Chapter Five

Sun had quickly explained what had happened to Jin, and now the two were sitting alone in the jungle, Jin's arm around Sun, comforting his wife. A little way of, Vincent stood, sniffing the trees. After Shannon's death, Sun had taken it upon herself to look after the Labrador.

Suddenly Vincent's head shot up, the dog stood absolutely still, then wined. "Vincent?" Sun called softly, but the dog payed no attention. With a bark Vincent tore passed them and disappeared into the jungle.

"Vincent!" Sun screamed after him, before getting to her feet and taking chase. Jin shouted at her to stop, but she refused. "shhh!" he grabbed her by the arm, "Walt." He whispered. Sun didn't understand, and then she heard it. Faint barking, and a very familiar voice shouting "Vincent!"

"Walt!" she yelled cautiously, "Walt, is that you?" but another voice replied, "we're over here!" it was Jack's. They walked towards the sound, scared that it might be a trick, but then Jack appeared through the bushes, followed by Sawyer, Michael, a joyful Walt and Vincent-and more children!

News spread quickly of the Jack and Sawyer's return, as well as Michael's and Walt's-but the other children were by far the most interesting topic of conversation.

As they had walked into camp, Mr Ecko who had been talking to Ana Lucia was the first to notice them, he had stared, wide eyed, and then when Ana had seen them she had run towards a little boy holding a teddy, and a girl with blonde pig-tails.

"Remember me?" she had asked softly, the girl had nodded. "Are we seeing mummy yet?" she asked. Ana had shaken her head, "not yet."

Ana Lucia had explained to Sayid that two of the children were the ones who had been stolen from them, but no one could explain the others.

Sawyer hadn't talked to anyone. He had left straight for the caves, to were his Freckle's was.

Now he just stood there, staring at her limp body. He couldn't stop her death replying before his eyes, couldn't stop thinking about all the things he'd never see again.

He'd never see that cheeky smile, never hear her voice, laugh at the comments she threw back at his own. Never even hear her again….see her again.

He stayed there for hours, just sitting beside Freckle's, going over his life, and the part she had played in it, his highs and his lows, his success and failures.

But mostly he went over his memory of Freckle's, memorising every last detail, till he was sure he would never forget.

Sayid watched from his shelter as Walt played with Vincent on the beach, among with the other children.

There were so many questions he wanted to ask Walt. If he was really there, or had he and Shannon both been seeing things? But that was impossible….

It was hours before Walt came up to him. "Where's Shannon?" he asked innocently, Sayid didn't reply at first, he hardly even wanted to look at him, then he said "don't you know?" Walt shook his head, and sat down next to him.

"What did you do to your arm?" Sayid asked, as he noticed a large scratch running down Walt's arm. "I did it when we were running away." Walt said quietly. Sayid took hold of his ram and examined it, but suddenly Walt jerked away.

"She's dead!"

"What?" Sayid was on his feet now also, "what did you say?" "They killed her," Walt seemed confused and frightened at the same time, "Shannon, she's dead, they killed her. You should have believed her." He began to back away.

"Walt, listen to me." Sayid said quickly, "Were you there, how did you know? Walt, did we see you!" but Walt just continued to back away. "Should have listened," he repeated, before turning and running away.

Sayid did not give chase, as much as he would have liked. Instead he just sat back down, puzzled, and trying to figure out if Walt really had been there or not. And how had he know, had he, somehow passed the information onto him when he touched his arm? that seemed impossible, but then again, so was a person being in two places at once.

"It's all very…nutty, isn't it?" Charlie asked slowly as he and Claire watched the children playing. "D'you think they'll come back for them?" Claire shook her head, "didn't Jack say Sawyer had killed them all?" Charlie nodded. "oh yes, right." He smiled down at Aaron. Claire couldn't help but smile too, she knew Charlie was overjoyed to be back with her and Aaron, and truth be told, she had missed him very much while they were fighting.

For a while Claire stared out at the playing children, before turning her gaze towards were she knew various people were buried. "When do you think they'll bury her?" she asked softly. Charlie looked up from Aaron. " I dunno, Locke said tomorrow, probably." "Do you think, Aaron will remember, I mean…do you think it will affect him?" Charlie didn't answer. "In the space of around a week, he'll have gone to three funerals." Claire pointed out. Charlie took a while to answer. "I don't think so," he said quietly at last, "babies never remember that stuff."