Kate gripped the arms of her seat as the plane shook. Turbulence always made her nervous. The captain came on over the intercom and told everyone to fasten their seatbelts. She squeezed her eyes shut as the plane shook mercilessly. Then it was over. She could unfasten her seatbelt and move about the cabin freely. She let out a sigh of relief and leaned her head back. Only a few more hours until she landed in South Carolina. Then the second leg of the adventure would begin. Jack had said that almost everyone was coming but that didn't really mean anything. A lot of them had kids now and couldn't just take off whenever they felt like it. Kate closed her eyes and tried to sleep for the last few hours of the flight. She wouldn't be sleeping much over the next few days.
Jack was trying to get out of the hospital early today because he had to pick up Kate from the airport. He was the chief of surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina hospital which meant everyone was constantly on his ass. He was washing his hands in the scrub room, getting ready to leave when the door opened. He jumped about a foot in the air and turned around to see who it was.
"Sneaking off early today?" it was his ex-wife, Juliet. She was also a doctor in the hospital.
"I have to pick up Kate from the airport." said Jack
"She finally decided to come?" Despite their falling-out, Juliet looked happy that Kate was coming.
They went back a very long way. They had been best friends all the way through high school then roommates at the College of Charleston, where the whole group came together.
"Yes, are you still coming?"
"I signed up to be an emergency doctor, of course I am," she replied "You should too."
"No way," said Jack "This is my only vacation for a long time, I'm not going to spend it working."
Juliet made a face at him and looked at her watch.
"I have to go," she said "Tell Kate I'll see her there."
Jack nodded and practically ran out of the scrub room and down to the parking garage before anyone else could stop him. He was ready to go. More than ready.
Sawyer and Hurley heaved the last of their gear into the back of Hurley's big, yellow hummer and slammed the door. They were in Sawyer's driveway, packing and waiting for everyone else to show up.
"So who-all is riding in the hummer?" asked Sawyer
"You, me, and Sayid." replied Hurley, wiping sweat from his brow. He hated coming to Charleston. Not only did the weather suck, it was also ridiculously expensive to ship his car here. "The weather at this thing better be nice."
"It's gonna be really hot in the daytime, freezing at night, and it might rain."
"Why am I even coming?" Hurley muttered to himself
"It wouldn't be the same without you, Jabba." Sawyer punched him in the arm and started walking around to the back of the house. He was a cop, which meant he had several guns. He also lived out in the sticks which meant he could have target practice right in his back yard. Hurley settled in a lawn chair and watched him shoot at paper targets and beer cans. An hour passed and they heard a car pull up in the driveway. A few minutes later Sayid walked around the back and joined them. He hadn't gone to College of Charleston with the rest of them, he attended the Citadel, a military college in the same area of downtown Charleston. His parents had relocated to South Carolina from Tikrit when he was sixteen. His high-school sweetheart, Nadia had died in a freak accident two years earlier and he still wasn't the same man he had been before. He seemed empty. He hadn't wanted to come with them but after enough harassing phone calls he finally succumbed. He nodded hello to Sawyer and Hurley and stepped up next to Sawyer, holding out his hand for the gun. Sawyer grinned and handed it to him. Sayid wanting to shoot at stuff was a good thing, he had been in the army for awhile after he graduated the Citadel. This meant he was starting to remember what it felt like to enjoy something. He shot a paper target square in the chest and Sawyer clapped him on the shoulder.
"It's great to have you here, man." Sayid half-smiled and flipped the safety back on the handgun.
"It's good to be back." he said. Maybe things would get better now. Maybe this trip was the beginning of something different.
Jack parked his jeep in Sawyer's driveway and looked over at Kate. She was silently staring at her hands folded in her lap. He reached over and clicked her seatbelt open. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked
"Is Juliet in there?"
Jack laughed and shook his head.
"No, she already left. She signed up to be one of the on-site doctors."
Kate breathed out a sigh of relief and opened her car door. They walked up the driveway together and Jack rang the doorbell. They couldn't have been more surprised by who answered.
"Claire!" yelled Kate, throwing her arms around Claire's shoulders "I thought you had to stay with Aaron." Claire hugged her back and smiled.
"Uncle Jin and Auntie Sun are watching him for the weekend." said Claire. Kate released her and she turned to hug her brother. "I missed you, bro."
Jack squeezed her tight and kissed her cheek.
"I missed you too, where's Charlie?"
"Everyone's around back playing beer pong, come on you can be next on the table."
Everyone was assembled in Sawyer's back yard. Charlie and Desmond had challenged Sawyer and Jack to a game of beer pong and they were bantering back and forth over the table while Claire kept score. Hurley was at the grill searing kabobs with filet and shrimp. Kate and Sayid sat off to the side in lounge chairs, talking quietly. They had always been very close friends. It was the first time they had all been together again since graduation though from the way they were acting it was like they had never been apart. Sawyer and Jack raised their hands in triumph as the ball bounced into Desmond's last cup. He downed it and immediately stumbled to a lounge chair and sat down.
"I thought you Scots were supposed to be big drinkers." said Sawyer, walking over to sit beside him.
"The wife and kid have slowed down my alcohol consumption, brotha." said Desmond.
"Where are Penny and the little guy?" asked Charlie
"With Grandpa Widmore," said Desmond "He's taken them to Rome for the weekend."
"We need to get Aaron and Charlie together to play," said Claire, coming to stand with Charlie "they're practically family."
"Aye," said Desmond. The conversation was cut off by Hurley calling that the kabobs were done. Everyone took a plate and settled in chairs.
"So, Sawyer," said Kate "I really don't know much about this thing, what exactly are we going to?"
"We're going to LostGood, Freckles."
Kate gave him the blank stare. Charlie, Jack, Desmond, and Sawyer exchanged looks. They had attended the festival together every summer that they were in college. This was Sayid, Kate, Hurley, and Claire's first time though. Sawyer nodded to Charlie who instantly launched into a detailed summary of the festival. It was held every July on Morgan's Mountaintop in West Virginia. The campgrounds spread over four large hills and on the fifth hill was where the music was set up. There were two big stages every year and one little stage. They were nestled at the bottom of the biggest hill, almost like a natural stadium. Musical legends played there every year. This year Jacob and The Man in Black were headlining along with Widespread Panic and Further with Phil Lesh (Phish) and Bob Weir (The Grateful Dead). It was going to be four days of partying and amazing music. Techno bands like Bassnectar and The Disco Biscuits were scheduled to play the dance parties at night and there was a rumor that Damien Marley and Nas would be playing a surprise show. Naturally, everyone was very excited except for Sayid.
"You did not say we would be camping." he mumbled to Sawyer
"Oh come on Captain Falafel this could be the last time we'll all be together," said Sawyer "It might as well be legendary."
"This is one of those weird, new-age hippie gatherings, isn't it?" asked Kate. Jack looked down guiltily.
"Don't worry, Freckles I'll protect you from the hippies." said Sawyer, grinning
"Is it too late to back out?" asked Hurley
"Oh yes," said Charlie, clapping him on the shoulder "Far too late."
Hurley raised his beer in the air and everyone followed his example.
"To family, to the College of Charleston, to free love and excessive drug use," he said
"I'll drink to that, brotha!" said Desmond. Everyone clinked their bottles and drank the toast.
"Allright, y'all," said Sawyer "The camping gear is packed, cars are gassed, we're full of good food and booze. It's time to sleep cause we start drivin' at 4 AM. We need to be there right when the gates open to get a good camping spot." Everyone groaned and got up to go inside and sleep. Tomorrow the true journey started.