𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 → 𝑭. 𝑯

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑: 𝒘𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒎𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍

𝙖𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙡 𝟲𝙩𝙝,𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵

JULIETTE SAT ON THE FLOOR OF HER HOTEL ROOM, HER HUSBAND STANDING NEXT TO HER, AS THE OTHER ONE SAT ACROSS THE ROOM. She felt the need to itch her neck, but ignored it profusely. She noted the sweat beginning to drip down her forehead, but made no effort to move her hand.

All she did was stare.

The other Juliette stared too, but not at her other self. Other Juliette stared at her hands or the rug that she sat on. Other Juliette didn't have the guts to look at the other version of herself.

But Juliette took in all of Other Juliette – or Julie as Oliver called her. She was exactly how Juliette looked at thirty, although her hair was shorter as it fell a little past her shoulders in waves similar to hers. A part of it was pinned back with a clip and the rest of her hair fell down. She was in a t-shirt, XME's first album Losing The Light cover was on it, and jeans that cuffed at the bottom along with sneakers. She looked young, but not as young as Juliette did. Her face was not like Juliette's although she looked like hers – hers was more saddened and tired as the bags under her eyes were heavy. Juliette knew herself – Other Juliette was hiding in some kind of way that she couldn't put her finger on it and it was driving her nuts.

Juliette felt like she could start yelling, screaming, crying, and many more things all at once. She felt it itching in her hands and urging her in her mind, but she kept her composure as much as she could. She'd need it if she was gonna get through this. She needed to stay rational.

But it was hard to stay rational when it was Oliver Hayden who stood next to Other Juliette when the group finally turned around to where Juliette was staring. Betrayal stung her heart, but then again, what did she expect from Oliver?

After Other Juliette arrived, Luther, surprisingly, was quick to suggest the family meeting be pushed until the four of them solved whatever was going on. Luther was quick to remember how bad Five and Older Five were back in '63, so he could only assume how far Juliette would be pushed with her doppel actually being from the time. Five nearly had to toss Juliette over his shoulder in order to get her upstairs as all she did was stare daggers at the two.

She did the same now.

Oliver was the first to break.

The blond coughed to clear his throat, "Look...I–I'm sorry, but I couldn't...I couldn't forget about you even if you told me to. I tried to keep my promise, but..."

Five raised an eyebrow before glancing down at his Juliette.

Juliette responded without even looking in Five's direction, "When we first came, I went over to a club just around the corner. It was the one the band and I were going to play at before I disappeared. Turns out Oliver and the others were there. They spotted me. I ran, but Oliver found me somehow. I told him to forget about me in order to protect...her," Juliette gritted through her teeth, "but it seems like even new timelines don't change things." She sighed, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was...trying to keep these two worlds apart."

Five nodded, "Understandable, but now they're colliding. It was bound to happen."

Oliver was thankful that the boy, who he assumed was her friend, was able to keep the peace and violence to a minimum because "little Juliette", as he put it, looked as if she could have murdered him.