Survived Me: a Shatter Me fan-fiction (Warnette)

Chapter 24 - Back With Me

⚠️TW⚠️
War
Depression and anxiety
Self isolation
Trauma
Insomnia
anorexia (mild)
talk of not eating
————
JULIETTE'S POV:
We have not just entered our room, he pulls me into his arms. "Oh, my love, I missed you" he breathes into my hair. "I missed you too." I mumbled into his chest. "How did the fight go?" I ask, "It went alright. Some of them escaped so I don't think our involvement with them is over, just yet". I don't know how to respond to this, I'm not sure if I'm scared or not. Should I be? I don't even know who these people are, I don't know their skill set or their level of IQ. "What's their battling skills like?" He chuckles slightly, "my love, no one is better than you in battle, you'd beat them easily single-handedly". I sigh. "I'm not so sure about that", "you took down the reestablishment". He said. "Darling, you're more than capable of taking on The RARE's." He pulls me from his chest, softly, to look me in the eyes. "I know but... I guess you're right" I smiled at him, a slightly unsure smile. "How's it been around here?" "The same really, everyone's been focused on the RARE's so much that no one's interested in attacking 45." I say. "Well, that's a good thing." I nod. "How have you been coping?" I cupped his face and asked. "I've been fine, love. What about you?" I smile, he's worried about me. He's the one who's been fighting for hours on end. "I have been completely okay, I just missed you," I lied. "I'm going to go and have a shower, is that okay love?" He kisses my head. "Of course."

As soon as he closes the bathroom door I go into his office and down the elevator, I'm planning a surprise party, a sort of welcome home type thing, for all the soldiers who went to 21. Castle is the only one, other than me, who knows about the party. I go to Castle's office through the training quarters, if I used the bedroom door, he'd hear it.

I knock on Castle's door, I hear him call out a "come in", so I open the door and, like he said, I come in.

————

AARON'S POV:

I step out the bathroom dressing in new attire, I look around the bedroom and office and Juliette isn't in here. I can sense the fear in her and the uncontrollable stress. I need to ask someone how she was whilst I was gone. Kenji.

I knock on Kenji, Adam and James' bedroom door. Adam opens the door. "Hey, what's up?" I look past him, "is Kenji here?" "Yeah. KENJI!" He calls, and I wait until Kenji comes to the door. "Oh hello, pretty boy." I rolled my eyes at Kenji's nickname for me. "Can I talk to you, please" he just nods and walks past Kent and follows me down the hall. "What's up?" He asks a hint of worry in his tone. "When I was away, we Juliette... okay?" I quietly ask.

He sighs, "she's going to kill me for telling you this but she was fucked up". "What do you mean?" I start worrying. "She refused to leave you guys bedroom for just under two months. I have no idea what she was doing, but, when I went to see her, on the occasion she let me in, there was paperwork everywhere. It hadn't looked like she'd eaten in a while, I mean - you must have noticed that she's lost so much weight since you last saw her." My heart breaks. "She looked as if she hadn't slept in awhile, I mean, she didn't before you left either but, I mean like not slept at all." He sighs. "When she finally came out of the room, she just cried, sobbed. She looked like she'd lost it," I stop with a halt. " How many times did you see her over the two months?" "Twice" he stilled as well. "She came out a few days before today and then a day or so after that, she came down to the training quarters, she saw a hoodie you'd left down there, she broke down. Then, this morning, every other soldier came in before you. She... lets just say, I have never seen fear like that, the look on her face, it was painful to see." I ran a hand through my hair, "why did you come in last anyway?" "I had to help get some of the injured soldiers to the medical wing. I didn't have a choice on the matter." I closed my eyes, she suffered so much, I should have gone against orders and went to see her. "I've... erm, got to go." I stuttered. I never stutter. "Yeah, of course man." I walk away from him and back into my room.

I open the door. "There you are," Juliette smiled. "Where'd you go?" she asks, still smiling. "Oh, I went to talk to Kenji." She looked shocked. She stood up and wrapped her arms around the back of my neck and looked up at my face. "Really now?" she smirked. "Yes, what about you? Where'd you wander off to?" "Oh, Mr Aaron Warner, that's none of your business." I chuckle. "Oh, so I'm gone for two months and now your Miss secret" She kisses my nose. "Maybe" she winks.

————

Word count: 906