Richard returned to a valley a little after three in the morning. Carrying Kate, who slept peacefully against him, and his newborn son that was wrapped up in his shirt and snuggled against both parents thinly crying. The only people who were still awake were Locke, and a young man by the name of David. Both sat at one of the camp fires joking and comparing how bad their insomnia was getting. When they heard footsteps both looked and froze.

Richard looked completely exhausted. Holding Kate and the baby right away Locke and David jumped up.

"Richard!"

"Could you help me bring her to the tent…she's lost a lot of blood."

Right away Locke very carefully took Kate from Richard's tired arms. Richard held onto the baby that was wrapped up as David ran ahead to the tent and lit a few lanterns. Richard stood there for a moment, listening to the wind and looking around at all the dark tents before the baby cried again and he looked down at it.

This was his son, and Kate was right…he was perfect. Hurrying to the tent, he came inside to find Kate laid out on the bed as David was looking her over. David had been in charge of one of the medical stations nearly five years ago.

"When did she go into labor?"

Richard felt very dazed as he walked in, holding the baby as Locke looked him up and down.

"Umm, a few hours ago on the beach."

"We thought something had happened…we were going to send some people out but I thought maybe you two camped out on the beach since it got dark."

David kept looking Kate over.

"She's still bleeding."

Richard just watched, his eyes almost glazed over as the baby's tiny little hands reached up and wiggled.

"Did you deliver her?"

Richard nodded before David stood up.

"Locke I need some hot water, also my black bag in my tent, the one near my bunk…fetch it…don't wake the others. "

Locke nodded before passing Richard, casting a glance before leaving. Richard held the baby before walking up to David, his eyes not very concerned.

"Can you stop the bleeding?"

"I'll see… "

David then looked up at Richard before sighing.

"It might be best if you stay outside."

Richard looked over at Kate, now drained and lifeless her face seemed before slowly nodding. Holding the baby he exited the tent and went over to one of the fires, watching Locke as he ran back to the tent. Sitting down, Richard looked down at the baby before staring up at the stairs. Minutes later Locke came and sat down beside him.

"David says he can stop the bleeding…might take a while, I wouldn't worry."

Richard stared down at the baby who squirmed and faintly cried in the bundle of his shirt.

"I'm not."

Locke stared at him, his eyes uneasy.

"You're not?"

Richard looked over.

"No John…I'm not."

They sat in silence for most of the night, the baby finally fell asleep shortly before dawn. Finally as light began touching the sky David walked out, blood up to his elbows. Locke and Richard stood right away. David shook his head.

"I stopped the bleeding, she'll be fine…but…she'll never have another baby."

Locke stared at Richard for a moment before Richard stepped forward.

"I want to see her."

"Sure…she's really weak though, in fact I'm kind of stunned she made it through the night…blood loss like that…"

Richard, as if he hadn't even heard him pushed forward and entered the tent. David turned and looked at Locke.

"She really should of died though, I've seen women like that die during childbirth…she lost most of her blood."

Locke stared at the tent.

"Is that so?"

Inside the tent, Richard slowly walked in before seeing Kate resting on the bed. Her color hadn't fully come back yet, and she laid there like a rag doll. Richard saw a few bowels of bloody rags and things to the side. Slowly walking over, Richard sat on the edge of the bed.

"Kate?"

Kate's eyes slowly fluttered open before looking up at him.

"Am I dead?"

Richard smiled.

"No…you're very much alive."

"What happened?"

Kate tried to slightly sit up before hissing in pain. Richard used his free hand to gently push her back down.

"You lost a lot of blood…save you're strength."

"I'm so sore…"

"That's because you had the baby."

Kate's eyes lit up.

"I did?"

"Here he is…"

Richard slowly lowered the sleeping baby onto Kate's chest. Completely stunned, Kate stared at it before the baby began to softly cry again. Tears filling her eyes, Kate laughed before using her finger to touch it's tiny little hand.

"Hello there…"

"Adam, you told me you wanted to name him Adam."

Kate smiled, staring at the baby in amazement.

"Hello Adam Alpert."

Richard laughed watching the two of them before brushing the hair away from Kate's forehead and kissing her.

"Thank you."

Kate looked up, smiling through her tears.

"For what?"

Now Richard was crying.

"For giving me a son."

Kate smiled back at him before looking down at the baby.

"Oh Richard, he's beautiful…"

As this was going on, Locke simply watched from outside of the tent, slowly shaking his head.

One Year Later

Kate stood at the small waterfall, the exact water fall Desmond and her had swan in nearly five years ago. Remembering that day, it all seemed too real, not like a dream. She remembered Sawyer coming and how Desmond went in front of her. She remembered how hard they were laughing as she held onto his back and they dove under water.

Now standing there, she bit her bottom lip and thought hard.

"Can't we just go around?"

She remembered herself saying…back when Richard, Jack, one of the others, and Eloise stood right here she was now. Kate remembered the panic that rose in her throat when she knew they intended to really go ahead with this and how she backed away shaking her head.

"I can't do this…"

That's when Sayid came out of the bushes and shot the other who had tried to shoot her for leaving. She remembered right before leaving catching Richard's eyes for a second and feeling the most uneasy and horrible feeling ever before taking off.

Kate kneeled down looking at the water.

"Just swim down…opening at the far end of the rocks."

Kate took a deep breath before standing up quickly and shaking her head.

She wasn't ready, not yet.

"The bomb worked." Desmond's words rang through her head again. The same words that had been repeating over and over again for the last year. Shoving her hands in her pockets, Kate turned and walked back to camp.

They were further near the temple now, their tents all in perfect circles. When Kate broke through the bushes, she saw Richard and right away found herself smiling.

Richard was standing, bending over slightly and holding Adam's chubby little arms. Adam was in a small little jumper, and his thick black hair he had gotten from Richard was flopped over to one side. Adam giggled, standing slightly on unsteady feet as Richard coached him on.

"Come on Adam…take a step baby."

Adam stared down at his chubby legs and giggled before looking up at his father. Richard lead him by the hands and slowly began walking backwards.

Adam slowly shuffled, before taking one step forward.

Kate watched from the bushes and her eyes widened.

Adam was taking his first steps.

Adam kept giggling, holding onto Richard's big hands as he kept leading him. Adam took another step, then another…and then fell on his bottom.

Adam sat there for a second, suspired before his face turned bright red and began screaming. Richard laughed before scooping him up.

"What is it? You walked baby! That's good!"

Adam buried his face in Richard's shirt, outraged by falling. A few of the others passing by smiled as they went about their work. Kate walked over, holding back from laughing as Richard saw her approaching.

"What are you doing to him?"

Richard smiled as Adam tried sticking part of Richard's shirt in his mouth.

"Our son…just took his first steps."

"I saw."

"You did?"

"Just over there…didn't want to ruin the moment."

Richard laughed, switching Adam to hid other arm and rubbing his back.

"He'll get it soon…just likes crawling better."

Kate walked over, touching the back of her son's head and this thick hair.

"Yeah…he doesn't want to grow up too soon on his parents huh?"

Adam turned his head and looked at Kate, his tears stopping before smiling.

"Let me have him."

Richard past him over to Kate as she held him up and blew a strawberry on his belly. Adam began giggling again before Kate laughed and held him looking at Richard.

"Where have you been?"

"Just talking a walk…you and Locke going to check out the village?"

"Yeah…hurricane season is coming and he thinks it might be safer to stay in the village for a while."

"Be back before dark?"

Richard smiled before leaning over and deeply kissing her, Adam sat between both of his parents, slightly confused by being squeezed like this.

"Always."

Richard softly said in Kate's ear. Smiling, Kate kissed the side of his scruffy cheek before Adam attempted to latch onto Richard. It had been true, Adam was his father's child and very attached to him. Not only did he look exactly like him, he also became very distressed whenever his father was out of sight. Kate remembered how wonderful the past year had been. How amazed everyone had been about Adam and how much help they had been. Since then there hadn't been any more pregnancies…Kate suspected the women were just scared.

Kate heard very little of Jacob. Locke and Richard went into the jungle once or twice every few months and didn't discus anything further. Kate meanwhile didn't seem to care. She was alive and so wasn't her baby. She loved being a mother and enjoyed every moment of it. Nearly every night, Kate would find Richard sitting up in bed reading with Adam peacefully sleeping against his chest. Smiling, her heart fluttered. She was so happy and so lucky to be here…yet she knew something wasn't right.

Desmond's words kept coming to her.

Richard saw Locke was getting ready, a rifle over one shoulder.

"All right, I better get going…"

"Be careful please."

Richard smiled kissing her again before looking at Adam and petting his head.

"See you later big guy."

Turning, Richard began walking towards Locke when Adam noticed right away. His body tensing up he reached out madly for Richard as he walked away.

"Dada!"

Adam had been saying only a few words lately, short ones that were mostly missed in the bubble gurgle of his voice. The one word that was always said the clearest was "Dada"

Richard turned as Adam burst into tears, struggling against Kate to get to him.

"I'll be back later baby, don't worry."

"Dada!"

Richard's heart seemed to break every time this happened, but Kate simply waved to him.

"Just go, he'll freak out if you stall."

Richard nodded before blowing a kiss to Adam.

"I'll see you later Adam, be good for you're mother."

"Dada!"

Richard turned and walked away into the jungle with Locke. Kate stood there, holding Adam and trying her hardest to sooth him.

"Shhhh, he'll be back don't worry honey."

Setting Adam down, he attempted to stand up once but fell. Crying Adam looked up at Kate with his big brown eyes.

"Dada! Dada! Dada!"

Kate smiled before Cindy came over.

"Everything okay?"

Kate smiled.

"Yeah, he's just upset Richard left…give him a few minutes it will pass."

"He sure is attached to his father huh?"

"You don't even know…in fact I might put him down for a nap, I forgot something when I was taking a walk and need to go get it."

"I'll watch him."

Kate picked up Adam who was still crying.

"You sure?"

"Sure I'm sure, I love babies…most of all our little Adam."

Cindy made silly faces to Adam, who just stared at her hitching in the last of his tears. Taking him, Cindy laughed kissing his chubby little cheeks.

"I won't be long…just put him down for his nap."

"All right, we'll be fine."

"Say goodbye Adam."

"Mama?"

Kate kissed Adam's cheeks before quickly leaving the camp. Hearing a few faint cries from Adam, she knew Cindy would put him down for his afternoon nap and by the time she came back he would be ready for his dinner. Quickly going through the jungle, Kate walked for a good fifteen minutes because reaching the falls again.

Taking a second, Kate looked around before taking three deep breaths.

Then she dove in.