Hey, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out (well, compared to the rest), but my computer was screwing up and I couldn't get it to work right. Anyway, I know you're all very choked up about the past events (I am, too), but try to enjoy this chapter, since they are FINALLY SAVED! (Hey, I didn't spoil anything. It was in the chapter title.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Lost, the show Saved, or the movie Saved. Not that I used the Saved's in my story, but… eh. It was supposed to be funny. And no, it's not in a religious way.
Chapter Thirteen: Saved
Outside the Hut
"Okay," Kate said, taking deep breaths to refrain her tears from coming back. "Uh, Sawyer, can you take him with us to the beach?"
Sawyer glanced uncomfortably down at Jack. His eyes looked sore at the sight, and Kate knew that he felt terrible about what had happened. He glanced back at her and nodded gravely. Then he knelt down and picked Jack's limp body up bridal-style, very respectively, and turned back to her.
"Thanks," Kate said, so softly that it was hardly a whisper.
Sawyer gave her a small smile, and she thankfully returned it. They walked silently back to the beach together, tailed by a quiet Albert.
When they reached the beach, everyone crowded around them, looking scared but hopeful. Like Albert, they refused to believe that he could die. He was their leader, and it seemed impossible.
"How is he?" Claire asked, obviously not expecting the answer she was about to receive.
Ellie, Charlie, Bernard, and many others who had been fighting came up to them with many people captured. They were the Others who had surrendered when learning that their psychics were captured.
"He's…" Sawyer started, but he wasn't about to crack a joke at a time like this. Instead he glanced at Kate. Now that Jack was gone, he assumed people would take commands from Kate.
Kate looked distressed beyond her capability. The pressure coming from the people surrounding her was overwhelming, and she'd gone through enough with Jack's death already.
"Jack," she said in a determined but strangled voice, "is dead."
The talking ceased completely, and everyone seemed to take a few steps back to interpret what they had just heard. Jack? Their leader? Dead?
"How?" Charlie managed to ask.
"A stray bullet," Kate said, her throat feeling heavy. "Look, everyone is feeling hurt and loss right now. But we've gotten through deaths in the past, and we'll have to get through this one."
"But he led us," Ellie said. She hadn't known Jack ask long as the original flight 815 survivors had, but she knew that he was important, and that without him, things would've been a lot worse. Charlie glanced at her, knowing how she felt, and took her hand. "He's the reason so many of us are still alive."
"I know," Kate said, "but we have the psychics now. As hard as it is for you to believe, we just fought a war—and we won. Our prize is getting off this island."
"Yeah, see, that's you guys keep thinking," said a particularly grouchy middle-aged man. "You keep saying we're going to get off. First it's the cock pit, then it's the transceiver, then the raft, and of course the tailees, and did I mention the college students? Each time, you said there was a hope to get off. How are the war and the psychics any different?"
Kate shrugged. "You don't have to believe me. A little hope would be good for you, but you don't have to, because I know someone's coming. They'll be here by tomorrow night, definitely."
Her voice was so certain that, despite everyone's depression at the loss of Jack, they were all convinced, and most of their doubt was flushed away.
Everyone had split up again to exchange phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and Kate and Sawyer were left alone toward the back of the beach, digging up a future grave for Jack.
"So what kinda memorial are you gonna buy for him?" Sawyer asked. There was a hint of jealousy in his voice, but he knew Kate had made her decision, and that after experiencing a death, she was bound to show affection for Jack.
"It's not just for him," Kate said, "it's for everyone. Boone, Shannon, Scott, Dr. Arzt, and Joanne. They deserve something big and nice, so that they can be remembered. The island isn't a bad place any more."
"Okay," Sawyer said with an understanding nod. Then he added slowly, "But, I mean, are we talking statues of gold here, Freckles? 'Cause last I checked, you were a convict, and I doubt you had a ton of money."
Kate bit her lip. "I know. But we could figure something out. I'm sure Sun would be willing to donate, and a lot of the Emory students would…"
"We could always, you know, con someone," Sawyer suggested hopefully.
Kate glared at him, but it was mostly playful. "No," she said quickly. "No conning, especially not with me."
Sawyer's eyes flickered. "Are they gonna let you go?" he asked.
She frowned, considering this. "Almost three months of being stranded on an island is probably considered a good thing to the judges," she said. "It's definitely a way to build good character."
Sawyer chuckled as she continued.
"But probably not. I just…" She bit her lip. "I did a lot of bad things."
Sawyer stopped shoveling and cocked his head slightly. He knew this was probably as good a time as any to find out about her old life. "Freckles, I know you don't like talking about this stuff, but if I'm going to be a part of your old life, I think I should know about it."
It was a well-said speech, and Kate knew he was right. "I'll tell you tonight," she finally decided. "Really. We'll talk about everything."
He nodded, knowing that she was being honest. "But what if a plane comes?"
She shook her head. It was sunset already, and she knew they'd wait until morning at least. "They won't until tomorrow," she said. "I really doubt it."
He grinned slightly. "There's a switch. Here I am, hoping the rescue planes don't come."
The Expedition Survivors' Shelter
All the college students were out walking and saying good-bye a second time, so Ellie and Charlie had decided to come into the tent to talk—among other things.
Despite his wounded leg, they'd found ways to make out, but they weren't kisses like Ellie had shared with Jake. All she could think about was how glad he was still there, in front of her, and not dead, and all he could think about was how great she had been in such a desperate situation. That and their huge attractions for each other brought romance to each kiss they took.
Finally Ellie pulled away and crossed her legs. "Okay, question," she said after she caught her breath.
"Yes?" Charlie asked attentatively. With any other girl he'd want to get back to the kissing, but he genuinely liked talking to Ellie, so he didn't mind.
"Kate says we're going to get off the island. For real."
Charlie grinned. "That's not a question."
She laughed lightly. "Okay, my question is, what're we going to do once we get there? I mean, I don't want to freak you out—it's up to you."
He didn't looked freaked out by commitment or any other reason. Instead he kept his eyes fixed on hers and asked easily, "What were you planning on doing? I mean, once you graduated from college?"
She considered this. "I don't know," she admitted. "I'm not really a live-life-on-the-edge girl, but I'm also not a strong-ambitions girl. I guess I figured I'd play it by ear."
"You know what else you can play by ear?" Charlie asked with a hopeful grin. "Guitar."
Ellie sighed. "Okay, in theory, you know that would be amazing. But I know what tours and albums and money and fame do to people, and I don't want to be a part of it. I know you miss some parts of it, but admit it. There are things you're glad you're gone from."
He nodded in defeat. "You're right," he admitted. He didn't want her to be a part of the dangerous life, anyway, but the thought of spending the rest of his youth in a band with her seemed amazing.
"I do want to be with you, though," she said, just in case he was thinking she was backing out. She wouldn't have ever pictured herself saying that before, but now she thought she'd never felt stronger about any decision. "Can't we be, I don't know, real estate agents?"
Charlie laughed. "I don't know about that," he said, "but I know what you're saying."
Ellie thought about suggesting that they move in together, but she knew it was much too soon, and moving in did a lot of couples harm. Instead she said, "Where do you live? I mean, where did you live?"
"I was staying in LA," Charlie said, "but I've had enough of that life." He glanced at her hopefully. "Do you think I should move to Atlanta?"
Her heart raced, but she wasn't sure if it was what she wanted for him. Atlanta was her city, but it wasn't her favorite city, and it still had a lot of the big-city life that he was trying to avoid. "Do you want to move to Atlanta?" she asked instead.
He smiled. "Absolutely."
Claire's Tent
"Knock, knock."
Claire rolled her eyes as she put Aaron back into his cradle. "Who's there?"
"Idiot," said the entirely familiar voice of Jake as he stepped into her tent. She started to say something else, but he raised his eyebrows, telling her to continue their joke.
"Idiot who?" she sighed.
"Idiot who doesn't know how to treat a perfect girl," he finished, glancing at her hopefully, "and who knows he doesn't deserve it, but who is wondering if said perfect girl would like to go on a date with him back in the real world."
Claire sighed again. "Jake, I live in Australia."
He shrugged. "I could visit. Besides, we'll all be stuck in Australia for at least a few days once we're rescued. What's the harm in a little dinner once we get there?"
Claire didn't say anything. Just before the battle, he'd told her he wasn't going to ask for her back, and that he was just trying to make amends. She liked it that way—it was right that way. But know he was asking for her back again, and she felt like she was digging her way into trouble. Thomas-type trouble.
"Look," Jake sighed, "we both survived the war, and you were all I could think about when I was fighting. I don't want to go back to the real world alone, with you as the only thought in my head."
Claire took a deep breath. Jake wasn't the best guy she'd ever met, but she knew that anyone who could stand being blown off so many times deserved a good speech first. "Jake, you'd be a good guy on your own, but you have a problem."
Jake blinked at her.
"You can't be alone. It's like a need-for-a-Significant-Other complex. A lot of people have it. They feel like their meaning in life is to get married and have children and be part of a family."
He blinked at her again. What was she saying?
"But some people don't need Significant Others. I'm not saying you don't, but I am saying that if you go for a few weeks without a girlfriend, you won't die. And I feel like you want to be with me because you want to be with someone. And I'm the best you found."
He shook his head. "No, Claire, I really like you."
Claire believed him, but she also knew that she was just until something better came along. She was the best he could do on the island since he and Ellie broke up. And besides that, even if he were perfect for her, it was her and Aaron. She didn't need anyone else. "You don't need anyone except yourself, Jake. I don't need anyone except myself." She didn't mention the fact that she had Aaron.
"But I want you," he said desperately.
A week ago, she probably would have been charmed. But now it felt disgusting. Who was he to say that he wanted her? After everything she'd been through with him, she just didn't care. "Look, Jake, I have Aaron. I have my son. And I'm not looking for any other love. I know you don't want to be independent, but I do. It's my path. I had a special son, and I'm going to raise him my own very special, very pure, and very shocking way: without men."
Jake looked hurt, but finally, he understood. He nodded, not showing any signs of anger or danger, and left.
Claire sighed, plopping into the plane seat in her tent, and turned to look at her sleeping son. You're all I need, she thought peacefully. Her sleeping child.
Sun & Jin's Tent
(Korean written in English)
Jin's arm was around his wife's shoulder, and he was smiling down at her and his future child. She was resting a tired hand on her stomach when she glanced up at him.
"I don't want things to go back to the way they were," she whispered.
He knew how she felt. The thought had been biting at him ever since the raft: her father would find them, and he would want Jin to work for him again.
"Neither do I," he said, "but at least we'll be off the island."
"But the island isn't so bad," she reminded him. "The beach is beautiful, the people are nice, and I have my garden." She didn't mention the time he'd torn it all to shreds. "And there's the hatch, and food in the jungle." She sighed. "The Others are gone now, and the island doesn't seem so bad."
"It doesn't," Jin admitted, "but there's nothing we can do about it. I won't work for your father again. At least, if I do, I won't do the work I did. We'll be happy, Sun. It'll be fine."
Sun let her eyes wander out of their tent and onto the crashing waves. "I know," she said, "but I almost wish we could stay on the island. Everything would be better here."
"I know," he said softly. "Everything good happened to us on the island."
The Beach
Sun and Jin weren't the only ones having second thoughts about the rescue. Thoughts were spinning in everyone's minds about the lives they were returning to.
John Locke. What if I'm paralyzed again? What will I do with my life once I go back? Face my father? Face Helen? I'll just be replaying the same life, the life where I was a nobody, fixated on the little things and not the big things. But everything's different on the island. Better.
Kate Austen. Why was I so urgent to get off the island? They'll never let me go, not after what I did to my father and to the house… and the marshal… but I can't run. I've got Sawyer now, and I can't make him run with me. I wish I could just stay on the island with him. Everything was perfect on the island.
James Ford. What do I have to go back to? Heh, I bet Australia's gonna be real happy to see me back so soon. But Kate doesn't want me conning people any more, and for her, I won't. So what will I do with my life? I don't have experience as anyone except Sawyer. Wait—will I kill him again? Can't I just leave it? No, if I go back, I'll kill him… why did I find the psychics? Why couldn't I just stay?
Charlie Pace. What will happen if I go back? Atlanta… I could stay off drugs in Atlanta, right? Of course, if Ellie's there, I can. But how will things work with her? Neither of us have stable jobs or goals. I won't be able to support her, and we'll just be normal people in the normal world. The island brought us together—what if it tears us apart?
Ellie Sanders. Great, the old life. Girlfriend of Jake for five years, girl with no goals, good old Sunlots Apartment Complex, and my sister to take care of me. But I need to stop with the self-pity. Charlie will be there, right? That's all that matters… but everything seemed so much better here…
Claire Littleton. I can't go back there! Aaron will be safer, but not if I don't have the money to feed him and clothe him. How will I get money? Fish N Fry? Mum practically disowned me. Maybe the psychic was right to put me on the island. Aaron needed to be raised here. He still does.
Sayid Jarrah. I used to want to go back there, to find Nadia again and to be with her. But I met Shannon, and everything changed. Now I would come back to Nadia a traitor. And I will return to my life as a torturer. Life on the island fixing things and helping people has been the best few months of my life.
John, Kate, Sawyer, Charlie, Ellie, Claire, and Sayid weren't the only ones, not even including Sun and Jin. Jenny and Andrew were feeling the same way, along with Jake, Eko, Hurley, Michael, Walt, Rose, and Bernard. They were glad to be free, but it came with a price.
Kate & Sawyer's Campfire
"Welcome, Freckles," Sawyer greeted when Kate approached the campfire Sawyer had made for them. It was dark out, and Kate was glad to have someone to stay up with. She doubted she'd be sleeping when there were rescue planes coming in the morning.
"Hey, Sawyer," she said in response. She liked his nickname for her, but she didn't want to spoil it by giving him one. She sat next to him, heaving a relaxed sigh. Finally the stress of the war and everything else was over. "Look, I don't want to ruin everything, but before all this—" she gestured to the flames and the starlit sky "—I wanted to ask you when we're going to have the funeral and bury Jack." His body was lying carefully in a spare tent right now, but she knew it was wrong not to bury him.
"We'll bury him tomorrow morning, before we leave," Sawyer promised. "The graves are ready—we just need people to be there for the ceremony."
She smiled. "Thanks," she said gratefully.
He nodded and pulled out two small glass bottles of alcohol. He handed her one and she raised her eyebrows.
"Remember the good ol' days?" he asked her. "I Never?"
She realized what he was doing and laughed, then shook her head. "No, look, I really just want to talk. There's all that important stuff…"
He shrugged. "I know, but we had to make this fun. Just say whatever you wanna say, stick 'I Never' in front of it, and add a sip at the end."
"Then what's the point?" she asked.
He shrugged. "In case you didn't remember, I got more out of you last time we played than I did any other time."
She sighed, opened the cap, and said, "I never decided to explain my past to you." She took a swig and set it down, then she folded her arms across her chest and began. "So… Wayne."
Sawyer grinned. "The guy you thought was me."
She ignored him and continued. "He's my dad, but I didn't know that until a few weeks before…"
"You killed him," Sawyer finished, nodding understandingly. His expression didn't tell her that it was right, but unlike everyone else, it also didn't tell her that it was wrong.
"Yeah," she said softly. "But it was only because of how he treated my mom. He was so bad to her, but she wouldn't get rid of him, and it was the only way."
He nodded and came up with another question, but remembered that it had to be in I Never form. "I never wondered," he said, "how it was that you killed him." He sipped.
Kate rolled her eyes. "I never blew up the house." She sipped.
He felt like it would be appropriate to laugh, but he didn't. Even though he wanted to, he knew it wasn't something that she was proud of. Instead he said, "What about after that?"
"The marshal found me," she said with a shrug. "My mom ratted me out and he found me, but in the car, he pulled over and crashed. I got out and ran away." She didn't mention the horse. "I spent a long time running, and I came back one day to see my mom." She took a deep breath. "And an old friend."
"The man you never loved?" he asked, knowing what she meant and not really meaning "never."
She nodded. "Him. The next day, we went to the hospital to see my mom. She was sick. But she shouted, and the cops came, and…" She sighed, her eyes welling up with tears again. "I ran again. But he came with me. And he ended up getting shot."
Sawyer's breath inhaled quickly, and she knew he was surprised. He was almost glad for a second—at least there wouldn't be competition back in her old life—but he immediately regretted it when he saw the look on her face. It was tearful at the memory.
"Then I ran again. I broke into a bank at one point, but I didn't take any money. It was just something in a vault that I really needed. Then I ran again, I was hoping for good, to an old farmer's house. I spent a long time there, but he ratted me out, and the marshal caught me. That's how I got on the plane."
Sawyer's expression was soft as he listened. "I never thought," he finally said, "no wonder you've got trust issues." He took a sip.
Kate laughed, her tears drying, and she smiled. "I never trusted you." She took a sip without hesitating, and he felt relieved to hear it.
He knew it was out of line, and he knew Kate didn't need it right now, but it came to him, and he couldn't stop himself. She had to know. He took a deep breath, his baby blue eyes boring into her sea green ones, and said, "I never loved the person I was staring at." He sipped without taking his eyes off her and waited to see what she would do. She looked at him for a second, scanning her surroundings, and finally put her guard down. She took a sip. She loved him, too.
Everyone wanted to sleep that night, but almost no one did. Kate and Sawyer had volunteered to stay up and watch for rescue, but Locke stayed up in case they dozed off. Sayid stayed up with his gun, in case any of the Others broke free from the hatch. Ellie and Charlie stayed up all night talking and playing their guitars, too excited to sleep. Many other people talked instead of slept, and by one in the morning, it seemed more like one in the afternoon.
By the time daybreak came, Kate decided that it was time.
"We should bury him now," she told Sawyer, "before any planes get here."
Sawyer nodded, looking out onto the beautiful, mostly-dark horizon, and followed her to Jack's body. He knelt and gently picked him up, just like the day before.
"Uh," he said nervously, "should I just drop him?"
Kate looked uncomfortable, but she nodded. "I guess," she said.
Just as Sawyer leaned over the hole, Michael walked over to them. "Stop!" he said quickly, and Sawyer gladly stepped back.
"What is it?" Kate asked him.
"One second," he said. He ran to a tent, took something, and ran back. In his hands was a huge, nice, sturdy wooden casket.
"You made that?" Kate asked in disbelief.
Michael nodded. "There were a bunch of extra wood strips from when we were making the raft, and I just knotted everything together with bamboo strips. It's not great, but it's a casket."
Kate smiled thankfully and took it from him. Sawyer set Jack's body carefully into the casket. They adjusted his arms and legs the right way, and Sawyer turned back to Kate.
"I really shouldn't drop this down there," he said.
She bit her lip, deep in thought, and came up with a solution. "We can use a human chain," she decided. "You hold my legs, and I'll hold Walt's. We can set the casket down that way."
"Walt?" Michael asked in surprise. "I know he doesn't weigh much, but he can't carry that whole thing himself.
Kate nodded. "I know. We can attach it to cables from the ladder of the hatch."
"Why don't you just use those by themselves?" he asked, obviously not eager to have his son lowering a casket into a grave.
Kate sighed, looking annoyed. "Because they could break at any second," she snapped, obviously incredibly protective of Jack's body.
"Okay," Michael surrendered with a nod. Walt walked up to them and nodded, eager to help.
As the human chain lowered Jack's casket into the pit, people gathered around to prepare for the ceremony. It still wasn't completely light out, so they knew there was still plenty of hope for rescue.
"We are gathered here today," Kate said in a deep breath when they resurfaced, "to mourn the loss of a very important man." Another tear fell down her cheek. She decided that this had to be some kind of all-time record for crying, but after losing Jack, how could she not?
She'd never given any sort of funeral, but she did her best to.
"His name was Jack Shephard, and he was the reason many of us are still alive."
There was shuffling in the audience, but no one said anything. They kept their heads bowed, picturing Jack in their minds.
Kate took a deep breath and continued. "He had a lot of duties on the island that he didn't have to do, but he did them, because that's the kind of person he was."
Sawyer glanced down, feeling guilty. He certainly wasn't like that.
"Jack didn't deserve to die," Kate said softly, "but because he did, we will all remember him in respect and admiration."
A final tear trickled down her cheek as she took a step back, open for other people to talk.
Sayid said a few kind words about the doctor, Jake told some stories about working with him, and Claire told about how great Jack had been in the crisis with Boone and her baby. Charlie talked about how Jack never hesitated to stitch him up or help him with his withdrawals. Locke, however, had the best speech out of anyone, with the possible exception of Kate.
"Jack and I," Locke said, "had many, many differences. It didn't start out that way, but with the hatch and the prisoners, everything seemed to unwind into a battle." He paused, knowing that he wasn't the audience's favorite person right then. "But I have never seen someone so dedicated to other people. I was more dedicated to discovering new things on the island than I was to Boone's safety or to the people's hunger." Everyone nodded at that—all the times Locke could've been catching boar had gone to waste. "Jack wasn't that way. The people were always first with him, and that makes him a role model that everyone should look up to."
Everyone clapped, nodding understandingly, as Locke stepped back.
Kate didn't ask Sawyer to talk—she doubted he'd want to—but he did.
"Jack was the most committed guy here," Sawyer said in a completely honest voice. He was going to say 'Except the baby-napper,' but he changed his mind. "Even when he was having fun, you could tell he was on red alert. He fought for Michael and Walt, he confronted the Others, and then he fought them in war. But the thing is, he never wanted to fight. Even though they did so much to us, he didn't want to. He wouldn't let Sayid and Locke torture the prisoner, even though he knew he was an Other." He resisted calling Jack 'Doc,' Sayid 'Mohammad,' and Locke 'Gandhi.' "And we all heard him resist the battle."
Kate smiled proudly as he continued.
"He never did anything he wanted to do. He never did anything for himself. It was all for us, and that's why we should respect him."
Thunderous applause sounded, mostly because the people were so surprised that Sawyer would say anything. Once it died down, everyone took a handful of sand and dropped it over the casket. Finally Kate and Sawyer dug back over it. Just as they were building a cross for him, they heard a loud, gusting sound.
"Is that…?" Charlie asked in disbelief from beside Ellie. He put a hand over his forehead to shield the sun and looked up at the sky.
"Helicopters!" Ellie finished for him as they saw two big helicopters flying above them.
Everyone began frantically shouting and waving, gathering their already-packed suitcases and belongings together. Most of the people looked thrilled, but some of them didn't.
"This is it," Ellie muttered to Charlie.
He nodded, putting a supportive arm around her shoulders. "It'll be great," he told her comfortingly, but he wasn't so sure.
Sayid, Locke, and the other main 815 survivors, plus Jake, Andrew, and Jenny, all had the same reactions. What was there to go back to? For them, almost nothing. Not as good as it was here.
But one of the helicopters landed about ten meters away from them, stirring up a dust cloud out of sand but not enough to hurt anyone's eyes. The pilot stepped out and walked over to them.
"Are you the survivors of flight 815 and the Expedition cruise liner?" he shouted excitedly.
Kate took leadership. Everyone had basically assumed it to her since Jack. "Yes," she replied, walking over to him. "We've been here for almost three months, and they've been here for a week and a half."
"We're all so sorry we didn't find you sooner," he said honestly. "Well, I already called in backup. Who should load up first?"
"Wait," Kate said nervously. "There were people before us. Murderers. Criminals. Liars."
He looked stunned. "Who are they?"
"This sounds childish, but we call them the Others," Kate said. "They kidnapped and murdered us, and finally we fought a war against them. We won. Now they're all in this hatch we found."
He blinked at her. "You found a hatch," he repeated.
She nodded. "There was a company called Dharma here before us and before the Others," she informed him. "We think the Others killed them all without knowing about the hatches. In any case, the Others are in this hatch in the jungle, and you might want to arrest them and bring them to a court room hearing. They'll probably try to kill you."
"Uh," he said, "I'll call in some police officers who can deal with them. Could you please wait until they get here to show them where these… Others are?"
Kate nodded and stepped back.
"Okay," he shouted to them, obviously surprised by the news. "I can take five people in this one. Let me have five people from Oceanic Flight 815 first."
Albert and Zach, both obviously mortified by the past turn of events, ran onto the helicopter. Two young girls from the Expedition followed, along with a guy in his thirties. The pilot waited until two other helicopters, each a little bigger than the next, landed before leaving.
There were seventy-two of them now, and minus the five who had left, there were still sixty-seven left to rescue.
"I can't believe it," Kate said once she reached Sawyer again. "We're saved."
But she didn't say it in a happy way.
Finally everyone besides Kate and Sawyer, including Rousseau and Alex, had gotten into helicopters. Three police helicopters landed, and the pilots stepped out to question Kate. Sawyer stayed with her.
"Ma'am," one of the officers said to her, "may I have your name?"
"Kate," she said shortly. "Look, the Others are down in the hatch. Do you want me to take you to them?"
"Kate Austen?" he asked, his eyes looking up at her warily.
She sighed and nodded.
"Were you," he asked, "on the plane with a marshal escorting you to your court hearing in LA?"
"Yes," Kate said, "but…"
He ignored her. He was already strapping handcuffs onto her. "Take her in," he ordered one of the co-captains. He turned to Sawyer. "Your name?"
"Sawyer," he said shortly, knowing his name wouldn't be on the manifest. "Look, I'm not showing you the hatch unless she comes with."
The man groaned. "First of all, we have no listing of a Sawyer, and secondly, if you do not follow our command, we have rights to arrest you."
"First of all, that's my nickname, and secondly, arrest all you want. But you gotta find those Others."
Kate smiled softly at his strong will.
"Fine," the officer said. "We'll keep her handcuffs on and let her lead us—with you—to the 'hatch,' as long as you tell us your real name."
"James Ford," Sawyer said immediately, watching the other helicopters fly into the distance.
He nodded. "Okay. James Ford, take us to this hatch."
END OF CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Sorry if the rescue part was sudden, but it'd probably be sudden on the show, too.
Anyway, want to know what's coming up? I have it all planned out.
The next chapter, Homecoming, Part I, will have everyone landing back in Sydney. There'll be some of Kate and Sawyer bringing the police to the hatch and taking the Others away, and then everyone will meet up in Sydney. Wait and see for the rest.
Then comes Homecoming, Part II. A lot of decisions are made, and we'll find out what happens to Kate. After that is another chapter (I'm not sure about a title yet), and then the Epilogue. Hope you like everything! I'm sad that this story is coming to a close, but it was fun to write.
And now here are everyone's responses. By the way, I'm so glad everyone likes it—I never expected so much good feedback from this story—and thanks again for R&Ring.
Charlotte Temples: I know. But yeah, Charlie's okay, so yay! I wouldn't blame you for coming to my house and murdering me if I killed Charlie. And as for Sayid, I tend to forget about him a lot in this story, but I do really like his character, and I couldn't stand to kill him off, especially since he didn't have a big part in this. I agree—I'm a Sawyer person too—but you generally can't be both. Surprisingly, I haven't gotten any flames for killing Jack. YAY! Thanks for the review.
CharliesHoodie: Your reviews always make me happy: D Tell me when you write your Mary Sue story—I'd love to read it. And I completely agree about accented men. Thanks!
astronomylover: Aw, thank you! I'm glad I killed Jack off in the best way possible, and I hope you thought the funeral was appropriate. Thanks!
xlostangelx: Haha. I thought my decision was best, too. I can't stand to make a big deal out of a death of a character that wasn't even very major in my story (Sayid), and it's not like I'd ever kill Charlie. Thanks!
meangenius: I know, but it had to be someone hot to die, because it makes it all the more dramatic. Sean was just a random guy, and I figured I'd have to have more than one death, so I put his in there. Thanks!
THANK YOU, ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD DAY!
—kissbangx3—
