Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. I am not affiliated in any way, shape or form with anyone who does.

"I can't do it Kate; I just can't do this anymore."

Kate looked up at Jack as he closed his eyes and sighed and she wondered if it was easy for him. If it was easy to just say that he couldn't do it and walk away, back to camp, back to being the hero, back to being perfect.

"Why not?" Her words were spoken with more venom than she had expected but she was impressed with herself none-the-less because she had wanted to scream them at him.

"It's too hard. If you can't choose, I'm choosing for you."

The words struck deep inside because she knew that she couldn't choose. How could he expect her to? Did he not realise how much she wished that she could choose? Practically every single day she would try to make her decision. Jack or Sawyer? Sawyer or Jack? One represented the security she had always craved but lacked the passionate fire that she needed. Growing up, dealing with Wayne and then running from the law she hadn't had either. If she had become desperate she would suffer through a one-night stand that offered neither protection nor fire.

So when she found herself on the island; when she found herself with both protection and fire fighting for her love, she was overwhelmed. She hadn't been meaning to play them off each other; she just wanted to be able to have both of them.

And Jack was right, she couldn't choose. She would never be able to and now she was paying the price. She was losing her protection.

"Okay," she had turned away from Jack; knowing that she would not be able to cope with seeing him leave. She heard it though, heard the crackling leaves on the jungle floor as he trudged back to the beach.

She stayed in the same spot for a few minutes, letting the silence wash over her before she heard the leaves again. She opened her eyes, expecting Jack to have returned and she sighed when she saw Sawyer looking at her.

"What? Upset because the Doc left ya?" She wasn't going to admit it to him but she felt the tears slowly winding their way down her cheeks. His face blurred as she blinked and she felt strong arms embrace her, pulling her close.

"I can't choose." She sobbed the words, burying her head into Sawyer's chest. The arms around her were barely touching her anymore and she knew that she shouldn't have expected them to. This wasn't what Sawyer did for her; he wasn't the one who comforted her when she was in pain. That was Jack.

"I know," the sincerity of the words surprised her and she tilted her head back to look at him. There was no smirk, no challenge in his eyes. He had comforted her, however slightly it was he had managed to do it.

He gently placed a hand under her chin and lifted her head up further. "I know." He reached down, kissing her gently, letting her get accustomed to him. The second she kissed back he lost control, hands fisting into the back of her shirt as he pulled her tightly against him, dominating the kiss with a passion she didn't know he had.

Eventually he pulled back for breath, liking his lips as he smirked at her, "guess the Doc chose for ya then."

"Maybe he did." Her tears now dry she smiled herself before kissing back, battling with him for dominance.

Maybe she had craved protection, and perhaps she always would do. But there was nothing wrong with living for fire.

A/N: As far as I can remember this is my first attempt at a shipping fic so apologies if it didn't work.