It's Over

Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews! You guys rock! Also, thanks for all the story alerts, it keeps me going. I own nothing. Enjoy!

Kate rushed over to Jack's side, putting his arm around her neck; she helped him away from the edge of the cliff. Once they were away from the edge, she helped him sit down and looked at his wound.

"Jack," Kate said her voice shaky and she asked it more like a question.

"I'll be fine," Jack said trying hard to keep his voice from sounding like he was in pain. "Find me some thread and I can count to five."

Five. That had been their first conversation when they had arrived on the island. She had found him in the forest not long after the crash, he had a cut in his side (much like the one now) and she had stitched him up. She had been so nervous about stitching him up, so he told her a story about his first surgery and how he had only given the fear five seconds. It seemed like a million years ago, but it had only been three and a half years.

Sawyer, Hurley, and Ben appeared at the top of the cliff and started to rush towards Jack and Kate.

"What happened?" Sawyer asked as he looked at Kate, hoping for some good news, but sure that he wasn't going to get it.

"It's over," She replied, "Locke is dead."

They all knew that it was far from over, Jack their leader, their rock, was hurt and the Island was still shaking beneath them.

"Why is this still happening?" Kate asked hoping that someone would know the answer.

"Whatever Desmond turned off, I have to turn it back on," Jack said, he knew that he had to fix this. This had been the whole reason he had been brought to the island, this was his destiny.

"But if I can't do that, you guys need to be on that plane within the hour." He told his friends knowing that this would be the last time he saw all of them.

"No, Jack, you can come with us, you don't have to do this." Kate pleaded with him. "Just let the Island sink, Jack."

"No, Kate, I can't."

He couldn't let all of this be for nothing. This was his destiny and if it meant that he had to die to save them, then he would.

Jack slowly stood up keeping both of his hands tightly against his side. First, he said his goodbye to Sawyer, the two had always been at odds, but despite everything they had been through, Jack considered him a friend. They shook hands and said their final goodbyes.

"Good luck to you, James."

"Thanks for everything, Doc."

Jack then made his way over to Hurley, he had always been one of Jack's best friends on the island, he had almost always been on Jack's side.

"Hurley, it's time to go," Jack told him, as he clutched tightly to his side.

"No way dude," Hurley told him, "I'm not going down there, I'll stay with you."

Jack smiled. Hurley would never leave Jack, especially when Jack was hurt.

Knowing that he couldn't change Hurley's mind, he made his way over to Kate. This was going to be the hardest goodbye he would ever have to say.

"Kate, you gotta go and get Claire on that plane." Jack told her trying hard not to let her see him in pain.

He knew that this was going to be hard to convince her to leave him, but he knew if he reminded her of Claire and Aaron she would.

"Tell me I'm going to see you again." She pleaded with him, tears forming in her eyes.

They both knew that this was the last time they would see each other. It was so hard to imagine, them not being together. The whole time they had been on the island, they had been together, even when they had been far apart. They had never left each other behind; they always had each other's back.

Jack shook his head in response to her. He couldn't lie to her, he knew he was dying and nothing was going to change that.

With tears flowing freely down her face, she reached up to kiss him. This was not like the kisses they had shared before. This kiss was their last kiss, the goodbye kiss.

Pulling away she looked up into his eyes, finding courage to say what was on her mind.

"I love you," she said as she chocked back the tears.

"I love you."

This was the first time they had been on the same page. The past three years they could never seem to get it right. When he would say I love you she wouldn't, and when she would say it he wouldn't. But for the first time, they had finally gotten it right.

Jack knew that he had to go, he hated leaving her, but he couldn't ask her to stay. He had a job to finish, and she had to get Claire and Aaron back together.

He began to turn around, he couldn't look at her face anymore, he had to finish what he'd started. Hurley was by his side instantly, helping him walk every step of the way.

After what seemed like hours, they finally reached the center of the island. It took them longer than they had planned because the island was rumbling and shaking beneath them.

"How are we going to get down there?" Hurley asked Jack knowing that they didn't have much time to save the island.

"We're not, I'm going alone." Jack told him, his voice very serious it was more like a command than a statement.

"Dude, you can't go down there alone. Desmond didn't make it, how do you think you are going to survive?" Hurley asked him, Jack's plan hadn't fully sunk in.

Jack looked at him. He knew that this would break Hurley's heart, but he couldn't let his friend die with him. Hurley needed to take care of the island; he had to be the new Jacob. All Jack could do was shake his head; he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"No." Hurley said, Jack's plan had finally sunk in and he knew exactly what his friend planned to do. "No way, I'm not going to let you die."

"Hurley, I'm already dead."

The words were true. No matter what he was going to die and nothing was going to change that. He was bleeding way too much and there was no way he was going to make it out alive.

"You said you'd protect the island!" Hurley told him, trying to find a way to keep him from dying.

"And that's what I'm doing." Jack said as he clutched his side, trying to hide the pain.

"You're committing suicide!" Hurley shouted, tears now rolling down his face.

"I'm not." Jack said with a sigh, "This is the way it has to happen, this is what I'm supposed to do."

"You're not supposed to die, the island needs you!" Hurley pleaded with him.

"Hurley, It needs you," Jack said as he placed his hand on Hurley shoulder.

"What?" Hurley said barley above a whisper.

"It needs to be you, Hugo," Jack told him.

"I can't Jack," Hurley said, now letting the tears flow freely. "It was supposed to be you, Jack."

"It was only supposed to be me so that I could save the island, but if someone has to protect it. If the island needs to be protected, it needs to be you. Hugo, I believe in you." Jack told him, as a sad smile spread across his face, he knew that Hurley was the right man for the job.

If there had ever been anyone who could protect the island, it was Hurley. In the three years that Jack had known him, Hurley had always cared for others more than himself. He would make a great leader. Jack knew that Hurley would not only take care of the island, but also the people that lived on it.

"Fine, I'll take it," Hurley said finally giving in, hoping that Jack would make it out alive. "But only until you turn the light back on, and then I'm giving it back to you. Deal?"

"Deal," Jack promised him, knowing that he would never be able to keep it.

It wouldn't be the first time that Jack had failed to keep his promise. A few days ago he had promised that he would get Sun and Jin off the island, but in his attempt to do so, they had gotten killed. He thought about his friends, how they would never see their child grow up, how they wouldn't see her get married and have a family of her own.

He thought about every single person they had ever lost on the island, how their life had ended way too soon, how they had left behind love ones, and how they had all died trying to save the others.

Then he began to think about his own life, he would never be a father, he would never marry Kate, and they would never be able to have the life they had once dreamed of.

He couldn't let his death be for nothing, if it was the last thing he did, he was going to save his friends.

"Do you have something to drink out of?" Jack asked Hurley; he knew he had to make Hurley drink the water from the stream, just like Jacob had done to him.

"Here, use this," Ben spoke up as he pulled a water bottle from his bag.

Jack took the bottle and made his way over to the stream to fill up the bottle. He prayed this would work; he wasn't exactly sure how to do this. Even though he had watched Jacob do this a few hours ago, he still had no idea what to do. It had all happened so fast, one minute his was Dr. Jack Shephard spinal surgeon from Los Angeles to Jack Shephard protector of the island.

"Here, drink this." He said as he handed the bottle over to Hurley.

Hurley slowly started to drink the water, but after a few seconds he finished the bottle.

"Is that it?" He asked as soon as he had finished drinking.

"Now you're like me." Jack told him as he put his hand back on Hurley's shoulder.

They shared a sad smile. Both knowing what was going to happen next, both knowing that this was goodbye.

Jack hugged Hurley and then turned around and headed towards the cave. Hurley and Ben helped him tie the rope around his waist and started to lower him down.

It was over. He was no longer the protector of the island. He was just Jack, just a person who was going to fulfill his destiny. This was it. No turning back.

Author's note: Okay, I decided not to put the rest of the finale in this chapter because it would have been really long and it would have taken me longer to update. The next chapter will wrap up the finale and then I will get to my story. Thanks for all the support, you guys mean a lot to me! I hope that you liked this chapter. I felt like I rushed some stuff, but I just really want to get to my plan for the story. Let me know if you have any suggestions!