Kate felt speechless. Locke stood before them, the sun shinning down on him and a smile on his worn face. Kate didn't think her mind could take much more. Sitting there completely frozen her mouth opened but no words came out.

Richard took his glasses off and looked up at Locke.

"Hello John."

Both men's eyes drifted over to Kate who sat in the chair looking completely terrified. Richard gave an uneasy look before clearing his throat.

"Kate had a dream last night…a real bad one."

Locke folded his arms looking down at her.

"Is that so?"

Kate quickly shot up and went over to Locke. As much as she didn't trust him, she needed someone from their original camp to talk to.

"John…you're dead."

Locke gave a gentle laugh looking at her and then down at Richard.

"What?"

Kate tug on his arm.

"Come on, we need to talk."

Pulling him down the beach, Richard stood up slightly concerned and watched them from the opening of the tent.

A half an hour later Kate and Locke sat on the end of the beach looking at the ocean. Kate had finished telling him everything that had happened and how she swore that none of this was really real and most likely some effect from the bomb exploding.

"But Kate, if the bomb went off in 1977...then we wouldn't be sitting on the island right now in 2009."

"That's my point exactly, we should be in Los Angeles."

"No…but I mean if physically there wouldn't be an island…there would be nothing."

"And if there wasn't an island then the hatch wouldn't of existed…in which Desmond would of never been late in pressing the buttons which would of crashed our plane. We all would of landed in Los Angeles as if nothing happened."

Locke sat there for a moment and looked to be thinking, finally he looked at Kate.

"Kate…I'll tell you exactly what happened. We knew the freighter was coming but I didn't trust it. We all separated as you know but Widmore's men came and these people saved us, you remember that don't you?"

"I remember you leaving and telling Jack you needed to do something, that we shouldn't leave…that it was our destiny to stay…"

"And Jack left anyways, along with the rest of you."

"But Sawyer, he jumped from the chopper because we were leaking fuel and then the freighter blew up and we saw the island disappear…

"No, what happened was the freighter did indeed blow up, which knocked you out of the chopper and into the water. Lucky enough you somehow washed up alive on the island."

Kate shook her head.

"No…Desmond or Jack wouldn't leave me. Anyways their chopper crashed minutes later…they would of found me!"

"But they didn't. I had just joined up with my people and we found you barley alive. Richard took you and healed you."

"Wait? What do you mean your people?"

"I'm their leader Kate. Ben's gone."

"Gone, what do you mean gone?"

"He's been banished. I'm the leader of The Others now."

Kate's eyes widened before Locke smiled.

"We're nothing like Ben's group at all. We answer to a higher power and we're peaceful people. We just simply live and protect the island…been doing so for years."

"But the Dharma…"

Locke shook his head.

"Nothing like them. The remainders are now all of us. We go from place to place…as of right now this very beach is one of our homes."

"But the others! There were at least thirty people left on the beach. Sawyer, Juliet, Rose…"

"Gone."

"Gone! What do you mean gone?"

"Just like Claire, vanished without a trace."

"But they have to be somewhere! If rescue never came!"

Locke shook his head.

"Kate, we looked everywhere. Our old camp is like a ghost town. There's nobody and we looked everywhere."

"But the ones who survived. Jack…Desmond. They would of sent help…"

"And if they came we know nothing about it. If you ask me they didn't. Their gone."

Kate shook her head.

"No, they wouldn't of left me…"

"But they never came back to look."

"Maybe they didn't make it, maybe since things are different the chopper crashed and…"

"We have no way of knowing. All I know is that Richard saved your life and after two long years of searching for our friends, you finally knew they were truly gone and not coming back. That your place was on this island and that you belonged here."

"My place?"

"Kate, you're like me. You don't belong anywhere else."

"I do…"

"Kate you're wanted for murder."

Kate shook her head while holding back tears.

"No, I was set free…I raised Aaron and Sydney and I was happy and…"

"Sydney?"

"My daughter John. That's how I know it wasn't a dream. I remember everything. I remember that I was in labor for nearly eight hours. I remember that Aaron fell down the front steps and scraped his knee. I remember that Jack and I were engaged for a short time…I remember everything!"

"Kate…that bomb you're talking about. It's buried and still is. You could ask Richard to go see it but I don't think he would let you. Kate…you're remembering things now, slowly right?"

Kate stared at him.

"What?"

"Little things, memories. Things that give you déjà vu. Their slowly coming back as if hidden behind a fog. It even happened to me."

"But…the bomb, I know it was real…"

Locke shook his head before resting his hand on Kate's shoulder.

"This is our home Kate. We've finally found peace and you've finally found someone unlike Desmond, or Jack, or Sawyer. Someone who loves you…who understand you."

"Desmond loved me…so didn't the others."

Locke smiled.

"Kate, ever wonder why you kept going back and forth to each one? Because you had no idea what you were looking for."

"I loved Desmond."

"Yes, but he didn't love you after he found out Penny was still out there. You made peace with that and finally found someone who had been as much alone as you felt. You love Richard Kate, I know that."

Kate glanced down the beach and saw Richard talking with a few of the others. He wore gray slacks and a navy blue shirt. He seemed to be directing them about something. Kate sighed, her heart pounding before she remembered Sydney in her crib giggling.

"My baby…"

Kate's face crumpled up.

Locke's hand tightened on Kate's shoulder.

"It's okay…"

"I really lost it?"

"I'm afraid so."

Kate lowered her head, maybe…just maybe Locke was right. What if it all really had been a dream. Maybe everything Richard and him were saying was true. What if this really was her home?

Little things began coming back to her.

Somehow looking down the beach she knew everyone's names by just looking at them. She had never met any of these people before in her life, yet she knew all of them.

She knew that they moved around a lot. For the last few months this beach had been where they settled. She knew that they were planning on fixing up the Dharma village since there hadn't been sight of anyone else on the island in a while. That they were going to rebuild and start there since it seemed safe.

She knew that Locke had been their leader and a good one. She knew about a man named Jacob and that for the past three years Locke had been peacefully answering to this unseen presence from Richard. But sensed that soon Locke would finally break down the last wall and demand to finally see him.

She knew that they were living peaceful life's, happy ones.

She knew that she had searched everywhere for two straight years. Loosing weight, and feeling drained as day after day she searched the jungles. She knew that just last year it was nearly midnight and she was still looking around in the jungle, her torch shaking in her hands as her dried up voice helplessly called out for her friends.

Then she had tripped, fell hard on her knees and hurt them. She remembered lowering her head and crying.

She was alone. They had left her behind.

Then…

A hand was on her shoulder, a firm one. She looked over and saw Richard holding his own torch.

Since she had been living at the camp she distanced herself for almost everyone and spent most of her time searching. She knew very little about him…only that he had been on this island for a very long time. The thought of a man who didn't age at all terrified her, yet the feeling of her friends really leaving her scared her the most. Looking up, shaking and crying she felt like a little kid.

"Their gone. Their really gone."

Richard kneeled down beside her and wiped her tears away with his hands.

They gazed into each other's eyes when Kate fell into his arms crying. Burying her face in his shirt as he tried his hardest to comfort her and rub her back. By dawn, he had carried her exhausted body back to camp. When she woke on the beach that morning he was sitting right beside her.

She then knew somehow…she loved him.

She could only remember little things, mostly their relationship, How she stood close to him and slowly began to learn how life was really lead on this island. She didn't know much about him, only little things such as how he didn't age and had been on the island longer then anyone else.

She knew he was kind, that he was gentle and always listened to her. One night by the campfire she had told him everything about her life. From her childhood, to her stepfather, her marriage, and her life on the run. She finished up telling him about Desmond, and the two babies she had lost.

Somehow his eyes always seemed so serious. That night they had finally kissed.

Richard seemed embarrassed as Kate smiled, for once she was finding comfort.

"It's been a while since a person as touched me like that…a very long time."

Since then…Kate knew for sure he had loved her, and would do anything to protect her. Looking down at her ring, she tried her hardest to grasp her mind around the fact that they were really married and in love.

"This is your home Kate. Don't have the past eat you alive. You've been happy…I know this."

Kate looked at Locke before nodding. Getting up and dusting the sand off her, she stared down at him.

"But what if I was right. What if this really was all from the bomb."

"Then I guess we're all dead."

Kate looked at Locke for another moment before turning and walking back to camp.

On her brief walk there, Kate looked around at this beautiful place and wondered if it was heaven or hell? Thinking of Desmond, she wished that if the bomb had worked…it would of just killed them. She loved Desmond, but Locke's words were true.

He didn't love her, he loved Penny.

Thinking of their baby, Kate felt sick. Why did this happen? Was it just another dream? Shuffling along, she finally reached where Richard was. His back faced her.

Kate cleared her throat.

"Richard?

He turned, half suspired to see she even walked over.

"Kate?"

Right away she knew the names of the three people talking with him. Taylor, James, and Mark. They smiled before going back to what they were doing.

Kate shifted her feet, not really knowing what to say next.

"Richard, tell me the truth…I know you know a lot about this island. Did anything I say really happen?"

Richard's eyes focused on her before he shook his head.

"No Kate, it didn't."

"Do I get confused like this a lot?"

"Sometimes, but it's okay…you always come back."

His hand went out and easily slipped into hers. Kate then felt very overwhelmed. She was scared, confused, and alone. But somehow holding Richard's hand felt right. Going into his arms, she shuttered for a moment as he held her.

"Shhhh, it's okay."

"I have no idea what's going on."

"It's okay, I'm with you…Shhhh…"

Kate pulled back looking at the ocean.

"Is there anyway I can know if my friends are all right?"

Richard looked straight into Kate's eyes before his hand went up and rested on the side of her face.

"I'm sorry Kate, but no."

Kate's eyes began to water.

"When you found me on shore…did I loose the baby then or a little after."

Richard bit his bottom lip.

"Kate…"

"I need to know."

"I found you and you were bleeding. Like I said, it's for the best that it happened. You would of died anyways."

Kate thought of Desmond and shook. Slowly she lowered her head and rested it on Richard's shoulder and began crying. A few of the others watched from afar. Finally Richard put his arm tightly around Kate's waist and lead her back to their tent.

"You're tried, come on…"

Locke watched from down the beach, slowly shaking his head.

Inside the tent, Richard drew the opening close as he lead Kate over to the bed they shared. It was getter warmer now and the air began feeling sticky. Richard guided her over to the bed in which he helped lay her down. Kate couldn't control herself crying as Richard sat beside her and began brushing her hair away from her face. Softly he leaned down and began kissing the side of her face as she sniffled and stared up at him.

Was this really her husband.

She wanted to see Desmond more then anything right then.

"Just get some sleep, you'll feel better afterwards."

Kate laid in the comfort of a bed that she knew she had slept in millions of times. The feeling of being in your own bed finally settled around and she laid back trying her hardest to stop the tears. Richard sat beside her, petting her hair before staring to get up.

Kate's hand then went out and grabbed his hand.

Richard looked down.

"Stay…"

She said softly. Richard then moved over beside her and put his arms around her. Kate brought herself close and silently shut her eyes. Minutes later she was fast asleep, exhausted and scared. Richard meanwhile laid there in their tent watching her sleep. A worried expression on his face as he held her.

"How did she know about the bomb?"

Richard pushed these thoughts away before looking down at his wife and his heart seemed overwhelmed with love. Nobody really knew long how it truly had been since he had loved someone and they loved him in return. Laying there, Richard kissed the top of Kate's head and finally shut his eyes.