A LOST fanfic: Taken care of

Chapter 18: The man with the answers

Jack knew the answers he sought were with Jacob. But he didn't know where to start. He'd distracted himself enough with finishing his laundry now he was starting on Kate's.

The little girl in the cradle needed him and she needed her mother. This was a crucial point in her new life.

"Where am I going to find the person who saved mommy?"

Megan let out a cry and Jack saw her tiny bottom lip begin to tremble. But not from being cold. She was frightened. Her cries became more frantic.

"Hey what's the matter sweetie? What's got you so scared?"

Jack did the only thing he could think of which always seemed to calm Megan. He set her against his chest and left shoulder rubbing her tiny back. She liked the sound of his heartbeat. Soon her cries were murmurs and whimpers as her wrinkly and pink tiny fingers of her left hand wrapped themselves around a piece of his shirt. Pressing a kiss against her soft dark hair, he kept comforting her.

"There we go baby girl. There's nothing to be afraid of. Daddy won't let anything happen to you."

Megan's whimpers were coming few and far between and the spinal surgeon watched her fall into a peaceful slumber. Whispers began at the tree line and they grew louder. Jack whirled around and came once again face to face with his 'father.'

"Jack you really think you can escape me that easily?"

The signature smirk that Jack shared with him spread over his face.

"I know what you are."

Jack held Megan a little closer to his chest and shielded her from the black smoke monster in the form of his father.

"Megan's grown so much since the last time I saw her."

He held Megan away from the black smoke monster. Shielding her in the crook of his neck as if he could make her invisible to him.

"You can't have her."

Christian shook his head and gave a laugh, only making the hairs on Jack's arms stand on end.

"Innocence can be corrupted son. Rescue is coming for you and when it does, I'm going too. I want off this island just as badly as you do. One exception is you'll be dead."

Jack felt hands at his throat, everything a blur. Someone else had taken Megan from him. Through blurred vision, he thought he saw a familiar bundle in Juliet's arms. Darkness
was seeping into the edges of his eyesight. He felt the breath escaping his lungs as the smoke monster squeezed his hands around Jack's throat. Then darkness came.

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The first thing he heard when he could breathe again was Juliet's voice.

"Come on Jack. Come back to us."

He sputtered as he took a few painful breaths in. Coughing wracked his body and when he opened his eyes, he could see tears in Kate's eyes. Opening his eyes, he felt Kate's hands on his scruffy cheeks. He'd need to shave again.

"I thought... I thought I lost you!"

Juliet stepped in and Kate stood up taking Megan from Hurley. Megan fussed in Kate's arms and she comforted her.

"Hey sweet girl, daddy's going to be just fine."

Half managing to sit up Jack sunk back down again.

"Take it easy Jack. Here have some water."

Nearly choking on the water that Juliet gave him, Jack took tentative sips. His throat was raw and hurt.

"I have to find Jacob."

The crowd had dispersed. Now it was only Juliet, Kate, and Megan. Juliet grabbed him by the shoulders and shook her head.

"Jack I told you, it's not that simple to find him. He shows up when he wants. But if you really want to go after him take Kate with you. James and I can watch over Megan while you're gone."

Kate blinked her eyes at Jack and Juliet.

"Go where Jack? Who's Jacob?"

Jack managing to sit up completely stared at Kate whom had situated herself next to him on the sand.

"He's the one who saved your life Kate."
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"Jack we've been looking for three days, if we haven't found him by now I don't think we will."

Jack kept walking forward determined to find the man who saved his girlfriend. Kate stopped mid-step and took a drink of water.

"If we keep looking we'll find him Kate. We just have to be patient."

Kate threw Jack a disapproving look.

"You being patient? Since when have you ever been patient?"

Jack's signature smirk crossed his handsome features.

"Since Megan was born."

Kate gave a chuckle and then gasped when she saw a man with blond hair and gray eyes staring at them. His clothes were ancient.

"I believe you've been looking for me. My name is Jacob."

Stepping forward Jack debated whether to shake hands with this man or not.

"Jack Shephard."

Jacob smiled and his eyes crinkled at the corners.

"I know who you are Jack. You came to ask me something."

Jack folded his arms across his chest and let out a small laugh.

"Of course you do. So tell me, is this really Kate standing next to me?"

Over the last few days, Jack began having doubts about whether Kate was really herself or not. The crinkly smile Jacob gave Jack made the pit in his stomach dissolve.

"I assure you Jack that the woman standing next to you is Kate. She wasn't supposed to die in that room in the medical station."

Jack had been afraid since Kate had come back but he'd never said anything thinking that it was just nerves over having her ripped away from him and then returned in one piece.

"You're being serious here?"

Jacob grabbed for a twig and twisted a leaf off it before tossing it to the jungle floor below him.

"Of course I am. I think the real question you want to ask me is: How did I bring Kate back?"

A pit was forming in his stomach again but his mind was telling him everything would be all right.

"Yes how did you?"

Smiling he picked up another twig and twisted it.

"That would require your entire lifetime to explain Jack. You just have to trust me when I say that Kate was never meant to die in that room when Megan was born."

As Jack tried to ask Jacob another question he disappeared. He wanted more answers than he got. Jacob was a very cryptic man.

To Be Continued...