Another chapter… glorious, isn't it? And fun things are starting to happen now, aren't they? Romance, like always, and Dom is closing in, and things in general are getting quite tense. I love stories like these.
Anyway—
absolute power: Yep, she's lucky. And you're right, I usually hate it when people write an old character with a new one. In fact, Juliet is the only character I've ever been able to pull it off with, in all my thousands of fanfic pages. (Only a few of which are published, since the rest is terrible.) I'm glad you like them though. They are a cute couple, aren't they?
AgiVega: Heh heh. Wait and see. Not good things, I tell you!
Ahava: So you're back! Glad to see you. You'll see... you'll see. Heh heh. October is bad.
aperfectattitude: Not very good. But yeah, it was sweet, keeping each other warm.
avovisto: Nothing like that. You wait and see. There will be tears yet.
Elyne: You wait and see. Juliet just notices weather. I do that all the time, and people look at me like I'm weird, but oh well. When Dom gets here, it will be even more interesting. Unfortunately. As you see in this chapter, Justin gets hurt. And Dom hurts him later, but... Can't tell.
Emiline: Very disappointing. I heard there's another book coming out though. Something about a lost colony, and running out of magic, or something. Ask avovisto.
Eva Evans: Thanks. I'm working on another one. And I'm very glad you're not making Butler gay.
Holly Rox: If I use the one I'm playing with now, there shall definitely be fairies, but no humans. I can't combine them in action stories. It doesn't work for me. Something with Trouble and Holly naturally. grins I'm not a copy-cat, I promise... And about Endurance, is it something in particular, or is it just being difficult for no reason?
notdapunkprincess: Yep, Dom is a problem now. You wait.
silverfalls: Someone new! Good. Keep reading. I'm almost at the end- five more chapters, but they're good ones.
The Blazing Blade: Fine, meany-head! pouts like child Don't then! I'll stalk you and find out your deepest, darkest secret if you don't review! sticks out tongue Bleh. Blah.
Trouble Kelp: Thanks for reviewing twice. I'm playing with an idea for another story like this that may turn into something bigger.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the things I own. The things I own are the things not owned by Colfer. Colfer owns everything except the things I own. The things Colfer own are the things I do not own. :) Try that one, all you people who think you're the next Artemis Fowl.
Justin opened his eyes, feeling slightly disoriented. It was very dark, but the snow outside the tent reflected just enough light, that he could see the dark outline of Juliet. She had rolled over, and curled up against him, using his chest for a pillow.
For some reason, he didn't mind.
Cautiously, he ran his fingers through her hair, playing with it, and wrapping it around his hands. Somehow, she had managed to keep it as clean as if she showered every day. And it was soft— silky soft, and so fine, it kept slipping through his fingers.
"You like my hair?"
Justin started, jerking back, a flush rising on his face. "I'm sorry— I didn't mean…"
She still looked like she was asleep, curled up, eyes closed, breathing softly, except for a slight smirk teasing at her mouth. "You're acting guilty. Were you thinking things you shouldn't have?"
"I wasn't!" said Justin hotly. "I was only playing with your hair, but I thought you were going to hit me, or get angry, or something! And you startled me too. I wasn't expecting you to wake up like that."
"I'm a light sleeper."
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" She opened her eyes a crack, watching him. "You didn't do anything wrong, did you?"
Justin glared at her. "Will you stop putting me a position so that whatever I say is wrong? So that I'm going to get into trouble no matter what? I'm sorry, okay?"
"Okay." Juliet shut her eyes again. "Go back to sleep. Or aren't you tired anymore?"
"Not very," he admitted.
Juliet murmured something.
"What?"
"Nothing. You can play with my hair if you want. I'm going back to sleep. Just don't wake me up or pull."
Justin hesitated, and then stood, wrapping her back up in the covers. "You go to sleep. I'm going to check on the guards outside. I'll come check on you in a bit."
"You need sleep, Justin. Lie back down."
For a long time, he just looked at her. Then he nodded. "Fine. After I check on the guards."
When he came back in, Juliet was asleep again, right where he had left her. Justin stood, watching her for a while, and then slid in beside her.
Juliet moved closer in her sleep, stretching out against him, and burrowing down until he was almost covering her completely.
He could feel her soft breathing on the back of his neck, her little head resting lightly on his shoulder. Justin wasn't quite sure what to do. Whether or not he should leave her like that, and risk being yelled at later, or move, and be yelled at now, when he woke her up.
He decided to leave her there.
Two hours later, a while after it had stopped snowing, Chance unzipped the tent, and stuck his head in to make sure they were alright. He looked more than a little surprised to see Juliet curled up with Justin, fast asleep, and not seeming to care.
Justin looked up quickly, dropping a strand of her hair. "What's the matter?"
Chance shook his head, looking slightly amused. "Nothing. I'm just checking on everyone, to make sure no nitwit fell asleep without being properly covered. I suppose warmth is not a problem with you two?"
Justin flushed. "She didn't bring anything except that light jacket she wears. No blanket, no heavy jacket, no anything. I…"
"I see." Chance motioned behind him. "It's stopped snowing, but we're going to stay here for a bit. You two can go ahead and sleep for as long as you want today."
"Yeah."
"Well—" Chance started to zip the tent, "it's nice to see you two getting so… friendly."
That afternoon, Juliet woke up, (after he had moved over) and wanted to go on a walk. "Just a short one, Justin. Come with me, if you think I'll run off."
Justin rolled over with a grunt, fumbling for his jacket. "Where're my shoes?"
Juliet held them out. "Come on. Hurry up!"
He grumbled something at her, pulled on his boots, and stood up. "Okay, fine. What are we doing? Or rather, where are we walking?"
"We're running."
"Great." With a sigh of resignation, he followed her out of the tent, kicking through the snow that lay on the ground in great soggy heaps. It was the wettest snow he had ever seen, and clung to everything it touched, quickly soaking his boots and coat.
Juliet did not seem to notice, however, and sprang through it, sending it up in a heavy spray behind her into his face. "Come on, Justin! It's wonderful out! Go faster."
Justin slowed to a smooth jog, and would not speed up, finally forcing her to slow down. They were soon out of sight among the rocks, and he quickly mapped out in his mind where the camp was. Juliet probably wouldn't. She was more interested in scrambling over a few boulders into a gorge that led away to the east. He followed, but it wasn't willingly.
Finally, he caught up with her, when she stopped to study the ground. "What'd you find?"
She started, spinning, and bringing up a fist.
Justin leaped backwards, almost losing his balance. "Hey! I'm not going to hurt you, woman! Who'd you think I was?"
Juliet relaxed slightly, dropping her arm. "Sorry. I'm just really nervous all of the sudden. It's too quiet, and I can feel this tension in the air. Like something's going to happen."
"What were you looking at?"
"Nothing." She shook her head, but as she turned, her feet ground into the snow, erasing whatever had been there. Justin wasn't sure he believed her.
After that, they hiked in silence, slower than they had before. It seemed as if they were both listening. For what, Justin wasn't sure; but now he felt it too— that awful waiting kind of stillness, that doesn't go away, but just gets worse. Waiting for something to happen.
For a moment, Juliet paused, as they neared a sharp bend in the gorge.
Justin gave her a slight push. "Go on."
Reluctantly, she moved forwards, stepping back on his toes before going around the corner.
She froze.
Justin, who was inches behind her, froze too. Having a gun pointed directly in your face did that to people. Especially one that was real, and one on which the safety was off.
In the second or so before it went off, Justin did the best he could. You had to give him that. He grabbed Juliet by the shoulders, and hurled her aside, reaching for his own gun as he fell after her.
Of course, that was all very lovely, but the other man had had his gun ready, and consequencely, pulled the trigger long before Justin even had his gun completely drawn.
Juliet felt the snow smash into her face, slowing the impact. Which was nice, considering the rocks underneath it. She wouldn't have a broken nose.
Then Justin fell on her as the gun went off, knocking all the air out of her chest, and half suffocating her.
She knew better than to move. She stayed where she was.
Suddenly, Justin's weight was not there anymore, and she could hear the most horrible cursing. "Juliet! Please tell me you're okay! Please! Oh damn, your brother will kill me! I didn't hit you, did I cousin? It was an accident, I swear! I thought you were—"
Very slowly, she looked at him. Yes; who else but Saska would pull a trigger before making sure he knew who it was? He had always been the most impulsive of all her cousins.
"Please?"
"You didn't hit me." She glanced down at the blood spattered across the snowy rocks. "You hit him."
She could hear shouts, about half a mile down the mountain, and a ways to the west. Probably everyone had heard the gun shot. And they were coming fast. She hadn't meant to start a full scale war, when she had asked for Dom to come and get her.
"Good." Relieved satisfaction filled Saska's eyes. "I win then. If that's the Justin person."
Juliet felt sick. He'd just saved her life. And he'd been more than decent to her. She hadn't meant—
The shouts were getting closer. She could hear what they were saying now. "Get out of here Saska! As fast as you can! There're too many of them. Tell Dom I said no fighting. None! Please… I don't want anyone else to get hurt. And people will."
Saska looked at her a moment, and then turned and ran, quickly disappearing.
Oh the drama… I love drama. Of course, Justin is not dead, because otherwise there could be no romance. So get over it people. I like hurting characters (and no, I am not an overly violent person) but everyone always gets better, except for the bad guys. And in this case, no one is really the bad guy, except for the complications. And of course Axel, who got what he deserved.
Review. What more is there to say?