Okay so this is my first Lost fanfic so don't hate too much :p if you like it please review
Kate walked slowly along the beach. Things had calmed down slightly but one question remained. When would they be rescued? All of the injured people had been moved to a makeshift camp, including the Marshal. It was nearing sunset and everyone else had set up fires and were waiting, waiting for a miracle. From Kate's count there were 40 survivors, 50 tops. It was a flight filled with over 200. 150 people, dead. In an instant. Kate was too restless to sit down. She was looking for something, anything that she could do to help.
Kate scanned the wreckage and spotted a tarp. She made a beeline for it and stepped on something with her foot and looked down, hearing a crunch. It was a hand. A tiny hand, that of a child. Sticking out from the metal plane door. She felt a tear roll down the side of her face, so many lost. Then it moved. Kate's jaw dropped as the fingers moved, just slightly, they curled in. Kate leaned in and could hear a faint whimper, barely audible. Kate quickly tried to push the metal door but it was useless, it was too heavy. She dug her heels into the sand and heaved with all her might, nothing, it wouldn't budge.
"Hey I need some help over here!" Kate yelled. She turned back as people slowly started walking towards her. "Come on there's a kid trapped under here!" That sure as hell got them moving.
Jack, Sayid, Michael, and Boone all came and helped push off the metal door revealing a little girl. Her blonde hair, which most likely was stick straight, was tangled and matted and her yellow dress was dirty and torn. Jack knelt down and held his head to her chest.
"She's breathing!" Jack announced. The girl's eyes opened abruptly and she started coughing as she sat up. Kate nibbled on the inside of her finger. Jack squeezed along the girls arms and legs feeling for any breaks or fractures but found none. "What's your name?" The child's head hung limp as her eyes looked down at the sand, broken. She was so…distant. The look in her eyes, Jack had only seen it once, it was a detached look, the little girl looked…lost.
Still kneeling down, Jack picked up the girl underneath her arms and stood her up so they were eye to eye. "Sweetie, I need you tell me your name." Jack said firmly.
The child gazed up at the survivors who had freed her from under the door. Her gaze finally rested on Kate, the only woman here, and the first face she saw after she was freed. Kate held eye contact for only a few seconds before looking away. The way the child was looking up at Kate bothered her.
Jack followed the child's gaze and looked up at the woman who had stitched him up. Her beautiful auburn hair was now tied up in a ponytail. Jack looked back at the child, "Can you tell me how old you are at least?"
The girl looked up at Jack revealing her breathtaking blue eyes. She slowly held up her hand and wiggled 5 fingers.
Jack smiled, "5. You're five years old?" The girl nodded and slipped back into her detached state. Jack stood up and looked at the rest of the group, "Guys we need to fan out. Ask anybody and everybody if they have a little girl or saw one on the plane."
Everyone nodded and mumbled out yes's as they hurried off to go start asking people. Jack held out his hand for the little girl to grab but she didn't even notice. Jack sighed and carefully picked her up, hoisting her onto his hip. She leaned her head into the crook of Jack's neck and stuck her thumb into her mouth. Her mind miles away from anything that was happening.
Kate looked at her watch, it had been 45 minutes. And still nobody had found anybody who was missing a child or who had even seen one on the plane. Kate sat down on a log and drank a big gulp from her water bottle.
"Are- are you alright?" Kate turned around and saw the pregnant girl, Claire, sitting on a log.
Kate turned back around, "I'm fine." She said briskly. She looked back and saw Claire was looking down, "How are you?" Kate finally asked.
Claire smiled and her eyes moved to look at her stomach, "I'm alright. Better now that the contractions stopped."
Kate stood up and saw Jack down the beach still holding the little girl who was clinging to him. Kate turned back to Claire, "You don't by chance have another kid do you? A little girl?"
Claire chuckled and stroked her distended stomach, "No I think one is- one is quite enough."
Kate smiled and turned to leave, "Right well-"
"I did see a little girl on the plane though. She sat next to me." Claire said.
Kate turned back around stunned, "What- what was she wearing?"
Claire smiled sadly, "A yellow sundress." Oh my god. Somebody knew her. Somebody recognized the girl.
Kate looked down the beach to Jack and cupped her hands, "Hey! Hey down here!" She called out. Kate threw her hands up in the air waving. Jack started quickly walking towards Kate.
Kate looked back at Claire once Jack and the girl were about 10 feet away and Claire could see the child clinging to Jack, nestling into his shoulder. "Is that her?" Kate asked.
Claire nodded, not understanding why Kate seemed so frantic, "Yes."
Jack approached, "What? What is it?"
Kate lowered her voice and nodded to Claire, "She sat next to the girl on the plane." Kate turned back to Claire. "We found her, she hasn't said a word and we don't know who she belongs too. Maybe she'll talk to you."
Jack stroked the girl's back and shifted his body so he was facing Claire. "Do you recognize that woman?" He asked the little girl.
The girl looked to Claire and nodded. Claire smiled at the child. Jack nodded at Kate and set the child down before he stood up. Claire smiled at Kate and Jack and carefully kneeled down in front of the girl.
"Your name's Riley, isn't it." The girl, Riley, nodded again. Claire tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Do you- do you remember me?" Claire asked. Riley nodded slowly. Claire looked up to Jack who nodded in reassurance.
"You sat next to me on the plane." Riley said quietly with a very clear lisp. "Do you know where my mommy is?"
Claire was seated on an aisle seat on Oceanic Flight 815 to Los Angeles. Convenient for her because she had to use the bathroom every hour at 8 months pregnant, but unfortunate because this was her first time on a plane and she wouldn't even have a view. Claire secretly hoped her row was empty so that she could stretch out.
A young woman approached holding the hand of an adorable little girl wearing a bright yellow sundress strapped with a pink backpack. The woman was tall with red hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a purple halter-top and white capris with strappy gold sandals. The woman paused at Claire's row, "Riles this is where we sit!"
Claire smiled at the woman as she slowly stood up to make room for them. "Thanks" the woman said.
"Oh no problem." Claire replied smiling.
"Okay rye, you want the window seat?" Riley shook her head. The woman laughed, "Don't you want to look out the window?"
Riley shook her head again, "No, scary."
The woman smiled, "Okay, you can sit in the middle, I'll take the window." The woman picked up Riley and placed her in the middle seat before she sat down. Claire carefully sat down after them.
After they were situated the woman leaned over to Claire, "So where are you going?"
Claire smiled, "Just Los Angeles, no connecting flight."
The woman nodded, "Us too. We were just visiting Sydney, it's where her father lives."
Claire looked down at the girl, "How old is she?"
"She's five." Claire's jaw dropped and the woman smiled, "I know I'm young. Only 24. But," The woman looked down at Riley who was distracted coloring, "It was meant to be." She leaned down and kissed the top of Riley's head.
Claire smiled feeling a pang of guilt and her hand trailed her stomach, "There's a family, in LA, who's going to… adopt my baby." Claire had no idea why she was divulging such private information to a complete stranger.
The woman nodded, "That can't have been an easy decision." Claire nodded, immediately feeling embarrassed. "I thought about it too you know. Adoption. The father was half way around the world, I was 19, barely had a job. Even had a family lined up."
"What happened?" Claire asked.
The woman looked down at her daughter, "I held her, for the first time. She was mine; she belonged to me and not anybody else. That moment, it changes everything." She looked up at Claire and held out her hand, "Jennifer Carter" The woman shrugged, "Call me Jen."
Claire smiled and took the woman's hand, "Claire Littleton."
Riley was sitting unmoving by the fire while Jack, Kate and Claire conferred. Kate looked back at Riley, "Well where's her mom? If you were all in the same row and the two of you survive shouldn't she be alive?"
Claire shook her head, "Jen, her mom, she went to use the bathroom, we were sitting in Economy class." Claire shook her head, "I remember she walked towards the front of the plane to use the bathroom."
Jennifer looked out the window then leaned over to Claire, "I'm sorry do you- do you mine watching her?" Jennifer gestured to a sleeping Riley.
Claire nodded, "Oh yeah no problem."
Jennifer sighed relieved, "Oh thank god. I have to pee so badly." Jennifer stood up and carefully stepped over Riley and Claire. "I'll be right back." Jennifer walked to the bathroom in the middle of the plane and sighed when she saw the line was already four people long.
Claire was reading her book when she heard Riley stir. She looked over and saw Riley was awake, "Where's my Mommy?" she asked sleepily.
"Oh she just went to the bathroom, she'll be back soon." Claire leaned into the aisle and could see Jennifer waiting, "Do- do you have to use the bathroom?"
Riley shook her head as Claire gasped in pain. She curled over clutching her stomach. "What's wrong?" Riley asked.
Claire smiled out of breath, "Nothing the baby just gave me a whooping kick in the ribs."
"What baby?" Riley asked.
Claire stroked her stomach, "It's in my belly."
Riley tilted her head, "Is that why it's so big?'
Claire chuckled, "Yes. My stomach is rather large." She winced again as the baby kicked another rib.
"Can I feel?" Riley asked. Claire nodded and placed Riley's hand on her stomach. Riley's jaw dropped as she gasped, "It kicked me!"
Claire smiled, "Yeah it did." Riley was thrust up into the air as the plane dramatically shifted down. A stewardess came on the intercom, "Ladies and gentleman the pilot has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign, please return to your seat and fasten your seatbelts."
Claire placed one hand on Riley's head, "Are you okay?" Riley nodded, "Good now put your seatbelt on, your mum should be back soon." Claire leaned into the aisle to look for Jennifer but she was already in the bathroom. Claire sat back and fastened her own seat belt which was good because about 2 seconds later the plane hit more turbulence and those who hadn't fastened their seat belts were thrown up into the air and luggage from the overhead compartments filled the aisle.
"I don't like this." Riley said to Claire, "I want my mommy." Claire wrapped her arm around the girl, "Shh it's okay she'll be back soon." Just then the plane started nose-diving towards the ground and the oxygen masks dropped down. Riley was near hysterical. Claire grabbed the one hanging above Riley and put it on her, "You need to leave this on okay? Breathe in and out." Then Claire reached for the one above her and placed the bag over her mouth. Riley grabbed Claire's hand and tried to breath as normally as she could while the plane plummeted towards the water.
"Well what are we going to do with her we can't just leave her?" Kate said as Riley sat unmoving staring at the fire.
"Uh I can watch her for a bit." Claire said, "It's not like I can move around that much anyway."
"Are you sure?" Jack asked.
Claire nodded, "Yeah we should be fine." Jack nodded and went to see if anybody else needed help. Kate cast one more glance at the child before following Jack.
Probably an hour had passed since Kate and Jack left Riley with Claire. Hurley came by to drop off food, he left two trays. Claire looked over to Riley who was still sitting in the same position, still looking at the fire. "Are- are you hungry? Riley?" Riley turned and looked back at Claire then turned back to the fire. Claire stood up carefully then lowered herself onto the ground next to Riley. She pulled the foil off one of the trays, it was Macaroni. Claire took a bite and closed her eyes savoring the taste. "God this taste amazing." She looked over hoping to have enticed Riley, but Riley was still staring at the fire. Pursing her lips Claire got another bite and held it out, right in front of Riley's face. Finally, Riley opened her mouth and took the Macaroni off of the spork and swallowed. Claire smiled, relieved at her slight progress.
Jack and Kate were examining an injured guy with a bad head gash and a 6-inch shrapnel in his abdomen when Sayid came running up.
"Hey, hey!" He said out of breath.
Jack jumped up, "Sayid what happened?"
"The little girl. She found her mother." Sayid finally said. Jack and Kate exchanged glances before jumping up and following Sayid.
Jack and Kate followed as Sayid led them to something. It seemed all of the survivors of the crash were there, forming a circle and blocking whatever it was from Kate and Jack's view. "Excuse me. Excuse me." Jack said as he pushed through the crowd with Kate.
Jack's face fell as he made his way to the center of the circle. In the middle of the wreckage was a woman, laying flat on the ground. Riley had curled up next her placing her head on the woman's stomach looking up at her. The woman was covered in dirt and blood and obviously had, had tremendous trauma and a massive hole was gaping in the woman's chest.
"Is she…?" Kate started to ask.
"Dead." Sayid finished.
"Oh my god." Said the tall blonde, Shannon. Boone placed his arm around her and urged her away. Michael pulled his son Walt close, "Come on man, let's go." The Korean couple also left at the confirmation.
Jack looked to Claire, "Is that her Mom?"
Claire nodded as she held her face, trying to force the tears to stop, "I recognize the purple shirt." She shook her head, "I- I just wanted to take her to the bathroom. I didn't mean to-" She hadn't meant for Riley to see her dead mother.
"Well why hasn't anybody done something?" Jack said a little angrily as he walked forward. Jack knelt down next to Riley while Kate hung back. Riley was still curled into a ball huddling over her mother's corpse. "Riley, sweetheart, you need to move."
Riley laid perfectly still while gazing up at her mother, "But I found my mommy." Jack looked up at the group while Kate turned her head away from the scene. The big guy Hurley, Sawyer and Charlie all left, along with a few others.
Jack swallowed hard. He'd have to tell her. Nobody else would. He stroked her hair gently, "Riley, your Mommy was hurt. Very, very, badly. She couldn't have gotten better." Jack clenched his teeth to keep from crying, "So now your mom is gone. But we" He looked up at Kate who had turned her head back and was staring at him, "Are going to take care of you, until we're rescued. I promise. But I need you to come with me."
Riley didn't say anything, and Jack knew what he had to do. Though pulling away a child clinging to it's dead mother wasn't something Jack had ever wanted to do. He leaned forward and stuck his arm under Riley to hoist her up. Riley screamed and held onto her mother, "Mommy, mommy!" Riley called out as Jack picked her up. He had one arm under her knees and one arm under her back and clutched Riley to his chest as she sobbed loudly. He went over to one of the fires and sat down, still holding Riley.
Sayid clenched his teeth and threw a blanket over Jennifer's body.
Jack was sitting next to Kate at one of the bonfires. Riley had fallen asleep and was now leaning against Jack's body as he leaned against a log. He had a makeshift plane made from a leaf and was reenacting the crash. "We must have been about 40,000 feet when it happened. Hit an airpocket." He tilted the plane downwards, "Dropped maybe 200 feet." He shook his head, "The turbulence was… I blacked out."
Kate shook her head, "I didn't, I saw the whole thing. I knew that the tail was gone but I couldn't bring myself to look back. And then the front of the plane broke off."
Jack looked around being careful not to disturb Riley, "Well it's not here on the beach. Neither is the tail. We need to figure out which way we came in." He said confidently.
"Why?" Kate asked confused.
"Because there's a chance we could find the cockpit. If it's intact, we might be able to find a transceiver. Send out a signal, help the rescue party find us."
Kate smiled, "How do you know all that?"
Jack sighed and flew the plane into the fire, "Took a couple of flying lessons. Wasn't for me."
"I saw some smoke. Just through the valley." Kate paused, "If you're thinking about going for the cockpit I'm going with you." She said firmly.
Jack laughed, "I don't know your name."
She smiled, "I'm Kate."
"Jack." He smiled back.
Riley was jolted awake by a screeching metallic sound coming from the jungle. Jack jumped up holding Riley and joined the group with Kate. Riley had her arms around Jack's neck and clung tighter as the sounds grew louder and tree's started falling. Jack stepped forward and Kate followed. "Terrific." Charlie said sarcastically.