Chapter One-- Goodbye

Kate checked the clock on the car radio. It was 3:32 AM. She rubbed her aching eyes. What was she doing? How would she even find what she was looking for?

It was dark and foggy outside and there weren't many cars on the highway. The stars twinkled in the August sky and there was a full moon out.

Kate searched for the exit for Los Angeles. She probably still had an hour or so to go. She didn't know exactly where it was.

Kate didn't even know exactly what she was doing. All she knew was one thing- she needed to see Jack.

Jack was all her heart was longing for recently. She had left Sawyer all for him. Kate had stayed with Sawyer for about 4 months after the rescue from the island, in his apartment in California, 2 hours away from Los Angeles.

That night was a tough one. Kate lie awake all night, thinking. Thinking about Jack. She missed his sweet smile and his arms around her lovingly. She missed his soft kiss, the kind they shared that one day in the jungle. She loved Jack, even if nobody else knew it.

Kate felt a pain in her stomach. She knew she needed Jack's love but how could she just leave Sawyer like that? She worried that he would come after her after she left. Kate remembered about an hour earlier that night…

Sawyer slept silently beside Kate in their bed. But Kate wasn't sleeping. She was just getting ready to drive away. Kate tried to get up, hoping she didn't wake Sawyer. He grunted a few times, but he didn't wake as Kate made her way out of bed.

Kate pulled out a suitcase from underneath the bed. It was just large enough to fit most of her clothes, some money, and the rest of her belongings she had on the island. So she did just that, packed silently. Each time she packed something, she started to regret it, but then thought about Jack and put it back in the suitcase.

Kate zipped up her suitcase and checked the clock. It was 2:37 AM. That gave her enough time to drive to Los Angeles, pick up a phone book and search for Jack's address. She hoped he didn't mind getting an early wake up call.

Kate put down the suitcase for a moment. She walked over to Sawyer's side of the bed. Kate gently and softly kissed his cheek.

"Goodbye James," she said and left.

Kate pushed the thought out of her head as she turned into a gas station rest stop. She was in Los Angeles now. Kate parked the car and went into the rest station. She went to the magazine rack near the counter. Under the rack was a pile of phone books.

"Would you like to buy one?" The man asked as she picked up one.

"No, I'm just looking for a moment," Kate replied and opened the large book. She tried to remember Jack's last name. Shepard. That was it.

Kate opened up to the S's and scanned the pages. She found Shepard. Then she saw it: Shepard, Jack. Kate copied the address and phone number onto her hand. Then she put the phone book back.

Just as Kate was walking out, the man behind the counter asked, "Weren't you from the plane crash? Flight 815?" "Yes, I was," Kate told him. "It was all over the news and I saw your picture in the paper along with an article about the crash," he said. "Yeah," Kate said. "Well, I don't want to keep you waiting to go wherever you're going in the middle of the night. Bye," the man said.

Kate rushed out the door and hopped into the car. The engine started again and she was off. It was 4:24 AM now. Kate was extremely tired. But she didn't dare stop now. She would find him. She would find Jack. Then everything would be better.