"Sun! Sun calm down!" Kate looked over at the frantic woman, who was screaming her husband's name down into the ocean. There was no movement; everyone on the boat was dead…including Jin, including Michael.

Sun never heard Kate because after she finished yelling, she immediately started crying hysterically. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, hard.

It felt like time was slow, like it was letting all the pain-staking events take their time to sink in.

Most of their friends were dead and if they weren't then they were probably still stranded on that Island, which wasn't much better. It hurt, losing them, even if it wasn't permanent, even if it wasn't recent. It still hurt.

Sun lost Jin.

Jack lost his father.

Kate lost Sawyer.

Desmond lost Penny.

Hurley lost Libby.

Claire lost Charlie.

And they all lost a little part of themselves, the part that knew how to be happy and the part that smiled every once in a while. The part that could laugh, the part that could be lazy, and the part that could relax. It was the same part that taught them how to love. But now it was gone…because for them, love and loss, light and dark, and life and death became intertwined.

Loving lead to losing, the light never seemed to compare to the power of the dark, and wherever there was life…death came after. But now, they couldn't tell where one ended and the other began anymore.

That realization was inevitable for all of them as they listened to the cries of the pregnant woman grieving for her dead husband.

Kate felt that there was nothing left that she could do for the woman. Sometimes the best thing to do is cry because it cleanses you and helps you to let go. She glanced down and noticed that the blue water underneath them looked choppy. Sawyer came to her mind almost immediately, she was worried about him. He was good swimmer, but water can tire anyone out…no matter how fit they are.

Her heart ached for him. She wished vainly that he could be here, that he could be safe. But he did what he did to save them and it meant a lot, especially to her.

Their ride started out silent, other than the consistent noise that the helicopter was making. Kate took that time to examine the rest of the people sitting around her and try to take in most of what she could. To her left, Jack was staring at the ground with intense guilt clear in his green eyes. She could tell that he felt at fault for Jin's death. Maybe she could talk to him about it later. Next she looked at Hurley, who was gazing at Sun with hesitation like he wanted to step in and help comfort her, but didn't have the courage. And last, there was Claire and Aaron. The baby in her arms looked to be okay, peaceful even, but Claire…there was foreign look in her eyes, something Kate had never seen in those soft blue orbs before. They were faraway, distant. She also noticed that there was a large gash on her head and that she was favoring her right arm close to her body.

Once some of the others had started their own conversations and there was a lot of other background noise, Kate wanted to see if she was doing alright. "Hey, Claire. You okay?"

Her eyes met Kate's, but the distance was still there. Lost, that was the perfect word to describe it. She looked lost. And Kate hated the irony of that. That now, as they were being rescued and taken home, The Island had done something to break her, why now? Why Claire? Kate was so lost in her own thoughts that she almost missed what the other woman had replied.

"I'm alright." Her voice was hoarse, almost a whisper.

Hurley looked over when Claire spoke, he looked concerned. He had a kind of big brother relationship with Claire, probably just because he had been best friends with Charlie before his death.

Sometimes even more than death tears people apart, it does a better job of bringing them together.

Claire looked up at Hurley, tears springing to her deep blue eyes. They held their stare, almost like they were talking through their eyes.

Hurley's glowing warm brown gaze said: We're okay, we're getting away from this place. We made it…we survived.

Her eyes weren't as joyful; they were filled with grief and regret: But he didn't.

Hurley looked at the ground and shook his head ever so slightly before meeting her gaze again: He would want this for us, for you. He loved you, Claire.

Claire broke the stare at that, she blinked tears out of her eyes, sniffed and then turned her attention back to the baby in her lap. She whispered three words, "He was right."

Both Hurley and Kate were confused at that so Kate sat forward and spoke up, "Who was right?"

"Desmond. He…a couple weeks before he and…" She couldn't say his name, but they knew who she was talking about so she just carried on, "Before they went to the Looking Glass Station, Desmond said that he was going to die. He said it was fate."

"Aye." Desmond said from the front seat of the helicopter, "I'm sorry Claire…but that's what had to happen."

Most of the helicopter was quiet now, some listening in to their conversation, others just thinking about what was coming next.

Kate stared blankly at her, "Claire…" She started, but the other woman cut her off.

Claire shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Desmond told me that he was going to die and then Charlie…he told me himself that he was going to the Looking Glass Station. He told me not to worry and I said I wouldn't, but I knew…I knew he was going to die and I didn't do anything to stop it."

"No." Kate shook her head, "There was nothing you could have done. Charlie already made up his mind and he would have done it no matter what. He did it for you, he did it so you could be here."

"It was almost like I…I wanted to test fate. I wanted to see if Desmond was right about his visions. I thought maybe there was a chance that he could be wrong…just this once," She bit her lip, "but he wasn't. He was right."

Hurley spoke this time, "You're here now…we're all here now because of Charlie. That's what you need to remember. Not fate, not visions…courage. That dude had courage."

Claire didn't say anything.

Hurley reached over with his left hand and took hold of her right. He noticed her wince in pain slightly and he started to pull his hand away, but she didn't let go so neither did he. He held her hand between both of his and they sat there, the warmness of each other's hands their only comfort.

Kate wasn't sure if she believed that Claire was okay or not, "You're head's bleeding pretty bad." She started, trying tenderly to bring up the subject that she really wanted to address, "What happened out there Claire? One day I have Sawyer telling me that he lost you and then…you turn up in the middle of the forest, screaming and talking about a cabin that doesn't exist and a person that is already dead. And what happened to Sayid?"

Claire looked up at Kate, her inner fear reflecting in her eyes. Just as she opened her mouth to answer, a loud high-pitched noise silenced her. And after that a bright white light appeared and blinded all of them for more than a couple of seconds.

Once it faded away, the pilot was staring forward, his face deathly pale. "It's gone." He creased his eyebrows and searched the skyline again, but there was nothing.

"The Island is gone."

Kate had never imagined in all her time at the Island or even in all of her life that she would ever be responsible for a baby. She always thought that she wasn't the motherly type. The thought of what could happen while a baby was under her care frightened her, but then she realized that thinking like that was how a mother would think. It offered some comfort.

She looked down at the baby in her arms, sleeping. He was so adorable and she noticed that he was growing a little bit of Claire's light blonde hair on his tiny head. That brought a smile to her face.

And then she remembered.

Claire wouldn't be waiting for her at the beach to take her baby back. She was "lost" as Sawyer had put it. What the hell did that mean? Being lost? Where could she have gone? How could she have just disappeared?

That girl had done everything right. She never got into trouble or went on dangerous trips, so why did she get screwed over? It just didn't seem right and with their rescue quickly approaching, Kate knew that she needed to make it right.

She had to do the right thing and go find Claire.

The soft sand underneath her shoes was the first thing that alerted her to her arrival at the beach. She looked up from the baby in her arms. The beach was in chaos. It seemed like people were scrambling around in all different directions. The next thing she saw was a boat on the shore, nothing big, just a motor boat. There were people gathered around it, but not many. Among them she recognized Sun, Jin, and Sayid.

She also saw that Juliet was walking towards Sayid purposefully, but Kate got there first. She walked straight up to him, "Sayid. Claire's gone. I need you to help me find her. Aaron needs his mother and I need someone to come with me and help find her. We can't leave her and take her baby, we can't." She told him, tears coming to her eyes. She didn't let them fall.

For some reason Claire felt like a sister to her. She'd delivered her baby for god's sakes, if that didn't build some kind of bond, then what did?

Sayid gave her a quick look, his eyes thick with emotion. "Yes, yes of course I'll help, but we can't take Aaron with us…and who will drive the boat?"

"I will…I can do it." Daniel Faraday walked up to them, "I've done it before and I know where the boat is. I can take people to it until you get back."

Sayid nodded slowly, "Alright. Now what about Aaron?"

Juliet, who had walked up to them during their conversation, spoke up. "I can watch him. I'll wait for you guys to come back with Claire."

Kate looked a little bit skeptic, but there was no time. She didn't have time to be jealous or hold grudges. She just had to trust that Juliet had motherly instincts and would care for the baby while they were gone. So she handed Aaron over to Juliet only to feel a pang of sadness hit her.

Why did she feel like that? It's not like it was her baby and she would eventually see him again, right? For some reason, it just felt like she was losing him. She could only imagine how Claire must feel. They had to find her…and soon.

Between them, the walk through the forest was quiet. Every so often they would stop and take a sip of water, maybe exchange a few words about the freighter and who was on it, but mostly they were absorbed in their thoughts until Sayid bent down in a seemingly random spot.

"This is where Sawyer, Claire and Miles were staying."

Kate looked down. There was nothing there, no fire pit, no blankets…nothing. "How can you tell?" She tilted her head.

Sayid lifted up a small piece of notebook paper. There were words written on it in all capital letters in a black marker. He stood up and walked over to Kate, reading it aloud. "Number five: The first time I heard myself on the radio. Number four: Dad teaching me to swim at Butlins. Number three: The Christmas Liam gave me the ring. Number two: Woman outside covent garden calls me a hero. Number one: The night I met you."

Kate looked at the ground and closed her eyes, "D-did Charlie write that…to Claire?"

"I would assume so. Yes." Sayid put it in his pocket, "Now we can start tracking her…from here it should probably be-"

"Freeze!" A voice called and the sound of several guns cocking all around them quickly followed his command.

Kate froze in her tracks and looked around, there were people scattered in the bushes surrounding them. She didn't recognize any of them until the leader came out from a bush directly in front of them: Richard. This was not good.

Next to her, Sayid pointed his gun at Richard.

Somewhere from the bushes a voice yelled, "Drop the gun." When Sayid didn't, they fired a warning shot into a tree next to him, "Drop the gun! Put it on the ground! Now!"

After a few seconds, Sayid did put the gun down, but he did not look happy about it. He glanced at Kate and then gulped.

Richard walked towards them slowly, confidently. He knew that he had control and he was dangling it right in front of their noses, "Hello Kate, hello Sayid. We're sorry for dropping in so unexpected, but…we need your help."

"For what?"

Richard circled around them, flaunting his power. "We need a favor. And if you cooperate with us and help us get what we want we're willing to make a deal with you so that you can get what you want also."

Sayid and Kate met each other's eyes. They both knew what they wanted, what their side of the deal needed to be, "We are trying to find our friend Claire. Young, blonde girl…she used to be pregnant. I'm sure you're familiar. She was kidnapped by your people, Ethan to be exact." Sayid stated.

They all exchanged glances and one of them called out, "How do you expect us to know where she is now?" They sounded impatient and hateful.

Kate stepped forward unthreateningly, "She left with someone she called 'dad' and as far as we all know, her dad was not on the plane. And also usually when someone goes missing they'll turn up somewhere, either picked up by you guys or by us. But she's just…gone."

Richard creased his eyebrows in thought, "Is her father dead?"

"I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure she said that he was out of the picture. That could mean he's dead, why?" Kate looked at him curiously. She could see his mind working.

Richard nodded, deep in thought. It looked like he was having an inner battle with himself. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he made up his mind. "Alright, I think I know where she is, but I can only take one of you with me and well…it has to be Sayid because we need you specifically for what we're gonna do, Kate."

Kate looked ready to protest, but Sayid cut in first. "It's okay. I'll go and I'll bring her back, you just be safe Kate." He walked towards Richard, who told his number two the plan for Kate and then he and Sayid walked off into the jungle. She also noted that Richard had grabbed one of those large guns before they left and she prayed that Sayid would be cautious.

Their plan to get Ben back worked easily and she also reunited with Jack, Hurley, and Sawyer. They were getting the helicopter ready to fly to the freighter when Kate remembered Sayid and Richard. She told all of the men what had happened and then stated, without any question that she was going to find Claire before she left. That was when they heard a noise erupt from the jungle:

Claire's scream.

It was loud and agonizing, but as it went on for a few seconds another noise faded in and drowned out the screams. It was the all too familiar clicking noise that the smoke monster made when it was angry.

Claire's screams got even worse after that.

She was yelling Sayid's name over and over and over again.

But before the any of the people at the helicopter could react, the sound of the smoke monster was gone and Claire's screams had stopped…completely. It was the most silent that any of them had heard that jungle…ever.

That was until she started screaming again, "Help! Help! Somebody help me!" She sounded close.

Kate took off in a sprint with Sawyer right on her heels and Jack and Hurley close behind. They followed the sound of her yelling until Kate tripped over something on the ground, stalling the group. When she looked down she saw that it was a gun, a large one.

The one that Richard had been carrying.

"Kate?" Claire's voice cracked as she spoke.

Kate looked up and saw Claire. Her head was bleeding, the dark red blood contrasting her light blond hair and her blue eyes were swimming with tears. She was standing in the middle of a clearing, alone.

Before anyone had the chance to say anything, Claire started yelling. "Sayid's gone! Richard and Sayid they were right here! That thing…it took them! I was in the cabin. I was with him. I was with my dad, my dead dad! And Locke…he…he came to visit me! He talked to my dad! He talked to me! But he didn't do anything! Sayid and Richard, they…they…" She paused to sob, "They made it angry. They made it attack! It got them! I can't…I don't know where they went! I don't know where he took them!"

Before Kate could say anything, Hurley spoke first. "Wait…you were in Jacob's cabin?"

Claire didn't answer the question. She sank to the ground, "They were right here. I watched it…I watched it take them. I didn't…they were right here. They were right here." She was trembling and her blue eyes were wide open, stricken with fear.

Kate sat down next to her, "Claire…it's okay. You're okay." She put her arm around her, the feeling of Claire's whole body shaking giving her no comfort.

Sawyer sat down on her other side, just sitting there…to be there for her. That was the most he could offer, he was never very good at comforting people.

"Where did it take them?" Jack asked, crouching down in front of Claire.

She blinked and didn't look him in the eye, "They were right there. It just…took them. They're gone…it took them and then it left. And I watched it happen." Her voice was ominous, chilling…even with her soft, Australian accent.

"Claire!" Jack snapped his fingers in front of her.

Her eyes shot up.

"Where did it take them? Which way Claire?" Jack asked slowly.

Claire blinked a few more times and then pointed to her left. When he started to go jogging in that direction, she called after him, "But Jack…it was like…flying. Once they were in it…they were gone."

Jack froze in his tracks and turned around, "What do you mean?"

She let out a sigh, "It…engulfed them. And then it left. That thing, whatever it was, it took them with it. They were right here in front of me and then it just came out of nowhere and took them."

No one said anything, no one could. Why would it just take them? Actually, the more pressing question was where would it take them? No one knew where that thing lived or what it was, if it took them…there was a good chance they would never get them back.

The sound of the chopper broke the silence.

"We have to go." Sawyer spoke first and stood up. He offered his hand to Claire and helped pull her up off of the ground.

"But what about Sayid?" Hurley asked.

"What about him? That thing took him and hell, maybe he's safer wherever he is. All I know is that I'm getting off this Island and if you guys want to stay and look feel free, but I'm leaving now with or without you." Sawyer said, starting to walk back to where they came from.

Kate looked at Jack and Hurley before turning to Claire, "Come on. Let's go." She walked after Sawyer and Claire followed.

Hurley looked shocked that they would be so ready to leave Sayid behind, "Dude…we can't just leave. We have to do something, don't we?" He stared at Jack.

"This is our only chance Hurley and we have to take it. I'm sorry." Jack walked out of the clearing in the same direction that Sawyer, Kate and Claire had gone.

And after a few seconds alone in the clearing Hurley let out a sigh, "Someday we'll come back for you, man." He said and then he too left to go get on the helicopter that would take them off this Island.