Stuff: After a break, I've written another Benliet. I'm just going to be a shipper for this coz my Ben/Annie fic didn't go so well and I like this couple anyway. It's unfortunate that there aren't many Ben/Juliet youtube vids as well. But I saw this really good Ben/Juliet/Goodwin vid. Watch Never Gonna Happen- Ben/Juliet on youtube. It's a Lily Allen song as well. It isn't my vid but i thought it was great.
Anyway, this fic takes place before and slightly after Namaste (Australia is not up to that episode yet, we're still at the Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham but I know about Namaste). There are 3 time zones based all around the Man Behind the Curtain and my version of Juliet's interation with lil' Ben in Namaste flashbacks but in a WAY different perspective. Enjoy reading! Tsuess.
"Please Richard, please do this for us." Juliet pleaded. She, Sawyer, Daniel, Miles and Jin had almost about enough of the flashes and they were so close to the Barrack's they could smell the Dharma ranch in the pantries. Lucky for them they had found a long-haired Richard wandering through the jungle and knew he would recognize them from when 'Jughead' was causing him and his people problems. "Can you help us get into the Barracks?"
"I'm sorry, but I have no one on the inside, yet." A small glint in his eye flashed. "Maybe if you do your time flash thing again you'll have better luck." His sarcasm was undeniable.
Sawyer angered at the ageless man's joke. "Shut up, tree wookie. It doesn't work that way."
Needing more support and less confrontation to help their case of getting to the Barracks, Juliet butted in. "Richard, we don't know whether we can get into the Barracks if we go forward or backward in time. We know it's here, we saw it and we finally know what year it is, so please, can you help us."
Richard scratched his chin in thought, musing whether or not he should trust these time-travelers. Even the word sounded preposterous to him but he cut them some slack when he thought about his own status. "Fine I'll…" A twig snapped and his voice faded into an alert whisper. "Don't move."
"Yeah and why the hell not?" Sawyer spat back.
A young boy in the distance could be just seen in the direction Richard pointed to. He looked about 14 years old and looked extremely worried but determined. He must have heard the echoes of their conversation and was worried that someone was following him. Juliet peered over Sawyer's shoulder and felt saddened when the boy cried out for his mother. "Mom? Mom! Mom!"
Richard knew he should get rid of the boy before he caused any disruption with his new temporary group (the Hostiles had made camp 2miles west) but smiled at the others instead. Everyone looked back at him confused except Daniel and watched as he crept silently away and towards the young man. "Wait, don't." Sawyer whispered in objection. He didn't want no snot-nose kid leading him around.
"Shush, this is perfect." Daniel replied calmly and with a hint of hope.
"Mom!" Richard snapped a stick under his foot to get the boys attention. The kid whirled around in fright and almost ran, or fainted, at the sight of the ragged looking man.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Richard put his hands up slightly to show that he meant no harm. "Whoa. Whoa, hey, hey, whoa, I didn't mean to scare you." The boy stumbled back a bit more, almost ready to leave. "Wait, wait! Are you lost? Wait!"
The teen seemed to gather his self and put on his most serious face. "Are you one of them?"
"One of whom?" The kid needed to be more specific in case he was setting Richard up somehow and caught him out.
"A hostile?" Richard had to smile and scoff in absurdity.
"Do you even know what that word means? What's your name?"
"Ben."
Juliet had to do a double take on the situation that was happening in front of her. This little boy was the most feared man on the Island in the future? At first she wanted to run out to him and hug him, saying thanks for him to be the one to stumble on their little party for some reason.
"Ben?" The name seemed to ring a bell. He seemed to recall the group behind him saying something about a man named Ben, specifically the woman named Juliet. Perhaps she had close connections with him. "So you wanna tell me what you're doing in the middle of the jungle all by yourself?"
"I left home, and...I'm looking for my Mom." The answered seemed so innocent and sweet to Juliet that she almost doubted this was the same Ben as the one in the future. But of course, this was Ben, so there was probably a catch with the statement. She was right, but never realised how right.
"You think she's out here?"
"You wouldn't believe me."
"Try me."
"She's dead." Sawyer looked over at Juliet and Daniel with a frown. Ben was looking for his dead mother? For what reason?
Juliet shrugged as did Daniel and they both keenly looked back at the scene unfolding in front of them which Miles hadn't taken his eyes off for a second.
"…when I was a baby." For some reason James was affected by this. His frown deepened. He thought he was young when his parent died, but to never even know your mother, now that was horrible.
"Did you see her, out here, Ben, in the jungle?"
"She talked to me." Richard frowned. Jacob talked to people through memories and the dead. This boy had to be special if he managed to speak, or just see Jacob.
"What did she say?"
"That I couldn't come with her. She said it wasn't time yet." Pure disgust came through Ben's mouth and it was obvious that something bad must have happened for him to wonder through the jungle with a bag full of possessions. Juliet just managed see the head of something crudely cut from wood poking out of his satchel bag.
"You should go home now; your people will be looking for you." Hopefully some reverse psychology could work on the boy.
This angered Ben instead. He began to shout in venom at Richard. "I don't want to go back there! I hate it there!" Suddenly he calmed. "Take me with you."
So this is how Ben became an Other Juliet mused.
"Maybe that can happen, maybe. But if that's what you really want, Ben, if that's what you want, I want you to really think about that. And you're gonna have…" A brilliant white light washed over the group of 5 and the sound of humming filled their ears. Everyone keeled over in pain and waited in agony as the flash passed.
The light passed and everyone stood from their crouches. Richard along with the young Ben, whom still kept Juliet in awe for he was so strongly against the Dharma even as a kid and that she learnt some things about him that he'd have never told her in person, had disappeared and the scenery around them had changed and looked somewhat older.
"Where are we now, Gizmo?" Sawyer rounded on Daniel, causing the scientist to wobble and trip backwards on a canister. Sawyer noticed the little can and picked it up. "What is this? Dharma Initiative smoke grenade. Why the hell would they need this?"
An abrupt rustle of leaves alerted everyone of someone coming closer to them. They couldn't see anyone but heard soft incoherent mumbling. "Who do you think it is?" Miles asked who had been quiet the whole time beside Jin.
"Others?" Jin replied.
Daniel and Juliet caught a glimpse of the oncoming figure, but even just seeing the persons outfit, the two knew who it was. "No, someone worse."
"Haven't we seen this guy enough times already?" Sawyer irked.
It was Ben. He had his satchel bag secured around his shoulder but a content of the bag slipped out unknowingly. Ben failed to notice the light thud of the wooden statue but Juliet waited until he had passed their hiding place before she was on the mark and picking up the carving. It was a small wooden doll of a girl in a blue dress. She had a dot for a nose and a happy smile. This is Ben's? Juliet wondered why a 30 year old guy had a doll. She guessed he was thirty because he had thick hair and a slightly slimmer body. "Excuse me?"
Daniel had a pained look on his face, obviously frustrated that Juliet was interacting with the past but he continued to watch as a gasmask clad Ben whirled around in shock towards the voice. "You dropped this." Juliet held out the doll. She had no idea of its importance as Ben cautiously crept towards her and delicately taking the doll from her; their hands touched.
Instead of replying in the normal way of 'thanks', Ben eyed Juliet suspiciously and asked, "Do I know you?"
Juliet knew that in the 3 years she had spent on the Island had her people ever worn gas mask and so there was no way Ben knew her. "No, I don't think so."
Ben looked her up and down in his scrutinising way but was somehow polite in doing so. He hummed to himself and fiddled with his doll unconsciously before placing it securely back in his bag. "What are you doing out here? You're not Dharma, are you?"
Juliet shook her head and tried to remember something future Ben would say to gain his trust for the time they had together. He seemed calmer in this time. "No, we're one of the good guys." Juliet could see Ben's eyes crinkle in either a smile or a smirk. "The air is fine now."
Ben looked at his watch and frowned. He hesitantly unclipped his mask and tested the air before ripping the mask completely. "Who are you?"
"Juliet and you must be Ben, right?" The said man nodded. "Richard told us about you."
"Juliet, huh? I knew a Juliet once."
This was news. Never had Ben or anyone else mentioned that he knew a Juliet before her. "Did something happen to her?" No answer. That was typical Ben to not answer a question if the answer was bad. "A-anyway, I'll see you around." Juliet began to turn until she felt a hand clench gently around her arm and pause, waiting for her to turn back around. "Ben?"
"I know who you are. You're the lady…" Ben trailed off as he licked his nervously and hungrily and pulled her in for a tight embrace. It completely caught Juliet off guard. She somehow knew why Ben was hugging her, but it seemed so unlike him. She felt him spread his fingers along her back, gripping her and the soft bump of the gasmask against her waist. He moved his feet closer to her, his chest bumping against her own and emitting more warmth into her. He was so warm for such a cold man.
Juliet thought she knew the man holding so well. She thought she knew him as a spiteful, cruel, manipulative liar who didn't allow anyone in his life. But now he was hugging her and for seemingly no apparent reason. "Juliet…" Her name sent shivers up her spine as he whispered her name so thankfully in her ear.
"Ben, I-I…" Ben shifted his head on her shoulder for her to continue as Juliet pulled hers back and placed her hands tenderly on his shoulders. "In the future, find me." Juliet couldn't believe what she was saying. Then she realised. She was causing her own pain through another person. She was telling Ben to find someone that will hate him and then love him in a different time.
This was possibly her last chance at ever seeing Benjamin Linus and she didn't want the visit to be a waste. Ignoring the people in the bushes to the North-East for a moment, Juliet nudged Ben away from her and looked into his silvery eyes. Some days they were green whilst others they were blue but today they decided to stick to their normal shade just for her. Then, she kissed him. Right in the jungle and right in front of her little group. No doubt they were in shock but she needed to do this even if no one else knew why.
Ben felt himself drawn into the woman's intoxicating kiss and held onto her more tightly. Then, a hum filled the air. Ben seemed to not notice it and continued to place lingering kisses on Juliet's lips until she broke violently apart and clutched her head and groaned loudly. A few other groans emitted from the bushes but Ben assumed they were nothing. "Ben, put your mask back on and go to Richard."
Ben complied but in great confusion. He slipped on the mask and tightened the buckles slowly as Juliet began to disappear. "I…" She disappeared before she could finish.
It was strange seeing a woman you have just kissed for no apparent reason just disappear into thin air. He just stood there, minimal shock on his face as he stared at the patch of ground where Juliet once stood and then remembered that he had to get back to the Barracks. "Goodbye Juliet Burke."
He knew her, but could remember her.
"Hey, Miss Burke!" Annie hollered towards the Dharma mechanic. "Can you come here please?"
The boy beside her bit his thumb nervously as the woman came over to them. Annie and he had just being playing at the swings when they decided to see who could swing the highest and he had fallen off and cracked open his knee. Annie had also fallen off but landed almost gracefully on her feet before awkwardly running over to Ben and collapsing next to him to inspect his wound. Ben never shed a tear.
"What is it Annie?" The blonde woman walked calmly towards the two 14 year olds. She noticed Ben's knee. "Annie, can you go to my house and get some band-aids from under the sink." Annie nodded obediently and raced towards one of the mustard-coloured bungalows. "Are you okay Ben?"
The boy looked at her with his trademark emotionless eyes that were green today and nodded. "Yeah." Juliet smiled. He was so modest but it still was surreal that she was taking care of a 14 year old Benjamin Linus that loomed over her for the past 3years in the future in his 40s. She was afraid to touch him. "How'd you come here Miss Burke?"
Miss Burke Juliet giggled in her mind. Never would she hear that from Ben. "The submarine of course. That's how you got here, isn't it? Or is there a flying carpet I don't know about?"
She made him laugh and it thrilled her but also got the truth on who Ben was. "I got here by the submarine too. About 3 years ago." He stopped laughing to think about something. Juliet asked what it was. "It's my birthday today." He seemed almost saddened by the thought.
"Did you get anything from your dad?" Juliet had no idea where Ben's mum was. Perhaps she didn't want to be in the Initiative. She asked her question with a smile though which quickly faded.
"No, he usually drinks on my birthday." Juliet asked him a question of why. The boy hesitated for a moment and sighed looking away towards the tree line. "Because it's the day I killed my mom." The blonde mechanic tried so hard to suppress a gasp and she just managed to do it. Ben added quietly what happened. "She died after giving birth to me. Dad keeps reminding…" He stopped and regretted what he said and took off, forgetting about the pain in his leg.
"Ben!" Juliet cried out to the boy. He froze and placed his hand deep into his satchel bag. Juliet walked calmly up to him with a small smile and bent down on her knees so she wasn't looming over him. She placed her index under his chin and lifted it up so they could face eye to eye. He gazed into her bright sapphire eyes unemotionally. Quite suddenly, Juliet placed her arms around young Ben and hugged him tightly. She whispered, "Happy birthday, Ben."
The boy just stood there, patiently waiting for her to let go of him. "T-thank you, Miss Burke…" She smiled again and then heard her name being called.
"I have the band-aids, Miss Burke." Annie triumphantly held the box of Dharma bandaids above her head and smiled before handing them to the mechanic. Juliet thanked her and quickly placed 2 of the sticky patches in a cross over the bloody cut. It was over in half a minute. Juliet didn't even know why she was the one who had to place the bandaids on Ben but she wasn't complaining.
All the while this was happening; Ben had kept his hand inside his bag and was rubbing his year old doll's head softly in comfort. Today was going to be a good day.
Other stuff: Ok, well I'm not 100% positive about Ben's age when he purged the DI or his young age but yeah, no one does so I hope i got it right. 2 more things:
I am 94% convinced Michael Emerson has grey eyes. Sometimes grey eyes reflect the dominate colour on days which makes them change (I've got brown eyes but a friend of mine has grey and hers change so I'm no blowin' air out my bum) and yeah. And besides, in the Shape of Things to Come, he had weird grey eyes there when Alex got shot (sadface for Alex)
and my second rant, the flying carpet has absolutely nothing to do with any spoilers on Lost. I was listening to the song Magic Carpet Ride by 3 Dog Night (good song) and just wanted to put it in. hahaha...oh yeah, btw, I don't own Lost :P
Later Taters, and please review