Locke welcomes Ben back to the 'land of the living'

Back in 2007, Ben is sleeping in the room with the other injured passengers where we saw him back in "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham." John Locke is sitting by his bed, waiting for him to wake up. As Ben slowly wakes, he is stunned to see a living, breathing Locke sitting by his side. Locke says "Hello, Ben. Welcome back to the land of the living." End episode.

Richard Alpert takes Ben to the temple to be healed

As Sawyer and Kat with Ben are being marched through the jungle, Richard Alpert appears. Sawyer asks him "Where the hell'd you come from" and Richard just brushes it off. Richard looks a Ben and asks "Is that Benjamin Linus?" Sawyer replies "You two know each other?" Richard asks what happened and Kate tells him that he was shot. Kate asks Richard to save Ben's life and she asks "Can you?" Richard says that if he takes Ben, he'll never be the same again. Kate asks him what he means and Richard says that he'll forget this ever happened and his innocence will be gone. He adds "He will always be one of us." He asks "Do you still want me to take him?" and Kate says yes. Richard takes Ben and then Erik steps up and tells him that "you shouldn't do this without talking to Ellie and if Charles finds out..." Richard interrupts and says "Let them find out. I don't answer to either of them." he then walks off with Ben into the jungle.

Richard carries Ben all the way to the temple where he backs in through a doorway.

So what happens to Ben in the temple? How is he healed? Why does he forget what happened and lose his innocence? How exactly does what's in the temple change him?

Kate tells Carole Littleton about Aaron, leaves him with her

Back off the island, Kate goes to Carole Littleton's hotel and tells her that Aaron is her grandson. She also tells her that Claire is alive on the island and they left other people behind too. She tells her that Claire disappeared and left Aaron behind which is why she took him. Carole asks why she lied and why she didn't come to her in the first place. Kate tells her that she need Aaron and she apologizes. She shows Carole a picture of Aaron and tells him that he is in a room two doors down. Kate tells Carole that she told Aaron about his grandmother and that Carole will take care of him while Kate is gone. Kate tells her that she's going back to the island to find Claire.

In the other hotel room with Aaron, Kate weeps over him for a moment before kissing him on the forehead and leaving him there. Her next stop is presumably Jack's place when he finds her crying in his bed.

So after all of the misdirection, Kate does leave Aaron with the most obvious person, his grandmother. Kate spent this episode telling the truth to both Cassidy and Carole. The question is, will either of them tell anyone else the truth? If so, what happens next?

Kate tells Sawyer about Clementine, the others ambush them

Kate and Sawyer are walking through the jungle and Sawyer is carrying Ben. When Kate asks about Ben letting Sayid out, Sawyer says that a kid will do almost anything if he's pissed off enough at his folks. Kate asks if that's why he wanted her to take car of his daughter Clementine. Sawyer asks what she's like and Kate says that she's beautiful and looks just like Sawyer when she smiles. Kate continues saying that Clementine is growing up fast and already as a little attitude. Kate then tells Sawyer that Cassidy said he jumped from the chopper because he was afraid of what would happen if he didn't. Sawyer tells Kate that they wouldn't have worked out and that he was no more fit to be her boyfriend than he is to be Clementine's father. When Kate says that Sawyer seems to be doing alright with Juliet, he says that he's done a lot of growing up in the past three years.

At that moment, they are captured by the others led by a guy named Erik. Erik tells them that they're violating the truce and Sawyer tells him that Ben has been shot which is both of their problems. Sawyer says unless they want to go to war, then he needs to take them to Richard Alpert.

So will this conversation mark the end of the Sawyer/Kate relationship? It's doubtful, but who knows.

Juliet ambushes Jack as he's coming out of the shower

Juliet bursts into the Dharma house where Miles is keeping Hurley and Jack. Hurley and Miles are playing dominoes at the table and Juliet asks where Jack is. Miles says he's in the shower and Juliet asks if they can have some privacy. Miles and Hurley hop up and as they're walking outside, Miles asks Hurley to ask him more about time travel.

As Jack steps out of the shower, he's shocked to find Juliet standing with her back to the door looking very pissed. Juliet tells Jack that she needed his help with Ben. Jack responds with "That kid's Ben." Juliet says "It's not Ben yet, he's just a kid." Juliet makes it clear that she's not asking for his help now because he's made it clear that he's not interested. She tells him that Kate and Sawyer have go to try to help because they actually care. Jack tells her that he came back to the island because he cares and to save her and the others. Juliet yells at him "We didn't need saving!" She tells him that they've been fine for three years and that he came back for himself. Jack tells her that he came back because he was supposed to but he doesn't know what he supposed to do yet. Juliet tells him that he better figure it out.

So what is Jack's purpose? Right now he's just being obnoxious which he's been good at for a while now.

Sawyer tells Kate why he's helping Ben, heads for the others

At the sonic fence, Sawyer inputs the code to deactivate it. Sawyer asks Kate how she was going to carry Ben all the way out there. Kate says that the others are just on the other side and Sawyer informs her that they're not just over the line. Kate then asks him why he's helping her and he says he's doing it because Juliet told him that "No matter what he's going to grow up to be, it's wrong to let a kid die." He continues saying that he's doing it for Juliet. He picks Ben up and they cross through the pylons towards the others.

Kate and Aaron go to Cassidy's house, we see Clementine

Kate and Aaron go back to Cassidy's house shortly after the grocery store incident. There is a no soliciting sign above Cassidy's doorbell much like the one Locke had on his door when he lived in the apartment. We finally get to see Sawyer's daughter Clementine who answers the door and calls Kate "Auntie Kate." She goes to get her mom and that's last we see of her.

Kate tells Cassidy about Jack and the others going back to the island. Kate tells her that Jack said they were not supposed to leave the island and Cassidy replies "Well Jack sounds like a piece of work." Kate then tells Cassidy how she lost Aaron in the grocery store and she says that she wasn't surprised and it was about time that it happened. Kate asks "Why would I expect him to be taken?" Cassidy replies "Because you took him Kate." Kate defends herself saying that Claire left Aaron and that she had to take him because he needed her. Cassidy tells Kate that "You needed him" because Sawyer broke her heart and Aaron helped fix it.

Cassidy tells Kate what's what in this scene, though the emotional reasons for Kate needing Aaron is just speculation. We finally see Clementine but for only a few seconds. I wonder if she'll show up again. Clearly Kate and Aaron had been to see Cassidy and Clementine somewhat regularly because Clementine immediately recognized Kate.

Sawyer finds Kate stopped at the sonic fence, is there to help

Kate arrives at the sonic fence in the van with Ben who is gasping in the back. She gets out and opens the side door and Ben tells her to tell his dad that he's sorry he took his keys. At that point Kate notices another van driving towards her. It's Sawyer who has come to help her help Ben.