Sink Or Swim

Chapter 69

Author's notes: Thank you to all who have read and reviewed and made Mac a real life Lostie! I cut out a lot of the island part with Jack and Hurley only because Mac wasn't there and this has always been her story. Hurley is the new keeper of the island, as in the show. Please please review!

Mac walked with the two groups, keeping either hand protectively on the children.

"Something you want to share with the rest of us, Doc?" Sawyer questioned him.

"What's that?" Jack asked him.

"You said you were going to kill Locke. What's your surprise?" Sawyer questioned.

"Desmond," Jack answered.

Mac looked at him. "Desmond?"

"How's that gonna work?" Sawyer questioned.

"I'm not sure yet. I can't believe Jacob would have brought him all the way back to this Island just so Locke could make him destroy it," Jack told them.

"So, what, Desmond is bait?" Sawyer asked.

"No. I think he's a weapon," he answered.

"That's a hell of a long con, Doc," Sawyer responded.

The group stops as the bamboo forest. Locke drew his knife.

"Jack, Desmond. It should just be the three of us from here on," Locke told them.

Jack nodded as Locke holstered his knife. Jack and Desmond start to follow Locke. Hurley and Mac approached Jack.

"Jack, I believe in you, dude," Hurley told him.

Jack nodded as he left with the group.

"Is he going to die?" Zach questioned.

Mac touched his face. "I don't know, Zach, I hope not," she told him as she looked at them as they walked away.

Sawyer offered Kate some water, Kate declined.

"Sawyer," Mac stated as she reached for the water bottle handing it to the kids as Ben's radio started making noises.

"You have a radio?" Mac questioned.

"Linus, are you there?" Miles voice came over the radio.

"What the hell is that?" Sawyer yelled.

"Miles, where are you?" Ben questioned.

"We just got to Hydra Island, we're on our way to the plane," Miles responded.

"Miles, listen to me. Whatever you do, don't blow up that plane!" Ben ordered.

"We're not gonna blow it up, we're gonna fly it the hell off the Island. Just get over here now," Miles responded.

"Son of a….." Mac started to say. "Guess I was wrong about you," she told Ben.

"Again," Ben reminded her.

"So what changed your mind?" Sawyer asked.

"I've always followed Jacob, Jack is the new Jacob. What Locke is doing is wrong," Ben told them.

Mac got out of the car and smiled at Sayid in front of the benefit hall. "Hey you," she greeted as she kissed him.

"Hey," he greeted. "Boone," he greeted as he hugged the younger man. "Where's Nathan and Shannon?"

"They wanted to spend some time together; we dropped them off at the church. You guys get Charlie?" Libby asked.

"Hurley carried him inside, he didn't want to come willingly," Sayid told them as he kissed Mac again.

"Has Kate remembered?" Mac asked as they walked into the benefit together.

"Not yet," Desmond answered as he met them and he nodded at Claire. "Claire, these are my friends. Mac, Sayid, Libby and Boone."

Mac smiled as she sat down. "You look like your due any minute. A boy right?"

Claire laughed. "Desmond told me that when we got off our flight that it was a boy, when I went to the doctor he confirmed it."

"Flight 815 right?" Libby questioned.

"Yeah…you were all on it?" Claire asked.

"Small world," Mac answered with a smile. "I bet he's going to be a handsome little boy who has everyone he meets eating off the palm of his hand. Do you have a name yet?"

"Aaron, I think," Claire answered.

"That's a good name," Sayid stated with a smile.

Claire stood. "I'm sorry but I have to go to the bathroom," she said as she excused herself.

Sayid saw Kate follow her. "She's going to deliver the baby as she did on the island, that's how they are going to remember."

Desmond nodded. "It won't be long now."

Mac looked up as a thunderstorm and a series of earthquakes hit the island.

"Hugo, get out the way!" Ben yelled as he pushed Hurley out of the way of a tree being pinned by the tree himself.

"Ohh!" Ben yelled.

"Stay right here!" Mac yelled at the kids as she ran over to help.

"We're gonna get you out of here, all right?" Kate told Ben.

Hurley, Kate and Sawyer attempt to free Ben.

"It's too damn heavy, there's no way we're getting it off him," Sawyer told them.

"We have to try!" Hurley informed them.

"One...two...three!" Kate counted as another earthquake happened, the tree moving.

Mac pulled him free. "You ok?"

Ben nodded. "I never thought I'd be saying thank you for saving my life."

"I never thought I'd be saving your life again," Mac told him.

"What is happening?" Kate questioned.

"I'll tell you what's happening! Locke was right! This Island's going down!" Sawyer yelled at them.

The walkie talkie sounded. "Linus, come in! Linus, come in! Linus, come in! Come in!"

"Miles. Is that you?" Kate questioned as she answered it.

"Yeah. What the hell is happening?" Miles questioned.

"Are you with Claire?" Kate questioned.

"She's here, but she doesn't want to come with us," he responded.

"Come with you where?" Kate demanded to know.

"Lapidus is working on the plane right now. Then we're taking off... Hey, how much longer 'til we get this thing in the air?" Miles questioned Frank.

"Frank's alive…." Mac stated being relieved.

"I still have to check the electrical and the hydraulics. Five hours, maybe six," Frank reported.

"You've got maybe one," Richard told them.

"Get your asses over here! We're leaving in an hour!" Miles ordered.

"Son of a bitch! How the hell are we supposed to get over there?" Sawyer questioned.

"I know how we can get there! Locke has a boat," Ben told them.

"Desmond's boat, the one you stole when you held us hostage?" Mac questioned.

"Thought we were all past that," Ben stated as Mac helped him up.

"I forgive, I don't forget," Mac told him. "We have to find Jack."

Desmond nodded at them. "Go on, we'll meet you at the church. Sawyer and Juliet should be remembering each other right about now."

Mac hugged Desmond. "See you there brother," Mac stated as she joined Sayid and started to go to the church.

"Mac…." She heard a voice call outside.

"Ana? Libby!" she called as she walked over. "Do you remember?"

Ana nodded. "I started having flashes after you came to see me at the diner, but today, I remembered. You are one persistent person."

"That's why you loved me," Mac said with a grin.

"Come on, we need to get to the church," Libby told them. "Jack should be going there to bury his dad soon."

Mac, Kate, Hurley, Ben, Emma and Zach come up Jack and Locke trade blows, with Locke finally stabbed Jack in his side; he then held the knife over Jack's throat as he tried to kill him.

"I want you to know Jack, you died for nothing!" Locke yelled as a gunshot rang out and hit Locke in the back.

"I saved you a bullet!" Kate yelled as another tremor shook the island.

"You're too late," Locke told them. The tremor stopped and Locke looked to realize that his plan has failed, and Jack kicked Locke off the cliff side, killing him as he hits the rocks below.

Ben turned on the walkie talkie. "Frank, how's it going over there? What's your timetable?"

"Don't bother me!" Frank yelled as he turned his side of the walkie talkie off.

"Sounds like they're making progress," Ben announced.

The ground shook violently again.

"I thought this was over!" Mac yelled, as she held onto the kids.

"We gotta go now," Sawyer told the group.

"I don't understand. Locke's dead, why is this still happening?" Kate questioned.

"Because whatever Desmond turned off...I need to turn it back on again. But if it doesn't work, if I don't get it done you all need to leave now. You need to get on that plane," Jack told them.

"You can come with us too, Jack. You don't have to do this," Kate pleaded with him.

"No I do have to do this," Jack told her.

"No, you don't! Let the Island sink, Jack," Kate pleaded.

"Kate...I can't," he answered as he looked at Sawyer. "You think you can get that boat across the channel in time?"

"Yeah, I can manage," Sawyer told him.

Jack gets up and shakes Sawyer's hand. "Good luck to you, James."

"Thanks, doc...for everything," Sawyer told him.

"Mac, get those kids home to their mother. And tell your son his father was the bravest man I knew," Jack said as he hugged her.

"Thank you," Mac whispered as she hugged him back.

"James!" Ben yelled as he threw the walkie-talkie to him. "If the Island's going down, I'm going down with it."

"Hugo, you better get going," Jack told Hurley.

"Uh-uh, no way. You think I'm going down that? I'm with you, dude," Hurley told him.

"Okay. Kate...you gotta go. Get Claire on that plane," Jack told her.

"Tell me I'm going to see you again," Kate pleaded with him as Jack shook his head and they kiss each other. "I love you."

"I love you," Jack stated before Jack, Hurley and Ben left while Kate cried.

Mac put an arm around her. "We have to go! You'll see him again. Maybe not in this life, but you'll be reunited. Claire needs you! You're the only one that can get her on that plane. For her son!"

Sawyer hit the walkie-talkie. "Yo Chesty," he said into it.

"Yeah?" Richard answered from the other end.

"We're on our way down to the sailboat then we're heading to you...don't leave without us," Sawyer responded.

Frank grabbed the walkie talkie. "We're getting off the ground while there's still ground to get off. So if you wanna go you better get your asses in gear."

"Lapidus! Lapidus! Son of a bitch"

"What now?" Mac questioned.

Sawyer looked to the sailboat and tossed the backpack away. "We jump," he said as he grabbed Zach's hand. "Hold on tight buckerroo. You got her?" Sawyer asked Mac as he nodded to Emma.

"I got her," Mac assured him as she took Emma's hand.

"I'll see you at the boat!" Kate said as she jumped off the ledge.

"Kate!" Sawyer yelled as he jumped with Zach.

Mac took a breath. "Ready?"

"Ready…" Emma answered as they jumped and swam to the boat. Sawyer helped them in.

On Hydra Island, Kate, Mac, Emma, Zach and Sawyer arrive on the beach. "Claire?"

The ground shook again and Sawyer noticed a piece of the main Island break away and fall into the water. "Oh, that ain't good."

Mac jumped off the boat and helped the kids. "Run to the plane! I'll be right behind you!" she ordered.

"Claire! Are you okay?" Kate yelled at her.

"The plane!" Mac yelled as it began to reverse.

"Come on, we gotta go! Come on!" Sawyer yelled.

"Claire, come on please!" Kate begged.

"I can't!" Claire answered with tears in her eyes.

"Why?" Kate questioned.

"Look at me! This Island's made me crazy, I-I don't want Aaron to see me like this. I don't even know how to be a mother anymore," Claire answered.

"Listen to me, none of us do. Not at first. But you're not alone. Let me help you, let Mac help you. Come on, let's go," Kate yelled as she pulled her arm.

Emma turns. "They aren't stopping! The plane it isn't stopping!" she yelled as she pointed.

"Sawyer! Tell him to stop! Tell him we're coming!" Kate yelled at Sawyer.

"Lapidus! Lapidus! Lapidus, hold on!" Sawyer yelled on the walkie talkie, it being evident that Frank doesn't hear him.

"No, you got to be kidding me!" Mac yelled waving her hands.

Richard and Miles buckle up in the cockpit. Frank prepareed to take off, but he noticed Sawyer, Kate and Claire on the runway.

"What the hell? Boys we got some late arrivals, open the door. Come on!" Frank ordered.

Inside the cave - Jack made it to his feet. He struggled to pick up the stone and slowly drags it to the hole. He pushes the stone into the hole and collapses with exhaustion. Over on Hydra Island, Miles opens the door to the plane and throws some wires out. Claire, Mac, Emma, Zach, Kate and Sawyer climb onto the plane.

"We're running out of time!" Frank yelled.

"Way to wait until the last second, Jim," Miles told them

"Good to see you too, Enos," James said as he sat down.

"We got 'em!" Richard yelled.

"Everybody buckle up tight! Hold on!"

Frank prepared the plane for takeoff. Outside, the runway begins to crack under the plane.

"Here we go," Frank told them. Mac sat in the middle seat between the kids and held their hands.

Frank accelerated and the plane begins to rocket along the runway. The passengers look nervous. Claire holds onto Kate's hand as Frank attempted to lift the plane into the air. "Come on. Come on."

The plane narrowly clears the tops of the trees and takes to the skies. Frank and the rest of the passengers give sighs of relief. "Amen."

Mac hugged Desmond and Penny in the church and smiled as Jack came out from the back room.

"We've been waiting for you Jack," Locke told him.

Jack greets Desmond and Penny, shaking Desmond's hand. He hugs Boone. On the Island, he stumbles through the bamboo forest, passing the white tennis shoe that once belonged to his father's corpse, now worn and dirty after 3 years exposed to the weather. At the church, he hugs Hurley. Claire, Charlie, Sun, Mac, and Sayid all gather around Aaron. Jack greets Sawyer before noticing Kate, and she holds his hand as they sit down in the pews. On the Island, Jack comes to the spot where he woke up from the crash and collapses to the ground, still clutching at his wound. At the church, everyone else sits down. Christian puts his hand on Jack's shoulder as he passes by. On the Island, Jack is laying on his back on the ground when he hears a dog bark - it's Vincent. Vincent greets him and then lays beside him. At the church, Christian walks down the aisle and opens the doors, leaving and letting a bright white light fill the room. Everyone gazes at their surroundings, Jack and Kate share a glance. On the Island, a dying Jack witnesses the Ajira plane fly over head. He smiles, knowing he isn't going to die for nothing. At the church, Jack is swallowed by the white light. On the Island, Jack's eye closes. He is gone.

The END