(Untitled)

[island_juliet]

Juliet Burke has been working at a leading medical facility for over ten years. Her name is floated as one of the breakthrough scientists in fertility drug development, she's more successful than she'd ever thought she'd be. But it always comes at a cost. Her husband left, finally finding someone less dedicated to her work to come home to. It's no

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[hell_ofa_thing]

It's one of those rare days when he actually has some free time, so he's in the middle of scanning one of the auction sites he likes to frequent now and again when he's in the mood to buy a new painting. He almost doesn't hear his phone from the other room. And when he sees who's calling, he pauses an extra moment.

Juliet.

They've kept in touch, and those feelings of care and affection have never waned. It'll be nice to hear her voice, he thinks.

"This is a nice surprise," he says warmly. "How are you?"

[island_juliet]

There's relief palpable in her voice and she closes her eyes for a second before speaking.

"David. I'm...I've been better. Do you have a few minutes to talk?" she asks, voice low.

[hell_ofa_thing]

His mood shifts almostly instantly, when he hears how tense she sounds.

"I have more than a few minutes for you." He sits down, preparing himself for what's to come. "Whay's wrong?"

[island_juliet]

She might as well not sugar coat.

"Someone's threatening to kill me. They were in my house today. I have police outside, but I've been getting letters now for a couple of weeks. I have to admit, this...scares me. I thought I'd call an expert."

There's a hint of a smile in her voice.

[hell_ofa_thing]

There's nothing in the world that's going to stop him from catching the next flight down there. He knows without a doubt that Hotch will completely support him as well.

"Can you stay somewhere else for today? I'll catch a flight down there, so I should be in Miami by tomorrow. You can fill me in on the details then."

[island_juliet]

"Yeah. Yes," she self corrects. "I can stay at my parent's vacation house. You remember where that is?" She's not sure about saying the exact location out loud, too spooked to do so.

[hell_ofa_thing]

"I remember," he would smile faintly, if he weren't so worried. He puts on an earpiece for his phone, so he can start packing while they talk. Normally, he would be meticulous about what he packs, but his worry overrides everything else.

"I'll get a direct flight, I can be there by dinner time." He pauses. He doesn't like to make promises he's not certain he can keep, so: "I'm not gonna leave until we find this person. Or people."

[island_juliet]

"David, are you sure? What about your team and work?" She's cradling the phone as she packs a bag for herself, tossing in clothes.

Though, she can't deny that knowing he's coming eases the tension in her shoulders.

[hell_ofa_thing]

"I'm supposed to take annual leave every year. Guess how many times I've actually done that." He throws a few pairs of shoes into his suitcase. "There's always a good reason for me to cut it short. This time, there's a damn good reason for me to actually take it."

A few more pairs of pants go into the suitcase. "Make sure a cop follows you to the house. I know some people down there, I'll make sure someone's got an eye on you until I get there."

[island_juliet]

Letting out a shaky breath, Juliet takes a moment before speaking again.

"Thank you, David. I can't tell you how..." She breaks off, not sure what else to say. "I'll see you soon."

[hell_ofa_thing]

"Soon," he promises. It's the first time in a long while that it's been this hard to hang up the phone. But he's not a fatalist, either, as worried as he is; he believes they'll catch the perpetrators, and she'll be safe, and until he's proven wrong, he'll continue to believe that.

He does manage to get the flight he needs -- being a frequent flier and having a high credit limit does have its perks -- and he's in Miami within a few hours. He rents a car, and it's a short drive (not short enough) to the vacation house. He's pleased to see a patrol cop parked across the street, chats with him for a few minutes before heading up to the front door.

And then he knocks softly, identifying himself. "It's me."

[island_juliet]

Juliet, in oversized men's pajamas, hair in a messy ponytail, and obviously exhausted, answers the door. And her shoulders visibly sag when she sees David, relieved.

"What took you so long?" she jokes, standing aside to let him in. The house is lit up. She's clearly scared.

[hell_ofa_thing]

"I tried to get out and push the plane, but they frown on that, apparently," he jokes back. Once he's inside, he scans the place quickly, just checking on things. And then he pauses before pulling her in for a hug.

"Have you had anything to eat today?" When people are scared and worried, they typically tend to lose sleep and forego eating.

[island_juliet]

Once he's hugging her, Juliet breathes him in, a familiar, welcoming, comforting presence. Then, she shakes her head. "No. Guess I forgot," she says with a sheepish smile as she steps back to look at him.

"I'm glad you're here, David."

[hell_ofa_thing]

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," he says sincerely. They've kept in touch over the phone, but it's been a while since he's actually seen her. When she takes a step back, he lets his eyes wander a bit, taking in every detail, everything that's changed about her. He's missed her eyes, the depth of emotion in them, the hidden things behind them.

He rubs a hand gently, briefly down her forearm and then steps further inside. His luggage is set down in the entryway for now, he'll move it later. First things first: she needs to eat.

"What're you hungry for?"

[island_juliet]

"Anything you're making," she says honestly as she walks with him. There are a lot of feelings surrounding her relationship with David, but she's always, always been grateful that despite some bumps in the road, they've been friends.

"I'm not sure what's here, honestly. My sister was here two weeks ago, and I'm not sure if she left anything behind."