A/N: This story was co-written by AO3's obsessivedaydreamer and posted here with her permission

Chapter 7 - JULIET

"And he asked me to send him a photo of my dress so he can get a tie to match."

Kate rolled her eyes at Juliet's gushing over James just as Jack said, "We should do that."

"Should we?" Kate's brow shot up.

"Yeah, so people know we're together."

She laughed, but she was smiling and it made Juliet feel giddy inside. Almost but not quite as fluttery as the butterflies she got when James flashed his dimples at her.

When Kate had dropped during breakfast, casual as ever, that she had asked Jack to homecoming late the night before—and that he'd said yes—Juliet all but screamed. She couldn't help but feel she'd played some part in it, in the happiness radiating off of them as they walked shoulder to shoulder in the hallway, his hand occasionally brushing against the small of her back as they maneuvered around people.

They were made for one another. It was obvious in the way they looked at each other, all starry-eyed.

She wondered if that was how her and James looked at each other. She hoped it was. It's how she felt in her chest whenever his eyes met hers, that glittering joy, the spark drawn between them.

She kept thinking about Kate's words, her story. How James had treated her. It made all the joy wilt like an unwatered flower.

But him and Kate never looked at each other like this, did they?

This was all different, him and her and Jack and Kate. It was different, and it was right.

As they walked up to Kate and her lockers—only two spots away from each other on the wall—a staticky voice came through the speaker above their heads.

"Good afternoon, Hydras. I hope you're having a fantastic day, made even more fantastic by this exciting news. I have here the list of our homecoming princesses, aka the finalists for Widmore High's 2008 homecoming queen."

Juliet turned to look at Kate excitedly. She had enough energy to make up for the lack of enthusiasm in Kate's smile back.

"Let's all make some noise for . . ." He paused for dramatic effect, and then continued, "Shannon Rutherford."

The hall erupted in claps and Juliet fought not to roll her eyes.

"Sun Paik," he continued, as did the applause. And then, "Juliet Burke."

It felt as if her heart had seized beating for a moment, catching up with the shock that had lurched through her body.

"Oh my god," Kate said, letting out a shocked laugh. All Juliet could do was grin. She hadn't expected it at all. It wasn't like she truly knew many people, enough that would vote for her. But there was the proof, the documentation that she was liked.

She was a princess here too.

Her shock and elation at the news could barely even process before the next name was read.

"And last but not least, Katherine Austen."

She had never seen someone's expression shift so quickly, watching Kate's face fall—wide eyes and mouth hanging open. Juliet shrieked, not even taking a moment before lunging forward and wrapping Kate in a tight hug. She stood there in Juliet's arms, stiff.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, laughing.

She pulled away and let her hands rest on Kate's shoulders, grinning at her. That shell-shocked look hadn't left her face, like her brain was still struggling to grasp it all, lagging behind.

"What? How? I don't . . ."

"We're princesses, both of us."

It hit her, finally, and she began to laugh. She turned around to look at Jack, who had an expression just as dumbfounded as hers.

"You're on the homecoming court . . ."

She nodded. "Yeah, I am."

He reached out to her and she didn't turn away, moving closer and letting him hug her. It was achingly sweet, and Juliet smiled.

"What the fuck is happening?" she heard Kate say, and Jack shook his head.

"I don't know."

It was all perfect. Juliet couldn't help but feel everything was working out as it should, as random people cheered and wished her congratulations as they passed. There was nothing to be worried about anymore.

She wished her sister could see her, here and now, thriving.

She liked to think she'd be proud of her. That she was proud.

She couldn't wait to hear her say it herself.

Juliet pushed open the dressing room door and forced a smile, lifting her arms and slowly rotating.

"What do you think?"

"What do you think?" Kate asked. Based on her furrowed brow, Juliet could tell she wasn't impressed with it. She didn't blame her. The ruffled tulle skirt was quite large, and the bejeweled corset did nothing to calm it down. It didn't help that the bright color was quite an ugly shade of red.

But it wasn't completely awful, she supposed. It fit her well.

She shrugged. "It's nice."

"You really think so?" She stood up, walking over to where Juliet stood in front of the mirror.

She twisted from one side to the other, listening to the skirt rustle. "Yeah. It's . . . interesting."

"Interesting doesn't mean it's a nice dress."

She sighed; Kate had a point. She didn't like it, not at all. She didn't feel good in it, she didn't feel like herself. But really, she didn't even know what that was supposed to feel like. She'd never had a choice this big before. She'd always just woken up with a dress hung on her wardrobe door, no input or thought whatsoever.

Now there was a whole mall full of options. It was an abrupt change.

"I know you're probably used to gowns," Kate said, "but you don't have to pick something so . . . over the top. It can be simple."

"Simple." Juliet considered her words. Technically, this probably was simple compared to the intricate details of her dresses at home. But this wasn't home, it was California. And maybe this was her chance to pick something that she truly felt comfortable in for once.

Kate walked into her own fitting room beside Juliet's, sifting through the dresses she'd hung up.

"You picked this one out for me," she said. "But I think it fits you better."

She held up a tighter blue dress with more subtle layered ruffles making up the asymmetrical skirt. The fabric pinched together coming down the middle of the sweetheart neckline, and there was a pretty braided texture leading down the bodice from where the spaghetti straps ended.

It was pretty—a nice shade of blue, one that reminded her vaguely of the one she wore that day she was swept away from her home. But Rachel had loved that color on her; she'd said it made her look like her mother.

"I'll try it on." She grabbed it from her, offering a smile, and returning to her fitting room.

She tugged on the scratchy red fabric and pulled it off her body, unzipping the blue one and pulling it over her head. It took some effort to get the zipper up, but once she had she took a step back and was struck by the sight in the thin mirror.

It seemed to be made for her, fitting just right. It was tight in all the right places, landing at just the perfect spot on her thighs. And the color complimented the blue of her eyes so nicely. (It really was her color.)

She adjusted the straps where they landed on her shoulders and unlocked the door, stepping out and smiling at Kate.

"What do you think?"

Her eyes lit up when she saw her, and the smile that graced her features gave Juliet a much better feeling than anything had before.

She stood up from the chair, stepping toward her. "Juliet, you look great. It fits you perfectly."

"Yeah? I think I like it."

"You should. It's so pretty."

She spun around and gazed at herself in the mirror, unable to resist a grin. It wasn't often she appreciated her beauty. It wasn't often she even acknowledged it as existing. But in this dress, she couldn't help but feel special. She couldn't help but feel beautiful.

It's how she knew she'd found the one.

She turned to look at Kate. "It's your turn now."

She groaned. "Can't I just pick one? I don't have to try them all on."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

She shook her head. "We have different ideas of fun."

Juliet wondered distantly if this even was truly fun. Maybe Kate was onto something. She might have just been used to this after years and years of royal fittings.

But nonetheless, it was Kate's turn.

"You're a princess now. You gotta act like it," she teased.

Kate rolled her eyes. "One more time and I'm going in jeans."

Juliet laughed, watching her shut the door of her dressing room. Over the next fifteen minutes, she came in and out and in and out, doing weak spins and mocking poses while Juliet tried not to laugh. But none felt right.

Not until she came out in a green halter top dress. It was simple, nothing too extravagant. Just a darker-colored belt of fabric around the waist. But it fit her nicely, and the color was beautiful on her. She seemed to feel it too as, for once, she didn't come out complaining.

"You look so good," Juliet said, more genuine than any of the times before.

Kate nodded, stepping up to the mirror. "I guess it's nice."

"You guess?" Juliet raised an eyebrow, stepping up beside her.

She cracked a smile. "It's nice. I like it."

"There you go."

They stood there together, looking in the mirror. Their dresses complimented each other like it was meant to be. Like they were meant to be paired, the two of them together.

"Jack won't be able to keep his eyes off you," Juliet said with a grin.

Kate laughed, and she could see her face flush. "Well, I could say the same about James and you."

She let out a giggle at the thought. The fact that anyone, let alone someone as gorgeous as James, had thoughts like that in their mind about her was too much to even comprehend. It hadn't ever happened before. She'd never really had the opportunity to meet anyone.

Kate's smile softened, and she looked at Juliet through the mirror. "Thank you."

"For what?" She frowned lightly, racking her brain for what she possibly could've done to deserve that.

"For this." She looked down. "It isn't really my thing. Dresses, and stuff. But I've never really had anyone to do this stuff with me, so. I'm just . . . I'm happy you came here."

There were no words to describe the joy her words set off inside Juliet. It was like nothing she'd ever felt—though she seemed to be saying that a lot these days.

It hadn't been long at all, yet they'd come so far.

Juliet had everything she wanted.

She reached down and grabbed Kate's hand, squeezing it. "I'm happy I came here too."

She meant it. She really did.

"Oh my god, Jack. This is nice."

Kate slid her hand over the hood of the Bronco, eyeing it with a look of amazement. Juliet didn't know much—if anything—about cars. But even she could tell it was expensive.

"I know, right? It's got leather seats, and all these settings for the AC."

"It's very cool, Jack."

He grinned. "Thanks, Juliet."

"How did you get it?" Kate asked, finishing her circle around the car and looking up at him. "I thought your dad wasn't—"

"I said I'd take the job."

Her face shifted. Juliet looked between them, trying her best to work out the backstory behind the silent conversation between their eyes. But there were too many wires and nothing connecting.

"Jack . . . but you—"

"It's fine." He shrugged. "I was sick of him bugging me about it, anyway. And it'll look good on my college applications. It's okay."

The two of them shared a look, one Juliet couldn't decipher. It was like they had their own secret language.

"Besides," he added, "now I can drive you around."

She tilted her head, looking at him so softly. "Jack . . ."

He just smiled, stepping toward her. His hand rested on her back and he leaned down, kissing the top of her head. "I'm happy. It's okay."

Juliet almost felt as if she were intruding on a private moment. It's why she had her response ready when Jack turned around and said, "Juliet, come on. I'll take you guys home."

She shook her head. "No, you guys go. I'll take the bus."

"What?" Kate looked at her now.

"You lovebirds deserve your privacy."

She scoffed. "Juliet, please."

"No, really. It's fine. I'm going to see if I can find James."

She hesitated, but then seemed to surrender. "Ok. If it's really okay . . ."

"It is." She looked at Jack. "Nice car, Jack."

"Thanks!"

She waved and stepped away, walking back up the path toward where the school doors are. She had a few minutes until she had to get to the bus, and she hadn't lied about wanting to search for James first.

She wondered if he had some sort of football thing. He was talking about it, practice or something like that. Maybe she could go to the field and find him and watch. He could drive her home afterward.

As she tried to recall where she'd been told the football field was, a voice behind her caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Congratulations, Princess."

She turned around, straightening up at the sight of Shannon and Boone walking up to her.

"Hey," she said stiffly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Thanks. You too."

"Me too?" Shannon frowned, looking at Boone and then back at her. "Well, I think our situations are quite different."

She shifted from one foot to the other. "What do you mean?"

"I figured you out," Boone said with a smug smile, pulling a magazine out of his backpack and flipping through it.

Shannon snatched it from him. "We figured you out."

She glanced down at the page and then shoved it forward, a complacent smile on her face that made Juliet's stomach turn.

She took the magazine and looked down, scanning the page.

Her heart dropped to her stomach, ribs folding in on themself.

Queen Rachel of Isbjörn Falls Gravely Ill, Rumored Long-Term Illness Taking Its Toll

She read as far down from the headline as she could before it was too much, before she was sure she'd vomit if she read one more word.

. . . Princess Juliana has not been seen. Sources say she disappeared from the castle following Keamy's invasion.

Her eyes traveled down, staring at the photo. The last portrait of her and Rachel, from the year before. The sight of them together tugged on her heart, a moment of pain before the overwhelming fear overtook her completely.

She looked up, and any attempt at breath was caught in her throat. Shannon and Boone looked at her, smiling like they'd won some sort of game. Like this was as trivial as their petty high school drama.

"You don't understand—"

"Oh, I understand perfectly clear." Shannon stepped closer, shoving her finger toward her chest. "You lied. You're like one of those fish. Like, from an invasive species."

"I think it's a lionfish," Boone piped up.

She glared at him and then looked back at Juliet. "You left your tiny country no one cares about, and you came here and infiltrated our school. You ruined my life."

"What are you talking about?" Her voice was high and panicked, something she wished she hadn't betrayed to them so easily. "I didn't do anything to you."

"Oh, really? You just happened to come and steal not just James, but my crown. It's not like you need another one."

Juliet's mouth hung open. "James? He asked me."

"Just shut up. You act like you're so sweet and innocent, but I know it's a lie."

"Look, Shannon. I'm sorry if I've done something to you. But you don't understand. This is so much bigger than all of this." She was talking too quickly, so fast she wasn't even sure the words were making sense. But there was a storm in her head, and all she could think was that she needed to fix this. Now. Everything was at stake. "You can't tell anyone. I'll do whatever you want, but just . . . please. It could cost me my life. It could cost my sister her life."

"Well, it doesn't sound like that's lasting much longer, anyway."

Juliet could see it in her head, lunging forward and slamming her fist into Shannon's jaw. It would be so easy. She deserved it. She's cruel, in a way that no human should be.

But she let her fist rest at her side and took a deep breath.

She had to remain in control—for Rachel.

"Shannon, please. I'll leave, you won't have to worry about any of it anymore. I promise. Just please don't say anything."

She hesitated, seeming to roll the offer around in her head. She glanced at Boone, and then back at her.

"You'll leave? No more you and James, no more homecoming."

She nodded. "I promise. Whatever you want."

"Okay. Fine. You keep your word, I'll keep mine. No one will find out your little secret."

Juliet breathed out a sigh of relief, eyes shutting for a moment.

"Thank you," she said, unable to help it. Even though she deserved no thanks.

"Whatever. Boone, let's go."

They stormed off, brushing harshly against her shoulder on their way.

She stood there, and as everything from the past few moments sank in, she was once again robbed of her ability to breathe.

It was over.

For the first time in her life, everything had fallen into place. She was missing her sister, but she had everything else she could ever want. It was a happy ending that seemed too good to be true, only belonging in fairy tales.

Well, that feeling was right. It wasn't true; it wasn't the end.

This was.

She had to go back home, not just to keep her promise. Rachel was sick, sicker than she'd been before. She needed to go and be with her. She needed to go home.

(It didn't feel right to say that.)

(This was starting to feel like the closest thing to home she'd ever had.)