A/N: This story was co-written by AO3's obsessivedaydreamer and posted here with her permission
Chapter 9 - JULIET
Juliet couldn't help smiling as she watched Kate and Jack stand together, putting on tired smiles for Sam's camera.
"Now, do a silly one."
"Dad," she glared at him, arm falling from where it had sat around Jack's waist. She looked over at Juliet, waving her over. "Come on, get in."
She shook her head. "No, I'm alright."
"Juliet." She tilted her head, shooting her a pointed look. "You have to get in a photo."
"Really, I'm fine," she insisted.
It didn't feel right. Kate and Jack were together, and Juliet would look awkward beside them. A third wheel, a weed growing beside two intertwined flowers.
She had James, she knew. They were okay. She wasn't alone—he was her flower, her other half.
(I got your back, Juliet, he'd said the night before, holding her tight, and she hadn't known what to do with the overwhelming relief and joy that flooded her at the reassurance.)
But he wasn't here.
They hadn't talked about it—she assumed he'd be driving to the dance by himself. Or with friends, maybe. He'd meet her there. And she was okay with that. It was okay. She didn't expect anything of him.
But it wouldn't look right to pose her half next to Jack and Kate's whole.
Before Kate could argue against Juliet's refusal, the sound of tires at the end of the driveway had her turning around and peeking over the top of Jack's car she'd been leaning against to see who it was.
Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of James' car, driving up toward them.
He pulled to a stop as she rushed over, throwing herself into his arms the minute he stepped out of the car door.
"You're here," she murmured, shutting her eyes and breathing in the scent of his cologne.
He chuckled, and she could feel it vibrate through her. "Of course I am."
She pulled away from him, finally, and shook with anticipation as his glimmering eyes looked her up and down.
"Juliet," he said, almost breathless, "you're so beautiful."
She let out a soft laugh, the only escape from the immense feelings pressing against her ribs—joy and affection and everything in between. He looked gorgeous too, and his tie was indeed a shade of blue close to that of her dress.
He reached back into his car, pulling out a small bundle of white flowers she quickly realized was a corsage.
"Here," he said softly. She reached out her hand and he gently slid it onto her wrist.
"It's so pretty," she said.
"You're so pretty."
She grinned, looking up at him. He said it, and for the first time in her life, she felt it to be true.
"Guys, come on," Kate called, and they both turned. "Get in the photo before I drag you over here myself."
She laughed, reaching down and grabbing James' hand. They walked over and stepped up beside Jack and Kate. His arm slid around her, and she'd never felt so comfortingly warm. She'd never enjoyed getting her photo taken as much as she did when it was with him.
He seemed to have unlocked a part of life she'd never even known of before.
After they took all the photos Sam wanted, James walked her to his car, opening the door for her with a teasing, "Princess?"
(If only he knew.)
Her and Kate shared a smile across the driveway before they got into their own boy's cars. Tonight wasn't just about her and James. It was about her and Kate too. It was about everyone who has made her life here so surprisingly wonderful.
It was one last hurrah before she had to go home.
(But she couldn't think about that.)
On the drive, James jokingly sang along to the repetitive pop song on the radio that even Juliet had heard enough to learn the lyrics to. When she got out at the school, Juliet was still recovering from the laughter he caused, grinning at him as they walked up to the school doors.
They'd gotten there before Jack and Kate—he was a fast driver. But they arrived only moments after, walking through right as they finished checking in with their tickets.
James was waved over by a few friends of his once they were inside the gym, and Juliet assured him it was alright to go say hi while she stayed with Kate and Jack.
"It's so loud," she said, pulling on the strap of her dress.
"And crowded," Kate said, right as someone pushed through the crowd and nudged her in the side. "Just like it always is."
Jack reached out and touched Kate's arm to get her attention. "I'm going to go get a drink. You want one?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
He looked at Juliet, and she shook her head.
He walked away, and the two girls looked at one another.
"You look so happy," Kate said, laughing. She fiddled with the bracelet around her wrist—the one Jack had gotten her today. It was slightly too big for her, but the green of the jewels on it matched her eyes perfectly.
"I am!" She couldn't help her grin. Everything had worked out, she was here surrounded by all the people who had turned this into not just an escape but a second shot at life. Her friends, and James—she wasn't quite sure what to call him yet. She had no reason not to be happy, and she wanted to hold onto that for as long as she could. She wasn't sure when she'd feel it again.
James came back over to them, hand absentmindedly touching her waist. He looked down at her. "You wanna go dance?"
She nodded, waving at Kate as Jack walked back up to her, and her and James moved away through the crowd of people.
"I don't really know what we're supposed to do," she admitted.
"They don't got dances in Norway?"
She shook her head. To be honest, she had no idea. But there certainly weren't any thrown by the tutor who'd give her her lessons at the castle. She'd been to parties, but none like this.
"Well, it ain't hard." He grinned, putting out his hand. She took it, and he twirled her around, laughter spilling out of her.
It was awkward at first, but slowly she became more in tune with the music. She worried he'd be embarrassed by her not-exactly-smooth dancing. But he didn't seem much better, and he just kept looking at her like she was a magnet tugging on his gaze. Like he couldn't look away.
His hands were warm in hers, and when he pulled her toward him, she stumbled into his chest. She looked up at him, breath knocked out of her. Their faces were so close, and all she could think was that he looked magical.
All she could think was that she never wanted to look away.
He cleared his throat, breaking the moment and glancing away. "You wanna get something to drink?"
She nodded. "Sure."
He kept his hold on her hand, pulling her through the people toward the other side of the gym where the snack table was.
"What do you want?" he asked. "There's punch and lemonade. And water."
"Um, lemonade?"
He nodded, grabbing a cup for her. As he held it under the dispenser, pouring her glass, she glanced over and looked around the gym.
She gasped at what she saw, letting out an excited shriek.
"What?" James asked, handing her her drink.
She was practically jumping up and down. "Jack and Kate are kissing."
"Oh." He seemed much less enthusiastic about this, which she understood. But the sight of Kate's hands on his face, kissing him hard in the middle of the gym, just made her so wholly happy. She'd been able to feel the spark between them the minute she sat down between them on the bus that first day and now look at where they are. It felt special. It felt right.
She looked back at James, now with his own cup of punch. He smiled at her, eyes twinkling over the glass.
She sipped her lemonade as he asked, "You wanna take a walk? School'll be empty."
Anticipation danced beneath her skin. "Yeah, sure."
He reached for her hand again and they traveled through the gym and out the doors. The hallway was dark and empty and quiet. The sound of their synced steps and their synced breaths echoed through her ears as they walked.
"So . . ." she said, glancing at him.
"So."
She took a sip of her drink. "Tell me something about yourself."
He raised an eyebrow. "Tell you what?"
"Anything." She shrugged. "I don't know enough about you."
It felt as if she'd known him her whole life. But the more she thought about it the more she realized how little they'd truly shared.
"Hm. Well, I uh . . ." He scratched the back of his neck, and then admitted, "I like to read."
Her face lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah. It's my dark secret," he teased.
"I love to read. It's my favorite thing."
He squeezed her hand. "Well, ain't that perfect."
"It's meant to be," she said softly.
The quiet sat between them, heavy, before he cleared his throat and said, "Your turn. Tell me something."
She pondered it. What could she say that wouldn't reveal the truth?
She could just tell him.
But she couldn't. It would get her into more trouble than it was worth. (It could get Rachel into trouble.)
"I've never ridden a bike," she said.
"Wait, really?"
She nodded. "Never."
"We gotta get you one," he said. "I can teach ya."
She grinned at the prospect of his words. "I'd love that."
They got to the end of the hall to the stairs, and he leaned back against the wall, hand slipping from hers. She stood by the top of the railing, leaning her back against the metal.
"What made you come here?" he asked. "Don't know how common it is to get Norwegian kids transferring in."
She laughed, glancing down. "Yeah. I, uh, my sister. She thought it would be best for me."
It was the easiest way to explain.
He nodded. "Your sister. What about your—"
"My parents died when I was a kid." Her voice got quiet, out of fear of breaking the peace of their conversation with the revival of her never-ending grief.
He exhaled heavily and she looked up as he said, almost with a dark amusement, "So did mine."
Her eyes went wide. "What? Really?"
"Yeah. When I was eight."
"I was ten."
"How about that," he said softly, eyes dropping from hers.
She stepped toward him, feet clicking on the tile. "I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "I'm sorry."
"I guess we both know how meaningless that is."
He laughed. "Yeah."
He looked up at her, the two of them close now. She'd stopped with only an inch between their shoes. His eyes traveled across her face before meeting her gaze again.
"Can I tell ya something else?" he said softly.
She nodded, almost trembling in suspense, waiting for his words.
"No one's ever made me feel the way you do."
It was the words, and the way he was looking at her, and his foot sliding across the tile and tapping hers. Electricity sparked from deep inside her chest to the tips of her fingers.
No one had ever made her feel like this, either.
"Can I tell you something?" she asked, so quiet she could barely hear her own voice. The look in his eyes was enough of a yes for her to admit in a whisper, "I've never kissed anyone before."
He reached out, hand touching her waist. "Juliet—"
He couldn't even get out her name before she'd grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him. He sighed against her mouth and pulled her closer, and she kissed him like her life depended on it, pouring every ounce of twinkling passion beneath her skin into it.
It was everything the stories had told her it would be. Everything the movies painted in their perfect pictures.
It was everything.
She pulled away when she had to, lungs burning with the need to breathe more than just him.
"Juliet," he said, voice deep in his throat in a way that made her knees weak.
"Hm?" She pushed his hair back off his face, hands sliding over his skin.
"No one's ever kissed me like that either."
She grinned, laughing, and did the only thing she could do.
She kissed him again.
"I hate this song," Kate groaned, leaning her head back against Jack's chest.
Juliet glanced up at the speakers with a frown. "Yeah, it isn't great."
"They always play the worst music at these things," Jack added.
"It's like it's some rule they have," Kate said.
Suddenly, Juliet felt arms circle her from behind, spinning her around. She laughed, resting her hands on his.
"You talking about me?" James mumbled, kissing the side of her face.
She turned to look at him, biting her lip. "No. We were saying that we hate this song."
"Oh, yeah, it sucks."
She chuckled, leaning up and kissing his cheek. Before the conversation could continue any further, someone tapped against the mic on the stage set up across the gym, drawing all of their attention.
"Hello," Principal Linus said, leaning into the mic. "May I have your attention. I'm here to announce our homecoming queen."
Voices rose across the gym, his words met with some applause.
"First, let's applaud our wonderful homecoming court," he said, and the cheers multiplied, growing louder.
Juliet and Kate shared a look, smiling at each other.
Juliet hoped she'd hear Kate's name up there. She deserved it more than anyone, and Juliet didn't want to provoke Shannon in any way by winning herself. Besides, she was already a princess. One day, she'd be queen. She didn't need this title too.
She didn't think she'd hear her name anyway. She doubted her ability to win the student body over that much.
She looked back up at the stage, listening intently.
"Now, to announce Widmore High's 2008 Homecoming queen. Everyone, give it up for . . . Juliet Burke."
The world halted, everything slowing to a stop. Juliet's breath stuck to the inside of her throat, people's muffled cheers roaring around her. James' arms squeezed around her, and it was almost instinct to tilt her head as he leaned down and caught her lips with his.
He kissed her, and suddenly reality sunk in.
It was her name. She won.
James let her go, and Kate was immediately grabbing her shoulders and pulling her into a hug.
"Congratulations," she said quietly, just for her to hear, and Juliet laughed. None of it felt real.
Jack put up his hand and she high-fived him as James grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the stage. People patted her on the shoulder and cheered her name as she walked past them. James let go once she was to the steps, and she gave him a smile before walking up onto the stage.
Turning, her head spun at all the lights and the eyes on her. She felt a little sick, unable to help it. Attention always had that effect on her.
She bent down so he could place the crown on her head, and then leaned in toward the microphone.
"Hi," she said, letting out a nervous laugh. "Um, thank you. I wasn't expecting this at all. I've been shown so much kindness by so many of you since I've been here."
She looked out at the crowd and found James, meeting his eyes and smiling. "I've been able to find a home somewhere I never thought I could. So thank you for that."
Her gaze moved from him, searching for Kate as she spoke, "And most of all, thank you to my friend Kate. For showing me what friendship really means."
Her words trailed off when she finally caught sight of—not Kate—but Jack moving toward the door, stepping out of the gym by himself.
Kate had left, Jack following after her.
She was sure there was a reasonable explanation. But it didn't explain the bad feeling festering in the pit of her stomach.
(Maybe they just snuck off together, she thought.)
(But Kate wouldn't have missed her moment. She wouldn't have. She was sure. Not unless it was something more urgent.)
"Thank you again," she said quickly, waving toward the crowd and rushing down off the stage. People clapped, but it went in one ear and out the other. She was oblivious to anything but getting across the sea of people to follow Kate out.
She saw James stepping toward her and shook her head, putting her hand out to him.
"I will be right back."
His brow pinched together. "What? Where—"
"I will be right back. I promise." She smiled reassuringly and then continued pushing through people, going as quickly as she could. (Thankfully, she was skilled in walking in uncomfortable shoes.)
She got to the doors and pushed them open. Her eyes traveled across the hallway, Kate nowhere to be found. Juliet had no clue where she could've gone, and the fear in her gut intensified.
And then she saw it, down the hall. She rushed over and bent down, sucking in a breath as her fears were confirmed.
She picked up Kate's bracelet, the one Jack had given to her, holding it in her hands.
Something had to have happened, or else she would have gone back and picked it up.
She stood up, looking down the hall. She forced herself to remain focused on the positives—she knew which way she had gone now.
She headed down the hall in the direction she'd found the bracelet, heart beating wildly in her chest.
She neared the exit, when all of a sudden a voice came loudly from behind her. She stopped, biting back a groan. It was the last thing she needed right now.
"I thought we had a deal!" Shannon called out at her.
She turned, taking a deep breath. "Shannon, not right now."
"Yes right now." She stopped in front of her, scowling. "That is my crown. And you were supposed to—"
"Tell everyone, Shannon. Do it, whatever you want. I'm already leaving."
Her face fell, almost dumbstruck by her lack of a fight. "Well . . . I will. And I'm telling James first."
"Fine." She couldn't worry about that, not right now.
She turned to leave, when Shannon grabbed her arm, tugging her back.
"Hey, I'm not done with you."
Before she could even process what she was doing, Juliet shoved her away, hard enough for her to stumble and trip over her heels, falling to the ground with a shriek.
"I'm sorry!" Juliet said, "I just . . . I have to go."
She ignored Shannon's yells, quickly running back down the hall and pushing open the doors to the back alley of the school at the end.
The sight she was met with caused her to stumble to a stop, intaking a sharp breath. (She'd expected the worst, and somehow this beat out her expectations.)
A group of military men, led by a man she soon recognized to be Keamy himself, were heading toward a large van—dragging Kate and Jack along with them. Their hands were bound, gags in their mouths.
The sound of Juliet throwing the door open caused them both to turn their heads, staring at her with wide, fearful eyes.
Unfortunately, everyone else looked at her too.
"Well, if it isn't the princess herself," Keamy said, crossing his arms across his chest.
Juliet worried if she opened her mouth she'd throw up.
She didn't know what to do. Her hands were shaking, and she didn't know what to do. She couldn't run toward them—she stood no chance against the group of men. But what was she supposed to say? How did he even find her? What did he want?
He had Kate. He had Jack.
She'd do whatever it took to get them free.
"What do you want?" she managed to get out, cursing her voice for the way it shook.
He chuckled. "What do I want? I think you already know that, Juliana."
She refused to look at her friends, to watch their faces shift at the truth of who she was.
"Where's my sister?"
"Your sister is fine. Safe, locked up."
She grit her teeth, fighting the tears stinging the back of her eyes. (She shouldn't have let her stay there. She shouldn't have gotten to come here and be happy while Rachel suffered.)
"Let them go," she said, gesturing toward her friends. "You don't need them."
He clicked his tongue. "That's where you're wrong, sweetheart. See, to get your sister to give me what I want, I need you. And how do I get to you? Well . . . you seem to care very much about these two."
She looked at them, and the tears were suddenly too much to suppress.
(Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was grateful James was safe and sound in the gym, oblivious to what was going on.)
She knew it was wrong. She knew there had to be a smarter way to go about this, to get all of them out of here safely. But she wasn't thinking clearly. All she was thinking was that she had to make sure they were safe.
"You can take me with you. Whatever you want, just let them go."
She could hear Kate yelling at her, muffled through the gag, and the man holding her tightened his grip.
"That easy, huh?"
"Just let them go. They have nothing to do with this."
He tilted his head, seeming to consider her offer. "Alright. But you come over here first. Don't get smart."
"Do we have a deal?" She had a vision in her head of him taking all of them, playing her for a fool.
"Yeah."
"Do we have a deal?"
"Yes, we have a deal. Now get the hell over here."
She took a deep, shaky breath, willing her feet to move. She thought of James, and her promise to be right back. She wished she'd said more. She wished she'd told him one more time how much he meant to her.
But she was out of time.
She stepped forward, one foot at a time, closer and closer until his men grabbed her. They did the same thing to her as they'd done to Kate and Jack, grabbing her wrists and tying them together, pulling the gag around her mouth.
She looked over, eyes meeting Kate's. She wondered if hers were just as full of terror. The crown slipped off her head as they jostled her, and no one paid it any mind. They began to push Juliet toward the van just as they freed Kate and Jack, and she couldn't look back. She could only hear Kate's voice, loud and panicked yelling behind her.
"Juliet, no! Juliet!"
She had to close her eyes, desperately wishing she could cover her ears. She couldn't take it.
All she could see was the terrified look on their faces when she found them, when she'd looked up as they tied her up. All she could imagine was how Kate would have to tell James. How his face would crumple, how he might blame himself for not following after her.
It was all her fault. Everything was her fault—and she was paying for it now.
They shoved her roughly into the van, calloused hand against the bare skin of her shoulder. She felt so helpless, door on the cargo space shut, leaving her alone. She tried to tell herself this was for the better. That soon enough she'd be home with Rachel. Things would work out, they had to.
(But she didn't believe it. Nothing had worked out so far, why would it work out now?)
The car started with a jolt, driving away, and she bit down on the gag to keep her cries from alerting anyone—though she wasn't sure anyone could hear her back there anyway. She'd known she had to leave, but it wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be able to say goodbye.
(If she closed her eyes, she could still hear Kate's cries behind her. She thought that she'd hear it forever. She'd never be able to escape.)
Suddenly, the car stopped and she slid across the seat, pain shooting through her as her arm hit the side. She strained to make out the voices she could hear, muffled, but it sounded as if she was underwater, nothing clear.
It felt as if she sat there in paranoid anticipation for an eternity, listening to the noise of the quiet, indistinct voices. Finally, she could hear someone on the other side of her door, and steeled for the worst.
But when it opened, the sight that greeted her flooded her with more relief than she'd felt in so long.
Sam, standing on the other side.
He softened when he saw her, quickly climbing into the car and reaching for her.
"Hey, it's okay." He untied her hands and then tugged down the gag from her mouth. "You're okay."
She sucked in a deep breath, reaching up and wiping a shaky hand over her face. "What—"
"We got him," he said. "It's okay."
She couldn't help it when she reached out and hugged him tight, Sam patting her back. Her tears fell down her face and soaked his jacket, and all she could think was that it was okay. It was okay.
Slowly, he helped her out of the car. Her legs shook as he walked her to one of his people's SUVs, helping her into the backseat. Sam was talking to her, something about Keamy and what would happen, but it all went over her head. Her mind was spinning, and she couldn't grasp onto any of her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried.
She's okay. It's going to be okay.
It didn't take long for them to arrive back at the school doors. When they stopped, she could see out the window not only Jack and Kate sitting on the ground, his arms around her, but also James. He stood there, holding her discarded crown. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, and she quickly got the door open, stepping out.
When he saw her, his eyes went big. She didn't even have to walk far, because he ran up to her before she could even truly process the moment, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
"Oh my god," she could hear him say, and she gripped him tighter, burying her face in his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head. "I got you."
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. He was scared; it was her fault.
"I thought you were gone," he said, and the genuine pain in his voice broke her.
She shook her head, repeating herself. "I'm sorry."
"It ain't your fault. It isn't." He kissed her again, the side of her head, her forehead. He leaned back and looked at her, holding her face in his hands. "You're okay."
She was okay. She had to keep reminding herself.
"Here."
He reached up and placed the crown on her head, and she smiled.
She looked over his shoulder and met Kate's teary eyes. James must have been able to tell, and let go of her. She walked across the pavement toward Kate, who stood up as she approached.
"I'm sorry," Juliet said, her voice breaking.
Kate shook her head, reaching out and hugging Juliet before she could say anything else.
"Why did you do that?" she asked, letting out a watery laugh. "You were going to let them take you."
"It was my fault. I wasn't going to let you guys get hurt."
"We could have figured something out." She pulled away, looking at her.
"I'm sorry," Juliet said again. "You shouldn't have been involved—"
"Don't." She shook her head. "Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong."
"You could've been hurt."
"You could've been hurt."
They smiled at each other. They could've been, but neither of them were. They were okay.
She looked over Kate's shoulder at Jack, still sitting down looking up at her.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Are you?"
He nodded, offering her a smile. "Yeah."
For a moment there, it had all fallen apart. But it was temporary, it was a glitch.
They were okay now, all of them. (Maybe it was all going to be okay, always.)
All that was left was her sister, the last piece of the puzzle.
But she'd be okay now that Keamy was gone, he wasn't a threat now.
They had nothing to worry about anymore.
"So, you're an actual princess."
She looked up at James and nodded. "Yeah."
She steeled for his reaction, but he just smiled a cheeky grin. "What does that make me, then?"
She laughed, shaking her head. "We'll figure it out."
"And your name. Juliana."
"You can still call me Juliet."
His brow shot up. "Yeah? That's okay?"
She nodded. "I like how you say it."
He grinned, and if she could keep seeing that forever she didn't need anything else.
The night breeze moved gently through her hair. The two of them were sitting on the end of the porch as she admitted the truth, all of it. There was nothing to hide anymore. And he deserved it, they all did. (She'd already talked to Jack and Kate, who were inside now. She couldn't shake the fact that they'd almost gotten taken, all because of her. That they'd been willing to, for her.) (They acted like it was nothing. They said they were just happy she was okay, but she was just happy they were.)
He reached out, grabbing her hand in his. His thumb ran over her knuckles.
"I wish you didn't have to leave."
"I know." She wished she could live two lives, one here and one at home. She wished she could have everything she wanted all at once.
"But we can talk on the phone," he suggested. "I'll call ya every night."
For some reason, a part of her had been convinced he'd have no interest in her after she left. But the promise in his voice when he told her this was enough to change her mind.
"I'd love that," she said. And then softer, "And maybe if you want, you can come visit."
"Really?"
"Of course."
He grinned at her words. "I get to see you in all your princess glory."
She laughed. "It's not as cool as you think it is."
"It's you. That's enough."
His words were so achingly sweet, and something about it pulled her head out of the clouds. By the time the sun rose the only way she'd be able to hear that voice was through the phone.
"I'm going to miss you," she said, something somber in her voice.
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Me too, Blondie."
She leaned down and rested her head on his shoulder, looking out at the lake and the moon's reflection glistening on the surface.
She'd go home and be with her sister, and Kate would call and James would call and everything would be okay. They'd come and visit and Juliet would come back here and somehow, it would work. Somehow, she'd find a way to hold it all in her grasp.
Everything would work out. It would all be okay.
For the first time, she believed it.