Alone Together

Chapter 9: I'm Sorry

The group watched Mystique break in and Juliet was silent. "She's a sitting duck. We have to move quickly.", as soon as the spillway opened Juliet was inside. The group followed and they met Mystique. Juliet ignored everything until her eyes landed on the monitor with the kids. "Storm, Kurt.", they looked at her and Logan did too. Her eyes focused and her jaw clenched when she saw William and his men. "Jean, find the professor and Scott. Quickly.", she nodded and she walked away. Logan followed. "Juliet.", she ignored him as she followed the tunnels to Stryker. "Juliet!", she turned. "What, Logan?", they paused in a corridor and she swallowed. "It isn't like that. I'm worried about her. Her powers.", she shook her head, "So you kissed her and told her you'd be the good guy she can marry?", he frowned and she had tears dripping down her face. "I love you, Logan. And if you don't love me, don't lead me on.", he stepped forward and she stepped back. "Go. We have a mission.", and she ran away.

Juliet found Stryker and he looked at her, "How long will you blindly follow him, Juliet?", she swallowed. "Forever.", Stryker walked forward, "He doesn't want you, anymore, Juliet. You know this. He has proven it.", she shook her head, "Shut up!", her tears fell and her eyes glowed, "It's the truth, my sweet girl. It has been since he met her. She's smart, pretty, has control. She hasn't followed him like a puppy for over a hundred years.", she shook her head, "Stop!", he frowned and placed a hand on her cheek. He smiled as she fell down, her emotions taking over her and she screamed as the piercing sound entered her brain. Tears fell and she held her head. She was alone. Utterly alone.

Logan found Stryker and slammed him against the plane. Stryker looked at him and sighed, "No Witch, Wolverine?", Logan glared, "What have you done with her?", Stryker laughed as the alarm went off, "What have you done to her?", Logan paused, "She's done nothing but been loyal for over a hundred years. She has followed you and stayed by your side. When you volunteered, she did too. The Wolverine and his Witch. All that trust gone down the drain in only a few seconds. Tell me, Logan. If the Witch isn't with the Wolverine, who is she with?", Logan turned to run but caught Stryker and chained him to his plane.

Juliet stood up and rushed to the spillway, running into the entire group, minus Magneto and Mystique. The spillway closed and waterstsrted seeping in. Juliet looked at Logan and she swallowed. Scott looked at her and stumbled away from Jean. "Jules.", she softly smiled. She looked at Charles as the jet landed, very shakily, in front of them. She knew they weren't all getting out of there. She blinked and looked around her. She stepped into the Jet, she hugged Rogue and looked at Bobby. Charles looked at her, "Johnny went with Magneto.", the thrusters were offline and soon they lost power. Jean noticed Juliet try to move and Jean knocked her out. Juliet woke quickly and tried to leave but the ramp was fixed closed and the jet turned itself on, "Lower the ramp!", Storm tried but shook her head. Jean started talking through Charles and Scott got sad. "Stop! Let me do it!", Logan caught Juliet and she screamed and cried as she tried to attack him. "Jean! Jean!", Scott and Juliet tried to fight and Scott started sobbing, Juliet broke free of Logan and caught Scott. "I'm sorry. It should. I should. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.", she closed her eyes as the started glowing and the lake parted beneath them. Juliet looked at Kurt. "Come on.", Kurt looked at her and Logan shook his head, "Don't do this.", she looked at him, "I want you to be happy, Logan.", she swallowed, "I can't give you that anymore.", he hugged her close, "Go! Now!", and Storm shot off.

The team landed in Washington and entered the oval office. Rogue handed over the paperwork. Juliet stood in the back. There was a storm outside. Charles did the talking and Juliet looked outside as he mentioned loss. She glanced at Logan and Rogue. The storm cracked across the sky and the mutants were gone, along with the storm.

Juliet stood in the foyer with her bags. Scott walking over to her. "You can't leave. I just lost Jean, I can't lose you too.", she glanced down and grabbed her own dog tags. She handed them to him. "I should have moved faster.", she licked her lips and looked away. "I'm sorry.", Scott looked at her, "She chose me.", she glanced down, "He chose her. It doesn't matter what she chose.", her tears dripped down her cheeks. He stepped forward and hugged her. Logan stepping around the corner. He saw her crying and her bag. Scott holding her dogtag. He made a mistake and it was going to costs him dearly. He walked into the foyer and Juliet looked at him. Her eyes glowed, but it was dim. "I should go.", she pulled away from Scott and walked out the door. Scott looked at Logan, "Was it worth it?", and Logan ran out the door. He caught her at the garage and she threw her bag into a truck. "Jules.", she blinked away the tears. She closed the truck door. "I am sorry okay. I didn't mean to.", she looked at him, "Do you love her?", Logan was silent, "Do you love me?", his heart ticked and she felt her lips tremble. "Yes, Jules. I do. I'm not me without you. You can't leave.", she shook her head, "Don't lie to me, Logan Howlett.", he looked at her, "I'm not lying, Juliet Barnes!", she flinched, "You are my best friend, my companion, my other half. I love you, more than anything do I love you. She was new!", Juliet frowned, "A good new?", he sent her a look, "New like us. She didn't make me scared when she ran tests and I felt I could talk to her. We've lived the same life for over a hundred years, Juliet. She was new and fresh and someone that didn't already know my life story.", she glanced down and Logan frowned. "Dammit, I'm not good with words. Juliet, I love you and I need you to stay.", she blinked, "You don't love me if you loved her too. You chose her, Logan. I've already told you, I won't be a replacement.", he sighed, "You're not. What happened that night was a mistake, Jules. I make them alot. But I want you.", she clenched her jaw, "Logan, let me talk to her.", she looked at Charles and Logan walked away. Hoping more than anything that his best friend would stay. She was the love of his life. Charles looked at him. Juliet sat down on the tailgate of the truck and Logan walked inside, Storm looked at him and he shrugged.

Charles looked at Juliet, "When I was 19, I met a beautiful young woman named Moria McTagget. She came to me wanted to know if mutants were real. This lead me to meeting Erik Lensherr for the first time and starting the first group of X-Men. Moria wasn't a mutant and she worked for the government and when I realized Erik was right in his assumption of humans wanting to hurt us, I knew anonymity was the only way we could survive. So I had to wipe her memory of this place and everything she saw in the last three weeks of us being together. I liked her alot. And she liked me. But I knew I couldn't have her. I needed to protect the kids.", she blinked, "I hurt myself to keep them safe but I've had a very happy and joyful life.", she looked at him, "I'm sorry, I'm confused.", he looked at her, "Maybe Logan thinks it's safer for you not to be together.", she swallowed, "If he thought that he shouldn't have started a relationship with me and then kiss her and tell her he would be the good guy for her.", Charles frowned, "Mystique was there, how do you know-", Juliet looked at him, "That is wasn't your sister?", Charles nodded, "Because Raven was with Erik. At his side and they were at the jet.", Juliet looked away and Charles frowned, "I can't make you stay, Little Witch, but I do think you leaving would be a mistake.", she looked at him, "I should have been the one to leave the plane, Charles. I know that and so do they. I can't be here because I killed her.", Charles shook his head, "She used her powers against you, Juliet Barnes. There was nothing you could have done.", she looked away. "Noone blames you, Juliet. The kids need you, and so does Scott. You are needed and wanted here.", she licked her lips. "Can I have my own room? Downstairs, away from everyone. My emotions are dangerous compared to my powers. I don't want to hurt anyone.", Charles nodded and looked at her, "He don't mean what he told her, Juliet. Logan loves you an awful lot.", she grabbed her bag and went to the storm drain, "He sure has a funny way of showing it.", she dropped into the drain and found her way to a room downstairs and threw her bag. Charles went inside and looked at Storm and Logan, he shook his head and Logan punched the wall. Scott was in his office and Charles looked at him, "There's a lonely and hurt little witch downstairs. She decided to stay but she didn't want to be near Logan. She cod use a friend.", Scott nodded and made his way downstairs and found her, the two sat down and just leant against each other and sat in their silence, one of grief and one of heartbreak. Scott looked at her and held her close, "I'm sorry.", she sighed, "Me too.", and the two friends stayed there.