DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT MY ORIGINAL CHARACTER!!!

AUTHORS NOTE: Again I am so sorry for the gap between updates!!

grumpypirate: omg thats funnyyyy!!! just imagine a huge coconut landing on his big bald head!

Momo-Lost-Heroes-addict: yeah i figured he's gonna fit into season 6 somehow, lol. just couldn't think of a good name for him, 'cause they didn't tell us his name in that scene in the finale.;) and trust me, I will make sure of that with Jack!

Chapter 6:

" What do you think they're talking about?"

Sun sighed and looked over at Lapidus.

" I don't know," she said, " and really I don't care. I'm starting to think I should have gone with Riley. Maybe I would be with Jin right now."

Lapidus said nothing, and the two resumed staring over at Richard and Louis, who had moved off to talk alone.

" Whatever they're talking about, it isn't good," he pointed out, " Maybe we should just leave and try to find the others."

Sun looked down at her wedding ring. Right now, she wasn't really sure of what to do. The two glanced over at Richard and Louis. Richard was now walking back toward the group. Louis however, remained where he was standing. Suddenly the man dissappeared. The group of people watched as it sped away from them with a roar.

" What was that all about?" inquired Ben as Richard passed him.

Richard ignored him and turned to address his people, as well as Sun, Lapidus, and Ilana and Bram's group of people. They still carried the box that contained the body of the real John Locke.

" We keep moving for the temple." he announced. He glanced at Ilana. " Bring him," he gestured to the box. " with you."

" and why are we still going there?" interjected Ben loudly, " are you going to explain any of this to us, Richard?"

Richard glanced at him.

" When the time is right," he replied coolly.

The sound of my cell phone ringing startled me and I quickly answered it.

" Hello?"

" How's it going?"

It was Jake. I groaned.

" Badly."

" And why is that?"

" Because your buddy up and ran for it," I said tersely, " No record of him anywhere in Portland."

" Keep looking," said Jake coldly, " He's there, his entire family is there."

I sighed.

" Fine."

" And Riley?" he said.

" Yeah?" I asked.

" Next time I call, I want to hear some good news, understand?"

" Yeah, I understand."

" Snake, you alright?"

I flinched and looked around. Sawyer was several feet ahead of me, waiting for me to catch up to him.

" Yeah," I said when I'd reached him. " Are you?"

The question sounded idiotic as soon as it left my mouth. Of course he wasn't okay. I'd known that for a while now.

He shrugged but said nothing.

" The beach," I said, trying to jog him back into speech. " How much farther, d'you think?"

Again, he shrugged.

" 'Bout an hour, I guess." he replied.

We walked in silence after that.

Miles was beginning to get sick of waiting for Jin to return. Sayid had gone quiet a while ago. The only sign that showed he was still alive was the rise and fall of his chest. Just then, he heard movement in the trees. Seconds later, Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Jin emerged. Jack was in immediate Doctor mode.

" How long's he been out?" he asked Miles.

Miles shrugged.

" Twenty minutes, maybe more."

As if he sensed the new arrivals, Sayid's eyes flew open. When he saw Jack reaching to change the dressing on his wound, he recoiled. Jack frowned.

" Sayid, what --"

" Don't," gasped Sayid, " Don't try and save me again, Jack. You know it won't work."

" Sayid, you're delirious, you don't know what you're saying."

He removed the old dressings and ripped up his old Dharma uniform to make new ones. Sayid grabbed Jack's arm as the doctor moved to bind his wound.

" Don't." he repeated, his voice a bit stronger this time.

" Sayid just stop." replied Jack. He turned to Kate. " Help me keep him still."

Kate looked down at Sayid, then back at Jack. As much as she still loved the doctor, she wasn't going to help him save someone who was beyond saving. It was just like when Boone had died.

" No," she said quietly. She refused to cave in to the hurt and betrayal she saw etched in his face and change her mind. " Jack, he's going to die no matter what you try to do. You can't save everyone, you know."

" Just like he couldn't save us," rasped Sayid.

Jack ignored this comment, as well as Sayid's weak attempts to fend him off, and rebandaged the wound.

" Great move Sherlock," commented Miles, " Now how are you going to move him without killing him?"

Jack looked over at Miles, then back at Sayid. He hadn't thought of that.

" Leigh, listen to me, I'm fine."

" Riley I haven't heard from you in over a year and neither have your folks!" she protested. " Exactly what are you doing for this guy?!"

I sighed and readjusted my phone against my ear. I was sitting in my car outside a hotel in Portland. My list of contacts that lived in the city was lying on the passenger seat. Jake had faxed it over to me about an hour ago.

" Leigh, you know I can't tell you that. However, I can tell you that I'm safe and I know what I'm doing."

" You're going to wind up getting hurt," she said in a rush, " I don't trust Jake, Riley. I don't trust your judgement of him."

" Sorry you feel that way, pal," I said, " but I have work to do...I've got to go. 'Bye."

A sense of relief mingled with the shock that coursed through my body when Sawyer and I finally stepped onto the beach.

The camp was in ruins...my old shelter had collapsed and lay in a heap. The kitchen area appeared to have been ransacked. Any food that was left had probably gone rancid. Sawyer didn't say anything but headed where his old shelter used to be. I took to wondering through the place. It was like a ghost town. I stopped at Claire's shelter. Where was she now? Why had no one seen her over the past three years? Those and other questions raced through my mind as I laid a hand on the cradle, which was standing upright. Something glinted on the old blue blanket and I picked it up. It was a small ring with the initials DS on it. I frowned, wondering vaguely who it had belonged to nearly four years previous.

I sighed.

" Welcome home," I murmured, and went to reconstruct my shelter.

hope you guys liked it and please leave a review on your way out. No flames!!!