He takes note of the pillow, where it looks like she was holding on tightly. She’s just as lonely as he is, and it’s another reminder that they understand each other.
The moment his head hits the pillow, he’s out, laying on his stomach because it helps his back. When she knocks, she’ll find him still sleeping, with one arm around the pillow she’d been holding against her chest.
When he doesn’t respond, she opens the door and peeks her head inside. Smiling, just a little, she goes to sit on the edge of the bed and tentatively reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder, speaking quietly.
“James, wake up. Been an hour.”
He grunts a little, but starts to shift, eventually rolling on to his back. He didn’t think he’d actually sleep that whole time, but he already feels a little better.
“Guess I needed it,” he smirks a little, sitting up slowly.
“Sometimes I know what I’m talking about,” she says with another small smile. “Two nights in a house and you forget your humble beginnings on a beach camp.”
Juliet smiles again, then stands. “Dinner in the cafeteria if you want in. DHARMA lasagna, sounds terrible but I’m curious.”
He stands up with her, tugging on a clean button-down shirt. “Anything sounds good right about now.”
He’s starving, so he’s just happy to have anything. Heading with her to the mess hall, James takes a seat across from her once they have their trays of food, digging in eagerly. “Better than anything I’ve had in a while.”
She has to admit, it isn’t bad. As she lifts the fork to her lips, nodding in agreement, she pauses, eyes over James’s shoulder and focused on someone else. Young Benjamin Linus, staring right back at her, and Juliet loses whatever appetite she had.
“The hell are you-” But then he stops eating as well, following her gaze before looking back at her. “That Ben?”
Juliet nods, finally looking back at James. “That’s him.” The boy who’ll grow up to trap her here. The room feels too small, and she stands.
“I’m sorry, I need--I’m going back to the house, I’ll see you there.” She knows she must seem all over the damn place to him, but she wasn’t ready for this.
He stands up quickly to follow her, catching up with her and resting a hand lightly at her back as they walk together. Leaning in close to speak to her, he keeps his voice down but has to ask. “You okay?”
No, she isn’t, and she’d rather be drunk again before going into this now. She doesn’t even know how to say it, looking up at him with no mask, no filter. Just sheer desperation and sadness. Something clicks though, and she speaks, though mostly to herself.
“That’s what Harper meant, she said I looked ‘just like her’ and I always thought--”
Sorry, James. Juliet’s having a moment.
“Let’s get inside,” he gently guides her back to their temporary housing for now. Once they’re inside, he sits with her in the bedroom so they’ll have some privacy.
“Slow down a little. There’s things I don’t know. Who the hell’s Harper?”
Juliet takes a deep breath, gripping the edge of the bed from where she’s sitting.
“Goodwin’s wife. She was a therapist. That doesn’t matter, it’s--she told me I looked like someone Ben cared about. I didn’t think twice about it but it was me, James. It’s always been me.” She reminded him of herself, and she realizes there’s one key piece of the story James needs to know.
“Ben wanted me here. He kept me here because he--” Juliet can’t even say it, just looking at him, the words stuck in her throat.
His eyes widen, almost frenzied and anxious as he tries to figure out what to do. He’s up and pacing a little as he thinks.
“Well, what the hell - I gotta keep ya away from him.” He has to protect her, no matter what. Of course, he’s not even thinking about the consequences that could have on the future.
It’s his statement, that he has to keep her away from him that forces Juliet to take a deep breath, to try and stave off whatever this panic attack is.
“James,” she says quietly, closing her eyes for a second and looking up at him. “I’m already here. If anything changed, if we kept Ben from knowing who I was somehow, then I wouldn’t be here now.”
She rubs her forehead. Time travel really is a bitch.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you panic,” she apologizes, taking another deep breath. She’d had a terrified reaction to a ten year old kid. Tells herself she needs to get it together.
"You gotta stop sayin' sorry for things that ain't your fault," he says gently. "He may be a kid, but we know what he grows up to be. What he did to you. Hard not to wanna put miles between you and him."
no subject
The moment his head hits the pillow, he’s out, laying on his stomach because it helps his back. When she knocks, she’ll find him still sleeping, with one arm around the pillow she’d been holding against her chest.
When he doesn’t respond, she opens the door and peeks her head inside. Smiling, just a little, she goes to sit on the edge of the bed and tentatively reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder, speaking quietly.
“James, wake up. Been an hour.”
He grunts a little, but starts to shift, eventually rolling on to his back. He didn’t think he’d actually sleep that whole time, but he already feels a little better.
“Guess I needed it,” he smirks a little, sitting up slowly.
“Sometimes I know what I’m talking about,” she says with another small smile. “Two nights in a house and you forget your humble beginnings on a beach camp.”
Juliet smiles again, then stands. “Dinner in the cafeteria if you want in. DHARMA lasagna, sounds terrible but I’m curious.”
He stands up with her, tugging on a clean button-down shirt. “Anything sounds good right about now.”
He’s starving, so he’s just happy to have anything. Heading with her to the mess hall, James takes a seat across from her once they have their trays of food, digging in eagerly. “Better than anything I’ve had in a while.”
She has to admit, it isn’t bad. As she lifts the fork to her lips, nodding in agreement, she pauses, eyes over James’s shoulder and focused on someone else. Young Benjamin Linus, staring right back at her, and Juliet loses whatever appetite she had.
“The hell are you-” But then he stops eating as well, following her gaze before looking back at her. “That Ben?”
Juliet nods, finally looking back at James. “That’s him.” The boy who’ll grow up to trap her here. The room feels too small, and she stands.
“I’m sorry, I need--I’m going back to the house, I’ll see you there.” She knows she must seem all over the damn place to him, but she wasn’t ready for this.
He stands up quickly to follow her, catching up with her and resting a hand lightly at her back as they walk together. Leaning in close to speak to her, he keeps his voice down but has to ask. “You okay?”
No, she isn’t, and she’d rather be drunk again before going into this now. She doesn’t even know how to say it, looking up at him with no mask, no filter. Just sheer desperation and sadness. Something clicks though, and she speaks, though mostly to herself.
“That’s what Harper meant, she said I looked ‘just like her’ and I always thought--”
Sorry, James. Juliet’s having a moment.
“Let’s get inside,” he gently guides her back to their temporary housing for now. Once they’re inside, he sits with her in the bedroom so they’ll have some privacy.
“Slow down a little. There’s things I don’t know. Who the hell’s Harper?”
Juliet takes a deep breath, gripping the edge of the bed from where she’s sitting.
“Goodwin’s wife. She was a therapist. That doesn’t matter, it’s--she told me I looked like someone Ben cared about. I didn’t think twice about it but it was me, James. It’s always been me.” She reminded him of herself, and she realizes there’s one key piece of the story James needs to know.
“Ben wanted me here. He kept me here because he--” Juliet can’t even say it, just looking at him, the words stuck in her throat.
His eyes widen, almost frenzied and anxious as he tries to figure out what to do. He’s up and pacing a little as he thinks.
“Well, what the hell - I gotta keep ya away from him.” He has to protect her, no matter what. Of course, he’s not even thinking about the consequences that could have on the future.
It’s his statement, that he has to keep her away from him that forces Juliet to take a deep breath, to try and stave off whatever this panic attack is.
“James,” she says quietly, closing her eyes for a second and looking up at him. “I’m already here. If anything changed, if we kept Ben from knowing who I was somehow, then I wouldn’t be here now.”
She rubs her forehead. Time travel really is a bitch.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you panic,” she apologizes, taking another deep breath. She’d had a terrified reaction to a ten year old kid. Tells herself she needs to get it together.
"You gotta stop sayin' sorry for things that ain't your fault," he says gently. "He may be a kid, but we know what he grows up to be. What he did to you. Hard not to wanna put miles between you and him."