"A Tale of Two Cities"

After this, it's over.

Do what you have to do, hate yourself for it later- after you're away from here forever.

All that stands in the way is getting Jack Shephard to play his part.

Jack Shephard- I don't know why I said out loud that he was cute when me and Ben saw his image in that creepy hatch. But it did help put a human face on his vast and accomplished files. Luckily we know enough, and Ben told me enough about him while he was captive, to know the files don't tell the whole story.

Shephard is brave, but insecure, heroic yet reluctant, good and yet self righteous, selfless and yet stubborn. So many contradictions- for someone who has the image of a clear cut, all American hero, he has had quite a few unpleasant experiences and moments in his time. Not surprising, considering the even worse pasts of his friends. Any one of these traits can be used in just the right ways- press just a few buttons well enough, and he'll do anything in the world for anyone. Austin can certainly testify to that, I assume.

Ben's probably getting ready to see her now. He'll want a preliminary report when he gets back, some first impressions. It's time I go and make some.

Remember....regret doing some of the things you may have to do later...

I find him immediately in the Hydra cell. I just study him for a second trying to break the rope from the ceiling- both with interest and with a bit of eye rolling, since I know he's not going anywhere that way and he hasn't accepted he's not going anywhere yet. Let's see how hostile he is to "an Other" as he apparently calls us.

Though if only he had an idea....but that comes later.

"Stop that." He does, but I'm sure he'll go back to it before long.

"Hello Jack. I'm Juliet."

It doesn't take anything close to long for him to ignore me and get back to pulling that chain. I figure I need to make him listen to me at least once on the first meeting.

"Jack? Can you hear me in there? Is that a yes?" Obviously it isn't, but the man just won't calm down enough yet to say anything- as it said in the file, he never breaks away from something that needs fixing. In a way, that makes him perfect for this as well as a problem.

"Where are my friends?"

The voice takes me aback a bit, but I don't let it show one bit. Now we're getting somewhere. "Come down from the table first."

"You want me to come down, come in here and get me down!" Like I'm gonna let him dictate the terms of this that early. But I know if I stand up to him long enough, he'll be ready to listen. "If you want to talk, I'm happy..."

"Tell me where my friends are!!"

Austin is getting set for work now and Ford has probably woken up and gotten sarcastic with Karl by now. But it's not important he knows this, and he has to get a sense of that right away. "I will, if you let go of the chain."

"You think I'm stupid?" I would be stupid myself to think that, considering all the time I spent reading that file. There's only one obvious way to answer that. "I don't think you're stupid, Jack. I think you're stubborn." He proves my exact point by pulling that useless rope some more.

This'll take a while, but it's not like I can't afford to take as long as possible. I know how to be patient- one good thing Ben taught me about things like this. So I leave and take the more friendly approach, and make him a lunch. I make sure it's the extra good sandwiches they like so much. Shephard probably won't be in the mood to feel the same, but it's the gesture that I hope counts.

At the least, he's hunched next to the intercom now instead of on the table.

"I know you're hungry. I brought this for you." I'm giving him food, but I'm not going to be careless doing it, though. He doesn't need any more escape ideas right now. "This is how it will work. You sit there, across from the door, back against the wall, I open the door, and leave the tray. Can I trust you to do that, Jack?"

"I don't want your food." I figured there's a good chance he wouldn't. I can probably afford to be a little playful during this, it won't make too much difference. "Well it's a delicious sandwich..."

"I want you to tell the guy who's trying to talk through that intercom that he can give it up!" Well....they didn't say anything about a weird imagination, but it's nothing I can't deflect. "Maybe you're hungrier than you think. That intercom hasn't worked in years."

"What's that for? The button. What's it for?"

"It's for emergencies."

"Who's watching me?" I probably can't afford for him to stay that paranoid for much longer, he needs to be sane during this thing. "Are you going to sit against the wall so I can open the door? It's...just off the frying pan."

"You can have it." That didn't go anywhere, but at least he's talking to me. I still have room to be playful and ironic- let's see what he's willing to tell me and how much of a lie he's telling. "What do you do Jack? What's your profession?"

"I'm a Repo Man." I almost laugh. Of all things, that's the best he could think of for a lie. He must really think we have no idea what's going on- which is pretty ironic in of itself. "I'm a Repo Man. You know when people don't pay their bills I go into the bank and collect their possessions. I'm a people person so I really love it."

It's probably about time that I hit him with a real weak spot. Let's see how he can worm his way outta this subject. "Are you married?"

"No. I never saw the point." Not one bit of anguish or hurt, how very different from real life. He has more of a shell than I expected....how intriguing. "What about you? What's your job besides making sandwiches?"

My turn to dodge questions about who I really am- this isn't about me just yet. "I didn't make it. I just put the toothpicks in." Satisfied with my sarcasm, I go back to testing him about his past, as if I didn't know all about it. "When your plane crashed where were you flying from?"

"Sydney." Well, now we're getting to the other sore subject, the late Dr. Christian Shephard. This should get some results. "What were you doing there?"

"I was bringing my father home."

"Why were you going all the way to Australia just to..." Right on cue, he tells me he's dead. I extend some genuine courtesy by saying I'm sorry.

"Yeah, I'm sure you were.", he responds with a laugh. But he looks more serious after a while- I know how he wasn't able to talk to many people, if any, about how much it got to him before the crash. "Thanks."

I make my first tentative move for trust, thinking I have as good an opening as I'll get at this early stage. "You can trust me Jack. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"What the hell is going on here?" That takes care of that opening- it's a little too early for him to be curious. But I got as far as I could without giving anything away, that's some progress. I'll try to press my luck another time and give him time to think some more.

I take a bite of the sandwich as I go and note that I really did outdo myself.

I then sigh as I decide to check on how Ford is doing from the monitors, and see that Karl's gotten out. I shake my head and get the tranquilizer gun out quick, so I can get it out of the way and resume the important stuff.

As much as I questioned why this had to happen, I don't have time to stick up for him or concern myself with it right now. Just keep the status quo intact right now and work on only the essential stuff, that's the only way it'll work.

I get to Karl rather quickly and it doesn't take him long to go down. Tom takes it from there, and I head back to the Hydra now that my work is done. Maybe I'll ask him what they'll do to him later- hopefully Alex won't show up to press the issue anytime soon.

Knowing Jack might be hearing things or getting sick, if that reaction to the button was any indication, I figure that's a good way to start the next round. Indeed, he doesn't look too comfortable when I approach the glass once more, back with the food.

"The drugs we gave you when we brought you here have a fairly serious side effect, dehydration. Your head is probably soar. Your throat is raw and if you don't eat or drink something soon you're going to start hallucinating."

"So you're a doctor, huh?" This time he was pretty close, at least. I'll have to give him some credit as we go on. "No. I'm a Repo Woman." But then I know it's past time to get serious- it can't work if he's not healthy enough to do anything useful.

"No strings attached. You don't have to answer any questions. You don't have to do anything, but sit with your back up against the far wall. Let me open that door, put the plate down, and leave." By now, the only thing standing in the way of his acceptance is that ego of his- it's a shame he's the only one that can't see he actually has one. But it's something to appeal to, if only to reassure him and let him know I understand him. "I know it feels like your giving up... like you're losing if you doing anything I ask you to, but you're not. You need to eat. What do you say?"

The ego boosting worked. He's going to the wall. I thank him and proceed to lay the food out. This is certainly more progress than I hoped for, I thought it'd take till nightfall to get this far-

Gah!!

He got me fair and square.

"Which way out?!" I have to plead to him that he's not doing any good, but he just drags me out anyway. He can't be going to where I think he is....but he's at that damn door nonetheless.

"Open the door." I'm gonna need to be honest here, no string attached as I said. "I can't. I can't, Jack. I do that, we die."

"You're lying to me." I knew that'd have some kind of downside, but not like this! "I'm not. I'm not."

"Open the door!" I plead again, but he's still not listening.

"She's telling the truth, Jack!"

Ben! There's certainly no way he can let this go on- he can't afford to lose Jack this quickly, or at all. But of course Jack doesn't know that, so he grabs me harder. "I swear to God, I will kill her!" If it was any of his more murderous friends, and there are many, that would scare me to death- with him, I know it's an idle threat....right?

"Okay. Have her open the door and she dies anyway. We all do." This really isn't the time for Ben to be cryptic. In this case he can afford to be completely honest and open.

But Jack's not giving him or me time for that.

And the water comes in in that split second.

I see Ben close the door behind us- is he that willing to play a part, make it look like he doesn't need us, that he'd make it look that convincing that he'd let us die?!

I question whether he's just acting about me for a second- after he wouldn't let me go when Claire gave birth, I don't know what the hell he's thinking anymore...

...but I won't be thinking at all anymore if I don't get to that doorway and the yellow button.

Since I still need Jack, I help him through the hall and we get the door closed, before any major flooding happens. But since he got me into this and he really should know this sort of thing doesn't go unpunished, I punch him after he presses the button.

He's hard to drag back to the cell, but I still have enough strength to handle it. Before he wakes up, I realize I can't play around now. It's time he knows just how much I know about him, and how I can use it as well.

I get the file I've memorized and read over and over for days and get back right when he wakes up.

He figures out we're in what he'd call an aquarium, then asks if it belong to the DHARMA people. In that area of this island's history, I question if Ben told me the whole truth about them and their war sometimes. But again- it's another distraction I don't want to waste time on. "So you people are just... whatever's left over of them" Wrong again...more wrong than you need to know.

"Well, that was a long time ago. It doesn't matter who we were. It only matters who we are." And now it's time to remind him of who he is- every detail he looks back on with pride, and every detail he remembers with raw pain. "We know exactly who you are, Jack Shephard."

"You don't know anything about me." I go down the list in almost rapid fire motion, barely needing to look at the document.

"I know that you're a spinal surgeon based out of St. Sebastian's Hospital in Los Angeles. I know that you went to Columbia and you graduated med school a year faster than anyone else. I know that you were married. Only once and you contested the divorce. I know your father died in Sydney. I know this because I have a copy of his autopsy report."

Now I've gotten through to him, and then some. There'll be no more ignoring me now. "How... how did you get..."

"We got it."

"What is that?" As if he didn't know it already. "This Jack...is your life."

I almost see immediately what he wants to know next. "Do you... Is it just about me or is it about my family too? My friends?"

"It's pretty much about everything" And everyone...as well as one person I know he wanted to know more about. "Do you know about my... about my ex-wife?"

The police report we got of his arrest, and knowledge of how his father returned to the bottle for good afterwards, is about to pay off. "Sarah. Yes, Jack. We know all about her. What would you like to find out?"

I remember the name of her lover off the top of my head, ready to say it at a moment's notice. Which he really should be more eager to ask.

"Jack. Jack. What would you like to find out?"

"Is she... is she happy?"

Now that's quite interesting to hear.

Maybe there is more to him than the files indicated, if he didn't actually want to know that after all. But I have the right response for that too. "Yes Jack. She's very happy."

He breaks down almost instantly. In a way, it's what I wanted...him to break down and be ready to trust me and listen to what I had to say. It's a key stepping stone to making this whole thing work.

And yet, there's even less satisfaction in doing this than I expected. And I didn't expect much.

But, like anything else that doesn't relate to the end goal, it can be put aside later.

Hopefully.

For now, he deserves that long awaited sustenance.

"Now I'd like to bring you some food and water, but this time I need to know that you'll behave. Can I trust you, Jack?" He doesn't even bother to say a word, but I know he's too concerned with Sarah to try anything now. He'll behave now.

I tell him to go to the wall and I leave to get his food. I see Ben waiting there, as if he didn't just make it harder for me and him to avoid dying an hour ago.

But I've gotten used to hiding things and feelings from him. This'll just add to the total. If he's used to doing that with me, I can do the same.

"Good job, Juliet." I won't give him much of a clue or hint in return.

"Thank you, Ben."

That'll be all....once more, I put Ben out of my mind and take in how it's all started. And I think it started well.

All in all....not a bad first day.

"The Glass Ballerina"

Shephard still has a long road to recovery, but he's behaving. So maybe that'll speed up the road a bit more, which suits me just fine.

He'll still need some good food if he's gonna get his full strength back. I haven't made soup much before, but this is too much of a special occasion. It's probably not all that important that he eats it, as long as he knows I can be trusted. Ben wants that too, so at least in this case, we're working on the same page.

To a point.

I open the cell and Shephard just stays there, as he's told. He still looks quite haggard, so maybe this will do him some good. "Are you feeling any better? I made the soup myself, but I won't take it the wrong way if you don't like it."

I leave it there and briefly wait for him to say anything, but nothing comes out. Well, this wasn't about having a sparring session anyway, we still have time to fit in a few more of those. Once he's finished, we'll go back to talking and get just a little closer to the real point.

Ben'll probably need a brief update, so I'll get that out of the way and not have to worry about him the rest of the day. As if he can't already see everything through the monitor.

"You never made soup for me." Case in point. I can't help but give a little smirk - the man always inspires some kind of feeling whenever he speaks. It's just that half the time, they aren't good ones, sadly.

Colleen shows up, thankfully, to interrupt the little would be moment. She says something about Jarrah finding that ugly decoy village Tom and the others took all that time to build. Not big news, really. "Brian followed him back to the shore and they have a sailboat."

"How?!" Is that Ben getting worried? Well....I do recall he didn't exactly have fun meeting Jarrah at the hatch. But that shouldn't repeat itself here, he's too far off. "So they have a boat. Sailing in circles will keep them busy." I point out.

"They could find us." It's a very small chance, but I know Ben doesn't like to leave one loose end available. At this point, putting this all together, I almost have an understanding of what he means...but it looks like he's having a hard time fixing this one. He's usually got something planned a lot quicker by now- Jarrah must have got to him more than he let on back then.

In a somewhat twisted way, it's quite an amusing sight.

But Ben does get back to being Ben soon enough, and sends Colleen off to get a team together. I hope it doesn't distract Danny enough to keep him from doing his job outside, and keeping Austin and Ford in line. But he's a professional, like Ben makes himself out to be- only a little more rougher on the outside. Ben hides that part of him almost to the point where no one would suspect he had in- I suppose that's what helps give him his power.

But I'm not here to keep thinking about Ben. There are far more important things to do, like make sure I'll be able to get away from him soon.

I'll give Shephard a little while before I go talk to him again. Since I have some time, I can see how Danny's doing with Austin and Ford.

I barely see why Ben needed them that much- they're only here for backup, just in case Shephard is that reluctant to help us. True, considering their little love triangle, which Ford seems to be leading at the moment, Shephard certainly is vulnerable with these two. But they're basically our last resort option, and considering how dangerous- and murderous- these two can be, it may be too risky. Shephard can respond to people pressing his buttons, but these two work too much to make people think they don't have buttons, period. Not that it's been working.

Wait a minute....he's kissing her. The files indicate he hardly does things like this out of romance, so this must be a con at work. Indeed it is, and he really got one in on Danny.

But after I make sure my gun is set, I know exactly what will stop him. I grab Austin almost with no trouble- at least Ford was able to put up a fight. "James!"

I get this done with perfect timing, thankfully before he had any thoughts of shooting Danny with his weapon. Austin barely moves a muscle- maybe the files were a little misleading about how tough she is.

"Put the gun down. Right now. Put the gun down...." Ford also gives in without a fight, and Danny subdues him- if that's a good word for shocking the hell out of him. Colleen had better be back soon to cheer him up, Danny's quite a problem when someone bothers him to that extent.

I give Austin back to the workers and I head off. At least I learned just how much in the lead Ford is in this battle over Austin. The more we keep them here, the more Austin will realize that too. Maybe they will be useful as a last resort, after all.

It looks like Ben is getting ready to talk to Shephard himself, so I'll let him handle it the rest of the night. I need some sleep, and at least now I can sleep better knowing it's going quite well so far.

Maybe I can let myself really believe the best after all....though 3 years of having the opposite happen doesn't let me believe too much quite yet...

"Every Man for Himself"

Ben still left that TV on, and now it's playing cartoons. I understand why he needed to see the Red Sox World Series tape, but I don't see how cartoons will be helpful. Judging from Ben's new x-rays, we're almost to the point where we're running out of time. New approaches need to be put in to speed this up- but until then, the old approach of giving him food is still helpful. When I come in to give him some, he almost looks bored. "How are you doing today Jack?"

"Great." He's gone back to the sarcasm route, or at least the annoyed one. "You seem frustrated."

"Am I gonna keep watching cartoons or...are you gonna tell me why I'm here?"

I briefly consider that, but remember that he needs to be on our side first. Ben was right about that, at least- he won't do it at gunpoint or if we're outright forcing him. It has to be his choice to do it, and only then can I plant the right idea in his head. So being completely honest will have to wait a while longer.

"I hope you like blueberry. If not, I can..."

"Should I talk to Benjamin?" So he told him his name- it would be pretty silly to call him Henry. The name doesn't suit him, and it barely fooled them at that hatch. "Because I'm starting to think that you're just the person who brings me my food."

Not quite, Jack- but he needs to remember I'm the best person he has to talk to, or at least think that way. "You can talk to him all you want, but he won't tell you anything."

"You work for him." Now for the first time since I met him, he says something that annoys me a bit, not the other way around. "No, I don't work for him."

"He's in charge?" I'm not giving him the satisfaction of answering that. He's not allowed to turn the tables on us. "Well it doesn't work that way over here, Jack. We make decisions together." And my uneasiness over saying that is the reason why he can't turn those tables.

"Really? Because, when I was holding that broken plate at your neck he seemed happy to just let you die. I mean it felt like he made that decision on his own."

He's not supposed to get this good at these back and forths. He's just the goody two shoes doctor, this sort of thing is Locke or Ford or Jarrah's territory.

I have to stop this before he actually senses I know how right he is. "You don't know what you're talking about. I don't answer to him."

"Juliet! I need you!"

Don't tell me he actually heard that and chose to prove me wrong on purpose. He knows this is no time for those antics. "Can it wait?"

Ben does look out of breath, as he would be if he was running from the monitors to do that. But he doesn't look like he ran here to do a gag. He almost looks like something is really wrong. "The sub is back. We have a situation. So come with me now."

By the time we get outside, I have a hard time figuring out just how we're gonna save Colleen's life- or if we have any hope to do it.

"Keep her steady!" I yell as we get her in, not even paying attention to Austin and Ford, who are surely watching this.

As much as I try to stabilize her, keep her calm, and feed her reassuring words, I know most of my words are lies. She doesn't have a chance if I'm the one taking care of her, this isn't my kind of medicine. I'm a healer of mother and babies, or at least I've tried to be. I'm not a healer of people like this...

...not like Jack.

It's a big risk, but it's her only chance.

And maybe....

Remembering Ben's x-rays are still nearby, I make sure they stay in sight.

Once more, I have to swallow my self respect, using a friend's possible death as a chance to further my own agenda. This is the sort of thing Jack gives his notorious self righteous scorn and lectures towards, although he's usually right about it, to his credit as a smart, moral man.

I don't know why I thought of him in those terms at a time like this. Nevertheless, I hurry.

"What did you do to Sawyer?!" He yells when I get there. I know Ben's doing work on Ford so he won't be a problem- how he heard about that, I don't know and I don't care.

"I heard him yelling! You've got blood on your clothes...what did you do to him?!"

"It's not his blood!"

"Then who's blood is it?!"

"It's the blood of a woman who's dying. Jack...I...I need your help."

Knowing how much fixing anything means to him, it's almost a forgone conclusion that he accepts, thank God. But precautions still need to be made, so I make sure he's hooded and that the alarms are on, so Austin and Ford's certain calls won't reach him.

That plan works perfectly, and he's there in no time- and so is Ben to meet and scold us. "Have you lost your mind? You bring him here?!"

There's no time to get into how Colleen needs Jack, or how this may help Ben. "He's a doctor. He can help."

"Well this is not why-" No it isn't, but I'm making sure we're getting to that soon- but first things first. "Do you want her to die?"

Ben backs down, since we both know how important it is for him to be loyal to his people, especially in their hour of need. I take the hood off Jack and fill him in on Colleen's condition, as we prep ourselves for surgery.

And with that, he sees the x-rays. At least that'll go well, hopefully after we save her. It'd be in too much bad taste to clear it up now, though. "Those aren't hers. Come on."

Once we get there, Danny's already objecting to Jack's presence in no time. "Tell him who did this. He ought to know that!" The only surprise is that it was Sun and not Jarrah, but there's no time for that- he's always been volatile, and he can't go overboard now. Tom helps me get him out and drown out his yells, then I get back to Jack.

I explain how I got the bullet out, then he tells me to "clamp under the liver" as though I'm qualified to do that. "I'm...I'm not a surgeon."

"I know. But I need you to do this." Now it's starting to hit home about how any wrong move could kill a friend. We keep moving as fast as we can, then the awful sound of flatlining comes out.

A sound I've heard too many times in this room, but this is the first time it's happened like this.

"Now! Juliet, I need paddles!" Oh God, this never gets easier, no matter how it happens...

"It's broken. We haven't had...a...Jack, we haven't had anything...happen before! We didn't...I don't..." I can't form a credible defense or excuse....Jack goes to CPR, but I'm all but convinced he's not getting anywhere.

He backs away, barely able to come to terms with it himself. He's used to hating that he couldn't save someone he never met....even though in this case, he's someone who's "one of them" and "an Other" Even with that, he seems dejected and hurt....how can he do that? He wears his feelings on his sleeves, he couldn't hide his disgust for us that well and pretend to be that concerned...

"Time of death, uh...she's gone." The harsh reality knocks me out of my train of thought.

Another one gone. And unlike the last few mothers, it came completely without warning. I already hear Danny go out to take it out on Ford, most likely.

Once I clean up and take care of things outside, I come back in to see Jack in cuffs, and Colleen's body covered up.

"I'm...I'm sorry. They...they uh, they had to put handcuffs on you." I barely pay attention to him after seeing her body.

I've seen the worst kind of death imaginable, the kind that comes and snuffs the promise of giving birth to new life- the ultimate joy followed by the worst tragedy. This is entirely different, but that in a way, makes it harder to deal with.

I'm running out of new kinds of pain to experience in my life, and this is one more that's been crossed off.

"Um...I'm a fertility doctor. I'm not used to death." I have to lie about that so Jack doesn't suspect anything about my real job, but the shock and sadness is genuine.

"What was her name?" I answer with the nickname we had for her, which I called her during some of my better moments here. "Col. It was short for Colleen. I shouldn't have...uh, I should have come to get you sooner."

"It wouldn't have mattered. There wasn't any more that you could have done. She was...she was dead before you put her on the table." He's not supposed to be good at bedside manner or reassuring people...but having him say that still helps me a bit.

"Are you...are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"I don't...I don't care about making you feel better." But the laugh sort of hints that he still had some concern for me. Even after all that's happened, he still has concern for those he really should wish dead....I shouldn't actually be touched by that, but I'm glad to see that now.

He's probably had enough for now, so I can do that much for him and let him rest. "I'm going to take you back now. Um, I'm...I'm sorry for bringing you here."

Before I allow myself to consider if I meant anything deeper than that, he grabs my wrist.

"Who's x-rays are those? Outside? Those are spinal x-rays and they belong to a man about 40 years old. And whoever he is, he has a very large tumor on his L-4 vertebrae. And I just happen to be a spinal surgeon. So, you tell me, Juliet...who am I here to save?"

It appears I got what I wanted....and a friend had to die to help with that.

This isn't the moment of satisfaction I was almost hoping to have when the day started.

But pure satisfaction has eluded me for this long, what's one more disappointment?

Still...maybe things are finally moving along to bring it closer.

"The Cost of Living"

I've gotten numb to a lot of different kinds of pain in 3 years. I still haven't quite gotten over the kind funerals can bring, though. Nine for pregnant mothers alone is too great of a sad sight to numb down.

Danny's rage is tempered down for now, but the more he grieves over the body, the more he'll be back to anger tomorrow. Ford may be dead before we're finished with him and Austin, if we aren't careful.

Grudgingly, I'm glad Ben is the one to do the eulogy- for all the awful things about him, he is a wonderful public speaker. He's heading over to start the speech now, and I head over to get a closer look.

Then I see Jack- in fact, I have a feeling I felt his presence before I even saw him. I wonder why Ben wanted him here, but at least it's some company.

"I hate funerals." He turns quickly, and I almost chuckle at how Ben actually gave him the funeral shirt- or I would if this wasn't the worst place to laugh. "He let you out?"

"Gave me a new shirt, too." It's almost amusing how I thought about that before he said it. But this is hardly the place to talk or do any more tricks- of all days, this is one where that can be put on hold. I may have lost a lot of things, but I haven't lost that much courtesy. As Ben wraps up the eulogy, I give Jack a goodbye and head to the crowd.

As the song plays, I hold back a couple of tears as Colleen is sailed off to her final resting place.

"Why did you show him my x-rays?" Of all times to remind me of that....but at the least, it's a sign that it worked.

"I didn't tell him they were yours. But I guess you did."

He'll be bitter that he's been found out so soon, but it was necessary. Besides, he's Ben Linus- the textbook definition of how to come up with terrifying plans under pressure. He'll be fine.

But I can still keep treating Jack the same way until further notice of what his new plan will be.

The next day, I arrive with my newest treat for him. "You want to guess what's for lunch?"

"I'm not...I'm not big on mysteries." I just shake off the irony in that. "Of course you're not."

He actually looks amused when I show him the burger. "You people have cheeseburgers?"

"You have no idea what I went through to make this for you." I say half jokingly. "I killed the cow, processed the meat, baked the bun. And the fries...try rendering animal fat."

"No ketchup?" He's actually trying to be funny instead of using sarcasm this time. That's certainly a good sign...and almost reminds me of the nice early little talks I had with-

"I'd like to talk to him." Of course. Either Ben's thought of something already, or he's just gonna start pleading. I need to see which one it is. "Ok. So talk to him."

"Alone, please."

"I'm fine with her being here." I silently thank Jack for that objection.

"And I'm thrilled that your fine, Jack, but it's private. Doctor patient confidentiality." He's in one of those moods, then...I know there's no point drawing this out, then. I know he has nothing really planned and he's actually been reduced to asking him straight out to do something. I know how much that must sting him....

....and I now know it's time for the next step.

"Sure. Of course." I leave to get that step started- even if all the tools are readily available, it'll take a while.

I finish faster than I hoped for, and move quickly to set things up for Jack. I haven't see Ben the rest of the day, so obviously Jack didn't accept to do the surgery. Knowing how he's probably mad at him now, this may appeal to him an extra bit.

I see Jack behind the glass, and indeed, he doesn't look so eager to talk now. "You don't trust me anymore?"

"I trust you just fine. Just thought I'd put a movie in." I get the tape out, knowing after double checking it several times that it should play just fine.

"You know what, I'm going to pass on the movie."

"You'll like this one Jack. It's To Kill A Mockingbird. It's a classic."

"Juliet, I don't want to watch a movie right now!"

But if my nightmare is going to end soon, you have no choice.

"I'll turn the sound down then." I turn it on, and decide to say my rehearsed lines. I won't even look at myself when I come on screen.

"I felt like I should apologize. Say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for bringing you here. And for everything that's been done to you. And your friends. You have to know we were desperate. It was only so that we could save his life."

I pause, knowing he's reading my "Ignore Everything I'm Saying" note. I know Jack's curiosity won't let him say anything for now, so I go on.

"Ben. He's a great man."

I almost wish I could turn and see my "Ben is a liar" card right now.

"I know you find that hard to believe but...he is."

Jack hardly looks surprised to read "And he is very dangerous" Who could blame him? I was taken by surprise, it doesn't mean he has to be...

"You probably feel like you don't have a choice. But you do, Jack. Free will is all we've really got, right?"

I know to pause extra long for him to read the next two cards, the really key ones- "Some of us want a change" and "But it has to look like an accident"

That's long enough, so I go to the next line. "Anyway, just wanted to put in my 2 cents."

I count down the seconds he needs to read "It has to look like we tried to save him." and "And that's up to you Jack" then I deliver my last spoken lines.

"I told you before, you can trust me. I want you to trust me, now, when I tell you that doing the surgery is absolutely the right thing for you to do." He'll need 5 seconds to read "It's a complicated surgery. No one would ever know" One more line to go.

"It's the right thing because he deserves to live."

And then, the key card which by now, should affect him at least a little. "And I would protect you" That should do it. I did my part.

"Turn the movie off." he says just as I ordered. I pretend to protest, then he orders me again just as I want. "Turn it off! Now." And I turn it off right away.

"Think about what I said. Please."

And I know he will.

It took a while, but now I think we're ready. It's going to happen soon enough, considering how Ben's pushed him so much already.

I swallow whatever uneasiness I still have left over so many things, and leave Jack to do his thinking

"I Do"

I'm almost surprised to be here, seeing Jack going over the x-rays with Ben. I didn't think he'd agree this quickly- is he really that anxious to kill Ben? Of course there's no way I can even talk about it to him, I needed a tape to even give him the idea and I don't have time to make more.

But for now, I just go along and answer whatever questions he has, pretending it's just a normal procedure, just as he's pretending.

"The tumor on your spine is borderline inoperable and at the rate it's going, that borderline goes away in about 1 week." I didn't think it was that fast.

I see the briefest bit of reaction on his face as Jack says it. The only other time I've seen him give that much away about his feelings in the last several months is the day those first x-rays came in. For some time, these kind of moments are the only moments I can see Ben as not just a leader and a man consumed by his duties, but as a regular human being. To so many of the people here, he's something a little bit above normal people- most normal people don't think and act and plan the way he does, or even have the capacity to. But with natural human reactions to the fact he may die soon, he almost looks like one of us- for a moment. It's almost startling when that happens.

"You need to be in surgery yesterday." Then regular Ben comes back, all business and ready to get things started. "Alright, then. Whatever you need, it's yours. I'm ready."

Now it's all set, all the work we put in has paid off. All these overly complicated, incredibly convoluted plans are finally-

"No, I think you misunderstood me. I didn't say I was gonna do it. I just wanted you to understand how you're gonna die."

He wasn't supposed to say that.

"You think I believe you people? You think I trust you, that I'm gonna just do the surgery and hope that you let me go?!"

I almost feel a bit amused by this. He really is speaking like a smart person...considering everything we've done and everything we're planning, why would he automatically trust us? It's a natural reaction and he's actually smart to be that skeptical. It would be very well reasoned and brilliant if it wasn't so damaging.

"Jack..." But he tosses the x-rays at us to prove he's not convinced. And there's Ben reacting like a regular person again to it.

"Well Jack...I'm very disappointed in your decision."

"Well Ben, at least you won't have to be disappointed for very long."

Again, if this didn't hurt what I needed to have happen, I would actually find that very amusing.

For all the differences we have and will always have, Ben and I were technically working for the same thing. We had different motives, but if our motives were going to pay off, Jack needed to do that surgery. Even when we're that separated, we're still somehow connected at the same time. How does that man manage to do that?

But in any case, Jack needs to be in that surgery room, and he himself confirmed there isn't much time. It doesn't take us long to brainstorm how we can improvise another way out. It's time for us to finally put Austin and Ford to use.

Obviously Ford doesn't give a damn about Jack, but it's all too obvious Austin does, so we go with that.

I have Danny to contend with first, though. The closer we come to finally finishing all these projects, the more tempted he is to kill Ford after Colleen's death. He's unstable and really shouldn't be working this hard, or be anywhere near here for that matter. He should be allowed to go home and morn that way. But his desire to kill Ford is too much of a trump card to pass up.

I inform Danny about our schedule and the new timetable for our project, which doesn't improve his foul mood. But Austin can hear us fine, and she certainly has been reminded Danny is just waiting for a chance to attack them. Which is why I'm more willing to give her a way out of it.

I approach her for the first time since I put a gun to her head, but I'm not too nervous about her hateful reaction, since I know just how to distract her from it. "I would like for you to put this on and come with me, please."

"You think I'm gonna put a hood over my head cause you said please?"

"No, Kate, I think you're going to put a hood over your head because the man standing behind me, the one who's burning a hole in my back, that man is going to kill Sawyer. But if you put this on and you come with me, there is something you can do for us that will save his life."

She almost makes it too easy for this to work. But the mere mention of Ford, and the littlest details about the surgery, should be enough to make this work. If Jack doesn't listen to her, of all people, then we've truly got few options left.

Once Jack rises up immediately after I bring her to the glass, I leave and head back to the monitors, seeing Ben watching and waiting for the results. He even has his glasses on so he doesn't miss one detail.

We wait for them to get the introductory details out of the way, then when Austin starts crying, I know Jack is gonna start getting suspicious. And knowing him, he'll be brow beating her until he gets an answer, which should work well here.

"Jack. You have to do it. This thing that they told you to do, this operation. She said that if you do it, then that they would..."

"What did they do to you?" And then he keeps asking and asking until Austin, the supposed tough woman among the survivors, cracks up. "They're gonna kill Sawyer! God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but she said that if you do it and you do it soon they'll let us go."

At that point, I start to wonder if playing that card- of getting him to do it because the life of Ford, who wants Austin as well, is at stake- is really the best move after all. It made Austin do it easily...but seeing how obvious it is that Austin loves Ford, seeing how I can see it quite clearly even from here...it's obvious Jack sees it too.

Maybe seeing that the woman he loves loves another that much, and loves Ford of all people at that, wasn't the best motivational tool after all.

"And you believe them?" Fortunately, now I'm not that surprised and shocked he said that. "We're done here. We're done in here!"

Ben probably wasn't thinking the same way I was, he still looks surprised, and then goes right to anger. "Get her out of there..."

I have no choice. This backfired in a way we really should have caught earlier, so I just go get Austin back to her cage. By the time I do, Danny comes back with Ford...and I really don't need to put up with this right now. And him hitting the back of Ford's head doesn't help much.

"Danny!" At the very least, he allows himself to stop right there. "Right. Sorry Jules. You got anything you want to say to your girl, you best say it tonight."

I sigh to myself as we leave, convinced that everything's going downhill now. Even Ben can't possibly pull another last minute success off now, since we have no options or advantages left. We both failed.

We kidnapped two criminals and one innocent man for nothing.

At least it appears that's how it'll end up.
***********************************************
I almost still admire how Ben is able to pull these things off, or just has that much crazy luck.

One minute we have no options left, the next he sees Austin and Ford in the act of love, and gets Jack's heart broken when he sees it.

I don't see a trace of heartbreak or frustration when we scrub up for the surgery, but I know it's there and I know that's why he's here. I shouldn't care how we got him to do it, I should be glad he's just here nonetheless. But it is almost sad to see this man hurt that much by two people that are so...beneath him.

But there's a better time to think about that, and that's after this is finished.

"This is gonna be a very tricky procedure. If I tell you to do something I need you to do it then and there. No questions asked. Is that understood?"

I assume that's his way of telling me he's not going to do what the tape said. He's making sure I don't get any ideas, and I doubt I'd be able to carry them out anyway. So this is the way it's going to go, the regular way.

Well, that can still work, at least.

"You may find this hard to believe, but I've always been very good at just following orders." Story of my pre island life and about 2/3'rds of the last 3 years right there...

"Is that a yes?" I confirm it is and we go to the ER.

Ben is lying down as needed, and he looks about ready to go. I wonder if I should say anything to him or ask him something, just in case I won't have the chance to again. But he beats me to it. "Juliet, did Alex ask about me?"

That wasn't what I was thinking of, but I know enough from Danny to answer. "No. We took her home last night. I don't know where she is now." The answer doesn't seem to satisfy him, but it'll have to do.

"Well, see ya on the other side. I'm ready." Jack tells him to count down, and he's out of it soon enough.

So here we go...

Things go well enough at first, it looks like a textbook thing for a spinal surgery. Then I hear the curious sound of a heart rate dropping.

Almost before I can think of what's going on, Jack hits one of us and takes his gun. I can't react fast enough...or have any idea what the hell he's doing.

"Step away from the table. Back away from the table! Now!" I have no choice, at least until I have any clue what his play is. He looks up and sees Tom...but where's Danny?

Oh great, he must be off to kill Ford and he chooses now to leave us defenseless. Only Tom's there to hear us.

"Can you hear me in there?" Tom confirms it, looking stunned himself.

"Good. I just made a small incision in Ben's kidney sack. Now if I don't stitch that back up in the next hour, he's dead. Now get in here and bring that walkie-talkie."

My God...I almost make sense out of it. He's going to use this to get Austin and Ford free...assuming Danny hasn't already killed them.

I have no idea whether to wish that he has or not. Right now, I don't know what side I should be on, or how this could hurt or help me.

So all I can do is stay quiet, watch, and learn until I have a better idea.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Tom makes contact with Danny- and from the sound of his voice, he was just about ready to do it. So they are still alive, which means Jack isn't going to change his plan for now. He takes the talkie from Tom just as we hear Austin.

"Kate, you have about an hour head start before they come after you."

"Wait. Where are you? Where are you?"

"You remember what I told you on the beach, the day of the crash? Do you remember what story I told you when you were stitching me up? Do you remember it?!" That must be one of the few things we didn't find out about them, whatever that story is.

"When you get safe, you radio me and you tell me that story. If I don't get a call from you in the next hour, I'm gonna know something went wrong and he dies!"

I doubt he's doing this because my tape told him to- it said that it could look like an accident, and this is nothing but one. He's being quite clear that he wants Ben dead, and he doesn't care who knows it.

Does that mean he could go so far as to tell Tom about that tape?

I don't know. As much as I wanted to plan out everything, to have backup answers and solutions to every problem so I know I'd succeed, just like Ben does....this time there's nothing yet. He actually surprised all of us and outthought us.

I would almost admire him for that skill if it didn't come at the worst possible time.

Maybe I can figure out what to do in the next few minutes, if Jack's yelling at Austin doesn't distract me too much.

"Kate, damn it, run!!"

"Not in Portland"
(Part 1- Flashbacks)

It's going to work. All these months and years of waiting and suffering will pay off. Someday soon, it's all going to pay off.

But it won't come faster if I keep sitting on this beach.

I head to the room, ignoring a stranger saying hello to me. I get inside, and everything looks just as I left it. The candles are bright, the music is soothing...the only different is she's asleep now. But I don't need to wake her right now.

Besides, she does a good job waking herself up while I prepare the syringe. "Ooh. I fell asleep...."

"With candles burning." There, it should be all set now. But I have to make sure she's perfectly all right before we do this. She knows the risks, but she has to still be willing to face them or I couldn't do this to her.

"It's real safe. We don't have to keep doing this, you know."

"Are you saying that because you don't think it's going to work, or because you are afraid he'll find out?" Well played, Rach. She could always read me like a book and sense my fears....but if she's not affected by them, neither will I, at least for tonight. "Lift up your shirt."

The injection goes as planned, even her moans of pain are expected. "Some doctor you are."

"I'm not doing this as your doctor. I'm doing this as your sister." And as such, I have to give some concern while filling both roles at once. "I don't like you being here alone. Come stay with me."

"I like living on the beach." Of course she does, what choice does she have? "This is Miami, Rachel. Everything's on the beach." I say as I open the curtains to reveal the night view, and as one of those annoying Oceanic flights go by.

If I never see beach again, it'll probably be too soon. As if that's the most important thing for me to worry about.
******************************************
I get into the Bio-Research lab without any trouble- even if I made noise, it wouldn't wake or bother anyone since no one's around to be bothered. Still, it's annoying to hear my cell ring at a time like this.

It's that Diana woman from Mittelos Bioscience. She needs to confirm my appointment, and I remember it's at 2 tomorrow and am sure to say it quickly. "2 o'clock. Dr. Alpert asked me to tell you that he's very much looking forward to meeting you."

It's confused me many times why this Dr. Alpert and this company I've never heard of heard of me and want to talk to me, of all people. But the appointment's tomorrow, and that's when I can think about it some more. For now, there's more important things to take care of.

I find the vials, and they all look perfect for use. At least one of these has to be the one that'll do the job for Rachel. Then- wait, why are the lights going on?

I duck as soon as I can, and panic a bit. Who could be down here now?

Then I feel absolutely no shock when Edmond and someone who must be his new "catch" stumble in. I really don't need to see this- I saw him doing this with other women once too often already. Maybe if I crawl out, I can avoid them-

And of course, with my luck, the damned phone rings again and he finds me in an instant. I remember to make sure the vials are completely out of sight before I'm ready to speak to him. "Hey. Hey...Ed."

"Uh...why exactly are you here?" Fortunately, I did at least plan ahead for this. "Oh...um. Today's lab work. I...I got home and I realized that I inverted some numbers."

"And it couldn't wait until the morning?" It'll take a little longer to figure out an answer to that one.

"Um...Edmund?" That was somewhat fortunate- knowing him, he'll remember that he doesn't have time or patience to keep talking to me, nothing new there. "Sorry! How rude of me." Well, he would know about that feeling. "Uh, Juliet this is Sherry. Sherry, this is Juliet...my ex-wife. Juliet's leaving."

"I am." This was actually a lucky break seeing him like this, for the very first time ever. "Jules? Could you please...turn off the lights?"

I roll my eyes and do so, leaving him to his little games while, this time, I actually have better things to do than think about him.
******************************************
The work I'm doing today looks pretty easy, so perhaps I can get it done quick enough to get to Rachel early. But I get distracted by seeing Edmond's new girl coming by, of all people. "Juliet? Edmund wants to see you in his office."

"Do you work here?" He's had his share of women in the office, but I usually see some of them around here first beforehand.

"I'm the new research assistant." Figures...it's so pathetic it's almost laughable. "Of course you are." But let's just see what he sent her here for, this should be good for some humor.

But he rarely, if ever, calls me over to talk to him during work. Does that mean something I should be worried about?

"I want in." Sadly, I might have seen the future a bit too late. But I can play dumb for a little while and buy time. "In on what?"

"I know what you're doing Juliet." Okay, he's still being vague enough for me to keep stalling. "I'm not really sure what you..."

"I read your notes. I know what you took from the lab." I don't know why I should be shocked at tactics like that from him anymore. But as long as he doesn't know who's- "The only thing I don't know is...who's your guinea pig?"

I'm gonna have to come clean with at least a couple of things, if only to distract him from knowing about Rachel. If he knows that, he'll have her turned into his own little experiment for sure and not care one bit if he's doing more harm than good- which he will obviously do, knowing who he is. "Ed, I've...I've been doing research in my own lab, on my own time. An...and...I don't really see how..."

"It's your sister, isn't it?"

How does he do that? Why did I have to get involved with someone who's that devious and knows all these sneaky tactics to figure out every little thing?

"Look, Jules. There's 2 ways this plays out. 1, is your research is potentially genius. And the other...it raises some very serious ethical questions. Maybe even criminal concerns." He's an accessory to those "criminal concerns" now, and I doubt he wants a scandal to ruin his cushy job here. So what else is he getting at?

"But if you collaborate with me. Based on my reputation...all this is viewed as cutting edge science. And we will win prizes and drink champagne. And do a lot of good for people." Like he gives one little bit of thought about that part...but so far, it looks like he's got me. How can I get out of this without destroying Rachel's chances? What can I do, but admit he's won for now? "Why don't I give you some time to think about it?"

You haven't left me much to think about. Once again, you've ruined me, and this time I don't think I can get over it that easily. This is something that I'll actually miss after you've destroyed it, my sister.

But I don't have the skills to match his sneaky schemes. I'm nothing like him, and this time it's a bad thing that I'm not...
********************************************
I don't know how I have the composure to actually be at this pitch meeting, especially since there's no chance it'll go anywhere. But I need some kind of distraction, if only for a couple hours.

And this Dr. Alpert actually seems to have come with some intriguing details. His photos are corny, but all these companies are expected to be cornball in selling themselves.

"These shots might seem a little cheeseball but our people really are this happy. Now why? Because we are privately funded. Privately funded means...freedom. We organize trips every week in and around the Portland area. Which is just awesome for hiking and biking and river running."

Now I'm interested and weirded out. Since when was anyone willing to give me that much, or any potential employee that much? And what is Mittelos Bioscience anyway, I barely saw anything about it when I researched it a while back. I'll need at least a couple of answers here.

"Look...when, when you, your company reached out to me I was flattered. But, I don't really know why you would want me..."

"Uh, is it true that you successfully impregnated a male field mouse?" How did he know that? But I am used to men finding out all kinds of things I do that I don't want them to know about. Why am I so bad at keeping secrets?

But if they know that, they also have to know "He didn't carry to term."

"Mind if I ask you something?" I nod and he holds up an x-ray of a womb. Nothing really special about it, but I indulge him. "Well, it's a human womb, obviously. Judging from the decomposition of the endometrium I would say that the woman was somewhere in her 70's."

"Well, actually she's 26."

I must be having the wool pulled over my eyes again, not a rare thing....but if I'm not, then how could that be possible? He's gonna have to explain himself if he expects me to take this that seriously. "What happened to her?"

"What if I told you that you could have complete freedom and money to find out?" I have to laugh- for all their efforts to seem different, they're just like any other company in teasing things out and acting like they're bribing me to come on board.

But this is the best sounding bribe I've heard in some time... "We think you're special, Dr. Burke, and we want you to lead a team of highly trained people because we think you're just that good."

Since when have I heard people call me those things...pretty much since never, aside from Rachel. How could they have that much faith in me for something that's obviously important and secretive? How could I be that special? Not that I don't like hearing it and hearing someone actually take me seriously and praise everything I've put my life into, though. Even when Edmond said it, he was clearly insincere...

....oh right, him. And immediately, any hopes I was beginning to have are killed rather quickly. I can't even get out of his thumb for my sister, how could I do it for strangers?

"I can't. My ex-husband wouldn't let me...I..."

"He wouldn't want you to have this opportunity?" If this guy already knows that much about me, he has to know how idiotic that question sounds. But he keeps asking about ways he would accept, and gets me madder that there is no way he would. All this teasing and getting my hopes up has only served to make me more upset that none of my hopes are gonna be reality. "There has to be something that he would respond to. If he was..."

"If he were to be hit by a bus, how about that?! That would work!"

Great....of all the times I finally have an outburst, and a really cruel one at that, I have to have it in front of a stranger. I'll bet he doesn't think I'm so special now. "That was totally inappropriate!"

He tries to reassure me, but there's really nothing more to say now. "I uh...I'm sorry but I have wasted your time." I get ready to leave, but he's still being persistent. "Dr. Burke, please. Don't!"

What is it with this guy? How could he still think all this about me when I know how untrue that all is?

"No! I'm sorry. Whatever you think I am...I'm not. I'm not a leader, Mr. Alpert! I'm a mess."

That should be enough for him to let me go and leave with what little dignity I have left...
********************************************
I really don't need to go over what happened again, but at least I know Rachel will at least have some comfort for me. She's really the only comfort I have left, and Edmond will likely ruin that too. So I have to enjoy our company while I can.

"Hey. How was the interview?" She actually looks a little happy, so I hate to give her the bad news. "It's not for me. It's fine. We're too far away, anyway. It's Portland..."

"Jules you didn't say no because of me?" If only you knew...I'm almost convinced I wasted all this effort I put in to your dream, for something that's not even coming true... "No. Why would I want to go all the way to Portland for research that doesn't even work?"

"Because it does work."

....Rachel, too? Why would she lie about....but why would she lie?

"I'm pregnant. I'm pre...I'm pregnant!"

I almost start to let myself believe her...

"Look...look. I took a blood test too. I didn't want to tell you until I was sure."

It looks real....her smile and happiness do too....then that means... "It worked."

Oh God, we did it....oh, thank you, thank you, thank you....even though you have some idea, you'll never know just how much I needed to hear this now. I did do something right...I did do good for someone who needed me...you'll never have a truly accurate idea of what that means to me at this moment.

"All my life all I've ever wanted was to have a baby. And now, because of you I can..." I think I'm almost crying as much as she is now. "God, now I just need to get healthy. Now I just...I just need to get healthy so I can see the little bugger get into an Ivy League school."

If this could happen, then anything really is possible...I can finally have the kind of hope she's had all this time again.

"Now you can tell that bastard ex-husband what he can do with his ethics." Oh Rachel, you are good....now I finally have the advantage over him, and we can both be free of him. After a few more minutes of crying happy tears with her, I almost can't wait to find him and tell him off once and for all.

When I find him outside the lab, he's already in one of his little mother arguments on the phone. Perfect, he's miserable enough now.

"She's pregnant." The stunned look he has is priceless...so will the future looks I'm going to make him have. "It worked. Rachel's pregnant."

He probably doesn't even notice he's on the street now, I got him that good. "Uh. Ju...Juliet that's...wow! Uh...I need, uh, I need to see your labs. We'll have to verify the data if we're going to..."

It's pretty much incredible to see him stammering and being nervous, getting a taste of the medicine he gave me. Now to drive the nail in. "No! I'm not interested in publishing, Ed. It's my sister." All right, let's see how he tries to get out of this one.

"Fine, then! If you're not interested, why are you concerned that..."

.......

.....did that bus just....
**********************************************
I'm surprised his body is that well preserved in the morgue after all that happened to it. The employee asks me to sign paperwork, but I barely listen.

As much as I wound up hating him, I didn't want this. Even as slimy as he is, I doubt he would be celebrating if I got hit by a bus either.

As awful as he made things much of the time, I never wanted him to go through this.

I shouldn't be crying this much over him, but I can't stop anyway...God, I really can be weak.

"Tissue?"

Someone who looks....a little familiar is there now, I can't tell if he's another employee. But I take his gift. "Thank you. Thanks. Have we met?"

"Hello, Dr. Burke." What the....what's he doing here now? "Mr. Alpert?"

"I'm, uh, so sorry for your loss." That still doesn't explain anything. "What are you doing here?"

"I...saw what happened on the news and, uh, your office said you were down here. I just wanted to...express my condolences in person before I went back up to Portland. This is Ethan. He's one of my colleagues."

He gives me a greeting, but I'm still a bit too beside myself to pay close attention. How could he come here, after I made it clear I couldn't come unless....

....wait a minute...

I open myself to the most fearful implications imaginable. "He was hit by a bus...."

He tells me what he found out on the news....but what if he knows more than that...much more..."No! No. In...in our interview I said...I said that I wanted...I wanted him to get hit by a bus." Oh God, what if I....what if they were inspired by my words to...

"Dr. Burke, I...I realize that you're a little, uh, shook up right now, but th...this is just a tragic accident. You can't blame yourself. I don't...even remember you saying that."

I could swear I did...but I don't know what to trust and think now. I am far too shaken up by every little thing to really think straight. But I need at least one thing cleared up. "Why are you here, Mr. Alpert?"

"Look, I...I, I know the timing is horrible. But we came because...we're that serious about getting you to come work with us." And I just let myself think you were seriously enough to kill Edmond...so I shouldn't be that surprised. "Just give us 6 months. If you need to you can be back before your sister gives birth."

How the hell does pretty much everyone I talk to know this stuff?! "How did you know that my sis...?"

"Well, we're very, uh, thorough in our recruitment process."

All this just for me, a nobody who stumbled onto the greatest breakthrough in ages. Am I blessed or cursed? Am I finally getting something good, or is it just a setup for disaster like everything else?

I'm almost shocked I let myself start to consider taking it...but I need to know a few more things first. "Can my sister come?"

"Won't work. We...we're pretty remote. She wouldn't have access to the treatment that she needs." But you people have made it clear you have access to pretty much everything else. How is this a problem all of a sudden? "But, it's Portland. There's plenty of clinics and..."

"Well, actually...we're not quite...in Portland."

I'm too numb to even be surprised at this point.

What are you about to let yourself get into now?

"Not in Portland" 
(Part 2- Present Day)

From the new sounds coming out of Jack's walkie, Austin and Ford are already following his orders and beating up Danny, and whoever else he brought with him. He looks no less angry and willing to continue the surgery, though.

"Juliet, stop the bleeding and stitch him up.", orders Tom. But that's not my expertise, and he knows that- certainly Jack knows it. "She's not a surgeon. She can't fix this."

"Then what the hell do you suggest we do?"

What can we do? He made it clear that he would let Ben die...but then I remember the first time he threatened someone's life here, my own. I knew back then there was no way he would just let someone die...now that I actually know him during these past several days, I know that's a fact.

For all his bluster, he would never live with himself if he killed someone. He doesn't have what it takes to live with any failure, and everyone in his old life knew that.

Now that I know it, I know just what to do.

"Go get Danny. Then find Austen and Ford and bring them back." I say to Ivan.

"No! You do that and Ben dies!" But there's no need for me to take that seriously, so I ignore him, yet he keeps going. "No, you think I'm lying? You think this is a bluff? I will let him die!"

"No Jack, you won't!"

He couldn't even live with himself if Ben died, after all he did to him. Which means....there's no way he'll let himself go on if his failure leads to the death of people he does care for. I turn to Ivan and make sure my words are quite clear to Jack.

"Go. Get them back. If you have to...kill them."

Minutes pass by after Ivan leaves, and Jack doesn't appear to have been that affected by my threat. I wonder for a second if I really should object that much- for all I know, my tape was what really inspired him after all, and not just Austin and Ford's actions. But if he really was that mad about them, why would he do all this to try and save their lives? He should want them dead....if he was anyone else.

But he is unstable right now...and if unchecked, he could blurt out our conversation and what he saw on that tape. The best course for me right now is to try and convince him this won't work, and there's really no way it could. Then when he's recovered and finishes the surgery, I'll have time to think of what I can do next.

Plus it's obvious he doesn't know they can't get back home from here anyway.

"You haven't thought this through, Jack. Your plan's not going to work."

"Yeah, why's that?"

"Your friends aren't going to make it back to your side of the island because we're not on that island. We're on a smaller island 2 miles offshore."

He looks back at Tom for confirmation, and he gives it. Now that he knows there really is no way out for them, he should be ready to fold. "So why don't we see if we can come up with some kind of peaceful resolution?"

"A peaceful resolution?" He turns to Tom, but I don't like how he doesn't look to be really focused on him. "Is that what you call asking me to kill Ben while on the operating table? Make it look like an accident?"

Son of a....

"That's ridiculous!"

"She wants Ben to die!" I don't like how Tom almost looks ready to believe him, either. "Tom, he's lying!"

"She said that if I did it she would protect me!"

Jack can be a very persuasive person, so I can't let him get anymore words in edgewise. "I don't know what you're trying to do Jack! It is abs..."

"Enough!!!" I immediately stay quiet. For all of Tom's weaknesses, he can be extremely intimidating when he has to be, and I don't need to see that side of him now. "Juliet...get out."

I try again to make my case while I still can- if Jack is left alone with him, then that isn't likely to help me. "Tom! He's lying!"

"You said you can't stitch him up? Then you don't need to be in here. Go Julie." He has me there. Looks like I'll have to risk it. But that doesn't make my view on Jack's threat any less valid, and he has to remember that, if nothing else.

"Don't let him fool you. He'll never let a patient just die."

It's as long a walk down the hall as I've ever taken, and there have been quite a few. I can barely make sense of all that's happened to lead to this, or whether I really made the right choices. I let this thing get so out of hand- how does Ben avoid that sort of thing? How does he play people and work things to his advantage so easily without losing his mind?

Even after all I've learned and all I've had to do, I still feel like an amateur in many ways compared to him. And the time I needed to step up so he would do what I wanted, at long last, I couldn't pull it out. So what could happen now?

"Juliet. Ben's awake." answers Tom.

Even after I've thought about Ben's power, I can't quite believe he's that strong. "How?!"

"Shepherd says he's a spinal surgeon, not an anesthesiologist." Of course he did... "Ben's asking for you."

And thus, another long walk down the hall is underway. Jack obviously told him everything by now...is he gonna yell at me and threaten me? But in his condition, what could he really do? Does he even have the strength to be mad at me?

When I get there, he's in the exact same position as before, but knowing he's awake creates an entirely different perspective. "I'd like to speak to Juliet alone please, Jack." My God, even in his state he's still able to talk as crisply as ever. But Jack refuses his request.

"Please, I'm asking you. One gentleman to another. Won't hurt you to give me 3 minutes, will it? Knowing I have only have 27 left?" Even now, that tone tells me he's up to something...he has something important to tell me and I may really need to listen to him, for my sake.

"If you touch him...if you try to..." Jack warns me, but I swear not to do anything- I can't until I know what's going on. He then leaves us alone.

I pull up a chair, and get ready to speak to Ben for what may be the last time.

And what he says stuns me- it would be quite a way to go out.

He said he's going to do it.

This crazy plan actually worked....it may have gotten me the end result I wanted after all.

And in his condition, he has no choice but to deliver. He needs Jack to fix him and he can't do it without my help. And when we're done, he'll be held by his word. It means so much to him, the perception of being honest. If he said this to me, his code of honor gives him no choice but to follow through.

I cry tears of happiness for the first time in 3 months, not caring that Jack and Tom can see me from up there. But I am composed enough to hear what Ben needs me to do, and I feel I'm ready to do it.

So I wipe my eyes, take a last look at him, and head back to give his orders.

"I would like for you to go back in there, put Ben under, and finish the surgery."

"And why would I want to do that?" And I tell him exactly what Ben wanted him to know. "Because I'm going to go help your friends escape."

Once Jack goes back in, I go to the monitors to see if Austin and Ford are in sight. Thankfully, they're close to the building, so this might be easier than I expected.

...until I see Alex there. "Oh, hell." I doubt just explaining that Ben's life is in danger will deter her. If she's leading them here, then it's obvious she's using them to get Karl out. We'll need to act quickly, I don't need those two complicating this even more.

But once I get outside, it seems we're too late. Aldo's out cold, and Danny is even more enraged than ever. But if they got away, then that'll be perfect- with Alex's knowledge of the area, she can get them to where they need to go.

Now the hard part is convincing Danny not to interfere anymore.

"Danny! We're letting them go." I don't expect a warm answer to that, and I don't get it. "Letting them go?!"

"Ben gave the order." I remember how unlikely that really sounds, and Danny knows it too. "Ben's in surgery, I was just there!"

"He woke up." He obviously doesn't believe me, and he still looks ready to go. His hot headed approach has been a constant problem for a long time, and now it could destroy whatever chance I have left if I don't do something. Surly he couldn't be so willing for revenge that he could let Ben die, though! "Shepherd won't finish the surgery unless he knows his friends are off the island. Do you want Ben to die?"

"I know Ben would rather die than let them go!" The man's lost his mind, and he clearly doesn't know Ben at all if he really believes that.

I always knew he might be trouble for this ever since Colleen died....but now he's become a very grave threat. If he gets his way, he'll keep me here forever, Ben will die, and Jack will make sure I get blamed along with him.

If I'm even going to survive....it's either him or me.

I prepare myself to do the worst as I run down the jungle.

By the time I get near the beach, I already hear Austin and Ford and Karl getting ready to go. My blood runs cold when I hear Karl say "Danny" and then see him coming, ready to kill them all.

Ready to kill Ben literally, and me for all intensive purposes too...

It's either him or me.

And I haven't come this far for it to be me.

I hold up the gun, clearing my mind to shoot quick and fast if I have to.

"Danny!"

He turns, and is very clearly ready to shoot me. So now I have a backup excuse of self defense.

I shoot so quickly, and at such point blank range, that I know he's dead before he falls down.

When the shock disappears for myself, and for them, I clear my head long enough to get the rest of my tasks done.

"Go. Get out of here." I tell them, and Ford doesn't hesitate, of course. But I have to stop Alex before she gets any ideas. Maybe keeping her here will give Ben some pause before he does something rash later.

"Not you, Alex. You're staying." She immediately protests, but I stop her quickly. "We both know your father. And the only way he'll let Karl live is if you're here when he wakes up. I'm sorry, Alex."

I don't bother to look as Alex and Karl say their final goodbyes. Whatever they did to him in that other room, it must have worked far too well, given his condition and the sound of his voice.

When they're done, I suddenly remember Jack's orders to Austin about this story of hers. "Wait!" I call out, so Jack will know it's okay to save Ben now. Once I give Austin the radio, she and Jack inform each other of what's going on.

Her story, about the fear Jack felt on his first surgery, is actually touching. It speaks to how he got the strength and skills he has today, at least when he actually wants to save someone. And now, I assume he's getting to work doing what he's always done again, saving a life. He's saved more than one with that, even though I doubt he'd be proud of saving mine right now.

Even from here, I can hear Jack's demand that Austin never come back for him. I see Austin cry over that, but that's really nobody's fault but hers. If she didn't want to lose him forever, she shouldn't have done what she did with Ford to begin with. Her inability to choose someone did help us out in the end, but it really isn't fair to Jack, and I don't blame him one bit for saying that. He really shouldn't be strung along like that....at least not by her, I suppose.

But I put that aside as Ford hands me the radio back, naturally not moved at all by Jack and Austin's spectacle. Without a word, the two leave this island for good.

I look at Danny's dead body once more before I gather the courage to go back.

When I do, Ben looks all right, at least from my perspective. I see Jack looking at him from the window, and check with him to make sure he's okay. And he actually removed the tumor- I really shouldn't be too surprised he could do it when he really wanted to.

"You'll want to do a biopsy...see if it's malignant." That is to be expected, and we'll be able to do that just fine. It looks like he's all clear now. "So what now? I just...go back to my cell?"

I have no idea what they could be thinking, and if Tom hasn't told the others what he heard, then he will soon. All I can tell him is my own uncertainty. "Until they figure out what to do with you."

"They." he says with the old sarcasm he had from his first few days. We stare at Ben's body in silence for a while. "What did he say? Ben. What did he say that made you want to save his life?"

Whatever I told him, he wouldn't believe me or he wouldn't be interested. And I'd rather think about it myself while I was alone, and to myself. "It doesn't really matter what he said."

"It matters to me. After everything that...I have been put through, you owe me an answer. I want to know what he said."

What he said....if he had said it months ago, then none of this would be happening. Ben may have done this anyway even if I did leave, but without me, Jack would have been useless. He'd probably be dead, while I would be...

Everything floods back to me, as it all too often does. Everything I lost, everything I've become....everything I now have a chance to gain back. But the cost of doing so is just starting to sink in...I killed someone who probably deserved it, but I put someone who didn't in an awful position. I never could have imagined doing any of that three years ago.

I don't know how I should feel about that...but I feel like I have to share some of it with someone now. And after Ben and me fell apart, and after....he went away, I haven't had anyone to share things like that with in a long time.

But I can't stay for long, I need to go back to my house to figure out what to do now. Back to my house...the metaphor is far too obvious.

"I've been on this island for 3 years, Jack. 3 years, 2 months, and 28 days. He said that if I...let him live...and I helped you...that he would finally let me go home."

I leave him alone and try to recover before Jack can make any judgments on me for that. I know how judgmental and high and mighty he tends to be, and I hardly need to hear that right now.

I'll be getting it from Tom and Isabel soon enough, if I'm not lucky...

God, I need to lie down and fast....

"Stranger in a Strange Land"  

I didn't have too much time to lie down before Tom blabbed, and now Isabel is doing what she does best, determining if I should be punished. Knowing this system she runs, it's obvious what it could be if things go badly. I never actually confessed to Jack's claims, but there's no denying I killed Danny- that can't help my defense. But I was only following Ben's orders to help Austin and Ford- it was Danny's own fault he couldn't see the big picture. Somehow I doubt Isabel will see it that way, though.

It's not like Ben's healthy enough to clear it up anyway- even if he wanted to. But he promised I'd go free, and that means he can't let them kill me first. It would go against his precious word and he knows I would just let them know he's a liar. I find it hard to believe they don't know that, but it might help them not keep it to themselves anymore.

Not that I'd wish to die to make that happen- even Ben's not that strong of an influence.

I hear something- then see something in Jack being led down the hall. I give him a brief "Hello" not knowing if I'll be able to see him again. Ben at least needs to keep him alive, just in case. Besides, he made a promise to him too, and it's bad enough for him to break one promise without breaking two.

But after what happened, maybe this is the exception that breaks the rule.

Isabel lets me look at Ben before she continues the trial- and his own status is still as bad as I feared. While successfully dancing around the real issues between us, I let him know his recovery doesn't look very good at all- but there is someone else who can confirm it better than I can.

And maybe that gives me and him all the bargaining chips again.

The guards take me to Ford's old cage, where they have Jack now. He looks to be in one of his "not happy to see anyone, especially you" moods, but that'll have to change shortly. They might not give me enough time to try, so every second counts. "I thought you were locked up."

"They let me out to examine Ben. His vitals are low and he has a fever." I hand him the photos I just took, knowing that'll show him something's wrong, if he doesn't believe my words. "I took this about 10 minutes ago. It's of his stitches. They're infected aren't they?"

Jack confirms it, as I thought he would. I ask him to look at him, and he refuses, as I also figured.

"I'm not asking you for them or him. I'm asking you as a personal favor to me." I have my doubts as to how much weight that has on him at this point. He asks "You want me to help him again?" which tells me by that tone it's probably not much.

"Are you sure about that, Juliet?" he actually laughs at me. I swallow my pride and slight distaste over being put in the position of helping him yet again, but I confirm it for Jack. "And this is because he said that he would let you go home."

"No. No it... it's because I'm in trouble." Given our habit of not telling people everything right away, he obviously hasn't been told why. "I just killed someone. It's why they put me in your room."

"Who?" If I tell him I did it to save his friends life, maybe it would make him think twice about me...but who knows what he's really thinking about them right now? He must be on edge as it is thinking about Austin and Ford together, and any slight reminder of that could put him in too bad of a mood to be willing to help me. I'm going to have to sidestep the question, just in case- it's a gamble, but I can always tell him if he really presses the question. "It's complicated."

"Well, then, let me simplify it for you. I'm not going to help him. And I'm not going to help you."

I mentally kick myself for not thinking that one through as the guards take me back to the trial.

She continues asking questions, and I continue to avoid them when it's my turn to answer. And after a while, they bring Jack in for his side of the story. Unfortunately, he's probably ready to spill the beans on me and officially doom me to my fate. And Isabel is skilled enough to push him just the right way to doing that.

"As you may have gathered, we don't live on this little island. In fact, most of us don't really like even coming here. There's been an incident that I'm investigating and I need to ask you some questions. So, I was hoping you might help me clear up a few of the inconsistencies." I keep my face steady, but inside I almost begin to resign myself to how Jack will confirm all this for her.

"Now correct me if I'm wrong, Tom, but you said in the midst of a surgical procedure Jack made several comments indicating that Juliet had asked him to kill Ben." Tom backs that up, as he's done from the start. Isabel wastes no time going back to Jack and move in for the kill. "That true, Jack? Did Juliet ask you to kill Ben?"

He's not saying yes as fast as I thought...

"The question's simple. Did Juliet ask you to kill Ben?"

He doesn't need to drag this out just to torture me...

"No. No, I was lying."

He what...

"I would have done anything to get my friends out and turning you people against each other was my best chance of creating chaos."

I almost can't believe he did that after all this....but if he went to so much trouble to help friends who literally stabbed him in the back just days ago, maybe it's not that shocking he'd do it for me after I stabbed him. But Isabel then asks exactly what I was thinking. "Why are you lying for her, Jack?"

Even though Jack went toe to toe with Ben and stood up to him, I don't know how his skills would stand up to Isabel's style. But, perhaps wisely, he doesn't want to find out. "I'd like to go back to my cage now."

After he leaves, my brief sense of relief disappears once I realize they're not gonna buy his lie. He was too little, and too late. So I just go back to getting myself ready once their verdict comes in.

As I begin to hope that, if there is an afterlife, I make it to the good part of it that Rachel and Julian will be at one day- so at least I see them again that way- I hear a ruckus outside.

"Alex. Jack!" I can't even begin to figure out how Jack was allowed here, let alone why Alex is near here. "What the hell did you bring him here for?!"

Isabel turns her attention from me and orders Tom to back away. I then notice the piece of paper Alex is carrying. "This is from Ben." she says as she brings it over.

I examine Isabel closely for any change of expression to hint what Ben just did, but of course, there's none. This could very well be anything...

"Ben has commuted Juliet's sentence. Execution is off the table. He says the rules don't apply."

I knew he'd be more concerned with keeping me here and making his word still seem valid than revenge....he wouldn't give me up for this long, so it figures he wouldn't give me up for this. Maybe it's a sign he really can be more reasonable now...

"He has, however, ordered her to be marked."

Or it could be way too much to ask for from him....they close the door as I try to grit my teeth for the intense heat to come.

Hours go by before I can walk around and manage the pain at the same time. No one comes to help me, of course. They're either ignoring me or too busy packing up to leave this island. They probably haven't even bothered to tell Jack...

....well, that gives me a somewhat good excuse to talk to him before we go.

I still have enough left to make him his favorite sandwich, as a small gesture of good will- or at least the biggest one I can get done in such short time. I don't have any toothpicks left, though. So I just go over to his cell, still grimacing a little bit, but not so much that he would notice.

"I heard you only liked them grilled."

"I miss the toothpicks, too." That's the first time since the surgery that I've actually heard him joke and try to be witty. Maybe that's as positive a sign as I've seen in a while. "Let me see."

There's not enough time to get into that detail, and he's already done enough as it is. "Jack..."

"They marked you? Let me see it." I suppose doing that would be a bigger gesture than the sandwich.

I turn and lift the back of my shirt up enough for him to see it, and no further up. I have no idea what to expect him to say to this right now- in fact, I've given up trying to predict his every move by now. Ben can do that with no problem, but I can't...and now, it doesn't bother me anymore.

"Break a branch off that aloe plant over there..." It was just starting to heal on it's own, and I don't know enough to know if that'll make it better or worse. "It's okay, Jack."

"Please, please do it." He said please twice...he must really want to help me. Is he doing this to satisfy his own guilt, or any other feeling he has now....well, if I do this for him, I can buy enough time to find out.

I get the branch for him, turn around again and he starts applying it...and it does more to ease the wound than anything else so far. Almost without thinking, I touch his hand as he continues....but I remember to stay focused enough to ask my questions.

"Why did you help me?"

"He told you he was going to let you go home. He told me the same thing. We're going to make sure he keeps his word." Weeks ago, I would have figured he's just gonna use me to make sure he gets off the island as well, and just needs me for cover...I doubt that now.
"And how are we going to do that?"

"Together."

I briefly remember what it feels like for someone to say something like that to me....before they all went away or made it less obvious that they were really bad people. But my appreciation for his words makes me remember that I came here to warn him. "They'll be coming for you in a few minutes. All of them. Your friends know where we are, so we have to leave this island to go back to where we live."

"Go where?" I almost say home...but, not for the first time, I remember it's not my real home. It's a home I never wanted to stay in, but it's been such a large part of who I've become that it has felt like it...just not the real thing. And now that there is real hope I might leave it, there's no need to pretend to say it's my real home now. It's Ben's home- that place is him, but it isn't me.

"Well...Ben calls it home."

And with Jack's help, we'll make sure this is my last trip there....if all goes just right, of course. After all this, I've pretty much lost the right to judge and predict the future.

Jack's help and the fact I'm alive, standing next to him on the boat ride at night to my....current place of residence...is proof positive of that

The Man from Tallahassee

I thought it'd be more distasteful to prove our loyalty and keep up appearances until Ben lets us go- especially after recent developments- but Jack is a natural at it. Tom's certainly acting like everything's normal and perfect as he plays catch with him.

With everything hours away from being over, I can actually be in a good mood and not completely pretend that I am.

So with things all set, I let myself get caught up in Jack's enthusiasm as he tosses me the ball. We talk for a while about what lies ahead for us, and then see Ben wheeling himself outside. He's gotten really good at navigating that thing, to his credit. Of course, he'll never show how much it hurts him to be beaten this way, but he must know that I know. He may still be recovering from the surgery, but he still has the brain power to know what I'm thinking nearly every moment. But at this point, it can't do him any good, so I allow him to carry on his own facade as Jack shakes his hand.

Jack and I talk more into the night, getting our preparations all set. I bring him to his temporary home and say good night, before I double check to make sure I've got everything for my real home.

But quietly, with 3 years of experience in having things stripped away from me, I think in the back of my head that I should be ready for something to get in the way.

When word comes that Austin and Jarrah have come to get Jack, I almost think I was right to be ready for the worst. But as it turns out, it meant nothing. With Jack already set to go, he has no need to be rescued anyway. Strangely, Ben hasn't come out of his house and hasn't given any orders to Tom or the other guards, but maybe they didn't want to disturb him. But we're told that they will stay locked up until further notice.

Once Jack finds out where we're keeping Austin, me and Tom take him there so they can have whatever moment they want. I don't even bother to go in with him, knowing they need their privacy and knowing it's a useless distraction. Obviously Austin is beating herself up already by choosing Ford, and that'll probably make her an even harder case for Ben to deal with when we leave. Jack's likely telling her he'll come back for her anyway, but we'll come to that bridge after we're gone.

That time is almost here, and Jack should probably know it before he gets too caught up in the soap opera. I tell her we have to go, and he signals he'll be right there. Deciding to let him have at least one more moment with her, I close the door. Luckily, he doesn't take too long to get it done, and I don't ask what he said when he comes back.

Now there's just one more big step left....and Jack's already way ahead of me, since he has an actual reason to see Ben one more time.

Ben's already up, and it seems he's been awake for some time, even though he didn't give any orders or say anything about this new development. In any other case, that would worry me. But his hold over us is over and there's no way even he could find a way out of it, given the circumstances. So I let Jack do all the talking as I figure out a way to say goodbye to him.

Even with all he's done and all the misery this time ultimately left me, I can't leave him on a bitter note. Despite the fact we're blackmailing him, he is at least keeping his promise now- most of the time, he was able to do that, except on the one big issue. Subtract all of that, and he was an honest and brilliant and fascinating man, for the majority of our time together. Even when I go home and reunite with the people I love, there's no way to ever forget him or this place, or everything I've learned and been exposed to here. How do you actually say goodbye to all that? How do you express happiness that you'll never see those things again, yet gratitude for the times that weren't so bad?

There's no way to figure that out now, especially since I should have started thinking about this hours ago. So, I'll try to be simple and polite- since he is letting us go, I owe him that much.

The fact he's smiling, and not one of his fake smiles, makes that decision easier for me.

"Well, I guess this is it."

I haven't warmed up to him enough to give him a sappy and tear filled goodbye....but for all the terrible things about him, I can be civil enough to give him a gracious and dignified farewell, at least for all the good things about him.

"Thank you, Ben...for keeping your promise."

I decide not to touch him and risk him trying to charm me one last time, just on the very off chance he's planning something. I leave him the same way I greeted him all those years ago....with a gracious and happy smile. I feel generous enough to give him that as a last look.

Goodbye, Benjamin...and soon, I can say goodbye to your home and your people for good, as terrific and a little sad as that is.

The submarine is right there on the dock, as he said. Tom and Ryan will lead us the rest of the way, and then...

"Hey! Hold it right there!"

Ryan sees what we all see, he's just the first to react to it.

We only caught Austin and Jarrah- and now John Locke is here?

This is the man Ben's been so fascinated and drawn to ever since we pulled up his file, found out his condition, and since he spent all that time with him in the hatch. He was one of the survivors I often wished to meet, so I could see what Ben sees in him- but seeing him now is a little bit too late.

And seeing him....apparently wet from something...

"What are you doing here, John?" asks Jack, who I know isn't normall