Author's Note-Sorry Chapter 1 was so short, but hey, if everything goes my way, this chapter should be up like the day after. So if you're complaining, just STOP! And please review this. Oh, did I forget to mention that this is AU (alternate universe) kinda, shorta, not really, but who's complaining?

Chapter 2- The Oceanica

Kate then realized that those at the caves had no clue what was going on. The whole beach was now a buzz with excitement.

"Daddy! Daddy! What's going on?" Megan asked, rushing up to Charlie. She had Charlie's baby face, and Claire's vivid-blue eyes.

"Nothing, baby. Go back to sleep," Charlie responded.

"Then why are they burning those?" she demanded, pointing at the burning pillars.

"Megan! Go and tell Mommy that she needs to get out here…now!" Megan pouted, but then ran off to her tent.

"I'm going to go and tell Jack. He's at the caves. Keep the children out of sight, just in case," Kate told Charlie.

"Um…okay, Kate," Charlie replied. Kate then took off full-speed towards the caves. Branches slapped Kate's face, tearing at her clothes as she ran the familiar path towards the caves. Around 2 years ago, they had cleared away most of the branches on the path leading to the caves, but they always seemed to grow back. Sweat trickled down her neck as she bolted the last 100 yards to the caves.

"Jack!" she called out. "I need Jack!" People sat up from where they were sleeping, grumbling about being woken up so early.

"Kate, what's wrong?" Locke asked, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"There's a boat, not a mile or so off the coast. Locke, it might stop!" Kate said, gasping for air. People were now wide awake; those who had slept through Kate's intrusion were being woken up.

"It might not stop, Kate. You have to realize that. If it does, it might not be big enough for everyone to get on.

"It looks like a cruise ship! If it stops, we might be out of here."

Jack came through some bushes. "Kate, what's wrong." Kate quickly explained what had happened.

"Locke's right, honey. It might not stop," Jack explained.

"It might. You're always so negative. It might stop."

"Kate, you can't keep getting people's hopes up. Things have finally settled down on this island, people are starting to accept that we might never be rescued," Locke said. There was another rustle in the bushes behind them. Out immerged Charlie. Plastered on his face was, unmistakably, a grin.

"The boat, it stopped! I think we have a chance here!" he announced. Everyone was now in a complete frenzy to get to the beach.

"Maybe things will work out this time around," Jack said to himself. He quickly went to wake up Lily and Tommy.

"Lily, Tommy, wake up," he said, shaking them slightly. Both groaned, and rolled back over. Shannon was having just as much success with Chad.

"They can sleep through a hurricane," Shannon said. Her whole attitude changed dramatically when she found out she was a mother.

"I think they did once or twice," Jack replied, he then turned back to his kids. "Guys, we're going to the beach."

Tommy moaned, "It's too early, Daddy."

"It's really important, and I can't leave you here alone."

"What about Walt?" Lily asked, sitting up, and rubbing her eyes with her small fists.

"I think he's going to be at the beach too. Everyone's going to be there."

"Like a party?" Lily asked, perking up slightly. Shannon smiled.

"Not exactly, but I really need you to come. You can go back to sleep there." Satisfied with what their Father had said, both Lily and Tommy got up, and trudged to the beach. They immediately retreated to where the rest of the kids had fallen back asleep.

All the adults waited hopefully on the shore. Hoping that at last, they would get off the island. After what seemed like an eternity, a small boat could be seen coming towards them.

"Their coming! Their coming!" someone cried out. Everyone erupted into cheers and applause.

Someone else called out, "Jack, you should talk to them first."

"Oh, no," Jack said, backing up slightly from where he was standing. "I'm not in charge. We decided that I wasn't in charge."

"Things are different now," Kate said. "You should talk to them. Just tell them what happened."
"I'm sure the whole world knows what happened. Oceanic Flight 815 took off for L.A. from Sydney, and never made it. Now, almost 8 years later, we all are the proud owners of death certificates."

"Jack, will you just do it?" Kate demanded.

"Fine, I'll do it, but if we don't get rescued, it's not my fault."

Locke looked around, and found that Walt was missing. He then noticed the young man hanging back, unsurely near the back of the crowd. Locked picked his way through the throng of people to get to him.

"Why are you standing way back here?" Locke asked him.

"Last time we almost got rescued I was kidnapped, I'm not that sure, even now if that's really a boat with safe people on it," Walt replied. His voice had gotten much deeper, and he closely resembled his Dad.

"I'm sure that you'll be fine. The Others are gone, and there are over 40 people here to protect you, you're safe," Locke said.

"I'd prefer to stay back here; I can hear the kids easily, if they need something."

Locke shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Jack and the others waited. After what seemed like an eternity, a small boat could be seen coming their way. Kate slid her hand into Jack's, and Jack gave it a squeeze. He could feel her trembling slightly.

"It's going to be ok. You'll see," he whispered in her ear.

"I hope so," she replied. The boat was almost at the shore.

"Hello out there!" someone from the boat called out. "Is anyone out there?"

"Yes!" Jack cried out.

"What are people doing way out here?" the voice called out again, this time closer.

"We were in a plane crash," Jack explained. They could now clearly see the boat. On it was 3 men. They waited until the boat came ashore before they continued talking. When the boat hit land, Locke, Sayid, and another survivor named Nick rushed up to pull it ashore.

"You said you're survivors of a plane crash?" one man said.

"That's right," Jack replied.

"How long have you been here?"

"I don't know the exact amount of time. What would you say, Sayid?" Jack asked, turning to his friend.

"I don't know. Aaron looks like he's around eight, and he was born just a few weeks after the crash. I'd have to say around eight years. I have the exact amount of days in our tent, which is at the caves," said Sayid. "Do you want me to go and get it?"

"No, don't go right now, everyone should stay together." Jack turned to the man he was talking to. "Sayid has been keeping a record of how long we've been here, and taking a look at Aaron, who isn't here right now, I'd have to agree." The men from the boat looked at each other in disbelief.

He asked Jack, "You mean to tell me that you've been stuck on this island for 8 years, and haven't done anything to get off of it."

"We had some people sail off of the island on a raft. Walt came back, said he was kidnapped. We found out the kidnappers were from this island, and took care of it as best we could. That was a few weeks after the crash. We don't know what happened to the others on the raft," Locke explained.

"Wasn't there something on the news about a trio that said that they were survivors of a plane crash? They said that the government went to go and find the island, only they never did," the man said.

"That sounds about right. Why don't you come with us to the caves, that way we can all sit down," Kate suggested.

"Thank-you, um…I'm sorry, but I don't know your names," said the man.

"My name is Jack, this is Kate, John Locke, Shannon, and Sayid," Jack said as he pointed to the group around them

"My name is Dominic," the man said. Jack shook his hand. "This is Andy and David. We're crew members on the cruise ship Oceanica."

"Welcome Dominic, to our little corner of the world," said Locke