OKay, update is quicker than I had thought. This chapter sort of moves us forward and sort of moves us nowhere ;)... It was fun to write though! Thanks to everyone who continue's to read and review. Chapter 29, LOL I never dreamt this story would still be going at this point, and it is not over yet!!!
Chapter 29
"Hey", he says sitting down beside her on the deck of the boat.
She is startled from her thoughts at the sound of his voice. "Oh hi" she says gazing over at him and smiling.
He places his hand over hers, squeezing it. "You okay?" he asks. "You've been pretty quiet since we got on the boat"
"I'm okay Jack" she says looking over at him.
"You're sure?"
She glances behind her, expecting to see James.
"He sent you out here didn't he, doctor or friend?" she asks turning back to look at him.
"Both" he says honestly. "He's just worried about you Juliet, and honestly so am I."
"You guys don't have to worry" she replies.
"You're right" he says. "We don't have too, but we do, so humour me"
She laughs. "I'm fine Jack, honest. The only lasting effect from the accident seems to be that I tire out easily."
"You've been taking it easy?" he asks.
She laughs again, "Yes doctor. The island has actually been pretty uneventful till today"
"Good" he says seemingly satisfied that she was telling the truth.
He stands and then offers her a hand helping her up.
"We'll be at Hydra Island within two hours" he says.
She nod's, she was worried about what they would find when they got there but for Rachael sake she needed to keep that worry under wraps.
Jack doesn't miss the look on her face, but for now doesn't probe her further.
"Hey gorgeous", James says seeing her come down the steps into the boat. She takes his outstretched hand, and sits down on his lap, kissing him softly.
"Thanks for worrying" she says between kisses.
"Ah", he says with a fully dimpled smile. "You seem to be making it my new full time profession" he teases. He wraps his arms around her, hugging her to his body. "I was just coming to find you" he says. "I was just thinking maybe you would like to rest for a bit before we got to the Hydra"
"Ah, rest", she says letting a yawn escape from her. "Sounds like a good idea" she says getting back onto her feet. Hand still clasped in his, he stands and she leads him to their room.
He shuts the door behind them and leads her to the bed. Once she is settled, he lays down beside her so they are facing one another. He tucks her hair behind her ear, leans in and kisses her passionately.
"I missed you", he says. "When we got to the pier and I realized you were gone with Ben", he pauses. "I wasn't sure I would ever see you again"
"I", she starts and pauses. . "I know that I promised I would never leave you like that, but I couldn't just let Ben take Julian."
He places his fingers over her lips to stop her. "Juliet, don't" he says. "I wish you had waited but I understand". He can see her fighting to keep her eyes open.
"Rest Blondie" he says pulling her into his arms. "I'll be here when you wake up"
She closes her eyes and is quickly asleep.
************************
Ben was furious when Pickett failed to bring Juliet to the Temple.
Once the situation was under control he raced back to the barracks. He sent Tom and Colleen to the Staff station to track down the whereabouts of Juliet and Danny.
Finding the clinic empty he goes straight for Juliet's house. He throw's open the door without knocking. "Juliet? Alex?" he calls out. He goes room to room searching for anyone, only to be met with empty rooms each time.
"Dammit" he curses running out of the house. Searching the various areas of the barracks where Alex may have taken the kid, he was met each time with the same story, "Haven't seen them Ben." His frustration was growing by the second.
"What were they up too?" He remembers his conversation with Colleen this morning about the boat having been spotted by the Looking Glass. There was no way they'd have been able to get to Juliet before they arrived on the island. He had sent some men from the Temple towards the beach and the Looking Glass station to look for the boat. They'd reported back that they couldn't track to the boat. There had also told him there had been a breach in the security fence. The men at the Arrow station had investigated but had decided it was just a glitch in the system. They had found no evidence that the fence had been tampered with, nor seen anyone near the fence. Ben curses himself wondering if he'd under-estimated them.
"Where the hell did they go?" he thinks to himself.
The last place he headed was the beach. He knew Alex would occasionally take Julian down to the water to play. Finding it empty he looks out over the water.
"What the hell have you done Juliet" he says angrily out loud, speaking to her as if she was there with him. After a moment he turns and heads back to the barracks.
When he arrives back at the barracks he is greeted by Tom and Colleen bringing back an unconscious Picket.
"What the hell happened? Where is Juliet?" he asked running towards them.
Tom shrugs his shoulders.
"We found him like this. He hasn't woken up since we found him. There was no sign of Dr. Burke. In the supplies room we found a half filled box of supplies. Whatever happened, they made it there. . ", he trails off.
"Take him to Ethan" Ben says shaking his head.
He watches them go, and turns heading to another house.
When the door opens he's greeted by Goodwin's wife. "Harper, where's Goodwin?" he says not looking for idle chatter.
"Haven't seen him today" she says. "He left last night, told me you were sending him out to one of the other stations for a few days."
Ben becomes angrier by the second. She had duped him...
"Damn her" he says aloud.
Seeing Tom coming back out of the clinic he turns and runs towards him, leaving Harper standing in the doorway looking confused.
"Tom, get a group of men together. We need to find Dr. Burke"
"Ben", Tom starts
"Don't question me Tom" Ben yells at him. "Just do what I asked you to do."
As Tom turns to walk away Ben calls out to him again, "Oh and Tom, if she is with Goodwin place him in custody. If she's with strangers, shoot first and ask questions later" he says no longer looking to play games. He refused to let this happen again. She was his.
Having watched from afar, Richard sees Ben losing control. After Tom walks away from Ben, Richard approaches Ben.
"I told you not to bring her back here Ben" says Richard cryptically. "Jacob's list did not contain her name."
Ben glares at Richard. "You think I care what Jacob wants?" he seethes. Fresh in his mind was those moments of his previous meeting with Jacob, just prior to the island resetting itself. "What has Jacob ever done for me?" Ben asks.
Richard glares at Ben, "He let you live" he says simply and then turns and walks away.
*********************************
A few hours later she wakes, disoriented. Darkness was shining through the tiny window in their cabin.
"James" she says sitting up with a start.
He had been sitting in a chair by the door watching her sleep. "Hey" he says getting up and coming to her side. "I'm right here" he gathers her in his arms.
"It's dark out" she says, "We must be at the Hydra island by now? Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Jules you were exhausted, I tried to wake you up a few hours ago."
She runs her fingers through her hair. "We need to get going. We need to go get Julian"
"Whoa" he says grabbing her arm as she tried to get up off the bed. "Slow down Blondie"
She turns back to look at him.
"Sayid and the Doc took the others onto the island to scope out the station and make sure it's just Alex, Julian and that Goodwin guy there. It's just you, me, Claire and the baby here"
He leans in and kisses her, mumbling against her lips, "Essentially alone on this big boat" he slides his arms around her neck, deepening the kiss.
She slides her arms around him, "Hmm, and let me guess what you have on your mind" she laughs.
"Well" he says pulling away slightly. "We have been apart from one another for awhile now"
He leans in kissing her again laying her back down on the bed, continuing to kiss her, sliding his hands down over her body.
Outside their room, they can hear voices.
He pulls away from her lips slightly and groans, "Sounds like some of them are back". He sits, looking down at her flushed face.
They take a moment to pull themselves back together. He then stands and takes her hand leading her from the room. "Let's go see who is back"
"Freckles" James says seeing Kate, Sun and Jin coming down the stairs. "Did you find them?"
"We did", Kate replies. "Jin and Sun are going to stay with Claire and Aaron, I'll take you back to the others. It looks like it's still only the three of them at the Hydra. We didn't approach them yet, thought we'd better have Juliet with us"
"Good idea" Juliet replies.
She hadn't missed that James had called Kate, Freckles. He had been calling her that on a regular basis since they'd all been reunited. She had to admit the first time she'd heard it that it had bothered her, it no longer bothered her now it was a nickname, no different than any of his other nicknames. Too much had happened; she no longer doubted his love for her, or his desire for them to be together. As they had learned life was too short and unpredictable. All they needed was each other.
******************************************
Ben was pacing back and forth outside the clinic waiting to find out Danny was awake.
Ethan finally pops his head out the door. "He's awake Ben" he says.
Ben pushes by Ethan, going directly to Danny's bedside. "Where is she Danny?" he asks, unconcerned for the man lying in the bed.
Danny looks at him confused. "Where is who?" he asks Ben, rubbing the back of his head.
"Juliet, Danny, where is she?"
He gives him another confused look.
Ben grabs him by the collar, "Dr. Burke, Danny", he seethes. "You took her with you out to the Staff. Where is she?"
Colleen walks into the clinic in time to see Ben looking like he was about to shake her husband.
"Ben, stop this" she says going over to them and pulling Ben's hands off Danny's collar. "He got hit in the head Ben, he doesn't remember"
"Well he better hurry up and remember" Ben says unable to hide the anger and frustration in his voice. "We aren't going through all this again just for me to lose her again" he says as he's exiting the room.
Both Danny and Colleen look at him confused.
