Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Author's Notes:
Please rate/review. Thank you for reading!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Three Days later
He knocks on her bedroom door, "Freckles, can I come in?" He heard a responds from the other side of the door and without giving it another thought he walked in, but what he found was her standing there in just a pair of jeans and she was just about to pull a shirt on.
"I said 'hold on'." She looked over at him and pulled her hair out of the back of the shirt.
"Sounded like 'come in' on the other side of the door." He smiled and tried to explain himself.
"What's up, James?"
He had to erase that image of her shirtless from his mind again before he could gather his thoughts, "Yeah, since Richard left two days ago, I've been thinking. I think we should talk about what we're going to do here." He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest while she sat down on her bed, but before she could answer, there were more knocks at the door. Lapidus and Miles came in.
"So why are we having a meeting without Claire?" Kate wanted to know and scanned the faces of the three men in front of her.
"Because we need to talk about what to do next. Claire's asleep, and let's face it, we need to discuss her as well, Sweet-cheeks."
Miles chimed in, "What exactly did you wanna discuss, Jim?"
"The way I see it, we're basically being held captive here by the others again. He brought as to this island, won't even tell us where the hell we are. Tells us to stay put, and not leave, until he gets back."
Lapidus spoke up, "I thought we all agreed that this is the only logical way to go about this, and it ain't like that front door to this very expensive hotel suite is bolted shut. Any one of us can leave, but there is nowhere to leave too."
"He said he will go and talk to Jack, and find out a way to bring us all home, so I think we should just do as he says, and wait." Kate looked around the group searching their faces for agreement.
"Has it ever occurred to you, that Jack didn't make it, Freckles? Let's not forget the blood gushing wound he had. And him being the doctor, doubt he was able to stitch himself up. And then what?" He looked at her.
"I don't want to think about that." She looked away, tears stinging at her eyes.
Frank and Miles both looked at James in disgust for what he'd said.
"Look, I'm sorry, but we can't be in denial here, you have a little boy to go back too, and you said you want to reunite him with the loony-bin that hasn't seen a brush in three years, so we have to talk about this. There's no way around it?"
Lapidus raised his hand, "I'll vote for waiting for Richard, he seems to have a plan at least." Looking at Miles and Kate.
James looked at Lapidus and Miles, then back at Kate. "If Jack didn't make it, then the person in charge would probably be Ben again. And here we all are, sitting ducks, just waiting for Richard to bring us back to the island. Sounds like the stupidest idea I've heard so far. After everything that happened over the last couple of days, Jack would not want us to go back Kate, and you know that." James tried to meet her eyes, but after that comment about Jack she refused to look at him.
Finally Kate looked up, "I don't believe that Jack is dead. And besides, Frank is right, we don't even know where we are. Where to go to from here. Our only chance is to wait for Richard and hope he knows what to do. But if you've come up with a better plan, then fill us in?"
"I think we should at least try to find out where we are?" He looked around the group. "Just to be in the know, should my prediction be right about Richard. And I still have my gun, so what do you say?"
Lapidus said, "Are you volunteering?"
"Sure,I'll go. Freckles, you wanna join me?"
"I'm not leaving, James. I'll wait until Richard get's back. It's only been two days; we just need to be a little patient." She looked up at him.
James looked over at Miles. "I'm with her on this, dude. There's just no point. Richard helped me put that damn plane back together, he doesn't want to go back to that island any more than any one of us, so I'll stick it out here."
"Alright, I guess I'm on my own." He frowned as he said that. "Now let's talk about Claire?"
"What about her?" Kate asked, even knowing what he meant already.
"If you make it back to L.A., you just gonna hand her the boy and that's that, Freckles? Because I told you before, I still think she's dangerous, she shouldn't be left with Aaron."
"I know that, James. I'll help her, I'm not sure how yet, but I'll figure something out."
"Where is he right now anyways?" James asked.
"He's with Carole, Claire's mom."
Out of nowhere Kate started crying. Then said through her tears, her voice breaking with every word, "I really don't know how I'm going to do that. I thought the hardest part was leaving him with Carole. But the hardest part is having to explain to him that I'm not his mom. How can I break his heart like that? And my own along with it?" She looked up at James, tears running down her cheeks now.
Lapidus nudged Miles, and without saying a word, both of them left the room, closing the door behind them.
James sat down on the bed bedside her and pulled her in to comfort her. He didn't know what to say.
How do you tell a little boy, who has only known you to be his mother, that you're not his mom?
He had no answers for her. Both of them just sat there, him holding her in complete silence. He just held her while she cried for a long time.
"I ain't gonna leave." He said, looking down at her tear streaked face.
She stopped sobbing long enough to look up, met his eyes and said, "Thank you."
"Live together or die alone, right?. The doc wouldn't want us to split up now, when we're so close to making it back home where we belong."
Miles stormed in without knocking, "Guys, Penny just showed up and she has a little kid with her."
Kate jumped up and ran into the other room, but sighed when she realized it wasn't Aaron.
"Penny." He nodded his head towards her in greeting. "How did you find us?" James looked at Penny in suspense.
"Richard told me to come here. He said he'd have news about Desmond."
Everyone just nodded their head to greet her. Lapidus stuck his hand out to the little boy, "And who are you, little man?"
"Charlie." He answered shyly.
"Well, nice to meet you Charlie. I'm Frank."
Claire had come out of her room, staring at the little boy, not only thinking about Aaron, but after hearing his name, she couldn't help but think of Charlie as well.
The little boy hung onto his mothers' leg, while he looked around the room full of people staring at him.
James pulled Kate back into her room, then whispered "Still think waiting here for Richard is a good idea, Freckles?
"What do you mean?" She whispered back.
"I mean, if he has news, he could've just called her, not add her to the mix. And remember, they are always eager to take the children, for whatever sick reason."
"I don't know, James." She started to doubt Richard as well. "But I really have no other choice. If we all run together, try to find our own way back to the states, then I'll be arrested, and Claire will just get Aaron in the state of mind she is right now. Do you see what I'm saying, James. I can't run, I can't do that to Aaron." She looked up at him. "So, if you changed your mind again now that Penny showed up, I'll understand."
"I ain't leaving without you. So, I guess we just have to wait and hope Richard isn't a liar like Ben." They both walked back out of her room.
"So, Penny, care to fill us in on what Richy had to say for himself, why you're supposed to be here?"
"He just said to be here at this time, and that he'd have news about my husband?"
"And you believed him?" James pried.
"James." Kate looked at him.
"I'm just sayin', what do we know about this Richard guy anyways, other then he seems to age pretty well." He looked around the room. "Just throwing it out there."
"We have no choice, James. I already told you. And not too long ago, you trusted him with Ben." Kate said again, and they looked at each other.
"Well, Freckles, Ben couldn't really have turned out any worse then he already had." He looked to Kate.
Right in that moment Richard walked in. Everybody was surprised and smiled when they saw that Desmond was with him.
Desmond, Penny and little Charlie embraced, crying. Everyone else was clearly touched by their successful reunion, restoring their faltering faith in Richard.
Richard carried a briefcase with him, looked around the room and said, "I'm glad to see you're all still here."
"Kate, I have to talk to you in private." Richard said, looking over at her, and opening the front door of the suite, suggesting her to leave with him.
James pulled his gun out, so that it would be visible to Richard and said, "She ain't going nowhere with you alone, Hoss."
Kate looked at James then back at Richard.
Richard looked annoyed but none the less answered, "Fine, you can join us, James. I guess this does concern you too. But lets go, we have a lot to discuss. But you need to put that away." He pointed towards the gun. "You'll scare the child."
James looked over at Charlie, who was consumed with his dad being back, then put the gun back in the back of his jeans, pulling his shirt over it in order to conceal it. He followed Kate out of the suite and Richard walked them to a different hotel room, but before he unlocked the door, he turned to Kate. "This wasn't my doing, Kate. This is simply what Hugo asked me to do."
James said, "Hurley?"
Richard just swung the door open, to reveal none other than Carole and Aaron standing there.
The little boy yelled, "Mommy" and ran into Kate's arms. Kate was crying again, but this time out of joy. James looked at Richard, now realizing that he'd meant Aaron would be scared of the gun.
Both men followed Kate into the room; Richard looked at James and said, "I guess we should give them a minute." James nodded his head.
Richard faced Carole and said, "Your daughter is in suite 222. But remember everything we discussed, don't mention Aaron to her." Carole nodded, and quickly left the room.
The two men watched on, as Kate wouldn't let the little boy out of her embrace. Touching his face, and kissing him. James had never seen her like this, and he couldn't believe that that little boy was Aaron.
"Aaron?" Richard said, making Kate and the boy turn their heads looking at him, "I have to talk to your mom now, do you want to watch some cartoons?" He pointed towards the TV.
The little boy looked at Kate, and she said, "It's alright, baby. I'm not leaving. I'll be right here."
While Aaron was distracted with the TV, the three of them gathered on the other side of the room, out of the little boy's earshot.
"Why did you bring him here?" Kate questioned him, thinking about the conversation she'd shared with James after Penny and Charlie had arrived.
"I brought him here, because we have to discuss his future." Richard looked at the two of them.
James and Kate shared a concerned glance, and James said, "First off, start with explaining what Hurley has to do with any of this, and why the hell did you say this concerns me too?"
And just like that, his words seemed cold when Richard stated, "Jack is dead, and Hugo is in charge now. And Hugo wants to fix the lie that was created up on the return of the Oceanic six?"
Kate was in shock about Jack. She looked over at Aaron.
"What the hell is an Oceanic six?" James asked.
"Doesn't matter, what matters is, that Aaron has to be returned to his mother. His real mother. And from what I understand, you agree with that Kate?" Richard said and searched Kate's face for a sign of agreement.
"Yes, I do." She looked away from Aaron and looked at Richard instead as she nodded her head.
"Hugo is in charge, and he has given me detailed instructions on how to get you all home. And how to return Aaron to Claire, without hurting him by loosing you."
James and Kate looked at each other, puzzled.
"So, just listen to me. I'll explain everything in more detail later on, but I want to fill you all in on the plan itself. First off, I have to take Aaron with me."
"With you where?" Kate and James asked as if speaking out of one mouth.
"I'll explain that later. But just let me finish. I'll take him with me, and when I bring him back, he won't remember you." He looked at Kate. "He will only remember Claire being his mother."
Kate sobbed and James interrupted, "Now wait just a damn minute, are you saying you're going to erase his memory of living with Kate? He won't remember how to talk and walk either, you do realize that?"
"No, he will remember everything, but he won't recognize Kate as his mother, only Claire."
"And how the hell are you going to do that? That's impossible?" James asked him.
"The Island can do it." Richard answered.
Kate blurted out, "You are not bringing him to the Island." She was too loud, and all three of them noticed the little boy turn around to look at his upset mother.
"It's okay, honey, just watch your cartoon." She said, and James was surprised with what ease she could switch the sound of her voice from outraged to soothing and motherly.
"I don't have to bring him to the Island to do it." Richard said.
James was not convinced again. "You really think this is the best way to do this."
"We are just trying to spare that little boy the pain of losing his mother. You, James, of all people should understand that." Richard looked at James, and then looked at Kate "And he will still know you as someone who cares about him, he will just not recognize you as his mother."
Kate said, "When we brought Ben to you on the island. In 1977. You said that he wouldn't remember, and that he would never be the same. You said that he would lose his innocence. Is that what's going to happen to Aaron? Will it change him?" Kate looked concerned and frightened for her son.
"No, it won't. These are Hugo's ways of doing things, he would never do anything to hurt Aaron, Kate."
James chimed in now, "How do we even know that what you're saying is the truth. How do we know that Jack died, and Hugo is the new man in charge? I can't picture Hugo volunteering for this job. So do you really think we are dumb enough to hand you Aaron and let you take him, just based on your word alone?"
"Of course not? I have proof, but I wish the two of you would just let me explain all of this. I know you have a lot of questions, I understand that. Just let me explain the plan, and I'll explain the finer details later on. And if I wanted to hurt Aaron, or take him away, I could have already done so."
Kate looked at James, "Just let him talk. Let's just listen." James nodded reluctantly.
"Frank was not the pilot on the Ajira flight and Hurley and you were never on the flight out to Guam either, and therefore you did not break your probation deal. The plane did crash with Jack, Sayid and Sun on board, however the plane has not been found, and will never be found. Everyone that died, died in the plane crash. I'll bring you back to L.A. and it will be as if you have never left.
Now about Aaron. We will fake the death of Aaron Austen. Because Aaron Austen should have never been. And while you'll be mourning him in L.A., Aaron Littleton will be found with the last remaining survivors of Flight 815 on a deserted island somewhere, going hand in hand with the story of the Oceanic six accounts of where they crash landed?"
Kate said, "Sayid said there was not a chance of any more survivors. And it's been three years."
James began to realize what the term Oceanic six stood for.
"Guess Sayid was wrong." Richard replied fast.
Kate was in shock, silent tears streamed down her cheeks, Hugo's plan surrendered her speechless.
"How is that going to work, Hoss? And you're just going to hand that kid over to Claire the way she is. Maybe you oughta erase her memory first, cause right now she's in no state to take care of that boy?"
"I'm aware of that, James, which is where you come in?"
"Me?" James pointed at himself and glanced at Kate who looked just as confused as he did.
"You and Claire, and of course Aaron, are the last remaining survivors of Oceanic flight 815. We will stage a rescue of the three of you. You'll be there to help Claire take care of Aaron along the way."
"I don't know a damn thing about taking care of a kid."
"Hugo seems to think you can, he knows you wouldn't let anything happen to Aaron, or Claire for that matter. And Aaron will know Claire to be his mother, therefore he won't be frightened." Richard looked convinced of Hugo's plan.
James sighed. "Then what?"
"Then you'll be brought back to the states, where you James will receive a large settlement from Oceanic, setting you up for life. And Kate here will be able to aid Claire in raising Aaron. Mourning the loss of her own son, she finds new purpose in life by helping a fellow survivor with a child, also born on a deserted island. Just like she had to all those years ago." Richard looked at Kate.
"Well, sounds really awesome, 'xcept but the kid's name is Aaron, he looks like her Aaron. The press is going to be all over Claire and that boy, so you honestly don't think someone gonna put two and two together?" James questioned the plan again.
"Changing his name, and his appearance for a while, should be the least of our problems, James."
Richard looked at Kate, "Are you okay with Hugo's plan, Kate?"
Kate looked up at him, then at James. "You'd watch him, I mean, you would not let anything happen to him, right?"
"Of course not, I won't let anything happen to him." James tried to reassure her. "But this is your call, Freckles."
"Okay, but I want to go with you, where ever you have to take him to make him forget. I won't let him leave with you."
"You can't Kate. You have to trust me. Neither you or Claire can be there."
"Well, I guess I'm going then." James looked at Richard, and Richard nodded, "Fine, you can come."
"How much time do I have?" Kate looked at Aaron who was still content watching Cartoons.
"You have until nightfall, so a couple of hours."
Kate looked at both men, "So that's it then." And walked over to her son, picked him up and kissed his cheek, while the boy continued to watch TV.
Both men walked back towards their suite, when James stopped Richard, "You said you had proof, right now would be the time to share it."
"I know, James. I have a video of Hugo explaining everything. Not just about you guys, but also about Miles and Frank. And we can watch it right now. Once it gets dark, Kate, Miles, Frank and Carole will be brought back to the states, and while Desmond and Penny stay with Claire, you and I take Aaron."