Sawyer decides to listen to Jack and accept that he may be right about the bomb because whatever Locke was, wanted them here and put that thing there on purpose; full knowing that it was going on the submarine with him and why would he put a bomb on a submarine that will detonate with him inside. Sawyer says, "okay Doc, I believe you".
Jack exclaimed "thank you Sawyer, thank you". They all watched as the timer go down and got more nervous with every second. They all closed their eyes as it got down to 5 seconds left and as soon as it was going to blow waited for the explosion, but none came. They opened their eyes to see that it didn't explode even though it was at zero and should have blown.
Sawyer says, "well Doc, I guess you were right, Locke couldn't kill us".
Sayid retorted "or just got the biggest bit of insane dumb luck in the universe".
Jack said, "Sayid you think that with everything that has happened to us, you really believe in such things".
Sayid replied, "no Jack but we can't rule out the small possibility".
Sawyer said, "great now that is over, we can finally leave this island and never look back".
Kate voiced up "no, we have to go back for Claire".
Sawyer said, "sorry freckles but she wasn't ever welcome after what she did to you".
Kate replied, "no it's not that I need to save her, I need to get her back to Aaron".
Sawyer said, "that kid is far better off without that crazy bitch in his life".
Kate informed him "James word of advice, never call a woman that".
Sawyer said, "okay duly noted but I'm not changing my mind because wherever that kid is now it's far better than with her".
Kate said "no, no please listen to me and go back".
Jack said "Kate right now you need to let me stitch you up and Sawyer's right, you saw Claire and what she has become. Plus, it might be for the best anyway because I know you were trying to do the right thing, but Aaron believes you're his mother and I guess now we know it's for the best".
Sawyer asked, "what do you mean Aaron believes Kate is his mother, what did he have no family, and she adopted him".
Before Kate could answer, Jack answered "no, when we left, we told the world that Kate was pregnant and gave birth on the island to Aaron".
Sawyer stated, "but she didn't".
Jack said, "yeah but we thought it was best that we say that Aaron was Kate's because Claire wasn't there, and Kate wanted to look after him".
Sawyer asked, "did Claire have no family".
Kate stated "no, she did she had a mother that was in a coma for years and only woke up after the crash, but I needed him, I wanted something to hold on to, that wouldn't leave me".
Sawyer angrily replied, "so what; it's my fault that the helicopter was running heavy, and someone needed to go back".
Jack step in "it's not like that Sawyer. Kate wasn't saying that".
Sawyer replied, "I think it is, I think Kate is blaming me for going back and her committing child abduction".
Jack yelled "Sawyer".
Kate interrupted "no Jack, he's right. Aaron wasn't mine and I took him because I wanted him. I let my own insecurities about abandonment overrun and if I told the world Aaron was mine; then no one could take him from me. They also wouldn't have let me have him if I told him he was Claire's and that she died like the rest of the passengers. I wanted someone who would always love me and would never leave and lying was the only way that I could get that".
Jack attempted to console her "you gave him a home and a mother, that's what he needed, and even though I wasn't you were great at it".
Kate told him "that's why I came back because he needs his real mother, he needs Claire, he needs to know her".
Jack said, "yeah and that's nice, but you saw Claire, she would be a danger to him, and you love him, so even though I will go back to the island, you can go home with the rest and go home to Aaron because I'm sure whoever is looking after him will be sure glad to see you return".
Jack had now finished stitching her up and Kate annoyed said "your not getting it. We need to go back for Claire because I don't want Aaron, I don't love him". Everyone was taken aback by her comment and Kate continued "not like Claire. I realised that when I nearly lost him, that I was concerned about his safety and didn't want anything bad to happen to him, but I didn't love him and thought that him not being with me was right. I realised that I took him for me and used him for me, he wasn't ever really mine so I couldn't truly love him. That's why we need to turn around now because she loves him, it's pure and she would never hurt him".
Sawyer said, "well I don't know about that, she did attack you".
Kate responded "I literally kidnapped her child, who now believes I'm his mother. We left her and took her son, every moment we left her there, she missed out with Aaron and those precious moment that we, that I took from her, she'll never get them back. Now what other reaction could she had given". No one answered and she addressed Sun, "if I did that to Ji Yeon, what reaction would you have given".
Sun answered, "I would've done way worse than Claire".
Kate said "there is another reason. After I realised that Claire needed to be with Aaron, I did the closest thing I could do to giving him back to her at that moment".
Jack asked, "Kate what did you do, why did you ask me to not talk about Aaron".
Kate answered, "he's with Carole, I left him with her before I went to see you that night".
Jack said, "Claire's mom".
Kate said, "I needed to, she needed to know after we didn't tell her at your dad's memorial".
Jack asked, "so she knows about Aaron, about Claire, and what we did".
Kate answered "yes, she knows Aaron is her grandson and that Claire is alive. I promised to bring her back. I promised to get her home, and I can't do that unless we turn around".
Sun said, "that means the world knows we lied, that Claire is Aaron's mother and that we lied about the survivors".
Kate said, "most likely".
Jack said, "well that was stupid because we are all just going to be viewed as liars who abducted a child".
Kate retorted "we were always going to viewed like that because we came back to get everyone, what did you all think the response was going to be to us when we showed up with about forty more people than we left with, who we all said died on Oceanic 815".
Everyone thought about what Kate said and realised that she was correct, and the response was inevitable.
Kate then said, "were we also going to get Claire to lie about Aaron not being hers, just so I wouldn't be viewed like that".
Jack said, "I don't know maybe an under the table legal handover".
Sawyer said, "well that wouldn't work now".
Kate said, "you really believe that we wouldn't be looked at with suspicion or it be questioned why I would just hand my son over to a random woman I met on a plane and knew for about four months before we abandoned her and about forty others. Especially with the great amount of suspicion we are all going to be generating upon our return". Everyone knew Kate was right again and would always be looked at with suspicion. Kate then said, "So are we going to go back or not".
Jack said, "we need to go back, and it was already my plan so".
Sawyer continued "yeah Doc right on it". Sawyer went to Lapidus and told him "we need to go back to the dock; we left Claire behind".
Lapidus exclaimed "what, you want me to go back to that place. We just got off it".
Sawyer said "yeah, I know but Claire was left behind and we need to go back now".
Lapidus exclaimed "blast, how in the hell did I get stuck with these people".
Lapidus ordered the submarine to turn around and Sawyer informed everyone "were going back for Claire and Jack's doing whatever it is, he's gotta do".
Kate said, "thank you James".
Sawyer answered, "well freckles, you were very convincing and made annoying good points". The submarine returned to the dock and Sawyer opened the door to see the monster and Claire staring at them. Sawyer said, "yeah sorry about that, just needed a reminder to why we couldn't leave". They all got out and Jack said, "alright let's do this because we know you don't want us to leave alive".
The monster answered "yes, and what I want is to destroy this island and I need all of you candidates dead to do it because you are here to protect the island from me". Everyone saw a small boy run along the dock and take the ashes Hurley had. Everyone chased him to a small fire where they saw Jacob and he said, "he's right about you protecting the island from him and the precise place that you need to protect is a place called the heart of the island near the bamboo forest, so which one of you is ready to volunteer".
Jack said, "I'll do it".
The monster said, "oh that's the obvious choice".
Jacob handed some water to Jack and told him to drink and once he did, he placed his hand on him and said, "now you're like me".
Jack said, "I know what were going to do and were going to follow through with his plan".
Sawyer exclaimed "I thought we were just going against him, now were going to do what he wants".
Jack said, "yeah because I believe it won't work".
The monster said, "let us see then".
Jack told the rest to "wait for Richard and Miles to come to the submarine then leave the island".
Jack and the monster headed out while the rest waited on the submarine. They all sat and waited with Claire exclaiming "well I guess I should be grateful that I was only nearly abandoned twice today".
There was silence for a couple of seconds after Claire had spoken until Hurley said, "well it was really Kate, who forced us to go back".
Claire said, "well then I guess my child's kidnapper is the best amongst you".
Kate then said, "I'm really sorry Claire; about Aaron, I was selfish and took him for myself but that's why I came back so you two can be together and I'm here to help you get to him and I'm sure that when you get home your mother will be happy to help you".
Claire said, "no. stop lying to me, my mother is dead, she was in a coma".
Kate said, "she's not, she's with Aaron as we speak, and both know about you and are waiting for you".
Claire said "you better not be lying to me, because if you are I don't know what I'll do because I can't lose anything else. I lost so much already".
Kate said, "I know and soon you'll be both of them".
Sun realised something and put her hand in her pocket and pulled out Charlie's ring and said "I found this in Aaron's crib, I think you know why it was there ".
Claire grabbed the ring and stared into it. Claire held it to her chest and began to cry, she then raced into a private room and muttered to the ring "I thought I lost you; I thought you would never come back to me, and this is the last bit of you that I have left, and you are not leaving me again, you can't leave me. You promised to take care of me, and I can't go back to Aaron without you. Why did you leave, why did you have to go, why couldn't stay with me where it was safe".
Hurley stood outside and said "Claire".
Claire wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "yeah Hurley what do you want".
Hurley said, "I know this might sound a bit crazy".
Claire replied "crazy, huh; like an island that can heal any wound, an island that, an island that can moved by pushing a wheel in a wall, time travel, secret bases of an old scientific group including one, one underwater, black smoke monsters, or magical quests to protect an island".
Hurley replied, "I can speak to the dead".
Claire replied, "really, what do they say".
Hurley answered, "just have conversations with them, like a few of our friends and they enjoy having someone to talk to about their last moments or encourage me to do things".
Claire asked, "like what".
Hurley answered, "Charlie told me to tell Jack, and he would pass the message onto Kate that they are not supposed to raise him".
Claire remembered the psychic years ago getting her on the Oceanic 815 and telling her that only she had to raise Aaron. It had to have been a deceased Charlie because she told no one, not even him that but he is the only one who would make sure her and Aaron were together even if he was dead. Hurley then said, "he also told me that he went out there to save both you and Aaron so you two can get off the island together".
Claire said, "well I guess that his plan didn't work out because I'm stuck here, and Aaron doesn't recognise me as his mother".
Hurley reminded "but Kate said he would now know".
Claire said, "but he will not feel it, he'll be told that I'm, but it will take a long while before he feels like I'm mummy. Plus, I'm Australian he is going to mommy and not the proper mummy. That is going to have to change".
Hurley laughed a little and said "it didn't work out the way he wanted. He really wanted to live and for all of you to be together but knew that he couldn't and went because we would stop him, then when you didn't get off the island; he was devastated, and even worse with the whole Aaron situation. Charlie thought he really failed because you weren't did everything he could, so you could come home and return to Aaron".
Claire said "let's not let him down because he would have wanted Aaron to have this and I will make sure that he gets it, but maybe in a few years.
Hurley said, "that might be best".
They both went back out and waited with Claire using her time to make a necklace and begun to wear the ring around her necklace. Kate asked what she was doing and replied, "so I don't lose it and so it can stay next to my heart".
Jack and the monster arrived at the Barracks and as the monster went to speak to Ben, Jack told Richard and Miles to "go to the submarine, forget the plane, get there and sail away from this island because I've got this covered".
They listened and both took the outrigger to Hydra island as Jack made it back to the monster, he now had Ben with him and the monster informed them "we got to get Desmond".
Miles and Richard made it to the submarine and after telling them "Jack said, go now, sail away and don't look back". Kate tried to stop them but Sawyer informed Lapidus "okay Lapidus, this time were good to go, Doc ordered us to leave and not look back so do that".
Lapidus said "finally". The submarine sailed away from the island and begun to make it's journey to the mainland.
Jack, Ben, and the monster made it to the well where Desmond was supposed to be but found out that Sayid didn't kill him and that he was now missing. Desmond was with Rose and Bernard; the monster followed their tracks to where they lived, and Desmond agreed to go with them. Jack led the way to the bamboo forest and all four entered until they reached the light which was the heart of the island. Desmond turned the light off and the monster thought he had won but Jack attacked him, and they realised he was mortal. He knocked Jack out and fled but Ben quickly woke Jack up and together chased the monster to the cliffside where Jack distracted him as Ben used his gun to shoot him and Jack pushed him off the cliff. They made their way back to the heart where Jack restarted the light and got Ben to pull both Desmond and him up. Ben offered his services to Jack as the new Jacob which he accepted and suggested getting Desmond home and showing him what he knows about running the island. Jack would always check up on his friends such as the Sayid helping Hurley run his businesses. Jin and Sun returning to Seoul where Jin was very pleased to meet his daughter Ji Yeon. Sawyer going to Miami to tell Juliet's sister about her fate but that she saved a lot of lives. Claire returning to Australia and seeing Aaron and her mother again, getting another chance to raise him and also paid a visit to the Pace's to tell them that she loved Charlie and wouldn't be alive or have her son without him. Kate was arrested upon arrival for breaking probation but was put on further crimes child abduction, perjury, and her original crimes where going to be retried for her original crimes. Kate though somehow managed to break out of prison with help from her lover Jack and they both returned to the island, where they could be both free and together for the rest of their lives.