Title: Slammed Doors
Author: keketamunet
Fandom: Lost
Rating: PG
Length: Flash Fiction (less than 1,000 words)
Summary: Ben, Ben/Juliet, An exploration of why Ben committed a seemingly cowardly and selfish act when he slammed the door on Juliet and Jack in "A Tale of Two Cities" to escape the rushing water.
Disclaimer: I make no money from this. I do not own the characters, plot, actors, writers, rights, or anything else from Lost.
Notes: Feel free to suggest ways to improve this fic. This version has not been betaed.
Slammed Doors
KeketAmunet
Ben calculated the odds of Jack cutting Juliet's throat with the piece of plate he held there. Odds figured, Ben all of dared Jack to make the cut.
And as usual, Ben was right. Right in the most dangerous ways. Juliet's brief look of betrayal passed to understanding. Jack's look of outrage was, however, amusing. But then Jack was moving, tossing Juliet to the side as though she were wasted space, and before Ben could react, the door was open and the water was rushing in to kill them all.
Ben could have saved Juliet. He could have fought with Jack, but Ben needed them to share a moment of camaraderie. Ben needed Jack to see that break, and Juliet was losing faith already. Perhaps an opportunity could be created. Jack was more immediately important to Ben's plans.
And so Ben ran for the observation room door and slammed it closed even as Juliet approached for her own escape. Four quick steps, and Ben held his hand over the yellow emergency stop button.
Ben's hand was steady, still, strong.
His eyes flicked to the monitor. He watched Juliet reach Jack and the door. His hand continued to hover over the button, as the two people on the screen fought against the pressure. Juliet, he thought, deserved this struggle. Three years was nothing compared to what he'd sacrificed for the good of this island. She wasn't in any real danger, and besides, she hadn't invited him to the book club out of spite.
He could be spiteful too, but he knew he would have to make amends for this action. For shutting her out there, alone with their prisoner. With the man she was supposed to get invested in her.
Ben pulled his hand back from the button as they managed to close the door and stop the water. He smiled as Juliet ordered Jack to the drain button in the room causing Jack to turn his back on her. The punch knocked him out as Jack turned back. Ben reminded himself not to turn his back on an angry Juliet. She could play rough as well as he.