Title: When You're Not Strong
Rating: PG
Summary: Sun wishes she were there, with her. She wishes that she could hold Kate in her arms and help her through this. She wishes that she knew what to say to lessen the pain.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lost. At all. I wish but alas...
Author's Note: Used for au100, prompt #21: friends. Spoilers for 'Something Nice Back Home'.



Sun is putting Ji down for her afternoon nap when the shrill sound of a ringing telephone pierces the air. By some miracle, Ji doesn’t wake up. Sun tucks her in as gently, and as quickly as possible, before jogging into the living room.

“Hello?” she greets, in Korean.

“Sun?”

“Kate?”

There’s a sniffle, followed by something that sounds like a caught sob, before Kate says, “I know it’s been a long time, but you said if I ever needed to call and talk…”

“Kate, what is going on?” Sun asks, utterly lost, and more than a little concerned. It must be the middle of the night in Los Angeles, and Kate has called her in tears. Sun fears that something terrible has happened.

Kate doesn’t answer for the longest time, and every minute that passes, the knot of fear in her stomach gets tighter. Is it Aaron, she wonders. Has something gone wrong with him?

“Kate?”

“Jack left,” she finally answers. Sun’s eyes close and she sits down on her couch. Her head falls into her hand and she shakes it back and forth. She can hear the pain in Kate’s voice, and she knows what she must be feeling right now. Her mind goes to Jin, but she forces it back. This isn’t about her. Kate needs her right now.

“What happened?”

“After all this time…I thought he could trust me. I thought…”

“Kate…”

“We were gonna get married,” Kate tells her before breaking down in tears again. Sun wishes she were there, with her. She wishes that she could hold Kate in her arms and help her through this. She wishes that she knew what to say to lessen the pain.

“What can I do Kate?” Sun asks, helplessly.

“I wish you were here,” Kate says.

“So do I,” Sun answers, closing her eyes again. Kate is in such pain, and her heart aches for her.

“I already put Aaron back to bed, and I…I don’t know what to do.” Sun knows that feeling. She has often paced the living room, struck by the memory of Jin, found her feet moving but going nowhere. At times, she feels like crawling out of her skin. Kate’s wounds are fresh, and Sun remembers all too well when hers were too.

“Don’t hang up the phone,” Sun tells her. “I will stay with you all night. Even if you don’t have anything more to say, I will be here.”

Kate breaks into sobs again and Sun lays down on her couch. Her eyes close and her heart breaks a bit more with every second that she listens to Kate cry. She has every intention of being true to her word. Kate is her best friend, and though an ocean seperates them now, she will be with her through the night.