Title: The Inheritor (sequel to Don't Let Go)

Rating: R for sexual content and violence

Pairing: Jack/Juliet & Sawyer/Claire

Disclaimer: Characters from Lost belong to ABC

"Being a leader means doing what you think is right then living with the consequences"

Watership Down

-Richard Adams-

Chapter 1

"I'm sick of the beach, all this white sand stretching on forever," Claire said as she and Juliet watched on as Aaron played with his shovel, little Christian laughing at his side.

Juliet sighed, she knew what Claire meant, the LA sunshine and surf only made for a constant reminder of what happened on the island. Claire fiddled with the sun hat on her son, he was walking now, or at least trying, and he squirmed from under his mother's fussing.

"Have you heard from Sawyer?" Claire asked trying to sound casual about it but the rise in her voice betrayed her growing feelings for him.

"Not for weeks," Juliet said and wondered when exactly Claire developed feelings for the man who shot Charlie dead. Then a pang of guilt and sorrow flooded over her, it was after all, to save her, that James pulled the trigger.

"I hoe he's alright," Claire said.

"I think," Juliet said and tilted her head to the side in contemplation, "James just needs some time to process it all. The realization that Infinity had his daughter killed had to be a shock."

Claire nodded holding Aaron close to her heart, but she missed him. Sawyer was the only one, apart from Jack and her sister in law, that she stayed in contact with. She had this sense of dread that she was going to need him soon, they all were.

……

The gun shot was loud and piercing, the smell of gun powder burned down his throat as he stood trembling over his dead mother's body.

Jack woke up with a start, a cold sweat on his brow. Another nightmare, he thought to himself as he wiped his damp forehead. The nap his wife had suggested did nothing to cure his exhaustion. It was if Margo Sheppard was haunting him from the grave. He frowned before getting off the couch and walking to the kitchen. He poured himself a cool drink and sat at the table. A note in his sister's hand writing met his gaze.

"Went to the beach with Jules and the kids."

He sighed and crumpled the piece of paper in his hand. Underneath it an envelope lay open. The return address, Portland, Maine was beckoning him. Jack was offered a job at a brand new hospital opening in the eastern state. He slipped the letter out and reread it for the hundredth time. Maybe he should accept it. Maybe he could out run his ghosts.

…..

"Hi honey," Juliet said as she came in, Christian asleep in her arms.

"Hey," he said giving them both a quick kiss, "Did Claire go home?"

"Yeah, Aaron was getting fussy, too much sun."

He nodded absent mindedly as Juliet laid Christian down in his playpen.

"Juliet," he said softly.

She turned and saw the familiar look on his face. The look that said he had something serious to discuss. She noticed as she sat down on the sofa, he had the hospital letter in his hand.

"You're going to take the job," she stated.

"Well," he said, "I'm thinking about it."

"I think you should Jack," she told him.

"You do?"

"Look, living in this house, her house, it's just not good for you, all those nightmares, the guilt."

He looked down at his feet, "You think moving will get rid of that?"

Juliet slid off the couch and crawled over to him, slipping between his legs. Her hands slid tenderly up his thighs.

"No Jack, only you can let go of it when you're ready, but I think it would help if we got away. It's like Claire was saying to me earlier, all this sand and ocean, it's too much like the island."

He smiled, running his hand over her golden locks.

"There's sand and ocean in Maine too," he told her.

"Yeah, but it's the Atlantic, rocky and wild. We could use a bit of that," she slyly said in her flirtatious tone.

"Oh yeah?" he said and kissed her mouth, "I'll call the Chief of Staff then."

"Good," Juliet said sliding into his lap, "Ask about their fertility centre as well."

"You want to go back to work?" he asked her.

"Maybe, not yet but soon."

"Okay then, I'll ask," he said, "Juliet."

"Yes Jack?"

"I want Claire to come with us."

"Then ask her."

"You're okay with that?"

"Considering she's the only real friend I have apart from James, who's AWOL, yeah, I'm okay with that," she said as her thoughts turned to Sawyer, her brow scrunched in worried thought.

"He'll be fine you know," Jack said, "Sawyer has more lives than a cat," Jack said scooting her off him so he could get up.

"I'm gonna go see Claire," he said grabbing his keys from the kitchen table before heading out the door.

….

"Maine! Why would I want to go to Maine?" Claire asked holding a cup of herbal tea for her brother to take.

"It's a nice state and well you were telling Juliet how sick you were of L.A. and well, I'm going to be there," Jack said convincingly, or so he hoped.

"Yeah but you've got a job there, what would I do?" she asked blowing on her steaming mug.

"It's not like working at the diner you're at now is a great career investment," he said but regretted it the moment the words left his mouth.

Claire stared, she knew she had nothing or no one to stay for but she had been through so much, change was a scary thing. That feeling of dread came over her again.

"Look, I'm sorry I said that," Jack apologized and took her hand in his, he glanced at the chipped nail polish on her fingertips before gazing into her eyes, his father's eyes.

"I just found you really, and you're the only family I have left, you and Aaron. I can't just let you go yet," he told her.

She let out a deep breath, "I suppose I can easily find a crummy job and a crummy apartment in Maine," she said smiling at him.

He grinned, "Oh you'll be living with me and Juliet."

"What?" she said, "I can't do that, you two need your privacy and so do I. Besides, with the two boys it would be crowded."

"Nonsense," he cried, "The Chief of Staff already listed the number of a great realtor. He'll find us a big house with plenty of room."

Clare eyed him suspiciously, "You don't have to take care of me you know."

"When Dad died everything went to me," he said, "It wasn't fair."

"He left me with a trust fund," Claire stated.

"A small trust fund, hardly the same," Jack noted, "It wasn't right, let me make it right."

Claire knew how stubborn Jack could be when he set his mind on things, ironically he was still being the leader he fought so hard against being. Claire shrugged knowing there was only one thing to do, give up.

"So when do we leave for Maine?" she asked with a bright smile on her face.