'We're landing!' The pilot said as the helicopter came to a low hover over the freighter.
Quinn looked out the window and saw Shayna running up to them waving her arms frantically. 'Did she say don't land?' she looked around concerned at Jack and Hurley who sat in the back with her.
'We need to patch up that hole! We gotta land!' He said again as the helicopter came to a small stop on the freighter. Once they had landed they realised the commotion they had just entered, people were running about scared.
'We need to get off this boat!' Shayna ran up to the group.
'Patch up that hole, Sayid!' the pilot turned to him chucking him some duct tape.
Shayna reached her hands into her hair looking anxious. 'You don't have time we need to go!'
'Why?' Jack said looking at her.
'There's a bomb…' She said looking towards the doors leading inside the freighter.
10 Days Before
Vincent barked loudly pulling on the lead. 'What's got him so riled up?' Santana looked down at the dog who was wagging his tail viciously barking towards Jack.
'He must just be excited to be going home.' Quinn smiled patting the back of Vincent's head as she pulled on his lead.
'Aren't we all.' Rose smiled at the girls watching them.
Santana smiled back walking over to Jin 'What was Locke thinking?'
'He's crazy.' Santana said looking over at the small group gathered around Naomi and Blaine.
'But he killed her, and he could have killed your friends Blaine and Rachel too.' Jin looked at Santana concerned. 'I won't let him anywhere near you.' Santana smiled slightly looking at Jin feeling loved. Her eyes glanced over at the main group, Jack had just called the boat and he was now looking at Blaine's arm.
'it just scrapped you, you'll be ok.' Jack said looking down at him and moving away.
Blaine smiled. 'Thanks, Jack.' Jack smiled slightly back at him walking over to Rachel.
'Why would Locke do this Jack, he was prepared to both of them?' Rachel looked into the jungle whence Locke had disappeared into.
'Because he's crazy Rachel, and don't you ever put yourself in between John Locke and a bullet again.' Jack looked at her seriously now. Rachel smiled slightly pushing her hair out of her face and behind her ear. The phone in Jack's hand bleeped and Jack answered quickly. 'Hello?'
'Hey, Jack.' The voice came from the other side. 'We're having a bit of trouble zeroing in on your location.'
'Just tell me what to do.' He smiled.
'Why don't you put Naomi on the phone?' The voice came and Rachel turned behind her looking for Naomi. She turned back to Jack wide eyed.
'She's getting firewood at the moment, we'll call you back.' He said pressing the button and hanging up. He looked around worried, how could a half dead person be right next to them one minute and then gone the next.
-l
They looked across the water seeing a small boat going to the shore. Sawyer ran out greeting Shayna and helping her onto the beach. 'Has Jack called those people?'
'Yeah, boats on the way.' Sawyer said smiling slightly and Hurley looked around expectant.
'No, no, no! Those people, Naomi and … and Blaine they, they lied. The people on the boat aren't who they said they are!' She said exasperated.
'What do you mean?' Dawn said looking concerned.
'It's not, it's not Benny's boat.'
'What, how do you know?' Finn said looking at her.
'Charlie... he…'
'Where is Charlie?' Hurley said looking at Shayna.
She looked down slightly looking back up at him tears in her eyes again. 'I'm … I'm sorry… he…' The group all looked around sad as Shayna continued. 'He said, there was a note on his hand… not Benny's boat. We need to contact Jack and tell him!'
'I got a walkie.' Sawyer said picking it up.
'No contacting Jack will accomplish nothing.' Sayid said looking at the group. 'And I'm pretty sure they will be listening in to our conversations.'
Hurley turned around grabbing the walkie from Sawyer and throwing it into the sea. He turned around to the group looking at them dully. 'We best get moving.'
-l
'She's heading west across the island, can't be more than an hour ahead of us.' Danielle said coming up to Jack.
'Ok, we're taking her with us.' He said pointing to Sue.
Danielle looked at her carefully. 'Why would you do that?'
'Because I don't trust her with anybody else but me.' Jack said turning to Danielle. She gave him a curt nod and walked towards Sue preparing to take her with them.
'Hey,' Rachel said running from the other side of the opening. 'I found Naomi's trail, she's heading east. We should go after her.'
'Danielle already found it.' Jack smiled at her.
'How do you know it's hers, she could be using a dummy trail?' Rachel said imploring for Jack to listen to her.
'Rachel, you're not a tracker, and we're gonna get this all sorted and we'll be home before we know it. Could you please lead everyone to the beach?' He said looking at her.
'Of course,' She smiled. 'I'm sorry.' She said hugging him.
'Nothing to be sorry about. See you later.' He gave her a little wink smiling and she laughed too looking around her as he walked off with Danielle and Sue. Rachel stood there for a few minutes before heading off into the jungle to find Naomi, on her own trail. She wanted to go alone but Blaine had other plans as he watched her and followed shortly after.
*l
'Mom, I'm gonna be late!' He said coming his hair through again the gel thick. Blaine's dark eyes stared back at him from the mirror as he waited by the front door.
'Blaine, I know you're upset you couldn't go to Sydney and you're excited everyone's back but you can't blame him forever.' She said passing him his coat.
Blaine looked back up at her smiling and taking his coat, he left the house quickly practically running all the way to McKinley high school. He ran straight to his locker looking around everywhere, no one seemed to be around, he couldn't be that late surely? He stuffed everything in his locker running to the choir room wanting to find Kurt, hold him and never let him go. He entered the room looking around confused as the empty room grew around him.
'Oh…' Blaine turned around seeing Sugar looking at him from the door. 'I thought I was the only one here.' She looked at him cocking her head, she looked merely entertained by the fact they were alone.
'Where is everyone?' Blaine said looking around the room and walking over to her.
'I don't know…' She looked down the corridor as she heard footsteps.
'Miss Motta, Mr Anderson…' Principle Figgins had appeared around the corner looking at them both. 'Please will you follow me to my office.' He turned and started walking towards his office and Blaine and Sugar followed worriedly.
They all sat down around his desk. 'Something went wrong. It seems that Mr Schuester and the rest of the glee club had taken an earlier flight than predicted.'
'Oh … where are they then?' Sugar nodded to him.
He inhaled sharply looking at the pair with sad eyes. 'The plane they were travelling on was Oceanic flight 815…'
'The one that went missing?' Blaine said looking at him scared.
'You mean the one they found at the bottom of the ocean?' Sugar looked close to tears as they both stared at Principle Figgins who nodded slowly.
*l
'Hello, Finn.' Finn turned around in the darkness of the jungle, the sun had set fast. He jumped slightly once he saw Locke's pale face protruding from the darkness.
'You scared me.' He said looking at him and sighing.
'Hey, Frankenteen!' Sawyer shouted back from the front of the group. 'What's the hold up?' He said walking back. His eyes peered to Locke.
'Hello, James.' Locke smiled.
Sawyer grimaced at him. 'And what do we owe this pleasure to?'
'Well I've just been trying to convince the others not to call that boat, but they didn't listen to me.' James looked at him as if to say continue. 'And I think you could help me, seeing as what Charlie said.'
'And how do you know what he said?' James said looking at him.
Locke smiled 'I'm a better tracker than you take me for, James.'
-l
Jack looked down at the ground, the blood trail was vanishing. Danielle dragged Sue along as she was bound by her wrists. 'The trail ends here.' She said looking down at the ground and around at the surrounding trees.
'What you mean she stopped bleeding here?'
'No, I mean there's no more trail, she fooled us and doubled back.' Danielle said looking back at Jack.
Sue smiled slightly. 'Better let the boat know she's getting a really big pile of firewood.'
Jack reached behind his back to the top of his jeans where the phone had been. He reached round griping nothing, confused and worried he looked at Sue, anger suddenly rising in him. 'Where is it?' He shouted pushing her against the tree.
'Maybe I should have told you when she took it Jack, but I owed you one, seeing as you did attack me. Rachel took it when she hugged you. She found the right trail too, but you were so concerned about doing this right you didn't listen to her.' Sue smiled slightly as Jack released her.
-l
Rachel was walking through the jungle, alone in the dark. She suddenly felt terrified as she clung onto the phone. She followed the trail of blood when she heard something behind her, she quickly picked up a twig from the ground feeling suddenly weak without a gun in her hand, what had happened to her? 'Blaine?' She said looking at him slightly relieved. 'What are you doing here?'
'I saw you take the, the transceiver.' He said looking and pointing to her hand.
Rachel looked down, 'Jack wouldn't listen, I thought we best do this.'
'Yeah, exactly!' Blaine said looking at her enthusiastically.
'So you're here to help?' She looked at him confused. He nodded slowly, 'Ok then, we best keep following the trail.'
They walked in silence and it wasn't long until the trail ended. Rachel looked around confused as she felt something drop on her shoulder. She looked at her shoulder seeing blood, as she looked up a figure jumped from the tree above her. Naomi landed on Rachel pinning her down by the waist. 'Give me the phone!' She said holding a knife to her. 'I was trying to help you…' She said her voice breaking from the pain.
'Naomi…' Blaine said trying to ease her off.
'Shut up, Blaine!' She shouted with all her might. Rachel was looking at her scared as Naomi bent closer. 'Why would you do this to me, all I ever did was help you? And I get this knife in my back'
'It wasn't us Naomi, you know us. We would never do that!' Rachel said even more scared.
'Then who?' Naomi said shuddering slightly.
'His name is John Locke…'
'Why?'
'He said you weren't who you said you were.' Rachel said looking at her and the transceiver rang. 'That's them, please Naomi, we wouldn't have done this to you.' Naomi rolled off of her taking the transceiver.
'George, it's Naomi.' She said into the transceiver.
'Naomi where have you been? What's going on over there?' The man's voice came from the phone, Rachel and Blaine watched Naomi carefully.
'I had an accident, I'm hurt. A branch went through my gut, when I parachuted in.' She said struggling to talk.
'Why did they tell me you were getting firewood?'
'I guess they were too scared to tell you what happened before I could talk to you myself.'
'We've lost the signal and we can't come get you, can you change the tracking frequency?'
'Yeah…' Naomi said finding her breathing harsher, she pressed a few buttons. 'Try it now.'
'Clear as a bell. Hang on Naomi, we'll get you back here asap, okay?' The voice said sounding happier.
Naomi looked up at Rachel, feeling the pain rise in her. 'I'm sorry George… just tell my sister that I love her.' She said and collapsed to the ground.
'That's not good.' Blaine said looking concerned at Naomi. Rachel looked down at the girl who just rescued them from the island, dead from one of their own people.
*l
'We have to caution our viewers that the images they are about to see are graphic.' The TV said as Blaine watched the new intently. 'Viewers digression is advised. Authorities have released footage of the remains of Oceanic flight 815.' On the screen there was an image of the plane under water, they could see into the windows where the dead pilot sat still in his seat. Blaine's eyes filled up with tears. 'The nation transportation safety board has set up a hotline for family members of the Oceanic victims. The FCSP has started the identification process and we have been advised that a group of teenagers from our own area were on the plane flying from Sydney to Los Angeles. But they have said the identification of the bodies is near on impossible. If want further information or are a family member of one of the victims please call 01539 482316.' Blaine turned off the TV not believing what he had heard, how could this be true?
'They said the identification would be near impossible, maybe they weren't on there?' He said turning to his mother.
'I'm sorry Blaine, but they found the manifest, and their names were on it.' She said looking at him. 'However,' He looked at her confused wiping his eyes. 'He believes they are still alive.'
'But how?'
'He thinks the plane is a fake, and he wants you to help uncover it.' She smiled at him.
'Why me? Why does he always need me?'
'Because you are special Blaine, and I think this is an opportunity you cannot, and will not, refuse.' She looked at him through piercing eyes and he nodded.
'If there's a chance he's still out there, I've got to do it. I'll do it for Kurt.'
*l
The group walked onwards and suddenly they heard voices, they turned around looking in the direction when the survivors came into view. Rose walked over to Bernard smiling and hugging him lovingly. Finn looked over seeing Quinn, they ran to each other Quinn never wanting to let him go again. The group formed together slowly everyone regrouping, Shayna looked into the crowd seeing Claire, she was stood alone with Aaron. She seemed to be peering through the crowd looking for Charlie. Shayna stepped forward before Hurley passed her walking to Claire. As he walked he saw her face and tears welled up in his eyes. 'Charlie's dead.' He said looking at her and she couldn't believe what she was hearing, tears burst out of her eyes as if something exploded inside her. Hurley cradled himself to her as they both cried. The group became silent in mourning for the man that had saved them all.
'What, what happened?' Claire said looking up at Hurley tears stained down her cheeks.
'He was trying to help us.' Hurley said in a broken voice.
Everyone looked as they heard footsteps, Danielle and Sue protruded around the corner looking onto the group. Locke looked on as Jack lunged himself at him, hitting him across the face with a clenched fist. He went to jump on him when Sayid and Sawyer dragged him back. 'Let go of me!' He shouted as they pulled him way.
'All that I ever did, all that I have ever done, has been in the best interest of all of us.' Locke said looking around at the group who seemed very segregated.
'Are you insane?' Jack shouted at him.
'I know I have a lot of explaining to do … but I never did anything to hurt any of you.' Locke said standing up and looking around at the group still, who were all staring in his direction.
'All you ever did was blow up every chance we had of ever getting off this island!' Jack shouted at him again, pure hatred in his eyes. 'You killed Naomi!'
'Well technically, he didn't kill her, yet.' Sue said in a matter of fact tone.
'Yes he did!' Everyone looked as Rachel and Blaine walked into the clearing. 'She just died, she didn't give you up John. She covered for us.' She walked towards Jack. 'And she fixed this, they're on their way.' She passed him the transceiver.
'She didn't cover for anybody! She wants her people to come here. And I apologise for shooting at Blaine but how do we know he's not a part of this too? Trust me when those people get here we want to be far away from here!' He said talking to the group again. 'I'm going the Barracks, the Others left them it's the only place on the island with some form of security. It'll have to do before I think of something else. Until then, if you wanna live, you need to come with me.' Quinn shot a quick look at Rachel who was staring so avidly at Locke, she didn't like this look on her face.
'No one's going anywhere with you, John, because they're not crazy.' Jack said spitefully.
'He's not crazy!' Hurley said out over the group, and everyone looked at him. 'What about Charlie? Charlie went down to that place so we could all be rescued. And whatever he did down there… it worked.' He said tears still in his eyes. 'But then something must've happened. He must've heard something before he … I don't know why but he changed his mind. Because the last thing he did was to warn us that the people on that boat are not who they said they were. So I'm not listening to you! I'm listening to my friend, I'm listening to Charlie.' He said looking down as he walked towards Locke standing with him.
'Anyone else?' Locke said looking up, 'There isn't much time.' Slowly Claire and a few other walked forwards.
'Jack with your permission, I'd like to go with John.' Sue said looking at him.
'She's all yours.' Jack said waving her along to Locke, Danielle, Lex and Carl followed too.
Quinn looked up at Finn, 'Follow me?' she said to him, Finn nodded as they both crossed over to Locke.
Rachel looked at them as Sawyer followed too. 'Where are you going?' She said looking at them horrified by their actions, she looked back at Santana who remained with Jin on Jack's side of the group.
'Doing what I've always done Rachel, surviving.' Sawyer said looking down. Rachel's eyes flicked to Quinn's eyes and she nodded to a sad look hovered over her.
Kate followed some other members of the survivors, as Locke turned towards the group to leave. They all looked up to the sky as the clouds broke up and rain stated to fall. Locke turned back to the group. 'You know where to find us, if you change your mind.' And slowly he and the rest of his group walked off into the jungle night.
Rachel stood there feeling empty and scared not knowing what she wanted to do herself, but she was with Jack, as she had always been. She lifted up a hand in goodbye to Finn as he walked off, if only she knew it would be the last time she saw him.
The group dispersed slowly back to the beach leaving Jack to wallow. Rachel remained with him as he looked into the night sky. 'How did this happen?' Jack said looking at her.
Rachel smiled sadly at him, not knowing what to do or say for the best. There was a loud bleep and they both jumped slowly turning around seeing Blaine, he had a big smile on his face. 'What are you smiling at?' Rachel said looking at him.
'There here! There here!' He shouted looking at them, gleefully.