A/N: Wow! It really has been a long time since I last uploaded a chapter on this story. And I bet you all thought I had forgotten this little fanfic story of mine! Well truth be told I had, almost, but not quite and I've recently rediscovered my muse of this one.

No angst, it's light hearted and it's fun. Happy reading! Oh and Eyeon this is definitely for you.

Chapter 11.

Life's a bitch.

Miles swore if Jim said that one more time he'd punch him out and enjoy it too. And what would he know about it? Prick was happily married to Juliet with a daughter, able to share trade secrets, someone who loved him.

Screw love. It always seemed to blow up in his face. Relationships were slim pickings around here.

He was seriously beginning to think it wasn't for him. And it wasn't natural, watching himself grow up. He'd often see himself running around the barracks now he was about two years old, his harried mother in tow. It was bizarre and he did but didn't like it, couldn't explain the weird sensation.

At this rate he was destined to end up some crusty old bachelor probably having conversations with his younger self. That had then got him thinking lately about ways in which they could get back to the future. He called it the Back to the Future project, lame he knew but what other way was there to describe it? He and Jin had been talking about it a lot lately but not with Jim. Jim was perfectly happy being the number one security chief of command, the bastard, with his doting wife on one arm. Well okay maybe doting was going a bit too far. Juliet often gave Jim stick about doing stuff around the house. Made him change nappies and shit like that, which most other men didn't do in the 70's. James would grumble but it always fell on deaf ears with Juliet. She would just give him that icy pointed look which made Miles snigger and Jim scowl before he would stomp off to get a beer out of the fridge. But Miles would spy him sweet talking to her later on, rubbing her shoulders and he would smirk to himself and think 'who just exactly had who' wrapped around their little finger.

Miles missed the internet, missed having money, the smell of it, going to the tavern, buying whatever he liked at the shops. It was fucking pointless bitching to Jim about it because Jim loved living here but what about the rest of them? Miles glanced at Jim who was writing down the 'end of shift' security report and another uneventful day. It had been like that for months and it was boring. He was sick of this job, sick of this island, sick of being here.

"Don't you ever think about getting out of here?" Miles stated.

"No." Jim didn't even glance up from the report. That pissed Miles off even more. He felt like pressing his buttons, getting a reaction.

"What about Juliet?" he continued.

He knew that Juliet often thought of home, the future, her sister and he also knew that Jim didn't like mentioning it.

James' pen stopped writing. He raised his eyes.

"They'll be back, we just gotta sit tight."

Miles had been hearing that one for far too long now. He was sick of the same old answer.

"It's been four and a half years Jim," he stated, folding his arms, leaning against the door frame.

Jim shrugged and it was times like this that Miles sort of even hated him.

"Maybe we should look at alternatives," he suggested.

James lowered the pen, gave him a steely eyed level look.

"Remember when they accidentally drilled too far into the lowest level wall at the orchid," he said, slowly, measuring his words, "remember what happened to the drill operator Robert? Ya really think we should be playing around with time?"

He had a point. Bastard.

"So we just sit tight and grow old," he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

James leant back in his chair, placed his arms behind his head, stretching his back.

"We just gotta wait."

Miles shook his head. "You notice those streaks of grey in your hair lately Jim." Before turning on his heel and leaving the security room.

Miles words bothered James. He knew the guy had been restless for a while now, just hadn't wanted to acknowledge it or Jin's long face whenever he talked too much about Mary's latest achievements. But it was there. He'd even come home one lunch time to find Juliet snivelling in the bathroom. When he'd asked what was wrong she'd replied in a muffled voice something about it being Rachel's birthday. He hadn't known what to say?

Was he the only one happy here? Was that wrong? James caught his reflection in the mirror, stopped brushing his teeth and leaning closer he peered at his hair. Sure enough there were streaks of grey there at the temples.

"Son of a bitch!"

So what, he was 40 now, nearly 41, it was bound to happen eventually. And he had a life here. If they went back, if they could ever get back he'd still have Juliet and Mary. But he would have a criminal record too, if they went back to the future that was. And he knew all about Jin and Mile's Back to the Future project. He just pretended like he didn't because in the future he was a crook, just a nobody and what if they linked Frank Duckett's murder back to him?

He could go to fucking prison, for life and then well so much for ever having a life. Mary would grow up knowing her father was a murderer. He lowered his gaze, could never look himself in the eye when he thought of it, that word, him a murderer.

So am I Juliet would say.

Yeah but you got pushed into it.

And you were conned into it.

They'd glance at each other.

Besides I only shot Pickett because it would mean I'd lost my only chance of getting off the island if he'd killed you and Kate she'd confess.

Yeah well if ya hadn't I wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation with ya.

The irony, he mused his eyes meeting with his again in that reflected image, his image. He didn't have to despise himself so much here, could forget that other person he had been. And at least here his past couldn't catch up with him.

Hell he didn't even know why he was thinking about all of this. There was no way to get back to the future. End of story. No more discussions.

James watched Juliet neatly fold Mary's clothes into piles of tops, shorts and skirts. She had deft hands, graceful and practical. She wasn't one for nail polish or perfectly manicured finger nails. They were short, neat and well useful.

Her hair was tired back in a single plait. Mary was going through a hair pulling phase. Along with everything she got her little hands on went straight in the mouth.

She was especially fond of his glasses. He often found them slobbered all over. But he wouldn't change a thing. He would find himself staring at her for ages, amazed that anything so perfect could come from him. And at ten months she was crawling everywhere, was into everything.

He had a life, and a damn good one and so what if they were stuck here forever. Well they would have to get out before the purge in 1988. They didn't have to worry about that yet. It was still only 1978, Christmas just around the corner and 1979. They had years.

Was he being selfish wanting to stay?

Juliet looked up from the pile of clothes and frowned at him.

"Why are you watching me?"

He glanced at her face, trying to gauge her frame of mind.

"Do I need a reason?"

Juliet tilted her head to the side, studied him for a moment.

"So spit it out James."

"I love it when you ya talk that way," he grinned.

She shook her head and his face grew serious.

"Do ya miss it?" he finally blurted out.

A slight frown dented her smooth forehead. How was it she hardly had any lines?

"Miss what?"

"The future ... home?"

She gave him a funny look as if she couldn't quite believe he was even asking her this. Was he that bad?

"I thought this was our home," she returned slowly, the hint of sarcasm not going unnoticed by him.

He felt slightly annoyed by it.

"Well it's only temporary ..." he began.

Juliet stopped folding the clothes, gazed out a nearby window.

"Where do I even start," she sighed, "shopping," she continued ticking off a finger, "with a variety shops, so many shops you never have time to get to them all."

She looked back at him, ticked off another finger, "cappuccinos, catching a movie with a friend, television."

"We have television," James pointed out.

She glared at him. "But no television stations, only old VCR's and crappy 70's movies."

Her hands come to rest of her hips. She glanced back out the window to the cloudless sky. "And cold weather, I miss that, I want it to be so cold that I can snuggle up under a pile of doonas, stoke a fire in a fire place and someone who can cut hair!"

James eyes fell on Juliet's hair.

"Ya hair looks fine."

"I mean your hair!"

He opened his mouth, shut it again, felt a deep dull flush spread across his cheeks. It's obvious she hated it here.

"Gee I didn't think it was that bad here Blondie," he drawled.

She just shrugged. "You asked me James."

Silence followed. Obviously he really was the only one happy here.

"Well it's not as if there is anything we can do about it," she sighed, a brief sad unguarded expression crossing her face.

"Well we could catch the sub back to the mainland anytime ..." he began, feeling sorry for her, reaching out a hand to rub her arm.

"It wouldn't be the same," she returned quietly and went back to sorting the clothes.

"Still have television," he muttered.

"Crappy TV 70's drama," she shuddered.

Time passes too quickly. Mary takes her first steps at 13 months old. Jin and Miles seemed to have abandoned The Back to the Future project. Miles finds a girlfriend at long last. Jin teaches Korean at the school half a day a week. He runs fishing expeditions for any enthusiastic fishermen. Soon he has a loyal dedicated following.

Juliet has her 40th birthday. Mary turns two years old. Juliet falls pregnant again, develops a fetish for short bread biscuits.

And very much to everyone's surprise, Daniel Faraday returns to the island.

It was the summer of 1981.

Juliet was pottering around the kitchen making guacamole dip for the Trivial Pursuit night tonight. It was six in the evening. Monopoly had been replaced. They had been so excited when Trivial Pursuit came on the last sub. James had snatched it up. Nobody else knew what the hell it was anyway. This was one of her favourite games. So far she had kicked everyone's ass at it in the four times they had played it. She was the Trivial Pursuit Queen.

'It must suck having such a smart wife," Miles had remarked the other day to James. 'Is there anything you can actually beat her at?"

James had just given him a disgruntled look, 'bound to find something one of these days.'

James walked into the kitchen, clothes half wet. How was it every time he bathed Mary he ended up as wet as her? Mary tottered in after him, looking adorable in her Sesame Street pyjamas, her blonde white hair neatly brushed for a change instead of the tangled bird's nest it usually was. She followed James everywhere. She was a real regular daddy's girl and hard to believe she was two and half now.

'Maybe this one,' she'd told him last night, rubbing her bowling ball belly, 'will be a boy and then I can turn him into a mommy's boy.'

They were watching The Empire Strikes Back. 'Seen it hundred times," Miles had grumbled but it didn't stop him watching it with them now. 'And what's worst I was like 8 at the time,' he added.

Juliet had her feet resting on James' lap. She only had to give him a please massage my feet look once and he'd wrap his long lean fingers around her feet and start kneading them.

Miles rolled his eyes, snorted in disgust, glanced at Juliet's stomach.

"Maybe you're going to give birth to a baby hippo," he remarked, tossing peanuts in his mouth.

Juliet glared at him. He just grinned back at her.

"What?" he returned in mock defence, "okay then you must be having twins."

James stopped massaging her feet, a worried look crossing his face as if this thought had never occurred to him. His eyes sought hers.

"That ain't possible right Blondie?"

She crossed her arms over the expanse of her belly suddenly feeling like ten ton Tessie.

"No," she snapped crossly.

James still didn't look convinced. "You sure girl ..." he began.

"Well gee I don't know James seeing as I am a fertility doctor and specialise in this sort of thing," she returned sarcastically.

"Alright keep ya hair on but well ya know you are kind of you know a bit bigger than last time."

Miles cringed and waited for the backlash. Shook his head Jim, Jim, you still don't learn man.

Was sure he could see steam coming out of her ears.

"Well I guess it's just going to be a bigger baby," she said calmly, much too calmly.

Miles needed to come up with a way to diffuse this tension.

"And look on the bright side," he stated, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Jim looks almost as pregnant as you and he's not even having a baby so I don't what excuse he has."

Juliet hid a smile. James frowned and looked down at his mid riff.

"No I don't," he protested, glaring at Miles, "ya full of shit Miles."

Miles grinned widened. "You keep telling yourself that Jim."

"Why ain't ya out with curly locks?" James continued.

The smile left Miles' face, he averted his gaze, looked at his feet resting on the ottoman.

"We broke up."

Juliet sat up, concerned. "What? Why?"

Miles shrugged, didn't want to discuss it. It was the same old, just too emotionally remote. He'd heard it a dozen times, didn't know how to be any other way and it was hard, having to lie, having to pretend all the time. Jim and Juliet didn't get it. Fuck and he was 34 or was that 35?

Juliet felt James arms slide around her waist, his lips press against the nape of her neck.

"You're a million miles away Juliet, what'cha thinking about?"

"Nothing," she replied, only she was bored, bored of the same old routines, every day the same, nothing new, just the jungle, yellow dharma houses, daggy old jump suits. She turned to him suddenly.

"I feel like chips," she said.

He frowned, perplexed.

"Hot chips," she continued, "like the ones you deep fry and then smother in salt and Kentucky fried chicken."

James gave a lopsided grin. "Really? Ain't that kind of bad for the waist line?"

She rolled her eyes at him, shook her head. He really wasn't getting the point here, or rather ignoring it, as usual.

"I can do chips," he offered a funny deliberate half smile crossing his face.

Her eyes widened. "What?" He had to be having her on; it was some sort of trick?

He grinned looking far too pleased with himself.

"Yep the first ever automated deep fryer has hit these sandy shores," he said, "came out on the last sub." His smile widened. "And I'm sure it's only a matter of time before fried chicken will be on the menu."

Juliet blinked in disbelief.

"B-But how, who ordered it?"

He gave her a patient look. "I am from the South Blondie in case ya forgot."

She had. For some strange reason none of that seemed to matter here on the island, where you were from was kind of irrelevant.

James reached for the walkie talkie on the bench.

"Hey Bertha how's that deep fryer comin' along?"

Juliet gave him an incredulous look. Since when he was he so friendly with the kitchen ladies?

"Juliet has a hankerin' for chips ya reckon you could fry some up for her."

"Chippy, chippy," Mary called out from her high chair.

"Thanks sweetheart what would I do without ya."

Juliet blinked. He looked at her with that same silly grin on his face.

"Alright ya got chips Shirley Temple."

Not that again. "Shirley Temple?" she fumed.

"If ya good enough I'll buy ya a lollipop too." Then he had the audacity to tweak her nose. "Aww you look so cute like that," he smirked.

Juliet shut her mouth. Let him have his fun for now but she really should have known better than to let Amy talk her into that stupid hair perm. It was the latest thing, it was the 80's everyone was doing it and it was something different in this place where everything was so boringly uniform. But her hair ended up way curlier than she thought it would.

It will drop soon Amy had reassured her. That was a month ago.

James had found it highly amusing and called her every related curly haired nickname he could think off.

Well what could one expect when it had a Dharma logo on it she'd grumbled, nose put out of joint.

Everything had a Dharma logo on it, even the toothpaste tube. There was not one thing in the house that didn't. And with time she had gotten so use to it being that way that she no longer noticed. That was the saddest thing of all. Had she really now just become part of the furniture here? Had it been that long? Had it been nine years?

James turned away from her and lifted Mary out of the high chair.

"Ya want chips little girl?"

"Chippy, chippy," she lisped in that sweet little childish voice that often made Juliet go all gooey inside. Pathetic really. Just like watching James and Mary together and she would feel a stupid grin on her face. She could stand there and watch them all day and he was so surprisingly infinitely patient with her, unlike how he was with everyone else. When he scolded her he was firm but gentle and Mary had him eating out of her hands and she could put the water works on when she wanted. James was a sucker for that, hated seeing girls cry. He'd pick her up, comfort her.

You are going to spoil her she would chant.

It fell on deaf ears and well all in all James was a good father and it had surprised in a most pleasant way.

In the mornings he was the one that got up to her. Juliet would snuggle up under the doona and sleep, but it was getting harder to find a comfortable position with the size of her girth. She had taken to wearing his shirts.

Looks better on you than me he would comment. And hell would freeze over before she'd wear any of the maternity clothes that had recently arrived to the Dharmaville clothing store. Navy blue tent dresses with white collars and red bows. Ugh. They made her shudder.

The 80's were definitely here. Big poofy hair to go with big poofy dresses, flicks and layered hair was all the rage along with far too much blue eye shadow. And finally normal designer jeans, the only good thing, too bad she couldn't wear them.

Flares and platform shoes were out, Hawaiian shirts and moustaches were in.

Ya think I should grow one Blondie? James had asked.

Words were not necessary just one expression on her face said it all. Needless to say James never did grow one.

She had tried not to fall victim to the gaudy 80's look like the other women but found herself applying too much blue eye makeup on her eyelids for tonight. And shit she now had permed curly hair not to mention she was wearing leg warmers over her leggings but well leg warmers proved useful in that they alleviated the cramps she often got in her calf muscles and the leggings were so comfortable, unfortunately they were not quite in fashion yet.

She didn't care if she was committing a fashion atrocity.

James turned to face her, Mary in one arm and reached out a hand.

"Ya ready to go eat chips Blondie," he began then frowning, "how come your suddenly so tall?"

"Cherokees," she returned raising a foot in the air and showing of her shoe, "with three inch rubber heels."

She grinned at his disgruntled expression.

"What is it with you and high heel shoes and it's so 80's."

Juliet raised an eyebrow and glanced down at his feet.

"And wearing socks with sandals isn't?"

He gave her a sheepish look. "Yeah well my feet were cold."

They strolled across the compound towards the dining hall, her in a spandex skirt, leg warmers and James shirt than nearly reached her knees with her three inch high heeled Cherokees. It was a cloudless night, not quite dark, still dusk.

Mary seemed captivated by the sky and the colours there.

"Pretty," she cooed.

Bertha fused over them. Mary seemed spellbound by her cheery chubby red face. James put her in a high chair.

"Ya gonna love this baby girl," he said.

Bertha placed a large bowl of chips on the table in front of them.

Juliet couldn't believe her eyes. "Are they the real thing, not the oven baked ones?"

"Yep, bona fide legit chips bound to send ya cholesterol sky rocketing and possible get ya ending up as round as big Bertha."

Juliet shook her head and smiled amused. "You sure I'm not there yet?"

"Big Bertha," Mary began, clapping her hands, "big Bertha."

James' face suddenly went serious. "Shss, no Mary," he said hurriedly, pressing his finger against her lips.

Juliet giggled. "You really need to start thinking about what you say around her now."

James grimaced. "It's just Bertha cupcake."

Mary grinned cheekily. "Big Bertha!" she returned louder than before.

"Damn," James muttered, his face reddening slightly. He ran a hand through his hair and gave Juliet a perplexed look.

Juliet shrugged and started eating the chips. "She's your daughter."

He frowned, "Don't you mean ours?"

"Big Bertha!" Mary yelled again.

"No, no girl it's just Bertha," he enforced and glancing at the bowl of chips he grabbed one and handed it to her as a distraction, "look it's a chip."

Mary looked at it suspiciously. James took a bite of it.

"Hmm yummy." He ate the whole chip and picked up another one, Mary started squealing.

"My chippy!"

James handed her one.

"Say please."

She gave the sweetest smile making his heart melt, "please dada."

"Knock yourself out kid."

She took the chip from him, nibbled on it and her eyes lit up like Christmas lights on a tree.

"I think she likes them," James exclaimed turning to look at Juliet as if it was the most amazing thing ever.

Juliet rolled her eyes. Everything Mary did amazed him. "Of course James, who doesn't like chips?"

Bertha returned to the table carrying two cups on saucers placing one in front of Juliet then James.

Juliet peered down at the cup and could hardly believe her eyes.

"Is that what I think it is?"

James grinned. "Yep, it's a cappuccino."

He raised his cup to hers, looking happy and much too gorgeous. "I'm bringing civilization to craphole island." He clinked his cup against hers and took a mouthful before setting the cup back down on the table with a flourish. And it's moments like this that Juliet figured she loved him so much that she'd go wherever he went. She turned her face to his, leaned in closer towards him.

"Come here you," she murmured.

He leaned towards her and she captured his mouth with hers. He reached up and cupped her face, deepening the kiss.

"Me too! Me too!" Mary shrieked and Juliet reluctantly pulled back, gazing into his eyes.

"Thank you James," she breathed getting lost in the warmth of those beautiful eyes of his.

"Just wanted to make ya feel better, you've been kinda sad lately," he said slowly, thoughtfully, flicking a finger over her smooth cheek.

"As long as I'm with you I'm happy."

Placing a hand at the back of her neck, he pulled her closer to kiss her, his fingers disappearing into her hair. It was a soft kiss, unhurried, not insistent, just tender and far more meaningful. The sort of kiss he had only ever shared with her, no one else. And it wasn't just about sex. They had been together long enough now for it be so much more.

"Hey LaFleur!" he heard Miles yell from across the room, "you want to keep it for the bedroom your making the rest of feel like puking here."

James pulled away and glared in Miles direction. Damn stinking rotten timing and who the hell was that with him? He squinted at the skinny man walking alongside Miles with the scraggly brown hair and shifty eyes and he was familiar. But nah, no way, it couldn't be. He was in Ann Harbour, it had been six fucking years. What the hell was he doing back?

"You never guess who rocked up on the sub this evening," Miles said as he approached them.

"Daniel Faraday," Juliet gasped beside him.

Twitchy was back and James didn't know how he felt about that?

Juliet scrambled to her feet, greeted Daniel with a hug, he looked a little shell shocked. Surprise then shock registering on his face as he noticed her stomach.

"Whoa, look at you," he gasped, stepping back, eyes growing rounder, "y-your ... pregnant."

"Bright this one isn't he," James remarked in her ear as he reached out a hand to shake Daniel's.

"So what brings ya to this neck of the woods?" he asked but Faraday's eyes are fixed on Juliet's belly and it's starting to get a tad awkward.

"Ah you have seen a pregnant woman before haven't ya?" James stated.

Daniel's eyes flit to his.

"Is it yours?" he asked.

James frowned and a funny confused look crossed Juliet's face.

"Ah yeah ... why?"

What the hell was going on and why did Faraday look suddenly so freaked out? Faraday glanced in Mary's direction.

"Is she yours too?"

"Of course."

Faraday shut his eyes. "This ..." he stammered, opening his eyes and looking directly at Juliet and her belly again, "this is all wrong."

James ignored the sudden dread gnawing away at the pit of his stomach.

"What the hell ya mean Faraday?" he snapped.

Faraday gave him that half worried anxious look that always creeped James out.

"Where's Jack."

This was too much. James glanced at Juliet's equally confused expression.

"And Kate?"

Faraday's eyes scoured the hall. "Don't tell me they never came back?"

"Of course they didn't, why would they?" James got out.

Daniel shut his eyes again, shook his head slowly. "This isn't good," he kept muttering over and over, "so not good, bad, it's all wrong."

James eyes met with Miles. Miles shrugged gave James he's gone loopy finger to the head sign.

"Ya wanna tell us what the hell is goin' on twitchy?"

Daniel opened his eyes and look at them evenly and that creeped James out even more.

"We," he began, his eyes shifting to Juliet, then Miles, "you, all of us are not supposed to be here."

"Really no shit," James returned sarcastically, "hell it's only 1981 of course we're not!"

Daniel's face paled, he looked shell shocked all over again.

"What did you say?"

"Which part?"

Daniel held up a trembling hand. "The year, what year is it?"

"1981."

Daniel smacked his forehead with his hand.

"No! It's supposed to be 1977."

He had that half crazed look in his eyes again. "We've got to get out of here."

"Whoa hold on there a minute Danny boy, what do you mean?"

Daniel gave them an anxious look, started shaking his head again.

"We have to go back."

"Back to where?"

Daniel looked at him as if he was some ignoramus and that just pissed James off, despite the goose bumps suddenly popping up on his arms and neck.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"2007," Daniel stressed, "we have to go back to 2007."

A/N: Sorry to end it there, it will continue I promise that is if you want me too? This story does have an end, I've just got to get there!

Ah the good ole 80's and bad hair perms. Jeez I miss it.

If you like please leave a review and yeah they really do make up writers very very happy.