Kate sat alone in the darkness on the edge of her bed. She was back home, again.
Her room seemed so empty without Aaron. For three years, she had been Aaron's mother. He seemed so far away from her now, yet he was only across the hall. Kate glanced around the room, looking for something, anything to hold onto. Clothes were strewn across the floor, some still hanging haphazardly out her dresser; mementos of Kate's split second decision to go back to the island.
Her eyes finally came across what she had been looking for. Under a particularly large heap of shoes, the tail flukes of a stuffed Orca jutted out. Emotions took over Kate, memories pushed to the forefront of her mind; she slid off of the bed and onto the floor. The rough quilt created friction against her arms as she fell. Kate landed on the floor with a thud; a small cloud of dust whirled up around her. Kate reached up to her eyes and rubbed away the tears that were beginning to form.
Slowly, Kate's arm stretched across the floor, feeling for something but she didn't know what. In the half-light, she looked pale and ghost-like. The shoes toppled over as Kate moved them, like boulders down a mountain. The Oceanic settlement money had allowed her to buy plenty of shoes. Her hands finally felt the soft fabric she hand been unconsciously searching for.
Gingerly, Kate picked up Aaron's favorite toy. She pulled it close to her body, relishing it's softness. Kate held it to her face; it smelled like Aaron. She loved him so much. But Kate knew that her baby was out of her life now. Claire still blamed her, she was sure of it. Kate could no longer hold the tears back. Sobbing now, Kate let her emotions in, let them take over; but only for a moment. She slowly began to count; an old trick Jack had taught her.
"Excuse me! Did you ever use a needle?"
"What?" Kate asked. She was still confused and disoriented. They had just been in a plane crash, and this man was asking her about her sewing capabilities.
It was later now, and he had somehow convinced her to help him. For some reason, Kate trusted him already. "You don't seem afraid at all. I don't understand that." he laughed, more to himself, as though he was remembering something.
"Well, fear is sort of an odd thing..." He then told her of his first solo procedure; how he had messes up and gotten scared. How he had dealt with it by counting to five.
"One...," she whispered. Aaron would be leaving, probably soon, "Two..." She sobbed. Jack was most likely dead, "Three..." Her throat constricted, Jin and Sun were gone. "Four..." She managed to choke out. Kate paused for a shaky breath. "Five..." She said slowly.
The doorbell rang. Kate was drawn out of her thoughts. Her head snapped up and she listened carefully. Fear and doubt rushed into her mind as the adrenaline kicked in. Is it the police? she wondered, Do they know I left the state? This wasn't supposed to happen, Eloise had taken care of everything. The manifest had been destroyed; nobody had any clue how the Ajira plane had ended up in a remote Californian field ... Did they?
Kate took a deep breath. Whoever it was wanted something, being here this early in the morning. Carefully, Kate placed the Orca on her bedspread and reached for her nightstand. The wood was cool, so unlike how she was feeling. Kate's heart was beating rapidly as she felt around inside the drawer. Her fingers came in contact with cool metal. Kate drew out her semi-auto, pulled the slide back an eight of an inch to make sure there was a round in the chamber, and headed for her door.
She walked purposefully to the door, her long brown curls bouncing around her head. She paused. This was no time to lose her head. Gently, she pushed the door open; it swung its hinges without creaking. The bell rang again, this time loud and clear, like a warning. Kate peered around the opening. From her vantage point, she could see the door, standing firm. A movement across the hall caught Kate's eye.
Claire was standing in the opening of the guest bedroom. Kate couldn't help but notice how different she looked. No longer the wild, crazy women who shot people without mercy, Claire had reverted back to her normal self, her self before Aaron had been "taken" from her. Her blonde hair was no longer messy and tangled, but clean and smooth. It shone beautifully in the morning light. Her light blue eyes were full of concern as she whispered "Who is that?" in her Australian accent.
Kate out a finger to her lips to signal silence. Claire must have caught a sight of Kate's gun, and the look on her face, because her expression hardened. For a brief moment, Claire was hardened again. Kate was taken aback by how easily Claire slipped into that persona. She glared at the door and then looked back at Kate.
Kate, worried that her friend might do something drastic, mouthed "Stay with Aaron." For a moment, Claire stood in the doorway. Conflicted emotions washed over her face. Kate could tell she was struggling over whether to protect her son by staying with him, or to go on the offensive. Kate noticed Claire's hand shaking on the doorknob as she struggled. Finally, she relented and retreated back into her room.
Satisfied, Kate made her way down the stairs. Each step brought a creak that made Kate's heart pound. Whoever was at the door was getting impatient, and they knocked sharply.
"Just a minute," Kate said aloud, in a neutral tone. She opened the latch with her left hand; her gun ready in the right, should she need it. The door swung open.
It was Desmond.