Kate's group, made up of twelve boys and girls whose ages ranged from five to eight years, was a few administrative cabins down the path, where they'd formed a protective circle around little Charlie Hume. She'd stayed in the doorway of the mess hall, never leaving their line of sight, and they were waiting for her patiently.

"Did Charlie ask you to the dance?" Kate asked Claire with a curious smile while they were walking, referring to the less little Charlie Pace.

"Yeah." said Claire, sounding happy about it. "I thought it would be fun, you know? It's just going to be the usual punch bowl and cheesy dance music, but it'll be fun to pretend. Like a prom for the grown ups." she added with a smile.

Kate smiled inwardly. She'd never had the chance to go to her own prom, too caught up in family drama and financial problems to attend. The camp was affording all sorts of second chances.

"I asked Jack." she said sheepishly.

"Oh, that's good!" Claire congratulated her. "I wasn't making things up you know, he really does like you."

"I know." Kate admitted with a self conscious grin. "I like him too."

Claire made an 'aw' face, wanting so much to tell her how cute it was that Kate was finally starting something with Claire's half-brother, but their conversation had to be put on pause when they reached Kate's group. The kids parted to let their trusted counselors through, and Claire saw five-year-old Charlie Hume sitting on the ground, clutching his thigh with two white-knuckled hands, his knee covered in blood. It wasn't a serious wound by any measure, but his fall had traumatized him enough to elicit tears.

"It hurts!" Charlie Hume whimpered. His accent made Kate's heart melt.

"Come on, buddy." Kate said gently, crouching next to him so she could help him up. "You're gonna be fine. I'm going to take you to the infirmary so Dr. Nadler can disinfect your knee, okay?"

"He's the one that gives lollipops and stickers." one of Charlie's friends reminded him encouragingly. Little Charlie nodded, releasing his thigh to take her hand. He got to his feet, and discovered that he could still walk even with the sharp sting of his injury. It was enough of a confidence boost to stop crying, at least. A relieved Kate turned to the rest of the group and addressed them with an easygoing authority.

"Ms. Littleton is going to stay with you guys until Charlie and I get back, so she's in charge now." She turned to Claire. "Unless you want to take them to their next class?"

"Where were you headed?" asked Claire.

"Nature Walk."

"I should have time," said Claire. "My group is with Dr. Lewis 'til four. You'll meet us there?"

"Yeah. Okay guys, go with Ms. Littleton, she's going to take you to Mr. Locke. Remember to hold hands with your buddy when you're walking on the path."


"Okay...who here believes in ghosts?" Miles asked as he looked into the small crowd of kids in Charlotte's anthropology class. It was Claire's group, the nine- to twelve-year-olds. The ones that didn't look back at him with seasoned skepticism looked too nervous to admit anything in front of their friends.

When asked by Widmore for recommendations for Career Week presentations, Charlotte immediately thought of her buddy Miles. The adventures of a ghost hunter surely made for a more interesting talk than cops and lawyers, and it fit the bizarre atmosphere of the island well. All the kids could sense that atmosphere, even if they weren't aware of it. It gave the grown ups an odd feeling too.

"Nobody?" Miles said pleadingly. He glanced at Charlotte, who sat in the back of the room, and found a smug smile being shot his way. She shrugged, as if to say You're not getting any help from me, but Miles did find one kid in the class with his hand raised. "You." said Miles, pointing at him. "What's your name?"

"Walt."

"How old are you?"

"I'm twelve, sir."

"Whoa, who's sir? Call me Miles."

Walt and a few of his classmates chuckled in response. They were at a camp run by Widmore and Alpert; they were used to strict etiquette.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." said Miles. "So, why do you believe in ghosts?"

Walt shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I just do."

"Yeah, but why? Have you seen any?"

"I think so."

"Yeah? What did they look like?"

"Like normal people. Just...dirtier."

"And where did you see them?"

"Here, on the island."

Hushed murmurs, and maybe a giggle or two, passed through the class after he said it. Island ghost stories told in their cabins late at night were one thing; they'd never been allowed, let alone encouraged, to discuss the stories in class.

"Interesting..."

Miles looked back at Charlotte. He hadn't believed her when she told him this trip would be worth more than a tax write off, but he was starting to believe it now. Her smile wasn't smug anymore, but pleased. She was happy for the both of them. Now Miles would have incentive to stay, and she would have someone to help her with a mystery she was trying to solve.


Kate arrived at the infirmary with little Charlie in tow, and she was mortified to see his mother was there already, helping stock the shelves with medical supplies. Of all the children in my group, it had to be the owner's grandson that gets hurt? Kate was afraid she might get in trouble, that they might think it was her fault somehow, but she sucked it up and stepped inside anyway.

"Mummy." Charlie whimpered at the sight of her, losing the composure he'd fought so hard to maintain in Kate's calming presence.

"Ohh, dear." Penny cooed. "What happened?" Charlie's arms were outstretched, and Penny bent down to pick him up and place him on the examination table.

"We were walking past the offices," Kate explained quickly, her instinct being to defend herself. "There were rocks in the path, he must have tripped on one and fell down."

"Sounds like someone wasn't watching where they were going." Penny said to Charlie, scolding her son playfully.

"I'm so sorry -" Kate started up again.

"You don't have to apologize, these things happen." Penny said lightly and with a reassuring smile, sensing Kate's tension. Penny was aware that most of the camp's employees had some sort of history, and Kate seemed to have an especially sticky one. As good as she was with the children, she always acted like one when confronted with anyone in the administration. It was a strange dichotomy for Penny to witness, one that seemed to manifest any time Kate felt threatened. Penny still wasn't quite used to dealing with such sensitive people, but her solution was the same as Kate's had been with her Charlie: treat it like no big deal, and hopefully the tension would fade.

Bernard, the full time doctor on duty, walked in, having heard a new arrival from the other room. "What have we got here, a scraped knee?" he asked in his naturally friendly manner. Charlie nodded solemnly. "Well why don't we fix that right up?"

"Bernarrrrd!" Rose's voice came suddenly from next door in the nursery. "I've got a puker!"

"Oh dear." Bernard muttered. "I'll be right back." He almost ran into Juliet on his way out; she was just arriving for her own part time shift in the infirmary. "Perfect," said Bernard. "Can you patch up Charlie for me? There's an emergency in the daycare."

"Of course." said Juliet, smiling.

Penny could feel the tension in the room rise again upon Juliet's arrival. Penny knew Juliet a lot better than she knew Kate, so she knew that, unlike Kate, Juliet was an expert at hiding her feelings. The blonde doctor's smile held no malice, but she'd very clearly ignored Kate on her way in the door. Penny sensed Juliet was somehow sparing Kate some annoyance, as if Juliet thought Kate didn't want her to bother saying hello. Kate's reaction, however, was all over her face, and Penny almost blushed along with her. She'd have to ask Juliet about it later. Right now, her instinct was to get Kate out of an uncomfortable situation.

"I think I'm going to keep Charlie for a while, if you want to get back to the others?" Penny suggested.

"Oh." said Kate, feeling foolish and like an outsider. She hated the fact that she still got so uncomfortable around Juliet. "Okay. We'll be on the Nature Walk if he wants to join up later."

"Thank you, Kate." said Penny, smiling warmly. "You're doing a wonderful job."

"Thanks." said Kate, managing a tight-lipped smile in response. Penny watched her slip away, marveling at the mess of nerves Kate could be.

"You have a story to tell me." Penny said to Juliet, who was busy applying a colorful bandage to Charlie's knee.

"Do I?" Juliet said, feigning ignorance.

"You do." Penny said, knowing better. "We'll chat later."

Juliet smirked to herself, but then made sure to let her full smile return for Charlie's sake. All the comings and goings and conversation between the grown ups had distracted him from the added sting of the antiseptic she'd rubbed on him, and he was clean and bandaged now. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked him, her voice gentle. Charlie shook his head no, though he was still pouting.

"Nah," Penny agreed. "He's tough, just like his daddy."

"Tougher than that, I hope." said Charles Widmore. Penny turned at the sound of her father's voice, not pleased with the sentiment.

"Dad." she greeted him. "I thought we agreed, no insulting my husband in front of my son?" she reminded him, tongue only half in cheek.

"Sorry, darling. Reflex." Widmore dismissed her, going straight to his grandson. "How's my little namesake doing? All patched up?"

"I've got a bandage now." Charlie explained, pointing to the neon patch.

"And such a lovely shade of green." Widmore replied, the wry tone lost on his grandson but not on the grown women in the room. "He's in Austen's group, correct?" Widmore asked his daughter, and when she confirmed it, it finally clicked as to why he'd seen Kate leaving on his way in. "Perhaps she needs a reminder of who signs her checks, so she can be a little more careful with the lives entrusted to her?"

"Dad." Penny scolded him in a hushed tone.

Charlie looked up at his granddad, unsure as to what he was talking about. Widmore looked down at him and smiled, and then smiled at Juliet when she asked Charlie if he wanted to pick out a sticker from the other room. Charlie nodded, his pout disappearing at the mere thought of the shiny stars. Juliet lifted Charlie down from the exam table, and Penny waited until Charlie was out of earshot to continue.

"Kate doesn't need any reminder." Penny said chidingly. "The poor girl's already like a scared rabbit when she's cornered. Besides, I think she's doing a fine job. I don't know why you insist on hiring these people if you're only going to insult and second guess them." she said in wonder. "I thought this camp was all about second chances?"

"I've given them a second chance because I need their talents." Widmore explained haughtily. "That doesn't mean we should take it easy on them. If they've got something to prove to the world, I want them to prove it."

Penny knew there was no changing her father's attitudes, or the way he treated people. She could only hope that those people could meet his high expectations. Desmond was still working on that himself.

"Dr. Burke," said Widmore. "Now there's a woman with a head on her shoulders. She knows what she's missing and exactly what she needs to do to get it back..."

Juliet could hear him talking about her from the other room, and she had herself a wry little chuckle at how much she did not represent those statements. Sure, she was more outwardly even-keeled than others like Kate and Charlie, but only because she hid her own inner turmoil too well. As she was trying to decide which was worse - not being able to hide ones emotions versus a compulsive habit of burying any and all of them - Jack arrived at the infirmary, and Juliet realized there was something worse than either-or. Jack seemed to have both problems at once.

"Hey." Jack greeted her, pleasantly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Juliet smiled back at him in response. "Just started my shift." she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought it was my shift?" Jack said, trying to sound natural.

"No you didn't." said Juliet, seeing right through it. "You're just a workaholic."

If she'd been a stranger, Jack might have been offended or at the very least uncomfortable at such a straightforward response, but he knew Juliet was only teasing him. She was a workaholic too. They smiled at each other, then turned to watch Charlie peel a second sticker from the small sheet on the wall.

"Gold and red, huh?" Juliet remarked. "Very royal colors, Charlie."

"The colors of MacCutcheon." said Charlie, sounding very much like he was parroting something an adult had said to him. Juliet looked to Jack, puzzled. She found Jack with a very surprised expression, chuckling at the boy.

"What's MacCutcheon?" Juliet asked Jack.

"It's his grandfather's whiskey." Jack told her, and she let out a similarly shocked laugh. Charlie ran off to show his family, and Jack suddenly remembered the small favor he'd been asked. "Oh," he said, reaching into his shirt pocket. "Richard asked me to give this to you." He took out a piece of paper, folded into quarters.

"What is it?"

Jack shrugged and held it out for her. "I don't know, I didn't read it."

Juliet's brow furrowed a bit as she took the paper, troubled that she would be receiving personal correspondence like this. It felt a bit like espionage on an island so small, where it was way too easy for everyone to know everyone else's business. She unfolded the paper, and she found a short hand written note. It looked like he'd used a fountain pen. His handwriting was beautiful.

Juliet,

I would be honored if you joined me for dinner tonight. If that's something you would like, meet me in my office at 6. If you decide not to, please don't worry. There won't be any hard feelings.

- Richard

"So...are you gonna go?" Jack said, smiling when Juliet realized he'd read the note after all. She sighed, coming as close to blushing as she ever would, and refolded the paper.

"I'll never tell you now." she said playfully. She flashed him one more smile before she turned to go check on the Widmore and Hume family.

Jack's smile widened to a grin. "Have fun." he called after her, with just a hint of suggestion.


Right before the dinner rush, the phone in the kitchen rang. Sawyer glanced at it, and then around the kitchen. Hurley was nowhere in sight. "I'll get it." Sawyer grumbled, setting a serving spoon in the pot of rice and reaching for the receiver. "Hanso's House of Roaches, can I take your order?" he said. There was a pause on the other end, and then Richard's voice came through.

"...Hello, Mr. Ford."

Sawyer's eyes widened, and he stifled a laugh. "Mr. Alpert." he greeted him, remembering why he didn't answer the phone with joke restaurant names anymore. Richard never seemed to be bothered by his jokes, but he never really laughed at them either. He was a boss with a sense of humor, but still the boss. "What can I do ya for?"

"I know you'll be busy with the children soon, but could you bring two plates to my office when you get the chance?"

"No problem, boss. You got a hot date, or are you just that hungry tonight?"

"Thank you, Mr. Ford." said Richard, ignoring Sawyer's question. Sawyer's wince was a grin, and he hung up the phone after he heard Richard's end click. He turned back to the stoves and found Hurley, who'd been laughing silently behind his back throughout the short conversation.

"Dude. How are you not constantly in trouble?"

"Never underestimate my southern charm, Hugo. Oh shit, the rice is burning..."


Leaving the rice to Hurley, Sawyer took two boxed dinners and started down the path to Richard's office.

"Top Jimmy cooks..." Sawyer sang under his breath. "Top Jimmy swi-i-inngs...he's got the look! Top Jimmy, he's the king..." When he arrived at the door, he knocked twice and called out "Special Delivery!" The tall, dark and handsome - hey, a secure man is allowed to notice - camp director took the food with a curt thank you, and Sawyer left him alone soon after. There was no reason to stick around and bug the guy the way he usually did to everyone else. It wasn't like they had enough in common to make good small talk anyway.

"Drivin' all the women crazy, all they want is Jimmy baby, love it when he rolls his eyes..."

'Jimmy' got back to his favorite song as he made his way back to serve dinner to everyone else. Twenty paces down the path he saw a familiar face approaching from the opposite direction. Juliet's body was also familiar, especially draped in the soft, floral print dress she was wearing. She had her eyes on the ground in front of her sandaled feet, lost in thought, but she looked up when she heard Sawyer's heavier footsteps crunching along the path. She seemed surprised to see him at first, as if she hadn't expected anyone else to be on the path.

"Hey." she said, smiling and slowing to a stop.

"I was just thinkin' about you." Sawyer said, and his ladykiller smile almost convinced her it was true. "Hey, I got a bottle of Jager in my cabin. Might have your name on it, if you're interested. We could head back there after the dance..."

Juliet smiled appreciatively, remembering all too well how she'd fallen for a similar line the previous summer. "Thanks, but I'm probably going to crash after the dance. I'm still a little jetlagged. It felt like it took forever to get here."

"Alright." Sawyer nodded, recognizing the polite lie as rejection but trying to keep the option open anyway. "If you change your mind, you know where I am."

"Mmhm. I'll see you later."

Juliet continued on her way, away from the mess hall and the promise of the lovingly prepared dinner.

"Hey." Sawyer said playfully, pointing his thumb the way he was headed. "Dinner's that way."

Juliet turned to look over her shoulder. "Is it?" she replied, her look of confusion turning into a sly smile before she turned away from him and kept walking. Sawyer watched her go, puzzled, until he saw her walk up to the office he'd just come from.

"Well. I'll be damned." Sawyer sighed, realizing clearly that she'd moved on from their fling last summer. Sawyer and Richard would soon have something in common after all.