This is a two-shot story I started working on. Basically, the premise is Kate and Jack cuffed together in "Left Behind" instead of she and Juliet. It pretty much takes what we learned in that episode and others following it and turns the spotlight and interactions on Jack and Kate. The next installment will come shortly! Even shorter, if you review! Enjoy.

When Jack came to, the first thing he saw was Kate's dirt-smudged face hovering over him

When Jack came to, the first thing he saw was Kate's dirt-smudged face hovering over him.

With a start he fumbled backwards a few feet, eyes catching on the glint of a switchblade held tight in Kate's hands.

"What's—what's going on?" he slurred, finding his tongue moving slower than natural, and his eyes still foggy at the edges.

"You tell me." She said breathlessly, waving her handcuffed wrist in his eye line and he found, as the tug reached his own wrist, that they were cuffed together.

"What the hell--"

"Yeah. I know. I'm trying to get them off."

Jack sat up slowly, watching Kate attempt to pick the lock with an ease he shouldn't have been surprise by.

"Where'd you get the knife?"

She glanced up, trying to find an accusation in his eyes, then answered matter-of-factly, "Your pocket."

He paused, shaking his head. "Right, I forgot."

"They let you keep one on you?" She asked distractedly, refocusing on the cuffs.

"They trusted me."

"Why would they do that?"

Jack yanked his cuff away from hers, forcing her to meet his eyes, dark, wounded, and unreadable.

"Because they owed me, Kate." He tore his eyes away from hers, then creaked and wobbled into a standing position, forcing her to do the same. "The knife won't work anyway. Too big."

Jack glanced around, the expanse of jungle beneath and around him just as nondescript as the rest he'd spent months among.

"You're still here." Kate said softly, and he turned, eyebrows knitting together.

"You're not off the island." She clarified, even more softly.

He looked at his shoes, mastering himself, before looking up and around again. "I know."

"They left you." She sounded contrite, but he laughed harshly.

"They left you, too."

Her eyes shot up to his, but he looked away, rubbing at his cuffed wrist, already turning raw.

"And they left us together."

"Why?" Kate asked.

Jack shook his head. "Hell if I know."

"Did they gas you, too?"

"Yeah, through the window at the house."

Kate nodded, wiping the sweat from above her eyebrow, sending a streak of dirt farther along her forehead. "Locke came to say goodbye. Then I saw them through the window, all packed up and leaving."

"All of them?" Jack asked, trying his best not to sound too interested.

"I didn't see if the blonde woman was with them, if that's what you're asking." Kate sounded slightly disgusted and started walking, but when Jack didn't move with her, her handcuff dug into her wrist and he tugged her back.

"Where are you going?" He asked, not bothering to explain his interest in Juliet's whereabouts.

"Back to where they live. Sayid could still be there, who knows. I don't want to lose the trail when it gets dark." Kate answered perfunctorily and began moving again, only to find herself tugged back towards Jack, harder this time.

"It might not be safe to go back, Kate." He said evenly.

She gave him a hard look. "So we just leave him behind?"

Jack met her eyes a moment and wanted to be selfish, answer yes, but only sighed, taking a step forwards. "Okay, let's go."

Kate waited a moment, wondering if he'd change his mind, before taking a hesitant step forward, giving him the chance to follow.

It'd started raining a half an hour into the trek and hadn't let up. Only some of the rain managed to make it through the thick leaves of the tree they were squatting under, leaving them wet, but not drenched. Jack could feel the heat coming off Kate's arm and onto his from where they were pressed together side-by-side, backs against the tree's trunk.

They hadn't spoken. Jack had merely nodded at Kate's suggestion to take shelter beneath the tree until the rain let up. But the twilight had turned to night and they had both silently agreed to settle in until morning.

Jack was still lost in his thoughts, brooding, when he felt a shiver—not his own—run up his arm. He looked over at Kate, whose lips were a tad purple.

"Cold?" He asked quietly, not loud enough to make it over the din of the rain on the leaves.

"Cold?" He asked again, louder, and she looked over at him, a look he couldn't quite place shifting over her face before she bit her lip and shook her head vehemently.

"No, I'm fine."

"Kate." He pressed, his tone telling her quite obviously that he didn't believe her.

She laughed, looking his white t-shirt and jeans up and down pointedly, "What are you going to do, lend me your varsity jacket?"

Jack smirked and shook his head, quiet for a moment before making to lift his right arm around her shoulders, but the jangle of the cuffs stopped him.

Kate wiggled her wrist to remind him. "Nice thought, but it's not going to work. The cuffs make it pretty much impossible."

"You seem to know a lot about handcuffs." Jack mumbled, before he could even stop the words from flying off his lips.

Kate's eyes shot to his, but she removed the hurt from them in an instant, settling them back on her lap.

"Sorry." He mumbled, but Kate shook her head quickly.

"No, I deserve that."

"Kate—"

"I'm the reason you didn't get off this island. If I hadn't come to—"

Jack put his free hand up to stop her. "I shouldn't have trusted them." He tried, shaking his head and looking away.

She was quiet for a long moment, lifting her right hand to wipe the runaway rainwater away form her eyes. "That's my fault, too."

Jack didn't answer, choosing not to try and make her feel better this time. He didn't look at her for another twenty minutes, staying quiet, until she sniffled twice and then shivered against him again.

"If you want, to keep warm, you could just…kind of curl inward, towards me, I could keep you warm that way."

Kate looked like a deer caught in the headlights, eyes shifting over his. "What?"

He backtracked, flushing. "No, I mean, just if you move in front of me, sitting between my knees, the cuffs wouldn't get in the way. I could keep you warm."

Kate looked doubtful, like she might laugh. "You're serious."

With his free hand, Jack rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Your lips were turning purple. It was just an idea."

Kate didn't answer, waiting a long moment before moving towards him, making his eyes shoot up, but she carefully avoided them as she settled between his knees, which he propped up and made room between so she could perch within them.

Jack's free arm fluttered at her side, their cuffed hands between them and unsure.

"Okay…" Kate mumbled, trying to get comfortable.

"Here," Jack offered, good arm turning her towards him until her whole side was nestled into the length of his torso, their connected wrists and hands pressed between them awkwardly while Kate shifted into a comfortable position.

"This can't be comfortable for you." Kate mumbled, cheek pressed against his chest, which—she had to admit—was warm, despite the jungle rain.

Jack laughed, the rumble vibrating into Kate's ear and making her smile. "I'm fine. Are you warmer?"

Kate sighed, eyes fluttering closed. "Yeah, I'm getting there."

This time, when Jack came to, Kate was just where he'd left her, perched safely—and snuggly—within his arms. At first, he wanted to wake her, tell her that they she should get moving, but with one look at how at rest she seemed, her forehead smoothed out, mouth pouted in sleep, he was content to simply watch her.

She mumbled wordlessly and snuggled deeper into his chest, making his cheeks heat. The rain had cleared but had left the sky overcast and air chillier. His cuffed hand was asleep, tucked into his chest along side hers. Her free hand, which had been resting on the opposite side of his chest, clutched at his shirt.

Jack watched her eyebrows knit. "Jack." She mumbled, fingers flexing and unflexing on the fabric of his muddy t-shirt.

He looked down at her, craning his neck to try and get a better glimpse at her eyes to see if she'd woken. Seeing she hadn't, he waited, holding his breath, for any other word that might escape.

"Don't." She mumbled, making Jack's forehead crease in worry.

"Jack." She said again, more persistently, then shot awake, nearly jumping out of his arms. But the wrist that remained cuffed to hers pulled and she turned to look at him sharply.

"Kate?" He asked carefully, seeing the wild look in her eyes.

She swallowed hard, then shook her head, running her free hand absently through her hair.

"Sorry. I'm fine."

She moved and settled beside him again, and he instantly missed the warmth against his chest, the little puff of air that created just the little patch of coolness against his t-shirt and through it to his skin.

"Bad dream?" He tried.

She held her head in her hands, rubbing at her forehead, roughly. "It was nothing."

"You said my name."

Kate shot him a look. "It was just a bad dream."

"You sounded upset."

Kate didn't answer.

"Was I hurting you?" Jack said softly, eyes concerned as he reached out to touch her hand.

"You weren't the monster." Kate said evenly, pulling away and quieting, not wishing to continue explaining. Jack stopped a moment, before he laughed harshly, scoffing, and she shot him a look.

"Do you have to hide everything?" He asked, only half serious.

Kate didn't laugh. "Do you have to pry into everything?" She shot, wiping the smirk off Jack's face.

"I wasn't prying."

She snorted. "Uh-huh."

"I wasn't."

She put her hands up, goading him. "Fine. I wasn't hiding anything."

Jack clenched his jaw, frowning, choosing not to say anything. "Here." He said blandly, handing her a mango from where it'd been stashed on his opposite side.

Kate took it, turning it over as if foreign. "Where'd you get this?"

Jack laughed. "Well, I didn't climb for it. It fell from the tree last night."

"Onto your head?" Kate joked.

"Ha. Ha." Jack replied, feigning offense, but grinning.

"Did you eat yet?" Kate asked, digging her thumbnails into the skin of the mango and breaking the surface, juice starting to escape.

"My hands were kind of full before. This one just kind of rolled over to me."

Kate blushed and ducked her head at the subtle mention of their previous sleeping arrangements.

"Yeah, thanks for last night."

Jack eyed her from the side for a moment, gauging the sincerity of her gratitude. "Don't mention it. Kept me warm too anyhow."

Kate nodded, "I'll split it with you. Since you found it."

He laughed. "How generous of you."

She shrugged. "Even fugitives have hearts, I suppose. That and in-depth knowledge of handcuff operation." She winked, nudging him playfully, showing him she didn't hold a grudge over his comment the night before.

They ate quietly, not uncomfortably, and then agreed to keep moving.

"So what have you been doing this whole time, with Them?" Kate tried, after a long forty minutes of quiet, minus the few directions she'd given after picking up the watered down trail.

Jack shrugged. "Kept my head low. Tried not to make any waves."

She smiled ruefully. "If that's what it took, I guess I wouldn't have made it a day."

He didn't laugh. "If that's what it took to what?"

She shook her head. "Sorry?"

"You said you wouldn't have made it if that's what it took. Took to do what?"

She shrugged nervously, not meeting his eyes, finding them far too accusatory to meet them dead on.

"I don't know, to get off the island, I didn't mean anything—"

"That's not what got me off the island, Kate," Jack started, voice turning biting, "doing the surgery was going to get me off the island."

"Jack, I didn't mean—"

"Forget it. I know what you meant."

"Jack." Kate tried, stopping, but when his stride didn't slow, she had to move with him

"Look, I'm sorry I came. I'm sorry you're stuck here. If I had known that I would have ruined your chances to leave I would have stayed put. But I thought I was helping, I thought you needed me to save you. I wanted to save you." Kate finished breathlessly, willing Jack to stop, to turn around, to tell her he forgave her.

She watched the muscles beneath his thin t-shirt flex and then settle.

"Let's just keep going. I promised Juliet we would get off this island together."

Kate stopped again, firmer this time. "You promised her what?"

He rounded on her, making her cower a little beneath him. "I promised her that she and I would get off this island. And I'm not going to betray her. I don't do that."

"What, and I do?"

Jack stared at her a long moment before shaking his head and turning around, but she tugged on his cuffed wrist, the metal digging painfully into hers, but he stopped.

"What are you even trying to say?"

"They had cameras on the cages, Kate." He said in a rush of words and air, not bothering to turn and face her. He felt the tension on the cuffs go a little slack.

"What?"

"You and Sawyer. I saw you, after. And I don't even…I don't even care. I have no reason to. I just thought you were better than that."

Kate took a step towards him.

"Jack—"

He turned slowly to look at her and she could see the hardened shell over his eyes, one that was becoming increasingly familiar when she looked at him.

"Just don't." He bit out, voice low and sharp.

"I didn't…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you. I never—" She swallowed hard, forcing the tears to stay at bay while she got this out. She didn't want to cry in front of him, didn't want his sympathy or pity, not even his forgiveness, just a chance to explain.

Jack's jaw clenched. "Don't explain to me, Kate."

"I'm just trying to—"

"You can't apologize!" He shouted, making her flinch. "It's over. It's finished. You can't fix it." He said more softly, looking at her harshly before yanking his wrist and moving forward.

Kate skulked behind him, quiet for a long while. An hour in, a familiar howl shot through the jungle, followed closely by the sounds of trees being uprooted left and right. They both stopped in their tracks, eyeing the surrounding trees.

They heard the howl get louder, nearer, before Jack shouted, "Run!"

Jack crashed through the underbrush, Kate close behind, arm getting tugged along hard by his longer, quicker stride. They sprinted for ten minutes straight before diving into a bracket of bamboo, brush, and reeds.

Jack squeezed in close, pulling Kate to him so that her head was buried beneath his neck and his free arm came around her back, tugging her close.

"Jack—" she started, but he stopped her with a gentle hand to her arm.

"Shh."

He could still make out the low, inhuman growl of whatever had been chasing them. He could feel the cold creep in around the bracket, where he knew it was circling.

"Jack." Kate whispered in fear, voice breaking. He ran his hand up her arm, settling her.

"It's okay, but you've got to be quiet." He whispered into her hair, and he felt her nudge closer into him. He could feel the clamminess of her skin, could feel the hair on her arm prick up, just as his did.

In another minute the thing, whatever it was, had shot off and away as quickly as it had come.

"Is it gone?" Kate mumbled into Jack's chest, and with a jolt, he pushed her away, remembering who they were, where they were, remembering that she was not his to hold so closely.

She looked hurt, but guarded her eyes.

"Yeah, it's gone. Let's get going."

"W-well, wait. Hang on a sec." She started, tugging on her cuff, "Shouldn't we wait a little while to make sure it's really gone?"

Jack sighed. "Yeah. I guess."

Kate swallowed. "I won't talk, I promise."

Jack smirked, looking back at her. "You promise, huh?"

She tried a smile, nodding, making the motion to zip her lips and throw away the key.

He laughed. "I'm still mad, you know. You can't just make it all better by making me laugh."

"It's a start though, isn't it?"

Jack pointed towards her, "You talked."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm trying, Jack."

He hardened, the moment gone. "You can't fix this, Kate."

"It didn't mean anything, I was confused! I didn't mean to…" She shouted then trailed off, waving her hands about absently, frustrated.

"It was a mistake. A stupid mistake." She said softly, moving towards him. But he put his hand, stopping her.

"I can't do this right now."

"Jack—"

"With Sawyer, Kate? Sawyer, of all people. You had sex with Sawyer. That isn't just a mistake, Kate, that's a catastrophe. A fucking mess."

Kate could feel the tears starting to well up. "I was scared. I though he was going to die and I panicked and I didn't know what to do."

"Save it."

Kate let out a half-silent sob, trying her best to turn away while her cuff still remained latched to his. In a flurry of emotion she rounded on him.

"I shouldn't have to even apologize, Jack. We were never—you don't own me, this whole who-wins game between you and Sawyer is pathetic. And it's not like you and me were ever together. I don't owe you anything." Kate spat, tears still coursing down her face.

"You don't owe me anything, Kate. So go fuck whoever you want, I don't care."

She laughed harshly. "God, I'm sorry I'm not as perfect as you are. Sometimes people aren't perfect, Jack. I know that's hard for you to believe coming from your perfect world and perfect family—"

He turned on her, gripping her shoulders. "You don't know anything about me."

She quieted, shaking her head. "You're right. I thought I did, but you're right. I don't know a thing about you anymore.

Part two coming soon. Please review and let me know what you think, and also how I should leave it at the end. I'm not sure how far I want them to get with each other, if I want to go AU or stay on course with Season 3. Thanks!