A/N: This story was co-written by AO3's obsessivedaydreamer and posted here with her permission.
Kate
Kate still can't get over the color of the water in Puerto Rico.
It's so crystal clear, you can see straight into the sandy bottom, wildlife swimming around, shells to collect. It glistens in the harsh sun, but they don't mind — this is just one stop of many.
She snaps pictures of the kids running around in the sand, their food finished. Clementine brings a handful of shells to the table at one point, and Kate snaps a picture of those too — the smile on her face and the spiral items.
James scolds her, "Where're we gon' put all that? You gon' leave the hermit crabs homeless?" and she puts them back on the sand into a pile with a shrug.
When they stopped for lunch, all starving after a long day of walking around, David had actually chimed into the conversations the adults were having about how good of an idea it'd been to leave the resort for a day. "This is fun." It was short but true and he'd given Kate a small smile, a silent thank you for the idea.
It was no news to everyone that Kate was feeling cooped up after three days, even though they were roaming around outdoors all day at the resort. It wasn't like her to be in a place for too long. She wasn't sure if it had to do with growing up a military brat or if she just had too much sense of adventure in her ever since she was a little kid, but it was no wonder she'd picked a career path that had her traveling a lot, and often.
The entire morning, she'd been behind her camera, taking pictures of everyone as they explored the town. Clementine got to see the statue she'd so eagerly talked about the night before, which had led Jack into a history lesson about colonization that had her full focus, but had David rolling his eyes, not wanting a school lecture while on vacation.
James and Juliet took turns offering to take pictures of her, Jack, and Auggie as a family. Kate and Jack invited David to join them each time and he obliged here and there, smiling genuinely at the camera.
"Is it just me or is he better with us?" Jack comes up behind her and whispers in her ear. She picks up her camera again and takes a candid picture of James and Juliet talking to Auggie at the table, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she can't help but think they're a good match.
"I think he sees the effort you're putting in, Jack. I think everyone sees it."
When they leave the beachfront restaurant, Clementine is quick to join her side and throw questions about her cameras at her. She wants to know the difference between them, and why she carries both and is frustrated when Kate tells her she has to wait to see the results of the pictures in her film camera, but seems satisfied with the digital captures of her island adventures.
She catches David watching them from beside his mother, who is too busy chatting in Spanish with one of the locals, asking for directions for the next attraction on their list. When she tries to include him, he shakes his head, opting to run ahead to where James stands, eyeing a small house with a red door that seems to have caught his eye.
The next attraction, unlike the ones they visited earlier in the day, is full of tourists and Kate's never been more grateful for their babybjörn that keeps Auggie firmly strapped to Jack's chest. They all keep a close eye on the older children, too scared to lose them in the crowds, but when David finds the entrance to the museum, he calls everyone over to see too.
"Can you please take a picture of us here, Kate? This is so cool!"
It's indeed so cool. The architecture makes the whole building look like it's about to lift off into the air and it's great to see the child so excited about it. Maybe one day he'll be an architect, Kate thinks to herself.
Everyone piles together and she's framing the picture so she can fully capture both them and the building behind them when she feels a tap on her shoulder. "Excuse me, sweetheart. Could I take the picture so you can join your family?"
She turns to find a short, black woman with a kind, motherly smile. A cheeky older man who seems to be her husband smiles at them, nodding to confirm their good intentions. Kate can feel the parental energy emanating from both of them and she agrees, gratefully, and joins her family.
An only child, she'd always wanted a big family, especially after her parents got divorced. Even though she didn't like her stepdad, part of her wished her mom would have another kid, so she wouldn't have to be so alone. She would daydream of marrying her best friend, having multiple babies, loving them as much as she wished her mom loved her, as much as she knew her dad did.
Now, as she stands there, Jack's arm wrapped around her waist, their baby on his chest, their friends, their family, next to them, all smiling at the woman who told them to say "Cheese!", she knows she has it.
James
"Hola!" Clementine speaks loudly, putting her elbows on the counter and grinning at the lady who stands behind it. "Me llamo Clementine."
The woman smiles. "Hola. Me llamo Veronica."
"Me gusta . . ." She turns around and looks at them. "Juliet, how do you say snow globes?"
She shakes her head. "I have no clue."
Clementine turns back around. "Me gusta snow globes."
The woman chuckles.
Clementine has made it her mission to try and speak to everyone in Spanish. She's been making Juliet teach her stuff for months in preparation. She's picking it up well, and James is proud of her, but it hasn't exactly been fun for everyone else. They waited ten minutes at the ice cream place for her to figure out the words to order.
They're at a small souvenir shop now, and she insisted on starting up a conversation with the lady working the register.
"You speak good Spanish," the woman tells her, accent thick.
Clementine beams. "Gracias!"
"She's got a good teacher," James says, squeezing Juliet where his arm rests around her waist. It's made him happy to see the two of them so engaged in an activity together.
"¿Hablas español?" the woman asks Juliet.
She nods and lets out a self-conscious laugh. "Si. Pero no bien."
You wouldn't think it when you look at her, James has always thought it's funny. But it's the result of living in Miami for some years, taking AP Spanish in high school, and continuing it into her adult life—she thought it would allow her to communicate with more patients. James likes it. It's called a romance language for a reason.
"Hablas perfecto," the woman says, and Juliet smiles.
"Gracias."
Clementine jumps up and finally sets down the items she picked out. "Yo quiero the magnet and the keychain."
"Muy bien." The woman rings them up.
James pulls out his wallet and looks over into the store where David is still browsing. "David, if you want something, now's your chance."
He comes over and sets a t-shirt down beside Clementine's stuff.
"Tell her what you want," Juliet says.
He frowns. "I want—"
"In Spanish."
He rolls his eyes. While she's been teaching Clementine, Juliet has tried her best to get David into the lessons as well. But he's had a much harder time picking it up than she has.
Clementine leans over and whispers the words in his ear.
"Um. Yo kee-er-o the, uh, t-shirt."
"Camiseta," Clementine says, grinning.
The woman nods and laughs. James pays for the items, and they say bye, heading outside where Jack and Kate are waiting for them. They'd gone into the store next door, Kate seeing some baby toys she wanted to look at.
They begin walking down the sidewalk again, looking into the windows of the little shops and restaurants they pass. A stray cat dashes across the road a ways up, and David and Clementine freak out, running over and talking to it.
"Dad, can we keep him?" Clementine asks, shooting James big puppy dog eyes. They usually convince him, but this is a hard enough no that he can stay strong.
"No, we ain't keeping him."
"What? Why?"
"How're we supposed to bring him home, huh? Plus, that thing's probably got diseases. Don't touch it."
"He looks so sad," David says. "He needs someone to take care of him."
"I appreciate the display of empathy," Juliet says, putting her hands on his shoulders, "but those people will not be us."
"Sounds like you need to get those two a pet," Kate teases standing up from where she'd bent down to photograph the cat. He's a good model, sitting still and soaking up their attention.
"Sounds great 'til you remember we gotta take care of it by ourselves half the time," James points out.
"Maybe I can take him from your house to Dad's house," David suggests. "He can come with me."
"But what about me?" Clementine argues. "I want to take him to my mom's house."
"You told me your mom hates cats."
She frowns, kicking the sidewalk with her foot. "Who cares?"
"Alright, alright," James says, trying to settle them down. "Save the arguing for when we actually get one."
"We're getting one?" both kids ask, eyes lighting up with excitement, all annoyance immediately forgotten.
James sighs. "If we get one."
"That's not what you said," Clementine calls him out.
"Give him a break," Juliet says. She smiles. "We can talk about it."
That's enough to leave them ecstatic, talking over each other about what names they'd give their possible future pet. James is thinking they'll need to do a family vote after hearing some of their suggestions.
Before long, they reach the location for the resort shuttle to pick them back up. They all pile in and begin the drive. James has to admit, coming out here wasn't as bad an idea as he thought. It was nice; they had fun. And best of all, everyone got along. It's a miracle.
"Can we go to s'mores on the beach?" Clementine asks, sitting up and looking over her seat into the row behind her, where James and Juliet sit. "They're doing it tonight."
"Please," David joins in.
Juliet glances at James. "If James wants to take you guys, he can."
"What're you doing?" James asks.
She wears a slight smile. "After today, I was gonna get a drink."
He chuckles. "That does sound nice, don't it."
"Dad, pleaseeeeee," Clementine begs.
He weighs his options. Drinking with Juliet, making s'mores with the kids. There's one that sticks out as what he wants and one that sticks out as the one he should do. It's a hard decision.
In the end, he sighs. "Yeah, I'll take ya."
Both kids cheer, drawing Jack and Kate's attention from the front.
"What's so exciting?" Kate asks.
"James is gonna take us to make s'mores on the beach," David says.
Jack turns around to look at them. "I'll go with you guys. That sounds fun."
James shoots Juliet a displeased expression and she stifles a laugh, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Maybe I'll invite Kate to come with me tonight," Juliet says softly, quiet enough that she can't hear her. "It would be nice to spend some time and get to know her better."
He nods. "Sure. Think she'd appreciate that."
He grabs her hand where it rests on his thigh. She's so kind, he wonders why she likes him at all. But she does like him. She loves him. He's so lucky.
Sometimes, all he can think about is how much he loves her.
Kate
When Juliet invited her to join her for a drink, Kate was hesitant. Not because she didn't think it could be fun, but because she was still breastfeeding and, if she was honest with herself because they'd never been alone before and she didn't have a clue how that would go.
Jack insisted, saying she didn't have to worry about it, that Auggie would be fine on formula for a couple of days, that she shouldn't miss out on an opportunity to have some "girls time" during their little family holiday. So Kate took the offer, going back to the hotel room to drop off her things and freshen up. And she was so grateful she did.
Juliet is almost done with her second negroni by the time Kate finishes her first mimosa. She's impressed at how easily she downs the alcohol, and wonders if she would too if she hadn't been out of commission for so long, with the pregnancy and then a baby.
Kate didn't love the idea of alcohol. Her stepfather was a drunk, and a bad one, and while she grew up around a lot of it, she didn't really have the habit of consuming it. It was a beer here and there, mainly in social situations with friends, or a glass of wine with Jack when they first started dating. She had a night of too much wine to blame for Auggie's existence.
Hard liquor wasn't really something she would often go for. She could count on one hand how many times she had a proper drink, mixed by a bartender, in her life. But when Juliet ordered her drink, Kate felt like she had to order something similar.
The mimosa looked great, refreshing after such a long, hot day, and it is. She sips it slowly, trying to savor the orange juice and champagne mix, as she listens to Juliet. "Saying no to that cat was the hardest thing I've had to do all year!"
Kate laughs along with her, knowing too well that it was and being really grateful she wasn't the one having to do it. "You'd better get ready for when we're back in L.A., they will not back down."
"And here I was, hoping they'd forget!" Juliet orders another round for both of them. The bartender, a muscly young man, eyes them both flirtatiously as he takes her order and they can't help the bout of laughter that ensues. "Well, at least if it all goes wrong, we have Jorge here to keep us company."
"You and James are great together, by the way," Kate adds, taking a final sip from her mimosa before the new one comes in.
"So are you and Jack," Juliet says, genuinely. "I didn't think there was a way, but you seem to have turned his life around. It's good to see how good he is with Auggie."
Images of Jack with Auggie flood Kate's mind.
Ever since day one, he'd been nothing but great. He does his share of parenting and caring for their child, even though he went back to work after the vacation days he took were up. He's supportive of her, always making sure she feels cared for, and remembers there's no reason for her to give up on her career or her dreams. He makes her feel like, together, they can do anything.
"Yeah, he's great, really great. I love watching him read to him, it's always my favorite part of the day." Kate knows her eyes are sparkling as she talks about her boys when Juliet smiles sweetly at her. It's not unusual for people to do that, everyone knows how much she loves her little family. "He's trying to be better with David, too. He really wants to be."
"I can tell. He's putting in the effort and I guess we have you to thank for that."
"It wasn't really me. It wouldn't change anything if I'd said something and Jack didn't want to put in the work." Kate shrugs.
The bartender brings them their new drinks and takes the dirty glasses away, after asking for their room numbers so he can put them on their tabs. Juliet groans when sipping her negroni. She offers Kate a taste of it, but she declines. "I just hope David and Auggie have a really good relationship someday," Kate says, mostly to herself. A hopeful whisper into the cosmos.
"I'm terrified David will hate the baby," Juliet blurts out in between sips. Kate's eyes nearly jump out of their sockets as she looks Juliet up and down.
"Oh my God, Juliet. You're a doctor! Don't you know you can't drink while pregnant?"
It comes out high-pitched, desperate and she's left confused when Juliet starts to laugh. "I'm not pregnant, Kate. We've just been talking about maybe going for it."
"Oh, thank God." She puts her hand on her chest, trying to calm her still-racing heart. The blonde keeps laughing at her reaction and raises her glass, joining in her preaching gratitude. Drinking with a baby inside her is definitely a bad idea, they both know that.
"I just saw how David reacted to Jack having another kid. He doesn't talk about it, but I know my son. Even if it's not true, he feels replaced. And I don't want him to feel that way if James and I have a baby too."
Kate covers her hand on the counter, trying to comfort her. She knows the pain firsthand. She has to watch David's look of longing and disappointment whenever Jack and Auggie interact. Juliet flips her hand over and holds onto Kate's.
"You guys will be fine, though," Kate says, an extra attempt to relieve Juliet of her anxious thoughts. "David loves you and he loves James, and he already shares you both with Clementine. I think he knows he won't lose you. It's different with Jack, and it all happened really fast with us. He didn't have time to adjust."
"I'm not even sure if I can have another baby at this point. I'm thirty-six, and we've been trying for a while without any luck." Juliet looks down at their clasped hands and then pulls her away, choosing to stir her glass instead. "I don't want to disappoint James… or myself."
"You won't."
"You can't know that."
"I know that there's other ways to have kids, you can look at other ways if it comes to that. Until then, the less you stress yourself out, the better."
"I guess you're right." Juliet looks around, watching the people around them, mostly men, as they chat and drink, not a care in the world, but Kate can see how heavily the debacle still weighs on her. "What about you and Jack, though? Any more Shephard babies in the near future?"
Kate cackles, throwing her head back. She struggles to catch her breath, tears filling her eyes, and she knows the alcohol is starting to kick in, and fast. "Oh, no. No. No more babies for a while. I'm just going to focus on the baby I already have, on my relationship, and on my job for a while."
They switch the conversation over to that, to the book Kate's all but been commissioned for by NatGeo. Juliet's interest is genuine, she seems truly happy for her and listens intently as Kate rambles about all the details and the process and her fears.
Kate had never really had female friends, she wasn't entirely sure why. But she was thankful to have found one in Juliet.
James
"How many 'a those have you had?"
Clementine talks through the s'more in her mouth. "Just a few."
"Mmm, not an answer."
"Umm. Like, four?" She licks marshmallow from her thumb, and he wonders if she's aware that it's smeared around her mouth as well.
He reaches out and takes the stick from her hand. "Sounds like plenty to me."
"Noooo," she whines. "Just one more."
"Uh, uh." As much as he'd like to give her what she wants, he has to be responsible.
"What about David?" she asks. "You're not stopping him."
As if on cue, David walks over, pouting at the marshmallow on his stick. "They keep burning."
"How many have you had?" James asks him.
"This is my second."
He shoots Clementine a raised brow and she groans.
"You're putting it too close to the fire," Jack tells him, in regard to the marshmallow. He's holding Auggie on his hip, but his eyes are on David. "It might take longer, but it'll melt better if you hold it further away."
"You want to show him?" James asks, seeing the opportunity and wanting to give it to David. "I can take the baby."
Jack's eyes go big. "Oh. Uh, sure."
He hands Auggie to James, and then puts a hand on David's shoulder and leads him back to the bonfire.
Auggie squeals as Clementine plays peek-a-boo with him, and it makes him smile. She's so good with him. He'll have to deal with her being sad once they get back home, and she can't see him so often.
"Can Auggie have a s'more?" she asks.
"No, he can't."
"Why not?"
He sighs. "Because he's a baby. Babies don't eat that stuff."
"You should've fed me s'mores when I was a baby."
He chuckles, ruffling her hair. "You wouldn't even remember if I did."
"Uh, uh, I can remember the exact moment I was born."
"Mhm, alright."
"I can!"
Auggie leans forward, reaching his hands out toward Clementine. She gives him her finger, and he holds onto it, making her giggle.
"You and Juliet should have a baby," she says, and he almost drops Auggie with the way he jumps at her words.
He clears his throat. "Ya think?"
She nods. "It isn't fair that David gets Auggie and I don't get a little sibling when I'm the one who wanted one. Plus, you guys are gonna be sad when David and I go to college, so then you can take care of the baby when you miss us."
"You ain't going to college for six years, kid."
"Yeah, and six years is nothing."
"That's half your life, ain't it."
Clementine rolls her eyes. "You're missing the point."
"The point is that you want a baby to play with."
She giggles, making a silly face at Auggie. "Maybe."
James sighs. He doesn't know what to tell her. That he wants to give her a little sibling just as bad as she wants one? That it isn't completely up to them?
"Can't promise ya anything. But maybe one day."
Clementine lights up at that. "Really?"
"Maybe. One day."
"I think you should name her Peach. Like Princess Peach. And also, it's a fruit, so then our names are matching."
He frowns, having flashbacks to their cat name ideas the day before. "First off, you don't know it'd be a girl. Two, no."
"What? Why not?"
"Because that's an awful name."
She pouts, and he feels bad. But it's the truth. He already had to deal with one, he refuses to have two fruit-named children.
Before long, Jack and David return and they decide to head back. James looks around the resort as they walk, and he feels he already misses it. The trip is going by so quickly.
When they make it to the hotel bar, they find Kate and Juliet sitting close to each other but laughing loudly. James knows immediately that Juliet, at least, is wasted.
She lets out an exaggerated gasp when she sees them, a wide smile stretching across her face. "Hi! Kate, look."
Kate turns and puts on a similar expression. "Hi!" She puts her hands out toward where Jack's holding Auggie. "My baby."
Jack hesitates, holding him back. "Why don't I hold him for now?"
Kate pouts and James stifles a chuckle. With less restraint, the kids burst into laughter.
"They're drunk!" Clementine shouts.
Juliet frowns. "No, we aren't."
"Oh my god, Mom, you are," David says, laughing so hard.
She shakes her head. "Come here."
David snickers as he walks over to her. She grabs him and pulls him close, running her hand over his head. "Say something nice to Kate."
"What?"
"Say something nice."
David's eyes flick over to James desperately, but he shrugs. He wants to see where this goes. Besides, it's what he gets for laughing.
"Um. It's cool that you take photos, I guess."
Kate's eyes grow big and watery. "Awwww, David."
When Juliet's grip loosens, he's quick to pull away and run over to James, sticking close to his side. James puts a hand on his and Clementine's shoulders.
"Maybe you two should head to your room."
"What? No," Clementine says. "I wanna see this."
He narrows his eyes at her. "Go to the room."
"Ugghh."
They both turn to go, but Jack stops them. "David, could you bring Auggie to the room?"
"Yes!" Clementine shouts before David can even answer.
He shrugs. "Okay."
Jack hands him the room key and then puts Auggie into his arms. He seems so awkward, trying to hold him, and James thinks that Juliet would really appreciate this sight if she were more conscious than she is now.
Once they walk away, the two men turn toward their respective partners.
"Come on," Jack says and gets Kate up off of her stool.
"Noooo," Juliet whines. "Don't go."
"You gotta go too," James says, trying to get her feet on the floor.
"Nooooo, I want to hang out."
"I think you've done enough hanging out."
He notices Jack staring at them, holding Kate's arm around his waist.
"What?" James asks.
He shakes his head. "Deja vu, I guess. She got really drunk like this in college once. I had to carry her back to her dorm."
James' stomach churns with a jealousy he'll never be able to completely shut off. He'll always resent Jack for the time he spent with her.
Jack nods. "Good night."
"Night," James says.
"Bye!" Juliet says, waving enthusiastically. She turns back to him and throws her arms around his neck. "What now?"
"Now we go to the room."
She frowns. "But we could go to the beach."
"Mmm and what, skinny dip?"
She giggles. "Okay."
"Nope. Room we go."
She shakes her head. "You gotta carry me."
"Looks like you can walk fine."
"I can't."
He can't help a smile. And then he remembers what Jack said, and it sours. But nonetheless, he reaches down and tucks a hand under her knees, the other resting on her back as he lifts her up into his arms. She leans against his chest, and he would do this a thousand times, over and over again, if she asked.