I know I said I wouldn't take as long to update, so sorry about that. Thanks again for all your reviews! I hope everyone likes the ending.
Chapter 9.
Desmond stopped where he was, remembering. All the sounds he was hearing, he'd heard them before. He knew what was happening. He could picture which children were being taken, which adults were being struck down as they tried to help.
He heard Kate, yelling at the girls to run. Calling out for Thomas and Sawyer. It was worse than before, the terror, the anguish. It was actually happening. He couldn't move.
He couldn't hear Kate anymore. He knew what it meant. Her and Sawyer were down. They wouldn't get up again. Their children were in the hands of the Others at that moment. Desmond didn't have to see it to know it was true. He'd seen it before. Once was enough.
He couldn't move. If he moved, he would die. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live, he had to, he had to see Penny again.
If he didn't move, the children would be taken. He didn't think he could live with himself if he did nothing.
He glanced over to a certain spot in the trees. He knew a younger version of himself was standing there, watching helplessly at that very moment. It was an eerie thought. Desmond closed his eyes, remembering the terror he had felt. He remembered Thomas' stare. He knew what he had to do.
Time seemed slower this time around. Watching it before, it was so fast. He wouldn't have had time to think things through.
He edged closer to the tree line. Now he could see what was happening. He almost wished he couldn't. He saw one with the Others with a child, one of the ones he'd seen being snatched so long ago. Back then, he'd thought there was no one to help those poor kids. This time, seeing it all, he realised he was wrong.
Juliet was there. She snuck up behind the Other, attacking him, forcing him to set the child free. She yelled for her to run to the helicopter. The girl didn't hesitate. Realizing what had happened, the Other turned on Juliet. Desmond could hardly bear to watch the brutal fight that then took place between them. Juliet took a few good hits, very painful ones Desmond thought, before she managed to knock the Other out. She paused briefly, wincing in pain, before sprinting after another child.
She didn't seem concerned with getting herself on the helicopter, Desmond thought. He'd spoken to her many times over the years, and he knew she still felt like she wasn't trusted. He knew she hated that feeling. Now, she seemed determined to prove herself, once and for all. Desmond just hoped she didn't get herself killed trying.
He dragged his eyes away from Juliet. Looking around, he finally located Kate and Sawyer's kids. Exactly where he'd seem them before. He ran out of the jungle. He surprised the Others; they obviously hadn't been expecting him. In their shock, it was easy for Desmond to overpower them, despite the fact that he was outnumbered. Their slight delay in reacting to Desmond's attack was just enough for him to free the kids, and get away.
Together with the kids, he ran for the helicopter. As they drew nearer, he saw Jin and Hurley run towards them. Desmond relieved that help was coming back for them, but at the same time he couldn't help think that this was how it had happened before. Nothing had changed. So nothing else would. Jin and Hurley got the two girls on board, both crying for their parents. Desmond tried not to focus on that. He had other things to worry about. He could hear yelling from further down the beach. He knew what was going to happen next.
It was almost as though he could hear it. That one shot, meant for Thomas. He knew it was ridiculous. There were still so many shots being fired, how could he hear one so distinctly? All the same, he knew it was the one. He turned.
He saw the bullet heading for Thomas. Everything was still moving in slow motion. He considered not moving. He wanted to live.
Then he remembered, again, that look, that accusation. He knew he had to do it.
In the end, it barely took a second to decide.
He dived in front of Thomas, not a moment too soon. He felt the burning as the bullet invaded his flesh. Pain quickly followed. He stumbled, and fell to the ground. Through his agony, he saw Thomas' face, full of fear, staring down at him.
Jack appeared behind Thomas. It looked like he was going to try to help Desmond. It couldn't happen. Jack was supposed to take Thomas and go. Desmond tried to make Jack understand. It seemed to work. In an instant, both had disappeared.
Desmond closed his eyes again. He heard the helicopter taking off, leaving him behind, just like he'd known it would.
It was over.
Once the sounds of the helicopter had disappeared, Desmond began to take notice of his surroundings. His first thought was that although he was in excruciating pain, it didn't feel like he was dying. Surely death would feel different. Desmond didn't feel different.
He worked to locate the bullet wound. After a few seconds, he figured out that the pain was radiating from his thigh. It wasn't a fatal wound, but if it was left untreated, Desmond knew he would eventually die. It would take a while. All these years, Desmond had assumed that his death would be quick. It looked like he was wrong about that too.
He gradually became aware that there were still people on the beach. The Others were still there, though many seemed to be disappearing. He saw Kate and Sawyer. This was the first time he'd seen them, this time around. They were lying as still as he remembered. He'd been too late to save them.
Suddenly, Sawyer moved. Desmond watched in shock as he pulled himself up and reached for Kate. Kate's hand slowly moved towards him. They were still alive.
Desmond was relieved. He decided to try to go over to them. He didn't really want to be alone.
Just as he was about to move, he saw Juliet. His heart sank. She hadn't been rescued. He watched helplessly as she was dragged violently along the beach by two of the Others. She was still fighting, struggling to free herself.
A third Other approached them. Desmond noticed he had a gun. Suddenly paralyzed by fear, Desmond could only watch as he raised the gun, pointed it at Juliet's face, and calmly pulled the trigger.
In the new stillness on the beach, the sound was deafening. The Others dropped Juliet to the ground and ran into the jungle.
There was just the four of them left on the beach now. Desmond wanted to go to Juliet, to help her. Then his eyes focused on the massive pool of blood surrounding her. He realised there wasn't anything he could do. He was too late, again.
He started to make his way over to Kate and Sawyer. Maybe there was still something he could do for them. Kate was still lying down on the sand. She hadn't moved. Sawyer was now sitting over her, watching her, holding her hand. He looked over and saw Desmond. Desmond continued painfully crawling over to them. It seemed to take forever. As he drew closer to Juliet's body, he was careful not to look at her. He didn't want to see her the way she was now. He kept his eyes firmly on his destination.
After what felt like a lifetime, Desmond made it. He was relieved to see that Kate was conscious. For now, they were alive.
He observed Kate and Sawyer closely. He knew they would die; all three of them. He wanted to know how. He needed to know what to expect.
Both were incredibly pale. That wasn't much of a symptom though.
"What happened?" He asked them, figuring it was the easiest way to find out. It took a moment for Sawyer to answer.
"They took our kids. Knocked us out so we'd stop fighting, and then the cowards took our kids." Through the anger, Desmond detected a great deal of fear in the man's voice.
He didn't pay much attention to that. He was more concerned that they'd both been hit in the head, hard enough to lose consciousness. He suspected they probably had significant head injuries. They might seem relatively fine now, but he didn't think it would last. He'd seen injuries like this before, in the army. They usually didn't have a good outcome.
Kate's head was still bleeding. She seemed to be the most badly hurt. Gripping Sawyer's hand tightly, she seemed to be having difficulty breathing. Quietly, Desmond asked her where else she was hurt.
"Chest," she gasped. Sawyer smoothed her hair back from her face, looking worried. Desmond slowly lifted her shirt, and saw several ugly bruises already forming. He gently probed her ribs, feeling fairly certain that some were broken. He stopped when Kate cried out in pain. Hating himself for causing her even more agony, he took her other hand. Sawyer looked at him expectantly.
"We probably shouldn't try to move her." Desmond said, answering Sawyer's unasked question. "What about you, any injuries besides the head?" he asked. Sawyer shook his head.
"How bad is that?" Sawyer asked, nodding at Desmond's leg.
"What, that? Just a bullet wound. Hurts like hell, but it's nothing to worry about." He replied, trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation. It didn't work.
"We're not gonna survive this, are we." Said Kate quietly. Desmond looked down at her, and decided to be honest.
"No." he answered. Kate closed her eyes. Sawyer lay down beside her. Neither said anything to Desmond.
He felt guilty. The weight of everything he knew was crushing him now, and he cried, desperate to make things right.
"I knew. I knew it was going to happen. I've known for years. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to know, I wanted you to enjoy your time with your kids. I wanted you to think it would never end. I should have told you." Both Kate and Sawyer had tears streaming down their faces now.
"Are the kids okay?" Kate asked, sounding frantic.
"They're on the helicopter. They'll be fine." Sawyer responded, holding her as close as he could without hurting her, trying to reassure her.
"What's going to happen to them? Who's gonna take care of them?" she asked Desmond.
"I don't know," he replied, wishing he could tell her differently.
They fell silent again, not moving from their positions, staying as close to each other as possible.
Desmond lost track of time. He stared at the ocean, not really seeing it. His vision started to blur, until he wasn't sure what he was seeing anymore. There was a rushing sound in his ears. He thought he was dying.
He saw Penny. If this was death, he liked it.
He stared at Penny. Happiness overtook him. He'd gotten his wish, he was seeing her again.
She was with her father, in some kind of office. It was all very serious. Penny looked exhausted.
"They're back." Charles said. Desmond listened eagerly.
"All of them?" asked Penny.
"No, some of them died. We're still checking names, finding out exactly what happened. From what we've heard, there was some kind of battle during the rescue operation. Some people were left behind." I was left behind, thought Desmond. It felt surreal, hearing himself talked about like that.
"Desmond?" Penny asked hopefully. Desmond smiled at hearing her voice say his name. It was just how he remembered it.
"He was definitely there. We're not sure how yet. He wasn't on the plane."
"But he didn't come back." Penny said flatly, as though all her hopes had been dashed.
Her father shook his head. "It sounds like he was one of the ones who was left behind." Desmond had never known this man to speak about him this way. As though he acknowledged that Penny cared about him, and that it would hurt her to hear this news. He'd never known Charles to have a heart.
"How do you know?" Penny asked, as though determined to find something to hope for.
"There were a few witnesses. Those children, apparently he helped them." Charles replied, motioning over to who Desmond assumed to be Laura, Molly and Thomas, though he couldn't see them.
Penny looked over at the children, lost in her thoughts.
"You need to take care of them. Our company is arranging the adoption details." Charles said, as though this was an ordinary bit of information. Penny looked shocked.
"What?!"
"We can't let the public know about this. They have to stay within the company." Charles explained.
Penny shook her head, looking like she couldn't comprehend what she was being told. "What about the other survivors? Couldn't they do it? I don't even know them. After all they've been through, shouldn't they be with people they know and trust?"
"We've arranged a community for the survivors to live in. Everyone will be together, you'll live there too, and the children will still see everyone. But the adults have all been through significant traumas. None are capable of taking on the responsibility of three young children. They need a stable adult in their lives." Charles spoke reassuringly.
"Their parents are dead?" Penny asked, still in shock.
"Yes."
Desmond closed his eyes briefly. It was so much to take in.
They were silent for a moment, Penny looking overwhelmed. Charles grasped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Take care of the children, Penny. Forget everything else."
Penny nodded, tears in her eyes. She turned and went out into the hall to meet the kids. Desmond followed, desperate not to lose sight of her. He knew he had limited time with her. He wanted to make the most of it.
The children were sitting side by side on a bench, looking scared. Desmond was relieved to see none were hurt. As Penny approached them, looking apprehensive, they huddled together.
Penny smiled at them, looking very formal, not at all like herself, Desmond thought.
"Hello. I'm Penny." She held out her hand. The kids just looked at it, then back at each other. Penny started to pull her hand away, looking disappointed, when Laura finally reached out and shook it.
"I'm Laura. That's Molly, and Thomas." She said politely, motioning to her brother and sister as she introduced them. Desmond smiled sadly. He remembered Kate teaching her how to make introductions. It was like a game to them. He hoped Laura would hold onto the memory.
Penny relaxed a little. The first hurdle was over.
"Do you know Desmond?" Molly asked innocently.
Penny looked shocked at the question. "Yes." She replied, staring at the girl.
"He talks about you a lot He says you're the love of his life." Molly said dreamily. At the tender age of five, this notion seemed very romantic to her, even though she probably didn't understand what it meant.
Penny knelt down, more herself now. "Did you know Desmond well?" she asked.
Laura answered, looking (in Desmond's opinion) like she was annoyed that her younger sister was getting all the attention. "He takes care of us when Mom and Dad are busy. Are they gonna be here soon?"
"Your parents?"
"And Desmond."
Desmond could see Penny didn't know what to say. "I don't think so, sweetheart."
The kids started to look scared again. Desmond wished he could comfort them.
"Who's gonna take care of us?" Thomas asked, speaking up for the first time.
"I am." Penny replied, sounding resolved. "You're going to live with me now."
"Are our parents dead?" Laura asked quietly, shocking Desmond by how much she looked, and sounded, like her mother in that moment.
Penny was now facing a similar decision to what Desmond had faced. Like him, she decided to tell the truth, however painful it was. "Yes."
The kids were all crying now. Desmond turned away from them, focusing on Penny. It was his fault, he reminded himself. It was his fault they were feeling this grief.
"It's going to be okay." Penny said firmly, reaching up to wipe each of their tears away. "They love you. That'll never change. I'm sure wherever they are now, they know you're safe. And that makes them happy."
The children seemed slightly reassured by this thought. Penny started to get them up, to take them away. Desmond felt frantic. He'd never see them, any of them, again. It was a terrifying thought, made only slightly better by the fact that the four people he cared most about in the world would be together. The kids would be with Penny. They'd be safe. He was so relieved.
"Will you tell us stories about Desmond sometimes?" Laura asked hopefully.
"Would you like that?" Penny asked. All three nodded eagerly. "Then I'll tell you all the stories I know. And maybe you could tell me about him too."
Laura smiled through her tears. Then she disappeared.
Desmond opened his eyes. He looked down at Kate. "They're with Penny. Penny's gonna look after them. They're all okay."
"Your girlfriend Penny?" asked Sawyer.
"Yes. I saw Penny…" Desmond trailed off, still in tears.
"They'll be safe with her?" Kate asked, coughing. Sawyer tightened his grip on her hand. Desmond did the same.
"They'll be fine." He reassured her. Once her violent coughing fit had subsided, the three grew quiet again. Desmond couldn't stand it. He decided to tell them everything he knew. They had nothing left to lose.
"I saw them years ago. I had another vision. They were adults. They come back here, every year, to visit our… graves." A shudder passed through the group at that word. Desmond continued.
"Molly, she's a livewire, that girl. Very outgoing, probably gets up to a lot of mischief. The other two are a bit quieter. She's beautiful; both girls are. Laura looks just like you, Kate. I thought she was you when I first saw her. Thomas is very handsome. He seems very caring. I think he's very protective of his sisters.
"The twins were looking for a waterfall. They said you had a secret waterfall, and they were trying to find it. I had no idea what that was about."
"We always promised we'd show it to them. We never did. We always thought we'd have more time." Sawyer said regretfully.
"If their determination is anything to go by, they'll find it one day, don't you worry." Desmond said firmly. He continued.
"The twins are at college. Jack's making them go, but Laura says they skip classes all the time."
Kate chuckled. "Good for them."
Desmond smiled. "Laura talked to your graves a lot, once the twins were gone. She told you she got married. She said you'd like him, Sawyer."
It was Sawyer's turn to laugh now, though he looked heartbroken at the thought that his little girl had gotten married and he hadn't been there to walk her down the aisle.
"She's having a baby. She said she doesn't know how she'd gonna do it. She said she doesn't know how to be a mother."
Kate shook her head. "She'll be fine. I didn't know what I was doing either. She'll be a great mom. God, we're going to be grandparents. How crazy does that sound?" she laughed through her tears, and started coughing again. Sawyer pulled her closer, too emotional to speak.
"She said she's gonna name it after one of you. She said you're good people, and you deserve to be honored, and that this is the only way she knows how to do it."
Neither Kate nor Sawyer spoke at that. Desmond watched as they cried together, grieving for all the years, all the moments, they'd never have.
"They're happy, and they're safe. They're going to be fine."
Kate and Sawyer were relieved at hearing this. They relaxed into each other, weary. Kate looked up at Desmond. They smiled at each other. Sawyer looked up at him too.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for the way I acted before. Thanks for helping the kids." Desmond had never heard such sincerity from him before. He nodded at him. There was nothing left to say.
It was silent again. Kate and Sawyer were still, and quiet. Desmond didn't think anything of it, until he felt Kate's hold on his hand lessen. He looked down at the two, knowing what he was going to see. They were curled up together, foreheads touching. Both had small smiles playing on their lips. Neither was breathing.
They were gone.
Desmond lay back on the sand. He had no energy left. He couldn't even cry for them. He was alone now. He closed his eyes, and thought of Penny.
He saw her face, and pictured her new life. A new beginning for the woman he loved, and for the three children he cared more about than any other in the world. It felt right.
He wasn't aware of how much time was passing. When he opened his eyes again, daylight was brewing. He watched the sun rise. It was a beautiful morning.
He closed his eyes again. After a few moments, he sensed someone standing over him. He opened his eyes, and saw Rousseau looking down at him with an expressionless face. Inexplicable, Desmond felt fear.
"Help... help me." He tried to beg, but he hardly any voice. Rousseau raised a gun, pointed it straight at his face.
Eyes wide open, Desmond searched her face for some kind of emotion. Regret. Sympathy.
He saw a bright flash, heard a loud shot. He felt nothing.
The End.
So, that's the end! I know everyone wanted Desmond to save Kate and Sawyer, but they were dead from the moment I dreamt this story. I considered changing it, but it didn't feel right after all the build up. Consider leaving one last review?