They don't know nothing about redemption

[valhalla37]

Title: They don't know nothing about redemption
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Kate
Rating: PG
Summary: She runs. He follows. Post-The Incident.
Spoilers: Up to end of S5, I guess.
Warnings: Character death.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: Oh hai! Apparently I write angsty Kate/Jack fic now. Title from Against Me!.

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Comments

[jeaniris]

I really enjoyed this fic. You can feel the hopelessness in their situation. And the ending was quite sad, its hard to imagine a happy ending for either of them though.

[valhalla37]

Wow, thank you so much! I'm glad that sense of "what can we do?" came through, since for me at least it's the first thing that comes through when thinking about Kate and Jack's future (in that kind of situation at the very least). I definitely can't imagine a happy end, especially for Jack, beyond the island.

[ozmissage]

This is so beautiful. The flow of it is so easy and dreamlike, it's just absolutely gorgeous. I love the use of "I don't love you" over and over until it becomes like a mantra, and the way it frames their relationship---she runs, he follows until she goes somewhere he can't.

This gets right at the heart of the mess that is Jack/Kate. All of it from their encounters in the hotel rooms to the end when she finally goes down in a "hail of bullets" just felt absolutely right.

I love your description of Kate on the run, your writing conveyed this feeling of constant motion and this hardness that's so very her. Then Jack, he won't give up no matter how much she pushes him away and he can't save her, but he's him and he won't accept that until she gives him no other choice.

It's dark and hard and a truly amazing read.

[valhalla37]

Thank you so much, hun! I hope you know how much I value your feedback, and how much this comment made my day! :D

I'm usually hesitant to use a repetitive tool like that as the framework for a fic, but I thought it might work here -- and I'm so glad you thought so! I guess what I was hoping to get across is that push-and-pull you mentioned, but also the idea that she's doing it for his own good, too, and that they both recognize that somewhere. That they're both running towards something intangible they won't ever achieve; also the reason I killed Kate, since I couldn't think of a way to plausibly end it without one of them being truly, completely out of reach.

Thanks again! <33

[angela_weber]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uhm. Am I dead?

No, seriously. Have I died and gone to fic heaven? Because these past few weeks have been simply too good to be true with the abundance of amazing J/K fic popping up everywhere! It's like the universe is finally returning to its proper order! ;D And this . . . I think this has seriously put the nail in my coffin, haha. This is unbelievable--it is everything that a J/K fic should be, ever, beautifully written and wonderfully constructed and heartwrenching and circular and destructive and GUH. Every single moment of this is so incredibly true to character, so compact, so breathtakingly phrased.

First of all--I adore the scenario. As I think I may have told you, Kate on the run and Jack following and the result being all of these strange, screwed-up sporadic hotel room meetings is my ideal situation for these two. It is who they are as characters and it is how they work best, at least off-island. You did it so much better than I ever could. GOD. *cries*

It's like a code, he thinks, the

[valhalla37]

*is stunned*

I think I've died and gone to Best Fic Feedback EVER Heaven! Thank you SO MUCH for such incredible, thoughtful, wonderful feedback, especially since I've never, ever tried Jack/Kate before now, and Kate very, very minimally (and in fics I haven't posted, I don't think). This could never match up to your fics, or missy_useless's interpretation -- along with others -- but you guys really inspired me, and I don't know why but this got into my brain and wouldn't let go. ;P

Kate on the run and Jack following and the result being all of these strange, screwed-up sporadic hotel room meetings is my ideal situation for these two. Me too, even though I don't actively 'ship the pairing. There's something about that dynamic that's just so appealing and depressing and fun to explore.

You did it so much better than I ever could. Pffffffft. Whatevs. This is not even close, just my humble contribution. :)

The train of thought is so Jack--the idea of their relationship as a game, as a cipher he can crack if he only tries hard enough. What I was

[elliotsmelliot]

You've amazingly capture how Kate and Jack tick. She doesn't love him, but she needs to not love him. Jack doesn't love Kate, but he needs his love to be rejected because he loves thinking he can win again and again. You created quite a sensual environment here - even if it was not a sensual piece in terms of tenderness. Great work!

[valhalla37]

Thank you so, so much -- this is my first time obviously doing anything with Kate, much less tackling the pairing (and wonder if I even came close to getting the dynamic right), so it's really incredibly appreciated!

Though I don't have much more than neutral interest in any couples other than Dan/Charlotte (and Eloise/Charles, I suppose) I'm starting to wonder why I haven't written Jack/Kate before -- they're so completely twisted and angsty and so much fun!

Thanks again! :D

[missy_useless]

Oh wow. I'm at a loss for words. I think fics like this one are slowly turning me into a Jack/Kate fan, seriously. GUH! This is too beautiful, too heartbreaking and brilliant and ruthless and destructive and hard and perfectly in-character. I adore your Jack voice, and the scenario (she is on the run and he follows) is perfect for this pairing. Wowowowow. You are awesome. I love the structure, how you used the I don't love you over and over again - I think the use of stylistic devices like this one can go very wrong, but it worked really well here, it's so effective - I love all the moments you've captured here, and I especially loved the ending. God! What a wonderful, wonderful fic! *sniffs* I'm all teary-eyed right now.

[valhalla37]

Thank you so much -- from one slow convert to another. ;P You kill me with those adjectives -- ruthless and hard especially -- because that is exactly what I wanted this to be, and I'm so glad you think I succeeded.

In terms of the scenario, I think it's the ideal one for them, in my opinion -- I don't know if I could write anything but Kate on the run in a post-S5, reset-type thing ... unless it was a "playing house" set-up. I just don't know how well anything else fits them.

I think the use of stylistic devices like this one can go very wrong, but it worked really well here, it's so effective. And whew -- I was worried about that, but I thought it might lose some of the impact not to have it a constant thing, so I'm really glad to hear that worked for you as well!

Thanks again, so much, for the wonderful feedback!