Author's Note: This next chapter is inspired by all the people who reviewed Meant To Be! I'm so glad everyone liked my alternate ending to the finale. I can't even watch the ending without crying now. In the infinite words of Sawyer, 'Son of a bitch!'

This chapter goes to ALL Suliet fans! So sorry for the massive delay! Won't happen again.

No Lizzie. I have not abandoned my story! :D Sorry for making you think that.

Heartland:

Chapter 15: Family

Frangar non flectar

I am broken, I am not deflected

Day One:

When Sawyer opened his eyes,he didn't recognize anything except for the woman lying next to him. Juliet. The bag that Richard had given them was laying on the floor between them, and he quickly looked around at their surroundings. They were inside a house, that was the first thing he noticed.

"When I shut the door, you'll be gone. You'll be exactly where you need to be."

The words rang in his head. He sat up, first turning to Juliet and shaking her gently. "Juliet.. wake up.." he whispered. He felt some relief a moment later when her eyes fluttered open as well. "You alright?"

Juliet nodded and glanced around. "Where are we?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea.." he answered honestly. He quickly stood, helping her up as well, and went over to the window of the living room they were in. He didn't see anything but the big porch, and grass all around them, and a dead street that went for miles. He also noticed the pick-up truck in the drive-way. "Wherever we are.. I'm assuming we're not alone. Truck in the drive-way.."

"James.."

Sawyer turned to look at her, she was peeking around in the bag Richard had given them. "What is it?"

"I think.. we live here.." she muttered.

Sawyer was quiet as he took ahold of the ID's in her hand. "Son of a bitch.." he muttered back, looking at them. "James Ford.. Juliet Ford.." he muttered, staring at them. "38 Huntley Rd..."

"Let me guess to finish that for you," Juliet said with a shake of her head. "Portland.."

Sawyer eyed her suspiciously. "How the hell did you know what?"

Juliet smiled vaguely. "Because, James.." she muttered. "That's where I was told I was going when they brought me to the island instead," she responded. "Must be Richard's sense of irony when he told me I was going to Portland.. I really did wind up going to Portland. He just didn't mention I'd be going there in 1977.."

Sawyer stared at her in silence. Sometimes he forgot she came here under such false pretenses. He noticed that the smile she had plastered on her face now wasn't exactly a happy smile. "You know what?"

"What?" she questioned, tilting her head at him slightly in curiosity.

Sawyer grinned and pulled her body flush against his. "Remember the first time we met?"

Juliet looked absolutely baffled at the question. "When I tasered you in the neck?"

"Yep," Sawyer stated. "Such a romantic first meeting.."

Juliet fought against the smile for a moment, but she couldn't help it. She burst out laughing in response.

Sawyer laughed as well. He knew loving her was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Just like making her laugh and smile were some of his favorite moments.

Month Seven:

"What are we going to name her?" Sawyer asked, smiling down at the little girl in his arms.

Juliet smiled. "Rachel.." she told him. "I'd like to name her Rachel.."

He grinned, looking over at her. "Rachel it is," he told her. He glanced down into the blue eyes of the tiny baby in his arms before he looked over at her in the hospital bed. He glanced at the nurse, "Rachel.."

"Ford.." she said to the nurse for him. "Her name is Rachel Ford.."

Juliet accepted the infant back into her arms and smiled at her. It was a moment later when she looked back up at Sawyer.

Sawyer eyed her curiously as she stared at him. "What?"

Juliet just chuckled and shook her head. "I just never imagined myself with a baby.."

Sawyer smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You and me both." This was one of the few times he couldn't help but smile while he watched Juliet. She was a completely different person from the one he met all those years ago, and then again, so was he. A few years ago, if someone had told him he'd be a father, and be involved with the child, he probably would have laughed them off. If someone had simply told him he'd fall in love, he probably would have laughed even harder.

Month Ten:

The cries were what woke her. Juliet glanced at the Sawyer sleeping beside her and smiled with a shake of her head. She got up off the bed gently, doing her best to let him sleep on through the night as she walked into the next room over. She walked over to the crib and smiled down at the baby inside. She reached her hand into the crib, smiling as the little girl took hold of her finger and proceeded to coo.

Her smile could only grow as she glanced up, looking out the window of the house. It still felt strange to her. To be living in Oregon. She sighed, a part of her felt like this couldn't last forever. But another part of her told her to stop dwelling on the past. This was the present, here, in 1978.

She looked back down at the baby, and could only smile again, wiggling her finger in the baby's hand. Everything would be okay.

Finally she reached both hands down and picked up Rachel from the crib. "Hey there sweetheart.." she whispered, cradling her in her arms.

Sawyer smiled, shaking his head as he stood in the doorway watching her. "You know, one of these days I'm gonna beat you to the crib."

"Hah," Juliet let out with a smirk, turning to look at him. "You sleep like the dead," she told him, walking over to him with a smile on her face.

Sawyer just laughed and shook his head again. "If that's true, then how come I'm standing here?" he questioned, grinning at her. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek before taking Rachel in his arms. "Go back to bed, I got her tonight."

Juliet eyed him curiously but smiled nonetheless. "Okay," she replied with a shrug.

Sawyer laughed again as she headed back into the bedroom. He couldn't help but love the little girl in his arms just as much as he loved her mother. "Well lookit you kiddo," he stated, heading down the hall and towards the kitchen. "You're gonna wind up lookin' just like your momma," he said with a grin.

Juliet couldn't help but chuckle as she followed him to the kitchen rather then going back to bed. "You sure that's a good thing, James?"

Sawyer looked up in surprise, but smiled anyways. "Not really," he told her. "I'm gonna have to beat the boys off while they're still in diapers."

Juliet laughed and sat down at the table.

"Thought you were goin' back to bed," he stated.

"I was," she said with a shrug. "But watching you is much more entertaining."

Sawyer chuckled, remembering when he said that to her back in Dharmaville because she dropped the food she brought him. "Touche," he said with a smirk.

Juliet couldn't help but bite down on her lip to keep from laughing as Sawyer's face suddenly dropped. Sure, she smelled it too, but his face was absolutely priceless. She immediately covered her mouth with her hand as she burst out laughing at his face, unable to hold it in anymore.

"Son of a.."

"Don't say that," Juliet said mid-laughter, still laughing. "Are you trying to teach our child to curse already?"

Sawyer crinkled his nose up in response, but regardless, he didn't finish the statement. "This is the worst its ever smelled.."

Juliet laughed even harder now. "Don't forget, since you're taking care of her tonight, you have to wipe from front to---"

"Yeah, yeah I know," Sawyer said with a roll of his eyes, holding Rachel out in front of him a little further then necessary.

Juliet simply laughed again as she watched Sawyer go back into the other room with Rachel. She knew it was wrong to always tease him, but she just couldn't help herself from time to time.

()()FLASHBACK()()

After spending two and a half years with somebody, not because she had to, but by choice, Juliet was almost positive she found something real in her life. Rachel had always told her, if something was meant to be, maybe you wouldn't know right away. But you'd figure it out eventually. She supposed, in a sense, Rachel had been right. She hadn't gone searching for love this time, instead it had found her.

She realized now, that it really was meant to be. It wasn't as though she was obligated to stay here on the island. The sub had come and gone a bunch of times and she had simply opt'd not to go. She stayed because this was her life now, life with Sawyer. As weird as it was for her to admit, she was actually perfectly happy with her little life in Dharma land. Dispite the fact that soon 1977 would be rolling around soon.

The only thing that worried her now was Amy's pregnancy. Even though it had been proven to her already that it was possible for women at this time on the island to safely get pregnant and stay that way, she couldn't forget the past. Future.. whatever it was. But she managed to relent to the idea, and feign happiness for her friend. She wasn't sure what bothered her more, the fact in her time women died from pregnancy, or that fact that she was positive she'd never have a child of her own. Suddenly she understood Rachel's need for her own child.

"You seem distracted."

Juliet glanced up from the hood of the dharma van. Honestly, she was positive she'd been standing there staring down at it for over ten minutes now. She wondered for how much of that time, Sawyer had been standing there watching her. "Huh?" she managed to get it, not quite catching what he'd even said.

Sawyer just chuckled and shook his head, leaning against the tool cart. "I said you seem distracted," he told her again. "Why don't you take a break," he suggested. "Wanna go for a walk?"

Juliet blinked, and tilted her head to the side slightly as she looked at him. "Oh.." she said. "Sure."

Sawyer watched as she pulled her gloves off and came over to him, placing them down on the cart he was leaning on. "Are you okay?"

Juliet smiled a little in response to his question. "I'm not sure it would make any sense if I tried to explain it," she admitted, shaking her head.

Sawyer frowned as he took her hand in his and they headed towards the docks. It became one of the few places they could be alone other then the house, as long as there was no sub coming in. "Would it hurt to try and explain it?" he questioned, glancing over at her face. He could already see the inner turmoil as she decided whether or not to explain it to him.

"I just.." she frowned, trying to figure out a way to voice her feelings of never having a child. "You really don't want me to explain it.." she said with a sad smile.

"Sure I do," Sawyer told her as they took a seat on the dock beside each other. "Whatever's bothering you Juliet, its not gonna scare me off."

Juliet sighed, leaning back against a box like she had done that very first night in 1974. She chuckled at his choice of words, because she knew Sawyer wasn't all that interest in the concept of children. He never had been. "Is it weird that most of my resent for Amy being pregnant, isn't because of what happens to pregnant women in our time?"

Sawyer stared at her in utter curiosity. "Well.. that depends I guess," he told her. "What does bother ya about it?"

"I guess... it's the fact I'll never have one of my own."

Sawyer blinked, remaining absolutely silent in response to her statement. In truth, her reaction didn't seem all that odd to him at all for whatever reason. He supposed that happened when you fell in love with somebody. You started to understand them more and more.

Juliet frowned, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head.

"Why?" he questioned, glancing at her again. "It's not weird at all."

Juliet blinked in response, not really expecting what she had just heard.

"You think it's strange that you want to have your own child?" he questioned.

Juliet narrowed her eyes in response to the question. "I guess.. a little bit.. no."

Sawyer smiled a little. "You just weren't sure how I'd react to you bringing it up?" he asked next.

"No.." she answered. "Well.. yes."

Sawyer chuckled in response to her honesty. No matter what recently, anytime she attempted to lie, she always came right out with the truth a second later.

"I don't know," she stated a minute later. "I think it just bothers me that I know it's impossible."

Sawyer blinked in response. "What do you mean, impossible?" he questioned. "You can't have kids?"

Juliet glanced at him. "Well it's not as though I never tried," she admitted. "I'm just assuming at this point."

Sawyer sighed, putting his arm around her. "You know, you don't have to have your own kid, to have a kid.." he stated.

"It's just different, James.." she told him quietly. "To have a child of your own.."

Sawyer wasn't sure he'd understand women, but the way she said it made sense to him. "Guess you're right about that."

Juliet smiled at him. "James?"

"Yeah?" he responded, looking over at her.

"Thanks."

Sawyer smiled, kissing her. "I love you, Juliet."

Juliet smiled again in response, laying her head down on his shoulder. "I love you too."

()()END FB()()

Month Thirteen:

Juliet sat out in the front lawn, a sheet spread out and Rachel laying on her stomach on the sheet. She chuckled, watching her daughter try and grab toys around her. Sawyer would be back from work soon at least, then she could take a nap. She smiled, shaking her head at the little girl beside her. She'd told Sawyer that Rachel was her little miracle, because she'd given up hopes on having her own child.

She laughed as the infant turned over onto her back and stared up at her. "You learn fast sweetie.." she said with a smile, grabbing hold of the little girl and hugging her close. "You're my little miracle, Rachel."

"She's cute."

Juliet frowned at the voice. It had been over a year since she'd heard it. She couldn't believe it when she looked up, seeing Jack standing there at the edge of the yard. She held the little girl close to her as she stared at Jack. She didn't bother saying hi, asking how he was. She only wondered one thing. "What are you doing here?"

Jack sighed. He supposed he couldn't expect anything else from her except for that. He walked up the yard, sitting down on the blanket beside her. "I needed to talk to you.. you and Sawyer."

Juliet stared at him, her eyes filled with worry. "About what? Jack why are you here?"

"Maybe you should get Sawyer.."

"He's not here," she told him, eyeing him carefully.

Jack frowned, staring at her. "Where is he?"

Juliet glared at him, already knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Working.." she answered curtly. "He'll be home soon."

Jack was silent at the words 'he'll be home'. He wasn't quite sure how to react to it. "What's her name?" he finally asked.

Juliet sighed. He was here. She supposed it would be impossible to simply ignore him. "Rachel.."

"Can I?" he asked, holding his hands out for the little girl.

"I want you to tell me why you're here, Jack.." Juliet stated again, not bothering to answer his question, or hand him her child.

Jack sighed now. He'd expected the reaction, he'd just hoped he wouldn't really get it. "I'm here.. Juliet, because you have to come back.."

()()END()()

Next chapter tomorrow! Promise!