Chapter 2

WEEKS LATER

Juliet Burke held onto the branch of a tall tree that hung over, so tightly that her knuckles had turned white as she emptied her stomach. She hadn't had a chance to eat yet that morning. She felt the strong acid burn in her throat, like one does when one throws up on an empty stomach ── which only made the blonde gag more.

When she had blinked her blue eyes open to a warm orange and pink-colored horizon that indicated that the sun was only barely up, she had nearly immediately felt a lurch in her stomach... and the need to vomit has been impossible to ignore at once. She had pushed her blanket aside and ran towards the jungle, forcing herself not to give in to the faintness she felt overtaking her at her sudden activity, before she had even had an actual chance to eat or properly wake, for that matter. When she had rushed past Jack's tent, beside hers, she had noticed the way that Jack rose up on one elbow and had looked after her rather confused.

When she heard the leaves rustle close to her and small branches crack underneath heavy footfalls, she knew it was him before he opened his mouth even. As much as it comforted her to know that she could rely on him when she felt like she needed someone ── although most of his people still weren't fond of her ── she felt the strange need to be alone, and all she wanted, was for him to go away.

"Juliet, are you all right?"

The blonde didn't reply. She carefully debated her answer, then confirmed, at least to herself, that she didn't feel the need to throw up as much anymore, and she wiped her mouth, on the back of her left hand, as she stood and turned back towards Jack. She thought it was absurd that he seemed so awake this early already, when they usually didn't get up until several hours later.

"I'm fine..." she murmured, voice hoarse from her nausea spell.

Jack frowned in response to her, as he saw how incredibly pale she looked and how sweat had formed on her forehead, as if she had had to run several miles. She looked very ill, he noted, and he was rather worried, despite the fact she claimed that she was just fine. He took one step closer; he was not at all surprised that she refused his offered help and, instead, eyed him in a way that stated that she was not as frail as she seemed. He made to pull his hands back, albeit ready to catch her if needed, when she decided she wanted to 'prove' herself and let go of the low branch that she had held onto. She, however, failed miserably, as the lack of the support from the branch caused Juliet to collapse... caught by Jack just in time, before she fell to her knees there.

He did not say 'I told you so'. That would have been rather cruel, given the way she must feel. However, as he realized she was way too weak to move on her own, even with Jack's support, and he had to lift her up in his arms and carry her, he thought it. He didn't bother him, though. He was just glad that he was there.

"Jack..." Juliet breathed. She wanted to fight back and tell him she was perfectly fine and that she could walk on her own, but she knew she wasn't, as hard as it was to admit to herself. Juliet Burke gave in to her fate and let her head rest against Jack's strong collarbone, her nails digging into his broad shoulders, as he carried her slowly back to her tent and laid her down as carefully as possible, as if she was a glass figurine.

The surgeon felt the blonde's forehead with the backs of his soft fingers and confirmed that she had a slight fever. Jack furrowed his brow as he thought of a diagnosis and reminded himself of the fact that she had not been fond of any food in the past days ── she had not eaten very much at all. He wondered if she was, maybe, getting the flu or such, and then he wondered if the flu was an option on the island to begin with. He understood that she was too weak to answer any questions. So, instead, he laid down beside her on the improved mattress and pulled her frail body in his very strong arms. He felt an instinct to be as close to her as possible in that moment.

Despite the fact that he was very alert, Jack's eyes closed after several long seconds of silence, and he let sleep gently take him. He would be right there if she needed him. Despite the fact that Juliet felt ill and still rather weak, she was more alert than one would guess, especially in her mind. In her mind, she had contributed the nausea spell to the stress of the past few weeks, with Ben being incredibly demanding, and with the captivity of Jack and his friends. When she had come to this part of the island, the blonde had been met with a skepticism that she had never felt that strongly in her entire life, and people still avoided her when they could.

Jack was the only one whom she felt she could be honest with, and she had told him that Ben had told her to go back with them, and that he wanted Sun and why. Together with him, she had thought of any arguments that would buy them a bit more time, and Ben had listened, miraculously, and had agreed that maybe they should wait to take Sun until she was further in her pregnancy. After all, she had gathered all information she felt she could get from the women early on in their pregnancies. It was closer to the end that she lacked the information she needed to make a change, she had said, and Ben had taken that bait.

She had hoped so much to be able to escape, with Jack and the others... but Charlie's and Desmond's efforts had proven to be in vain. Ben had ensured that when the Looking Glass failed, another system would jam all communication that could connect the island with the rest of the world. She had been so close to seeing Rachel again, and to meeting little Julian...

She felt the missing pull at her heart strings, and she realized she was glad that she had not sent Jack away. He was the only one from the group of survivors on this part of the island who could see past her actions, and who bothered to consider the how and why ── who gave Juliet a chance to be trusted. She knew her honesty with him had probably a lot to do with it, but it meant a great deal, and she didn't take the way he treated her for granted.

When they first met, Juliet Burke had felt a strange sort of connection with Jack ── one she still felt. Both of them had been thrust in a spot they hadn't chosen for, where they had to choose for this or that every day, to listen to the voice of what she knew to be reason, to save lives, or to ignore it... which would be more than acceptable after all that they had been forced to endure now.

She felt like she nor he truly fit in with the rest of their people. It was hard to put in words. She felt like they didn't need to speak to know they understood the other. They did not need to speak of the guilt and the regret they felt, the doubts and the decisions, their consciousness that gnawed at them every day and the tiny part of selfishness deep inside that called for a damn break, after all the giving that they had done.

Just being with him was really a comfort she couldn't put in words but felt very clearly. With him, she felt at ease, and she had since the beginning. He was a beacon to her in that moment, and he had been every moment since they first met.