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Title: Postcards - Part 4
Characters: Jack/Kate
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Set post s5. Jack's plan works, and they land safely in LA. But Kate has to run, and Jack has to help her.
Parts 1-3
Part Four: The Postcards
September 28, 2004
He spent the rest of that evening and the next day moping around his apartment, realizing that every corner and object was a memory of her, if not in this life, then in the other.
He knew he needed to get up, get out of this state. He had work to do.
Getting back to work was easier than he thought, or at least easier than his superiors thought. They’d given him a couple of weeks to recover, whether from his father’s death or the abuse he was getting over his father’s death, he wasn’t sure. But either way he’d politely rejected, and he was back at the hospital within days.
Getting in touch with Claire was not as easy. He found her easily enough. She’d walked right into his ER less than a week after flight 815 landed. She was having contractions and was afraid she’d gone into labor.
He waited for the ER doctor to release her and walked over to introduce himself. He was hoping that she knew something, anything about Christian. He knew that Claire had seen Christian once. Carol told him how Christian visited her after their car crash, so he’d hoped that she would know his name. He was hoping that if he only introduced himself as Jack Shephard, something would click for her.
Unfortunately, it did not. She looked at him, as if expecting him to say something else. When he said nothing, she smiled apologetically and asked him if he needed anything, if she had to fill in more papers.
He knew anything he says will catch her off guard or freak her out. So all Jack could think of was offering Claire a copy of the hospital newsletter from the nurses’ counter and ask her to take care and come back in if she needed anything. Claire eyed him suspiciously but took the newsletter and walked out.
That week’s newsletter was a tribute to the great Christian Shephard. Jack prayed Claire would not just toss it in the nearest garbage as she walked out.
Jack walked into his apartment at midnight. He listened to his mother’s thirteen phone messages as he skimmed through the mail. Bills, bills, bills, junk mail, invitation to conference… he was about to toss them aside when he saw it.
A postcard. A picture of the Rockies. Four words scribbled on the back,
I’m Safe. Love, K
October 6, 2004
He sat in his living room for the rest of the night reading and rereading those four words until he fell asleep on the couch. He kept it in his pocket everywhere he went, and would find himself during the day pulling it out and staring at it, oblivious to anything around him.
He didn’t hear back from Claire. He thought she was either mad at him or freaked out by now.
He did hear from Hurley, however. He called him on Sunday and asked him if wanted to play golf. It took Jack slightly by surprise before Hurley reminded him “today’s the opening of the island tour, dude”.
Jack was on his lunch break when Claire walked into the cafeteria. Jack waited for her to speak first. It was a few minutes before she looked up from staring at the table and said “he died in Sydney.”
It wasn’t a question. Jack could only nod and wait to see where she was taking this.
“So you’re his real, normal family,” she said and looked at Jack, her tone soft, but a mix between shame and jealousy. It felt like a kick in the gut for Jack to hear that. He smiled at her sweetly and said, “I wouldn’t exactly call us normal.”
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, honestly wanting to know why this stranger had interfered to let her know her father was dead.
“Because we’re family, too. You deserved to know,” he replied. “How long have you known? About me? How did you know I was here?” Claire continued her questioning.
Jack ran it through his head trying to figure out the most believable version, “I just found out, when I was in Sydney, that he had a daughter, that I have a sister. And I hadn’t planned to contact you, not right away anyway, until… I don’t know, I guess, until things made sense. This is new to me too. But when I saw you in ER the other day, and read your name…” Jack said, trying to make up a story that was less science fiction than the original version.
Claire nodded and got up from her seat. Jack eyed her with suspicion and she turned without a word.
“Wait,” Jack called after her and got up to follow her, “I know you are all alone here and…”
“Look, ermm… Jack,” she interrupted him, “I’m here in LA to meet the couple who want to adopt the baby… I’m not… I can’t do this. Thank you, but he was never my father, never my family. And nothing’s changed now,” Claire shook her head and looked at Jack one last time, “good bye.”
His meeting with Claire hadn’t gone as he hoped. He didn’t know if he felt worse about letting Kate down or letting Claire down. But seeing Claire, and seeing how hurt and scared she was, he knew he owed to everyone, to his family to not give up.
He spent the rest of the day thinking of how to work things out with Claire. The paperwork on his desk was already piling up. His assistant was not helping when she piled his mail over the little hill he already had. He cursed under his breath and was moving them when the postcard dropped to the floor.
The picture of the blue ocean was a beautiful contrast against the dull grey carpet in his office. His face was beaming as he picked up and flipped it over,
Sinking my way across the ocean. Forever, K.
October 16, 2004
Claire had visited the hospital twice for regular checkups during the ten days after her meeting with Jack. She didn’t make any further contact with him though. Jack did not give up hope. He knew that her continuing her visits to this hospital had to mean something. He gave her the space she wanted. He checked with her doctor that everything was fine, and made sure that we be informed of her condition. He explained that her family were old friends of his and asked him to keep an eye on her.
He saw Hurley again that week. It was becoming a normal thing for them to grab lunch and talk about that other life they lived that did not exist. Hurley enjoyed coming up with theories and analyzing possibilities, and Jack enjoyed having someone he can talk to without pretending nothing ever happened.
His mother called him that evening to let him know he’s received mail at her house. She “politely” added that he should let his friends know he no longer lives in his father’s house.
Jack drove to her house and picked up the postcard. It was a picture of a Starbucks in what looked like London. He turned it over, and laughed as he read the lines she’d wrote,
I found a coffee shop. Yours, K.
He stared at it for a few minutes, until his tear fell on the “K”. He wiped his eyes and drove out of his parents’ drive way.
October 20, 2004
“Am I being punished?” Jack looked up from the chart he was reading to see Claire standing at the door, “I’m giving away my baby, so God is punishing me, He takes away my father?”
“No. No one is punishing you,” Jack dropped what he was doing and walked to her, convincing to walk with him to his office.
“Claire, you haven’t done anything wrong. Christian’s death is not your punishment. I know this must be very hard for you, but…” Jack spoke softly as she sat down next to him on his couch.
“There’s no family,” she shook her head, letting the tears fall freely now, “the number I have for the adoptive family, it’s … it’s a recording studio. He lied to me. Why would he lie to me?”
Jack put a hand on her shoulder, trying to figure out what to say next, when she spoke again. “I don’t know what to do. There’s no one here, and I can’t go back now.”
“You’re not alone, Claire. I know we don’t know each other, but we are family, and I want you to know that you do have someone here,” he spoke firmly. “If you want to give your baby up for adoption, I can help you… but… if you think that maybe you want to keep him, maybe…” Jack took a deep breath before he could continue, “maybe, if you decide, if you choose… You can do this Claire, he can be your chance of having a real, normal family.”
She stood up and wiped her face, “thank you Jack. I still don’t understand why you’re doing this, or why you want to help me,” she put her hand up, asking him to let her finish when he tried to interrupt her, “I know, we share a father. But I don’t know you, I trust you, for some reason, I do… “ she paused before she added, “Can I call you?”
“Of course,” Jack said and watched her walk out the door.
October 27, 2004
Claire called Jack at 2 in the morning the day after they met. She asked him if he wanted to meet for breakfast the next day. He knew it was not going to be easy, but she was willing to try. And she was willing to accept his help. They had breakfast or lunch every day for the next week. It felt strange meeting her for the second time, but he soon realized that he never got to know her the other time, and was thankful he was getting this chance.
He took her to dinner for her birthday and introduced her to Hurley who found it very hard to keep pretending they were meeting for the first time. That night was the most fun either of them had had in ages. Hurley and Claire made plans to look for an apartment for her the next day.
The morning paper the next day came with a little unexpected treat, a postcard. The Eiffel Tower at night. He turned it over and read the longest message she’d written so far,
Had steak for the first time in years. I don’t know what got into me. Spent the next day throwing up. Eternally, K.
November 1, 2004
He was visiting his nephew in the maternity ward when he got paged to the ER. Head on collision. The driver of the first car dead on impact. The passengers of the second barely alive. A brother and a sister. Mid twenties. He knew their names before he heard them.
Boone Carlyle was in much worse condition than his step sister. He’d lost too much blood on the way and the only option was immediate surgery.
It took over six hours. They cut off his leg four hours into the surgery, but things kept getting worse as time progressed.
Shannon Rutherford’s conditioned was controlled in ER, but her surgery had to be scheduled on the 7th.
November 9. 2004
Boone woke up a week after the accident. Shannon was told she cannot teach ballet anymore. Hurley suggested she think about teaching French.
Jack had convinced Claire that the idea of being a single mom in a new city and moving into a new apartment was not a smart idea. It took a while, and some big brother attitude, but she agreed to move in with him.
November 21, 2004
He had found that spending more time at home now was easier when his mind was not constantly assigning Kate memories to everything. Claire was slowly getting used to her new life. Hurley had found his place as his best friends’ millionaire baby sitter.
Hurley wasn’t too shocked to find out about Jack’s secret pen pal. It was Sunday and he was brining breakfast. He grabbed their mail as he came in when he saw her last “postcard”. It was in an envelope this time, a photo booth strip of pictures. She looked pale. Jack’s face dropped with worry, and as if on cue, he read her message,
It’s an ancient photo booth. The quality is horrible. Give Aaron a kiss for me. Love, K.
July 1, 2005
The postcards continued monthly after that.
December 22, 2004
A postcard from Italy
Merry Christmas. I love you. K.
January 30, 2005
A postcard from Turkey
Turkish delights are as delightful as they sound. Delightfully, K.
February 24, 2005
A postcard from Russia
Freezing. Who goes to Russia in February. Wish I can drink all the vodka I want to stay warm. Frostfully, K.
March 31, 2005
A postcard from India
Apparently I cannot handle spices like I thought I can. Rashfully, K.
April 27, 2005
A postcard from Thailand
Really, Jack? THAT’S Ashara? You were obviously drunk. I miss you too much, K.
But he had not received anything since then. He convinced himself he did not need to worry. She was not globetrotting for fun, after all.
He was babysitting for Claire when the last postcard arrived.
Claire had accidentally called the number of the fake adoptive parents recently, and ended up getting a job interview at the studio. The recently clean, ex Drive Shaft member, Charlie Pace, had taken a managerial position at the studio and was looking to hire new blood.
Claire brought in the mail and was ready to divulge every detail of her meeting when she saw her brother obviously preoccupied with the mail.
He tore open the envelope and took the content. It was a photograph of a newborn baby and a note that said,
His name is JJ, Jack Junior. He has your eyes. I love you.
ps. I’m in Seoul. I might be staying for a while.
-
So that's it. Hope it's not too anticlimactic. I am not too happy with it. I mean I knew it would always end with Kate sending their kids pic, and that the postcards would hint thatshe's preggers, but I had no idea what would be happening with Jack and Claire and stuff. :/
Characters: Jack/Kate
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Set post s5. Jack's plan works, and they land safely in LA. But Kate has to run, and Jack has to help her.
Parts 1-3
Part Four: The Postcards
September 28, 2004
He spent the rest of that evening and the next day moping around his apartment, realizing that every corner and object was a memory of her, if not in this life, then in the other.
He knew he needed to get up, get out of this state. He had work to do.
Getting back to work was easier than he thought, or at least easier than his superiors thought. They’d given him a couple of weeks to recover, whether from his father’s death or the abuse he was getting over his father’s death, he wasn’t sure. But either way he’d politely rejected, and he was back at the hospital within days.
Getting in touch with Claire was not as easy. He found her easily enough. She’d walked right into his ER less than a week after flight 815 landed. She was having contractions and was afraid she’d gone into labor.
He waited for the ER doctor to release her and walked over to introduce himself. He was hoping that she knew something, anything about Christian. He knew that Claire had seen Christian once. Carol told him how Christian visited her after their car crash, so he’d hoped that she would know his name. He was hoping that if he only introduced himself as Jack Shephard, something would click for her.
Unfortunately, it did not. She looked at him, as if expecting him to say something else. When he said nothing, she smiled apologetically and asked him if he needed anything, if she had to fill in more papers.
He knew anything he says will catch her off guard or freak her out. So all Jack could think of was offering Claire a copy of the hospital newsletter from the nurses’ counter and ask her to take care and come back in if she needed anything. Claire eyed him suspiciously but took the newsletter and walked out.
That week’s newsletter was a tribute to the great Christian Shephard. Jack prayed Claire would not just toss it in the nearest garbage as she walked out.
Jack walked into his apartment at midnight. He listened to his mother’s thirteen phone messages as he skimmed through the mail. Bills, bills, bills, junk mail, invitation to conference… he was about to toss them aside when he saw it.
A postcard. A picture of the Rockies. Four words scribbled on the back,
I’m Safe. Love, K
October 6, 2004
He sat in his living room for the rest of the night reading and rereading those four words until he fell asleep on the couch. He kept it in his pocket everywhere he went, and would find himself during the day pulling it out and staring at it, oblivious to anything around him.
He didn’t hear back from Claire. He thought she was either mad at him or freaked out by now.
He did hear from Hurley, however. He called him on Sunday and asked him if wanted to play golf. It took Jack slightly by surprise before Hurley reminded him “today’s the opening of the island tour, dude”.
Jack was on his lunch break when Claire walked into the cafeteria. Jack waited for her to speak first. It was a few minutes before she looked up from staring at the table and said “he died in Sydney.”
It wasn’t a question. Jack could only nod and wait to see where she was taking this.
“So you’re his real, normal family,” she said and looked at Jack, her tone soft, but a mix between shame and jealousy. It felt like a kick in the gut for Jack to hear that. He smiled at her sweetly and said, “I wouldn’t exactly call us normal.”
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, honestly wanting to know why this stranger had interfered to let her know her father was dead.
“Because we’re family, too. You deserved to know,” he replied. “How long have you known? About me? How did you know I was here?” Claire continued her questioning.
Jack ran it through his head trying to figure out the most believable version, “I just found out, when I was in Sydney, that he had a daughter, that I have a sister. And I hadn’t planned to contact you, not right away anyway, until… I don’t know, I guess, until things made sense. This is new to me too. But when I saw you in ER the other day, and read your name…” Jack said, trying to make up a story that was less science fiction than the original version.
Claire nodded and got up from her seat. Jack eyed her with suspicion and she turned without a word.
“Wait,” Jack called after her and got up to follow her, “I know you are all alone here and…”
“Look, ermm… Jack,” she interrupted him, “I’m here in LA to meet the couple who want to adopt the baby… I’m not… I can’t do this. Thank you, but he was never my father, never my family. And nothing’s changed now,” Claire shook her head and looked at Jack one last time, “good bye.”
His meeting with Claire hadn’t gone as he hoped. He didn’t know if he felt worse about letting Kate down or letting Claire down. But seeing Claire, and seeing how hurt and scared she was, he knew he owed to everyone, to his family to not give up.
He spent the rest of the day thinking of how to work things out with Claire. The paperwork on his desk was already piling up. His assistant was not helping when she piled his mail over the little hill he already had. He cursed under his breath and was moving them when the postcard dropped to the floor.
The picture of the blue ocean was a beautiful contrast against the dull grey carpet in his office. His face was beaming as he picked up and flipped it over,
Sinking my way across the ocean. Forever, K.
October 16, 2004
Claire had visited the hospital twice for regular checkups during the ten days after her meeting with Jack. She didn’t make any further contact with him though. Jack did not give up hope. He knew that her continuing her visits to this hospital had to mean something. He gave her the space she wanted. He checked with her doctor that everything was fine, and made sure that we be informed of her condition. He explained that her family were old friends of his and asked him to keep an eye on her.
He saw Hurley again that week. It was becoming a normal thing for them to grab lunch and talk about that other life they lived that did not exist. Hurley enjoyed coming up with theories and analyzing possibilities, and Jack enjoyed having someone he can talk to without pretending nothing ever happened.
His mother called him that evening to let him know he’s received mail at her house. She “politely” added that he should let his friends know he no longer lives in his father’s house.
Jack drove to her house and picked up the postcard. It was a picture of a Starbucks in what looked like London. He turned it over, and laughed as he read the lines she’d wrote,
I found a coffee shop. Yours, K.
He stared at it for a few minutes, until his tear fell on the “K”. He wiped his eyes and drove out of his parents’ drive way.
October 20, 2004
“Am I being punished?” Jack looked up from the chart he was reading to see Claire standing at the door, “I’m giving away my baby, so God is punishing me, He takes away my father?”
“No. No one is punishing you,” Jack dropped what he was doing and walked to her, convincing to walk with him to his office.
“Claire, you haven’t done anything wrong. Christian’s death is not your punishment. I know this must be very hard for you, but…” Jack spoke softly as she sat down next to him on his couch.
“There’s no family,” she shook her head, letting the tears fall freely now, “the number I have for the adoptive family, it’s … it’s a recording studio. He lied to me. Why would he lie to me?”
Jack put a hand on her shoulder, trying to figure out what to say next, when she spoke again. “I don’t know what to do. There’s no one here, and I can’t go back now.”
“You’re not alone, Claire. I know we don’t know each other, but we are family, and I want you to know that you do have someone here,” he spoke firmly. “If you want to give your baby up for adoption, I can help you… but… if you think that maybe you want to keep him, maybe…” Jack took a deep breath before he could continue, “maybe, if you decide, if you choose… You can do this Claire, he can be your chance of having a real, normal family.”
She stood up and wiped her face, “thank you Jack. I still don’t understand why you’re doing this, or why you want to help me,” she put her hand up, asking him to let her finish when he tried to interrupt her, “I know, we share a father. But I don’t know you, I trust you, for some reason, I do… “ she paused before she added, “Can I call you?”
“Of course,” Jack said and watched her walk out the door.
October 27, 2004
Claire called Jack at 2 in the morning the day after they met. She asked him if he wanted to meet for breakfast the next day. He knew it was not going to be easy, but she was willing to try. And she was willing to accept his help. They had breakfast or lunch every day for the next week. It felt strange meeting her for the second time, but he soon realized that he never got to know her the other time, and was thankful he was getting this chance.
He took her to dinner for her birthday and introduced her to Hurley who found it very hard to keep pretending they were meeting for the first time. That night was the most fun either of them had had in ages. Hurley and Claire made plans to look for an apartment for her the next day.
The morning paper the next day came with a little unexpected treat, a postcard. The Eiffel Tower at night. He turned it over and read the longest message she’d written so far,
Had steak for the first time in years. I don’t know what got into me. Spent the next day throwing up. Eternally, K.
November 1, 2004
He was visiting his nephew in the maternity ward when he got paged to the ER. Head on collision. The driver of the first car dead on impact. The passengers of the second barely alive. A brother and a sister. Mid twenties. He knew their names before he heard them.
Boone Carlyle was in much worse condition than his step sister. He’d lost too much blood on the way and the only option was immediate surgery.
It took over six hours. They cut off his leg four hours into the surgery, but things kept getting worse as time progressed.
Shannon Rutherford’s conditioned was controlled in ER, but her surgery had to be scheduled on the 7th.
November 9. 2004
Boone woke up a week after the accident. Shannon was told she cannot teach ballet anymore. Hurley suggested she think about teaching French.
Jack had convinced Claire that the idea of being a single mom in a new city and moving into a new apartment was not a smart idea. It took a while, and some big brother attitude, but she agreed to move in with him.
November 21, 2004
He had found that spending more time at home now was easier when his mind was not constantly assigning Kate memories to everything. Claire was slowly getting used to her new life. Hurley had found his place as his best friends’ millionaire baby sitter.
Hurley wasn’t too shocked to find out about Jack’s secret pen pal. It was Sunday and he was brining breakfast. He grabbed their mail as he came in when he saw her last “postcard”. It was in an envelope this time, a photo booth strip of pictures. She looked pale. Jack’s face dropped with worry, and as if on cue, he read her message,
It’s an ancient photo booth. The quality is horrible. Give Aaron a kiss for me. Love, K.
July 1, 2005
The postcards continued monthly after that.
December 22, 2004
A postcard from Italy
Merry Christmas. I love you. K.
January 30, 2005
A postcard from Turkey
Turkish delights are as delightful as they sound. Delightfully, K.
February 24, 2005
A postcard from Russia
Freezing. Who goes to Russia in February. Wish I can drink all the vodka I want to stay warm. Frostfully, K.
March 31, 2005
A postcard from India
Apparently I cannot handle spices like I thought I can. Rashfully, K.
April 27, 2005
A postcard from Thailand
Really, Jack? THAT’S Ashara? You were obviously drunk. I miss you too much, K.
But he had not received anything since then. He convinced himself he did not need to worry. She was not globetrotting for fun, after all.
He was babysitting for Claire when the last postcard arrived.
Claire had accidentally called the number of the fake adoptive parents recently, and ended up getting a job interview at the studio. The recently clean, ex Drive Shaft member, Charlie Pace, had taken a managerial position at the studio and was looking to hire new blood.
Claire brought in the mail and was ready to divulge every detail of her meeting when she saw her brother obviously preoccupied with the mail.
He tore open the envelope and took the content. It was a photograph of a newborn baby and a note that said,
His name is JJ, Jack Junior. He has your eyes. I love you.
ps. I’m in Seoul. I might be staying for a while.
-
So that's it. Hope it's not too anticlimactic. I am not too happy with it. I mean I knew it would always end with Kate sending their kids pic, and that the postcards would hint thatshe's preggers, but I had no idea what would be happening with Jack and Claire and stuff. :/
Current Mood: 
depressed
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