Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

the island (before)

As Daniel breathed in the saltiness of the ocean air, he had a strange feeling that something was about to go wrong.

Things were going too well. He made it off the island and convinced Miles and Charlotte to come with him. The freighter was in sight and the mercenaries were on the island. But Daniel couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

“Almost there,” He whispered.

“You don’t say,” Miles muttered sarcastically. Daniel turned red, having not expected anyone to hear him.

Charlotte, on the other hand, peered at the freighter, a strange expression crossing her face. Her eyes narrowed as she squinted to see what was happening on the deck.

“Something's wrong,” She noted as they drew nearer. All three of them had their eyes trained on the boat now and were slowly noticing the chaos occurring above decks.

By the time they reached the freighter, they could barely hear their own thoughts over the sound of shouting and blaring alarms.

Daniel climbed up the ladder quickly to be met by an extremely angry and agitated Desmond.

“Faraday!” He tried to yell, but his voice was hoarse. “Keamy set a bomb!”

He froze for a moment, and Desmond was about to shout again when the blades of a helicopter overpowered the sound of the alarm. Both Daniel and Desmond looked up to see Frank flying some of the 815 survivors onto the freighter that was about to explode.

“There’s a fuel leak,” Charlotte’s voice caused Daniel to jump since he didn’t realize she was next to him. “We have to fix it or the chopper isn’t going anywhere.”

The two of them rushed over and got to work, moving in sync.

Daniel would look back on that moment for years, playing it over and over in his head. He would always try to figure out how things could have gone right.

But it never did.

While Daniel and Charlotte repaired the helicopter, Miles was busy getting people onto the Zodiac raft.

The last thing Daniel heard Miles say to him was, “Get on the helicopter!” Then he was gone, taking as many people as he could back to the island.

Daniel and Charlotte didn’t think anything of it, of course. Besides their panic and having no time to think at all, they weren’t worried about not seeing Miles again because as far as they were concerned, they would be going back to the island.

That wasn’t how it happened.

And no matter how many times Daniel would wonder what would have changed if it did, that wouldn’t alter anything.

…

mainland

When Charlotte woke up, the side of her face was stuck to a keyboard. She sighed, realizing that she had fallen asleep at her computer. Again.

On the still-bright screen was an intricate map of the Pacific Ocean and the land surrounding it. Various coordinates were circled and some were crossed out.

None of them were the island.

Charlotte groaned as she rubbed her likely puffy eyes, trying to banish the sleepiness. She was still exhausted, but wanted to keep working.

“Char?” A soft, slightly annoyed voice came from behind her. “It’s four in the morning.”

“I thought I had a breakthrough,” She sighed as Daniel walked up behind her. “It didn’t work, and then I fell asleep.”

“Good,” Daniel said. “You need to get more sleep.”

“It’s been two years!” She exclaimed, suddenly a bit angry. “I can sleep when we find Miles again. Until then, coffee is enough to keep me going.”

“Charlotte…”

“We’ve gotten nowhere, Dan,” The anthropologist continued. “We don’t even know how the hell the island disappeared, let alone how to get back there.”

Her partner didn’t say anything.

“We’re missing something, a piece of the puzzle,” Charlotte noted. An idea crossed her mind, but she was cautious before saying it, knowing what Daniel would think. “Maybe… maybe we should go see her.”

“Absolutely not.”

Charlotte couldn’t blame Daniel for not wanting anything to do with his mother. On top of the fact that she had been generally quite awful for his whole life, when they got back from the island all she tried to do was separate Daniel and Charlotte and tell him that he messed up. Over and over again, Eloise insisted that Daniel failed her somehow.

It hurt him. He tried to hide it, but Charlotte knew how much Eloise’s words pained him inside. It was entirely understandable why he wouldn’t want to see her.

“I’m going back to sleep,” Daniel said. His voice had grown cold. “You should too.”

With that, he was gone.

Charlotte groaned and nearly punched the computer. It had been like that for a few months now, tension between her and Daniel. While neither of them were willing to admit it out loud, Daniel thought Charlotte was constantly going too far with her investigation and Charlotte thought Daniel wasn’t doing enough to help.

She knew that the fact they weren’t communicating about their resentment was only making it worse, but Charlotte certainly wasn’t going to make the first move.

When they first got back from the island, what they had experienced there made things strained, but they knew they had each other no matter what. Now, things weren’t so certain.

…

mainland (before)

Charlotte bolted awake, sweating and breathing heavily. The images from her most recent nightmare were already fading, but in the moment they had seemed so real.

Next to her, Daniel stirred automatically. For him, nightmares weren’t as frequent, though that may have had something to do with his memory issues. He recalled everything that happened on the island in decent enough detail, but not to the extent of Charlotte’s memories.

He tenderly put his arms around her as she shook, kicking the blanket off of her legs.

“You’re here with me,” He whispered. “You’re safe.”

Her breath came in shaky gasps, but at least she was able to breath. Daniel’s presence soothed her and the walls of the bedroom reminded her of where she was.

“I was on the boat again,” Charlotte said softly. She found that it was healthier to talk about the dreams after they happened in order to process. “Only instead of leaving, Miles was on it and we were still on the helicopter. I reached for him, and…”

She took a deep breath to steady herself.

“It exploded, like always.”

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. Charlotte pulled the blanket back up to her chest, the cold air starting to get to her.

“We’ll find a way back to the island,” Daniel promised. “And then we’ll find him.”

…

mainland

As Daniel walked into the bedroom, he considered turning around and apologizing for his distant behavior. It wasn’t fair to Charlotte, who was doing everything she could to get back to the island.

However, he thought better of it. Charlotte, after all, was trying too hard. At the rate she was going, she’d kill herself with sleep deprivation before the island even got the chance to show off all of its deadly features.

Dan sighed as he sat down on the bed, wondering how they had become so uncommunicative. He also felt guilty for what Charlotte thought of him and what he knew to be true: He wasn’t doing enough to help Miles.

Seeing Eloise would be the logical solution, wouldn’t it? He just couldn’t bring himself to do it, and despite their problems he knew Charlotte wouldn’t go to her if he wasn’t okay with it.

He missed Miles who, for all his faults, could easily see past all of the bullshit and come up with a simple. He wasn’t like Daniel and Charlotte who were constantly overthinking their every move. He always managed to see a clear path where the other two could only see a million forks in the road.

Come on, Miles, Daniel thought. Show me how to find you.

Unfortunately, no answer came.

Chapter Text

the searcher

Daniel pulled the ragged blanket around his shoulders as the nighttime chill set in. The ocean air felt like a million needles jabbing into his skin and leaving it covered in goosebumps. He considered getting another cup of coffee, but he’d already had too many.

They had been at sea for three days, but there was still no sign of the island. Many people on the boat just wanted to give up and go back to the mainland, but some were adamant that they kept looking.

As the wind blew, Daniel wondered if staying at sea would come of anything. The island disappeared. He doubted they would find it again.

Daniel’s train of thought was interrupted as their temporary host, Penny, sat down next to him holding two mugs of coffee.

“If you’re insisting upon staying up, you might as well actually stay awake,” She remarked as she handed him one of the mugs.

“Thanks,” He replied, taking it with a shivering hand.

“Everyone else is inside,” Penny added. “It’s much warmer.”

“I just needed some air,” Daniel sighed. “It’s too chaotic in there with everyone arguing.”

“Glad we can agree on something,” She said with a light laugh. “I don’t even have a side in the argument. Of course I want everyone home safely, especially Desmond, but how can we just leave the people left behind?”

“I don’t want to leave Mi- anyone behind,” He said. “But here’s the thing: There’s no explanation for what happened to the island. I’ve dealt with time travel, but there’s nothing scientific about this. We don’t even know where to start.”

He shivered again and took a large sip of the warm coffee, burning his throat a bit. He looked out at the horizon and realized he couldn’t see the horizon. The dark water and the dark sky only blended together.

“I’m sorry about your teammate,” Penny blurted out, breaking the silence. “The one who didn’t make it off the island.”

“I’m sure he’s alive,” Daniel said, though he wasn’t sure if that was to Penny or himself. “Making some sort of sarcastic comment.”

Miles was too damn stubborn to die.

“I’m worried about Charlotte,” He said in order to take his mind off of the ones left on the island. “She’s overworking herself, I don’t think she’s slept since we left.”

“She’s determined,” Penny noted. “It’s rather admirable.”

Everything about Charlotte was admirable, Daniel thought, even if many of those things nearly got her killed.

…

mainland

Charlotte was on the verge of falling asleep again when the phone rang.

She was grateful for it, really. She was awake, that was for sure. Still, as she answered the phone, she hoped that she wouldn’t regret it.

“Charlotte? It’s Kate.”

“Hey,” Charlotte said, though it sounded more like a yawn than a word.

“Uh… is this a bad time?”

“Not at all,” She said. “What’s the crisis this time?”

Daniel and Charlotte only ever talked to the Oceanic Six if there was an emergency. They actually talked to Desmond and Penny quite often, and they stayed in touch with Frank, but neither of them felt the need to reach out to the remaining 815 survivors.

“Not exactly a crisis,” Kate sighed. “I’ll just say it: Jack went to see Eloise and he has a way back to the island.”

Charlotte dropped the phone.

She didn’t know what to think as so many questions attacked her mind at the same time. Jack went to see Eloise? There was a way back? What would Daniel think? What would they find on the island? Was Eloise lying? Had Jack finally lost his mind? Would they finally be able to reunite with Miles?

It was that last question that mattered the most.

“Charlotte? You still there?”

“Yes, yes,” She muttered as she picked up the discarded phone. “How?”

“Ajira flight 316, LA to Guam,” Kate replied. “I… I’m going.”

Charlotte could tell by her voice that she left her adopted son behind, which was probably a difficult decision. She thought about her own question: Would they be able to see Miles again?

If there was even the slightest chance the answer was yes, she had to try.

“I’ll be there.”

Kate hung up soon after, leaving Charlotte at her desk, wondering what the hell she had just gotten herself into.

Herself… and possibly Daniel.

She looked over at the closed bedroom door and sighed. She didn’t want to go back without him, but what if he said no?

Charlotte walked over and gently opened the door, which creaked as she did so. Immediately, she could tell that Daniel wasn’t asleep. When he slept, he always ended up kicking the blanket off. But when he was lying in bed before falling asleep, he would pull the blanket up to his shoulders.

She climbed into the bed next to him, which had been growing increasingly rare. He turned to face her, looking forlorn.

Charlotte pushed a lock of his messy hair behind his ear and let her hand linger for a moment before speaking.

“I was just on the phone with Kate,” She began, knowing what sort of news she was about to deliver. “She says that Jack decided to talk to Eloise and… she told him how to get back to the island.”

Daniel was silent, so Charlotte continued.

“There’s a flight, Ajira 316,” She said, her voice catching. “I’m going to be on it.”

Charlotte searched in Daniel’s eyes for any sort of anger, but he stared right into her with the soft, kind eyes that she didn’t appreciate often enough.

“I love you,” He whispered. “You know that, don’t you? God, I hope you do. I hope you know how fucking amazing you are, Charlotte Lewis. I hope you know that wherever you are, I’ll be right behind you if you’ll have me. And if there’s a chance for us to get back to Miles then of course we have to take it, even with the risks.”

It was then that Charlotte realized she was wrong to ever doubt Daniel. Kindhearted, genius, wonderful Daniel. She should have known that she could always count on him.

There was just one more thing they all needed to be whole again.

…

At the airport, Daniel could sense that Charlotte was a bit on edge. She was fidgeting even more than usual and she wasn’t talking at all. Despite their reconciliation, the stress of going back to the island was, of course, a bit of a dampener.

“I’m gonna go get some food,” He said, breaking the silence. Charlotte only nodded as she stared out the large airport window, tapping her fingers on the table.

However, as Daniel stood up and began heading to the nearest Hudson News, he saw her glance at him and he gave her a half smile.

Inside the store, he flicked through the magazines on the wall, but nothing caught his eye. Then he saw it: a magazine in the back that promised a story about a major archaeological achievement. He picked it up, knowing that Charlotte would love it.

However, that brief moment of happiness was ruined as soon as he turned around.

“Mom?”

Eloise Hawking always looked rather clean. Even in a dingy airport like LAX, she somehow managed to keep herself presentable. That being said, she was clearly disappointed with how disheveled her son looked.

“Daniel,” She greeted curtly. “I don’t have long, but there is much we need to discuss.”

“I’d rather not,” He shot back.

“Oh, spare a little time for your mother,” Eloise sighed. “Charlotte certainly won’t notice how long you’ve been gone.”

“Don’t talk about her like that.”

“Well, it’s the truth isn’t it?” There was a bit of a laugh in her words. “Do you really think going back to the island will solve all of your problems?”

“You should leave,” Daniel said. “I don’t know why you’re here, but it can’t be good.”

“I’ll leave, certainly,” Eloise replied. “But only if you come with me. Let Charlotte board the plane alone and you will be better off for it.”

Daniel didn’t even know how to respond to that. He expected her to say something crazy, but not that crazy. Did he actually think he would leave Charlotte? That he wouldn’t get on the plane to save Miles?

“You really don’t know me at all.”

He walked towards the cashier, paid for the magazine, and was about to leave when his mother said one more thing.

“Very well,” She sighed, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “This was your last chance.”

Daniel hesitated for a moment, but he soon walked away.

Chapter Text

mainland

The first person Charlotte saw was Kate, when she had gone to the bathroom. They didn’t acknowledge each other, but they both knew that the other was there.

The second person they saw was Sun as Daniel and Charlotte passed by the row of chairs where she was sitting.

Third, they saw Hurley anxiously standing in line at a burger place.

Fourth, they saw Sayid being escorted across the airport by an unfamiliar woman.

Fifth was Jack, who stood behind them in line to board.

None of them were particularly alarming, of course, since they knew they’d be there. No, the true shock of the day came as they sat down and someone else passed them on the way to his seat.

The one and only Ben Linus.

“He got off the island?” Daniel whispered incredulously. Charlotte didn’t have time to reply since as soon as Daniel spoke, a strangely familiar voice filled the plane.

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Ajira Air. This is your captain, Frank J. Lapidus, and I’m pleased to let you know we’re right on schedule and will be taking off shortly.”

Charlotte’s eyes were so wide that they nearly popped out of their sockets. She slowly turned to look at Daniel, who had gone extremely pale.

Frank is here. He’s flying the plane.

“Well if we weren’t sure we were gonna crash…” Daniel trailed off with a sigh.

Charlotte knew he was right. Frank was supposed to be the pilot of Oceanic 815, so him being the pilot of Ajira 316 couldn’t be a coincidence.

They sat in silence throughout takeoff, with both of them paying attention to the safety instructions in case they were needed. In their situation, it would be highly likely.

It wasn’t until they had been in the air for about half an hour when one of them spoke.

“Talk about something,” Daniel whispered. “Anything. Please.”

Charlotte glanced over at him and saw a look of distress in his eyes. He was scared. Charlotte was too, not that she would ever admit it, and she understood Dan’s need for a distraction.

“When we were on the island,” She began. “And we were separated, I found myself… wishing I had what the 815 survivors had. A team, a family, people they could rely on. I was all alone, and they were together. As I watched them more, I remembered how dysfunctional a family could be.”

Her eyes darted around at the five 815 survivors on the plane, hoping none of them heard that. Daniel let out a laugh, albeit a nervous one.

“It wasn’t until we were all back together, the three of us, when I realized I was on my way to having what I’d been longing for,” Charlotte continued. “A family. A messy one, but aren’t all families a bit of a mess?”

“Just a bit?”


Charlotte smiled and rested her head on Daniel’s shoulder. Outside the window, the sky flashed by, clouds moving in and out of view.

“We’ll be okay,” She whispered.

“Of course we will,” Daniel replied softly.

It wasn’t long before the plane started to shake.

Almost instinctively, Charlotte grabbed Daniel’s hand. Their grips were equally tight as the turbulence became more and more violent. The other passengers were just on edge, especially those who knew what was about to happen.

They were together. All that mattered was that they were…

“Charlotte?”

All of a sudden, Charlotte was gone. Her seat empty, no hand in Daniel’s. One minute she was there, the next she disappeared.

“Charlotte? Charlotte!”

Daniel’s breaths came in quick, short bursts as he looked for her and realized that most of the Oceanic Six were gone too. His panic only increased when he looked out the window and saw the rapidly approaching island.

He knew that Frank was an extremely capable pilot, but could he manage to land the plane safely.

As the island grew closer and closer, he certainly hoped so.

The impact on the ground was rough, but at least they made it there. From that point, they just had to stop.

Daniel gripped the armrests of the seat so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The plane was moving at a speed that was far too fast.

It seemed like hours before they slowed to a stop even though it was likely no more than a minute. It was only once the plane wasn’t in motion that Daniel was able to truly register what happened.

Charlotte was gone and he was stuck on the island alone.

…

the island (way before)

When Charlotte woke up, she was back on the island.

Immediately, her head was clouded with confusion. What happened on the plane? When was the crash? Where was Daniel?

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the answer to any of those questions.

As she sat up, her head pounded and black spots danced across her vision. Hopefully just a headache and not a concussion, though she wasn’t sure what she could have gotten a concussion from.

“Charlotte? Is that Charlotte? Hey!”

She turned sharply at the sound of a voice and saw a dripping wet Hurley standing near a stream and holding a guitar case.

As quickly as she could, she made her way over to him, brushing the dirt off of her clothes as she did so. Once she made it over, she noticed Jack and Kate nearby as well.

Daniel was nowhere in sight.

“What happened?” She asked. “In the crash, what happened?”

“Uh… I don’t know if there was a crash,” Hurley said.

“Hey!” Charlotte called out to Jack and Kate, hoping they might have answers. “Where’s the plane?”


The two of them walked over quickly, looking as anxious as Charlotte felt. Kate looked especially worried, while Jack had a sort of excitement in his eyes, though it was downplayed.

“Do any of you remember crashing?” Jack asked.

“Crashing?” Hurley said. “No. One second, I’m being tossed around. The next thing I know, I’m in the lagoon.”

Charlotte nodded in agreement, that exact same thing having happened to her. Kate and Jack’s stories also seemed to align with Hurley’s, which only worried Charlotte more.

“Where’s Sun, Sayid, and Daniel?” Kate wondered. Then, another thought dawned on her. “Where’s Ben?”

“We should spread out and search the jungle,” Jack suggested. “If we-“


He was interrupted by the sound of… a car? No, as it came closer Charlotte could see that it was a van. She audibly gasped when she saw the symbol on the side: the DHARMA Initiative logo.

“Oh no,” She whispered, having a pretty good idea of where they were.

Her theory was only strengthened when the driver stepped out: Jin, in a DHARMA jumpsuit.

That was what happened to the ones left behind, they traveled back in time. And now, Charlotte did too.

The next hour or so was entirely a blur. There was a lot of frustrated but controlled yelling, outfit changes, and a shit ton of people saying “namaste.” Charlotte mostly ignored everything, only wanting to see the person she came for.

When they arrived at the Barracks, it seemed that the Initiative was throwing some sort of poorly organized welcome party that no one was eager to be part of.

As Charlotte got out of the van, her eyes scanned the crowd of people in matching jumpsuits, looking for the one she wanted to see the most. She began to think that he wasn't there, that maybe he didn't make it that far. Tears filled her eyes, but the need for them was quickly diminished when she heard an unmistakable voice coming from behind her.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Chapter Text

the island (way before)

Until he actually saw them, Miles thought he was having a really weird dream.

After all, there was no plausible way the ones who left came back to the island. It simply couldn’t have happened, at least in Miles’ mind. When he got the call from Jim, he didn’t actually think he would have to deal with it. No, to Miles it was just a dream or a prank or a dare, something he’d forget about in a few hours.

Then he saw a head of flaming red hair and all illusions were gone.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He said to Charlotte before he could stop himself.

There she was, Charlotte Lewis herself, surrounded by others who also shouldn’t be there. Her expression was one of confusion at Miles’ blunt statement.

He knew he shouldn’t have said that. He shouldn’t have acknowledged her at all. He wasn’t supposed to know her, he wasn’t supposed to be angry or annoyed at her. Miles needed to be more careful.

He felt slightly guilty when he saw how hurt Charlotte looked, but that guilt soon faded when the anger set right back in.

Miles hung back while James got them settled in. He didn’t trust himself not to say something. It wasn’t until a call from Jin confirming the whereabouts of Sayid came in that Miles had to take over.

James went to deal with that insanity, leaving Miles to show everyone to their new houses. Jack, Kate, and Hurley all dispersed easily, but Charlotte, stubborn as ever, refused to leave.

“Do you want me to look suspicious?” Miles whispered.

“I…” Charlotte seemed flustered, which was unlike her. “Is there nowhere we can talk?”

Miles knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t back down. He sighed, knowing that he was probably needed somewhere but also wanting to get the conversation over with.

“C’mon,” He said. “I’ll show you to your house.”

Luckily, Charlotte hadn’t been assigned a roommate yet, meaning that was an optimal space to talk.

As soon as the door closed, the redhead did something Miles wouldn’t have expected in a million years. She hugged him.

“Uh.” Miles could barely breathe in her tight embrace. “Huh?”

“I’m so sorry,” she gasped as she pulled away. “I’m so, so, so-“

“For what?”

Charlotte gaped at him, her brilliant blue eyes filling with confusion. Did she think he was joking? Miles had absolutely no idea what Charlotte felt such intense remorse for, and frankly, he was more confused than she was.

“We… we left you,” she whispered.

“Left me…”

“Are you joking?” Charlotte snapped suddenly. “The island! The damn island! We got on that bloody helicopter and we left you here by yourself and it’s all I could think about for the last three years and… and…”

She rushed forward and embraced him again, sobbing into his shoulder, her grip so tight that it would certainly leave marks.

“And why the fuck am I crying?” She said in between teary gasps for breath.

Miles stood there, motionless. He wasn’t quite sure what to do. The past three years, he assumed Charlotte and Daniel had moved past any thoughts of him almost instantly, living some happy, perfect life together. There was no chance, no fucking chance that they thought about him. And the idea that they would actively try to go back to the island for him? Absolutely ridiculous.

Yet there she was.

And without knowing he was doing, Miles returned her embrace, realizing just how lonely he had been, just how much he needed them. God, it felt good.

Then it dawned on him.

“Wait.” Miles pulled away abruptly. “Where’s Dan?”

…

the island (the way it is)

“Faraday?”


Daniel groaned, pushing himself from his seat. He stumbled slightly, but offered the bewildered Frank a slight, weak smile.

“Hey, Frank.”

“What are you doing here?” The pilot demanded quietly.

“Well,” Daniel sighed. “We promised we wouldn’t leave anyone behind, right?”

Frank snorted. “No damn way any of us promised something like that.”

He fully righted himself and looked Frank directly in the eyes, somehow feeling renewed confidence in the wake of all this catastrophe. Charlotte was who-knows-where, along with most of the Oceanic Six, but Daniel wasn’t going to sit by idly.

“I’m promising that right now.”

“Daniel? Frank?”

Both men turned to see Sun Kwon stumbling towards them, her impeccable attire somewhat ruffled by the crash.

She understands, Daniel realized suddenly. She’s here for the same reason as me.

“You alright?” Frank asked.

“What happened?” Sun gasped, not bothering to answer Frank’s question.

“Hell if I know,” he sighed. He glanced around the cabin, and the confusion began to set it. “Where’s everyone else? Jack, Kate, Charlotte, Hurley… where’d they go?”

“They’re gone.”

The three of them whirled around to see a horribly bruised Ben Linus standing before them, his electric blue eyes filled with so much mystery that Daniel was uncomfortable. He didn’t seem affected by the crash at all; perfectly calm, not a hint of worry… if Daniel didn’t know any better, he might even describe him as content.

“Gone where?” Frank demanded, growing more and more exasperated by the minute.

Ben’s answer sent chills down Daniel’s spine.

“How would I know?”

…

Daniel paced impatiently.

How long had they been stuck on this damn beach? Perhaps it was mere hours, but it felt like years to him. If going back here had taken Charlotte from him too…

What if my mother was right?

No. Daniel had to trust his instinct, and his instinct told him she had ulterior motives, like she always did. Nothing good could ever come of listening to her, he knew that. He wouldn’t become so hopeless that he abandoned his own rules. He couldn’t.

Daniel, in his brooding state, didn’t even notice Frank sitting down next to him until he groaned loudly, stretching out his legs.

“Jesus,” he sighed. “What the hell have you all gotten us into?”

“Wasn’t me,” Daniel muttered.

“And we couldn’t even have crashed on the right island,” Frank continued, ignoring what Daniel said and gazing out towards the larger island across the water. Daniel had to admit, that annoyed him as well. “These people are gonna start asking questions, Dan.”

“I don’t have any answers, Frank,” Daniel snapped. “I boarded that plane because nothing was gonna stop Charlotte from coming here. I’m the one who gave up! Do you think this is punishment for that? Hm? I gave up, and now the island is laughing at me.”

He huffed and glanced over at Frank, but the pilot wasn’t looking at him. No, his eyes were trained on the undergrowth, into which Sun suddenly disappeared.

“You got a lot to unpack,” Frank said. “And I’m sorry to interrupt all that, but we gotta follow her.”

Daniel threw up his hands in exasperation and scrambled to his feet, following Sun’s footprints. Part of him felt a slight pang of anger - he thought they would work together, but she just up and left?

They followed her trail through the jungle, moving swiftly. All of Daniel’s instincts from his brief stint on the island returned as he traipsed through a damn jungle once more, cursing to himself the entire way.

If only Miles could see me now, Daniel thought. He’d be proud of me for having a negative attitude.

He smiled at the idea, and then grinned even wider when he realizes the negativity was gone, and Miles would be making a sarcastic comment about him right about now.

They would all find each other again. They had to.

“Sun!” Frank called suddenly, moving faster. Daniel glanced around to see her standing with Ben of all people.

He followed Frank through the bushes and burst into the clearing under the scrutiny of Ben’s raised eyebrows.

“Hello Daniel, Frank.”

“Everything alright?” Daniel said to Sun while side-eyeing Ben. He didn’t know the man well, but he knew he wasn’t trustworthy.

“I’m fine,” she said, perfectly poised.
“And, uh… what, exactly are you doing out here?” Frank interjected.

“Ben knows where to find a boat,” Sun said. Daniel was shocked by how calm she was. “I’m going back to the main island with him.”
Frank gaped at her. “You don’t actually think you can trust this guy, right?”

“I have to trust him.”

Daniel, despite being wary of Sun’s faith in Ben, had an entirely different reaction from the pilot. “I’m coming with you.”

“Dan!”

“Fine,” said Ben. “Let’s not waste any more time.”

He pushed through the undergrowth, not bothering to tell any of them where he was actually going. Daniel and Sun followed him eagerly, while Frank dragged his feet behind them.

“Sun, Daniel. Please think about this!” Frank pleaded with them as they came upon three outriggers, one of them being prepared by Ben. “This guy is dangerous. Daniel, don’t tell me you don’t remember Keamy. He was sent here for him!”
“And how did that work out for him?” Ben replied icily.

“Of course I remember what happened, Frank,” Daniel said, picking up two oars from inside the outrigger and handing one to Sun. “But if this is what I have to do to get back to them… it’s worth it.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sun offer him a reassuring glance.

“Come with us,” he offered, holding his oar out to Frank.
“There’s a group of people I gotta look after,” Frank replied, crossing his arms. “I can’t just run away. What happened to the man who was just lamenting that he’d given up?”

Before Daniel could say anything, Ben scoffed. “A captain’s first responsibility is to his passengers. But I have people to take care of too. I used to live in a town on the island. There are resources we need there. So if you want that plane to ever leave this island-“

If Daniel hadn’t been looking directly at Ben, he would have missed the oar hitting the back of his head. However, there was no missing his collapse, revealing Sun behind him, breathing heavily.

“I… I thought you trusted him,” Frank said, mouth agape.

“I lied.”

And Daniel knew then that he would never underestimate her again.