A/N: Read! Enjoy! And review, please. I want to know what do you think about :)


Choice is integral part of our lives. Even when we don't notice it, when we think it's not our deal, it's our choice indeed. Every step, every word is our decision; where to turn at every fork in the road. You can think you remain neutral not interfering in what's going on around you, but indeed you are guilty, because nonintervention is a choice, it is just a passive one. On the other hand, you can think that you are a bad person, because your every action has hidden intent, but what matters is you helping people. It's not fate. It's your choice. You always have a choice.

He had choice: be with his love or run from the responsibility. Or maybe it was about a person he could become: man with a home and a family or single person with power. Or he chose whose life he was ready to risk: hers or his own. We can give it many names – fear, power thirst, sacrifice – but he made his choice.

He had to live with the consequences of his choice. Nobody could change it.

But!

You have your choice. Maybe the consequences of it will affect him, maybe not.

Just remember - you always have a choice.

...

Juliet woke up. What a strange dream! She didn't remember the person who spoke with her, she remembered only his words. They were spinning in her mind as an annoying fly.

"You can make your choice. It's not fate. It's your choice. You always have a choice."

Was there any sense in her dream? Only words, without any real help. She'd preferred to see a real solution of the problem as it had been with Mendeleev. She couldn't imagine what kind of choice was able to wake James from this strange coma.

Juliet looked around. Everything was quiet. James remained on her lap as if only a few seconds were passed since she dragged him back into the circle. Only Richard was gone. Whether he'd return or wouldn't; she was sure he wouldn't leave her alone. She couldn't see anyone but she was sure that his people were somewhere near. It wasn't the worst case, because it meant that she needn't to check her surroundings for danger and she could turn all her attention to James. If she knew how to fix it…

-James! I need you. I need your optimism. I need to hear that everything will be alright. We won't die from thirst, because it will rain sooner or later. - She whispered to him not hiding her emotions. There was no chance for him to wake up and hear her confession. – Why did you leave me? Why didn't you speak with me? Why did you decide to solve the problem by yourself?-

Decide… Choice… Leave… There was some thought spinning in her mind, she couldn't latch on to. It somehow dealt with her dream.

"He had a choice: be with his love or run from the responsibility. Or maybe it was about a person he could become: man with a home and a family or single person with power. Or he chose whose life he was ready to risk: her or his own."

Those words were from her dream. It appeared, in any case, that his decision was to leave her.

- We can give it many names, he made his choice. But I have my choice.- She didn't notice when she began speak aloud. –You chose to leave me and I chose to be with you. I'm not going to let you go away.- She spoke louder and louder.-There is no way I'll let you repeat your helicopter stunt. There is no way I'll let you leave me and die as a hero. If you jump, I'll jump after you. I'll always have your back. Like hell you can change it. Do you hear me?-She was angry and almost hysterical but she couldn't stop. –Don't you dare give up. Don't you be a damn hero. Don't you leave me when I believed in our future. – She finished drained of all strength..

-I miss you- she whispered cuddling up to him.

The pain ended as suddenly as it started or maybe he got accustomed to it and just didn't feel it. He stirred. Nothing. There were no chains or needles. Everything was alright now. But what happened within him must have had a cause. Somebody did this to him and he should be punished. He rushed through the jungle searching for the answer.

Nobody! Ever! Dare! Do it! Again!

He was breaking trees on his way, pushing away birds and animals not carrying about their destination. He must find!

Not here! There are only empty houses.

Not here! There are humans but they are too frightened to do anything. He'll return to kill them later.

Not here!

Not here!

Not here!

One by one he examined locations on the Island. Nothing! He yelled, letting his anger be free. Somebody will pay! If he doesn't find the person responsible for his pain, people at the beach will pay.

Suddenly he felt that something was wrong. In the jungle, where he rarely went, there was somebody. It was strange! It was wrong! The closest he came the more wrong it felt.

That place scared him. Deep in his gut he knew he shouldn't go there. It would be better to turn around and go to the beach. But the other part of him wished to reach that place.

Juliet was snuggled up to James and looked at the sky above. She tried everything she could to fix him. Nothing. There was no chance for a fairytale ending in her damn life. The princess couldn't wake her prince up, not by medical knowledge or by kisses.

Suddenly she felt that they were not under observation any more. She was alone and there was that terrible sound again. It was chatter which made her shiver and wish to run away. She'd run if it was only about her, but she couldn't leave James here. They'd be together, for the rest of their lives! She hugged him in one last attempt to protect him when the Monster appeared. It approached as an avalanche wiped out everything in its path.

A few seconds later they were surrounded by the dark cloud in which images flashed. Juliet watched the scenes from her own life, from their life. It is said your life flashes before your eyes before death, but she didn't expect it to be so literal.

He found what he was looking for. He found the person responsible for his pain. He was sure. But he didn't feel any anger. It was again a strange feeling of something familiar. There were memories he couldn't grasp. Only now it was not only about her. There was a man near her. He… was blurred. It was hard to see him, as if he was here and wasn't at the same time. The whole picture, the man, the woman…

He could see flashes of their life, but he didn't know where those images came from. He didn't understand why he remembered/knew/saw all of it.

He scanned people more than once. He judged them. He executed them. But the pictures he saw then were about their faults and crimes. It should be some important decisions, but these images were different. There were no actions or decisions and they… They were tearing him to pieces, as if two worlds were trying to absorb him. He couldn't understand where he was and who he was.

Different memories, different thoughts, different people. It seemed he was locked in some kind of labyrinth. He had to be near the exit, eventually he would be able to find himself,his way out, but the walls kept appearing in front of him. He was forced to circle again and again, looking for the exit.

The smoke around them became thicker. There were lightning in it. Juliet had no more strength to be scared. All she could do now was to look from an outsider's viewpoint and be happy that James was unaware of their situation.

This was why she was so shocked to realize that the closeness of the Monster affected him. He was stretched, as if he nearly woke up or was at least trying to wake up.

The Monster grabbed him, snatched him from her hands and pulled him away.

-No!-

She rushed after them trying to grab James' hand, to hold him, but her strength wasn't enough. His palm slapped out at her hands and he disappeared into jungle.