Title: Spread My Wings

Rating: (This Chapter) K+

Characters (in this chapter): Alex, Danielle, Jack, Shannon, and Sayid

Warning: Character death

Ships: CharlieClaire, ShannonSayid, JackKate or SawyerKate (I haven't decided which yet), HurleyOC, and WaltOC (this story is going to take place over a span of many years, the last two won't be for a while)

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost. If I did…that would be cool.

Author's Note: Hah! I was able to get another chapter written after the volleyball tournament! And I got my math homework done! No more Cs for me! Although we lost the volleyball tournament…

SGCFan4ever: (bows) Thank you, thank you.

Meagan4dominic: Thanks, I love writing cliffy endings…and I can't reply to the rest of your review without giving away the events of this and next chapter…

The woman's eyes widened in shock.

"Alex?" She took a step closer, "It s truly you? After all these years, you've come back to me?"

Alex's throat tightened. She nodded, unable to speak.

Danielle was now right in front of Alex; she cupped Alex's cheek in her rough and calloused hand.

"You are so beautiful, you look so much like your father," A tear rolled down Rousseau's cheek.

This was the moment she had dreamed of all her life. Having a mother. After years of pain, abuse, and loneliness, all she wanted was someone to hold her, to stroke her hair, to tell her everything was going to be alright. Tears filled Alex's eyes as well, and let them spill down her cheeks.

Danielle pulled Alex into a tight hug.

"Oh, Alex, my baby, I knew you were still alive. I never gave up on you," She said in a choked voice.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to find you…mom," Alex whispered, tasting the new and unfamiliar word. It felt wonderful to say, yet weird to a woman she had met only moments before. She decided to lay off of it a bit until she knew her mother a bit better.

"Where have you been all these years? Where did they take you?" Danielle asked tearfully.

Alex pulled away from Danielle and chewed nervously on her bottom lip.

"That's kind of a long story"

Danielle nodded.

"Are you hungry? Tired? If you wish, I could take you back to my shelter." Danielle suggested eagerly. After 16 years alone, Alex's mother seemed awfully eager to dote on her daughter, so Alex gratefully accepted the offer. Her stomach growled, and she realized she hadn't eaten anything since before she left with Sayid to look for her mother.

Danielle led Alex to her shelter, which was hidden in an underground dugout like thing. All of Danielle's various belongings were strewn everywhere. There was one small makeshift bed, lots of boxes, various suitcases, and a crudely made wooden table, with a crate for a chair. Sitting on the table was a small box.

"Sit down," Danielle gestured towards the crate. Alex did so, "Are you hungry?" Alex nodded. Danielle opened one of the crates and pulled some fruit out. She handed a piece to Alex, and then bit into one herself.

"Will you tell me what happened now?" Danielle asked.

Alex nodded reluctantly, "There's one very important thing you need to know first, though," She set down her half-eaten papaya.

She watched her mother's eyes grow wide with horror as she slipped off her windbreaker to reveal her ashy gray wings.

"What? How-" Danielle faltered.

"There's more," Alex sighed. She showed her mother her long, sharp claws.

Danielle gasped, and Alex cringed, waiting for her to start screaming that she was a freak and a monster. But, though she looked horrorstruck, there was pity in her eyes as well.

"Oh, my baby," Danielle murmured, "Who did this to you? Was it…the Others?"

Alex nodded. Then she proceeded to tell Danielle everything that she had told Charlie, Sayid and Jack. Danielle was quiet throughout the whole story, sitting in silent shock.

"They did all this to you?" Danielle asked, fuming with silent anger.

Alex nodded grimly.

"And, if you want to help, you can get revenge in a couple weeks by helping us rescue Walt," She grinned slightly.

"Us…meaning the other survivors from the plane crash" It was more of a statement than a question. Danielle looked uncomfortable.

Alex nodded, then remembered what Sayid had told her, about Danielle taking Aaron.

"Oh, don't worry about them not trusting you. I'll make them trust you if I have to," Alex smiled at her.

Danielle sighed, still looking worried.

"Anyway, enough about me, let's hear about you," Alex declared, "What have you been doing all these years? Will you," Alex hesitated a bit, "Tell me about my father?"

Danielle smiled.

"When I was twenty-one, I met your father, Robert. I was studying cartography. He was American born, but had lived in France most of his life, so you have some American blood in you. He was twenty three. We fell in love almost immediately, and were married merely a year later," Danielle began.

"Many said they had never seen a couple more madly in love than us. When I was 24, I gave birth to our first daughter, Sophia Marie Rousseau. Robert and I were so happy, and our lives were perfect for a few years. Then, when little Sophie was three years old, Robert and I left for the expedition," Danielle's voice was sounding choked. Alex realized with a jolt of horror that this little girl, Sophia Marie, which her mother was talking about, was her sister. Alex listened eagerly for the next part of the story.

"I left Sophie with her (and your) grand-mère, my mother," Danielle's dropped to a tortured whisper, and Alex could only imagine the pain these memories caused her, "It was only supposed to be a two-week expedition. We were exploring this region because so many ships and planes had wrecked here. We heard the numbers being transmitted over a radio. Repeating over and over…4…8…15…16…23…42,"

Alex shivered. Charlie had told her about the numbers.

"As we approached the island, the storm hit. We shipwrecked on the island. We stayed on the beach for a while, hoping for rescue. Finally, we were forced to give up. We moved inland and created a camp there. It was around then that I realized that I was pregnant with you. I was terrified, but Robert promised he would be with me always…but he broke that promise," Danielle was fighting back tears at this point. Alex felt as if her heart was breaking at this point.

"We were not doing well. Ten people died in the first four months, and that was only from polar bears and the monster. Then the sickness began to set in," A tear made its way down Danielle's cheek.

"It was only a couple people at first. The sickness was sort of like rabies, they became wild, animalistic. The few that got it killed each other. We went a month with nothing, and then we thought we were safe. Then it came back, harder and fiercer than before. Half of us got it, and many of those who were not infected were killed by those who were. Robert, I and ten or so others fled, and hid in a different part of the woods. We thought we were safe, and we were for several monthes. Right before I gave birth to you, it came back. I thought we had seen its limit, but it was worse. The only sane one left was Robert, and I could tell he was only barely managing to fight it off. I gave birth to you amidst a camp of raving lunatics. It only got worse as time progressed, and Robert got infected too," She choked back a sob, "I killed them. All of them. Even your father,"

"You had no other choice," Alex whispered comfortingly.

"You're right," Danielle sighed, "I did it to protect you. But then you were taken away from me. They attacked me in the dead of night, and took you away,"

Alex's heart broke for her mother. She thought her own life had been awful and lonely, but it was nothing compared with what her mother had survived.

"So you've been alone for 16 years?" Alex asked.

Danielle shook her head, "Actually, there have been several plane and boat crashes since then. I met some of the survivors, but they all eventually died,"

"Well, Mom," Alex smiled at her, "You don't have to be alone anymore,"

Back at the castaway's camp…

"Hey, Jack, have you seen Alex anywhere?" Shannon asked.

Jack looked up at her, "No, I haven't seen her since this morning. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I just wanted to thank her for saving my and Sayid's lives. But I haven't seen her either. I'm getting a little worried, to tell you the truth,"

"I'm sure she's fine, Shannon," Jack reassured her, "She can take care of herself,"

Shannon still didn't look assured.

Several hours later…

"Alex has been gone ever since this morning. I'm getting worried about her," Shannon confessed to Sayid.

"Shannon, do not worry about her. She was able to save our lives; she can survive alone in the jungle. She's part feral cat, after all," Sayid told her.

Shannon sighed, "Yeah, Jack told me the same thing earlier. I guess I'm just over-worrying. The past 24 hours have been stressful,"

"I'm sure they have," Sayid said softly, taking her hands in his, "I heard you last night,"

Shannon's breath caught in her throat, "You did?"

Sayid nodded, "It is what kept me holding on. I knew I couldn't do that to you,"

"You're right," Shannon whispered, feeling her voice constrict, "I already lost Boone…losing you would be too much to bear," A tear slid down her cheek.

Sayid tenderly reached up and wiped it away, "You do not have to worry about that any more,"

Meanwhile, at the beach camp…

Night was falling and the castaways were retreating to their tents. It was cloudy, and the only light was that of the signal fire that kept burning and burning.

The camp fell silent as the last of the beach dwellers settled in for the night. It was peaceful, with the waves gently lapping at the shore. Then the peace was shattered.

It all started with a rustle in the bushes. No one paid any attention. Then there was a scream of fear, two shots, a yell of pain, and an infant's wail. The beach was awake in moments, rushing towards the source of the sounds-Claire's tent.

They were greeted by a horrifying sight. Claire's tent was illuminated by the flickering light of the torches people had the forethought to grab. Lying in the tent were two bodies. There was blood everywhere. Aaron's cradle was empty.