The moment the plane took off from the runway Kate felt the tears, which had threatened to give way ever since she parted ways with Jack, finally leave her eyes. She didn't try to hide them, why should she? They all new how close she had been to Jack. Sawyer went over to the seat next to her and carefully wrapped his arms around her, grateful for the comfort she leaned into his shoulder, feeling the sobs rack through her body. He doesn't say anything, just let her cry. Looking up she could vaguely see Claire sitting by the window, her head was turned but Kate wasn't in doubt that the younger girl was crying. Crying for the lost years of her son's life, crying for the brother she'd found only to lose, crying for all the people they had lost.
Carefully, almost as if he's afraid, Miles edges closer to Claire, an odd sideway glance at Sawyer. He still doesn't say anything, just nods ever so slightly to the other man who sits down beside the crying girl and carefully wraps his arms around her. Why? Why did Miles feel he needed Sawyer's permission to get close to Claire? Even though it riddles Kate she doesn't ask; one day, she is sure, one of them will explain why.
"Hey." None of them had noticed that Frank and Richard had returned from the cockpit until the pilot spoke. Because his co-pilot had died in the crash Frank had needed someone to substitute, of course they had all thought it was a little odd that he had asked the 19th century guy to help him but, as he so rightly had said, none of them were really qualified to fly a plane.
"Hey." Frank said again. "I put her on automatic. We need to figure out what to do now."
"But how?" Kate asked. "We can't just make up another lie." And she didn't want to either. She lived on a lie for three years, to do so for the rest of her life would break her.
"And you shouldn't." Came Richard's reply. I've been thinking; maybe people knowing about the Island aren't so bad. After all; nobody but a very few knows where it is. I think we should tell the truth."
"We?" Miles couldn't hide the scorn to his voice, or maybe he wasn't even trying. "If you tell people you were born in the 1800s they'll lock you up."
A smile crept across Richard's face, as if nothing people could do to him could hurt him more than the way he had already been hurt. "Then I must run that risk." He said, "Maybe I'll be sent to the place where Hugo stayed."
After a while, talking about how to handle the situation, Frank returned to the cockpit and looking out the window Kate suddenly realized where they were; above Los Angeles, preparing to land at LA X. Standing up she pushed her way past Sawyer and hurried into the cockpit.
"You're going to land at one the busiest airports you can find?" She asked exaggerated.
"Yes. Come on Kate. It's rush-hour; they won't have time to realize who we are before we are gone." And with no further words he reached over and took the flight radio, turning it on.
"Ajira flight 316 asking permission to land."
Kate was expecting the control tower to ask questions. After all; the plane had crashed. But no questions were asked and they were simply allowed to land. Quickly sitting down in the seat next to him she strapped her seatbelt and prepared for the landing. Ready to help Frank if he should need it. He didn't though; he was fully capable of landing the plane on his own.
"See, told ya." Frank said smiling as he got up. Getting up too she followed him into the main section of the plane.
"We have landed." Frank simply said, as if they hadn't noticed. Leaving the plane Kate halfway expected an array of journalists and photographs; instead no one seemed to notice their small group. Frank wasn't leading them towards the main exit though; instead he was leading them towards the staff exit.
"Aren't you, breaking the rules or something?" Miles asked.
"Yes, Miles, I am. Listen; this way there'll be some time to contact Jack's, Sun's and Hurley's parents before making our statement to the public. Not to mention some time to reunite Claire here with her son."
As soon as they had left the airport the group walked the distance to Kate's place. It wasn't something they had planned, it just happened, not like they had anywhere else to go. Arriving Kate quickly unlocked the door, answering the unspoken questions about how she had managed to keep her key for all that time with a shrug, and let them in.
"Not much, but I hope it's okay." She said, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed about her home, not really knowing why. It wasn't like she lived in some shaggy hole. Admittedly; it was a bit of a mess, she'd been in a hurry when she left, but nothing disastrous.
"It is really nice." Richard's reply was obviously an attempt to make her feel better, and it worked, worked just perfectly. It was really ridiculous; that something so tiny; a man, still in many ways a stranger, telling her that her home was nice, should make her feel better after she had lost the man she loved more than anyone. But is did. Maybe it was those small, simple things which would slowly help them all cope with what had happened.
"Where's Aaron?"
Kate had somehow expected Claire would ask.
"He's with your mum. She is one of the few people who know about what happened; I promised her I'd bring you back. That's why I wasn't going to leave you."
"My mum." Claire begun, slowly. "My mum is in a coma. Has been so ever since I was 17…"
"Well, she has been out of it for the last three years. She came to Jack's father's funeral, to your father's funeral. She was the one who told Jack you were related." Smiling Kate remembered the incident; Carole had complimented Aaron afterwards, back then not realizing that the boy was her own grandson. "If you want to we can go and visit them now." She added to Claire.
"No. It's okay." The younger woman replied. "Besides; it's getting late, isn't it?"
She was right; it was getting dark. As if to remind them of the fact that they hadn't really eaten since a while before leaving the Island Sawyer's stomach suddenly rumbled loudly, causing the group to burst out laughing. At first the former con-man seemed annoyed but then, realizing the humorously in the situation, he began laughing himself.
"Well." Frank said after a while, still clearly struggling to confine his laughter. "Laughing is probably very good, makes us feel one hell of a lot better, but it doesn't really fill our bellies."
Smiling Kate went over to the drawer where she kept her various pamphlets from take-away companies.
"What do you guys fancy?" she asked, opening the drawer.
"Whatever you feel like." she supposed it was Richard's way of saying 'how the hell should I know? Not like we had take-away on the Island.' But when none of the others came with a wish either she simply closed her eyes and reached into the drawer, seized one of the pamphlets and took it from the drawer.
"Pizza." She said turned to the group.
She dialled the place and ordered six different kinds of pizza, choosing just as randomly as the way she had picked out pizza at their meal. After about 20 minutes they arrived, she paid for them using some cash from her special storage, having somewhere to get money without having to go the a bank was a habit she had picked up in her old fugitive days, and together they sat down at the table and ate.
"So," Miles asked between mouthfuls. "What's the plan?"
"I'll take Claire to see her mother and Aaron tomorrow, and then I'll contact Jack's mother and Hurley's parents. I don't know how to get hold of Sun's parents…"
It was true, and even if she did what would it help? Not like they had any way of communicating anyway. Still she felt as if they deserved to know, same with Sayid's family but did he even have any relatives left? The Iraqi had been very close about his past; Nadia had been just about the only pre-crash part of his life he had revealed to the others.
No words were spoken as they ate, no words were needed. Each knew perfectly what the other was feeling; the fight for the Island was over, the fight to continue living despite everything they had lost was just beginning. But they were in it together, and in that moment that was enough.