Walt's friends throw a little party in his honor.

Walt couldn't believe what he saw from the top of the sand hill. There was a massive celebration in his honor, set up on the outskirts of a town. A large banner read "THANK YOU WALT!" Walt recognized many of the people, and Michael walked as fast as he could. However, Vincent got to Walt first, and knocked him down with a leap. Once Walt got back up, he asked, "Dad, where are we, and what is all this?"

Michael hugged Walt hard. "We're in Mali, just outside Timbuktu, the closest place with an airplane runway. Everyone's memory has been being restored. They all know that the earth was doomed, but you changed its fate. They all know about your travails on that Island, and what you went through. We're showing our gratitude."

Walt was embarrassed. "This is way too much. Is everybody here?"

"Just about. Claire had her baby a week ago, and there was no way she could make a long flight with the infant Aaron. Charlie is staying with them. There'll be plenty of time to visit later. And Nikki and Paolo are in jail. But there is someone else who very much wants to meet you. She's right over there."

Michael pointed at an elderly woman, and Walt exclaimed, "Grandma!"

Walt ran up to Noreen Dawson and let her hug him.

"My baby! … you're so grown … I can't believe this … it's like every day I remembered more and more of living with you, and then you left that note … you're so brave …" and Noreen broke down in tears. It took a couple minutes for her to recover. "I brought you a present to welcome you back to civilization." She gave Walt a box that contained a pair of sneakers, a pair of red shorts, and an "I love New York" tee shirt.

Walt laughed, and put on his new clothes, finally fitting in with the rest of the crowd. "It feels like I haven't worn shoes in ages, but … I guess it was only a couple days. Doesn't matter now."

There were more reunions of sorts taking place at the same time. When Juliet got to the top of the hill, the scene overwhelmed her. She walked down in a daze, when she was grabbed by someone and lifted off her feet.

"I come all this way and this is the greeting I get?" spoken in a Southern drawl.

"Sawyer! I … I can't believe this. I didn't see … you … we …" she hugged Sawyer back and kissed him.

"That's more like it. Now there's someone else who's come to see you." Sawyer carried Juliet the rest of the way to the celebration, and set her down in front of …

"Rachel! You're alive! You came here … and this is Julian!" exclaimed Juliet.

"After what you've been through, this was nothing for us," replied Rachel. "I was sick for a long time, but I'm completely cured now. And so is Julian. Julian, say hello to your Aunt Juliet."

Juliet picked up her little nephew and hugged him. After she put him down, she turned back to Sawyer. "So I guess this means you're ready for a new start?"

"You can say that again."

The sight of so many people overwhelmed Danielle. Alex and Karl walked her to a table at the edge of the proceedings, and brought back food and drink for her. They talked about where they would go to live and what they would do. Danielle suggested that they find out what the research organization for which she had been working when she and her crew had been shipwrecked was up to.

Charles Widmore arrived on his own private jet, and searched for Penny and Desmond until he found them. He steeled himself and spoke.

"Penny, it's wonderful to see you."

"Daddy? Why are you here?"

"I've come to apologize. Desmond, you are a far greater man than I gave you credit for. It is an honor to have you in the family."

Desmond never heard Charles apologize to anyone before. Unsure of what to say, he wasn't about to spoil the celebration. "Thank you, sir."

"I admit that I am not pleased about losing the Island, but can live with the fact that Benjamin Linus is no longer in charge. John Locke is an ideal choice to lead. This experience has changed me. And with the Island a century in the future, I can turn my attention to other matters."

"What matters might those be, Daddy?" queried Penny. "You know we still don't want your money."

"I'm well aware of that, and think highly of you that. Now for one matter, I am making the contents of the journal from the first mate of the Black Rock public. That ledger corroborates Walt's story very accurately. It tells of the shipwreck, the lives of Lucifer and Richard Alpert and Jacob, and of the phenomenal energy source. There is several years' worth of entries, and they filled up all the pages of the journal.

Then I shall devote my remaining years to philanthropy. I have been given a second chance, and will put my fortune to good use. A large part of Widmore Industries will be converted to research laboratories dedicated to finding cures for diseases in impoverished parts of the world."

"Why Daddy, that's … wonderful!"

More passengers greeted Walt. Many of them would continue with their lives as they had expected to, while others' lives would be changed forever. Jack resumed his medical practice in Los Angeles. Enough people had remembered Kate's trial in the years that were no longer happening that is was agreed her sentence of probation should stand, with this one-time exemption to leave the country. Boone returned to be the chief operating officer of the wedding clothing division of his mother's company. Shannon used her part of the Oceanic settlement to enroll in the dance company internship to which she had been accepted. Sun and Jin would return to South Korea to raise their daughter. Jin got a new job as a manger in the fishing industry, while Sun's father eliminated the enforcement division in his firm.

When she heard the news of the impending arrival of the passengers to Los Angeles, Nadia was on hand to meet Sayid. All that mattered to them was being together, and they were happy to perform volunteer work in various parts of the world.

Frank remained a top pilot for Oceanic Airlines. Ana-Lucia returned to her job in airport security. Eko went back to continue as a priest in Australia, very much moved by the island events that often haunted his dreams. After a two-week break, Cindy continued on as a flight attendant. Emma and Zack would live happily in their mother's house, and keep in contact with Walt via electronic messaging.

Widmore's freighter crew never assembled, so Miles and Naomi went about their business as usual. However, Daniel had enough of his memory intact to track down and locate Charlotte. With the chain of island events as he knew them broken, he was determined not to lose her now.

All of a sudden Walt's stomach growled. "I wouldn't mind having something good to eat." He and his father and grandmother went to a large banquet table, where Hurley and Libby were serving a wide variety of tasty food.

"Walt, I don't know that you ever met Libby," Hurley stated.

"No, I haven't really. Just saw you at the crash. Pleased to meet you." Walt felt awkward, aware of what Michael had done to her in that other reality.

Libby could tell Walt felt uncomfortable, and reassured him, "Don't worry about. Hurley and I actually met in the Santa Rosa Institute. I don't mind talking about it now; I was there for serious depression. But that's all in the past, and that's over. Hurley and I are now dating." She winked at Hurley, who smiled in return.

After they were served and sat down at a table, Walt asked, "Dad, where are we going to live?"

"We have a nice house in New York with a yard big enough for you and Vincent to run around in. It's not too large, fitting in with the neighborhood. We got a nice settlement from the airline for the crash, and I got a buyer for many of my drawings."

"Really? That's great. Who is it?"

Michael laughed. "It's Hurley. I believe he overpaid, and that could be his way of making good on that backgammon debt that might have happened. He also told me he feels his money is no longer cursed, and donating millions to charities benefitting children all over the world. Anyway, we have enough that I'll be able to work on my art full-time."

"I can't wait to see it, and finally settle down and get back to normal."

"It won't be normal for a while yet. There're making plans for a tickertape parade for you in New York when we get back."

Walt groaned. "I don't want a parade. I just want a normal life."

"Well, if that's what you want, we don't have to have the parade. But I'm afraid you're going to be a big celebrity for a while. We have a little task for you when you're done eating."

A short time later, they went up to an object covered by a large sheet. Walt pulled it off, and recoiled in laughter when he saw what it was covering. It was a basalt statue of himself, larger than life. Just about two meters high, the likeness was clad in a loincloth and had its arms reaching up and out in a welcoming gesture. "They made a statue of me? That's awesome."

"Not just one statue, but there are dozens around the world."

"What? Do they all look like this?"

"No, there are different poses and local variations. The one in Chad has the older version of you in their native skirt, and I'm sure there are some with grass skirts in the Pacific Islands. And in Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London, they made a replica of part of the Black Rock with you, or maybe Jacob, in chains. It's become a historic event of great magnitude. Several people on our flight heard your telling your story, and word got around fast. Some were afraid you wouldn't make it back, and felt compelled to honor you immediately. But I knew you would make it."

"I almost didn't, but … oh, it doesn't matter. But really, I'd just be fine getting started in school."

"There's no rush for that. You have a reservation to stay in a spa for a week. We have to make sure everything is okay with you; with what you went through on the Island the last couple days."

"I guess I can live with that. I'm a little sore from pushing that wheel and sleeping hanging from my knees hogtied last night, but I'm sure I'll recover."

"You can't do anything the easy way, can you?"

"I guess that happens when you're special."

The day wound down, and the celebration ended. Everyone boarded an airplane that took them home for real.

Author's notes: I thank those readers who have supported me throughout this story. I can't imagine writing anything so long again; it's been quite a lot of work, and hope the effort has been worth it. Take care,

hjr