I can only run to you readers feet and beg for forgiveness... I suck at updating and I suck at reading now too.. Ive just had no time! I havent even had time to finish my maths coursework yet and Im back at school monday.. Not looking forward to that!

Anyway heres the next chap! Id just like to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has stuck by me and everyone who continues to R&R, a special thanks to SassyLostie who is always quick and helpful in her reviews:)

Also, dont despair! We're going to see a lot more of a plot starting now..

Oh yeah, also I dont live in America but this is set there.. so I've tried my best with the dollars for the taxi but I have no idea how much it would be so just cope with it please? thanks :)

---

It had been two months since the incident with Jacks car, things between Jack and Kate had gotten worse, he seemed to be working more and more resulting in less and less time for Kate, she tried to understand – she really did, it was just hard. She still missed Claire, she had been a great friend to confined in when things got tough, but she had, in Claire’s place, made a good friend in Sawyer. It seemed the further apart her and Jack got the closer she got to Sawyer…

No that was a silly thought, Kate shook her head.

Besides, things were looking up now. It was her and Jacks 5th wedding anniversary and they were going out to dinner. She had received a call from Jack earlier in the day asking her if they could meet at the restaurant instead of driving there together from home. He had to work until the end of his shift so he would be driving from the hospital to the restaurant, getting changed at the hospital too of course. He promised to meet her at half past seven sharp, outside the restaurant. She had agreed, not that she had any other choice. She was upset of course, but just glad she was finally going to spend some time with him, Finally they would have an evening alone, just her and Jack, Kate couldn’t think of anything she wanted more.

After drying her hair Kate rooted through her wardrobe and found the black dress Jack had bought her a few weeks ago. As she slipped into it she couldn’t deny it looked good, but somehow she didn’t feel quite right in it. She had known when Jack had bought it her, it was just a guilt gift, trying to replace all the times he had been late, or missed appointments with her, but it just didn’t work, the dress was nice, but it couldn’t replace Jack. She fingered the material absent mindedly until she snapped out of her trance and realised she should be getting ready.

After doing her hair and make up she found some heels and put them on and waited for the taxi to come. When she heard the familiar sound of a car horn she stepped outside and locked the door, and made her way to the taxi.

Slipping into the backseat she told the driver the name of the restaurant and he started driving.

“So who’s the lucky man?” The driver asked jovially as they drove the streets.

“My husband, it’s our fifth year anniversary” Kate replied with a smile, looking forward to seeing Jack.

“And you’re meeting him through a taxi? He not driving you there himself?” He asked, confusion on his face.

“He’s at work” Kate replied, her tone sharp.

“Ok” The driver said in a defeated tone, he sensed Kate’s change of mood and didn’t wish to press it further.

The rest of the drive was taken in silence, Kate sat wondering, she hadn’t meant to be short with the driver, he had just touched a raw nerve. She had been upset about that herself… the fact that other people had noticed it wasn’t helping her situation.

She glanced at the digital clock at the front of the cab as they pulled up outside the restaurant, the display told her it was 7:25, she was right on time.

“That’s $13 please love” The taxi driver told her as she climbed out of the cab.

“Here” She said, handing him a twenty dollar note “Keep the change” She said with a smile, hoping it made up for her behaviour earlier.

“Thanks” He said, smiling at her understandingly before driving away.

-

Kate stood outside the door, shivering slightly in the cold, she wished she had brought a jacket. She glanced up and down the street looking for a tell tale sign of Jack or his car but finding none.

A man and a woman passed by her to enter the restaurant, they didn’t seem to notice her, they were too wrapped up in each other to care and seemed very much in love.

That used to be me and Jack, she thought with a sigh.

She waited a while longer, but he still didn’t show, she wondered how long she had been stood there.

“Excuse me” Kate stopped a passer by “Do you have the time?”

“Its twenty to eight” He said after glancing at his wristwatch.

“Thanks” Kate replied with a small nod, ten minutes late… that wasn’t so bad was it? It could be traffic or anything… figuring Jack wouldn’t mind at all if she went inside, Kate made her way through the glass doors.

“Do you have a reservation Madam?” A worker asked her from his booking stand.

“Yes, its Shepard” She told the man.

“Ah yes, table for two” He said, scanning the list “Your husband…?” He asked.

“He will be here” Kate said confidently.

“I see” he said with a smile, Kate thought it was something of a sympathetic smile and was about to get angry with the man but as he showed her to her table she thought about the situation. She was here on her fifth anniversary, wearing a dress that had been bought out of guilt and waiting for her husband who she had barley seen once in the past week. She let out a dry chuckle, she was a sympathetic case really.

“Would you like a menu?” He offered.

“Why not?” Kate said accepting the offer, if she was going to wait for Jack she might as well choose what she was going to eat while she waited.

The waiter acknowledged her with a nod and hurried off to find a menu.

-

Kate was bored. No other way to describe it. She was now pretty sure she could recite the menu of the place to anyone that asked and tell them how much they were going to have to pay.

Jack had still not shown. Kate was getting rather annoyed with the sympathetic looks and glances she was attracting. Where was he? How long had she been sat here for?

Her questions were answered when her cell phone started to ring, she picked it out of her bag and firstly saw that it was five past eight, no wonder she had been getting so many looks! Jack was over half an hour late! Fury boiled up inside her.

She snapped open the phone to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Kate, its me Jack”

“Where the hell are you?” Kate demanded.

“Please Kate – just let me explain! There was an emergency, Simon had to get home and I’m the only other person qualified to deal with this”

“Simon had to get home? What about you Jack! You had to! Its our anniversary!”

“Kate I’m so sorry – I know its our anniversary I just – there was no way around it”

“What time will you be home?” Kate snapped.

“I – I don’t know” Jack sighed.

“Goodnight Jack” Kate said, trying to hold in her tears as she harshly snapped the phone shut.

The couple from before had now suddenly noticed her, both regarding her with looks of sympathy on their faces.

“What?” She snapped at them, although she knew she was only furious at Jack, not them.

She quickly rose from the table and ran from the restaurant, not caring what kind of scene she was making.

When she had gotten out of the restaurant it was raining, the cold water hit her skin, triggering something inside of her and she allowed the tears to flood.

“Are you alright love?” She heard someone ask, but she couldn’t answer them, she just ran past them and continued to the only place she knew to go…

---

Hum Hum Hummmm!

-Insert a shameless plea for reviews here, thank you!-