Alternate Ending

He was one of the first ones off the plane, falling to his knees and kissing the dirty mosaic-like floor of the airport before he did anything else.

Oh, how he wanted the sand of the island beneath his hands instead.

He stood then, hoisting Grace onto his right hip and walking a little further before stopping and turning towards the exit of the plane to watch the survivors get off.

God, how he wanted more than there were to get off that walk way.

There were sixty five original survivors of Oceanic 815. That had been cut down to two thirds during the first three months. The number had been added to, making their number fifty two, when they'd settled down on the island in couples, readying themselves to live their lives on the island without being rescued and fortifying their homes for the forthcoming children.

Now, as he watched the remaining fifteen exit the plane it tore at his heart. Only four of those people, including himself, were ones who'd crashed. So many people hadn't made it.

He was so tired and he had so much to do now. He had to locate so many people-Sayid's parents, Shannon and Boone's mom, Micheal's mom. No one else had wanted to do any of it so he'd volunteered. He'd promised.

God, he had changed during those seven years, and now, he had to go back to what he was before.

So he turned back towards the terminal and began to scan the crowd for a slightly familiar face.

He found it.

Slowly, with Grace tugging gently at his hair, thumb stuck in her mouth, he walked up to his mother in law.

"Captain Cortez?" he asked and Grace's eyes flitted to the woman a moment before looking away again.

"Can I help you somehow Mr., uh..."

"Ford. I'm James Ford." he said, shuffling uncomfortably. "I'm your son in law."

Captain Cortez blinked wildly for a second before bursting into laughter.

"You're kidding me, right?" she asked when she'd calmed down. "My daughter was never married."

"We, uh, we had a priest on the island with us." Sawyer said softly and Captain Cortez's eyes softened a little.

"You're telling the truth."

"Yes, ma'am. Got hitched shortly after Grace here was born." Sawyer explained, nodding his head at the girl in his arms.

"Grace?"

"Grace Shannon Cortez-Ford." Sawyer said proudly, nodding again.

"So, where's her mother, then?"

Sawyer hesitated a moment and a look of horror crossed Captain Cortez's face before he could stop it.

"No..."

"MOM!"

End