DEO VOLENTE

CHAPTER ONE

THEMESSENGEROF DEATH

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lost, any of the characters, ABC, Bad Robot Productions, Darlton, the DeGroots, Alvar Hanso and all of us at the Dharma Initiative! Thank you, namaste, and... Good luck!

This is set afterThe Endand afterThe New Man in Charge. If you haven't seen that, you might not understand what's going on.

"Home. That's what this place is to me now. I guess it's always been my home, but now... Now it's different. I feel I really belong here. I don't ever want to leave." I looked down at my white shoes that I've been wearing for almost two years straight now. "Becoming the protector really changed me. Before, I think, I was kind of lost. I came back because Jacob told me I should, but deep down I never wanted to see the Island again. But now everything is different. I love it here. And I'm happy you stayed too, dude."

Ben looked up at me and smiled. "I'm glad I stayed too, Hugo. I'm glad we all did. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"I don't know. Last I saw, he was heading over to Rose and Bernard's with Vincent. They're still just as attached to that dog as he is," I laughed. "And Vincent loves all of them more than anything!"

"A dog is the only thing on this earth that loves you more than he loves himself."

We both just looked at the ocean for a while, silent and still. The way the waves crashed against the sand reminded me of the years before the end. Everything happened fast, and with such force, but it was all so beautiful. I would still wonder how events would have turned out if Jack hadn't gone into the Source. If he hadn't died. I still wondered what would have happened if Ben hadn't stayed with me.

Our quaint thoughts were interrupted by a loud cracking sound. We looked in the direction the blast came from and sprang to our feet. I looked at Ben. Ben looked at me.

"Uh… What was that?" I asked nervously. The hair on the back of our necks stood straight up when we heard the second gunshot. We immediately ran west to find out what the clamor was. We stopped dead in our tracks when we saw a bloody body on the ground about one hundred yards in front of us. We turned over the carcass and our hearts stopped when we saw who it was.

I couldn't believe it.

Everything was so perfect.

And now…

Walt Lloyd was dead.