Author's Note: So, I tried REALLY hard to finish this chapter before my class last night, but.. I'm sure you can all tell that I failed miserably at that. So.. the goal got switched to.. 'update before I pass out' LOL. Clearly that plan failed as well. I got home.. sat down.. and was out like a light in less then five minutes. Go figure.

All Over Again:

"What brings people together,

is not joy, but shared pain."

Juliet had to fight her instinct of 'fight or flight'. At the moment those instincts were weighing heavily on flight, the problem was, even if she wanted to run, she didn't know where she was going anymore. She was stuck, forced to stared in the general direction from where she had heard Ben's voice. And she listened intently at the soft cracks of twigs snapping beneath his feet as he came towards her.

'Fight or flight.. fight or flight.. it's all my fault..' she thought silently, nearly taking a step back as Ben stopped in front of her. She knew because she could feel the heat off his body, he was right in front of her. 'All my fault.. but I can save him, save them all.. just go with Ben and everyone's safe, I deserve to be stuck with him anyways.. right?'

Ben stared silently into Juliet's eyes. They were empty, missing the pupils, and at first he had thought he'd imagined it. He could see now that he hadn't, and that she couldn't see him. Yet.. she knew he was there regardless. So why didn't she run away? He couldn't let her eyes effect him. "You disappointed me, Juliet.." he told her. "You turned your back on me and I can only assume it's because you remember."

Juliet felt her breath catch in the back of her throat. "Does it matter?" she questioned, finally daring to trust her own voice.

"Oh but of course it matters," Ben stated, tucking a stray piece of hair back behind her ear. He was surprised when she had absolutely no reaction to it whatsoever. "You disobeyed me, went against me, for some southern conman.." he told her. "The first time it was Jack, and I could understand that, he's a doctor.. but.. Ford?" he questioned. "I suppose you didn't have many choices back in the 70's though, did you?"

Juliet nearly flinched in response to the statement. That was all the proof she needed that Ben remembered everything. It wasn't as though she could deny any of it, sure, he'd been a child, but he'd clearly seen the relationship develop between herself and Sawyer. "It doesn't matter," she assured him. "He doesn't matter.." she lied.

Ben arched an eyebrow up in response to that statement. "Are you sure about that?" he asked her. He knew the answer, knew that she was lying.

A shadow of a smile flickered on her face for a brief moment. "That was the past.." she stated quietly. "Besides, he doesn't love me," she answered to him, although she stung herself by speaking those words.

"I see," Ben replied casually. "Then I suppose you have no issues killing him."

Juliet narrowed her eyes slightly in response. She nearly faltered in her expression. "I don't see how that would even work, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit blind."

"Come," Ben stated, taking her hand in his and leading her with him.

"Where are you taking me?" Juliet questioned out of confusion.

Ben chuckled. "Do you trust me, Juliet?" he questioned.

Juliet frowned. "Not in the slightest.."

Ben laughed now. "Still as blatantly honest as ever, I see.." he stated calmly. "I know how to fix your eyes, Juliet."

Juliet was silent now as she followed Ben. She was truthful when she told him she didn't trust him in the slightest. But now he'd piqued her curiosity. And she supposed his interest in fixing her eyes at least bought some time he would have likely spent on plotting the death of Sawyer and the other survivors. "You can't just fix blindness.." she muttered.

"I can't, but I know who can," Ben assured her.

"I certainly hope you don't mean Jacob.."

Ben was silent as he glanced back at her, but he continued leading her. "No, not Jacob, what do you know about Jacob?" he questioned curiously.

Juliet paused in her reply. "He told me this was a gift."

Ben stopped short in walking. "Told? You talked to Jacob?"

Juliet was dumbfounded now. "Uh.. short cropped blonde hair.. blue eyes, decked out in white? Yes.." she stated with slight confusion.

Ben was about to speak when another voice rang out.

"I suppose you came to find me?"

Juliet frowned. That sounded like Locke's voice. "John?"

Locke chuckled. "Not exactly, Juliet.." he told her, stepping forward.

Juliet got one of those bad feelings in the pit of her stomach. Her fight or flight meter was going off-charts in the direction of flight now. "What's going on?" she questioned now, the confusion and worry evident in her voice.

"Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you Juliet," Ben assured her, giving her hand a slight squeeze. "In fact.. we want to take away your pain."

Juliet opened her mouth to reject the idea when she felt a hand touch her face. There was an instant burning sensation in throughout her body and suddenly everything was coming in clear in her vision. She could see Ben and Locke in front of her. But Locke.. he didn't have the same gentleness he used to have. No.. that wasn't John Locke.

The burning sensation only grew worse and she felt the tears flooding her eyes as pain tore through her. Someone screamed, she was pretty sure it was her.

~*~*~*~

"What the hell was that?!" Miles questioned out of shock.

"That sounded like--" Kate was cut off.

"JULIET!" Sawyer yelled out immediately, running towards the direction of the screams.

Kate glanced at Jack and Miles for just a moment before they all followed after Sawyer quickly.

~*~*~*~

"Now look at me Juliet," Locke stated.

Juliet found she could do nothing else. She stared at him and her whole body felt as though it were on fire. Who was this guy? What the hell was going on?

"There's a man coming for you, his name is James," Locke told her quickly. "He and the people he is with are bad people, dear.." he explained. "It's kill or be killed."

Ben arched an eyebrow up. He wondered if this faux-Locke's mind game would actually work.

"Tell me what you remember."

"James.." Juliet muttered. "Love.. James.."

"Wrong!" Locke grunted out in annoyance.

Juliet let out a screech of pain and fell to her knees, holding her hands on her head.

Ben took a step away out of shock. "What are you doing to her?" he questioned immediately.

"Don't question me, don't forget, you have to follow me," Locke told Ben.

He was only met with silence.

"Now, Juliet.. what do you remember about James?"

"Kill or be killed.." came Juliet's quiet voice.

Locke smiled now. "Very good. Here he comes," he stated, grabbing Juliet's hand and pulling her back to her feet in front of himself and Ben. He was quick to whisper something else into her ear.

"What the hell are you doing to her?" Sawyer growled out quickly.

Locke grinned. "You know, she used to be so strong-willed, I was never able to break into her mindset until today," he admitted. "I guess all we needed was you, James, to finish completely breaking her."

Sawyer stared into Juliet's empty eyes. He saw absolutely nothing in them now, but her pupils had returned. There was no sadness, no pain, nothing. "What did you do?!"

"Well, you see James, she was in a lot of pain.." Locke explained casually. "Trust me, I saw her pain while I was erasing all of it, of course.. she blamed herself for most of that pain, believed she deserved everything that's happened to her."

Sawyer froze as he listened to Locke's words.

"Juliet, do you know him?"

Juliet finally raised her eyes to look at Sawyer. "No," she replied instantly.

"Do you know anything about him?" he questioned.

Juliet frowned now. "Bad.. going to kill me.."

Locke sighed. "How sad.." he answered. "It looks like she doesn't remember you."

"Juliet!!" Sawyer yelled instantly. "Juliet, don't give into them, look at me," he told her. She wasn't looking anymore though. She was staring at the ground. "Juliet, look at me!!"

Juliet finally glanced up and met his eyes with her own.

"I love you, I'm not gonna hurt you," he told her. "You gotta believe me.." he begged, and he watched a flicker of recognition in her eyes.

"Don't listen to those lies," Locke stated, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Juliet felt the burning pain shoot through her abdomen as she fell back down to the ground. She heard someone screaming again. Once again she was almost positive that it was her.

"Samuel! Leave her be.."

Sawyer turned immediately along with Kate, Jack and Miles. Jacob was now there and stepping in front of them.

"Interesting to see you alive again, Jacob.." Samuel stated with a grin.

"Samuel?" Kate questioned. "His name is John Locke.."

"Afraid not," Jacob assured her. "He only looks like John Locke."

Ben arched an eyebrow up immediately. "What?"

Jacob looked back at Samuel. "Let her go."

Samuel smiled in response. "Oh no, I don't think so," he answered with a shake of his head. "I'm erasing everything, pretty soon she won't even know who she is anymore." He glanced over at Sawyer. "You don't mind, do you? After all, everything is her fault anyways, correct?"

Sawyer froze in response.

"Huh.. wow, she really loves you," Samuel muttered. "You really need to get over him Juliet.." he told her, squeezing her shoulder with his hand.

Sawyer went to move forward immediately as Juliet let out another ear-piercing scream. He stopped when he saw Ben intervene, pulling Juliet away from the faux-Locke's grasp. He suddenly had a new sense thankfulness towards Ben.

"What are you doing?" Samuel questioned, glancing back at Ben.

Ben stared at him, unflinching as he held Juliet up. "I asked you to help her, not hurt her," he told the man.

Samuel sighed. "Juliet, be a dear, show Ben whose side you're on."

Juliet shoved her way out of Ben's grasp and pulled the gun from the waistband of his pants. She smiled a little as she aimed it at him.

Ben froze instantly.

"Sonuvabitch, Juliet!" Sawyer growled out. "Don't do it! This isn't you, you would never just shoot somebody!"

No reply came from her.

"Jacob, you have your little minions with their own emotions in check, but me? I've created an emotionless warrior," Samuel stated with a smile.

Ben narrowed his eyes slightly as he caught the look in Juliet's eyes. There was definite recognition in them as he kept his eyes on hers and he had to keep himself from smiling. She was just playing along. At least, he hoped thats what he was seeing.

"Shoot him," Samuel ordered.

Juliet pulled back the safety on the gun.

"Look how easily she--"

BANG! BANG!

Sawyer stared in shock as Locke, Samuel, whoever it was, fell over with two gunshots in his back. He watched as Juliet's hands shook violently as she held tightly onto the gun and he didn't hesitate to go over to her. But he froze when she turned the gun on him. "Juliet--"

"Stay away from me!" she warned, taking a few steps back.

"Her memory, Samuel erased a lot of it, but he never completely finished, that's why he couldn't convince her to kill us," Jacob told them all. "Juliet, listen to me," he told her, stepping towards her slowly. "That man, he.. brainwashed you."

Juliet shook her head again. "This is all some kind of sick joke," she mumbled out, trying to will her hands to stop shaking.

Sawyer waved Jacob away. "Juliet, listen to me, I love you," he told her, ignoring Ben's cold look. He glanced down at Samuel, the man was still alive, though he was definitely close to dead. "Juliet," he tried again, watching as Samuel's breathing stopped completely. He froze as she sucked in a deep breath and dropped, almost as though she'd just been hit.

"With his death, she got all the memories back that he'd taken from her.." Jacob explained.

Sawyer went to her side immediately, pulling the stunned blonde into his arms. "Jesus, Blondie.." he muttered out.

Juliet frowned and wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face in his shoulder.

There was complete silence for a moment until they heard the screeching of the smoke monster too close for comfort. By the time they both looked in the direction it was too late, it was coming their way.

Juliet sucked in a deep breath as Sawyer tried to keep her safe by covering her with himself and keeping her body tucked into his. He was the only person to ever put himself in danger for her, and sometimes she just couldn't understand why he did it.

"I love you.." he whispered to her. He watched as the monster barreled towards them. He was thinking he was ready for it as long as he kept Juliet safe.

She felt a few tears fall freely as she gripped his shirt in her fists and wrapped her arms more tightly around him. "I love you back.." she answered quietly.

Sawyer frowned and caught her lips with his own. He broke away a second later and stared at the monster. Just as he was ready to accept whatever would happen, he watched someone else stand in front of them as the smoke monster engulfed them.

()()TBC()()

Oh snap.. the good news? At least the chapters are varying in length now! No more less then 2,000 word chapters. :) Bad news.. this story is almost over! Maybe..