A/N: That was a bit of a prologue, but here is a longer chapter. Please review!

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Jack's eyes flickered open as he rolled over. He didn't want to get up, but then he remembered they were leaving today. He smiled and sat up, pulling on his shoes and shirt before ducking out of the tent.

Camp was a flurry of activity, everyone gathering the last of his or her belongings and meeting in a central spot, a short distance away from where the helicopter was parked on the flattest bit of sand. The groups had been decided last nigh, with Frank taking Sun, Jin, Kate, Juliet, and himself last. He wanted to make sure everyone else got off the island first.

Glancing around camp, he didn't see the familiar mane of blonde hair he had been looking forward to seeing that morning. His brow furrowed and his lips curved into a frown. Surely Juliet wouldn't be sleeping in today of all days.

Halfway across camp toward her tent, he heard the helicopter start up. After a moment, the noise faded as Frank took the first group back to the Freighter. He stopped outside her tent, debating on whether or not to knock or not.

"Don't bother."

He turned to see Kate stopped a few feet away, her pack slung over her shoulder and munching on a granola bar.

"What?"

"Don't bother. She isn't there." She informed him, finishing off her breakfast and dusting her fingers of crumbs.

"Then you know where she is?"

"Nope. She headed into the jungle last night with her pack. I haven't seen her since." Kate said, in a noticeably cold tone. She had been coming out of the station when she had seen Jack with Juliet, and she was still angry.

"And you didn't wake me up and tell me?" He asked, angered.

"I thought you knew. Besides, I figured she was just going for a walk. She came out of your tent before she disappeared."

Jack brushed past Kate, becoming more confused and worried than angry at the moment. He headed back inside his tent and pondered what she would be doing in his tent. Then he remembered last night, and the dream he had had.

Jack had been standing on the deck of the Freighter, watching the sunset. He could see Los Angeles in the distance. Juliet had appeared from nowhere to stand beside him, not speaking. She had instead turned and kissed him, and it had felt so real to Jack that he thought for a moment it was real and he wasn't dreaming. Then he had woke up this morning.

His eyes scanned the tent, for any sign other than the dream that she had been there. His eyes found the folded piece of paper on top of his pack and he grabbed it, unfolding it and scanning the writing:

Jack,

I'm already gone if you're reading this, but don't have a fit.

I'm really sorry about this, but if I didn't do it now then you never would let me leave. And I wouldn't be able to say goodbye to your face.

I guess you're wondering why I left, but I have to protect you from Ben. I know you think you are invincible and can take anything, but I can't. If you were hurt or killed, I would never forgive myself because it would be all my fault for getting involved with you in the first place.

Let me be the hero this time, while you get the others off the island. Forget about me.

If you love me Jack, you won't come after me.

I love you.

Juliet

He stepped out of his tent, still clutching the note. Kate was speaking with Sun, but she glanced over and caught his angry look. She looked at him a moment, but turned back to her conversation.

Jack was currently having a war being waged within his mind and body. Half of him wanted to forget about leaving and run off in search of Juliet in the jungle, find her, and they could live on the island happily ever after like Tarzan and Jane. The other half wanted to do as she had asked and get on that helicopter like she wanted him to, leave, and forget about her even though he was pretty sure he never would forget Juliet.

Still stuck between a rock and a hard place, he paced in front of his tent for a moment as Frank returned with the helicopter to get the next bunch. It was the second group, right before Jack and his group was to be taken off the island. He was going to have to make a decision.

Approaching Kate, he nodded to Sun and Jin in hello before tugging Kate away from the group.

"What did she say to you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Juliet! She had to have told you where she went."

"No, she left me this." Kate muttered, pulling the folded note from her back pocket and handing it to Jack. He unfolded it and read the words carefully.

Take care of him.

His heart and stomach both gave a lurch at the same time, making him nearly stumble. He blindly handed Kate back the note, who ripped it into shreds and tossed it into the sands without a thought. He stepped away from Kate, running a hand over his face and through his hair.

Apparently Juliet was going to a bit of trouble to make sure he left the island. He sighed as the war inside of him finally subsided.

He had come to a decision.

Walking slowly back to his tent, he ignored everything around him, including the approaching helicopter. Grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulder, he stepped back outside and stared at the trees.

As much as his brain and heart screamed for him to go the opposite way, Jack turned away from the trees to join Kate, Sun, and Jin as the copter landed. He took one last look at the jungle and the trees as he climbed in, whispering three words.

"I love you."

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Muttering several choice swears under her breath, Juliet ignored the fresh cut along her arm where she had run into a sharp branch. She was almost to the Barracks anyway. Using her uncut forearm to wipe the sweat from her brow, she took a large gulp of water and stepped through the bushes, brushing several tree branches out of her face. She sighed slightly in relief as she saw the familiar yellow houses in the clearing ahead.

Her stomach lurched as she thought of what and who awaited her. She didn't want to do this, but she wasn't about to let Ben kill the man she loved. She forced herself to believe she was doing the right thing, when really all she wanted to do was turn, run back to the beach, and stay far away from this place as possible. She would have rather been eaten by the smoke monster than what she was doing right now. Or maybe a polar bear, if she was lucky.

Juliet took a single step forward, but she froze as the barrel of a gun suddenly pressed to the back of her head and a voice hissed behind her.

"Don't move."