"This is it mate. You owe me 45.00"
Sayid paid the taxi driver 45 quid and stepped out of the car. He looked out over the English countryside and turned around to face the small cottage. He began walking up the driveway towards the quaint cottage and stepped onto the porch. He stood outside the door for several minutes before finally deciding to ring the doorbell. The gravity of that split second decision was weighing down on him. That single movement of his finger would change everything. He could hear footsteps thundering down a hallway, and then suddenly the door was wrenched open.
"Sayid?"
Penelope Widmore stood in the doorway, stunned at the presence of a man she never expected to see again. Sayid wasn't sure how long they stood there, in silence. Finally, Penny spoke.
"I take it that you are here to speak to Desmond?"
"Uh, Yeah, if he is available"
"Sure, come in."
Sayid stepped into the hallway. Their home was warm, with a faint smell of lavender. On the table in the hallway stood photo of the couple and their families. Sayid noticed the photo of Charles Widmore, and instantly a deep hate rose within him, as he thought of his dead wife. He absent-mindedly fiddled with his wedding ring. He still wore it, even after all this time, but to be without it made him feel incomplete, and bare.
"Wait here a minute, I'll let him know that you are here".
Penny walked hastily into a room at the back of the house. He could tell that she was uncomfortable with his presence at their house, the one place they regarded as safe. Sayid heard hushed voices, a door slamming and heavy footsteps, and then Desmond appeared at the end of the hallway. He was clean-shaven, and a little thinner than the last time Sayid had seen him. Sayid heard a car start up and pull out of the driveway.
"Penny just had to run some errands", Desmond said, even though both men knew she was being sent away until Sayid had left.
"Don't worry, if I were here to kill her you would both be dead right now".
Desmond, knowing deep down that this was true, gestured into the room behind him, and Sayid walked into the lounge room and sat down.
"Listen, Desmond, I'll make this quick. I have come to warn you that – well, you and Penny are in danger. I was sent here to kill her, by Benjamin Linus, who I now work for – just let me finish Desmond, you can ask questions after – Ben is seeking vengeance for the death of his daughter Alexandra, and he holds Charles Widmore responsible, and so wishes to make him feel the pain of losing a child. It took a long time to find you – and I'm sorry that I have to undo all of your hard work. But, that is not the only reason I have come. Jeremy Bentham is dead. I assume you know who Jeremy Bentham is?"
Desmond looked shocked, and scared, and angry all at the same time. He couldn't believe that they had been found; Locke had said that he and Penny would be safe from Ben; he said that the island would protect them. But now that he was gone, how would that be possible?
"Yeah, brother, I know who he is. He came and told me about the terrible things that have been happening on the island. He told me about the deaths, about how the sickness had re-emerged, and how a lot of our friends would never be the same. And how it was all our fault, for leaving, for making the island angry. Is that what he told you?"
"Sort of, yes. But Desmond, he was right about one thing. We need to go back. We have to go back to the island. It's the only way to keep ourselves, and the others we left behind safe."
"There is no way that I am leaving Penny, not when I just found her again, no way!"
"Listen Desmond, you know what Bentham said. Deep down, you know that he is right. You know I'm right. And who knows? Penny might even be able to come with you. If that were the case, would you go back?"
"You know I would, Sayid."
"Just think about it. Because all of us that left the island, we all have to go back. All of us together, or it will never work".
Sayid rose from his chair, and made for the back door.
"Listen Desmond, if I were you, I would move away from this town, somewhere new, and hide yourself well this time, because Ben is hell bent on finding you."
"Why are you telling me this, Sayid? Don't you work for him?"
"I'm telling you this, because you can trust me."
And with those parting words, Sayid walked out of the door, down the driveway, and into the taxi that was waiting for him, ready to take him back to the world that he hated so much.
"Where to today, Mr Shepherd?"
"Uh, Korea, Mandy. I'm meeting an old friend."
"Very good Mr Shepherd. Here are all of your boarding passes. Have a nice flight."
Jack, Kate, Aaron, Hurley and Sayid made their way past security and into the flight lounge.
"Are you sure this is going to work Jack? I don't want to fly Aaron half way across the world for nothing, you know."
"Jack is right, Kate. The only way to get Sun on board is a surprise attack, with all of us there. Otherwise she will never agree to go back." Hurley said.
All five of them sat in silence, waiting for the flight to begin boarding, all of them realising that this trip was make or break in their journey back to the island.
A.N. – Hey everyone! Sorry it has been so long since that last update, work has been a real bitch recently!! Updates may be a couple of weeks apart from now on, as I am working on another story called "The Island brought us together", which is about Dan and Charlotte's journey on the island. Anyway, R&R!