A/N. Complete quotes: "What if everything that happened here, happened for a reason" John Locke, season 1, episode 5 (White rabbit). "Each one of us was brought here for a reason" John Locke; 1.23 (Exodus part 1). "We are here for a reason" Jacob's mother in 6.16, Across the sea.

For a Reason

Prologue (excerpt from the Incident, part I)

Jacob is sitting by the ocean, eating some fish when his brother approaches him.

They talk about the ship they spot sailing in the horizon.

Brother: "You brought them here. You're trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?"

Jacob: "You're wrong."

Brother: "Am I? They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt.

It always ends the same."

The midday sun shone brightly; yet it was not unbearably hot just yet.

Jacob looked out into the vast distance, as he emerged from the concrete dwelling. Stepping slightly to the side, his gaze fell on the figure a few feet away as it moved towards him.

About a minute later, he was able to see clearly that the figure approaching was a child. With a smile of recognition, he watched the child take off his shoes and socks and throw them onto dry land. Jacob's smile widened as he was reminded of what it was like to be so young and carefree.

The child darted barefooted across the sand, skipping happily along the shore, so glad to be there in the present moment. He stretched his arms out wide, welcoming the gush of wind that brought in the salty scent of the sea he so loved, and which made his long strands of blond hair dance high in the air.

The boy giggled as the waves splashed against his jeans, cold water seeping through his clothing and tickling his feet and erasing his footprints as though they had never been there. Soon he was running to and fro and daring the waves; the tide soaking him, crashing and thundering against his ears.

By the time he was close enough to hear Jacob's voice, his clothes were dripping wet.

"Glad you're back, James," the man dressed in white smiled at him kindly, walking a few steps towards him. "How was your trip?"

J.J shrugged. How could he begin? There had been so much to see, so much to explore out in the real world. He felt overwhelmed.

Jacob smiled. "I made this for you while you were gone," he brought forth an unpainted wooden car.

J.J's face brightened. He mumbled a very quiet thanks, as he took the car into his hands and examined it. Then, he took a matchbox car out of his pocket and showed it to Jacob beaming with pride.

"Nice car," Jacob nodded.

J.J glanced up at Jacob. Then, for a few moments, his gaze lingered on the four footed statue behind him. It was an amazing sight. Only the legs of the statue were visible; the rest of the body was missing. He liked to imagine how tall the statue must have been before the Black Rock had smashed into it.

Jacob sat on a rock nearby. The boy followed suit and sat Indian style across from him.

"The other kids are gonna want one, and I only brought one" J.J said, regretting the fact that he had not thought of putting more matchbox cars in his pocket before his trip back home. He should have thought about the other kids in the village, but he had only thought of himself.

"It sound like you might have to share," Jacob observed, his cunning eyes studying the young child.

J.J's face fell. He did not want to share his matchbox car, his most prized possession.

"Sometimes, we must put others ahead of ourselves," Jacob stated.

J.J hung his head. Here it goes again, another one of those 'don't be selfish' talks.

"I'm not going to make this into a lecture, James" Jacob said as though he knew exactly how J.J was feeling. "All I'm asking is for you to think about it."

He nodded. "I gotta get back to the village," he said. He couldn't wait to see his mother again.

"Not so fast…first, we've got to talk about your mission," Jacob said somberly.

J.J got down on the wet sand and started playing with both the wooden and the matchbox car, making tracks in the wet sand.

"You liked visiting your aunt and your cousin, right?

J.J looked up at Jacob for a few seconds, squinting at the sun, and nodded.

The wooden car rolled close to where Jacob sat on a low rock, between his feet on the wet sand.

"I had a brother too, you know." Jacob said after a while, broaching the very subject he knew the boy would rather not discuss.

J.J's eyes widened with interest. "Where is he now?"

"Unfortunately, we aren't the best of friends…" Jacob picked up the wooden car, turned it upside down and started rolling its wheels with his thumbs.

"Why not? J.J questioned boldly.

"We just don't agree on a lot of things" Jacob said matter of factly. "He thinks people are hopelessly selfish…and I think he's wrong." He explained simply, while setting the wooden car on the rock beside him.

J.J seemed to consider this for a moment. "I think you were both right."

Jacob smiled widely. "He thinks there is no hope for humanity and that everyone is selfish by nature." His face darkened. "I still think he's wrong…although I could have done things differently…it was my fault he went to the dark side." He looked out into the distance with regret. "Now, you make sure you don't make the same mistake…"

J.J slid his matchbox car back into his pocket after wiping some of the sand off on his jeans. Then, he took out of his other pocket a superman figure and held it up for Jacob to admire. He just couldn't wait to show it to the village kids who had never seen a toy like this in their entire lives.

"Good always triumphs over evil, doesn't it?" Jacob stated while taking the action figure in his hands.

"Superman always wins!" J.J agreed with an enthusiastic smile.

"We do good when we put others first" Jacob continued as he inspected the action figure closely. "Sometimes, this may seem like a task meant only for superheroes…but in reality, everyone has a mission…"

J.J's eyes deadpanned.

"You wanna know what your mission is?"

J.J nodded slightly.

"You must put selfishness aside and put your brother first…I know this can be hard, there will be times when he will try your patience…" he handed the toy back to the boy.

"He's just a baby," he shrugged.

"He will grow up; James…I'm talking about the future. I know right now it seems like he's just too little…but he'll grow up soon enough… in the big scheme of things, seven years won't make much of a difference." He picked up the wooden car again and started spinning its wheels.

J.J looked at him with tired eyes. He was getting weary of this conversation.

"How about him?" J.J asked, putting his action figure back in his pocket.

"It was always supposed to be you." Jacob remarked, knowing that the boy was really asking how come his brother did not have to do anything and why the entire burden seemed to fall on him. "We are here for a reason. I bring people to this island…but I did not bring you, you were born here…and that makes you very special."

A look of confusion crossed J.J's face. It all seemed to be awfully complicated.

"That makes you the right person for this mission. It's up to you though, which path will you follow. Will you let good triumph over evil? It's your choice, stood up as though getting ready to go inside his fortress."When you go back and see your mother, make sure she understands this."

"Can I go now?" J.J picked up the wooden car, stood up, and turned to glance behind him. Out far in the distance he could make out the outline of his village.

Jacob nodded. "Even though you do have a choice, remember that whatever you do, you must never hurt your brother," he declared as a sort of warning.

Juliet had just arrived back from the river when she sensed something different in the air. People were gathered around looking out into the distance with clear excitement and anticipation.

Eloise walked away from the crowd and approached her with a smile. "He's back" she announced.

Juliet's heart skipped a few overwhelming beats. There he was. Her son. He was approaching the crowd with a huge smile on his face. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes, as she made eye contact with him. Suddenly, her legs became unresponsive.

Seconds later, he was diving in her arms his clothes still damp and with the lingering scent of the salty ocean; she was kissing his sweet face, and holding him tight as though she never intended to let go.

….

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading and for your awesome support