PENNY'S BOAT
CHAPTER 6: THE JOINING
Juliet? Juliet? Wake up. "Wake up!" Juliet's eyes snapped open to find her 12-year old sister leaning over her. Rachel grabbed her by the arm and yanked her out of bed, leading her into the living room.
"There's a guy here to see you? What did you do?" Rachel asked, playfully jabbing her sister as they met their parents in the room. A tall, rather imposing man with dark circles around his eyes stood talking to their father, who appeared excited. Their mother crouched down to speak to Juliet.
"This man runs a special school. He's going to ask you a few questions and see if you're the right person to go there. Do you understand, Julie?" She asked as she finished her explanation. Juliet nodded, still a little dazed. It couldn't have waited until later in the day?
Mister and Mrs. Carlson led Rachel out of the room while the tall man sat down on the couch. He waved Juliet over and she sat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table.
"Hello, Juliet. My name is Richard Alpert. I run a school for… gifted children. It's come to my attention that you're a very clever girl, so I've extended an invitation for you to attend if you can pass a few tests." The tall man told her.
Juliet tilted her head to the side, "Tests?"
Richard smiled, "Nothing difficult. I just need you to tell me…" He reached into his bag and took out a number of items and put them on the table, "…Which of these things belongs to you?"
Juliet blinked, "What do you mean?"
Richard waved his arm across the table, "Some of these things have already belonged to you. I can't explain it very well myself, but just move the things you feel right about to the other side of the table."
Juliet frowned in confusion, but nevertheless seemed to understand on a subconscious level. She scanned the objects on the table.
A metal baton sat at the far left, next a book marked Carrie, then a knife, a small German pistol, a vial of sand, a watch, a comic book with an image of a floating island on the cover, and a book marked Book of Laws.
Juliet reached for the baton and regarded it slowly. The cold device made her feel a deep pity for some reason, so replaced it in it's original position.
Next she picked up the first book. It felt familiar and comforting, like she'd read it a hundred times despite having never seen it before. She placed it on the right side of the table.
She carefully lifted the large hunting knife and felt uncomfortable with it, as if it meant her harm. She put it back down quickly.
She touched the pistol and felt an overbearing sadness, but also a cold determination that told her she could do what she wanted in life. She placed it atop the book.
The vial of sand came next. It felt like she'd seen it a thousand times. The sand imprisoned in the vial felt like it in itself was trapping her in her situation. She felt a strange compulsion to cast it aside and run away, but instead she placed it with the pistol and book.
She picked up the watch and- She'll answer when she's ready. Because I love you. We're getting home together. I can FIX THIS.
"Are you alright, Juliet?" Richard asked. He gave a look that was meant to express concern, but at the same time betrayed great interest, as if observing someone with a never-before-seen terminal illness.
Juliet nodded, "This feels weird. Like I can't remember something really important."
Richard smiled, "Some of these things might feel special to you, but only take the things that are yours. I'll give you a freebie on this one, it belongs to a boy my friend is going to visit right now. He's very special, just like you."
Juliet put the watch back, "Special?"
Richard nodded, "Some people in this world are particularly gifted. They're very smart, or very strong, or can do things normal people can't. This next test will decide whether you're one of the people who will shape the fate of the world."
Juliet thought silently that this was the strangest man she'd ever met, but something about him felt almost as familiar as the strange objects. She looked to her final test. The comic book or the Book of Laws. She regarded both quietly for a moment, then placed the Book of Laws next to the pistol, book and vial.
Richard grinned from ear to ear, "Very good! Yes! This is exactly what we're looking for." He stood up and ran off toward the kitchen where the rest of the family was. Juliet's parents came running from the kitchen, positively beaming, but Rachel stood back, looking upset at being upstaged by her sister again. It would be years before those feelings of animosity would dissolve.
Juliet? Juliet? Wake up. "Wake up." Juliet's eyes slowly opened to find Jack leaning over her. She tried to sit up and a sharp pain ran through her. Jack gently pushed her back down.
"What happened?"
"Locke happened. He came back and stabbed you, but… But Juliet… We've been rescued! We're on a ship and the crew are heading out to get the others right now. We're going home."
Juliet's eyes lit up and began to fill with tears, "You mean we did it? The Looking Glass station shutting down, the tower being turned off, Naomi… all of it worked?"
Jack smiled and found himself crying tears of joy as well, "Yes. It all worked. Naomi's dead, but she didn't die in vain. We'll be heading home by morning. But listen, you have to follow my lead. We're pretending you're Shannon Rutherford."
Juliet nodded, "I read her file."
"Good, that makes this easy then. You just have to pretend you were in the crash and that nothing strange happened on the island. So the hatches, your people, all the death… none of it can come out."
"I understand."
"When we reach Tahiti, you'll leave the main group and buy a plane ticket to LA. Once you're there, you're gonna have to find St. Sebastian Hospital. I'll be waiting for you there, then we'll figure out where to go from there."
Juliet looked around the sick bay. Blood had stained the walls and the room had a sickly green tint. All these lies. All this darkness. It wasn't what she'd imagined rescue to be like, but she felt safe so long as Jack was there. We're going home together.
Charles Widmore sat in his chair, looking out over Los Angeles with disdain. His people had succeeded for so long, and now the one person he'd never thought he'd have to worry about, his own daughter, was going to compromise the entire plot.
It was so simple. Have Matthew gather just the right people. Give them a little push onto the plane, but plant one extra. Libby had done her job well. She'd managed to help recruit Reyes and sabotage the plane at the correct moment to cause it's landing on the island, but her greater purpose had come later, against her will. Her death had driven the survivors toward their ultimate purpose, the destruction of Benjamin Linus. It now appeared however, that that goal wouldn't be accomplished. The survivors now had the choice between leaving Linus behind or taking him with them to be arrested. Neither outcome suited Charles.
"You rang?" Joked a mocking voice from the back of the room. Widmore turned his chair calmly. He knew very well that nothing could kill him yet. He had no fear of the mysterious man he'd been referred to.
Charles smiled, "Yes. I have here a list of targets. Among them are the survivors of Oceanic 815. I will pay you half in advance and you may not even need to lift a finger. Martin Keamy will attempt to intercept the targets before they reach you, if he is successful, he'll be given the whole second half of both of your pay. If he fails and you succeed, you'll receive said payment. Agreed?"
"Sure, but how about this: I kill them, plus Keamy, and take his advance half too. Free of charge. That should help you keep your little… operation quiet. And it'll be fun."
"A free kill? Surely you're joking?"
The hired gun gave Widmore a smile with his bleach-white face and torn red lips that would frighten monsters, "That's why they call me the Joker."