Chapter 3

"Do you really think Kate will be able to escape with the passport of someone else?" Jack asked doubtfully.

"I'm quite sure she will. I told the Feds I can't remember meeting a Kate on the island loud enough for everybody to hear. No one told them different. They are all helping you Freckles. I brought you scissors and hair tinting lotion. I've got some passports of women of your age, too. The pictures are all old or barely reckonable because the papers got wet or burned partially. You have free choice," Sawyer said with a grin and offered Kate five passports.

Kate looked through the passports and read the names:

Ava Roy, Celia Archer, Tara Cale, Fiona David and Cayla Langley.

Sawyer had been right: All these women had been between 24 and 29 years old and the photos looked similar enough to Kate. Finally Kate decided to travel as Celia Archer, a 26 years old women from L.A and returned the other passports to Sawyer.

"We should head back to the beach before they send people looking for us. So, if you want to say your goodbyes make it short." Sawyer got up and turned his back to the couple doing his best to make it look like he were totally indifferent concerning the farewell. At the entrance the conman turned around a last time.

"Good luck Freckles," was all he said. Sawyer was gone before Kate was able to reply.

"I'm sorry it has to end like that," Kate whispered. New tears were already streaming down her face.

"I'm coming with you," Jack said firmly. "I love you, Kate. I've never loved another woman as much as I love you and I will never love another woman that much again. I need to be with you"

"Don't say that. You're a good person Jack. You should not live your life on the run. You deserve a life, a family, happiness."

"I don't want all of this without you," Jack argued.

"Don't ruin your life. I could never forgive myself, if you joined me and anything happened to you. I don't want to force the life I lived for three years on you. Please let me go. It's the best for both of us. I love you and I always will. I know, that won't help you, but I think you should know."

The lump in Jack's throat didn't allow him to say anything, so he simply nodded.

"I have to color my hair now. You better go to the beach. I'll come as soon as I'm done," Kate said, the tears now uncontrollably running down her face.

Everything went as smooth as Sawyer had said. Jack watched a now blonde and short haired Kate enter the plane. He tried to imprint this picture firmly into his head, because it would with all probability be the last time he'd see the woman he loved more than anything.

The flight passed surprisingly fast. After the crash Jack had expected to panic if he had to enter a plane again, but he barely noticed when the plane rose higher and higher until they were above the clouds. He didn't listen to the announcements of the flight attendants nor did he register the cheerful conversations of his fellow survivors. In his head he relived all the moments with Kate, trying to save all the details in his mind to treasure them forever. He didn't know that Kate was doing the exact same thing during the whole flight.

At the airport in Sydney the survivors were greeted by a mob of reporters who were pushing each other trying to get the best picture. Each of the survivors had at least two microphones help in front of them.

"Mr. Reyes how do you feel being the luckiest man in the world? First you won the lottery and then you survived a plane crash."

"Mr. Pace, what are your plans for the future? Do you want to start Driveshaft again or are there plans for a solo career? And who is the beautiful women with the baby next to you?"

"Doctor Shephard, how did you feel being the only doctor on a deserted island?"

They were trying to escape into the airport building holding the irrational hope that it would be quieter inside.

The only person who was happy about all the turbulence was Kate who managed to get lost inside the crowd when her fellow survivors entered the airport building.