Rose had a hard time believing the situation. "There are children here? After all this time?"

"I know, it's hard to believe," answered Bernard. "But … oh no, that girl's leg looks broken. And Cindy is trapped under a tree."

Bernard rushed over to Cindy. "Cindy, it's Bernard. Can you talk? What happened.?"

Cindy took a deep breath. "Bernard? From the plane? I'm not sure what happened … we were bombed … three or four days ago. Help Emma, I think her leg is broken."

"We should make a splint. Let's see if we can get this tree off you. Rose, help me."

Bernard and Rose tried to lift one end of the tree pinning Cindy, but it was too heavy.

"We need to make a lever," explained Bernard. "What around here will work?"

Just then Vincent starting barking, and ran off toward the southeast. Soon he reappeared with Hurley, Desmond, and Ben. Rose and Bernard were surprised to see them, but this was not a time for idle chatter.

"Help get the tree off Cindy," said Rose.

The men all took a position at the fallen tree, and with their combined effort lifted it enough to enable Rose to help Cindy slide her leg out.

Cindy sighed in relief. "Thank you so much, I thought I'd never get out. But help Emma, her leg is broken."

"That's what we thought," replied Bernard. "I guess you never met. Cindy, this is my wife Rose. And Rose, this is Cindy, and over here are Emma and Zach.

"Hi Ms. Rose," answered the children in unison.

"Hello to you," responded Rose.

"What are we going to do about Emma's leg? We have to try to make a splint, and then … we really should get her to a real hospital. What is the status of the medical facilities here?"

"I regret to say that pretty much everything has been destroyed in all the fighting and earth shaking the past several days," answered Ben.

"There's quite a good medical supply on my boat," commented Desmond. "If we can get to it. Does anyone know where it is?"

The wind picked up, and whispers were heard. Bernard and Rose huddled, but Hurley tried to calm them.

"Keep calm, dudes, I think I know who it is, and it's nothing to worry about."

Michael materialized, still visible to just Hurley, Desmond, Zach, and Emma. He spoke to Desmond.

"Your boat is moored on Hydra Island. You need to get to that, and bring it back here."

"Then you can sail off the island with the children, and find your wife and son and lead the life you were meant to," added Hurley.

"That's a long swim," noted Desmond. Under better circumstances I should be able to make it, but with all that I've experienced, I don't know."

"Wasn't there at least one outrigger canoe here?" asked Hurley"

"There was, but with the storms and all the tide took it away. But there are some life vests about a hundred yards down the beach, that way."

"That will be a big help," noted Desmond. "Where did they come from?"

"Frank Lapidus found them on the submarine. He used them to float to the surface, and then he slowly made his way here. I trust you can swim a lot faster than he did. Actually he may have been in shock; he was floating between the islands for two days."

"Who are you talking to?" asked Rose.

Zach looked up. He had been scooping peanut butter out of the jar Vincent had dropped in his lap. "It's Michael, can't you see him?"

"Michael? Hurley, what is going on? And how did you know to come here? Did Vincent bring you, too?"

Hurley took a deep breath. "No, it was actually Michael's spirit. Sometimes I can see ghosts now, and some other special people. He let us know yesterday that Cindy, Emma, and Zach were alive but wounded, and when we were too far away, coaxed Vincent into bringing them water and bananas, and then notifying you."

Rose and Bernard exchanged glances. Ordinarily the story would be considered preposterous, but this island wasn't ordinary and Hurley was perhaps the most honest person they had met.

Bernard observed, "We heard whispers yesterday evening. Was that …"

"Yes it was. Since Michael … um … passed on his spirit has become one of many trapped on this island. Now he spends his days trying to good for all those who are left. It's just that in his form he can't be seen by everybody."

"But you can see him, Hurley," observed Rose. "I know we said we didn't want to get involved with whatever was going on away from our little home on the end of the island, but I think we may need to know what you have to tell us."

Zach was well enough to get up and walk slowly to Emma, to whom he handed the jar of peanut butter. Emma scooped up several mouthfuls, and when she felt she had enough, told Zach to bring it to Cindy. Cindy was able to crawl, and after massaging her leg to restore circulation was pleased to find it wasn't badly damaged. She scooped out some peanut butter for herself, and agreed with the children that it was the best thing they had tasted in a very long time.

"There's no time to waste; I'd better get going," announced Desmond. He let Michael guide him to the lifejackets, and returned with them to the group. He took off his shoes and socks, tied the vests together using their straps, and put one on, in an effort to get maximum buoyancy.

"Wish me luck," and after a chorus of wishes Desmond was off into the ocean. He swam like a man possessed, ignoring recent feelings of exhaustion, and determined to reach his sailboat not only for the wounded on the island, but for Penny and little Charlie as well.

When Desmond was well on his way, Hurley turned to answer Rose.

"This is hard to explain and hard to believe. That man you saw a couple days ago in John Locke's form was a being who had been trapped on this island for a long time – about two thousand years. It was he who was the black smoke monster thing. His twin brother Jacob has also been here all this time. Jacob had been trying to contain his brother, who has been called the Man in Black since we never found out his name, but was wearing down and needed a replacement. That had something to do with our plane crash."

"You mean he killed hundreds of people and ruined countless lives to find this replacement?"

"That's what it amounts to. As he saw it if he didn't get a replacement, the monster would break free from the island and destroy everything. There is some energy source in the middle that if it goes out will plunge the world into permanent darkness, and this being wanted to destroy it. Jack volunteered to be the next caretaker of the island."

I don't understand this fully, but we needed to pull out a stopper in the pond in a cave where this energy source is, and only Desmond was capable of doing it without getting killed. While the stopper was out, both Jack and the Man in Black were vulnerable. There was a fight, and it ended with Kate shooting the bad guy.

Desmond was exhausted and lying by the pond, so Jack went back in to put the stopper back in. But before he did he made me the next island guardian. It was like he knew he couldn't survive what he had to do. Ben and I pulled Desmond out, and then Jack after he succeeded, but there was too much radiation for him. He staggered out and lay down to die where he first landed after the crash."

Rose and Bernard looked at Hurley in disbelief, but after a moment realized Hurley was telling the truth the best he knew it.

"We have to bury Jack's body," sadly noted Rose.

"Of course we will."

"How do you know where Jack's body is? Did you see it?" asked Bernard.

"No, Michael told me. Vincent was with Jack when he died, and was on his way to your house when Michael found him near Cindy and the kids."

"That … means that Jack didn't die alone," observed Rose. "At least we can be happy for that."

Desmond reached Hydra Island in remarkably good time all things considered. He saw his sailboat, "The Elizabeth," from a distance, and swam directly to it. He climbed aboard, and was pleased to find it was in good condition. He untied it from the dock, hoisted the sails, and set off for the main island. It was a short trip by boat, and soon he was docking at the Pala Ferry. He brought out the ship's medical supplies, and with the cooperation of Bernard and Ben fashioned a splint for Emma's leg.

"Is the ship ready to go?" asked Hurley.

"Actually, I'd like to take her for a bit of a longer spin to make sure everything's working properly."

"Why don't we take it back to our original beach, and give Jack a proper memorial service?" asked Rose.

"That's a wonderful idea," agreed Hurley.

Bernard whispered, "Hurley, do you know exactly where Jack's body is?"

"Not exactly, I have a general idea … near where our part of the plane crashed …"

"I can show you." Michael had been staying in the background, but realized he was needed and whispered to Hurley.

"Oh, thanks dude, come on board then, we need you."

They all boarded the boat, with Desmond and Hurley carrying Emma. They set sail, a stiff wind speeding the process. Emma and Zach got to pet Vincent, who was very friendly to them. They got to the original beach.

"I think we better not move Emma more than we have to do. I can stay with the children while you … have your service," offered Cindy.

The others got off. Michael disappeared and sped ahead, and then returned knowing the precise location. Hurley and Desmond got Jack's body while Bernard and Ben dug a grave near so many others – Boone, Shannon, Ana-Lucia, Libby, … too many. Far too many.

All those present had moving words for Jack. The ceremony wasn't too long, as there was the need for the sailboat to get going. Then they all got back on the sailboat, which went back to the dock. Rose and Bernard got off to go back to their house, and Ben left stepped off, planning to make the village more habitable again. Hurley was about to join them, when Ben simply said,

"You have to go with them, Hugo."

"Me? Why?"

"You have business to take care of on the mainland, and we need someone to bring the boat back. If there is another crash in the future while we're still here, we need a means of transportation for them to get off. We're not going to have a repeat of our experience."

Hurley realized Ben was right. Hurley should personally tell his parents what he was doing. And he had to tell Walt the truth about Michael. Though there might be another way to handle that. Hurley turned to look at Michael and realized what had to be done.

Michael was saying good-bye to Emma and Zach. "I have to say good-bye now. I wish you the best of luck on your journey."

"Why can't you come with us?" asked Zach. "If you're a ghost, can't you fly around anywhere?"

"I have to stay on the island because of what I did here."

"No you don't," interjected Hurley. "The island is done with you. You're also needed on board to protect us."

"I can't … I can't be with them any more."

"Why not?" asked Emma. "What could you have done that was so bad?"

Michael took one look at Hurley who nodded, indicating that the new policy was to tell the truth.

"Because I killed Ana-Lucia and another woman, Libby, Hurley's girlfriend, who you never met! I deserve to stay here forever."

The siblings looked at Michael in disbelief.

"You saved our lives, how could you kill Ana?" Zach asked.

"I'll answer that," stated Hurley. "Those people you were with, led by Ben over there, kidnapped Michael's son. They ran all sorts of experiments on him, thinking he had some kind of abilities. They essentially were torturing him, if not physically then mentally. We caught Ben, and they arranged a deal where Michael would get Walt back if he could bring Ben to them; otherwise he would never see Walt again. Ana was guarding the room Ben was being kept in, and Michael couldn't think of a way to comply with those Others' demands other than shooting her. Then Libby walked in on the scene, startling Michael and he shot her as a reflex. He wasn't in his right mind, and normally would never act like that, but believing that this was the only way to stop his son's torture caused him to do a terrible thing.

They did keep their bargain, and Michael and Walt left on a boat, but Michael was so wracked with guilt that he returned as a sort of spy on a freighter that was watching the island. That freighter was owned by Charles Widmore, the man who ordered that mortar attack that wounded you. To make a long story short, Michael ended up sacrificing himself by delaying an explosion long enough for several of us to get to safety on a helicopter. Since then, he's been in that form, hanging around this island."

Michael nodded silently to confirm the story.

"It's time to move on, Michael," continued Hurley. "Desmond knows something about this, can you add something?"

"There is a place for all of us after we die," Desmond said after some thought. "I can't say too much about it, because you may have trials to undergo. I can say Hurley and Libby will be happy there. Ana has some issues to work through there, but she has left this place, and it's time for Michael to do the same."

Emma caught on. "Does that mean Ana did something really bad too? She saved our lives when we crashed, but seemed to be getting crazy before we were kidnapped."

Emma's look forced Hurley to tell the truth. "I'm afraid she did. After the first round of kidnappings of your group she became very paranoid. She thought a man named Nathan was one of the Others and threw him in a pit. She threatened to break his fingers if he didn't confess. He was innocent, but the real culprit, Goodwin, broke his neck before he could convince Ana he was telling the truth.

"Ana later found out who Goodwin was and killed him in a struggle, and that was entirely justified. But several days later she shot and killed one of our friends, a young woman named Shannon who was looking for Walt at the time, when she came into sight. Ana was afraid the Others were following the group, and wasn't in her right mind either. She was shooting whoever appeared. It could have been Walt. It could have been one of you. It wasn't as bad as what Michael did, but as a cop should have followed the rule of being sure of your target before you fire. Another example of how this island has made people do things they never would in the real world."

Hurley realized the conversation was getting too depressing.

"But that's going to change now that I'm in charge."

He turned to Michael. "I'm going to put it this way. Since I am in charge now, Michael, I am banishing you from the island. Protect us from sharks or whatever on the trip. And … I have something else to tell you. Walt came to visit me in the Santa Rose Institute a couple months ago. He was upset that none of us who made it off the island visited him, except for Locke. He asked me about you, and … I lied. I told him that you were still alive on the island. I'm sorry I gave him false hope, and maybe it would be best if you told him personally. I know you can do that now."

Michael was overwhelmed. He was convinced that he would stay on the island until the end of time, and now he would get the chance to give a proper good-bye to Walt and move on, whatever that involved.

"You don't have to apologize. It is I who will be eternally in your debt."

"Let's get going then. And watch out for sharks."

There was one more matter to attend to. Vincent had a puzzled look on his face, alternating looking at Michael, Emma and Zach, and Rose and Bernard. The Labrador was remaining on the boat, acting unsure as if to follow the married couple off.

"Does he want to stay with us?" asked Zach.

"That's not it," responded Emma. "He must want to see Walt."

Michael's face teared up. "The last time Walt and Vincent saw each other, Vincent was swimming to raft that we didn't have room for him on. It was the most heartbreaking thing I'd ever seen, when Walt had to wave him away. It will mean the world to him if they're reunited."

A tear came to Hurley's eye. He stepped off the boat onto the dock, and Vincent followed him. Hurley addressed Rose and Bernard. "Did you hear that? We think Vincent wants to return to Walt."

Rose smiled. "We understand. But why don't you bring us back a dog from an animal shelter?"

Bernard added, "That's a wonderful thought. It will be all right, Vincent disappears for days at a time like he always used to."

"How about I make it two?" Hurley's face brightened.

Vincent came over to let Rose and Bernard hug him good-bye. Then Vincent and Hurley boarded the boat again, and set sail with Desmond, Cindy, Emma, and Zach.