Authors' Note: Thanks very much for the reviews, Zombie Kitty; it is quite reassuring to know that there is someone out there still following this. I'll make more of an effort to update more quickly. I have scenes for Jack in the future, but now I can try to think up something for Kate.

The rescue party reunites, and begins the journey home.

Alex told Michael and Walt that she should lead the way back, since the remaining Others were less likely to harm her. As she approached the corner of the hallway they were in with the main front tunnel that spanned the rooms near the entrance, she cast a shadow that reached into the intersection. She ducked down, and took a quick peak. There were three figures down the hall, none of them Others. In fact, one of them was the man who she had saved by deflecting one of the Others' gunshots.

"Hold your fire!" Sawyer command Sayid and Jin. Jin had to copy Sayid's lowering of his weapon when he didn't understand Sawyer's words. "That's the girl who saved me! Come on out, darling, it's all right. We took care of three more of those bastards."

"Three? That's all of them. We incapacitated the remaining two, who were coming from the mines." Alex called back to Michael and Walt, "You can come here now!" Alex looked farther down the corridor, spotting Sayid and Jin. Sayid had some blood on his shoulder, causing Alex to rush forward. "You're hurt. I can help you."

Sayid had forgotten about the bullet that had grazed his shoulder. "It's just a scratch, and not a problem."

Alex insisted, "There is medicine in this lab. Let me get you something for that."

"That can wait. I have to see who we came for."

Just then, Michael peered around the corner, saw that Alex's description was accurate, and motioned for Walt to follow. Sawyer was closest, and did a double take at the spectacle. The person accompanying Michael had the expected skin color, but much more skin showing than Sawyer expected. This person was far too tall, surprisingly muscular, and sported a comically sized Afro. Sawyer had to get a good look at the boy's face, which had a tentative expression, to ascertain the features were those of Walt.

Though he avoided showing it in public, Sawyer had a soft spot for children, especially those who had endured severe hardships, and a part of him wanted to run up to Walt and hug him. But that would have appeared so out of character for Sawyer. Sawyer could empathize with Walt, with Sawyer's own bad experiences witnessing his parents' violent death when he was a couple years younger than Walt was now. Sawyer thought for a second, wanting to stay in character and to come up with a one-liner Walt would appreciate. It would be better directed at Michael.

"Mike, you said we were coming here to get your son, not some leftover extra from a Tarzan movie."

Michael spluttered, but Walt broke into a huge grin. "What do you mean extra? I'm the star!" He pounded his chest to emphasize the point, and then gave Sawyer a high-five. Walt then rushed forward to greet Jin and Sayid. Jin, having seen the high-five, imitated the gesture. Sayid was prepared for a handshake, but felt it best to go along with the crowd in this case.

As Walt sped away from Michael and Sawyer, Michael recovered from Sawyer's quip and said, "Thanks man, you really cheered him up, like you're helping him get back to normal. Let's do that as fast as possible."

"Normal?" responded Sawyer. "That might take a while. There wasn't anything about him just now that strikes me as normal."

Michael looked at Sawyer. "Maybe you're right, but it can't hurt to get started. He's in good spirits now, so let's keep it that way."

Meanwhile, Alex had found a bottle of iodine the laboratory, and wiped Sayid's minor shoulder wound with it. Then she put on a bandage. They stepped outside into the hallway, joining up with the rest of the group.

"So what are we going to do with these … beings?" asked Sayid.

"I'll tell you what they deserve," spouted Michael. But Walt's look made Michael stop.

"I don't want to kill them, but can we must make sure they stay locked up forever?" questioned Walt.

Alex piped up. "Killing them now would make as almost as bad as they are. They are sick, and could only find this way of keeping themselves alive. Of course they had no right to use us in that manner, and they deserve to be locked up for the rest of their lives. Maybe a cure could be found. We have some time to think about it. But let's make sure they can't cause us any more trouble." Alex noted that all of the Others had been disarmed, but she found keys in the pockets of two of them. She led a room-by-room search for more weapons, and the group confiscated some more knives. When done, she declared, "We can give them some water bottles, and buckets for … bodily functions. Keep them all manacled to immovable objects for now, and we have all their keys. We can return in a few days when we're better prepared as to how we will treat them on a long-term basis."

The castaways agreed with Alex's voice of reason. Some of the unconscious Others were repositioned and manacled so they had enough movement to take care of themselves for a few days. It would be unpleasant, but virtually insignificant in comparison with what they had put Walt through.

That task accomplished, the group of six headed back toward the stairs that would lead up to the surface. But before ascending that stone staircase, Walt pointed out the other set of steps at the end of the hall.

"Dad, I saw you up there, with Sawyer and Jin, on that raft the day after the Others took me. There's a small room cut into that mountain that looks over the ocean. Seeing you gave me the strength to go on, knowing that you were alive and looking for me."

"I remember seeing a flash of light from a mountain. Somehow I felt that could be a signal from you."

"It was a signal! They gave me binoculars to look through, and I tried to bounce the sun's rays off the lens into your eyes. That really worked?"

Michael gave Walt another hug. "Yes, it worked. I'm sorry it took so long for me to recognize it. I didn't think anything of it at first. It took more than a month for me to realize its significance. And then I built a canoe – hey, you're going for a canoe ride now – but the monsoons hit, and delayed us for so long .. oh it was agony waiting for the opportunity to get to you. But enough of that, let's get out of here."

The group ascended the steps, and passed the powerboat that unfortunately was low on fuel. Maybe someday the islanders could process some. As they stepped out into the open, Walt and Alex had to shield their eyes from the bright sun they hadn't seen in months. Soon everybody was in the canoe, which Jin efficiently untied from the rocks and branches to which it had been moored. They paddled eastward along the north end of the island, through waves that seemed to be constantly increasing in intensity. Within minutes everyone was completely drenched, but it mattered not as the rowers were so determined to reach their goal. Shortly before sunset the vessel turned the northeast corner of the island, where Sun and Hurley had been waiting all day.