer them. But with time, things changed. When she was rescued, she refused to leave him behind again, so she'd brought him with her. Once back to civilization, they'd gone their separate ways. Even she hadn't been able to tame James Ford, or so she'd assumed. She still heard from him though, normally just by phone. They kept in touch.

"James ... how long have you been here?" If his goal was to surprise her, he'd done that. He'd surprised them all - and gotten a little surprise himself.

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[info]acomplex_guy
2008-08-14 02:38 am UTC (link)
Jack’s reaction to Sawyer didn’t surprise him one bit. He could tell that the other man didn’t want him there, even the way he spoke to Sawyer told him that. Which hey Sawyer wasn’t begging to be with Jack either. Although Jack should’ve at least been a bit thankful for what Sawyer did. “Figured a thank you would’ve been nice. Put myself back on the island just so you guy could get off.” Sawyer sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Freckles had it right with the drinks and now it was time for Sawyer to order himself up one. Sawyer motioned for the waitress and ordered himself up a rum and coke. While the others had wine he needed something harder then that. This night was turning out to be much more eventful then he originally planned.

Once he ordered his drink he addressed the comment that Kate made to him. “Figured that much Freckles.” He said as he winked at her. He was so going to love this. He could see the way Jack was looking between the two of them and the looks she was giving. She seemed a bit uncomfortable as did Jack. He wondered how this little event got together. Was Juliet always planning to meet up with them? And if so why didn’t she tell Sawyer about it. She would’ve had to have had it planned for awhile, or so he figured. So why wouldn’t she tell him? But it was possible that she just ran into them.

“Juliet.” He nodded his head to her with much respect. Things were so much different between the two of them now and he wondered if Kate and Jack would notice the difference. “I’ve been good. I see your doin’ well here. Planned to surprise you.” He smiled. “Didn’t think I’d end up on some woman versus woman for the man dinner. Though have to say it seems fun.” He smirked.

The waitress finally brought him his drink which he was thankful for. As soon as she set it down he picked it up in his hand and started to sip on the damn thing. He wanted to down it but he didn’t. He didn’t want them to see how much he cared. “Don’t even wonder why I’m doin’ here? Or did Juliet already tell you?” He questioned them as he glanced between all of them.

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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-14 05:07 am UTC (link)
He met Juliet’s eyes during the toast, although he wasn’t sure what he was trying to communicate. It was, perhaps, an apology, although it could have been for any number of things if it was. When she used the word ‘we’, he felt a slight stab of guilt. He hadn’t used the word ‘you’, after all. That particular apology had been directed at Juliet, although, in her inebriated state, Kate either didn’t notice or didn’t mind.

Jack would have been delighted to hear that Kate now considered his house her ‘home’. She’d been spending a lot of time there since her illness, so it was probably only natural, but the fact that the consummate runaway considered anywhere a home was wonderful.

It was a small consolation to discover that Kate was as stunned by Sawyer’s arrival as he was. Yes, he would always be grateful to the other man for what he’d done. But that didn’t mean he could just forget everything else that had happened. Thinking about what Ben had showed him on the CCTV still made the bile rise in his throat. He liked to consider himself a rational man, but look at how he’d behaved with Sarah. He was a jealous man more often than he should be, and, when he was jealous, he was far from rational...

Kate was looking peaky. More than peaky. This wasn’t good for her, but he doubted he could persuade her to leave. Not yet. As soon as possible, though. He didn’t care what Sawyer thought he was trying to prove by dragging her away, he was not going to let Kate get sick again. He looked down when she squeezed his hand, surprised, then smiled and squeezed it back. He wouldn’t let go. Not unless hat was what she wanted.

Although the apparent friendship between Juliet and Sawyer knocked him off balance (for the third time this evening), it shouldn’t be all that surprising. They’d been left behind, together. If there had been a way to fix that, Jack would have done it. But it was too late now, and it seemed as if they’d managed just fine on their own. That shouldn’t have been surprising either, actually.

“I didn’t expect to see you,” said Jack, which was – he hoped – a reasonable explanation for his apparent lack of gratitude. “And I wasn’t expecting to see Juliet either. What are you doing here?”

He ignored the ‘woman versus woman’ comment. It was just easier that way.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-14 05:08 pm UTC (link)
Kate sat there in stunned silence. The vortex in her ears grew louder and louder, sounding like a tornado in her head. She felt as if she were in slow motion, everything in a different time and space, everything and everyone but her.

Her hand in Jack’s she squeezed it tighter, in a vain attempt to keep from getting sick. Kate just stared at Sawyer with an incredulous look. The former murderess didn’t know who knew her better, Jack or James. The latter knew she had a love for him, there had been something there; regardless if it was different from the emotion she kept close to her heart where Jack was concerned.

As sick as she was becoming, she also found this amusing. Sawyer never expressed his feelings for her. The sex was good, they had chemistry. In the beginning he’d used her, as she had him. At the end, she felt it was the baby, or the idea of one, that kept him near her. What was certain was he had changed, the look he gave her before he left the plane, was a message. Kate just wasn’t clear what he meant, or maybe she never wanted to admit she knew.

Even if she shouldn’t, Kate felt a certain betrayal. Sawyer never sought her out; instead he’d taken up with Juliet. It wasn’t that she wanted Sawyer romantically, it was that he never took the time to find her left her know she was alive. The thought that she was only a booty call made her even sicker, hurt her to the depths of her soul. She made love to him, he wasn’t a fuck. She thought he was going to die and she loved him in her own way, as messed up as that was. But then, Kate was messed up. She’d murdered her own father. She’d only slept with three men in her life, loving each of them. One was dead and she was the cause. Another heart-broken and she was the cause, and the third sat before her, alive. He was an asshole.

Sitting there, Kate began to shake. Her wine-filled stomach revolting at the events unfolding around her in such absurdity it was almost a comedy.

‘Didn’t think I’d end up on some woman versus woman for the man dinner? Though have to say it seems fun.’ Sawyer smirked. His words stuck in her craw, encouraging her rage.

“You would,” Kate’s words were slow, quiet almost menacing. “This isn’t a woman versus woman for the man dinner,” as she spoke tiny beads of sweat formed over her top lip, and temples. The heat was rising in her body, her anger not helping things one bit, nor were her empty stomach or lack of energy. Where the hell was he when she was dying? That was certainly all over the news, the start of the curse of the Oceanic 6. The ‘we’ Jack used hadn’t gone unnoticed by Kate; it was the confirmation that both she and Juliet needed. “Juliet and I were or are, attempting to work out our differences. Both of you appearing here is one hell of a shock.” Now she was visibly shaking.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-14 05:08 pm UTC (link)
“Do you have any fucking idea what I dream about at night? Well, I’ll just tell you, James.” Cursing was out-of-form for her, it was the alcohol speaking. “I see the explosion where my,” she couldn’t say those words, she’d couldn’t give them life with her words, “I see my step-father die.” That wasn’t exactly the truth, he was her father and she killed him. She’d never even told Jack. This was the wine talking, at least the personal parts she was sharing. Kate never shared. “I see my first love, die. But more horrific, I see the freighter blow, I hear Sun screaming in my ear. I watch you dive into the water not knowing if you are dead or alive. And Aaron, I see his face blissfully unaware that he’s a now a ward of the state. That’s what I see every night, what I thought about minute after minute when I was in prison. So, excuse me for being a bit overwhelmed when you and Juliet appear out of nowhere.”

Raising her water glass, she threw it toward him, the water hitting her target. “I thought you were dead,” leaning to Jack, she whispered so only he could hear, “never doubt how much I love you,” turning to her dinner companions, and letting go of Jack’s hand, “I think I’m going to be sick,” she put her hand to her mouth as she stood up and ran to the bathroom.

One there, she found a stall, tears streaming down her face, she retched her guts out, shaking uncontrollably. ‘Why did this have to happen, now? Why now? Just 24 hours later. But they were a ‘we’ and that fact made her feel better. Taking toilet paper of the roll, she wiped her mouth. Making her way out of the stall, she went to the sink, turned on the water, cupped her hand and took a drink.

There was something evil in this place. Not because Juliet and Sawyer were here, she didn’t mind that. Yet it was the fact that they were all being drawn here. If she’d had her cell she would have called Sayid, but it was at the table.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-15 03:24 am UTC (link)
James was enjoying this far too much. Unlike her, he liked making people uncomfortable. He found it amusing to watch them squirm. Usually he didn't mean anything by it. He was perfectly harmless, for the most part. Some people were just more gullible than others, and she could understand why Jack would be uncomfortable around Sawyer. Even someone who seemingly had it all like Jack Shephard, the brilliant spinal surgeon, could have his insecurities. Kate just happened to be a sore spot for both men, so she'd been prepared to tread lightly and make this get-together as pleasant as possible. However, she hadn't had time to inform Jack or Kate that James was off the island, so she could see where this could get sticky. Could even possibly be viewed as a conspiracy, although she really hoped they didn't see it that way.

Doing well, yes. Could've used a heads up that he was planning to swing by and see her, but other than that ... it wasn't that she wasn't glad to see him. It's just, it would've been nice to give everyone at the table a few minutes to prepare. He had a very dominating presence. He always had, and some people didn't respond well to that. 'Some people' mainly being Jack, though she didn't attempt to reprimand either of them. Boys would be boys, and they each had their reasons for acting the way they did around each other. While she would always have a soft spot for Jack, she had gotten the opportunity to know James a little better than most - partly because she'd read his file, and lying wasn't really an option. So it was hard to decipher who was 'wrong' or 'right' in this particular situation. Maybe once the shock wore off ...

She shot him an unamused look when he made the 'woman versus woman for the man' comment, although she did find it a little funny. Juliet just wasn't sure it was the type of conversation starter that they should be using when things were still so awkward. Not everyone appreciated, or even understood his humor. Thankfully, she had learned to do both. So despite her efforts not to laugh or allow a smirk to form, she cast a smile in his direction to show that she had no objection to the quippy remark. She hoped that it also conveyed she was glad that he was here.

Had she already told them? No. Judging from their reactions, that should've been easy to figure out. She would've, had there been more time before his unexpected arrival. And she assumed now he'd tell them since he was bringing it up. For now, she'd lean back and let the two men exchange words. Hopefully no mediation would be required. They were in public. Besides, they were all civilized people. Surely, they could get along for a few minutes. As for Kate, she was undoubtedly too stunned to say much at the moment ... or so she'd assumed. She'd discover just how wrong she was about that in another minute or so.

Juliet's gaze settled on Jack when he pointed out that he hadn't been expecting to seeing her either. Guess it really was a small world - and at the moment, she was glad for it. Otherwise, she might not ever have seen Jack again. She would've survived just fine, but actually being here, sitting across from him ( even if Kate was there too ) ... it made her realize just how much she'd missed him. Wasn't that funny? In a twisted, completely lacking in humor sort of way.

As she was zoning out, Kate was tuning in. She leapt into the conversation full force.

Was she shaking? Oh God, if Kate had some kind of breakdown or relapse because of this, Juliet would never forgive herself. Though surprisingly, she seemed more shaken up now that Sawyer had come around. Who would've thought that someone could've topped her on Kate's 'worst person to see' list? Honestly, she wasn't sure everything was being shared, but it was enough to get a firm grasp on where Kate was coming from. Bottom line was that the boisterous brunette had a long history of bad luck, and sometimes people just got fed up. James wasn't entirely to blame, and neither was she. There was no real blamable source here. Maybe she needed to get some things off her chest.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-15 03:25 am UTC (link)
Why else would she share all this with them? As troubling as it was to see Kate so upset, Juliet admired how truthful she was being ( even if the alcohol was partly to blame for making her less choosy with her words ), and she had no intentions of interrupting until everything was out on the table.

She leaned over slightly to keep from getting wet when Sawyer was splashed ( more like drenched ) in water. Then, without warning, Kate announced she was going to be sick and fled from the table.

Juliet sat completely frozen, blinking a few times as she attempted to process what exactly had just happened. Only a few seconds had passed before she'd recovered enough to push her chair back and stand. "I'm going to go check on her. You two play nice." Sympathetic hues fell on Jack first ( who she was sure was worried about Kate ), before they trailed over to James. "It's not your fault." The reassurance was spoken before she headed to the bathroom as well.

By the time she got there, Kate had already finished the puking part and had moved over to the sink. "You know, he did it for you." There wasn't much she could do about Kate having killed her father ( and yes, she knew that he had really been her biological father, not her stepfather - it had been in her file ), or the fact that her first love, Tom, had been shot and killed in one of her escape attempts with the police. She also couldn't change the fact that the freighter had exploded, that Jin had gotten caught in the blast, or that Kate had lost custody of Aaron because of her criminal record. What she could control was what she knew about James and his motives behind jumping from that helicopter. "He couldn't bare the thought of you not getting a chance to live a better life: the one you deserved." She'd had to pay her debt to society, but now she was free, and she was alive. It could've been worse. Sure, it also could've been better, but what if's weren't going to get you through the night. Clearly, it hadn't been working out so well for Kate so far.

"James might be stubborn when it comes to admitting how he feels, but it's always been all about you." He wasn't the hero type. Not to say he couldn't ever play the part, but it wasn't something he was naturally inclined to be. He wanted to be a rebel: a drifter. That way no one could ever possibly love or care for him the way he cared about others ( a select few, but still - everyone had to start somewhere ). It was safe, but it was an act. "Kate, you have two wonderful men who would do anything for you ... maybe your life has been hard and painful, but the worst is over now, and it's made you stronger. I'm not saying you should forget it. What I am saying is that you can't let the past haunt you to the point where it ruins your future. You did what you thought was right. But every decision you made has turned you into the woman you are now." And despite all their differences, Kate was an admirable person. A little extreme from time to time, but strong, compassionate, and dependable. Now if only she could dwell on those good qualities instead of all the bad stuff following her around all the time.

She would've said more, had it not been for the ringing of her phone. An apologetic glance was shot Kate's way, before she checked the caller ID. It was Rachel, so she had to answer. But the temporary distraction could give Kate some time to think about what she'd said ... and just relax.

The conversation was brief, mainly because only a few sentences into it, a lone tear dripped silently from the corner of her eye. Even though she was terrified on the inside, on the verge of breaking down, she was able to force out a few words of optimism before hanging up. If she kept talking any longer, she would've completely fallen apart, and she didn't want Rachel to know how scared she was. Though as soon as her phone was flipped shut and returned to her pocket, her shoulders began to shake as she started to sob uncontrollably. Both hands lifted to cover her face, although when Kate pulled her into a comforting embrace ( after unsuccessfully trying to get an answer as to what was wrong ), they fell and loosely wrapped around her unlikely companion.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-15 03:26 am UTC (link)
She stayed like this a few minutes before drawing back, then lifted a hand to try and wipe away the tears that still dampened her cheeks.

"My sister's cancer's back. The doctors said it's spread - that there's nothing they can do for her. This is the second time ... she got better before. She could do it again. Doctors are wrong sometimes, right? They could be wrong." What stung even worse was that last time Rachel's cancer had come back, Ben had cured her - or rather 'Jacob' had. They'd all thought Jacob was a code word or some figment of Ben's imagination, but she'd miraculously survived. Juliet had checked with Rachel when she saw her again, and it was all true. One day she was sick, and the next she was fine. The doctors couldn't explain it.

On the island, she'd thought that there was nothing worse than being separated from her family, but at least Rachel had been physically fine then. By betraying Ben, she might've just killed her own sister. Now there was nothing ... she'd come back just in time to watch her die.

For a split second, Juliet wondered if that's why Ben had decided to rescue her.

Without even realizing it, she'd looked to Kate for confirmation - but ultimately she knew she wouldn't be satisfied until she'd seen her sister's charts herself. Also, she didn't need anyone to hold her hand, or rather she didn't want this dinner to become all about her. The truth of the matter was that Kate had been ill, and she still wasn't well. Jack already had his hands full, and Sawyer had been wanting to see her ever since he got back. So even though it would be difficult, she could suppress her emotions for at least a half hour, have a bit to drink, and find a reason to dismiss herself. Until then, no one else had to know.

"Just give me five minutes. And do me a favor ... please don't tell Jack or James. It's been a long time. You guys should catch up. I'll be fine." She always was. "Go. Let them know you're okay. I'm sure they're worried."

( OOC: I'm sorry guys. I swear to never, ever write something this long again. )

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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-15 06:24 am UTC (link)
The hand clutching Jack’s began to shake. In fact, Kate’s whole body began to shake. He was going to cut this little reunion short whether the others liked it or not. She needed to get home and get to bed. Although she had been close to recovery this situation, and the alcohol, had only exacerbated Kate’s remaining systems, and Jack would always be, first and foremost, a doctor.

He was preparing to rise – and drag Kate after him, if necessary – when she started to speak. The surgeon sat back down rather heavily. She’d never speak like that without the benefit – or curse – of alcohol, and everything she said was new to him. He’d always maintained that the Island was a fresh start for everyone. He hadn’t wanted to know her crimes. But here they were, laid out before him in stark and terrible relief.

He just wished she’d chosen a more private arena.

Jack didn’t even look amused when she soaked Sawyer. It wasn’t the other man’s fault (as difficult as that was for Jack to admit). Kate had kept her emotions and memories dammed up for years. She had been bound to break sooner or later, and her defences were low at the moment.

The words she whispered in his ear before hurrying away slowed his reaction time. Hearing her say it during the snowstorm had been one thing, but neither of them had actually mentioned the word ‘love’ since. Perhaps they hadn’t dared. The fact that she said it with Sawyer sitting beside them – even if Sawyer couldn’t hear it – made his heart pound in his chest.

He was on his feet a moment later, though, evidently intending to head after Kate himself, even if she had hidden herself in the women’s restroom. He paused when Juliet headed in the same direction, and soon she’d overtaken him. It seemed as if the doctor had no choice but to remain behind. He still trusted Juliet, regardless of whatever odd relationship she’d built up with Sawyer. That would hopefully be enough.

Slowly, he sat back down, before summoning over a waitress and ordering himself a screwdriver in place of his wine. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-15 05:17 pm UTC (link)
Kate bit her lip as Juliet chastised her, saying nothing to interrupt the blonde. As Juliet went on about Sawyer, it was obvious that Juliet was in the first phases of falling for the man. Inside Kate smiled, at least she wouldn’t have to deal with Jack and James always at each other’s throat because of her. It was an invisible slap, but her face still stung from Juliet’s words even if her ‘rival’ hadn’t meant them that way. Seeing Juliet in this light was rather revealing. She was loyal to a fault and someone you’d want on your side.

Nervously Kate took the brown paper towels from the dispenser, soaked them then patted them on her face and neck. No one would understand how she felt. Her liquid courage brought her emotions to a head; she and Jack thought he was dead. It came up briefly in the trip to his mother’s funeral, but all of that was such a blur. There were things she wanted to say back to Juliet, to prove her point, but the cell phone rang.

Juliet’s usually beautiful face became strained, in a second she aged a lifetime. In was in this moment they would become friends. Neither of them knew that now, and they wouldn’t always get along or agree with each other, pain not just Jack was now their bond.

The other woman’s voice changed, now she was the one shaking. Her tear didn’t go unnoticed. The usually stoic survivor was anything but right now. Kate was positive her own emotional outburst help make Juliet more vulnerable. Everything in Juliet reeked of humanity, and caring. Something Kate never saw unless it had to deal with Jack.

Her heart, before her mouth, spoke by holding the woman who saved Jack’s life. For that she would be grateful. Listening without interruption it was Juliet’s turn to spew the hurt that was eating her inside. When Juliet finished, Kate wasn’t letting her get out of this one, the woman born to run, pulled more of the brown sandpaper towels from the rickety dispenser, dampened them and began to wipe the tears away. It was a quiet intimate act, one she never felt no neither of them felt would ever happen.
Now, she was glad Juliet was here, she didn’t need to be alone. The fact that she would be with Sawyer right now hadn’t occurred to her. If it had, she still would want this. Men didn’t deal well with tears.

She had to face the music. Face the fact Sawyer loved her, or had. That was something she never let herself believe. Life was easier that way. “I’m glad you’re here, even if I wasn’t at first. Truce?” Juliet nodded as she took a minute to recover.

“We should get back before they kill each other, if we aren’t too late.” Kate smiled; then took the lead out the door.

Both still alive, all it meant is that the two men both women cared about were still sitting there.

First she went to James, before he could react, her long arms snaked around his neck. “You pissed me off, really pissed me off. I thought you were dead, I’m glad you aren’t.” That was all she offered in a way of an apology. Standing upright, Kate placed her hand on Juliet’s neck and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Just as quickly she head for her seat at the table.

Kate’s hand followed the outline of Jack’s broad shoulders, lovingly lingering for a moment, as she took her place at the table. Juliet’s eyes were red from crying that the two women couldn’t hide; when the time was right, she’d tell both men Juliet had something to share, she knew Juliet wouldn’t otherwise.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-15 05:17 pm UTC (link)
Head tilting toward Jack she gave him an ‘I’m sorry look,’ as she spoke to him. “I should eat, so should Juliet, we’re both a little,” it didn’t matter what the two girls were; “we need to eat.” Possessively, she placed her hand on Jack’s thigh, where it remained.

Dark eyes took in the new glass in front of Jack, which only made her wonder what had gone on in their absence. “We have to get along, like it or not. Neither of us,” Kate glanced at Jack when she used another term of couple hood, “knew either of you were here. Running into Juliet, not to mention the old trouble maker there,” Kate gave Sawyer a smile as she called him that, it was meant in an affectionate joking manner, “came as quite a shock to Jack and me. This isn’t at all what we expected. It’s just good to know that everyone is okay.” She finished, even if she didn’t feel that okay herself.

Having both Sawyer and Juliet at the table was still unnerving. At least, her thoughts hidden away in that beautiful head of hers were now on a different track. “We aren’t the only ones from the Island, but for now, can we just eat in peace?” She was sincere. She needed the comfort of Jack’s arms, but that wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon. As much as she wanted to take his hand and make their excuses; they needed food and Juliet needed support. Once they were eating and Juliet had some food, she’d bring up Rachel.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-15 08:09 pm UTC (link)
She couldn't believe that Kate had actually wiped the tears off her face. Sure, she'd expected a kind word - maybe a hug. It wasn't that she believed the woman standing before her to be a horrible person, but they'd certainly never been close. Some would even call them rivals, despite the fact that they'd ultimately ended up on the same side. Yet here they were, being each other's touchstone: the ever-so-needed voice of reason. It was bizarre, but in a good way. Hearts had been broken and probably would continue to break, because not everyone could get their happy ending. But this was a compromise: one that everyone could live with. Perhaps the whole 'friends only' approach with Jack would prove more difficult than she thought, but for Kate's sake, she was going to try.

Frankly, she wasn't that competitive - not unless she was forced into the race. And right now, she couldn't focus on anything but her sister's terminal illness. Guess that made the realization that she was still in love with Jack the least of her problems. Or maybe 'love' was too strong a word ... She hadn't ever really tried to put a title on her feelings for the doctor, who as far as she was concerned had saved her in every possible way. At first, she'd decided it was only gratitude, and then she'd stubbornly admitted to herself that it was more. Maybe it was the day she'd seen him cry ... She wasn't used to seeing a man that vulnerable, and she'd certainly never known anyone that compassionate. All he'd wanted to know about his ex-wife was if she was happy. How could you not love a man like that? Standing here today, she wondered why she'd allowed herself to fall for someone whose heart already belonged to someone else. Guess the lesson to be learned here was that you could control a lot of things, but not your heart. Just seems like romance would always be forbidden territory. The term 'unlucky in love' took on a whole new meaning for her.

"Truce." She nodded to further assure Kate that there were no hard feelings on her part, and despite her own personal woes, Juliet was still concerned about her - though she seemed to be feeling slightly better after purging herself of the alcoholic beverages she'd consumed. Still, she should probably switch to water. And if she got sick again, well, as much as Kate wanted this dinner to work out, there was no point in putting her health at risk when they all lived here - with the exception of James, who she felt confident she could persuade to stay for awhile.

Juliet lingered behind for a few seconds longer, hoping that even in that short amount of time the color would come back to her cheeks, and the redness along the rims of her eyes would fade. Then she retreated back to the table. Whether or not she would share the news about Rachel or not was undecided. Jack could easily make that call for her if he chose to insist that Kate go home instead of wine and dine with them - which she knew was what he really wanted. Mainly because he always thought like a doctor first and foremost. But at least Kate was making more sense now, and she looked better - for the most part. She seemed to have improved greatly from before, leading Juliet to believe that the shaking hadn't resulted because of her body's weakened state, but because her stress level had gotten too high.

"I think the word Kate's looking for is emotional." Their boiling points had been reached due to different contributing factors, but there was no way to lie out of this. Best just to confess, then downplay it as much as possible. Fortunately, when she got in 'breakdown' mode, she got quiet ( unlike Kate ) - which could easily be attributed to the alcohol she'd consumed ( some people became more laid back ) or the fact that the brunette at the table was really everyone's main concern, as she should be. These weren't ordinary circumstances.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-15 08:30 pm UTC (link)
At least they were all back to exchanging pleasantries. That was good. And food was a wonderful suggestion, although truthfully, she didn't have much of an appetite. She'd eat though, because it'd look far too suspicious to have come here to have dinner, then not touch a thing. She also wasn't entirely convinced that they'd all be sticking around long enough to devour a whole meal, so she hopped on the 'let's eat' bandwagon rather slowly, leaving the decision mainly up to the guys. She didn't want Kate thinking she had to stay for moral support, and she didn't want Jack to blame her if anything went wrong with Kate. She probably would've suggested the other two go home had James not been there. However, she knew that he'd been wanting to see and speak with Kate for a long time. Whether or not it was best to do that in front of Jack, she didn't know. At least Jack couldn't jump to any conclusions if he was present. On the other hand, some of the things Sawyer wanted to share could be private.

Either way, she wasn't going to meddle any more than she had to. And right now, she didn't have to. Everyone had an equal opportunity to speak.

"She's right, you know. If we don't order something soon, they might ask us to leave." Once this place got busy enough, they weren't going to appreciate a group of people sitting around sucking up all their alcohol, yet not ordering anything bigger - or more to the point, expensive.

Eyes trailed from Kate to Jack, skimming over him rather quickly, as she looked over to James. Why had she so suddenly drifted from one man to the other? Simple. People always said that you couldn't con a con, but Jack had always been able to see right through her. At least with James, she could divert the conversation - toss in a couple of drinks, and change the subject.

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[info]acomplex_guy
2008-08-17 04:36 am UTC (link)
All Jack could muster up was that he didn’t expect to see Sawyer there. Sawyer wanted to laugh at that comment, which sure he knew that was true, Jack didn’t expect to see him there but still he could’ve acted more thankful. Then again since when would Jack ever admit something like that to Sawyer just as Sawyer would never admit something like that to Jack. Truth be told as much as Sawyer didn’t like Jack he was happy to see him here and alive and of course he was glad to see Kate here. So many nights, before he got off the island, he stayed up wondering if they ever made it off ok. So many things could’ve gone wrong and of course there was the fact that Kate was a criminal. That always worried him but he knew Kate was a very resourceful woman and she’d figure some way to deal with it. That’s part of what brought Juliet and James closer, they were the ones left behind. The ones that loved Kate and Jack but always knew deep down they could never get them no matter what actions and words might’ve been spoken. Hell, Sawyer even made love to Kate and held her through the night but that didn’t mean shit and Sawyer knew that. Not that it didn’t mean shit to Kate that she didn’t care about him just that it didn’t mean shit compared to her feelings for Jack. Things were complicated on the Island and relationships well that was completely different ballpark.

Sawyer and Kate were together when the Others took them. They were forced into work and slept in cages across from each other; at that point in time all they really had was each other. Sawyer knew that if it had been Jack instead of him then the same things probably would’ve happened. During that time Jack had Juliet, they saved each other in many different ways and he made her realize that Juliet could change her life and live a better life.

The way that Juliet looked at Sawyer after he sat down and said his hellos assured him that she was glad to see him. She even managed to sneak in a hidden smile after his comment about the two of them fighting over Jack. That was it right there, one of the other reasons the two of them grew closer. Juliet got him more then anyone else ever did. She knew how to take his comments and maybe part of it was the fact that she truly did know him. Juliet read his case file and knew his history and who he truly was deep down inside. He couldn’t pull off his act in front of her, she could see through it all. It was nice in a way, not that Sawyer would admit that, but it was nice having someone who really knew who you were and that you could open up to. Opening up to people wasn’t what Sawyer did. Not his thing at all, it was better to stay away and play it safe then end up hurt. He’d seen it so many times before, people trusting one another only to get betrayed and hurt. There was a heart inside of him, just hidden so far deep that even he sometimes forgot it was there.

What happened next he didn’t expect, though he should’ve by the way he fuels the fire in others. Kate latched out on him. Sure what he said was to cause drama but he didn’t mean it to affect her the way it did. She got open with everyone at the table and it was his doing, though he knew the alcohol had a major part in it but he’d still blame himself. Everyone was silent at the table which was to be expected.

“I thought you were dead,” He could see the hurt in her eyes when she said that. He never thought of it like that, did she really ever think about it? Sawyer was always too high up on his horse to ever imagine that just maybe someone actually cares about him, besides Juliet that is. He knew that Juliet cared about him once they grew closer but he still felt like he had no one at times. He was a con man, a man who was not meant to be liked, a man that didn’t want to be liked.

Out of nowhere he felt cold water against his face, Kate threw her water at him. Sawyer quickly jumped up moving his hands over his face almost as if he was trying to clean the water up with his hands. The water covered his face and traveled down onto his shirt. It didn’t take long for it to spread covering most of his shirt. Just was he needed, this night was just full of surprises and unexpected actions.

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[info]acomplex_guy
2008-08-17 04:37 am UTC (link)
Sawyer was ready to say something back but then Kate leaned in to Jack and said something that Juliet and he couldn’t hear. He knew it for sure right then and there and Kate and Jack were an item. They didn’t even need to say it he could tell. If there was one thing that Sawyer was good at besides conning it was reading people. The way she whispered the words to Jack and the way his eyes lit up a bit when she said whatever it was. Sawyer was prepared for this though, he always knew it was coming. She then got up and left. Everyone went after her but Sawyer. He just continued to stand there in shock. Besides he knew that she wasn’t his woman to go after.
Jack came back to the table and ordered himself a stronger drink. Sawyer managed to get some napkins and wipe himself off a bit. “Guess I deserved it.” He said as he sat back down. There wasn’t really much to say to the other man it wasn’t like he could say he was sorry for sleeping with Kate back on the island or anything like that. “You weren’t the only one surprised.” Was all that Sawyer managed to get out before downing his drink and ordering another one. After what just happened he knew he’d need to drink a lot more.

After what seemed like forever the girls finally came back. He was once again surprised by the actions that Kate took. She threw an arm around him and gave him a quick hug. It made him feel better and he wanted to hold onto her for longer but he knew he couldn’t he even acted a bit like that hug meant nothing to him even though it truly meant the world to the former con man. “Glad you made it all alright to.” He said in a bit of a softer voice as he offered up Kate a small smile.

Kate was right what she said, they all needed to get along. Kate was even able to joke around with Sawyer, which seemed to lighten the mood a bit. “Trouble maker! I wasn’t the one runnin’ off and throwing up.” He said jokingly back at the brunette that once held his heart, and still did.

The girls made a comment about ordering some food. “Sounds good to me how bout you Doc?” Sawyer said as he looked over to Jack. “That was the reason we all came here right to eat. So let’s get ourselves some food.” That wasn’t the reason Sawyer came here though, he came here to surprise and see.

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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-17 05:06 am UTC (link)
“Not really,” he said, watching as Sawyer attempted to mop up the water now soaking him. Which was actually true, even if admitting it was – for Jack – more difficult than the most exhausting marathon. “It’s been a difficult couple of weeks. Your sudden reappearance was just one thing too many. She’ll be ok.”

“Here.” He handed over a few more paper napkins, which was a rather strange peace offering to say the least. At the least the girls weren’t gone for too long. It felt like an eternity, but it was actually only a few minutes.

Part of Jack – a rather large part of him, really – bristled automatically when Kate moved to hug Sawyer, he managed to remain in his seat, perfectly composed. He didn’t even reach for his glass. He wasn’t going to allow this meal to descend into a chest beating battle for male dominance. They were all adults. They were above that.

Probably.

Besides, Kate had made her choice. She’d come all the way to this town to find him, hadn’t she? Admittedly, she’d believed Sawyer to be dead (or at the very least stuck on the Island, but it still stood for something. He was the one she sat down next to, he was the one who was part of the ‘us’ she referred to, he was…

He was the one who became sidetracked when he caught sight of Juliet’s red rimmed eyes. All attempts at self assurance forgotten, his forehead creased as he watched her and Kate carefully. They were hiding something. No matter how emotional or gruelling their conversation in the bathroom had been, it wouldn’t have thrown them so much. Something more was going on here, and they didn’t want to explain it. Not yet, at least.

So he’d play along with the meal until they were ready to divulge, but the expression on his face made it clear that he wasn’t fooled for a moment. ‘Emotional’ seemed to be putting it lightly.

“Nothing too strong for you,” he said to Kate, unable to help himself. At least he whispered it, so the other couple couldn’t hear. Wait. Had he just thought of Juliet and Sawyer as a couple? That was odd. Probably just a testimony to how trying all of them were finding this reunion, although there was certainly something between them that hadn't been present on the Island. Best not to think about it.

“No heavy sauces,” he continued to Kate, “And definitely no more alcohol.”

He nodded in agreement when they all finally decided to order something. At least he wasn’t pulling Kate away from the table and back home, which was what every sensible part of his being was urging him to do.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-17 04:49 pm UTC (link)
Sawyer ( still seemed stupid to call him that when it wasn't really his name ) and Kate were back to bantering, which was good. It meant things were almost back to normal - or as normal as they could be with this crazy group. Jack was ... well, he was trying. He still didn't look too fond of the situation, but he had a real knack for worrying too much about everything, so no big surprise there. There was no threat here, no catastrophe, and no one that needed rescuing. So if he knew what was best for him, he'd just sit back and relax. Which was exactly what he was doing. Good. Everyone was now perfectly content after a brief, and rather loud outburst that'd undoubtedly drawn quite a bit of attention from others in the restaurant. Not the right kind of attention either, but they could easily ignore everyone else.

The hard part was ignoring Jack. He didn't look entirely convinced that they were just hungry and emotional. Sure, she'd been able to conceal who she really was for a short while back on the island ( before he'd started asking questions ), but she'd screwed up big time when she'd told Jack she had feelings for him. It was like opening a door that never should've been there in the first place, and now she was an open book. Maybe it was because she didn't share that bond with many, or maybe he was just really perceptive. Could be something much simpler: much more basic - like the fact that most wouldn't consider her an emotional person, though really, she kind of was. Given the right conditions ( or the wrong ones ), she wasn't an exceptionally strong woman. Not when it hit close enough to home.

She dropped her eyes down to the menu when Jack whispered something to Kate. Of course she was curious, but she didn't want to be nosy, and she already had a hunch about what was being said. After that little episode, hopefully he was advising her to order a coke or something non-alcoholic.

Not too long after that, the waiter swung back by and took their orders.

Juliet had been absentmindedly drumming her fingers against the table-top when she noticed a man seated nearby staring their way. Without warning, she lifted a finger and beckoned him over. "You, come here." Her voice was soothing at first, finding that strangers were more likely to obey if you used an approachable tone. Once he'd made his way over to them, she peered up at him. "Can I help you? We seem to have your attention." After stumbling over why he'd been looking, he finally admitted that he had been staring because of Kate's public meltdown. "My friend has had a little too much to drink. That's all." She tilted her head to the side, now coyly beginning to wrap this guy around her finger when he seemed skeptical. "I'll tell you what: I'll give you two scenarios. You pick which one you think is true. She either blurted out whatever sporadic things that popped into her head first because she drank more than she should've, or every person at this table has killed a man. Which do you believe?" Then she waited, her arms lifting to fold in front of her as he suddenly realized she was serious: that she honestly wanted him to choose. Obviously, he chose the first. Even if he did recognize Kate as the formerly 'wanted' member of the Oceanic Six ( and there was no indication that he did ), Jack looked completely harmless. So did she, actually, although she had pulled the trigger once.

"She's fine. Thanks for your concern." Really, he wasn't worried about Kate. He just wanted something to gossip about, but he'd shut up now - or he'd do it a little more discreetly. Either way, it didn't matter to her.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-17 04:50 pm UTC (link)
When the man retreated back to his table, she returned her attention to the people seated at her own. "Sorry. He was bothering me." Was she more sensitive than usual? Very likely. She also wasn't a fan of rumors, and since Kate hadn't been aware that the person behind her was gawking at her relentlessly, Juliet had taken it upon herself to put the guy in his place. Thankfully their food arrived not too long after that, which gave them an excuse to talk less - not that anyone was really busting at the seams to say anything. This many repressed emotions couldn't be good, for any of them. Though she didn't break the ice until after she'd ordered a rum for herself. Something stronger was definitely needed.

After taking a sip, she took a stab at initiating a conversation. "So you're still saving lives," that bit obviously directed at Jack, "and you two are miraculously not in jail. It's a good start."

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[info]acomplex_guy
2008-08-24 04:11 am UTC (link)
Once they ordered their food, Sawyer started to pay more attention to Juliet. He could tell something was wrong, more then just being hungry and whatever else she said before. She was like him in many ways playing off her feelings like they didn't even exist. But he could see that, plus she wasn't the best at hiding it in this very moment.

Sawyer was about to say something to her about it when all of a sudden she started to talk to a man sitting at a table by them. Sawyer looked a bit shock as he watched Juliet. "What on earth are you doing?" He whispered to her before the man came over there. She didn't pay no attention to his question and just continued on with what she was doing. Sawyer just sat there the whole time listening to what she was saying to the man and what he had to say back. Some people these days, can't keep to their own business. Though maybe that was just a fact of life, being curious It was only human nature, and hell who wasn't curious at times.

Sawyer had to admit, he was a bit blown away by Juliet in that moment. The way the blonde haired girl handled the situation was just wonderful and he adored her for it. She was able to play it off so cool and clam while most wouldn't be able to do something like that.

She said she was sorry. "No need to be sorry. Just a bit taken back by that, unexpected you could say." Sawyer gave her a smile. "Didn't even notice him myself till you pointed him out." He commented.

After that they got their food which seemed to cut the conversation down a bit. Everyone seemed to be pretty starved and well just wanted to enjoy the food after all the surprises each of them found today. The more and more he thought about it, as they sat there in a bit of silence eating their food, Sawyer started to realize that Juliet seemed a bit more sensitive. The whole situation with the man and now she was ordering a stronger drink. Sure on the island they drank rum together but after that from what he gathered she wasn’t much of a drinker for the most part. She started off with wines so why the sudden switch, unless there was something burning deep inside.

Sawyer bent over towards Juliet and said in a soft voice; “You ok there? Don’t seem to be actin’ yourself tonight.” He was concerned and it was showing.

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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-24 03:11 pm UTC (link)
Jack frowned when Juliet suddenly – and seemingly at random – turned to one of their many observers. She wasn’t really going to beckon him over, was she? But, yes, that seemed to be exactly what Juliet had in mind. The doctor almost smiled, though he subdued it before it turned into a grin. Every time he thought he had her figured out, she went and did something entirely unexpected. In that much, at least, Juliet was very like Kate.

He still wasn’t sure what she was doing, though. In her obviously overly emotional state, he didn’t dare attempt a guess. It was probably stupid, whatever it was.

His eyes widened as she engaged the man, wrapping him around her little finger with rather remarkable skill. Again, he was torn between amusement and worry. And, yes, he was just a little impressed. How could he not be? Strong women had a certain type of effect on any man, even if this particular strong woman was convincing a total stranger that they were all murderers. Jack, who lived to save lives (often literally), tried not to react to that.

Keeping his face impassive turned out to be a terrible struggle.

He’d finished his brandy, and wanted another, at the same time as wanting to check himself. He probably needed his wits about him more than he needed alcohol.

“I do my best,” he said, smiling when Juliet made the comment about saving lives. Still. Yes. As if it was that simple.

His smile turned into a frown when she ordered the rum. He knew something was wrong, but he didn’t have the courage to ask what.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-24 04:50 pm UTC (link)
James hadn't noticed the man staring, and that was probably a good thing. She'd tried to keep it from becoming an 'in your face' type of confrontation. The last thing they needed was someone eavesdropping on their conversation, especially when they were all having to lie about various aspects of their lives. Having some nosy stranger in a restaurant piece together the inconsistencies would be disastrous for all of them - not that she truly thought this person was that interested, but it was better to be safe than sorry. It'd helped that she didn't appear all that intimidating. Because she was a woman, the guy didn't perceive her as a threat. Now if Sawyer had called him over ... let's just say the clarification process might not have gone as smoothly. Kate, if she'd noticed, probably wouldn't have handled it very gracefully either. She had a legitimate excuse for her behavior, but Juliet preferred to prevent any potential disagreements if at all possible.

Once a hero, always a hero. It was extremely fitting that Jack was a surgeon. No matter what circumstances you placed him in, helping others just came naturally to him. It wasn't always easy, but he stuck to it. It was a highly admirable quality that very few possessed. Then you had the other end of the spectrum. Sawyer did his absolute best not to be a hero, but sometimes, like it or not, when the chips were down and there was no one else, he'd get the job done. And that was admirable as well. Who was she (or anyone else, for that matter) to say that one type was better than the other? Obviously, judging from how quickly she'd befriended Jack in comparison to James, she did have a preference, but she didn't regret putting up with the sarcasm (which was usually a defense mechanism), the stubbornness (oh wait, they were both stubborn), or any of the other negative labels that Sawyer had gotten stuck with. She didn't regret hanging in there and looking past all that.

Juliet had returned Jack's smile with one of her own, but it soon faded. Then when James turned to her and asked if she was okay, it disappeared completely. Clearly, she was more transparent than she thought, and frankly, she didn't know if she was strong enough right now to keep her brave face on and pretend everything was okay. He was flat out asking her, and she didn't like to lie. She chose not to disclose information from time to time, but directly lying to someone's face was a problem for her, especially when it was someone who trusted her - or maybe it was because it was someone she trusted.

Her gaze shifted, eyes lifting to lock with Kate's momentarily, before she took in a deep breath and finally shared with the rest of the table what was bothering her. "My sister's dying. She called while Kate and I were in the restroom and told me that her cancer's back, and this time the doctors say there's nothing they can do for her." Her words shook uncontrollably as she spoke, and hues had once again become glossed over with a fresh coat of tears. "So no, I'm not okay, because she's not okay." Hands lifted to cover her face as she inhaled sharply, trying to recompose before she made her own scene. She was at least semi-successful at this, despite the few tears that managed to fall right before she wiped them away.

"She has a son. He's four. How am I supposed to explain this to him?" There were so much more to worry about as far as Julian was concerned. Rachel would want her to raise him, and Juliet wanted to. She really did. But she was a single mother living off a teaching salary who'd disappeared for over three years. If she was such a devoted sister, she would've been there during the pregnancy, but she hadn't been there, and there was no way she could explain to a judge why not. Then there was Charles Widmore. If he really was out there, if they were being watched by someone who was potentially a threat and would remain a threat possibly for the rest of their lives, would it be right for her to involve a child?

All of these things combined was just too much, even for her. She hadn't even had time to cope with what was happening, but she was already having to think about what was the right thing to do. Was there a right thing this time?

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[info]acomplex_guy
2008-08-24 05:54 pm UTC (link)
It was worse then what he expected, Juliet's sister had the cancer back. It was awhile before Juliet ever told Sawyer about her sister but when she did he could tell how hard it was for her and why she made the choices she did. It may have seemed at one point that Juliet was a bad guy but the truth was she was doing what she was doing for her sister, she wasn't really ever a bad guy. A few times after they got back Juliet talked about how she was worried her sister would get sick again, as if Ben really did have some sort of power but Sawyer always assured her that couldn't happen. Boy was he wrong.

He just looked at her as she told the table what happened. His eyes blinking a bit in disbelief. He didn't exactly know what to say and he didn't like playing the caring part in front of others. When he was alone with Kate or alone with Juliet it was fine but not here and especially not in front of Jack. Regardless though he knew he’d have to, he cared too much about Juliet not to. He’d just have to pretend that Jack wasn’t there.

“I- I’m so sorry.” Sawyer’s voice as soft with compassion and a bit of hesitation. He looked around the table then back at Juliet. A hand reached out to hers and gently squeezed it. “Are you sure there is nothing they can do? Mean don’t doctors say that all the time and then some miracle happens?” He asked trying to offer her some kind of hope. “What bout Jack?” He glanced over at Jack then back to Juliet. “Maybe he could look at her, heard at one point that he could perform miracles.” Sawyer offered up a slight smile. He didn’t really like that he was just saying something nice about Jack but it was true, Jack was a good doctor and deep down Sawyer knew that. Normally he’d never admit something like that out loud to others but in this moment it was ok for his pride to dwindle a bit. Juliet was more important then Sawyer’s feelings about Jack.

He could tell that the part about her sister’s child was eating her up the most, wouldn’t it do the same to anyone in that situation? Sawyer knew how hard it was being a kid without parents, although at least this child still has an aunt that loves him and his father didn’t kill his mother then kill himself. Sawyer was a lonely child and probably why he was still a lonely man but if Juliet asked Sawyer would help with the child, he didn’t want to see someone grow up the way he did.

“You know I’m here right?” He said a bit softer so mainly Juliet could hear. He was glad he decided to come visit her when he did, he would’ve hated it if he wasn’t here right now. Of course as soon as she would’ve told him he would’ve came, not like he had anything else going on at the moment and even if he did he would’ve dropped it.

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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-25 11:10 am UTC (link)
Jack wasn’t entirely sure what he’d been expecting Juliet to confess – if he’d expected her to confess anything at all – but it certainly hadn’t involved her sister. She was distressed, but she had hidden it so admirably that Jack didn’t even consider Rachel’s place in things. He hadn’t considered very much, actually. Sometimes his urge to help – to do the ‘right’ thing, whatever that was – blinded him, and thinking about why he had to do it came a slow second.

‘I’m sorry’ seemed a hollow, empty thing to say. It didn’t matter, though, because his doctor’s instincts kicked in first. He began to mentally run through the contacts he’d developed over the years. Specialists in the necessary fields, working in hospitals across America. And who had made that diagnosis? Cancer was a tricky thing, and, even if it couldn’t be cured, it could be subdued. Time. He could buy her time.

This was something he could help with. It was his area of expertise. He nodded, a little surprised, when Sawyer suggested him. It was obvious that was what the surgeon had had in mind all along, but he was very grateful to the other man for suggesting it first. He didn’t want to make it seem like false hope, and Sawyer’s apparent belief in him was actually reassuring.

“There’s always something,” he assured her, in his gently reassuring ‘doctor’ voice. “There are new treatments always in development. I could try and get her into a research program? Anything.”

“I don’t know about miracles,” he said, thinking automatically, albeit distantly, of Sarah, “But I’ll do my best.”

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-25 07:03 pm UTC (link)
She wasn't used to being touched, so when James gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, she temporarily fell silent. He was being uncharacteristically kind ( not because he lacked the compassion, but because he chose to keep it hidden from most of the world ), and while she knew she could always count on him, she hadn't expected him to go above and beyond to try and make her feel better - not in public. Maybe later when no one else was around, but here, in front of Jack and Kate ... this time she hadn't been able to accurately predict his behavior, which proved how upset she really was. She certainly hadn't expected him to volunteer Jack for anything. Everything had always been a competition with those two. That just showed her how serious James was about wanting to help, and she had to admit that she was flattered and touched to know that he cared so much.

The idea of Jack being able to perform some kind of medical miracle was sweet, but unrealistic. He was a spinal surgeon, not an oncologist. Now if it had been a tumor, maybe there would've been some hope. He was undeniably talented enough to do the 'impossible,' and she would trust him with her sister's life in a heartbeat. But that wasn't the case. Unfortunately, her current line of thinking drug her to a dark place which greatly affected her temperament and caused her to quip back with, "No, but maybe if we take a trip to the wonderful land of Oz and ask the man behind the curtain to do one of his magic tricks for us, she'll get lucky." The words left her mouth before she had a chance to think them through. Once she realized how rude and inappropriate the remark had been, she immediately apologized.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that." She wasn't a naturally spiteful person, but she didn't handle high levels of stress well. Not when Rachel's life hung in the balance, and there was absolutely nothing she could do for her. After everything, she should be able to stop this. There should be some way she could save her own sister. And because she felt like she'd let her family down, she didn't want anyone else to get too close. She didn't want them to be disappointed, but most of all, she didn't want them to get hurt. Juliet had a tendency to shut down on people, close them off. It kept them safe: safe from the train wreck that was her life. Though despite how it might seem, she needed a support system now more than ever - but she'd never ask for it. Funny thing is she didn't have to.

"I know you guys are trying to help, and I'm sure she'd be open to trying any treatments that might improve her chances." Tear-filled hues shifted back and forth between the table's sympathetic faces. "I appreciate what you're all trying to do. It means a lot to me to know that I have your support." She wanted to make that clear here and now so that her actions weren't misinterpreted. After all, if she lost Rachel, they would be the only family she had left. "But I don't expect a miracle, and I'm not going to ask you to perform one." Her gaze momentarily settled on Jack. She didn't want him to feel responsible for Rachel, because as much as her heart was breaking over the possibility of losing her sister, she would feel even worse if she dumped her problems in someone else's lap, and they felt that her death resulted from a personal failure on their part.

... Or maybe they were right. Maybe Rachel would get better. Juliet was torn between hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

A brief silence had settled across the table, but it was soon broken by her. "I should've asked him how he did it." The sentence was spoken so quietly that they were probably wondering if she'd said anything at all, but when she lifted her eyes from the table, it was clear that she had said something. "Ben. Do you know he cured my sister? While I was on the island. It's why I agreed to stay. Actually, he said Jacob cured her. At the time I didn't care about the specifics, as long as she was okay. But I should've asked him how." She hadn't wanted to become like him, so she hadn't asked a lot of questions. What if she had? Ben was probably the last person any of them wanted to discuss, so she was done now. Just one of many troubling thoughts that plagued her.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-27 08:02 pm UTC (link)
This conversation was getting way too depressing.

Instead of sitting here and continuing to drag everyone's mood down, she decided she'd leave. Because really, what else was there to say? This was their reunion, one she knew James had been looking forward to for a long time. Maybe he hadn't pictured Jack being there for his first post-island run-in with Kate, but they were all good at adapting. When push came to shove, they liked each other more than they realized. They were just ... they were all very territorial, including Kate. Worst case scenario, they'd each eat their dinner, then go their separate ways. Best case scenario, they'd decide to keep in touch - maybe even do something afterwards. However this turned out, she knew she wouldn't be able to enjoy what could've been the best night she'd had in a long time because of the phone call she'd received earlier. Not that anything overly tragic had happened since she got off the island ( until now, that is ), but nothing particularly great had happened to her either. Long-distance calls were nice, but it wasn't the same as having the person actually there, sitting beside her.

And then there was Jack, but that topic was far too complex for her to focus on right now. She was already hanging on by a thread. If she attempted to sort out her feelings for him while she was struggling to hold it together ... it would turn into a complete disaster. She knew it. She also knew that she couldn't sit here and serve as a buffer between two extremely different guys, both of which she happened to care deeply about. Ordinarily, she'd eagerly jump at the task because she would like the two to get along. And, once the initial shock wore off, they'd done a pretty decent job of it. Which just proved how much they didn't need her here to chaperone. Besides, Kate was - well, Kate probably shouldn't be pulling any all-nighters. Rest should be pretty high up there on her list of priorities, Jack would need his own sleep so he could get up and go back to work early the next morning ( presumably, since he was such a workaholic ), and James ... well, what he and Kate chose to do in their spare time was none of her business. If either of them wanted to confide in her, that was great. Otherwise ...

"I have to go." She'd fallen silent as she weighed the pros and cons of making a 'dramatic exit,' but ultimately she decided she needed to get away and clear her head. Translation: she didn't want them to see her break down ( although Kate already had ), and she was slowly but surely losing her grip on her own emotions. It didn't help that it was such a public venue, and they'd already caused one scene. No need to make another.

"You guys enjoy your dinner." Juliet pushed her chair back and stood, gently sliding her hand out of James' grasp as she rose to her feet. She could tell he was about to stand, so she quickly placed a hand on his shoulder and told him to stay. "You wanted to see her. Here she is. Now talk to her. Talk to them. And when you're done, you know where to find me." It wasn't like she was leaving town. She was just going for a walk. Plus he had her number. If he for some reason couldn't locate her, it wasn't like she was untraceable. And if the others wanted to find her, Kate knew she held a teaching position at the university - or they could just ask James where she resided these days. Not that he'd actually been to her place before. Faculty housing was tricky. They were supposed to set a good example for the students and not have any visitors of the opposite sex sleep over. But some rules were just silly.

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[info]stoic__survivor
2008-08-27 08:03 pm UTC (link)
Or, more simply, they could just ask Sawyer for her telephone number, and then she and whoever called could arrange a place to meet up. As far as getting in touch with them ... the hospital was a sure-fire way to locate Jack, and if she could find Jack, she could find Kate. Easy enough.

Right now, she felt like the walls were closing in on her. She needed to get out of there, and fast. But she didn't want it to seem like she was anxious to get away from them, because that wasn't the case at all. So she added a little something to show that she was glad they'd all run into each other. "We should do this again some other time." Emphasis on 'other time.'

Many times when the phrase was spoken, it wasn't sincere. But her words weren't empty; she meant them. She just couldn't do this. If it had been any other group of people sitting here, she would've taken off as soon as she'd gotten the call, but tearing herself away from these three particular individuals was harder than she'd anticipated, even if there was a ( hopefully ) high possibility she'd see them all again.

"Take care of yourself." The line was delivered to Kate before hues shifted to Jack. "I'll check in with you about those research programs." Then she pivoted, briskly heading towards the door. Once she reached it, she exited the restaurant, but she didn't slow down. She just kept going.

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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-29 04:35 am UTC (link)
Although, admittedly, oncology wasn’t Jack’s area of expertise, his years in medicine had provided him with contacts throughout the various fields. Impossible was just another word, and it was one Jack wasn’t inclined to take too seriously these days. The Island had been impossible. A great deal of his career had been impossible. This would be no different.

Juliet, however, seemed considerably less convinced. She apologised immediately after her outburst, and the surgeon, accepting that she was on edge, hide his briefly wounded expression admirably. Only someone who knew him exceptionally well – Juliet and Kate, and hopefully not Sawyer – would have been able to spot it while it lasted. Juliet had read his file. She knew about Sarah, and the so-called ‘miracle’ which had both buoyed and burned his career at various times. He took her comment a little more seriously than he should have.

“No one ever expects a miracle,” he said. That would defeat the whole object, after all. They hoped. They didn’t expect.

Besides, he was already feeling responsible. He cared about Juliet, and seeing her so broken was more than enough to stir him into action. He’d have expected no less from himself, and everyone else probably expected the same. You couldn’t break the habit of a lifetime, after all.

“Do you really think he would have told you?” he pointed out, when she finally – and, given the situation, unexpectedly – mentioned Ben. It was a good point, as well as an attempt to stop her blaming herself. Jacob had cured Rachel? As a medical man – a man of science – he didn’t want to believe that. But he’d questioned everything on the Island, and it seemed he wouldn’t be able to stop now, either.

He hadn’t been expecting Juliet to leave. He probably should have, but there were so many unfinished conversations – so many conversations they hadn’t even started yet – hanging in the air. The tension was almost palpable.

Although Jack made no attempt to stop her, he fished a card from his pocket. A business card, one of the pros of being Chief of Surgery. It was also a con, of course, since it seemed so terribly pretentious, but locating pen and paper would take time. Juliet wanted to leave as quickly as possible, and might not wait around.

“Here,” he said, handing the card over, “Check in whenever you want.”

He intended to start the leg work the second he got back to the hospital. Tomorrow morning, or, perhaps even tonight. He wasn’t that tired.

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[info]shesborntorun
2008-08-29 06:03 pm UTC (link)
The dark-haired survivor had been usually quiet as the rest of the evening’s events unraveled before her eyes. She watched, as if she were in a theatre watching from a nondescript middle row, leisurely munching on popcorn as the actors played out the reunion scene in front of her. She felt she was merely an onlooker and not a pivotal player.

Her empty stomach and the alcohol took a toll on Kate; her inebriated outburst didn’t help her bodies’ disposition. Like a puppet whose master conceived and then executed each movement, she was able to make it through the evening without any encore of her gastro pyrotechnics or any diatribes meant for Sawyer. The evening resembled an absurd ‘This is Your Life Moment,’ except there was so much more involved. It had indeed been a night for sharing one’s secrets, at least for the women.

Juliet’s exit was totally unexpected, yet Kate understood. It took great courage for the blonde beauty to share particularly tonight, when everything was so … typical. The familiarity of it all wrapped itself around Kate causing her silence, polite banter, but still quietness as she attempted to sort out all the things that were happening around her. This wasn’t coincidence, it was more. Of course convincing the others would be difficult. Except for Sawyer, he would believe her. Kate was emotional, as was the sandy-haired con man. Both Jack and Juliet were creatures of Science they believed in things they could touch and see; tangible things. She needed to take all of this in let it marinate in her brain before she shared it with the others.

Her fingers intertwined with Jack’s, his strength seemed to flow through her making her feel better. From her vantage point she’d been able to watch ‘her’ doctor as he reacted, she took in every minute movement, the way he shifted in his seat, and the way he put on the pretense that nothing was bothering him, but she knew better.

She’d caught both men glancing at her, Sawyer’s eyes veiled with hope for a lost love. He knew she cared for him; it was evident in the look she’d given him when he jumped out of the helicopter.

“I never had the chance to say thank you, James and words well they sound much too trite. But thank you, you saved our lives and we ….” Kate paused not knowing how to express what was in her heart. Kate gave him a look that said it all. “I think we should go and get some rest, the night has been extraordinary to say the least.” Reaching in her purse she pulled out paper and a pen; then slid them across the table to Sawyer. “Would you give me your number and Juliet’s?” It was as much a command as anything. “We’ve got to do something, I’m not sure she’ll accept help,” the words were meant for Jack as much as anyone. “Thanks,” she replied as Sawyer slid the paper with the numbers back to her, making some offhand remark meant to anger Jack.

“I’m tired,” which was true, but she wanted to talk to Jack, needed to talk to him after the evenings events. “I need to rest,” the room felt like it was closing in on her. She felt claustrophobic and scared.

Kate stood, as did Jack, “I’m glad to see you, Sawyer.” It was honest, and simple. “We’ll take later,” her words hinted at the tiredness she felt. Smiling first at him, and then to Jack, she made her exit.

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[info]amanofscience
2008-08-30 05:22 am UTC (link)
It was nice to hear that Kate was as eager to help as he and Sawyer seemed to be. He could do something solid and tangible. he was a doctor. Jack wasn't sure what the others could contribute, but sometimes it really was the thought that counted. Dwelling on that, he managed to pointedly ignore whatever Sawyer had said to try and irritate him. It barely registered.

He wasn't surprised to hear that she was tired. He'd been watching her all evening, he could tell that much easily.

In a way, he felt exhausted himself. Mentally drained rather than physically drained, although the shifts he was working at the hospital probably didn't help.

Jack was hardly going to let Kate make her way home alone. He wouldn't have done that even if she'd been in perfect health, without alcohol and illness impairing her senses. It wasn't very gentlemanly.

"I'll drive you," he said, in a tone that managed, somehow, to be gentle at the same time as leaving no room for argument. "I'm sure we'll see you soon, Sawyer."

We. A good note to end it on, in his opinion at least. It left a rather clear message.

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