DISCLAIMER: Lost and its characters are the property of JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, Touchstone Television, ABC and Disney. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first Lost fic, so we'll see how it goes. This was written for the Fic Battle at lost_femmeslash. Minor ones for Season 4. Takes place after 4x03: Eggtown.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Maybe It's Time For Something (Someone) New
By mysensitiveside
As Kate got closer and closer to the beach, she realized that she had been progressively slowing down her pace. And it wasn't because she was tired. The trek from the barracks to the beach really wasn't that bad. It was just that, even as she continued walking forward, she wasn't sure that she actually wanted to arrive.
She had really thought that it might work this time, "playing house" with Sawyer. She thought she could be happy. But now she found herself once again shuttling back and forth between Sawyer and Jack. Who knows... Maybe in another week, she'd be turning around and walking right back to Sawyer.
Kate knew that she was being absurdly indecisive, but she couldn't help it. Each time, she managed to convince herself that she had made the right choice. That she was with the right man. But then he'd do something that made it absolutely clear that he wasn't the one for Kate, and she'd switch it up once again. She was tired of the back and forth, but didn't know how to break free from the cycle.
Eventually, she couldn't put it off any longer, as she took the last few steps out from the jungle and into the blinding sunlight of the beach.
Sun was the first one to notice her, and she was soon surrounded by people and questions. She felt a familiar ache in her chest when she locked eyes with Jack, but he quickly turned away again, choosing not to join the reunion. She couldn't blame him, really. He had sent her off with Sayid, but she was returning a little later than he had probably expected.
Hours later, sitting on her own, looking out at the ocean, she heard someone approach her from behind. Turning to see who it was, Kate was surprised to see Juliet come and take a seat next to her.
"Hi," Juliet said simply, but she followed it up with an uncharacteristically large smile. Kate had noticed that Juliet seemed to be happier lately, now that she didn't have to deal with Ben.
Kate didn't particularly mean to, but somehow she found herself smiling back anyway. "Hi." The feeling that followed -- a soft flutter just below her navel -- was also familiar, but she wasn't used to it appearing when there was no one else around except for Juliet.
"It's nice to have you back here."
"Thanks," Kate replied quietly, but sincerely. Although everyone (well, everyone except for Jack; she still hadn't talked to Jack yet) had been friendly enough since she'd returned, Juliet was the first one to actually say something like that. It was nice to hear, even though it was Juliet, of all people.
They lapsed into a comfortable silence, each gazing straight ahead. That flutter hadn't yet gone away, though. 'Maybe,' Kate thought to herself, 'Maybe I can't decide between Jack and Sawyer because I shouldn't be with either of them. Maybe it's time for something, or someone, new.' Strangely enough, the thought hadn't really occurred to her before. She sighed heavily. As if her life wasn't already complicated enough...
"You must be tired," Juliet commented, mistaking her sigh for fatigue.
"It just feels like I've been walking for a long time. You know?"
"Yeah."
Even though Kate doubted that she was making much sense, she knew that Juliet did understand her, in some way. Kate didn't know what all this meant, but for now, she was simply happy where she was.
The End