Title: Something's never changed
Authors: Koralina and LorMats
Summary: After the incident, the explosion really reset their lives, but they end up on the Island, again. Could they get the chance to be happy the second time around?
Chapter main Author: LorMats
Beta Reader and Editor: Eyeon
Left behind
- Move, move! C'mon girls-
- Stop it Danny – Tom told off the man who was clearly enjoying himself giving little shoves to Jack and Sayid from time to time. Danny looked at Tom angrily but the older man didn't care.
- You're going to be happy when you see who is waiting for you – Tom winked at Jack. He didn't understand unless John was being held there too.
- What are you talking about? – Jack looked at Sayid, while Tom opened the door to the Rec Center. In the middle of the room, Kate was sitting on the pool table.
Danny pushed the two men inside and closed the door.
- What are you doing here?
-I knew where you're going, what you were planning to do, and then I found Rousseau, I was trying to watch your backs, guess I didn't do a good job, huh?- Kate admitted bitterly. Jack shook his head and Sayid interrupted any thought that was going on in Kate's and Jack's minds.
- What are we going to do now?
- I don't know really, I guess we have to wait, to see what they plan to do with us, and tomorrow develop a plan to get away.
- And Juliet? – asked Kate
- We'll see tomorrow. Today we can't do anything.
Jack looked at Kate and then Sayid who was looking through the window. Kate lay down on the pool table and closed her eyes.
…
Juliet was pacing through James' living room until she heard the door open.
- Your friends are stupid
- What's going on?
- They're gonna be fine, at least for now, but it ain't me deciding about their future
- Oh God James. – She left herself fall down onto the sofa and covered her face with her hands. He sat by her side and stroked her hair. He stopped realizing it wasn't appropriate to do that. Juliet looked at him with tears in her eyes.
- Can I see them?
- You had to talk to Ben tomorrow. Today they're already settled in the Rec Room and Tom is taking care of them. Tom is a good guy. He won't do anything bad, and he's the only one who can calm down Benjamin.
- He didn't seem nice when he arrested you…
- He was obeying Ben's orders. Let's not go there again, Juliet. You need to rest. Go to sleep, tomorrow will see what can be done.- She got up, and before going down the hall she turned back toward him.
-Damn it James! You just don't get it do you? We are castaways on a freaking weird island, there are people living here, people that we don't know anything about, and now I'm one of those people. It's just that I don't fit in here, I didn't fit there, but at least there we cared for each other, we had each others' back- she looked at him narrowing her eyes, she was upset, but he wasn't happy and replied.
- Let me remind you of something, when you were crazy asking for them, and you made a deal with Ben to leave them alone and allow them to go free they didn't care about you. At least Jack had the decency to ask about your well being, but after that he did grab the boat and went away. -
She had tears in her eyes, he had been marked because he freed them, and he had her back. It was dangerous to have the incipient feelings she was having for him. This was the man who, if she recalled correctly, told her "here it's every man for himself land". Although he said it bitterly, he did say it. The thing is, since when was she a person who paid attention what was said. And his actions, spoke for themselves.
- They came back, for me; and how do you know about what my deal with Ben was? – She breathed deeply and looked at him
-Because it doesn't take a genius to realize that, especially if you're in love with the Doc.
- That's not what the deal was about, and I'm not in love with him. You know what; I am going to sleep –
-Wait Juliet, I'm… -
- Don't – She went away.
James was left alone in the room and heard her door slam shut. He had pissed her off, he had said hurtful things, the thing was that she had said hurtful things too. For the first time in many years he cared about someone besides Alex and that scared the crap out of him, because he shouldn't feel something so strong for a person that he had known less than a month.
Juliet was under a Dharma van, it was a Saturday afternoon, really hot and the Dharmaville was empty, everyone that didn't have to work, was enjoying some free time at the beach. She came out of the van and drank a glass of water.
She started unzipping her jumpsuit, revealing a white tank top under it, when a voice startled her.
-Hey Goldilocks, didn't know you were working today, I thought I was the only lonely wolf here.
- Stupid Radzinsky's van broke down and guess, who he asked to fix it?
- Oh the man is growing fond of you
-I'd say its the other way around. He hates my guts. –
He sipped a little of her water, she playfully smacked his arm – hey that's my water! –
He sipped a little more and smiled brightly. She rolled her eyes.
– Those dimples won't trick me every time you know? –
He came closer and kissed her slowly, playing with her a little.
- I know, and when that happens I know one of these will do the trick… -
She kissed him fiercely and when she knew what was on his mind broke the kiss
- Two can play at this game–
- Oh sweetheart you're a tease –
She smiled at him – Guess we should go back to work if we want to have be at home on time –
He give her a quick peck on the lips before going away, looking back from time to time.
Juliet was awake. Her head was spinning and she had been dreaming something crazy about a blue van and a jumpsuit and she couldn't remember more. It was crazy how bad she wished she could remember. She tried to get up and she was still dizzy.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and slowly sat up on her bed, then stood up and started walking toward the kitchen. It was really strange, she didn't recall falling asleep, the last thing she remembered was tossing and turning in bed, trying to stop thinking about what would happen if she helped her friends get away again, and then …it was almost as if she had passed out. Another strange thing was that the clock was showing 11 o'clock, which couldn't be the case, James would have woken her up, she had to go to work. And there was no sound, nothing.
She opened the door and went outside. There was nobody around. Something really weird was going on. She started walking toward the center of Othertown and it seemed as if everybody had left.
The Others left her there. How could it be? Another thought hit her. Juliet brought a hand to her mouth. James? He had left her. She didn't know why it was so painful that he went away, considering he was just a stranger who was in charge of her.
She wandered between houses, not knowing what to do now.
Rec room! What if Jack and others were still there? She rushed to the door but it was locked.
Juliet decided to unlock it. At least it was something she could do now. She ran back to James' house looking for anything to use to open that door.
She looked through the kitchen and living room. Nothing! Maybe there would be something in James' room. She opened the door and stopped. She found the last person she thought she'd ever see again. He was lying on the bed in a strangely awkward position as if he suddenly collapsed.
-James?-she was worried about him.
Now when she thought about her falling asleep she realized that it was absolutely abnormal. Could they have been drugged?
She bent near him and carefully touched his arm.
- What time is it?-he asked hoarsely trying to sit up.
-It's noon. Are you alright?-she watched him inquiringly
-Just peachy! What happened?-
-I'm not sure. It seems everybody left the village.-she answered questioningly.
-What?-He stood up and leaned against the wall to steady himself.
He walked out of the house.
-Son of a bitch! They left.- now he was like a dog that was abandoned by its master.
-But how, why? – She couldn't understand
- I don't know Goldilocks…–
Goldilocks, so familiar, where did she hear someone calling her that?
-James could you help me? My friends, they must still be there, but the door is locked –
- Come with me-
They entered Tom's house and grabbed a key. They went to the rec room and opened the door. There they were, startled.
-Juliet! –Kate was the first one to speak
– What happened?
- You are ok?
- A little fuzzy, how are you?
-We're fine-Jack answered - it's just this weird dizziness that's bothering us. Sayid saw Locke leaving with the Others and – Jack stopped realizing James was standing by the door – What is he doing here?
- They left him behind too.-
-What? – The question wasn't directed at Juliet.
- You should grab a few bags, some water and food for your walk back to your camp, and you should go now.-
Juliet and Kate immediately follow James request.
-There's a trap here, something is not right – Sayid spoke almost in a whisper to Jack.
When they got all the thing they needed arranged, the castaways went out the door. Suddenly Juliet stopped and looked back. James was still in the doorframe watching them walk away. Her heart sank when she saw how crushed he was.
She turned to Jack who was few steps ahead with Kate at his side.
- Jack?- she called to him.
-Yeah?-
Juliet spoke really low, calm and serious – We can't leave him here. He's coming with us –
-What? No! He's one of them –
-He's one of us now-she said sternly- They left him behind –
-Juliet you're crazy, he, he, he… - She opened her eyes questioning him, expecting an answer
-Okay – He couldn't come up with something to argue her decision.
She went back and looked at James tenderly.
– Grab a bag, you're coming with us whether you like it or not.-
- I can't Juliet. Remember I'm one of the hostiles. - He said bitterly.
-Yes you can. What do you have here?-
-Nothing, but…-
- So, go grab a bag –
James looked at her smiling, but when he turned back his face twitched and got serious all of a sudden. His eyes became darker and he shook his head. Ben's plan was going just like he expected, and he hated it.