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-Part 19-
The Rescue of John Locke

2001
The Island

Locke kneels down in the bushes, blending in with the foliage to avoid detection. He steadies his knife mounted spear, ready to throw the instant he sees movement. Alex Rousseau huddles at his side with a readied bow. Much like Boone, she's become Locke's hunting companion; but unlike Boone, she's a quick learner with instincts keener than anyone he's ever hunted with. And like her mother Danielle, she's a better archer than marksman, preferring bow and arrow over a rifle.

Locke inches forward to the next bush. They've been tracking their prey for hours and seem to have finally come within striking distance. He points to a tree with scrapes along the bark.

"The herd must be close," he whispers.

Several quiet seconds pass by as Alex scans the landscape. The evidence of boar is all around them, yet not a squeal of the typically loud creatures. "No," she signals back. She removes her arrow and places it back in the quiver. "I think we're going in circles."

Locke glances back with a perplexed look. "What?"

"We've been here before. We're going in circles," she explains, her voice growing louder than a whisper.

Locke shakes his head, hushing her with a finger to his lips.

"Uncle Locke," she says, her voice gaining volume from frustration. She stands up, no longer caring if she reveals her location. "We've been tracking in circles for hours. Maybe we're the ones being hunted."

Locke wipes the sweat off his brow using his sleeve. He stands from his position, irritated by Alex's move without consulting him first. "We were so close, Alex."

She points to a cluster of trees axed down at the base of their trunks. "The trees cut down over there. We passed by them three times in the past hour." She points to several boulders in the landscape. "And the rocks over there." She points to a grey powdery substance poured in a line across the forest floor. "And this weird ash stuff." She kneels and pokes it with her finger.

"Woah," he warns her, coming over quickly to investigate. "Don't touch that Alex."

She points to fresh animal tracks in the soil next to the ash. "These aren't boar tracks. They look like…..paw prints…like maybe…."

Suddenly, movement in the bushes ahead of them. They crouch down, back in hiding. Alex retrieves an arrow from her quiver and quickly pulls back her bow again.

Locke tilts her bow down, forcing her aim into the ground. "Don't shoot. He's a friend of mine."

A white Labrador emerges from the vegetation. He whines a high pitched tone from his snout and tilts his head slightly sideways, the rhythm of his tail wagging steadily increasing.

"Vincent? How did you get here?" Locke greets him, confused as to how he's even present on the Island yet.

"Ruff!"

His tail wags excitedly as Alex pets the fur all along his back. He returns the affection by licking her cheeks and nose.

"Good boy," she giggles, enjoying the affection. "Where did you come from, handsome guy?"

"He was on board the airliner," Locke explains. He kneels and picks up a handful of the ash, sifting the fine material between his fingers. "It wasn't us moving in circles, Alex."

"What?" Alex replies, confused.

"It was the Island." Locke pours the remainder of ash back into place. "It brought us here to the ash and for some reason it doesn't want us to leave."

"Ruff!" Vincent exclaims, running off into the woods.

"Perhaps Vincent can lead us to the answers." Locke picks up his spear and tightens the straps to his backpack.

Vincent leads them through the woods to an abandoned cabin nestled between several oak trees. Its windows are opaque from a film of dust and mold. Its roof; covered with accumulating leaves. The floor of the front porch slants from failing supports. The exterior is blanketed with vines connecting to the tree canopy above.

"Creepy," Alex jokes, confused as to why Vincent led them here.

Locke immediately recognizes the eerie structure where he was given instructions of how to save the Island. "I've been here before, many years ago…or…. years from now, depending on how you look at it."

Locke steps on to the porch and lights the lantern hanging next to the front door. "The man inside the cabin, he'll show us what we need to do next," he says, holding the lantern to his face.

"What? There's someone inside?" Alex replies, stepping back, keeping her distance from the porch.

"Do you remember the coffin you found in the woods when you were a little girl?" he asks.

Alex freezes in stance. She gives a quick nod, followed by a difficult swallow.

"The story I told you about the doctor on the plane and his father's ghost leading him to freshwater at the caves; everything I said was true. It's true because; I spoke with him too; here, inside this cabin."

Alex nods again; a chill races up her spine. Her heart pulsates wildly. She fights the urge to run and instead reaches for the lantern. "Then maybe it should be me."

Locke maintains his grip on the lantern. "What?"

"I found the coffin in the woods because the Island led me to it. Maybe the Island has chosen me."

Locke lets go of the lantern and steps away. "You were always very brave, Alex."

Alex opens the door and steps into the darkness; the flickering flame from the lantern provides only enough light to see her footsteps. "I'll be right back."

30 minutes later
Outside the cabin

Locke sits in the grass, sharpening his knife to pass the time. Vincent lies next to him, keeping him company. The cabin door creaks open. Alex extinguishes the lantern wick and hangs it back on the hook.

"Did you see him?" Locke asks, placing his knife back in the sheath.

Alex nods. "Who is Claire?"

Locke raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "She's the pregnant girl on the plane. Jack's sister. Why?"

Alex kneels next to Vincent and massages the skin behind his ears. "He wants me to help his grandson."

September 22, 2004
The Temple

Alex watches from the top floor of the Temple pyramid, adjusting her binoculars to view the activity on Hydra Island. Oceanic 815 landed two hours ago and so far everything is going as planned; the Temple dwellers surrounded the plane and exchanged Locke for Benjamin Linus. She'll surely miss him, but at the same time she's relieved he's finally free. Locke sacrificed his freedom to keep the peace, voluntarily surrendering until his Oceanic friends returned to rescue him. In the end the exchange was a bargain; setting him free to capture the real villain was a deal everyone could agree with. The Temple dwellers including Dogen want Linus dead, believing he's the reason Jacob is no longer around.

For Alex, Ben's capture has nothing to do with Jacob's disappearance. She didn't grow up in the Temple so she doesn't share the same animosity as Jacob's followers. Besides, Ben's worth more to her alive. She has questions about memories only Ben is able to answer; memories of her past life on the Island which have become more vivid each day closer to the return of Oceanic 815.

It's been three years since she spoke with the man in the cabin; in that short half hour she learned more about the Island than she ever learned from Locke. He explained to her that Desmond Hume's arrival to the Island would set a plan in motion. She learned about the submarine which rescued Richard and about Juliet Burke the fertility doctor. Most importantly, she learned the details of Claire's baby being born on the Island back in time and that the passengers of Oceanic are the only ones who can move the Island to the right time. In this respect, the passengers are essentially keys to the Island's past; numbers to a code only the Island knows; like a sequence of numbers inputted into a computer. 4-8-15-16-23-42. Desmond's previous time in the hatch was only a metaphor. The computer this time is the ancient wheel embedded into a wall of rock and the numbers are the Oceanic passengers; each of them turning back time to Island events they once played, or will play, a part in.

2 hours later

Alex focuses her binoculars at the Pala inlet and watches the Ferry arrive at the dock. Linus will soon be marched down the trail to the Temple to face judgement from Jacob's people. She scans further down the beach and sees Jin, Sayid, Hurley, and Sawyer arrive in an Outrigger at the four toe statue.

Dogen's assistant ascends the Temple steps to deliver her an urgent message. "Alex!" he says, hunched over, gasping for air.

"What is it?" She remains calm, focusing again on Ben stepping off the ferry.

"The Orchid," he exhales, catching his breath.

She drops the binoculars to her chest and turns. "What happened?"

"It's something we've never seen before; a massive energy signature beneath the ground. The Island didn't move, but maybe something else did."

Alex holsters her bow and quiver and rushes down the Temple steps. "Wait here for Linus. I'm going out there alone."

1 hour later

Alex slows her speedy horse as she approaches the snow covered ground surrounding the Orchid.

"Woah boy!" she commands, tightening the reigns.

The horse stubbornly yanks back and slows itself to a trot. The air from its snout forms steam as it mixes with the chilly air. The frost crunches beneath its hooves creating a rhythmic sound of grinding sand and ice. Icicles hang from leafless trees like translucent Christmas decorations. The grass along the forest floor is brown as hay and brittle as toast.

Suddenly, a dead tree limb crashes to the ground ahead of them, spooking the horse. Alex leans forward and holds on tightly as the horse rears and stands on its hind legs.

"Woah!" she commands, grasping tightly to its muscular neck. The horse falls forward then bucks its hind legs, catapulting Alex to the ground.

She rolls on to her side, enduring excruciating pain, her lungs lacking the air to cry out. Her right arm dangles from her shoulder, the bone splintered at the bicep and sticking out of her skin. She takes a deep breath and looks down, assessing her wound. She turns and watches her horse sprint off into the distance. She shuts her eyes for a moment, tears of pain streaming down her cheeks.

Suddenly, footsteps crunch in the snow behind her. She reaches for her hunting knife holstered in her belt.

"Alex?" a teenager calmly calls her by name. He kneels at her side and unwraps the fur skin warming his neck and face. A leather necklace dangles a wooden Ankh at the center of his chest. His soft complexion is without blemish and his eyes are beaming with blue. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Alex relaxes and leaves the knife fastened to her belt. She blinks rapidly to clear her tears. "Who are you?"

He gently lays his hands over her gaping wound. "Stay still," he instructs.

A tingling sensation spreads throughout her arm and numbs the pain. The tingle turns warm, then uncomfortably hot. Pulses of light emit from the wound as the bone rearranges and snaps back into place. The bicep muscle convulses as if it were a beating heart. The ruptured skin contracts and seals over the renewed flesh, the healing light still glowing from within.

Vincent approaches her, tail wagging, nestling his nose into her hand. Alex sits back up, her strength returning. She squeezes her revived arm, overcome with awe. The glowing light within it dims until it can be seen no more.

"How did you do that?" she asks, filled with gratitude.

"Follow me," he says.

The Staff medical hatch
12 hours later

Claire awakens to a tickling wetness inside her ear. The air sniffs in and out, forming a deafening sound within her inner ear. Her hand flinches defensively to the side, pushing away a wet mass of cold fur. The persistent canine props his paws on to the bed and fervently licks beneath her chin.

"Vincent?" She wakes up disoriented; unsure if she's dreaming again. The familiar sound of the heartbeat monitor pulsates in the background. She pushes his paws to get him off the bed. "You're cold and wet. Where did you come from?" She pets the short hairs between his eyes. "How did you get inside?"

Vincent suddenly backs away and sits firmly as if he were commanded. Claire notices a shiny glare created from wet footprints along the terrazzo floor. She gasps in breath, paralyzed in fear. "Who's there?" she calls.

A timid teenager steps out of the dark corner into the light. His clothes are crafted from boar fur and hide. A leather necklace dangles a wooden Ankh at the center of his chest. His high ankle moccasins are drenched in wet snow. He removes the fur wrap covering his neck and face; his hair is blonde like Vincent's, his soft complexion is without blemish, and his eyes are beaming with blue. His voice cracks as he attempts to introduce himself.

"Hi, Mom."

12 hours later
The bottom of the Orchid Well

Kate shakes her head, confused. "What submarine?"

Alex exhales a sigh of relief. "Then there's still time. The only way to fix the mess Ben Linus created is for all of us to do our part."

"And what part is that?" Kate asks.

"I need you to move the Island."

Alex takes the lantern hanging on the wall and lights the wick. They enter the narrow cavern together; the walls gradually widen into a room with an ancient wooden wheel jutting from an opening in the rock face. Alex takes a metal crow bar and smashes the ice closest to the axle. Kate jostles the handle until the wheel shifts slightly forward. She readies her stance, firmly gripping her shoe tread into the frost, and pushes with all her might. A layer of ice crumbles to the ground. The wooden wheel creaks like a leaning tree about to fall. A glowing light ignites inside the rock followed by an intense high pitched ring; its intensity grows as the machine channels the water with the light.

"Your nephew says hello," Alex says, smiling.

Kate squints, confused. "What?"

"He called you Aunt Katy."

The reaction increases exponentially; an aura of pure energy fills the room. Kate falls unconscious, her mind drifting into a new awareness.

3 years later, 2007
The Lamppost Station
Los Angeles, California

Desmond notices the North American blip on the screen transition to a bright red. The words Warning: Anomaly Change Detected scroll across the screen.

"What is happening?" demands Desmond.

"Oh dear," gasps Eloise, holding her hand over her mouth. "A change to the anomaly means somebody has moved the Island, and according to the computer will be exiting the energy pocket beneath our feet at any moment!"

The ground tremors and loose particles from the ceiling rain down on to the floor. Paperclips, staples, pennies, and other random metal objects begin scooting across the marble floor to the center of the Pacific map. The lighting suddenly cuts off, turning the basement pitch black. A sparkling blue cloud of static electricity gathers at the ceiling and races down the pendulum cable; it spreads over the marble map then dissipates until the basement is pitch black again. Several seconds pass by and the lights flash back on; a beautiful woman with light freckles and brown hair lies unconscious at the map center, lying on her side and curled around the pendulum.

"Our visitor has arrived!" Eloise quickly pours a pitcher of water into a glass and kneels by her side. "Wake up my dear, wake up," she says, touching the cold water to her lips.

Desmond watches the entire event unfold from several feet away, cautiously stepping closer to look at the woman's face. "Wait a second; I know this woman. I've met her before on the Island."

She awakens suddenly, her first breath like coming up for air. She rapidly blinks as her eyes refocus to her new surroundings. The cold water to her lips is refreshing; she coughs at first then swallows several gulps. "Drink my dear, drink," Eloise encourages while tilting the glass. She turns her head; her eyes meet with Desmond's.

"Hello Kate," Desmond greets with a warm smile.

"Desmond," whispers Kate, her voice still weak.

Eloise is eager to find out who else is still alive and on the Island. "Are there any other survivors from Oceanic 815?"

"Yes." Kate straightens out of the fetal position then massages her temples to sooth the time traveling headache. "Jack, Sayid, Hurley, Jin, Sawyer; they're all there on the Island. The Others forced me at gunpoint into the Orchid and told me to move the Island."

"Is Daniel Faraday still alive?" asks Eloise, her voice trembling in anticipation.

"I watched him die, but that was before the Incident. Everything changed after we saved the Island," Kate explains.

Desmond can see Eloise is still troubled after hearing Kate's inconclusive answer. "Before Christian told me about Daniel, he told me that a sacrifice has been made. What do you think he meant?" Desmond asks Eloise.

Eloise is deep in thought, holding tight to the magical sack of cremation ash. "I suppose he meant one of the Oceanic passengers had to die."

"John Locke," answers Kate, clearing her throat with the last swig of water. "His death brought all of us back."

Kate slowly gathers herself from the blue marble floor, still recovering from Island teleportation. Desmond offers his arm for assistance; she stands hunched over, supporting herself with her hands on her knees. She glances around the station at the unusual pieces of Dharma equipment; the sketch of a large octagonal wheel on the chalkboard catches her eye. "That looks like the wheel I turned," she says, pointing to the chalkboard. "The chamber was frozen over with frost; I had to use a crowbar to get it unstuck."

Desmond glances to the computer monitor, hoping for the indication of another survivor using the exit portal. "Is anyone else coming?"

"Perhaps we'll never know," Eloise answers halfheartedly, trying hard to hide her disappointment that Daniel wasn't the one to first appear. "As I told you before, turning the mechanism yields results which are very unpredictable," she explains, unconvinced, pressing her hand against her heart like a mother missing her son. "Now that time on the Island has shifted, there's no telling when the other survivors will appear if they ever leave."

Desmond and Kate exchange glances, their hearts crushed at the possibility of never seeing their Island friends again. Kate's eyes swell with tears; although forced at gunpoint to turn the wheel, she's remorseful for being the cause of them possibly being lost in another time.

The notch along Desmond's nose tightens. "So what do we do now?" he asks, desperate to help.

"We wait," she answers bluntly. "I hope the man you spoke with at the hatch door knows what he's doing." She meditates briefly on the flickering candles to regain her composure then offers a final word of encouragement. "If the Oceanic survivors saved the Island, perhaps the Island will return the favor by bringing them back home."

*ring* *ring*

A black phone mounted on the wall next to the computer suddenly rings, breaking the candle light silence of the church basement.

"Oh Dear," says Eloise, startled by the alarm clock sounding ring, pressing her chest. "That phone hasn't rung for over a decade. It is a direct connection to the offices of the Dharma Initiative."

*ring* *ring*

"Dharma? You mean it connects to the Island?" Kate concludes.

"No, my Dear. Dharma Initiative headquarters are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan."

*ring* *ring*

Eloise blows the dust off the receiver before answering. "Hello, you've reached the Lamp Post."

"Hello, Elly."

Eloise takes a breath before responding. It's been three years since anyone has called her by her Island nickname. "Hello Charles," she replies.

"Has Hume arrived?"

"Yes," she whispers, subtly glancing to Desmond. "And so has our first arrival from the Island; Katherine Austen. I'll be looking out for any other changes to the anomaly; hopefully, other survivors will be arriving. Why are you calling?"

"I have good news. Jack's patient, Theresa Spencer, has awakened from her coma."

Greetings readers! Thanks for being patient with me and sticking around for this epic story! We have come such a long way…WOW… In case you didn't realize, the scene from the Lamp Post station is from way back in Chapters 57+58 in A Sacrifice the Island Demands. If you want a refresher of that scene, I suggest rereading from the end of 55 thru 58 to understand the full context… also, the scene where Claire awakens in The Staff and meets Aaron is from the end of Chapter 80…and also, scene with Alex and Kate at bottom of well is Chapter 85... so the Island has finally moved with 6 of our Losties remaining on it Jack, Hurley, Jin, Sayid, Sawyer, and pregnant Claire.. much more to come!