Olivia is elated. They are finally boarding the helicopter that will take them home. Fitz takes her hand and helped her to her seat. Then, with loving care he buckles her seat belt across her belly, across her baby bump.
They are finally leaving the Goddamn island. Fitz and she... AND Kate, Sawyer, Sayid and Hurley.
Fitz sits next to her.
Kate climbs in on the other side followed by Sawyer who's all smiles. "Hey, Kenny Rogers!" he greets the pilots with a cheer. Olivia laughs thinking that indeed the guy looked like the clone of the country singer. She hardly ever laughs at Sawyer's remarks but she is a good mood. After all, everything is going right, exceeding her wildest expectations.
They are getting off the island! Finally!
"What about the others?" Kate asks Fitz.
"Don't worry," Fitz says his gaze shifting between Kate and Olivia. "We'll come back for them."
The helicopter soars above the mountains of the island that had been their home for so many weeks.
Olivia nearly squeals in delight as the aircraft makes a sharp turn.
Now they're overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean leaving the island behind them. She exhales a huge sigh of relief, she can't believe they are finally leaving that godforsaken place.
"Shit! We're running out of fuel! " the pilot yelled at Sayid who was sitting next to the pilot.
He's so loud that everyone riding on the chopper can hear him.
We gotta get every ounce of extra weight off this chopper, NOW! Kenny Rogers the pilot yells back in an urgent tone. "Anything that's not bolted down, TOSS IT OUT!"
They toss backpacks into the ocean below and a large metal box that was underneath the seats.
OH, GOD, NO! Olivia screams in her head as the chopper drops a few feet.
"How's that? " Fitz asks the pilot.
"Huh, I would feel a lot better if we were a few hundred pounds lighter!" Kenny Rogers answers back.
Hurley's gaze drops down embarrassed about the extra weight he carries.
Fitz peers at Olivia with a pained look. "I love you..." he says with a lump in his throat. "And our child...You'll be okay, you'll both make it back home...You'll be okay" he reassures her, placing a tender kiss on her lips that takes her breath away.
Olivia's senses turn to alarm mode. Something is happening, He's acting strange, yet she's not quite sure what's amiss...
Next thing she knows Fitz jumps off into the ocean below them without a moments hesitation.
Olivia screamed Fitz's name so loud that the sound carried above the whooping of the helicopter blades as they cut through the air.
Two weeks later...
Olivia, wake up, wake up!"
Quite disoriented, Olivia opened her eyes with great difficulty, it was as if her body and mind were making their way back through dense fog. She shook her head and blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear her mind.
"Baby, are you okay? Fitz wrapped his arms around her, his face etched with concern. "You were having a bad dream."
"Oh," she snuggled into his arms, resting her head on his chest.
They were in their tent, and it appeared that she had fallen asleep in the middle of the afternoon. For the past couple of days she had been feeling unusually tired and had taken to napping whenever she had a chance which had not gone unnoticed by Fitz. Indeed, on more than one occasion he had mentioned his belief that she was coming down with a bug of some kind.
"We were in a helicopter, Fitz...we were getting off the island!"
"Hmm...not exactly bad, is it?"
"You would think...except you jumped off the chopper!" she turned to gaze at him with a haunted look. "Oh, Fitz...don't ever do that! Don't you ever leave me like that!"
"Why would I do something like that?"
"The helicopter was running out of fuel and..." she bit her lip anxiously and then took a deep breath. "The pilot thought we could conserve fuel if...less weight, he said would help," she continued rather disjointedly.
"Oh," Fitz nodded in understanding. "So in your dream, I jumped to save your life?"
And our baby's life too... she wanted to say, yet she opened her mouth to speak and no sound came out. With a far away look, she vividly recalled her hand stroking her baby bump. It struck her that in her dream her happiness had been two fold: indeed, she had happy about leaving the island...and also about the baby.
Yet she couldn't do it, she couldn't bring herself to say the word 'baby' or any word related to it.
"Livvie, Baby, I would do anything to save you... if your life was ever in danger," he said in a soothing tone. Because I love you more than anything, he wanted to add yet he bit his tongue. For the past couple of weeks, their relationship had been going great in spite of the fact that she had not ever said she loved him back. He'd been careful not to say those words again, lest his ego be wounded.
She gave him a horrified look. "OH, no, Fitz...please tell me you'll never leave me," she said her tone soft and vulnerable like never before. "Promise me! " she demanded, "Promise me that if we're ever in a situation like that...you'll stay with me!"
He shook his head thinking she was being unreasonable. No matter what, he would still jump off a helicopter so save her life...
"I don't know, baby, I really don't know," he murmured fully aware of the distraught look on her face. "Desperate circumstances call for desperate responses. Really, none of us knows what we'll really do at a moments notice," he paused for effect of what was yet to come. "But I do promise you one thing," he went on in a more optimistic tone, " "under ordinary circumstances, I will never leave you..." he gave her a small boyish smile.
"I will never leave you either...ever," she smiled warmly, snuggling back in his arms. It wasn't exactly the answer she wanted, yet she felt re-assured.
A few moments later, they heard Hurley's voice outside their tent calling for Olivia.
Both Fitz and Olivia emerged at once sensing the urgency in his voice.
"It's Claire...I think she's having her baby!" Hurley turned to Olivia. "Kate and Sun are at the Caves..."
Olivia gazed out towards the beach and spotted Claire at once relaxing in the sand close to the shore, as though she didn't have a care in the world.
"I know she looks okay...but she's been having contractions for hours," Hurley noted.
Fitz stayed back while Olivia went to join Claire. Even though Claire had initially moved to the caves, she had come back to the beach claiming she missed the sound of the ocean. She now resided in Sun's tent and she and Olivia had become close ever since.
"Hurley's is totally blowing this out of proportion," Claire began nonchalantly as Olivia sat beside her in the sand. "I'm fine...in fact I'm not due for another four weeks."
"How long since the contractions started?" Olivia asked trying to recall everything she knew about women in labor.
"You ever hear of Braxton Hicks?" Claire smiled sweetly, her golden locks shinning in the sun. "They're false contractions," she added followed by an involuntary wince which she tried to dismiss. "Livvie, I can't have this baby...not here, not now, I just can't..."
So you're thinking it won't happen? Olivia wanted to say yet bit her lip. "I think in this case, nature has the upper hand..."
"I'm not ready to have this baby," Claire reasoned as though her logic was all that was needed. "I'm not ready to be a mum." she added in her standard Australian accent.
Claire and Olivia had been through this before.
Olivia knew all the details of Claire's story. The young girl had been dumped by her sleazy boyfriend a few months ago and had boarded Oceanic flight 815 to meet the family that was going to adopt her baby; although since the crash she'd had a change of heart and now said she would not go through with the adoption once they got back to civilization. Still, Olivia had the sense that Claire was not altogether stable...maybe due to the pregnancy hormones?
"Is everything okay?" Fitz asked from a bit of a distance.
"Yes, yes!" Claire was quick to respond trying to masquerade yet another contraction into a happy grin.
Fitz took Claire's words at face value. "Olivia, I'm heading to the caves now so I can be back before sundown. I'll be taking our water bottles and re-filling them. I can take Claire's too."
With Claire's permission, Olivia retrieved Claire's bottles from her tent and handed them to Fitz. "I think she's in labor, Fitz" she murmured with slight apprehension.
Fitz shrugged. "It'll be okay," he said sensing that Olivia looked a little uncertain. He reached over to caress her cheek with the back of his hand. "Don't leave her alone too long...listen, just remember that women have been giving birth for centuries with no need of hospitals...maybe when I get back there will be a baby," he grinned. His grin faded almost instantly as he noticed Olivia growing pale. "Are you okay?"
Olivia braced an arm across her forehead, feeling a little dizzy. This was certainly ridiculous! it was too early to be having morning sickness symptoms anyway. Maybe it was all in her head?
"I'll be okay," she smiled brightly at Fitz. "I'm just a little overheated. It's such a hot day."
Fitz nodded and instantly produced a water bottle from his back pack. "Make sure you drink plenty of water, Liv. You need to fight off whatever bug is bugging you," he smiled a little at his own little joke.
Olivia smiled back (although a little less brightly) and took a few gulps of water. "Hmm... I'm feeling better already," she happily reassured him. Then, seeing that he was taking off, she suggested with concern, "Make sure to take a towel and drape it across your head to keep off the heat."
Fitz' heart did a little dance...YES! she cared about him. He bridged the distance between them in two seconds flat and bent his head to kiss her lips with a mix of passion and tenderness. She responded by looping her arms around his neck and melting in his arms.
A second or so later they heard the sound of someone clearing his throat.
It was Sayid. "Fitz! I think I can triangulate the french transmission we've been getting on the transmitter. "We'll set up antennas at different points on the island and..."
"Let's talk on our way to the caves," Fitz cut in. He really wanted to get back to the beach before dark so he dashed off to retrieve his backpack from his tent.
"So you're gonna help Claire with her baby," Sayid commented, his voice sharp and staccato.
"It looks that way," Olivia replied coldly, not the least intimidated by his antagonism. "You and I are due for a conversation," she stated matter of factly.
Sayid raised his brow.
"I remember you...from Australia."
"You clearly have no idea who I am," Sayid declared with an icy glare. Then, he turned and walked away leaving Olivia staring at this retreated form, dumbfounded. She had no idea what he meant by that.
"Liv!" Claire cried out. She was up and about, trying to walk but becomes paralyzed by another contraction.
"Hey, you need to lie down," At once, Olivia rushed to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"No, no, I'm fine!" Claire stubbornly insisted, refusing to lie down. Right then, her water broke.
"Honey, you're having this baby today...stop fighting it," Olivia said in a no-nonsense tone. Claire had to deal with her wistful denial sooner rather than later.
"I'm not ready, NOT ready!" Claire whined gripped by yet another contraction. They were coming fast now. "The baby...it doesn't want me...it knows I didn't want it...babies can sense this kind of thing!"
Olivia sighed. "But you want it now, don't you?"
Claire nodded.
"That's all that matters, Claire," Olivia said in a soothing voice, steering Claire towards her tent. Slowly, they inched their way. "Look, it really doesn't matter...all that matters is how you feel about the baby today," she went on, straightening up blankets for Claire. "Just think of how happy you'll be to finally be able to see your baby's face," she smiled brightly, helping Claire to lie down as she went through another contraction. "Your meeting your baby today, Claire! And he will know you love him, trust me, he will." she held on to Claire's hand. "Babies don't know about the past, they only now about today. "
Claire's face looked a little more hopeful, yet she was still terrified. "I just need a little more time," she said in a pleading tone as if it was up to Olivia. "I'm just not ready, you see..."
"Who's ever ready to become a mom?" It's something...we are never fully prepared for. It's normal to be scared. But you need to let go of that fear, Claire... just think about your sweet baby! "
"NO!" Claire screamed, bracing her legs in pain. "I just want this to end, goddammit!" she hissed.
Olivia's soothing demeanor shifted as she realized that it was probably close to the time when Claire needed to push. "Claire! You need to open those legs!" she demanded seeing that Claire was closing her body up as some kind of protest.
" Make them go away!" Claire motioned to the entrance of the cave. "I don't want anyone but you!"
Olivia peeked outside the tent and saw Hurley standing there with a worried look and a bundle of something.
"You gotta go away, Hurley. She knows you're here."
"Huh...just brought some stuff. " Hurley handed Olivia a pair of scissors. "It's for the umbilical cord. "
"OH, gosh!" Olivia felt a little faint as she realized she had forgotten about that. "Yes, of course!" her gazed settled on what appeared to be a bundle of blankets. "Thanks."
"These are would be cloth diapers" Hurley informed her placing them in her hands. "Sawyer sent them. Apparently, he cut a sheet into squares...oh, and here are some pins too."
For a brief moment, Olivia made eye contact with Sawyer who was sitting outside his tent reading, yet he turned to wave at her right then.
"Olivia!" Claire shrieked.
Olivia hurried back inside the tent. This time she found Claire holding her breath in an attempt to stop the contractions. "OH, no...NO!" she scolded. "You can't do that!" She peeked and saw what it appeared to be the baby's hair. "PUSH, GODDAMMIT, CLAIRE, PUSH!"
Terrified, Claire pushed.
"Push again!" Olivia cried in a commanding voice. "Claire, Claire...I can see his head now! You wanna meet your baby, don't you?
This time Claire bore down with ALL her might which allowed Olivia to gently pull the baby out. "It's a boy...a beautiful boy!" Just like she'd seen in the movies, she cut the cord, wrapped the baby in a towel and placed it on Claire's chest.
Both Claire and Olivia cried tears of absolute joy and relief.
A/N:
NOTE: The helicopter scene is a real scene from Lost, except Sawyer is the one who sacrifices himself and jumps off in order to save everyone else on-board. In this fic though, the scene is ONLY a dream. Perhaps Olivia's subconscious is trying to tell her something and deal with her true feelings?
I've been thinking of starting a new story, I've got several ideas floating in my head but nothing concrete yet. It would probably be set at the end of season 3. If any of you would like to share their ideas about what you would like to see in a story, I would appreciate it. I usually get my best ideas from readers. Often, a word or two can spark the beginning of a truckload of ideas and/or the beginning of a story. If I do end up using ANY of your ideas I will give you full credit :) plus I will also be handing out some give away prizes (just kidding, just kidding!)
Please leave your comments,
next chapter: Another Olivia flashback.