In Shallow Seas We Sail

Author's Note: I'm back! Here's the sequel for In Ruins, and I'm pretty excited about it. If you haven't read In Ruins, you probably should, otherwise you're going to be confused or asking stupid questions. It's 14 chapters and an epilogue, but the chapters as fairly short. So go catch up!

For all the returning readers, I hope you all are happy! So many people asked for a sequel, I couldn't just let this story die. You guys are the best. :)

This first chapter is fairly short. It should've probably been considered a prologue, but I didn't want to mess up the numbering…it just annoys me when that happens! All song lyrics/titles come from the band Emery. They're one of the best bands I know, so check them out too.

Enjoy,
Sara

*

We can make believe
We're happy and free
Closed Eyes, Open Hands

[1]

He woke up to Juliet's screams and felt the covers being ripped away from him. He bolted to an upright position. Her screams tapered into deep, heaving breaths before he could say anything. After a moment of staggering silence, penetrated only by her soft sobs, he pressed his palm to her back. She flinched and her breath hitched at his touch, but she relaxed as he rubbed slow circles.

This wasn't the first time he'd woken to this. He and Juliet were both plagued with nightmares, and they seemed to become more frequent as time went on, rather than wearing away as the island became more distant in their pasts. His were sometimes equally violent; he had more than once woken up in another room, confused and embarrassed, and had made the trek back to his bedroom, shivering in cold sweat.

"You okay?"

At his voice, she let out a shuddering sigh but didn't look at him. This was an endless routine. No doubt she felt badly for waking him, but he would have it no other way. He'd already made it clear that she was no longer fighting her battles alone.

"Yeah," she breathed. She pulled her long blonde hair over one shoulder, wringing it in her hands. He reached over and pulled her hands away. He kept one of her hands in his own and tugged on it gently.

"Your hair didn't do anything to you," he teased. She didn't make any reply. "Tell me about it," he suggested. She remained silent. "Hey, don't do this. Look at me."

She finally turned to look at him. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but despite that, her face was perfect. "Same as always," she said.

"Back on the island?"

"I'm always back on the island," she said. "And I know you're coming to find me. But I don't want you to."

"Relax, it's just a dream."

Her gaze flickered around the room once, then landed on him with such intensity that he had to force himself to maintain eye contact. "What if it's not?"

"What do you mean, 'what if it's not?'" he said, "Of course it's not. We're layin' in bed, aren't we?"

She looked down and shook her head. "That's not what I'm talking about."

"Well then what are you talking about?" he pressed.

"Remember back in Dharma…I used to have those nightmares."

He nodded his assent.

"I was always…falling. Always falling, but it wasn't always frightening. It was almost like flying. Until the night before they came back. Don't you remember?"

He felt a chill run up his spine. He did remember that night. She'd woken him screaming, much like she'd done this very night, and when he asked her about the nightmare, she told him that she was falling. She'd told him that this dream was worse than the others, because in this dream, she finally hit the bottom. The next morning, he'd received the call from Jin that Kate, Jack, and Hurley were back.

"The night before they came back, I hit the bottom. And that day – "

"Juliet," he said, trying to remain calm. Her tone, her expression, her dream…something about all these things scared the shit out of him. "What are you trying to say?"

"If he takes me back there…like he said he was going to. If he does, don't come after me."

He shook his head. "I ain't makin' you those kind of promises."

"But – "

"Don't argue," he said; his voice rose louder than he intended. "Don't argue," he repeated, more gently this time. "Because it's not going to happen. Ben isn't going to take you anywhere."

*

She awoke the next morning feeling groggy. After her dream, sleep had not been entirely restful. He refused to talk to her any more on the subject, and she really couldn't blame him. She wasn't sure why she wanted him to make the promise not to come after her. It seemed senseless, putting him through this, giving him the thought that he might lose her again.

She didn't know what her dreams were telling her. She didn't know what the island was trying to tell her, but she knew that she couldn't go back. She remembered what Ben had told her, so long ago…she would never get off the island. And now she had.

There was something about the island, though, that took away free will. She'd discovered that long ago. She and James could go on pretending that the island wasn't permeating their lives, but that didn't mean they could make it true. The island was everywhere.

She was relieved that it was Saturday, and she had the whole day to lie in bed, if she chose. She turned on her side and pulled her knees to her stomach, effectively shutting off the outside world. She was afraid to close her eyes, afraid she would see those green canopies, those sandy stretches of beach – to most, such a dream would be a fantasy. To her, it was an endless nightmare.

She heard James grumble something in his sleep, probably angry that she'd taken half the covers to form her cocoon, but she didn't care. She felt safer this way. After a few moments, she felt him gently tugging them back, so she turned to face him.

"You awake?" she whispered.

He opened one eye and stared at her. "What d'ya think? I can't sleep in the Antarctic!"

She reluctantly pulled the covers from around her.

"Didn't your mama ever tell you about sharin'?"

She shook her head innocently.

"You okay?" he finally asked, bring his hand up to cup her cheek.

She looked back at him for a moment. She was lucky; he would do anything for her. He'd even stayed away from her because he thought that was what she wanted. And now, now she just wanted to know that he would be safe if she was taken away, but he wouldn't give her that reassurance. She didn't blame him, though. They'd been through too much, too much, even, for her to ask him to make this deal with her.

"I'm fine."

-

Standing outside her workplace, she wasn't entirely sure it was him. Miami was always bustling with activity; there were people everywhere. However, not a lot of people travelled the sidewalks around the medical research laboratory – a few stray undergrad students, but for the most part, she saw the same faces, in and out, every day.

She saw him farther down the street, but even at a distance, he seemed out of place. She'd just gotten off work, and at first, she lingered, thinking he would need to ask her for directions. But as she glanced between the man and the parking lot, there was an odd unsettling feeling that descended upon her. The same feeling she had every time she saw Benjamin Linus. He stopped on the sidewalk, looking directly at her, but for some reason, she couldn't lift her eyes. When she finally looked up again, he was gone.

Her head was swimming with 'maybes,' but nothing added up. He couldn't have just been wondering through – he wasn't even supposed to be in the continental US, much less walking outside her workplace in Miami. It was only logical that she was letting her imagine get the best of her. First the dreams, now hallucinations? Maybe she was losing it.

It just wasn't him – it couldn't have been. As long as she convinced herself, she wouldn't have to lie to James.

That night, her dreams were worse.