A/N: Okay, this is meant to be a series of one shots…we'll see just how the word 'series' plays into it. This is AU, as it deals with the survivors return to civilization. I'm hoping to do one chapter for every main character. I may, or may not complete that task. Hopefully, I shall complete it. nods

Warning! Parts of this story will be SPOILERY! I'm a spoiler-whore and I read as many of them as I possibly can. If I know something is going to happen in advance, it may very well work it's way into this story. Label yourselves warned. passes out stickers

Disclaimer: I don't own LOST, ABC, or Disney. This story is mine, however. But don't sue me, because all you'll get is my Gil-Galad action figure. Which I'd rather you not take…he's brand-new.

Threading

By: Elurandir

How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on... when in your heart... you begin to understand... there is no going back?

-Frodo (Return of the King)

The End of All Things

The tide had nearly come into the jungle, at it's peak. All of the fuselage had nearly been submerged, save the few pieces that jutted skyward higher than five feet. They hadn't been able to save everything, but that had been okay.

It didn't escape them that, had Michael's raft lasted longer, they could have sailed away on the tide and been far out to sea and possibly rescued. It was a pity it had gone up in flames.

The survivors had resorted to going further into the jungle, as the tide had come up. Which, inevitably, brought the bears out. Such noise, and the smell of the food and garbage, the bears had hoped to find easy meals. And they had, three survivors had disappeared, their bodies found days later…at least, what was left of them.

The Others were still out there, though they seemed, with time, more of a myth than a threat. Ethan had been the radical of the group, it seemed, and once he had been taken care of, no one else bothered them. Danielle hadn't been found, Sayid had even returned to her 'home', seeking advice on the Others. It had been abandoned.

Whispers in the wind were all that reminded anyone of Them. Whispers, Charlie, and Claire. No one could forget what happened to them. What happened to the baby.

The island's idea of time was skewed. If it even bothered worrying about time. Sometimes it didn't seem like it did. Night would last too long, or sometimes the daylight seemed to go on for days. Seasons never changed, and the only way the survivors knew time, was by the watches they wore…all of which eventually stopped.

Time was relative anyway, wasn't it? A concept made up by humanity and enforced only by humanity. The island didn't seem to really care about humanity's concepts.

Claire had been pregnant for nearing 11 months, if you cared about humanity's concepts. Which, of course, the island didn't pay heed to. Her baby had come quickly…in a few hours, and it was healthy. No sterility, no medication, no anesthesia, no IVs, no monitors, and certainly no nice, comfortable hospital setting. And still her baby lived.

They never seemed to run out of bullets either. Like Legolas never runs out of arrows. It made hunting boar much more effective, until they had built fences and began the process of domestication.

Michael built water irrigation systems, roofs for homes, 'showers'. Sun's garden flourished, and it seemed that island-life was tolerable, and everyone quit surviving and began to live.

Until Steve spotted the boat.

He had been out on the beach. The tide had suddenly, and mysteriously shrank back several yards, revealing sand. Pools had formed and Jin, along with Hurley and Steve had gone to retrieve what fish and other edible creatures were unlucky enough to be caught in them.

Steve had been daydreaming, staring out at the turquoise water, when Hurley had tossed an urchin at him. The abrupt slam back into reality, caused his vision to slam into focus. He'd blinked several times, narrowed his eyes, walked out to stand thigh-deep in the waves before he'd convinced himself he wasn't hallucinating. Then, without a word to Jin or Hurley, he'd turned and left for the caves at a dead run.

His flailing jog had been cut short when he'd collided with Sawyer leaving Cavetown. The pair had tumbled over, Sawyer's weekly water supply dosing Rose and Walt. Steve ignored Sawyer's obligatory nickname and foul language, up and out of sight in record time.

Jack was the leader, after all, and he should come see what Steve had found.

Boy scouts across the world would have been completely impressed with how quickly Sayid and Jack had created a signal fire. The boat was a fishing boat. A large, commercial one, by the looks. Gathered deep sea fish like tuna and such. Locke knows everything, so who would question his sizing up of the ship? Or who wanted to at that point.

For the 4 hours it took the boat to reach the island, everyone did nothing but stand and stare. Even the baby was silent. What a strange sight, 42 men, women, and children standing on a god-forsaken island in the middle of the sea. Just standing, inches out of waves' reach. Staring at their salvation.

And, for once, Sun's mastering of both Korean and English came in handy. And what a way to announce it to her husband. The fishermen were Korean, and very, very confused.

-

There's nothing quite so shocking as being on a boat after having not seen one for months. Plates, cups…fans, it all suddenly seemed so new.

Relief shrouded the survivors, and joy masked any fear or uncertainty. Had they known, perhaps Steve may never have fetched Jack in the first place.

Time does funny things to the mind. It changes things, resets things, and it has a way of healing over parts of your life you didn't even know were wounds. And the island's disregard for humanity's silly notion of time would prove to make life much more unbearable than it had even been before.

Reality? We'll take whispers and polar bears any day.

OOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

There you have it. First chapter duh-duh-done! This is my second LOST fic, so let me know what you think! Review are like the drugs to mah Charlie, so send 'em my way, plzthnx.