okay, thanks so so so much for the reviews and everything! they make my life.

here's another short one, a little lighter.

enjoy!

S is for Solitude

Sawyer knocked on Juliet's bedroom door like he did every morning.

They'd all been in the compound for just over a year; Daniel had left for Ann Arbour three weeks ago and the remaining four had split off into two houses for their own sanity.

Miles and Jin were two doors down and Sawyer and Juliet came to an unspoken agreement that they would bunk together instead of getting an additional house. Let the hippies assume what they wanted.

"Sunshine, you ready?"

The two of them flirted, whether they were aware of it or not, and they were growing closer than they thought possible.

Of course, they never talked about.

And so every morning their routine continued. Whoever was up first would wake the other one and they'd take turns in the bathroom, one cooking breakfast and eating while the other showered and then switching, meeting in the middle for coffee and a few paragraphs of a book.

But this morning, Juliet wasn't answering as per the routine.

He considered just opening the door, it's not like Juliet ever locked it, but he thought that might not go over too well.

"Jules?" he called again.

There was a low groan, one he was sure she didn't mean him to hear, and then her muffled voice.

"I'm calling in sick; go away please,"

Sawyer raised an eyebrow at the door before frowning. "You were fine last night," he tried.

"James," Warning tone. And pain?

"Do you want somethin' to eat before I go?"

Silence.

"Alright then, feel better." He finished lamely, heading out the door. It was lunchtime before he got the chance to head back and check on her. Horace was fairly loose about the whole thing and told him to take the rest of the day and take care of 'his girl'.

Like they thought before, let the hippies assume.

"Jules? Blondie, I'm home, how're you feelin'?"

He approached the bedroom and knocked. There was no answer.

Sawyer looked around the house; her boots were still by the door, the plate he left for her was on the table, her book was in the same place...

"Juliet?" it was rare he even called her Juliet anymore, but when he did he meant it.

There was a low groan again. This time he opened the door.

Juliet was buried under the covers, face down, pillow over her head and a bottle of Tylenol sitting open next to a bottle of water on the nightstand.

"Sunshine?"

"Please go away," Juliet mumbled, not moving a muscle.

"Tell me what's wrong first," he moved into the room and risked sitting on the bed near her feet.

He'd done this once before, a few months ago, when Juliet was sick like this, and had been kicked, almost quite literally, from the room.

"No."

"Blon-,"

"No. It's, no."

Something slid out from the blankets and hit the floor with a soft thud. He peered at it and a lightbulb went off.

"Oh."

Juliet still didn't move. "Yes."

"Do you want me to-,"

"Leave?"

"Sure," Sawyer was up and out.

As he walked down the hall, he put two and two together.

Hot water bottle, Tylenol, lack of movement, irritable. Solitude.

Right. Living with a woman was fun.

"James?"

Her voice carried, barely, from the bedroom and something in it made him turn back down the hallway.

"Yeah Sunshine."

"Okay, since I'm sure you've figured it out now, I guess...can you bring me a sandwich? And possibly my book?"

She sounded guilty for asking but also somehow on the verge of tears.

He came back into the room and rubbed her foot comfortingly where it now poked out of the blankets.

"Sure darlin',"

LOL bet you didn't expect that now did you? hehe

anywho, reviews are love, as always!

updates may become fewer and farther between over the next two weeks, finals and all that fun stuff, but then winter break! and updates a plenty for all you wonderful people :D

thanks so much!