Book One.
The world has become a different place since the attack on New York. People have been forced to accept a reality filled with superhumans, machine men, and alien races. Earth has become a playground for the universe with humans getting los...
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Juliette was antsy to get out of the elevator. She shifted back and forth, trying to keep herself from thinking about the fact that they were in a giant metal box. A box that would be a great conductor for electricity. The plane ride back home to New York had been even worse – eight hours of praying and crossing her fingers that she didn't let out some kind of power surge or worse.
Honestly, she had been antsy since she left the S.H.I.E.L.D facility.
Coulson had let Juliette go after he had briefed her on the lie she was to tell if anyone asked her about her trip because no one could know the truth of what had happened. Not a single soul or else they would make her life difficult.
So, instead of telling Shelby the truth when they had been reunited she had recited the lines Coulson had fed her. There had been an outbreak of an unknown virus. She had fallen ill, passed out on her hike back to the hotel, found by a good Samaritan who called for help and was taken to hospital where they quarantined her until they deemed her safe for travel back to the U.S.
Nice and simple.
Shelby hadn't questioned it. There was no reason for her to – the local news had been fed the same story and reported on it. All of the bases had been covered.
Juliette was almost terrified with how well S.H.I.E.L.D had wrapped up everything that had happened in Norway. It made her wonder a lot of things – made her wonder what other things they had covered up, what other things they were hiding.
"You're shaking the elevator," Shelby commented as she adjusted the backpack on her lap.
"My feet fell asleep on the plane."
The doors dinged opened and Juliette pushed Shelby's wheelchair out into the baggage claim. It had taken a lot of arguing to get her into the chair. She had insisted that she could walk but Juliette knew that her sister's strength just wasn't there anymore. There had been some angry tears and bitter words before she finally relented. All the fighting was beginning to make her feel like the Villain in Shelby's life, slowly taking away her freedom, but Juliette had to remind herself that it was cancer.
Cancer was the real bad guy.
A loud shriek from the crowded corridor had Juliette tensing. She turned her head to find Chloe rushing towards them – she didn't know how to do anything in her life without making a scene. The woman had too much spirit and seemed to care very little what other people thought of her. Shelby had told Juliette many times that was what she loved most about Chloe.
Juliette could've done without all the theatrics but Chloe did bring other precious and needed things into her life like her unyielding loyalty and friendship.
"Hey, Chloe—" She barely got the greeting out before Chloe had her wrapped up in a tight hug.
"It's so good to have you guys back." She released Juliette before bending over to hug Shelby, who let out a wheezy chuckle as she patted her back. "God, I was so lonely."
