The baggage loading bay for Oceanic Airlines at the Sydney International Airport was teeming with luggage handlers, conveyor belts, trams, and noise. The young man with sandy-blonde hair looked right at home as he walked directly to the large crate.
"Are you afraid?" He whispered.
It's loud and I hate this box, but I'm not afraid.
"You won't be in the box for long, but something is about to happen that will make you very afraid. You'll need to be brave."
How can you understand me?
"I just can. We'll have plenty of time to talk about it later, but right now, I need to know a few things, okay?" An imperceptible nod. "What's your name?"
I've had three names. I was Big-hed, when I was still with my family. I was Zeke, when I lived in the small place with Cara, but I was too much work, so she took me to the jail. Then Susan came and took me to a big house with a soft bed and plenty of room to chase the rabbits and bite the bees. She called me Vin-Cent. And she gave Walt to me.
"Vincent, now that's a noble name. Vincent, would you protect Walt if he was in trouble?"
Walt belongs to me, I would die for him.
"Well, hopefully it won't come to that, but we should always know our priorities. We're going on a great adventure Vincent, we're going to save a lot of lives, and we're going to make the world a better place. You'll see and do things that no dog has ever seen or done – we're going to be a great team - will you trust me?"
Why would I trust you? I've never met you – you don't even have a smell.
"Good point. My name is Jacob, and I want to show you something."
Jacob unlatched the kennel, reached in and rubbed Vincent behind the ears. Vincent was immediately blinded by a vision of a beautiful tropical island, surrounded by a gorgeous blue ocean. Of course, he had no idea what an island was, but this is what he saw. His view was a bird's view, floating high above the island, but then, with stunning speed, he was zooming in toward a spot near one of the coasts. The spot became larger, and he saw that it was a shallow creek, and then he saw that the creek disappeared into a cave. He flew into the cave, and Vincent saw that the water in the creek disappeared over a boulder, and then he went over the boulder also, dropping toward the center of the earth, racing toward a blinding bright light at the bottom of the shaft. He flew right up to the light, almost into it, where, in the vision, he stopped in mid-air, and heard Jacob whisper to him, "touch the light with your nose, just barely touch it," and Vincent did.
Vincent blinked his eyes several times, then looked up at Jacob and wagged his tail enthusiastically. I trust you Jacob, what do you want me to do?
The manager of the loading bay was beside himself. "Oh I know sir, you just can't bear to part with poor Fido here, afraid he'll die of a heart attack before you can get him to his next haircut, yes, yes, I've heard it all before. But let me promise you Sir, absolutely guarantee you, that everything will be fine. I personally have loaded over a hundred dogs onto Flight 816 this year alone, and they are all digging holes in sunny old Los Angeles as we speak. Just go on along now, and let me get him loaded up while you get yourself checked in, okydookie? You'll be back rubbing noses with him in no time at all."
"Well, if you say so…"
Jacob had tried to prepare Vincent for the plane crash, but that really wasn't possible. He had been petrified, actually wet himself for the first time ever, but now it was over, and he was on his feet and running through the forest, looking for the monster. "He'll look like an older man, with long silver hair, but you'll be able to see what he really is," Jacob had told him. "He won't know that you are working with me. I think he'll point you toward Jack, because that's his best bet right now, but it doesn't really matter. Learn as much as you can about him Vincent, he's our enemy, the one were fighting against, then go find Jack in the bamboo forest. I'll see you sometime during the night."
Vincent ran and ran and smelled the air, and ran some more, and then almost ran head first into the monster. He did look like an older man with silver hair, but there were long, wiry tendrils of what looked like black smoke shooting from the back of his head, grabbing at the forest behind. For Vincent, the smoke was part of the nether world that only he could see, like a scent from several miles away, but it really frightened him. "Come here, you good boy," the monster called to him. He whimpered, because he didn't want to go to him, but he knew he had to. "Come on now, I'm not going to hurt you, not as far as you know, anyway," he said with a big, winning smile. Vincent cocked his head, because he understood what the monster said, but it just made him look like any other silly dog. If he had any doubts about anything Jacob had told him, they were now gone. "I need you to go over there to my son, he's just over that ridge. Go save his life" and Vincent was only too happy to do it.
So over the course of the next few months, and years, and even years long ago, Vincent became an integral part of Jacob's plan on the island. Jacob would use Vincent to 'push' someone where he wanted them to go, or to help them out of a jam that Jacob hadn't anticipated, or any number of situations that Jacob hadn't planned for. Like the time he had Vincent lead Sun to the Eucalyptus field so that she could take the leaves to Shannon, who was having a really bad asthma attack. Or the time a very pregnant Claire made it back to the beach by herself, at night, from the Others' secret hatch – how in the world would a distraught, drugged-up mother have made that trip without help - Vincent lead her all the way. Or the time Jack went off chasing his father's ghost, slipping and falling off a cliff, hanging on for dear life, only to have Locke magically appear to save him – no one just happens to be hanging around a cliff on the side of a mountain - Vincent led Locke to him. There was even the time when Jacob made Kate believe she was looking at a wild horse, when it was really Vincent all along. Jacob knew that Kate needed reassurance at that point of her life on the island, and he also knew that she was going to play a huge role in the showdown that was to come, so he made her think she was stroking the same wild horse that had saved her life back on the mainland. Of course, Vincent didn't really understand it, how stupid could a human be that she would mistake him for a horse, but he didn't question Jacob. Not that time, anyway.
Vincent looked deep into Jacob's eyes. Anyone passing by would think that one had hypnotized the other. But there were no passersby.
Walt says he's going away, way out into the water on that bunch of silly sticks.
"Yes, he has to make that trip with his father," Jacob said solemnly.
I'm not going to let him go. Even a dog knows a bunch of sticks held together with wires out on the ocean will kill you. You never told me this was going to happen, I'm not going to let him go.
"It's part of the plan, Vincent. He will be just fine, I promise you. You have to trust me on this."
I don't want to. Walt belongs to me. He thinks I belong to him, but he's just a boy. He needs someone to watch over him.
"I'm watching over him, Vincent. He's one of the most important parts of the plan, so you don't have to worry about him. I've done a pretty good job so far, haven't I?"
Do you promise me that I will see him again?
Jacob only hesitated for the briefest instant, "Yes Vincent, I promise you."
So what will happen to me now?
"You'll keep doing what you're doing, of course. I need your help every day. You really belong to the whole group now – "
They belong to me.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. These are all of your people now. I think Walt will ask you to help Shannon first, because he's got a little crush on her, but after that, you'll know who needs you the most, and if you need some help, I'll always be with you."
I don't like it, but I'll do it, and you'd better be telling me the truth.
The raft launched, and it was so painful for Vincent that at the last minute, he forgot about his promise to Jacob - he was, after all, still a dog. He was a great swimmer, and he knew he was a great swimmer, but he couldn't make it out to the 'silly bunch of sticks'. It broke his heart to hear Walt screaming at him to go back to the beach, but the water was too much for him, and he turned around and swam to the shore. He hung his head and let Shannon put the leash on him, but he soon found a cool spot under the trees and sat and worried. Jacob left him alone for a few days, but soon enough, he called for him.
Is he safe?
"He's absolutely fine, he's even back on dry land. But it's time to get back to work."
And so they got back to work. Vincent enjoyed the tasks Jacob wanted him to do, and he really felt like they were important, but he also felt like they were small, silly things that even a cat could have done. He felt like there was something big coming, something that absolutely had to be done by him. But he missed Walt, and he wasn't so sure that Jacob was telling him the whole truth.
Vincent and Jacob sat on the sand in the trees and watched the people get on the little rubber raft and ride out toward a big boat way out on the water. The people seemed happy, but also very frightened.
"I'm afraid it's their time to go," Jacob said very quietly.
Do you mean they are going home?
"No, I mean their time on Earth is over. They're going to their death on that boat."
Vincent stood up and faced him. Why are you just sitting here then, why don't you do something to help them? This isn't right, we've been helping people all along, why would we stop now.
"I am helping them, Vincent. They don't need to be here for the fight that is coming. They would only die a more terrifying death. This will be quick for them. Besides, death isn't the end, its only a walk to another place. You have nothing to fear from death."
Are you dead? Is that how you know all about it?
"No, I'm not dead. My mother made sure that I wouldn't die a long time ago. But she also made sure I knew what it was, what happens on the other side. Now listen Vincent, you're not going to like what is going to happen to you over the next few days. You might get a little sick, but everything will work out fine. Remember that it is part of the big plan, and I will still be with you."
Sometimes it sounds like you make this plan up depending on the weather.
Jacob smiled and put his hand behind Vincent's head. "I promise you that's not the case. If it were, how would I know to tell you that it's time to hang on." And then the sky turned purple, and Vincent fell down a hole.
Traveling through time didn't affect Vincent the same way it did the humans. It didn't give him headaches or make his nose bleed, but it was very disorienting for him, and he needed more time to recover. It seemed like every time he was ready to explore, the ground shook and he was falling back down the hole. When John Locke finally turned the wheel a half-mile under the future Orchid station and sent them all to 1974 for good, Vincent didn't care what year it was, he was just glad to stop the spinning.
Vincent's first job in the groovy years was to lead Sawyer's team to Jin, who looked and smelled like a big dead fish. Sawyer didn't know he was following a dog through the jungle, and then when he finally came upon Jin, he forgot all about what he was chasing, because if any human ever needed to find some friends, it was Jin.
Once the time travelers joined up with the Dharma Initiative, Jacob used Vincent to help them establish some trust and then climb the chain of command. Sawyer's first job was as a foot patrolman around the sonic fence. Jacob sent the Others in to ambush a pair of Dharma guards in a jeep, and then had Vincent lead Sawyer in to rescue them. Then there was the time when Horace, the Dharma leader, tried to drive through a creek during a driving thunderstorm. But the water, much deeper that he thought, overtook the van and left Horace trapped with it filling rapidly. Once again, Vincent led Sawyer and Jin through the jungle to find Horace, close to drowning. The last piece of the puzzle came when Jacob had Vincent lead the Dharma Head of Security and his assistant, Phil, into the Other's territory, where the chief was killed and Phil taken hostage by Richard Alpert's crew. When Sawyer and Jin were able to negotiate Phil's return, Horace had his new security head, and trust was no longer an issue.
If I had known that you were going to have that man killed, I wouldn't have helped you.
"Vincent, this is a fight much larger than you understand. Many, many people have died through the years over this Island, and there are many more to come. The Island is worth dying over – it's that important."
That's easy to say when you can't die.
I miss Walt – you told me he was on dry land, but he's not even on the island.
Jacob put his arm around Vincent, and said with a smile, "Patience, my friend, patience. I never lie."
So, what are we doing next?
"We're going through a quiet time right now – I think you need to visit some old friends for a little love and relaxation. It will be good for you, and really good for them," and that's when Bernard Nadler came stumbling into the clearing, out of breath, sweating like a stuck pig, and looking like he was ready to drop dead.
Vincent ran to him, tail wagging hard enough to knock over a bush. "Vincent! Oh my God, I'm so glad I found you," Bernard said to him breathlessly. "I'll protect you, but right now I'm lost. I left the beach yesterday on a food hunt, but I took a few wrong turns last night. Do you think you can help me find Rose?" That was music to Vincent's ears. He grinned from ear to ear, barked loudly and turned toward the jungle, with tail held high and nose pointing the way. "Well damn," Bernard said, "it looks like you know just where you're going, Big-boy." And he did.
Living with Bernard and Rose on the beach was fun. Bernard liked to start a lot of projects, then needed Rose's help to finish them, then needed to explain to Vincent how he hadn't needed her help at all. Vincent just wagged his tail. Absent-mindedly, Bernard would often ask Vincent to fetch a tool or a snack for him, and then think nothing of it when it appeared in his hand. One evening while the three of them were watching another gorgeous sunset across the Pacific, Bernard said, "You know, Rose, I think that dog understands every word we say to him. It's uncanny how many times he brings me exactly what I ask him for."
"Well, Bernard, you don't ask him for much. I'm sure he just follows your finger."
"I don't think so. Today I asked him for the hatchet, then a mango, then the chisel, and he brought all three on command. Is it really too much to imagine that if this island could cure you of cancer, it could give a dog a greater ability to think, like a super-dog?"
"Well," said Rose, "let's test it out. Vincent, go over by the antheriums and bring me my hat."
Vincent rolled over onto his back and gently punched Rose with his back foot, his standard request for a belly-rub. "Yep, now that's a super-dog if I've ever seen one."
Vincent had met the couple in the Sydney airport before being taken to the baggage area. He could smell the cancer in Rose, and thought that she was a really beautiful soul to have her life cut short. But Bernard had cancer too, he just didn't know it. In fact, Bernard's skin cancer was so bad that he was probably going to die before his wife. It made Vincent happy that Jacob had removed their illnesses, and he told him so.
Why did you cure those two?
"Well, I cure all of the people I bring to the island. It's just a favor I do for them, kind of like a repayment. Besides, they are really good humans, don't you think?"
Yes, they have nice souls, and they love each other more than most. I'm glad you let me stay with them.
Jacob had a few jobs for him during the time that Jack, Hurley and Kate were gone, but it seemed like they were more to keep him busy than anything he really needed done. That changed about three years later, when Jacob summoned him during the middle of a torrential thunderstorm.
"You need to be ready Vincent, things are going to move very fast once they get here. I have a very important job for you coming up, so when I call you, you need to come running."
I'll be ready. Are we going home soon?
"Vincent, this is your home, don't you understand that? Do you really think you would be happy anyplace in the world other than the Island?"
No, but I thought we were working to get off of the Island, not stay on it.
"We're working to protect the Island, it's the most important thing in the world. Now you have to be ready when I call you."
Several days later, Jacob called him, "Vincent, come to me now, hurry!" Whenever Jacob called for him, Vincent knew just where to go. He certainly didn't know how that worked, but he guessed it was the same way he saw colors when he was tracking a smell. He ran from the beach to one of the roads that the 'groovies' had built, then sprinted toward the station that the humans called 'Swan'. Jacob was waiting for him off to the side of the road, hidden in a dense palm forest. "Now here's the problem, Vincent. Jack is convinced that if they attack the people at the Swan site, they will be able to do something that will send everyone back to the time that they belong. Sawyer doesn't believe him, and right now the two of them are fighting about it right over that hill, fighting really hard about it. Jack's right, Vincent, and I need you to do something to help convince the others."
Why does it matter that they all agree, why can't you just let Jack do what he needs to do alone?
"Vincent!," Jacob said, grabbing him by both shoulders and putting his head right on top of his. "I don't have time to explain it all, you just have to trust me, again! I need you to go down that road and find Juliet, you need to convince Juliet that she has to agree with Jack. Sawyer will do anything she wants him to do. Okay?"
Well how? You haven't given me a voice that I don't know about, have you?
"Just get close to her, close enough to give her this. The rest will take care of itself. Now go!"
He took the card from Jacob, and sprinted to the road and over the rise, and there was the van, with Kate, Hurley, Miles, Jin and Juliet standing, watching something going on about a hundred yards away. Vincent smelled blood, and saw that Sayid was in the van, hurt very badly, but he couldn't worry about that right now. He heard the fighting between Jack and Sawyer, and then Kate ran to them. Vincent saddled up to Juliet, rubbing against her leg, but she didn't even notice he was there. He could tell that she was focused on Sawyer, and she was very frightened. All of them started running toward the fight then, when he moved a little ahead of Juliet, forcing her to acknowledge him. "Vincent, what are you doing here! Leave, boy, you've got to get out of here now!" She bent down and put her hands around Vincent's face, staring at his face. "You have to leave," Vincent looked deep into Juliet's eyes, and pushed the paper out of his mouth. She took it, looked at it, then looked back at Vincent with astonishment. "Where did you get this – this is crazy?" Vincent blinked solemnly. She looked at the card again. It was a California driver's license, with a current picture of Juliet, address in Los Angeles, expiration date 04/08/15. The name on the card was Juliet Ford. "What in the world is this," Juliet asked Vincent? But then she shook her head, appearing to clear the cobwebs, "Who is trying to send me a message?"
As she turned to face a bloody Sawyer, she distantly heard Vincent scramble away from them. But the message had been received.
"Run, Vincent, get as far away as you can," Jacob screamed into his head, "run as fast as you can, and then find Rose and Bernard!" And he did. He didn't know what was about to happen, but he knew it was something big, because Jacob had never screamed at him.
He ran down the road that basically went from the top of the Island to the bottom. He had been running about ten minutes when he stopped to catch his breath. He was up almost as high as any point on the Island, but he couldn't see the ocean because he was still surrounded by the jungle. He felt the ground start to shake, a little at first, then a lot, and then he hit the ground on his stomach, because he felt like he was about to be thrown into the sky. In one huge flash, the sky turned solid white, a white that penetrated all of the air around him, even the trees, and then he felt like he was falling down a hole again. Then he passed out.
When Vincent awoke, the sun was shining high above, and the road was gone. He shook his head to stop the ringing in his ears, but he still felt like he had been held underwater for a day. He thought he was in the same place on the Island, but he couldn't see any trace of the road in either direction. Jacob had told him to go to Rose and Bernard, so he started trotting in the same direction he had been going. He soon passed a few familiar landmarks, so he knew he was on the right track, but he didn't get back to the beach hut until after dark. At least, it used to be a beach hut, now it was just a few posts leaning together with some tattered clothes scattered around the ground. Rose and Bernard had fallen to the sand out in front of the hut, so Vincent went to them to make sure they were still breathing. He sat down between them, and stared out at a full moon over a beautiful sea, until deep in the night when they finally started coming around.
"Oh my God, what happened?" Bernard asked to no one in particular.
"Well, I don't know for sure, but I think we're back in 2010," Rose said, to no one in particular.
Jacob spoke to him in his head, "Vincent, I have one last job for you. It's the most important job yet, but you're the only one who can do it – are you ready?
Where are you Jacob?
"I'm somewhere else, I just can't be with you right now. Now listen carefully. The monster has Desmond trapped in the well close to the Pearl station, do you remember where that is?"
Yes
"He has asked Sayid to go and kill him, and Sayid is going to do it."
Why, Sayid is Desmond's friend, why would he do something like that?
"Because the monster has him, Vincent, he has him completely. Sayid is as dark and hateful right now as the monster ever was. You've got to save Desmond, because if you don't, everything we've been working for, everything I've been working for, will fail. Will you do this for me, this one last job?"
Of course I will, Jacob.
"It is very dangerous, Vincent. There is the chance that Sayid could kill you. Are you sure you're willing to do this?"
I'm very brave, Jacob, in case you didn't know it. Just tell me what to do.
"Absolutely, you are very brave. Now here's the plan…."
Vincent ran as hard as he could toward the well Jacob had mentioned. It took him most of the day, and he had to stop several times for water. He didn't understand how the monster could 'have' Sayid, but he knew from the urgency in Jacob's voice that it was true. He wondered what it was like to be held by the monster, but he didn't wonder too long, because that was a really scary thought.
Jacob said that it was important that he arrive at the well before Sayid, and as he approached the clearing, he saw that no one else was around. He jumped up to the well's edge and peered down, and there was Desmond, in the dark pit, staring straight ahead. Vincent whined loudly and Desmond looked up at him. "Vincent, what are you doing here, boy?" Vincent barked loudly at him. "You have to leave, boy. I don't know what Locke has planned for me, but it's nothing good. You don't want to be around for it, I'm sure of that." Vincent whined one more time, then he backed down and headed to the bushes, because he could hear someone coming.
Sayid appeared out of the jungle, and Vincent could tell at once that Jacob was right about him. He had the same dark tendrils trailing behind him that Vincent had first seen over three years earlier, and many times since then. There were only a few of the smoke trails, but even one was too many. Sayid approached the well and looked down at Desmond. They were having a deep conversation that Vincent could not quite hear, and then Sayid pulled out the gun from the back of his pants. Vincent ran to his side, and just like he had with Juliet, rubbed against his leg with a soft whine. This startled Sayid so much that he dropped the gun, though he dropped it on the ground, not into the well. "Vincent, what are you doing here," sayid said in his clipped English, as he bent down and picked up the pistol. "You need to leave, now!" Vincent reared up and placed his front paws on the well again, so that he was almost eye-to-eye with Sayid.
"I have a job to do, Vincent, and if you're going to stand in my way, then I'll have to take care of you also." Sayid pointed the gun at Vincent's head, but Vincent only stared at him.
"I wonder what could possibly bring a dog to this place and stand a man with a gun down, mate?" Desmond said from the bottom of the well. "Maybe you should consider it – I think someone might be trying to save your soul."
"My soul left a long time ago, Desmond. Vincent, get down, I need you to get out of here," and with that, Sayid tried to push Vincent off of the well with his free hand. As soon as he touched the dog, Sayid's knees buckled, and he fell against the well, dropping the gun once again. He grabbed the other side of Vincent's shoulder with his other hand, and then he fell completely to the ground in a kneeling position, with his eyes wide open and his head staring at the sun. White light flooded out of Vincent and poured into Sayid, spurting out of his mouth and eyes. His scream was the scream of someone having his insides pulled out through his mouth, but fortunately, it didn't last long.
Sayid slumped forward, holding on to Vincent to prevent from falling face down in the sand. "You saved me, Vincent, oh my God, you saved my soul."
It was the Island, Sayid, not me.
"Yes, of course you are correct. I see it all now – I see too much in fact. But thank you Vincent, it must have been very frightening to take on this job. What a brave soul you are."
It was worth it to see the black smoke out of you. Jacob says you have to help Desmond, and then you have to go back to Locke.
"Yes, I guess that sacrifice does fall on me."
"Sayid! Who the bloody hell are you talking to?" Desmond screamed from the well.
"I'm talking to Vincent, believe it or not, my friend. Vincent, who's just saved both of our lives," Sayid said with a smile. "Now get up, we've got to get you out of there."
I'll take him with me, but Locke will be looking for him soon.
"Yes, we can bank on that."
Vincent led Desmond back to the beach where Bernard and Rose were putting their hut back together. They nursed him as best they could for a few days, and then Locke came calling, with murder in his eyes. It took all of Vincent's will-power to keep from attacking the monster while he threatened Rose and Bernard, but he knew he didn't stand a chance, so he cowered in the bushes. It infuriated him that he couldn't fight, but Jacob was in his head, and told him that he had to let it go.
Once they left, he asked Jacob, What do we do next?
"That's it, my friend. We've done everything there is to do, all of the pieces are in place, now we'll see whether Jack and your friends can stop him."
But I thought you knew everything that was going to happen. Could the monster still win this?
"Oh, absolutely. Everything we've been doing was to make sure we had a fighting chance, but not only could he win this, he's got a 50-50 chance. We'll have to hope that your friends are as strong as you are, Vincent."
Why can't I see you anymore, Jacob?
"Because I'm dead, my friend. Have been for several days."
That makes me very sad. You've been a great friend.
"Don't be sad, Vincent. I've been here more years than there are stones on the beach – it's time for me to move on. But death is nothing to be afraid of, we're just moving from one beach to another. You'll see, one day, a long time from now."
Yes, I'm like you aren't I?
"Yes you are, my good friend. It's the only gift I can leave you. Now goodbye, Vincent, I'll see you in another place."
But wait, Jacob, you told me that –.
But Jacob was gone.
Vincent huddled with Rose and Bernard while the Island shook like it was coming apart, and then they relaxed when they knew it was over.
Vincent knew that Locke was gone for good, he knew it in his heart. He knew that Hurley was the new keeper of the Island, and that Bug-eyed Ben was going to stay with him. He knew because he was part of the Island now, and he knew everything there was to know about the Island, from it's beginning many, many thousands of years ago right up until now. He also knew that even though Locke was gone, the monster wasn't dead, that it would go back to whatever hole it came from and wait for another day. He knew that as long as the light survived, the dark also lived. Maybe not as strong as it was yesterday, but it was always there, because just as all humans were born with little piece of the light in them, they were also born with a little piece of the dark. He was glad that dogs didn't have that problem, and he sure was glad that Hurley liked dogs.
Vincent sat on his haunches in the bamboo forest and watched them do the little water ceremony that they thought was so necessary – he knew it wasn't. His tail was wagging, his heart was pounding, and it took everything he had to stay still – he was so excited that he felt like a puppy again. Hurley had told him that it would be more fun as a big surprise, so he had been a quiet watcher since they arrived on the boat yesterday. Bug-eyed Ben was with them, but he was still just a helper, and his disappointment showed on his face. Hurley handed the cup to the young man, who wasn't much smaller than Hurley himself. He had aged a good bit, but Vincent would know him anywhere.
"Dude, now you're like me," Hurley said to him with a big smile. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand, I understand everything," Walt said, with a huge smile. "Where's Vincent?"
And Vincent came bounding out of the trees, barking in spite of himself. He splashed right down the middle of the stream, where Walt was on his knees with his arms open wide. "Vincent, you're beautiful," he blubbered, "you haven't aged a day, Vincent, I'm so, ummm umm," as Vincent covered his face in dog kisses. "I'm so glad to see you, oh my goodness, ummm, ummm."
I'm glad to see you too! Jacob promised me that I would see you again, but it's been so long that…
"Vincent, I can understand you – Hurley, I can understand Vincent – how?"
"Its just part of the deal, Dude. Who knows why Jacob did what he did, but this dog has some neat stories to tell you."
"Oh my God, Hurley, you should have told me this to start off with, there would never have been a doubt."
"Yea, well, you needed to.."
That's enough guys - come on Walt, we've got places to go, things to do, people to see – hey, let's go see Rose and Bernard – come on –
Walt looked at Hurley, "Take off, Dude, he's all yours - he knows the Island better than anyone. While you're running around, ask him why dogs eat grass – that's a pretty funny story."
And so they took off, just two kids sprinting around a huge playground – having a great day, because this was a really great day. But there would be other days ahead, darker days that weren't so much fun.
And those stories are for another day.