Chapter Text
Silo 18 greeted Juliette with a scorching welcome, trapping her in an airlock as the cleansing process began. Fortunately, she was wearing in a firefighter suit, shielding her from the searing heat. Unbeknownst to Bernard, the head of IT, he instinctively covered her body in an attempt to protect her from the flames. In a swift response, Juliette reversed their positions, doing her best to shield him in return.
The fire was unforgiving. Bernard’s suit melted, fusing to his skin, and his agonized screams echoed in her mind as she sprinted for help the moment the doors unlocked.
“Bring my father… Dr. Nichols!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the air as she stumbled into the celebrating crowd, chanting “JL, Juliette Lives”.
Without hesitation, a few citizens obeyed her command and rushed to find him. Juliette had yet to fully comprehend the gravity of her return, but to the people, she was already their leader.
She hurried back to Bernard, relieved to see that he was still alive. Despite everything, she stayed by his side…she owed him for trying to save her.
Time dragged on until, the doctor finally arrived, and it wasn’t her father. Confused, she scanned the faces around her, searching for him. Then her gaze landed on her friends rushing toward her. Knox and Shirley didn’t hesitate and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Hank, however, stayed back. His feet felt rooted to the ground, the weight of his guilt anchoring him in place. He had already taken too much from her… letting father sacrificed himself for the rebellion while he cowered in hesitation.
Juliette found herself moving toward him, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Seeing Hank brought a flicker of warmth.
“Jules,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. He hesitated at first, the weight of guilt anchoring him in place. His hands hovered uncertainly before finally resting on her back, gently pulling her closer. For a fleeting moment, he wished he could escape the inevitable, just long enough to savor their reunion.
He broke off the embrace, a silent war raging within him. The guilt clawed at his chest, suffocating any fleeting sense of comfort he might have felt.
Hank needed to break the news privately, away from the watchful eyes of the crowd that started to form around them.
“Tell me?” Juliette pressed, her heart pounding. “Is it Walker?”
“No”, Hank answered, still unable to meet her gaze.
“My father?” she asked, but deep down, she already knew the answer. That was why he wasn’t here.
Finally, their eyes met. Tears welled in his, while darkness settled in hers.
He nodded and started to explain while her and others also listened.
“We devised a plan to blow up the stairs, and…” His voice cracked as he wiped his face, fighting back the grief. “The bomb timer fell off. He… he was the one who stayed behind to make sure it went off.”
A murmur spread through the crowd, but one voice cut through the silence.
“Why didn’t you take his place?” someone demanded.
Hank’s gaze never wavered from Juliette’s. “I tried” he wanted to deliver her father’s last message before they got interrupted.
The crowd had turned, and one of the men, punched Hank, causing him to stumble backwards.
“My wife is pregnant. What should we do without Dr. Nichols?” he yelled and lunged again at Hank, only for Knox to intervene.
He knew how quickly news would spread, and with Juliette’s return, they needed to show a united front to control the chaos. Knox turned to Juliette and demanded for her to “Fix it”.
She took a slow breath and spoke for all to hear.
“My father worked years in servitude, sacrificing his freedom for the people. Now he scarified his life for change. He would have never have taken this decision without trusting that his shadow is capable.
I will not allow you or anyone else to dishonor his memory by turning against each other. I will not allow it!”
The crowd fell into a stunned silence, their anger gradually fading with each measured word she spoke. Her friends stood in awe, witnessing how effortlessly she commanded the moment, her voice alone dissolving the tension that had threatened to spiral out of control.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward and embraced Hank, a deliberate act of unity and a clear message to those watching.
“You have done nothing wrong” she spoke and took his hand and walked down the hall, side by side.
Once they were away from prying eyes, she let go of his hand and walked away without a single word.
And that killed him.
