Well here we go guys, the third and final chapter of the lovely little Kate/ Jack story. Following the story line of the show, I tried to make it as realistic as possible, by not just totally blocking sawyer out and not having him in the story, or making him and Kate mortal enemies or something, because that's not how it is right? A bit of a sad ending, but I liked how it turned out! Anyways, Review please, it just makes my day. Oh and one more thing before we depart….

LIVE JACK LIVE!

Chapter three: the only constant is change

It's odd to think how much can change in an instant. How much you can change, or change the impression of you by those around you.

Kate wasn't used to regularity. But she hadn't been prepared for that. The briefcase. The briefcase was all that mattered, and she would have done anything to get it. That's when Kate got angry at herself. When the demons in her head took over everything and refused to let go. When she couldn't stop them. When she wasn't strong enough, to stop them.

"Nice slight of hand. Give me the key." It didn't even sound like Jack - but it had to be, because it looked like him, and smelled like him and it was wearing the same clothes as him - but it couldn't have been Jack. Because Jack had never spoken to her like he knew her. But he did then; and he knew that she was expecting to get away with it, that she would have betrayed their promise.

It was Jack. Maybe it was just her ears that were'nt working. And in that moment, she hated herself. Stupid Kate had fucked up again, and she was so much lesser for it. And that night at the bonfire, he walked past her, and he almost turned…almost. Jack never did anything halfway, that much she knew about him. But he had second guessed himself then, and it was about her. They never spoke about it ….and to anyone else who knew about "the incident", it would seem as though he had forgiven her. But they were wrong, because Kate knew a little bit about trust.

She knew that it was hard to get, but insanely easy to lose. And she knew that once you lost it, you could never truly get it back, could never truly go back to the way things were. That the person who you hurt would never truly forgive you. That you would always be second guessed. Always. Kate knew. That was the story of her life.

Kate's not a good person and she hates Jack for making her think that she could be. Kate knows that bad people never really change. Sure, they can change parts of themselves, but full on, 360 degree changes? Yea, right. Maybe with a miracle.

Then she remembers - she's seen a lot of miracles lately.

It's odd to think how much can change in an instant. How much you can change, or change the impression of you, by those around you. Sometimes, they're negative changes, sometimes positive, and sometimes a little bit of both. Kate thinks she fits into the latter category- hey; she'll take what she can get.

Jack thinks she's a good person. Maybe, just maybe, that isn't so far from the truth.

Not much has changed on the island. The ocean tides come up and down at the same time every day, the trees are still too high to get the coconuts down easily, and the wind still whispers in all their ears, giving them subtle hints that they are not alone here.

But the people? The people have changed somewhat indeed. Jack Supposes that the biggest change of all was "the Claire discovery", as Hurley has come to call it - it always follows with his rendition of x files music. She was back physically, but mentally? No one really knew for sure he guesses, except maybe Charlie who was so extremely elated at her return that he almost cried. Charlie and Claire. Nice little ring to it Jack supposes. He thought before, he knows know; that Charlie is in love with Claire. He's seen some bad in his life and jack knows it, and Claire has so much good, so much overwhelming good in her that Charlie becomes someone a little happier every day. Kate thinks it's sweet.

Kate.

Jack doesn't know about Kate anymore. So much…happened with that stupid briefcase and jack saw a part of her that was ruthless and cold and unfeeling. Unwilling.

And he didn't like it.

But he knew she was sorry, and now whenever she looks at him, there is this split screen sadness that inhabits her eyes. But sometimes Jack finds it hard to accept that. After all, he is only a doctor - not a saint.

But he can't turn his back on her, because he needs her and it's an odd sensation, a tugging on his heartstrings that he can't ignore. Kate is a good person, he knows it. He just wished that she knew it too, that it would be okay for her to let her guard down, just once.

For him? For Sawyer? As much as he hates to admit it, they do have a connection. They just get each other. Cliché right? That's what he thought too.

She smiles more know, even though the smiles that reach her eyes only happen when she's with Sawyer now - there is too much between them for the gap to ever truly close.

Maybe not on this island

Maybe not in this lifetime.

Jack shouldn't believe in reincarnation. A doctor is supposed to be practical and so he is what he must be to keep the system working. Jack likes things to be in control. He knows that, and he knows that Kate knows that. There are things on this island that he can't control, more extreme than most settings.

He knows that miracles happen - he's seen Charlie and Claire with his own eyes, he's seen her remember with him. But he can't decide when they come.

He knows that secrets come out - Just look at Kate he thinks. And Hurley, and Jin and Sun. But he can't control what the secrets are, or what they do to the people around him.

And he knows that even though it doesn't look like it, he can feel it - the island may not be changing, but it's changing him. For the better? He doesn't know that either. He is wiser though, a more educated man now than when he first arrived. It scares him to think of it like that. That he could be changed so much.

He sees Kate sitting on the beach as he walks down the path. Sawyer comes up to him, and she smiles.

Yea, it reaches her eyes. For a minute, he's sad, lost in the memory of the smiles she gave to him once. But slowly, he comes out of it, and his feet start moving again, the small frown replaced by a twinkle in his eyes.

He can't change what the island does to them. And for once in his life, he's okay with that.

Because Jack shouldn't believe in reincarnation, but he does. He believes in the looks Kate gives him when she thinks he's not looking, the brush of her arm on his as she's walking by.

She might be walking to Sawyer, but it's there;

A connection of their own.

He sees her turn around and wave slowly at him, a smile just barely playing on her lips. He studies sawyer for a minute, and he knows that she's watching him still, apprehensively, gauging his reaction to the sight.

To both of their surprise, he smiles fully at her, and waves a bit in return. He walks off the path then, and continues on the higher area of the beach.

Kate thinks he doesn't notice, but he does; just before he turns around, she smiles at him.

And yea, it reaches her eyes.

Fin