21. Suit and Tie

"Maybe we could surprise the others," Hurley said on the drive to the restaurant we were meeting at. There was a party going on, and the Oceanic 6 were special guests. "You know," he said. "Surprise! Anya's not dead, or sucked into another dimension!"

I nodded. I jiggled my foot obsessively, anxious to see Sayid. What if he'd moved on? What if he forgotten about me?

"We're here, my lady!" Hurley called as he pulled his Hummer into the parking spot. "If anyone asks, maybe we should play it cool and say you're my date. You know, since you're supposed to be dead and all that." He nodded. "I'm rich. I could afford to pay a pretty girl like you to come out with me. They'll totally buy it."

I took Hurley's arm and let him lead me through the cameramen and security guards. Part of me worried that an officer would see me and recognize me as the military agent that went missing on the plane crash. I hoped my slightly haggard appearance disguised me enough.

"Hey, there's Sun!" Hurley waved to her.

Sun ran over. "Hurley!" She was in mid-hug when she saw me standing behind him. "Oh, hello," she said cautiously. Sun recognized me, but couldn't believe I was actually there. I could see that in her face. "You look so much like,"

"It's Anya," Hurley interrupted. "Surprise! Keep it quiet, we're going to surprise Sayid."

Sun squealed quietly and threw her arms around me. "We had no idea what happened to you," she said. "Where were you?" Her eyes were wide. "Were you with anyone else?"

I shook my head and watched her face fall. "It's only been a few days. I've been here and there, visiting times in my life. It started when the sky turned purple."

Sun stared at me, her eyes wide. "A few days? Anya, it has been three years for us." She looked over her shoulder, then stepped in and whispered. "Sayid has not been the same since you disappeared." Her lips were pressed together. "He even went to your funeral."

"My funeral?" I said. "Who held a funeral?" I hadn't thought the situation could get more jarring, but it did.

"Your family held it," Sun said softly. "None of us went besides Sayid. It'd be too obvious. You don't make friends with everyone you're on a plane with."

Hurley nodded. "Sayid told us he talked to your family and explained that you sat next to him on the plane. You yelled at some man for thinking Sayid was a terrorist?" Hurley smiled. "That's a true story, isn't it?"

I nodded. My stomach had knotted up at the thought of Sayid going to talk to my parents. I could only imagine what went through his head. Did he mention Tommy and Iraq? Of course not. I pushed that thought away. My poor parents. I never thought that they'd think I was dead.

"Look," Sun said, stepping directly in front of me. "Look past me. Sayid is here, talking to Jack."

Sayid was wearing a cream suit with his sunglasses on. He was arguing with Jack about something, but he was keeping his cool. He laughed and shook his head. I could hear him trying to explain something.

"I have to talk to him." My voice was breathy and I felt my knees grow weak. Civilization looked good on him.

"Whoa, I thought we were going to pop you out of somewhere and say 'surprise,'" Hurley said, looking deflated. "I guess if you don't want to, that's cool, too."

I pushed my way through the room, craving his touch. His smell. His voice. He turned and lowered his glasses as he saw me plow through the crowd.

"Anya," Jack exclaimed as I crashed toward them. "But you're," he paused. "What the hell is going on?" He turned to Hurley, who was behind me. "How did you, where did she come from?"

I ignored him and reached for Sayid. I grabbed fistfuls of his hair and pressed my hips against his. We fell back against a wall. He kissed me hungrily, like he hadn't seen me for years. "Darling," he mumbled into my lips. "Anya." He hugged me so tight I felt my back pop. I kissed his neck and pressed my cheek against his skin. I was sure we were making a scene, but I didn't care. I stood back and took his face in my hands. When I actually saw him, I was shocked. "You look so tired."

Sayid brushed hair back from my face. His hand shook slightly. "It's been three years. You disappeared. You were just gone." He kissed me again, this time, slowly and passionately. I let his strong arms keep me upright as I felt faint with delight.

"It's only been a few days. I was in the submarine with you a just a few days ago." I pulled his scarf off of my wrist. "It still smells like you."

He smiled and touched it. "Keep it." He pressed his lips to the top of my head and held me close. I could have stayed like that forever.

"Mr. Jarrah," a rogue reporter called. How she'd gotten in past the security guards was past me. "Who's your girlfriend? You've said repeatedly you had no intention of becoming romantically attached."

"Dude," Hurley said. "Long lost friend. Can't you tell they're having a moment?"

Jack was still staring at me, still flabbergasted. He looked a little on edge, and had a wild look in his eye that made me nervous.

"Come," Sayid said, leading me through the restaurant to a quiet lobby. "Darling, it's been three years." He looked misty-eyed. He kept a hand on me at all times, trying to make sure I was real. "I don't understand," he shook his head.

"I keep going through these flashes, like the one on the sub. They take me different places, different times. I never know where I'll go, or when." I shivered. "Where have I been the past three years? Did I skip them?"

"Anya," Sayid said, pulling me closer by my hips. He touched my lip, looking worried. "I didn't know where to search for you, I didn't know. I didn't know when to search." He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I thought I'd lost my mind at first when you disappeared."

"When I was back on the Island," I said with a pause. "Locke did something in a station, and now I'm back in the real world, real-time, I guess. Usually I'd have flashed away long before now."

Sayid seemed distracted. "Anya," he whispered. He let go of me, and I was surprised. But a second later, I was even more surprised. He dropped to his knee and pulled a ring box from his jacket.

"I've wanted to do this every day for the past three years. I knew I'd find you." He smiled. "Now marry me."

I practically tackled him to the ground, laughing and squealing. He laughed as we kissed. The stupidly large smile on my face made it difficult to kiss him, so instead, I laughed like a maniac.

I heard applause. I looked up. Our friends had gathered in the doorway, clearly aware of what Sayid had been planning. (Later, Kate would say, "Oh my God, every time anyone brought you up, he swore he'd propose the second he saw you." They all believed him, and for good reason.) Sun was beaming next to Hurley. Aaron was slapping his hands together, just happy that everyone else was happy. Kate, who I still hadn't greeted, looked ecstatic. Jack, on the other hand, was dryly clapping his hands. Clap, clap. Obligatory celebration.

Sayid, flat on his back with me square on top of him, laughed aloud.

"Ahem," a voice came. A maître d' was standing behind the 6, arms crossed over his chest. "Excuse me," he said stuffily. "Our guests are awaiting their panel discussion, and dinner after that." He twirled about and stormed out.

I giggled and admired my ring, feeling Sayid watching at me.

"Who cares about a discussion, man, you think he's going to be able to hold himself together up there now?" Hurley said to no one in particular. He chuckled. "I think those two have other ideas on how to spend their night."

"I'll do it," Sayid said, not taking his eyes off of me. "Then we celebrate."