8.16.2010

THE BETTER ENDING

much more is written, just not yet posted

Alternate to Across the Sea

Back on the mainland (Alt+B), Desmond has tracked down Charlie again. Charlie is standing on the edge of a very high, very steep cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean - 

Charlie looks severely depressed, his eyes closed, the wind sweeping through his hair, the sun on his face.

"Charlie," Desmond intones, "don't do it." 

Charlie opens his eyes. "You again?!" "How did you find me?" Charlie demands. 

Desmond replies, "It took some doing. You don't have to do this. I've seen what you've seen, and I now know what it means." 

Charlie laughs a contemptuous laugh, "It doesn't mean anything." Charlie inches forward and Desmond stops his approach. 

 "That's where you're wrong. This reality, Charlie - this one - is the one that matters." 

"This reality is Bollocks -" Charlie snaps back. 

 "Charlie, something happened to me in that other place you've been seeing - where we've had, have lives. I saw things, I know things. If you die here, you'll live there." 

"She's there," Charlie replies. 

"But it is a prison there - a hellish place with no peace." 

Charlie ponders Desmond's words and looks into the setting sun, "And I have no peace here." 

Charlie falls forward, down and down, bouncing off the cliff face and crashes into the sea below.


Back on the island, we see Sayid approach the well from Desmond's POV and and lean over. Sayid points his gun at Desmond's head. 

"You don't seem afraid," Sayid says. 

"I'm not - of you, Locke, the island, or any of this," Desmond replies.

Sayid ponders this for a moment, "Why not?" Desmond stares at Sayid intently, and the rudeness of the pointed gun fills the space between them and Sayid puts it down. 

"Because, none of this matters, Sayid." 

Sayid cocks his head at Desmond's conviction - a wave of realization washes over him, "I'll be back." 

Desmond patiently waits and then some strong vines are thrown down and Sayid leans over, "Climb up, Desmond, and tell me more."


Alt+B finds Desmond searching through the hospital for Locke (whom he's hit with his car). He rounds a corridor and there stands ... Eloise. 

"Leave him alone, Desmond." 

 "You!" Desmond is startled. 

Eloise stands her ground in the empty corridor, "You don't know what you're doing." 

Desmond narrows his gaze at her, "I know exactly what I'm doing." Desmond starts to walk toward her to go past, she pulls a gun from her purse, 

"Stop there. You're bringing chaos to order Desmond!" 

"Precisely." Desmond pushed past, she fires the gun as he goes for it and a shot rings out into the hallway - in the distance can be heard a scream and sounds of running as people peer around corners to see what is going on. 

"You'll destroy everything!" Eloise implores. 

Desmond has control of the gun and takes if from her hand and drops it - kicking it away, holding her - more for control than an embrace. 

"Do you think you're the only one who sees?" she demands. "I saw during that explosion - all of our lives, all of the timelines - that place didn't let me die and I've tried to create one version of life with some peace and happiness ever since and I won't let you destroy it!" 

Desmond senses the approach of people and security - he forces Eloise and they duck into an exit stairwell - he pushes her up a couple of flights and then corners her against the wall. "Now, listen! I have seen very recently - and what I saw says the timelines are closing in - there is only this reality and the island. He has killed the man who lived in the foot of the temple -" 

"Jacob," Eloise interjects. 

"... and he has taken over John Locke and he's trying to get free of the island. I see bits and pieces but it's as if I'm there and here." 

Eloise grows soft, "What about my husband - over there?" 

"He put me a machine - magnetism - and somehow that brought me here," Desmond answers. 

Eloise puts her hands over her face, "Oh no, he doesn't know what he's done." 

"Maybe he does," Desmond retorts. 

Eloise ponders this and grows hard again, "No, we are happy here - the horrors of that place forgotten and never to be known by any of them!" 

"You only care about your own happiness!? What about their lives? You'd trap them in hell, knowing what you know?" 

Eloise stares at Desmond intently, a floor down security can be heard opening the door to the stairwell and talking. Desmond looks away toward the commotion and Eloise pulls out a stun gun from her purse and zaps Desmond.

Desmond falls to the floor unconscious and she makes her getaway up a flight, but not before shouting down to the floor below, "He's up here!"


Back on the island, Hurley is lagging behind as Smoke Monster/Locke leads the group (Kate, Sawyer, Jack, Claire and Frank) toward the submarine. It is nighttime, and they are back on the main island after their failed attempt to use the plane on the little island (they realized that with no runway and sand in the engines and the C4 Widmore put on there it was a no-go). 

It is now night and Hurley is hearing the whispering in the jungle. 

 "You're lagging behind, Hurley," Locke confronts him. 

 "Yeah man, I not so sure I think this is a good idea." 

Locke just stares at him, "Pick up the pace." 

"Yeah, well I've gotta pee." Hurley peels off into the jungle and Locke just stares after him, disgusted, 

 "Well, don't listen to anybody." 

Hurley tromps off and shoots back a disdainful look. In the thicket of jungle foliage he whips it out and starts peeing and up walks Michael. 

"You couldn't wait until I'm through?" Hurley asks. 

"It doesn't matter. Just get to that submarine. It's your only way home." 

Hurley has finished, wiped off and starts to head back, ignoring Michael. 

"Listen to Locke, Hurley." 

Hurley bites his lip and turns abruptly. "I think that listening to you has put us all in danger and that the last thing I should do is listen to Locke."

A voice comes from the darkness, "Listen to your heart, Hurley." 

It is Libby, stepping forward from the leaves and darkness. 

Michael is taken aback. Libby stares him down, "Go away Michael." Michael reluctantly complies with Libby's order - walking off and fading away into the jungle.

"It's great to see you," Hurley says. 

Libby smiles. "He's coming, you have to go. Listen to your heart, Hurley, it's a good one. You'll know what to do when the time comes."

Rustling alerts Hurley to Locke's presence. "Are you done? we need to go." Hurley looks back to where Libby had been standing, but she's gone.


Alternate to What They Died For
Alt+B - Desmond is interrogated by the Police for the hit-and-run on Locke and for being at the hospital. Widmore pulls strings and bails him out - they have a talk in Widmore's car: he has indulged Eloise's craziness (as he sees it) for a long time, but her seemingly prescient knowledge made him very rich. 

"She's not crazy, Charles."

Island - we finish the Desmond rescue by Sayid and Desmond convinces Sayid that he feels dead on the island because he is, and tells him his life in Alt+B is what counts and says he can show him a glimpse of it - Sayid allows Desmond to choke him and Sayid sees flashes of the Alt+B timestream and his life with his lady love. Sayid takes the gun, sits on the edge with his back above the well and shoots himself - his body falling into the well. Desmond is horrified at the violence, but understands and runs off into the thicket ...

Hurley is seething, angry at himself for getting his group in SmokeMonster/Locke's clutches. 

He has caught up the group as they head toward the coast and the sub. 

Hurley has a rock, he works his way close to Locke and finds his opportunity and smashes Locke's head with it - Locke transforms into SmokeMonster before their eyes and wraps its tendrils around Hurley and lifts him, choking him. Hurley is determined and stares into it. 

Smokey puts him down and Hurley spits the words, "You need me, and until you don't you won't kill me." 

 Smokey transforms back into Locke. 

Hurley addresses the stunned group, "Until Jacob picks which of us is to replace him he won't kill the candidates - you (Jack), you (Sawyer), and me." 

Locke, also seething, transforms his arms into Smokey and grabs Frank with one and Claire with the other and dashes her against a tree - killing her ... he lowers Frank back to the ground (Frank gulps) and his arms return to Locke form. 

Kate flies into a rage, "She's a mother! You son-of-a-bitch! You're evil!" 

Locke stares impassively, "Now you're getting the picture. I'll give you a minute to mourn your loss. Don't make me come back for you." Locke walks on ahead into the jungle - we see his torch-light moving away. 

Hurley says, "This is my fault. I'm so sorry." "It's not your fault, Hurley," Kate chimes up. "Yes, it is! I saw Michael and he told me we should meet up with Locke, and I listened to him!" Hurley chokes back a sob as he leans over the dead Claire. "But I just saw Libby and she told me to trust my feelings, and I feel like the sub's a bad idea." Hurley sobs, Jack consoles him, "You always try to do the right thing - that's what matters." 

The light from Locke's torch seems to be approaching. "He's coming back," Jack points out, "we'll have to figure something out on the way."

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