Chp 12
"So Ana Lucia was your trait partner," Juliet said.
"Yeah," Jack said sitting on the edge of the bed, "Can't argue that she was a natural leader."
"I suppose not. I guess Shannon being James' isn't all that shocking either," Juliet responded getting on the bed and crossing her legs under her.
"Nope," Jack said.
Juliet bit her lip and looked at him, "Are you sad Jack?"
"Sad?"
"That Ana is dead and well, you were supposed to have a baby with her not me."
"Don't be silly Juliet;" he said cupping her cheek in his hand, "It's just a bunch of scientific facts thrown on a sheet."
"Aren't you a man of science?" she asked.
"Not when it comes to that. Besides if they wanted Ana and I to get together why'd Ben make Michael kill her?" Jack asked.
Juliet shrugged, "An eye for an eye."
"For killing that Other, Goodwin?" Jack said.
"Yes," Juliet nodded, "And for Shannon."
"Shannon was an accident," he said sternly.
"Still ended any hope of her and James conceiving," she said.
"Shannon was with Sayid, and Sawyer," Jack told her but didn't finish.
"Feelings can change," Juliet said sadly.
"Not mine," Jack said looking into the blue of her eyes, "Not mine for you, not ever."
She smiled at him broadly. Jack gave her his goofy grin back. Juliet chuckled.
"I could really go for some ice cream."
"What now?" Jack asked, "It's midnight."
"Call it pregnancy cravings. I bet Hugo has some in his freezer."
Jack got off the bed, "Alright, I'll go check since we'll be up waiting for Sergio's call on the rest of the autopsy results."
"Thank you Jack," she said.
….
They sat on the bed, a tub of Neapolitan ice cream between them, and playfully fought over the strawberry in the centre.
"I always took you for a vanilla sort of guy Jack," she said stealing his spoon and eating the last of the pink treat. Jack frowned at her then giggled and whispered, "Piggy."
She smacked the back of his hand with the spoon before putting the tub and silverware aside.
"Actually, my favourite is chocolate chip mint," Jack said nursing his hand in mock pain.
Juliet raised an eyebrow, "Sophisticated yet playful at the same time."
"That's me," Jack said, "What's your favourite?"
"Butter pecan," she said.
Jack thought about it, contemplating what her choice revealed about her, when his cellular rang.
"That would be Sergio," he said as she grabbed the phone.
"Hello," Juliet answered.
"Juliet, I have the results from the autopsy reports and my nephew managed to retrieve the medical reports from Desmond and Sayid's army files."
"Kids and computers huh?" Juliet said.
"Yes," Sergio answered, "Well Shannon's brother, Boone, he is one of the pairs although his partner is unknown."
"Boone?" Juliet repeated so Jack would know what they were speaking of, "Which trait was he?"
"Number 16," Sergio told her.
"Addiction," Juliet said, "And anyone else?"
"Yes your friend Hugo and one of the deceased women, Libby, they are paired with trait #15."
"Libby and Hurley, #15 was insanity right?" Juliet asked as Jack looked on curiously.
"Correct, and Kate's partnered with Sayid," Sergio said.
"I see," Juliet said, "That just leaves Boone's partner and both the male and female for #23."
"Yes, you'll have to get more blood samples from the survivors," Sergio explained.
"Right, thanks Sergio."
….
The following day Jack and Juliet said their goodbyes to Hurley and got on a plane back to L.A. Juliet was nervous; the idea of returning to the place Margo Sheppard resided didn't sit well. Jack held her hand as the plane took off.
"We have to see Claire," he explained, "We might as well do it now since we can't seem to find Jin and Sun."
"I wonder where they went if they're not in Korea, where are they?" Juliet asked.
Jack shrugged, "We'll find them eventually."
The plane landed 12 hours later and Juliet and Jack made their way past customs.
"I'll get a cab, Claire's expecting us soon," Jack said.
"Can I just use the ladies room first?' Juliet asked.
"Sure, I'll wait here."
Juliet washed her hands and splashed some of the cool water on her face. The constant travel was making her tired and the baby made her nauseous.
"Settle down in there," she chastised, talking to her stomach, "It will all be over soon baby."
She walked out of the washroom when a man grabbed her from behind.
"Ssh, not a word," he said dragging her to a darkened corner.
"You," she said recognizing the voice as the doctor who helped her escape back in Switzerland.
"I said not a word," the man whispered wrapping his hand over her mouth, pulling her further into the shadows.
"Why haven't you exposed Infinity? Why haven't you exposed her?" he asked then took his hand from her face.
"We don't know everything yet, you gave us more questions than answers," Juliet told him frantically.
The man pulled her tighter so that she was drawn flushed to his chest. She tried to look up and back at him but he held her neck, keeping her from seeing him. Juliet took a deep breath in and his scent flooded her nostrils. He smelled familiar, he smelled like Jack.
"Then maybe you should go back," the doctor told her.
"Go back where?"
"Go back it the island," he said.
"But," she started when he pushed her back into the crowd. She spun around but couldn't see anyone that may have been the man that just held her captive. She quickly ran back to Jack.
"It took you forever Juliet," Jack said taking her hand and pulling her towards the waiting cab.
"I'm sorry," she said stepping into the cab, "I, I had morning sickness."
Jack gave her a sympathetic smile and kissed her cheek. She breathed him in as he leaned over her.
"Jack," she said as the cab pulled onto the L.A. freeway.
"Yeah?"
"Did you always use the same aftershave?" she asked him.
"What an odd question, don't you like it?" he asked her puzzlingly.
"Oh I do, I love how you smell," she said.
"It's Old Spice, and yeah I've always worn it," he said leaning back tiredly and closing his eyes. He sighed as his memories flooded his mind, "My Dad used to wear it and when I started to shave he gave me some. I guess it just stuck."
"Your father?" Juliet asked her eyebrow sharply arched.
"Yeah, my father," Jack said.
….
Jack and Juliet walked into the home of Liam Pace. Charlie's brother had recently returned to L.A. to retry his hand at music. Claire and Aaron had gone there after being rescued to explain what happened to Charlie on the island. She stayed and now Jack had asked her for a blood sample.
"But I thought Juliet cured me of the illness back on the island," Claire asked as they walked past the built in record studio and to the living room where Aaron crawled freely on the carpet.
"I did," Juliet said a little uncomfortable in the house of one of Charlie's relatives, "But we're just making sure there were no after effects."
"Oh," Claire said rolling up her sleeve and letting Jack take the sample, "I don't even remember seeing you on the rescue ship, where were you guys?"
Jack looked over at Juliet before turning back to Claire.
"We were there, last on with Sawyer and Kate, you must have just lost us in the crowd," he explained.
"I guess. It was a big boat, didn't see Sun either."
Juliet's head shot up, "Sun wasn't on the boat?"
Claire shrugged, "Must have been somewhere. It's not like anyone would want to stay on the island right?"
….
Juliet waited in their L.A. hotel for Jack to return with the pizza she craved. She had refused to return back to Jack's mother's house and he complied. She could hear him opening the door and she stood up, a smile on her face.
"Hey where's the pizza?" she asked.
Jack grabbed her and slammed Juliet hard against the wall.
"Jack, you're hurting me," she said confused.
"Did you think I wouldn't find out? Did you thing Sergio wouldn't tell me?" he screamed at her.
"Tell you what?" Juliet asked.
"About Claire!" Jack cried.
"What? Is she on the list?"
"Yeah, Boone's partner, but that's not what I'm talking about and you know it," he said grabbing her and shaking her slightly.
"Jack you'll hurt the baby," she said.
Jack snorted, "Is there even really a baby Juliet? Or did you make that up to lure me to do what you and Ben wanted? To steal Sun's baby?"
Juliet shoved Jack backwards, "Are you mad? Of course I'm pregnant. I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Claire's my sister!" Jack said, "I have a sister and a nephew and the whole time you said nothing."
Juliet's eyes widened, "I didn't know."
"Bull," Jack spat pacing the room, "You're telling me that wasn't in my file?"
"It wasn't! At least not the part that Ben let me read."
"I don't believe you," Jack said, "All this DNA stuff, what are you and Ben up to?" Jack demanded to know.
Juliet's tears streamed down her face, "I'm telling you the truth Jack."
He stared at her in silence till her pleading turned to anger. Juliet pulled at the ring on her slightly swollen finger. She took it off and threw it at him, hitting Jack in the chest, and watched it fall to the floor. It spun for a few seconds before lying flat between his feet.
"If you don't believe me then there's nothing more to say. It wasn't a real wedding anyway, and I guess this isn't a real marriage either," Juliet said through choked sobs before grabbing her bag and running out the door.