That evening the frat house had a celebratory dinner. Jin cooked up an excellent meal and they all laughed about the irony of the ex-con man turned head of security. After dinner Jin, Miles, and James started a card came at the table. Juliet excused herself and set out for a walk, heading straight for the dock. She found a quiet spot away from the last few members of the crew who were finishing up unloading the sub. The water was peaceful and she was able to run through all the competing thoughts in her head until she settled on one. The talk about Walt earlier had sent her mind down a path she usually tried to push away, but tonight she couldn't help but think about all the things she had done for the sake of getting off this island.

As she mulled them over suddenly Jack's face popped in her mind. She pictured him as he appeared crying and defeated the first time she succeeded in breaking him. When Ben had first instructed her to interrogate him and earn his trust she honestly didn't feel like she was harming him. In fact, she treated it like she was caring for a patient. What was so bad about getting someone to eat and drink? It wasn't until the moment he broke that she realized it was actually worse than any physical hurt she could have inflicted on him. That's when the guilt started.

She wondered what Jack was doing now. She imagined he and Kate were probably together. It didn't take a rocket scientist to predict the inevitability of that happening. She then imagined what would have become of Kate with her criminal record. Maybe she was serving a prison sentence and Jack was waiting around for her like a lost puppy. The thought pained her. She tried to imagine a happier life for them. They deserved it.

Then her imagination started running wild as she tried to picture what might have happened if she got off the island with Jack instead of Kate. For a second she fancied a life with him, but a sinking feeling in her stomach returned. She didn't want to admit it, but she was pretty sure she never wanted to see him again. He left her. All that talk about getting off the island together and here she was. Whatever imaginings about Jack she came up with, they just seemed like shattered dreams. She didn't want that anymore. She didn't want him. Hell, she didn't even dream about leaving this place anymore. The sub was right there and she had no inclination to get on it at all. James was right. And even if a DeLorean fell from the sky she wasn't sure she'd leave. Life here was simple and happy. Why leave?

Her thoughts wandered back to the DeLorean. She smiled as she pictured James, Jin, Miles, and herself trying to squeeze into the tiny car…Daniel of course returning to rescue them like Doc…and Vincent now his pet. She laughed out loud to herself.

"Something funny?"

James startled her out of her reverie as he suddenly sat down next to her. She looked at him, still a little bewildered by his sudden appearance.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about a silly idea."

He cocked an eyebrow at her that begged her to continue. She smiled, hesitant to reveal her dorky musings.

"Uhhh…I was just thinking about Back to the Future if you must know."

"Back to the Future huh? Well, if you get any DeLoreans down at the shop you let me know. Maybe we can get the mad scientist back here to rig something up!"

She laughed as she explained, "that's what I was thinking about…well and a clown car with all of us in it…and a dog."

"Who? Vincent?"

"Yes, exactly!"

He joined her laughing, easily imagining the whole thing for himself.

"Ah man. That's funny," he said after his laughter died down.

She looked back out over the water, seemingly lost in thought again.

"So you thinking about leaving again?," he asked, now a little worried.

"No," she whispered.

"Well that's a relief cause I am not eating lunch with Miles!"

Their eyes met once again, both registering the unspoken spark between them before her brow furrowed in thought.

"Do you think about them?"

"Who?"

"Jack, Kate, everyone who made it off?"

He took in a deep breath, unsure where this line of questioning was going. He didn't know how to answer either. Of course he thinks about them, but at the same time he doesn't pay them much mind either. How was he going to explain that to her?

"Nah. Not really."

"You're serious? You're not even a bit curious what they're doing? If they're happy?"

"Of course they're happy! Why wouldn't they be? They made it off and never have to think about this place ever again."

She wondered if that was true.

"But who cares?," he continued.

"You don't still think about her?"

He was getting flustered now, but tried not to let it show.

"Maybe. It don't matter though."

"You were in love with her. That doesn't matter?"

"No. Hell, I don't even know any more if that was love! Maybe we all just fool ourselves into thinking because someone is so much like us that we're meant to be. You know what I mean?"

She thought of Jack again as he said this. She thought back to her daydreams moments before. It made a lot of sense. She and Jack were alike. Maybe that's all it had been: two doctors, two divorcees, with a mutual attraction. It could have worked. And yet…

"I guess I do."

"Plus, she was never in love with me," he said shaking his head.

She looked at him with concern. They had talked about this before, but she could tell it still bothered him. She was not convinced at his protests. He was still in love with her. The pain was clear on his face. She tried to console him.

"I don't think that's true."

"You don't do you? So why did you surrender Jack back to her?"

She didn't like the bite in his tone when he said it. She knew he wasn't trying to hurt her. He was back to acting like that injured animal she saw in him when they first met. Her eyes softened as she replied back.

"Jack was never mine to surrender James. And I think it's complicated. Kate is a complicated woman. I think she loved you both."

He recognized she was trying to calm him down. He wasn't sure when he realized her ability to do this to him, but it always worked. It was like she could snap his brain out of his defensive mechanism just with a look or touch. He studied her, only able to make out part of her face in the night.

"Maybe," he agreed, trying to put the subject to rest.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I ain't upset," he said trying not to sound upset.

They sat silent for a moment, both unsure what to say.

"You're right though. It doesn't matter. They might as well be on Mars. And we're here…in 1974. The glorious year that is," she joked.

"Hell yes. They should be so lucky!"

They both laughed again.

She looked at him sheepishly before admitting, "You know, I was just thinking I'm actually really happy here. Is that weird?"

"No! I am too. We've got it pretty well made if you ask me. If it weren't for all the damn bureaucracy around this place I'd say we should stay here forever."

"Well, and the slight issue of the purge that occurs at the hands of Benjamin Linus in a few more years," she added.

"Well, that too I guess. Damn creepy kid."

The both fell silent lost in the harder to digest thoughts of what this place really was.

"But you gotta admit it ain't too bad right at the moment," he said cheerfully as he elbowed her side, trying to bring back the levity.

"It's pretty good at the moment," she said it slow. His stomach flipped as she gazed at him for a bit longer than usual.

"Well, not to ruin the moment, but I almost forgot why I came out here looking for you."

"Why is that?"

"Miles and Jin want to play hand and foot so I need a partner. What do you say? You still got my back?"

She smiled shyly before answering: "Yes James. Always."

He grinned as he jumped up and held out his hand to pull her up. He resisted the urge to keep holding it, but he didn't make any attempt to put any distance between them either. And so they walked back to the house side by side, barely touching as they went. He agreed that things were pretty good at the moment.