Juliet's Surrender [Juliet's Tryst #2]

Chapter 17: Much Ado About Three Pairs of Jeans

Three curtains attached to a wall with a mirror was all the nearest Target had to offer. An attendant guarded the sorry display, dutifully counting the items before falling back into the waking slumber of boredom. When she asked the teenager if there was a limit to how many items she could bring, she only got the baleful look of a teenager. Do whatever, lady. Crash, the roided out driver of the car, waited outside. He gave her a credit card and told her to not be stupid. A glance at her stomach was enough to explain why they needed the trip at all.  All she could think of, however, were jeans. The baby would just have to get used to it. 

She stared at her belly in the dressing room mirror, realizing to her horror that tendrils of angry red were drifting out from somewhere in her lower back to the front. Great. Those hadn't been there this morning. The pair of blue skinny jeans provided her with all the relief she imagined. Something to prop her up. Something to make her feel normal. The other two pairs of jeans were decidedly maternal, with stretchy fabrics. 

More shopping,  she definitely needed something for each kind of weather. Someone would have something if it was too cold (right?). Her brain groaned as she strained to think about the possibilities in front her. For all of her worrying, it was a rare thing to actually have to think these days. Everything was taken care of. She was taken care of. Well, except in the ways that truly mattered.

Screaming, a loud outcry of warning. Quick pop pop pops, then silence. A voice floated throughout the Target, reaching each ear able to hear it. It sounded like a strained live-speaker, loudness without any nuance. We're looking for the the Ruler's wife. She's short. She's blonde and she's pregnant. If you have seen her, alert us now. We will not hurt you. We're looking for the Ruler's...

The mirror laughed at her. Short. Blonde. Pregnant. A pile of clothes on the ground, her next life, rumpled and bundled in disorganized chaos, sitting on top of a stool. Would they think to check the dressing room? Quiet, she gathered everything slowly up, and crawled up on the stool. Nothing on the ground. Not even her breathe out in the air. Invisible, she told herself. Just like she always had been. Invisible. Normal. Just a woman in a Target. 

"Anyone in the rooms?" Rustling. Large, hulking figures. Big steps. Don't breathe. Invisible. She didn't recognize the voices, no one close to her. Kyrion soldiers.

"To be honest with you, I tell everyone that the rooms are closed. I don't see any feet." Infinite boredom and malaise, the attendant's voice made Juliet's heart jump to her throat.

The dressing room next to filled with Kyrion soldiers. Invisible. Don't breathe. Her arms burned from the weight of all of her soon-to-be purchased clothing. They burned from the strength of her hope. She was so close to escaping. She was so close from finally being away from it. 

"Fucking kvistarti (bitch), how? Where did she dissappear to? She's only human (derogatory)," one clicked in Kyrion. 

"She's a thief." The seconds voice was quite nasally for a Kyrion. 

"Fuck, we're in for a long punishment after this."

Her chest burned. The world was starting to blur. But not a sound. 

"And for for what? Because we couldn't find the Ruler's good fuck? Exotic meat too tasty."

"Exotic meat that's managed to escape the palace. How?" 

"No one was watching her. I've seen the replay." 

Replay? Like a video?

"The war will end and we'll still be serving for this fuck. I wish the Ruler would just kill them all, fucking nuisances."

Dumb and dumber trotted out. Once they were far enough away, Juliet took small as small of sips of air as she could before she devolved into coughing, dropping everything and falling to her knees. Someone was tentatively touching her shoulder. The attendant. 

"You ok," she asked. Terror made them both tremble in silence for a second.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Juliet scrambled up, taking everything in one fell swoop. Don't look her in the eyes. 

"Hey-" they both froze. The teenager  took in each detail of the woman before her. "Oh."  There's was only one thing to do. 

"I'm not pregnant," she said, pulling in her stomach as much as she could, and standing up straight. "Just short and blonde." The teenager relaxed. A loud hum above them signaled the departing of a Kyrion ship. They were quite loud when they wanted to be.

Why did I just show a stranger my tummy?

--------------------------------

She trotted back to the getaway car, two Target bags in her arms.

"I don't fucking know. She was in there...alone, yes, how the fuck was I supposed to know that they would be checking Targets?" He was so engrossed in his conversation that when he looked over to her, he yelped. "Good news, boss." The shock turned into something that looked like respect. "We've got her. She'll be at the airport on time." 

They sat in silence for minute before he erupted with questions. How? Dressing rooms. Did they see you? No. Any sign that they knew you were there? No. Crash took a wild look around the car, and spotted her clothing from the palace laying discarded on the back seat. 

"We're going to have to burn everything you have from the palace. Including your ring. They can track you from anything." 

An unexpected burst of emotion tore through as the enormity of her actions finally settled inside her. She didn't want to let go of the ring. The thought of burning it made her nauseous, as for just one second, she felt her insides open and she heard Dee's fervent muttering Juliet, Juliet, come back to me. Where could you possibly be? Please. Be safe and come back.

Juliet, a prayer for peace in war. Juliet, who crouched by the side of the highway and placed her wedding ring on top of a sweater and watched it go up into flame. She who quelled the fire with divine power as Crash drove them to the airport, and hoped that ring would turn up again. Juliet, who was beginning to understand that some things, when lost, were lost forever. 

I'm looking for a woman in Target... five two... blue eyes, I'm looking for a woman in...