Rousseau has reached the shore just as the explosion went off. Her hands were still bound as she flew down the beach, falling and landing in the sand.

"ALEX!" she screamed horribly, her face desperate. "NO!"

Jack turned and saw Rousseau lying on the sand, her hands bound and her struggling to get up again. He faced the water again, realizing Alex had tied up her mother to keep her from stopping her.

Sawyer had gotten Michael and Walt to shore when he felt the explosion that knocked them all forward. He only realized he hadn't seen Kate or Alex jump off when he turned around to see the flaming wreckage beginning to sink.

"Sawyer!" Satine came flying down the beach. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he stood again, looking down at Michael who was shielding Walt. "Did Kate jump?"

Satine didn't answer and Sawyer looked up at Jack who was staring with unbelievable shock at the sinking remains. Flaming pieces of wood were still smashing into the sand, and people were jumping out of the way. Splashes were prominent above the sound of people screaming.

"Someone's out there!" screamed Libby, pointing.

Jack turned and saw someone thrashing in the water. He was off with light speed, diving into the waves and swimming at top speed towards them. He couldn't see who it was but in his heart it was Kate, and he had to save her.

As he reached the splashing Jack could see who it was and saw it was one of the bearded men. Without thinking Jack seized the man and began dragging him towards shore, not making sure the man was above water. When he reached there, John and Sawyer rushed forward to help but stopped when they saw who it was.

Panting, Jack stood and looked down. The man's left arm was completely gone, a piece of his shoulder bone shimmering in the morning sun. Looking at the man's face he saw the man was dying, his face pale and terrified.

"WHERE IS KATE?" Jack shouted, seizing the man's collar. He was beginning to seize, and go into shock but Jack didn't care. "Where is she?"

The man didn't answer and Jack swung a punch at his face. John grabbed his arm but Jack shoved him away and continued to punch the man. But he had stopped moving.

Letting go he let the man fall back onto the sand, eyes staring up at the bright blue sky. Turning around Jack could see no more remains of the boat except for floating charred pieces. No one was out there splashing, no one was alive.

"Alex," Rousseau was crying softly into her hands which were still tied up. Jack turned and suddenly felt extremely sorry. "No…not Alex."

Slowly Sawyer went over and untied her. She only remained kneeling, continuing to cry into her hands. Jack walked slowly over to her.

"She tied me up to save me," Rousseau choked, her eyes looking up at the ocean. "She…she told me she didn't want me to die."

Without saying anything Jack helped her to her feet where she wavered for a moment. He looked at her and then turned and went back to the shore.

"What are you doing?" Satine asked Jack as he removed his shoes.

"Looking for her."

(flashback)

Satine sat on the doctor's table unsure of what was really going on. She wanted her mother, as she was only six and was terrified. She had these kinds of appointments all the time, and they always told her she could see her mommy when she was done. But Satine hadn't seen her mommy in over a year and had almost forgotten what she looked like.

A young man with a sharp profile and beady eyes came in with a labcoat on and looked at her as she sat on the cold metal table feeling very small and insignificant. She'd been stuck here, made to stay in a very small cramped room with plenty of toys but she was left alone almost all day. Occasionally someone would come in and ask her a question or two but mostly she was alone. She hated that.

"So," the doctor was looking at a clipboard. "This is your last day."

"It is?" asked Satine curiously. She couldn't understand why it was suddenly over. "How come?"

"You're getting to be a big girl and you're improving better than we expected," he said, not looking at her. His voice was cold. "You're stronger than the other girls here and we can't have that."

"I'm sorry," she said sadly.

"Well, unfortunately its us who are sorry. We'd love to keep you and test you more but you pose a threat," he looked up at her and smiled. "But you don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

She shook her head and he laughed. Turning around she saw a strange symbol on the back of his labcoat, the same symbol on almost everything here. The word started with a D but she was never good with words and hadn't been taught to read very well yet. But those numbers, she'd never forget those numbers. They were on her bracelet. She looked down at the metal band around her small wrist. She ran a light finger over the engraved numbers. Yes, she'd never forget them.

"Well, this is your last dose," he said, turning around with a large needle. Two sets of hands grabbed her from behind and she stiffened.

"Please," she began to whimper.

"Just relax."

He injected her and it stung. She cried out and when he was done and they let go, laid down sideways and sobbed into her hands. Without any kind of sympathy the doctor picked her up and carried her from the room and into the next room.

She hated this room. The little electrodes they attached to her head were painful. She began to struggle, as she did every time, and they held her down. As the tests began and Satine screamed and screamed, a little face appeared at the slightly open door.

"Who is that?" snapped one of the staff holding Satine. She was looking at the doorway.

"One of the children," said a male, letting go of Satine's arm and moving to the doorway. "Oh. It's the French one.'

The little girl couldn't have been any older than four. She backed away in fear as the man picked her up and turned her back to Satine.

"Too bad. You two have a lot in common, Alex," said the man, smiling at the little girl in his arms. "I'll be back in a moment once I put her back in her room."

Nodding the doctor stepped away from the machine that the things on Satine's head were attached to. Satine couldn't see well through the tears in her eyes but could hear them.

"She's one of the most powerful?" asked a female.

"She's too powerful. We see her thoughts because she projects them into us. If we kept her and it developed, it'd be dangerous. We'll send her back to her mother," the doctor peered out the door impatiently.

"Her mother will take her back?" asked the woman.

"Her mother has no choice. She agreed to let us test her, the pay was good. But there was always a chance it would fail. She wont be happy because it means no more paychecks but at least we're rid of her. She gives me migraines," the doctor put a hand to his temple. "Everytime we do this I get a headache."

"Me too," sighed the woman. "Hear that, Satine? You're going home."

Satine didn't understand much of anything they said, but all she really heard was that she was going back to her mother. And that was what she wanted.

(end flashback)

"He's been out there almost three hours," said Satine gently to Sawyer who was standing on the shore. "He won't give up."

"I wouldn't either," said Sawyer.

Jack had gone out and swam and walked around the area, swimming out farther and looking underwater for any signs of Kate. Satine had been able to feel Kate right after the explosion, as though she had survived the initial impact. But then she had faded and Satine only had a very weak thought of her until it disappeared.

Now as everyone was still shaken up, Jack continued to search. Everyone was helping those who had been slightly burned or hurt by the explosion but it hadn't been bad. The only person who was seriously injured was Sayid, whom had still not been seen by Jack. He lay in the shade higher up on the beach with Libby and Sun keeping pressure on the knife wound in his side.

"I think I need to talk to him," Sawyer said, looking down at Satine. She looked shaken up.

Slowly Sawyer waded out into the water. Jack was moving back towards the shore, still scanning the crystal water. As Sawyer approached Jack seemed to stop and just stare out to sea.

"No sign?" asked Sawyer, knowing the answer.

"None," Jack panted, still soaked. "I mean, even if she'd been…there's be some kind of…anything to prove…"

"If she was right on top of it," Sawyer began carefully, "then there wouldn't be."

Jack seemed to stiffen and Sawyer knew what he was going through. They all loved Kate but no one so much as Sawyer and Jack. They'd both felt something for her, and although Sawyer believed Jack was the one she had chosen, he still loved her. His heart was aching but he knew Jack was in a worse state.

"You wouldn't give up if it was Satine out here," Jack growled, his voice deep and shaking. "Alex was out here too and there's no sign. She wasn't near Kate, she was at the other end of the boat."

"It's possible the tide…"

"Don't talk to me about the tide," Jack snapped angrily, looking at Sawyer. His face was that of a desperate man at the end of his line. "She didn't die."

Sawyer nodded, turning around and heading back to shore. When he reached Satine he shook his head and started up the beach towards his tent. Everyone who had packed their things and brought them to the beach had removed them. Several had disappeared back to the camp and John had gone back to the hatch to press the button. No one seemed to want to talk about Alex or Kate, or whether any of what had happened had any relevance. It didn't quite sink in that they had been rescued and now the disappointment wasn't as harsh.

Sitting down in Sawyer's tent, Satine couldn't get the image out of her head. It had nothing to do with Kate or the explosion. She was seeing a face, a face of a little girl with thick brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was peeking in a door. But Satine couldn't quite place it.

"I thought you had a connection to Alex," Sawyer said quietly as they sat in silence. "I thought you could feel her."

"I can," Satine whispered. "But right now so many people are scared and I'm so scared…I can't really focus right now."

"Is Kate dead?"

Satine closed her eyes and sighed.

"I can't feel her anymore," she whispered. "I could feel her right after, as though she lived through it. But it faded either because she moved farther away or…"

"Jack will find her either way," said Sawyer confidently, watching as the dark image of Jack moved along the water down the beach. From where they were they could just about see him, and he was still swimming and walking around the site. Several of the survivors had begun to help but gave up within moments.

"I'll be back," Satine stood.

"Wait!" Sawyer grabbed her arm and she looked confusedly at him. "I don't know if it's a good idea to…"

She pulled her arm away slight irritated and hurried down the shore towards Jack. He looked exhausted and his shoulders were getting burned from being in the sun and in the water for so long. Satine reached the water but a hand grabbed her shoulder.

Spinning around she faced Rousseau who was no longer crying but looked manic.

"What happened to her?" demanded Rousseau, her eyes wide and crazy. "You know!"

"No I don't!" Satine replied, pulling back but the woman kept a tight grip on Satine's shirt.

"You know! You're like her, you're just like her! She told me about you, about how you were here!" screeched Rousseau. She had gotten several people's attention now. "She saw you!"

"What?" Satine was trying to stop herself but she couldn't help but feel what Rousseau felt, horrible regret and guilt. It boiled inside her and made Satine feel sick. "I don't…"

"You were here, you were tested! You have the same power! TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" Rousseau had seized Satine's throat now and although she didn't squeeze she felt a firm grip.

"HEY!" Sayid shouted from his place under the trees farther up the beach. "Danielle!"

John had run down the beach and was about to pull Danielle back when out of her coat she pulled a gun. She first pointed it at John who stepped back, his hands up, and then swung it around to Satine.

"Where is my daughter?" Rousseau demanded. "Where is my Alex?"

"I don't know," Satine whispered, tears coming to her eyes. She could see Alex in her minds eye but couldn't see where she was or if she was hurt. Sawyer was running down the beach now. "I really…"

"You know," Rousseau pressed the gun into Satine's side. Jack had emerged from the water and was standing before them, watching with blank eyes. "You see. You see just like she does."

"I'm sorry, I don't," gasped Satine, the hand tightening.

"Let go of her," Jack demanded.

Sawyer, without stopping, walked right up to Rousseau and without any hesitation swung hard and punched her directly in the head. For a moment Satine thought Rousseau was going to pull the trigger but instead, she felt the gun move from her side and the woman fell to the sand unconscious.

Satine staggered back into Jack who didn't move. Turning around she looked at him and he looked down at her blankly.

"Are you okay?" Sawyer rushed to Satine, grabbing her arms. "What was that all about?"

"She just wanted to know where her daughter was," Jack said, no emotion on his face as he glanced down at Rousseau. John quickly picked up the gun and pocketed it. He received several glances. "You should have told her."

"I don't know where she is!" Satine exclaimed, rubbing her throat.

"Yes you do," Jack sighed and stepped over Rousseau.

They all watched Jack walk serenely up the beach and into the jungle. When he was gone, Sawyer helped John move Rousseau up the beach and take away her rifle. They wouldn't tie her up but Satine would stick close to Sawyer in case she woke up angry.

Everyone was shaken, and everyone was mourning. There was no doubt that Kate and Alex were gone, and everyone felt it. There wasn't much talking amongst the survivors that day, and Jack spent the entire day held up in the hatch, the door locked from the inside.

By the next morning, the wreckage had been removed from the beach. Eko had taken the liberty of taking the pieces of wood and using it in his construction. Everyone had unpacked again and seemed to settle into knowing they'd be here a long time. Everyone was still very solemn, and there were whispers that Jack had gone mad. No one had seen him all night and all day. By mid afternoon, John had forced his way into the hatch by using the original entrance they had blasted open.

Ana-Lucia was the only person Jack would talk to. She had first gone into the hatch after John had opened the door after getting in. They had found Jack sitting at the computer staring at the blank screen. John had left quickly, leaving Ana alone with him.

"Hey," she said, sitting on a stool beside him. "How's that game of solitaire?"

She motioned to the blank screen and Jack looked at her and then back at it. She supposed this was not the best time for jokes.

"We're worried about you," Ana said quietly. "We were thinking we'd have a memorial service for Kate and Alex."

Jack seemed confused by this concept and looked up at her.

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Because they died yesterday, Jack," Ana said quietly, knowing it would be hard for him to swallow. "They're dead."

Jack seemed to sigh and then stood up.

"Yeah," he said. "Alex is dead. But Kate isn't."

Without another word, Jack left the hatch.