Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Julie stared at the letter in her hands from Starlet Town. The document was a notice about a farm that, according to the somewhat vague description by a Mayor Connor, apparently belonged to her. The previous holders of the deed were her grandparents, but they died more than twenty years ago. Did the legal machine in Starlet Town move that slowly? Were they only now being informed of Grant and Mariah’s passing? The letter stated that Julie was the next direct heir of the property and she had thirty days to respond before the land was posted for sale.

“Starlet Town?” Julie mumbled, trying to remember why the name sounded so familiar. She could just barely recall memories of visiting her grandparents on an island - must have been this Starlet Town. “Talk about timing.”

The young woman moved her eyes from the letter to the small stack of documents on her desk - the off-boarding contract and other legal paperwork she had been required to sign to leave her job. She should have been upset about being laid off, but in truth, Julie felt relief. She felt free. 

As if on cue, her phone rang - it was her mother. 

“Hello darling!” Julie’s mother Connie had this crisp, consistently light air about her voice that was soothing and entertaining at the same time. “I’m probably calling in vain, but am in the neighborhood - have you eaten yet?’

Julie smiled. “I’m starving. What do you have in mind?”

“Oh! I half-expected you to be working. How about that ramen place you like? Thirty minutes okay?”

Julie nodded at the phone before replying. “Sounds great. See you there.”

As she hung up, Julie looked from the desk to the letter she was still holding. The idea forming in her head was ludicrous. Insane. Irrational. But at the same time, she suddenly felt even more relieved. A new start. 

The ramen place was its usual quiet spot for the middle of the week. Julie spotted her mother at a nearby table immediately and made her way to the table. They did not look like mother and daughter - Julie’s copper hair was a definite contrast to Connie’s dark blond shade. Even their eyes were different colors - deep green and golden brown, but Julie knew her “sandy eyes” came from her father. He used to tell her that they were a sign of her island roots. 

“I can’t believe you’re free!” Connie chirped. “This is so lovely! Girl time!”

Julie chuckled as she scooted into her seat. “Yes, girl time. And it’s nice to not be working actually. I’m glad you called because I wanted to ask you…about my grandparents?”

Connie furrowed her brow. “What do you mean? They’re doing fine, if that’s what you’re asking. You just saw them at Rachel’s birthday party.”

The conversation paused as a server approached to take their order. The young man finally left and Julie went back to her questions. “Um, no - I’m talking about the other grandparents. Dad’s parents.”

“Oh!” Connie tried not to smile uncomfortably. “Oh sweetheart, I haven’t thought of them in so long. I can’t believe…it’s just been so long. They were lovely. So sweet. Very down-to-earth. Very much like your dad.”

“And they were farmers? On an island?” Julie pressed a little. “Do you remember much about the farm? I can barely remember them or the farm, but I think we visited.”

“Oh, yes! They were quite successful, if I recall. And we did visit a few times. The island was so lovely and that little town was quite charming. Not my cup of tea, but your dad grew up there and loved it. Why are you asking about all this?”

Julie handed the letter from Mayor Connor to her mother and waited for a reaction. Connie scanned the page before looking back at her daughter with one raised eyebrow. “Are you sure this is even real?”

“I plan on calling that number in the morning. I didn’t check my mail until this evening. But, there is a property on the island that was owned by Grant and Mariah - Dad’s parents, my grandparents.”

“I suppose you do need to deal with this,” Connie reasoned quietly. She paused and smiled as the server placed a steaming bowl of crab ramen in front of her. “Do you think your job will even let you take time off?”

Julie stared at her own bowl for a moment. “I don’t think they care anymore. I was laid off today actually.”

Connie had to finish chewing the food in her mouth, but her wide eyes spoke volumes. “Laid off?! For what?! They’ve been bleeding you dry since you started there! The nerve!”

Julie motioned for her mother to lower her voice. “Department cuts or something. Honestly, I’m fine about it. I was ready to leave anyway, and the severance package is pretty decent. It’s fine.”

“I’m sorry that you were let go, but not sorry about you not being in that agency anymore. They seemed terrible. We’ve hardly seen you since you started working there. Maybe Greg can help you find a new job.”

“You always saw me for holidays and special events,” Julie kindly reminded her mother. “Remember Rachel’s party last week? And, that’s okay - I’m kind of thinking about another plan.”

“Doing something other than marketing?” Connie queried between bites. “Greg can still help, sweetie. He has a lot of connections. Plus, well, he’s been wanting to help you somehow. You know, keep the relationship on good terms.”

Julie took a sip of broth and tried not to roll her eyes. “Is he taking another seminar at work or something? He was all concerned about our relationship last year too. I was 10 years old when you married him - of course I had issues. But that was almost twenty years ago. We’re good. I’m good. He’s great.”

Connie sighed. “Well, actually, yes - he’s been doing some leadership thing at the office. I don’t know how that pulls you into things, but he’s just wanted to be a good…something for you. He does care.”

“I know he does. I honestly appreciate it. He’s been a good dad. But still no about him helping.” Julie didn’t know how to voice her insane sudden new plan, so she focused on her ramen.

“So, what’s the new plan then?” Connie asked again. “Well, I suppose you have to handle that farm thing first. Oh, I hope you don’t have to actually go there.”

“Um, yeah,” Julie replied slowly as she took another sip of broth. “That’s kind of the plan at the moment. I want to go see it.”

Connie looked startled. “Why? It’s an old farm - probably terribly overgrown by now. It’s been…what? Twenty-five years since their accident?”

Julie opened her mouth to explain her reasons, but her mother continued talking. “I know it’s been a rough few months, what with the Josh thing, and now you just lost the job you were pouring your life into. I understand why you’d want to run away, but doing that to see some old farm that you’re just going to sell anyway…?”

“First, ‘the Josh thing’ was more like six months ago,” Julie felt a flicker of fire somewhere in her gut. “And I’m over that, by the way. My job? I’m relieved to be free of that place. Relieved. And this isn’t just some old farm - it’s a piece of my family.”

Connie looked almost hurt. “Sweetheart, your family is here.”

“I’m talking about Dad’s side. I barely remember them. You obviously barely remember them. Or maybe you don’t want to remember? Which, if that’s the case, I get it. Really. But, this is about me and I want to know more.”

At that moment, the server returned. “Can I get anything for you?”

“I’d like the rest of my bowl to-go,” Julie replied with a smile.

Connie sighed. “Don’t leave like this. I’m just worried, okay? Can I still worry about my oldest daughter?”

“Of course. I don’t think I could stop you anyway. I felt something…right or calming when I read that letter. I’ve been in a grind since I left school and it would be nice to take a short break. And, I want to learn more about the other part of me.”

Connie stared at Julie for a moment. “You’re so much like your father. Your mind is already made up, I can see in your eyes. His eyes.” She paused as the server dropped off the boxed remnants of their meal. “Please, just call first and make sure that letter is legitimate.”

Julie smiled at her mother’s worried expression. “Of course. First thing in the morning. And this is just checking things out, okay?”

After a short conversation about her mother’s frustration over Rachel wanting purple highlights in her hair and the new drapes not arriving on schedule, the pair finally left the restaurant. Connie hugged Julie a little tighter than usual as they stood in the cold evening air.

“I’m not going anywhere yet,” Julie joked. “You’re choking me a little.”

“I can hug you as tight as I want - mother’s prerogative.”

“I’ll let you know what I find out,” Julie promised as she gently untangled herself. She waved as her mother drove away, then walked the short distance to her apartment. The air seemed to almost buzz around her - Julie supposed that she never noticed her surroundings much because she was usually exhausted from work. 

“That’s ironic,” she muttered to herself. “But now, maybe something new.”

Julie deposited her leftover ramen in the fridge before heading to her bedroom and flopping onto the bed. She didn’t feel that tired while walking home, but suddenly now, she just wanted to sleep. As Julie let herself drift off, she could barely make out a faint voice that sounded like it was calling for help.

********

The next morning, Julie’s first task, after getting herself a cup of coffee, was to call this Mayor Connor and ask about the letter she received.

The phone only rang a few times before an older man’s voice answered. “Hello? Oh..Starlet Town, um, mayor’s office. This is Mayor Connor.”

Julie wasn’t quite as prepared to talk as she thought. “Oh! Hi. Sorry. I’m calling…oh, this is the mayor? Yes, I’m calling for you actually. I received a letter in the mail about a farm. My grandparents…wait, sorry. Grant and Mariah Phillips. They owned a farm there, and I received a letter about it….”

“Oh, yes! Is this Julie?”

“Yes. Hi. Sorry, I guess my brain is still a little sleepy.” Julie cringed at how unprofessional she sounded. “I wanted to maybe get some information about the place. And, I don’t know if it would be possible to come and see it?”

Mayor Connor chuckled. “It’s so great to hear from you. My goodness - it’s been a very long time since I’ve seen you. I bet you don’t even remember. I’m glad you called though - seems I made a little mistake with the letter. I sent the wrong one. Er, well I…yes, I didn’t send the correct letter.”

“Oh,” Julie replied with sudden disappointment. “So there isn’t a farm left for me then?”

“Oh, no! I mean, yes, your grandparents’ farm is deeded to you. But the letter I sent about it being put up for sale - that wasn’t correct. Sadly, I’m lost here without Millie and she took a few days off. It seems the farm was put in a trust for you, so it’s not going anywhere. And yes, you can come see the place anytime. That would be lovely!”

“Wait, a trust? My grandparents created a trust for me?”

“Not your grandparents,” Mayor Connor replied. “Your father. We contacted him after finding out about the accident and he set up a trust for the farm - made you the beneficiary. We were asked to send a letter about it when you reached age 25. We’re obviously a little behind on things.” 

Julie laughed lightly. “Only about five years. But your timing is actually pretty perfect now.” She paused for a few seconds. “Did you know my dad at all?”

“Oh, yes. Rudy was quite a handful as a kid. Didn’t see him much after he left for university. But his parents sure were proud of him. I was sorry to hear about what happened to them. Sorry to hear about him too. My condolences.”

Julie did her best to keep her voice from cracking. “Thank you. I was already interested in seeing the farm…more so now. Do I need to schedule an appointment? When is a good time?”

Mayor Connor chuckled again. “We’re not like Pokyo, Ms..may I call you Julie? Just give me a day’s notice and I’ll be available. You can stay at the Coral Inn. The twins will be happy for some guests. And I’ll make sure Millie is here to help with any paperwork.”

“Give me a few days to make travel arrangements,” Julie replied. “My schedule is also pretty open right now.”

“You know what? We got a retired fisherman who does charters - bet he could bring you over just fine. I can have Millie set something up and get back to you. Would that be okay?”

Julie suddenly remembered her father’s jokes about “island time” and the causal flow of things in contrast to busy city life. “That would be great.”

“Good! Millie can probably do the whole thing over the email. I’m terrible with computers. I’ll give her all of this information and she’ll just do her thing and get back to you. One last thing - there was a personal letter with the trust paperwork. I sent it the day after the other letter. Be looking for that too.”

“Thank you so much,” Julie smiled on her end of the phone. “I’m looking forward to visiting.”

Mayor Connor thanked Julie for calling and hung up. She had imagined a much different, more formal interaction. He actually reminded her of her mother’s father - all chuckles and bad puns to keep things from getting too serious. The strain that pulled at her yesterday following her dismissal from her job was no longer draining her. Julie felt like she was walking with a lighter step to the mailbox. Another letter from Starlet Town was waiting for her among a few bills and local advertisements. Julie felt her heart stop, then suddenly quicken as she unfolded the letter - it was from her dad. 

Hey Jules,

If you’re reading this, then it means I’m not there to help you carry on this dream. Mom and Dad loved this place and put their heart and soul into this farm. They loved this island. Called it magical. I loved this place too, but I couldn’t pick up their torch. I think you can though. There’s no shame in saying no, but I think this island would be good for you. I think you would be good for this island too. It’s been slowly fading, but it could be beautiful again. It could be magical again. 

You’re special Jules. I knew it from the first moment I held you. There’s always been something extraordinary about you and I really think you’re meant for this farm and this town. It’s up to you, but I hope you’ll give it a chance. I hope you also know that I’m proud of you in whatever you do. I love you, honey bee.

Julie felt tears well up around her cinnamon eyes as she pressed the letter to her chest. This was the right thing to do. Her mother definitely wasn’t going to like it, but she could already feel the tug towards Starlet Town growing stronger. 

“First thing’s first - gotta check it out. Fingers crossed the property isn’t a complete disaster.” Julie quietly prayed as she hurried back to her apartment to start packing. Hopefully this Millie was as good and fast as the mayor said she was. No sooner did the thought leave her mind than the phone announced a new call.

“Hello?” Julie answered. “This is Julie Phillips.”

“Hello there!” the other voice replied cheerfully. “I’m calling for Mayor Connor - I’m Millie. He said you wanted to visit and see the old farm?!”

“Yes, hi. He said you could help schedule a charter or something?”

“Already set up! We’re sooo excited that you’re coming! I spoke with Wataru - he owns a boat and helps with charters. He picks up tourists at Pier 9. Says he can be there tomorrow by 10am. Is that too soon?”

Julie blinked in surprise. Luckily Millie couldn’t see her expression. “Oh, wow. Um, that’ll work. I mean, is it okay with you and the mayor?”

“We’re as flexible as palm trees! I also called the Inn and got you set up with a room. All you need to do is show up!”

“Great. Thanks so much. I guess I will see you and the mayor tomorrow then.” Julie hoped she didn’t sound too caught off-guard. “Thanks again!”

She hung up with the bright-sounding young woman and stared at the suitcase she barely managed to drag out before the call. “I guess I need to pack fast. Starlet Town, here I come.”

Chapter Text

Julie crashed onto the pillowy bed of her room at the charming Coral Inn after a surprisingly full day in Starlet Town. She learned from the retired fisherman who brought her over that morning that the island on which Starlet Town sat was unofficially (and somewhat officially) known as Coral Island. Fitting name for a place that was nestled in one of the most exquisite parts of the ocean. Or at least, it had been at one time. 

The tentacle-like black roots were visible while Wataru’s boat was still almost a mile from the dock - tarry shadows below the once translucent blue water that seemed to wrap around the island like tentacles sucking life from its prey. Julie felt nauseous and angry at the sight of the charcoal-hued invaders. 

The oil spill. Pufferfish . Her eyes narrowed at the thought of the event that had choked out any other news from grabbing the headlines. First, the news of the disaster. Then came the spin headlines and everyone involved trying to shift the blame. Months later and no one had really been held accountable. In fact, the world seemed ready to move on to something else less environmentally tragic.

“Aye, that oil spill,” the old fisherman could see Julie’s eyes focused on the roots. “Has to be the cause, but I never heard of oil causing something like this. Whatever it is, our little gem got the worst of it.”

Before Julie could respond, the boat slowed down and soon came to a stop at a small pier. Even with the roots jutting up and marring most of the beach, the scene before Julie was quite lovely. She had barely stepped onto the pier when she was immediately greeted by a jubilant young woman in a flowy skirt and black-rimmed glasses. 

“Julie? Right? It’s so great to meet you! I’m Millie!”

Julie smiled as she shook the outstretched hand. Wataru had plunked her two bags onto the pier and mumbled a good-bye before he lumbered away. Millie grabbed one of the bags and lightly tugged at Julie’s free hand to follow her on the fairly short walk to Coral Inn’s front door.

“The Inn is run by two sisters - twins! Suki and Alice. They’re lovely. Very sweet. They’ll take good care of you. Follow me.”

Julie just kept smiling as Millie pushed the door open and they stepped into an elegant entryway - the white tile floors and royal blue furnishings complimented the mahogany accents perfectly. The open floor plan ensured plenty of light from the picture windows overlooking the beach. Julie still remembered being in awe that a place this gorgeous was essentially hidden behind those ugly tentacles.

“Company’s here!” Millie called out in a singsong voice. She beamed at Julie, explaining how much everyone was looking forward to her visit. “I know that boat ride can be a little rough, so if you want to rest for a day, that’s totally understandable.”

Alice and Suki appeared before Julie could respond - identical twins with blond hair and bright smiles. The sister who introduced herself as Suki had light purple highlights in her hair - certainly made it easy to tell them apart. It also made Julie think of Rachel’s demand. Her mom would not appreciate any endorsement of the idea, but it looked nice in Suki’s hair.

“So you’re the one who’s here to look at that dilapidated farm?” Alice’s round brown eyes widened even more as she extended a hand to Julie. “Wow, you’re brave.”

Julie could see the panic in Millie’s eyes in response to Alice’s comment. “Um, perhaps we don’t use ‘dilapidated’ to describe the old farm. I mean, Julie’s aware that it has been without an owner for a while, so I’m sure she-”

Julie held up her hand to calm her companion. “It’s fine. My expectations are fairly low. Don’t worry. But, maybe we just rip the band-aid off?”

Alice looked apologetic as her sister promised to move Julie’s bags into the reserved room. Millie guided her guest out of the inn and down a short path that, as she explained, led toward the town’s central area. To the left was a small bridge that connected the path to the farm. Mayor Connor and another couple were already waiting for them.

The initial view of the property was still burned into Julie’s mind - dilapidated was a much kinder description than the actual state of the farm. 

“It hasn’t been kept up for a while,” Mayor Connor sputtered following his introduction. “At first, we did try to at least keep it mowed…but with the oil spill and budget cuts - things just got away from us. But that’s why I asked Joko and Dinda to meet us here. They’re carpenters, and very good ones. They could give you a better assessment of the house.”

Julie just kept staring at the sight - overgrown grass, trash, trees, rocks - it was a menagerie of rubble. The house was in terrible condition, and yet, Julie felt a smile creep across her face. She stared at the structure, imagining her grandparents sitting on the small porch with a young Rudy playing in the yard. Her dad had grown up here. According to him, his father had grown up here. Her roots were here. Julie’s skin almost hummed as she looked around the farm - she was home.

“How long would it take to fix the house?” Julie had asked while still staring at the broken porch.

Dinda, clearly surprised, spoke up. “Theoretically speaking, we could have it livable and comfortable within a week or so, if we didn’t have anything else on our plate.” 

Julie’s smile broadened. “That’s fast. Are you sure?”

“We already checked out the house a bit when Connor told us you were coming,” Joko replied. “I actually found an old blueprint of this place - my old man must’ve drawn it up. Looks like your grandparents were thinking of expanding before…um…”

“So more could be built on later,” Julie finished the thought. “That’s good to know.” She paused and smiled again. “I’m not asking theoretically. When can you have this ready to move in?”

Everyone had looked at Julie in shock. Dinda repeated her estimated time frame. “Our schedule is pretty open right now. We can start right away.”

“So…you’re taking it?” Millie sounded both confused and excited. “Even in this shape?”

“My dad asked me to,” Julie responded somewhat quietly. “This is where I came from. It’s the least I can do. I guess we’ll find out if I can actually be a farmer.”

Millie hugged Julie so hard she thought the young woman might bruise her. The carpenters suggested clearing some of the trees and stones to use as building materials for the house.

“I think I can get my cousins here by tomorrow,” Dinda was saying. “That might set us back a day, but it’ll also help you with this mess.”

“I’m only here for a few days, but I can help with the materials. It’s my property, so it’s the least I can do. I’ll just need to borrow some tools. Or buy some, I suppose. Will that help with your schedule?”

“Jumping in with both feet!” Joko chuckled. “I like it! Shoot, we can start that part today if you’re willing.”

Millie tried to protest the idea since she apparently had a tour of the town planned, but she was quickly overruled by Joko. Julie hurried back to the inn to change clothes and find a hair tie for her shoulder-length locks. She jogged the short distance back to the farm where Joko and Dinda were getting set up. They had an axe and pick for Julie; Dinda sent their son Archie to borrow a hoe from the local rancher. 

The trio worked until sunset, clearing a decent amount of debris from in front of the house. Julie wasn’t sure she would make it back to the inn, but her body managed to get itself through the front door before she needed to sit down. Unfortunately, she was covered in dust and Suki looked horrified at the idea of Julie touching the pristine furniture. Alice promised to bring dinner to the room while Julie cleaned up. And now, she was lying on the bed, too sore to think of doing anything but falling asleep. That night would be the second time she heard the voice, still almost too faint to clearly discern - but Julie could swear the voice was asking for help.

********

The sun was Julie’s alarm clock as she finally could not shut out the ever brightening light streaming into her room.

“Note to self - remember to put curtains in the farmhouse.” Julie muttered wryly as she brushed her hair and readied herself for another back-breaking day. She was still in awe of her decision. Her mother was going to freak out - Julie could already hear Connie’s voice begging her to reconsider such a rash move. And maybe it was rash; Julie still wasn’t quite sure what was drawing her to this island, other than the potential memories of the grandparents she barely knew and her father who she was beginning to forget. She knew it was his letter that sealed the deal - before she even saw this place, her heart and mind were made up. This place needed her somehow and she needed a fresh start. Julie spent a few minutes stretching her sore body before hurrying downstairs to grab a quick breakfast.

Sounds of construction were underway as Julie crossed the small bridge to her farm. Dinda waved the young woman over and explained loudly over the sound of power tools that Joko decided to get a jump on fixing the foundation. She also introduced two young men - Pablo and Rafael - who offered to help clear more of the land.

“Pablo and Raf are the blacksmiths here,” Dinda yelled. “You’ll probably be working with them a lot, for tools and whatnot. They’re brothers - very helpful around town. Their parents started the shop and the boys took over a few years ago. A  lot of family businesses here.”

Julie smiled somewhat shyly. She was not prepared to meet people yet and she could tell Pablo was looking her over. The other, Rafael, barely made eye contact. He mumbled a “hello” and immediately started working.

“Wow, hello,” Pablo grinned as he extended his hand. “When Joko said a farmer was moving in, I expected…well, not you. Wow, you’re really cute. Que bonita! ”

Julie swallowed and suddenly felt her mouth dry up. “Oh, um, thanks. Yeah, it’s kind of sudden. Hopefully I can actually do this.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be fine, linda - I can tell you have what it takes.” Pablo flashed another flirtatious grin before he grabbed his axe and followed after his brother. 

“You’ll get used to Pablo,” Dinda quipped with a grin. “He’s flirty, but it’s just his personality. He’s a good guy. Very helpful. They both are.”

Julie nodded and asked if she could help the carpenters in any way. About that time, Joko appeared, covered in sawdust, to report on his progress. The foundation was actually in better shape than he initially thought. “We can start on the floors sooner than I thought - gotta get some of this wood up to the workshop so I can cut boards.”

“Julie and I can handle that,” Dinda responded. She winked at her newly assigned helper. “I can show off our little part of the island on the way.”

Julie and Dinda loaded up a wagon full of chopped logs, and after struggling to pull the load up the short slope in the path that led away from the farm, took turns pushing and pulling the wood to the carpenters’ workshop.

“The barns we just passed belong to Jack - he’s kind of our livestock guy. His son Kenny is the unofficial vet on the island. No actual schooling for it, but he just has a knack with animals and getting them well. Behind our place is a vineyard. It’s a decent size - been here since before I met Joko. The owners are nice…a bit snooty at times, but Bree and I are okay friends.”

Dinda showed Julie where they could park the wagon. She led Julie past the workshop for a better view of the vineyard. As Dinda described, it wasn’t overly big - but still a good size. And according to Dinda, quite profitable. When she mentioned the name, Julie recalled seeing the bottles with the same label in her mother’s wine cellar.

“And up there is an observatory. A university built it several years ago; the young man who runs it - Wakuu -  is doing some studies for them - I think that’s what he said. Anyway, his father is the one who brought you over - Wataru. Oil and water, those two.”

“Wow. A lot here on this little island.” Julie finally spoke. Dinda had not pressed too much for information, for which Julie was grateful. The carpenter seemed to understand that her client mostly wanted to inspect the surroundings and a lay of the land. “And now we’re adding a farm to the mix. Hopefully anyway.”

“Oh, you’ll be okay,” Dinda waved off Julie’s doubt. “It’s gonna take some time to get your bearings, but you’ll get there. And we’ll help. We all understand starting from scratch - the town won’t let you flounder.”

“I told my mother that I was coming here just to get information.” Julie wasn’t sure why that statement slipped out. She was still looking around her as she spoke. “Even I’m a little shocked that I’m doing this. I just feel like I have to for some reason.”

“Well, as a mom, I’m fairly sure your mother freak out a bit. But this is a good place with good people. You’re gonna be in good hands here.”

“Thank you,” Julie replied awkwardly. “I’m pretty excited to see what you and your husband do with that farm house. I guess we should head back?”

“Joko might need some lunch,” Dinda snickered. “Can’t have those boys getting hungry and losing their motivation, can we?”

Another day of working until sunset and Julie felt less worried about her chance of success as she surveyed the larger cleared space. She thanked the blacksmith brothers and promised to visit their shop once she returned. Julie then conferred with the carpenters about their schedule for the remainder of the work. She needed to return home the following day so she could pack up her life and make preparations. Julie also needed to confer with Millie and Mayor Connor, but hopefully that would be easy business to take care of. 

Julie thanked the couple again and made her way slowly back to the inn. The whirlwind of everything was finally beginning to sink in, but she refused to dwell too long on the possibility that she was making a big mistake. She didn’t understand why, but she needed to be here. As much as Julie wanted to be anywhere but Pokyo at this point in time, she felt more certain than ever that she needed to be on this island.

**********

Julie paced the floor of her Pokyo apartment as she waited for her mother and stepfather to arrive. She had only been back from her island adventure for a day when her mother called to ask how everything went. Rather than drop the bombshell over the phone, Julie opted for Connie and Greg to come over to chat. She crossed her fingers that they didn’t decide to bring Rachel as a surprise. Julie loved her half-sister, but this was not intended to be a family night.

The light tap on the door was immediately followed up with Connie’s voice. Julie took a deep breath and greeted her guests.

“Hey there! Come in!” Julie lightly hugged her mother and stepfather.

“This is just so nice,” Connie commented as she guided herself into the small living room. “Having you call AND have a free night. We almost dragged Rachel with us, but she’s working on some senior year project.”

“How was the trip?” Greg asked. “Get everything sorted out with that property?”

Julie forced a casual smile. “You could say that. Why don’t we sit and talk.”

“I don’t know if I like the sound of that,” Connie’s voice now showed hints of concern. She gave her daughter a wary look. “Did you get things settled?”

“I can honestly say yes,” Jullie began. “Things about the farm are settled.”

“Well, good!” Greg boomed. “Now, I know you told your mother not to let me help you with a new job. But, I just can’t do that. You’re like my own daughter. I made a few calls while you were away and I might have some possibilities lined up.”

Connie was watching Julie’s face as her husband spoke. She could see the apprehension in her daughter’s eyes. There was more to the news. “Greg, honey, I don’t think Julie’s finished.” She turned to her daughter. “Please, please don’t say what I think you’re about to say. Please.”

“I’m sorry,” Julie replied simply. “I know you think this is insane, but…I have to.”

“What’s going on?” Greg looked and sounded confused. “You have to do what?”

“She’s keeping the farm,” Connie rubbed a hand over her face. “Sweetie, you can’t be serious about this. And yes, it is insane. It’s impulsive and irrational, and-”

“And what dad wanted.” Julie interrupted her mother as she handed over the letter that convinced her to uproot her life. “In writing. He put the farm in a trust for me. The mayor apparently sent the wrong letter. This letter was with the trust paperwork.”

As Connie read the letter, tears clouded her eyes. “I don’t understand. He never told me about this. Why would he do this and not tell me?”

“Maybe he didn’t think you would understand?” Julie ventured gently. “Or maybe he just didn’t get the chance.”

Connie handed the letter to her husband as Julie spoke. His brow furrowed as he read the words of the ghost before him. “Wow. I can see why you feel compelled to follow through with this. But Julie, have you really thought about this?”

“Yes and no. I haven’t done the research, if that’s what you’re asking. But, with all due respect, I’m not asking for permission here. I’m an adult and this is my land. It has nothing to do with either of you. I just want a chance to do something different with my life. Even if I fail, I would have stepped outside the box. I’m going, period.”

Silence hung in the room like a thick curtain. No one spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Julie gently tugged the letter from Greg’s hands and refolded it. She already had a list of things she needed to do to transport her life to the island. Sadly, it was a fairly short list. In reality, the only actual complication was her family.

“Is there a house on the property?” Greg finally broke the tension. “What is the condition of the farm?”

“Yes, and it’s being repaired. It will be livable by the time I get there. It’s small, but I really don’t need a lot of space anyway. The land…well, it’s been left alone for over two decades, but we managed to clear a decent area to begin farming.”

“We?” Connie looked up. “You’ve…met people? You have help?”

“Yes. I did a fair amount of the work since that’s what I’m signing up to do. But yeah, I had extra help. It seems like a neat community there. I’ll be okay.” Julie leaned over and lightly touched her mother’s hand as she spoke.

“And you know about the oil spill?” Greg was trying to cover the business bases. “The economy in that area is not good. Everything around there has plummeted.”

“Yes, I know. But the ground itself isn’t affected. And the main water source of the town is also still clean. My decision wasn’t that rash.”

“When do you leave?” Connie’s question was the gavel on the conversation. She had seemingly accepted her daughter’s new fate. “And how can we help?”

“I’m hoping to be ready by the end of next week. I’ve already talked to my landlord about subletting - apparently she has a waiting list. Most of the furniture will stay. I do need to arrange transport other than Wataru for the stuff I am taking.”

“You’ll need new linens and towels. I’m sure I can have those items shipped directly to the island.” Connie gave herself something to do and Julie knew better than to protest. “And we’ll need to give you a proper send-off. At home, with family.”

“Of course,” Julie agreed. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She looked at Greg - he also needed something to do to feel useful. “Greg, can you help me find a good transport company? And the town has a blacksmith, but I should probably have some tools already.”

Greg’s eyes brightened. He also functioned best when he was needed. “I’ll get on that first thing. And I know a guy who knows a guy - I’ll make sure you have a good set of equipment.”

Julie let her parents talk a little longer about other potential needs before she finally asked to check in the following day as she was tired. Connie hugged her tightly. Even Greg hugged her. She felt slightly guilty for forcing her father’s ghost in his face again, but she also needed to explain her reasons for the move. After Greg and Connie finally left, Julie stretched out on her couch to relax before getting ready for bed. In truth, her father’s letter was not the only reason for her decision. Something was calling her to Coral Island. Something or someone kept pulling her - a hazy grasp that felt only slightly stronger when she was on the island. If nothing else, she needed to find that source.

“ I think this island would be good for you. I think you would be good for this island too.”  Julie let her father’s words play like a broken record in her mind as she finally let herself fall asleep.

Chapter Text

What might have been another pleasant morning for Julie as a newly established resident of Starlet Town threatened to go sour as soon as she stepped outside her small farmhouse. She was greeted with the bearded face of a lumberjack-sized man scowling at her front door.

“Um, can I help you?” Julie stammered as she quickly closed the door, trying to get a sense of her uninvited guest.

“Name’s Mark,” the man replied curtly. “Kira sent me to let you know that the cavern is now open. We cleared out the first few levels, so should be relatively safe - for the time being anyway.”

Julie wished she had remembered to get a coffee maker from the electronic/ appliance store when she moved in four days ago. Her brain was still slightly groggy and she needed a few seconds to process the random information just thrown at her.

“Did you get all that?” Mark demanded. “I don’t have all morning.”

The grogginess evaporated immediately, replaced by a flared temper at the large man’s rudeness. “Sure. Let me run it back by you - a large, angry-looking man I’ve never met before is waiting outside my house just after sunrise with a message from a woman I’ve also never met that the ‘cavern’ - which I haven’t been to - is now open. Did I get all that?”

The scowl backtracked itself as burly visitor considered Julie’s flat response. “Sorry. Kira is…do you know about the ranch?” Mark gestured to the rock wall. “It’s just behind that..cliff wall thing. Jack runs it.”

Julie nodded. “Dinda told me about it. Jack and his son Kenny, I think?”

“Kira’s married to Jack. Kenny’s their son. And the cavern is straight down the path to the left of Jack’s store. The sign says ‘Cavern’ with an arrow pointing towards it.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

Mark sighed. “I don’t know how capable you are, but even though we checked the top levels of the only open shaft, I still wouldn’t go in there without a weapon.”

Julie blinked. “Weapon? For what?”

“Monsters? Wow, you are new. Monsters. They can be dangerous. You’re gonna need more than a garden rake to protect yourself.”

“From the monsters,” Julie replied slowly. “It’s barely daylight. This is a lot to throw at the new person.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “I know, but I was told to deliver the message and I did it. Now, I’m done. Good luck.”

Julie watched in annoyed amazement as her ox-sized guest stomped away. What she found even more annoying was the thought forcing its way into her mind of how handsome he was. Broad shoulders, rich brown eyes like the coffee she desperately needed, and a short, well-trimmed beard. Even with the scar that looked like claws attacked his right eye, Mark was still an attractive man. “Stop it.” Julie ordered her brain. “Right now.”

She recalled Millie saying something about the cavern and its connection to the old island lore, so the fact that it was open did intrigue her. But she had seeds to water and more work to do on her small farm before she would have time to explore anywhere.

Julie sighed as she grabbed the watering can and walked to the pond/watering hole next to her house to fill up and get started with her chores. 

When Julie was moving in, Dinda mentioned that she and Joko could build a small well and attach a hose and pump, but a project like that wasn’t quite in the budget yet. Renovating the farmhouse had taken a decent chuck of Julie’s “Coral Island Fund” and she didn’t want to drain the account too much before she started making money. Fortunately, the local general store owner Sam was ready and willing to sell whatever crops she successfully harvested. She knew Greg and her mother would send money if she asked, but she really didn’t want to have to ask. 

Julie secured a strand of hair behind her ear as she continued to water her newly-planted seeds. One splurge she didn’t regret was getting a haircut after arriving. Her thick, shoulder length locks were not a good match for her new labor-intensive career change and the humid, tropical weather. The wavy bob was much cooler and fit with Julie’s lifestyle change. “A new look for your new life” is what Erika the salon owner told her. True to the stereotype of a hair dresser, she was eager to chat, gossip, and listen to whatever tidbits her new client was willing to share.

Julie continued watering her crops and tried not to think about her surly morning visitor with his dark eyes and towering demeanor. She had not really considered mining, but the blacksmith brothers both advised her to upgrade her tools to help with all the work on the farm. 

“Either you can bring us the materials or you can buy from us. Either way, we can build you some higher quality tools,” Pablo said with a wink. His brother mumbled something about weapons, but Julie didn’t think she needed anything like that - until now.

“I guess I need to check out this cavern later,” she decided as she worked. Farm first, adventuring later. At least that special backpack might come in handy if she did find anything in there. As Julie made another trip to and from the watering hole, she reconsidered for the dozenth time if Dinda’s offer for a watering system was really outside of her budget. Julie didn’t have to even start the math in her head to know the answer. She could vaguely remember her father telling her something about hard work being good for the body and mind. It builds character, Jules . If she closed her eyes, she could almost hear his voice. 

The island weather necessitated as much manual labor be done before the afternoon, if possible. Even in Spring, the sun could be unforgiving. Julie wanted to clear away more of the rubble on her property, but that task might have to wait until early evening. She deposited her watering can in one of the wooden storage chests she bought from Dinda, readied her backpack, and set off to find the Cavern.

The walk to the Cavern was pleasant. She thought she could see monkeys in the taller trees that clustered in this forested part of the island. She could hear an array of bird sounds and smiled at the butterflies dancing in the air. The trees blocked out some of the sun’s heat, making it much cooler than the farm. Julie reached the small bridge that led her over a river and up to the Cavern’s entrance. The dank smell wasn’t too overpowering, but enough to make the farmer cough. She wrinkled her nose as she carefully pushed open the old wooden gate.

The outside of the Cavern may not have been that impressive, but the inside was another matter - the vast expanse of the room made Julie’s head spin a little. The platform she was standing on led to a large stone floor with a strange circle etched into it. Murky water surrounded the platform and stone floor. Light filtered in from somewhere high above her head. Someone - possibly Kira - had also installed what looked like construction lights. Julie could just make out four doorways in the distance, but only one was open. Her eyes moved from the doorways to three small stone statues just beyond the floor etching. Curious, she stepped carefully onto the stone floor and began walking towards the statues for a better look.

As Julie crossed the middle of the stone floor, she glanced down at the peculiar etchings. At almost the same instant, the walls and ceiling of the room began to shake. The sound of tumbling rocks tumbling made Julie jump back to avoid anything hitting her head. As she did, she could swear she heard a moan in the commotion.

“Get back!” a woman’s voice ordered. “Get away from the monster!”

Julie spun her head around as a tall woman with long black hair dashed into the room. She threw a glare at the farmer as she brandished a long dagger and scanned the room for the perpetrator. But the only beings around were her and Julie.

“I don’t understand,” she mumbled. “Where’s the monster?” The woman turned to Julie. “Did it run off?”

“Did what run off?” Julie responded in confusion. “Nothing was here.”

“But I heard…and the shaking…” the woman looked around the mouth of the cavern. “You didn’t hear that?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. Do tremors happen in here often?”

The woman slid the dagger back in its sheath before responding. “Never happens. So odd.” She paused before giving her companion a curious look. “I mean, there’s an old legend about ancient curses responding to…um, wait - who are you?”

The abrupt question caught Julie off-guard. “Um, I’m Julie. I just moved here. Your…some guy stopped by my farm this morning - told me the cavern was open.”

“You’re the new farmer? Took over your grandparents place?”

Julie nodded. “Are you Kira?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Yes.” Kira stuck out her hand. “And you must mean Mark. He didn’t bite your head off, did he?”

Julie smirked. “He seems like an ‘acquired taste’ kind of person. Anyway, I thought I would check out the place. Sorry if I caused a problem somehow.”

Kira was still staring at the farmer with curious intent. “The opposite, I think. Did Mark suggest you bring a weapon?”

“He did. Kind of. But I don’t have anything yet - I was only going to look around.”

Kira seemed to be in thought for a moment. She glanced at Julie again before undoing the sheath that held her dagger. “Take this.”

“Oh! No, you don’t have to do that. I can ask the blacksmiths if they sell…weapons or something I can use.”

Kira grimaced. “This dagger is far better than anything they have. And I insist. But you should let me or Mark give you some training first.”

Julie eased the backpack off her shoulders and tentatively took the offered belt. She strapped the weapon around her waist and slowly pulled the dagger from its sheath. It was longer than a standard dagger - more like a shorter, curved sword that she guessed Kira forged herself. She took a few steps away from Kira to give herself room - Julie took a few definitive swings before she spun and lunged. Apparently my brain and muscles remembers all that old training.

“Impressive!” Kira responded with surprise. “Seems you’ve had some training.”

“My parents made me take fencing classes in school,” Julie lied. “I guess those skills might finally come in handy.”

“Fencing, huh?” Kira replied with a raised eyebrow. “Even so, you should still practice to sharpen those old ‘fencing’ skills.”

Julie was still staring at the dagger. She honestly wasn’t sure how she knew to handle the weapon so well since her former training was more focused on other fighting methods. Her dad had taught her some sword skills with a wooden stick, but how would that translate to what she just did? She quickly realized that she needed to respond to Kira and looked up. “I agree. Yes. I will make sure I practice.”

“If you need a sparring partner, we’re around. Just continue left from my husband’s ranch and you’ll find the our headquarters. Nice meeting you finally. Enjoy looking around.” Kira smirked again before she turned and walked away. 

Julie resheathed the dagger and looked around the open space. She had not intended to actually go into the open mine shaft, but something seemed to be pulling her that direction. But she did need ore and the first few levels were supposedly clear of monsters.

Julie took a deep breath and walked over to the opening. Even though she had never been in a mine before, the set-up was not what she expected - a circular wooden platform that looked like it could fit two people was suspended over a hole by thick, metallic-looking cables. At the front of the platform was a small podium with what looked like a control box. She also noticed a wench that looked fairly new, so she assumed the old controls were no longer functional. 

Julie gave a small sigh of relief as she stepped onto the platform and didn’t hear any creaking. She grabbed the wench handle and began turning, lowering herself slowly though the hole. The next floor of the mine soon came into view and Julie could already seen some areas of the floor had an orange gleam. The space was quite large and only the area near the lift opening was lit. Julie stepped over several large rocks as she ventured towards the spots she saw earlier. 

Retrieving the pickaxe from her bag, the farmer hit the orange ground - a brighter vein appeared, which she continued to hit until she removed enough rock to see the small deposits of copper. Jackpot! Julie silently thanked Greg for insisting she have special gloves to protect her hands if she ever decided to mine. She pushed away the extra rubble and collected the copper ore. She continued the process of finding and breaking open areas of the mine floor that looked promising until she was nearing the darker parts of the space.

Julie stopped for a quick break, and as she took a deep breath, realized that she smelled cilantro. The scent reminded her of Connie trying to teach her how to cook a special soup - she had objected because the recipe called for what she described as “a ton of cilantro.” It seemed odd that the herb would be growing in a dark cave. 

The scent grew stronger - Julie felt her skin buzz when she suddenly heard a low hiss. Something was in this room with her. She dropped her pickaxe and quickly unsheathed the dagger as she slowly backed away from the sound. After what seemed like longer than a few minutes, the source of the scent and noise slid into the light. It looked like a giant caterpillar with a face. Julie stared at the thing, stunned and slightly amazed. What is that thing? What else is down here like that?

“Hey little guy,” Julie tried to sound calm and friendly. “I’m just here for the ore. No need to bother me.”

The creature seemed sniff the air before its face changed to an angry grimace. It hissed at she, baring what looked like a row of small sharp teeth. Julie took a few more steps back, but the creature continued inching towards her as it hissed.

“I really don’t want to hurt you,” she warned. “But I will if I have to.”

Seconds later, Julie heard another sound - a plop that reminded her of the time she spilled a bowl of egg yokes onto her kitchen floor. She looked to the right of the caterpillar and felt her eyes widen at the blueish blob with eyes that was also moving towards her.

“Cleared the level, did you?” Julie fumed. Not in a million years would she have ever thought that moving to a tropical island would also result in a face-off between a large worm and an angry pile of hair gel. 

The caterpillar was the first to lunge towards her - she jumped sideways to dodge the monster and swung the dagger. The creature wailed in response. Julie swung again, making contact again. The creature’s arms were short, but it was close enough to swipe at her - the sting to her arm made Julie cry out in pain. She kicked the monster, landing a blow in the center of its body. With the caterpillar momentarily stunned, she lunged with the dagger and felt the blade pierce the creature’s hide. The thing let out a louder wail and quickly retreated. 

She didn’t have much time to relax as the blue blob had moved closer and smacked her with its head. Annoyed and hurting, Julie spun around and sliced at the thing with her weapon. Another screech. She wasn’t sure she could actually kick this monster, so she made another slash with the dagger. The resulting sound was more air escaping a puncture tire. Julie watched in dismay as the blob dissolved into a puddle of goop. 

The caterpillar was nowhere in sight. Julie quickly collected her backpack and the ore she found and jogged to the platform. Her arms felt weak from using both the pickaxe and the weapon, but she managed to move the platform to the main level. Julie wanted to go home and collapse, but the large scratch on her arm concerned her. She ruefully decided to find Kira and hope the woman knew what to do with the wound.

Julie could hear voices as she neared the location Kira mentioned earlier. After getting closer, she spied Kira and Mark standing outside a large cabin. Kira spotted her first and waved. Her expression quickly changed when she saw Julie’s arm.

“What happened?” Kira asked as she inspected the wound.

“A giant caterpillar and an angry blue blob,” Julie replied as she glared at Mark.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” Mark shot back. “I didn’t scratch you.”

“You just told me this morning that the first few levels of the open mine were monster free. Did you miss a few stragglers?”

Mark glared back. “Calm down, Garden Rake. No, we didn’t miss anything. I guess they found a way in. Or up. I don’t know where those things come from. I just take them out when I find them.”

“Awesome.” Julie retorted. “So, those levels actually aren’t safe.”

Mark opened his mouth to reply, but Kira held up her hand. “Okay, enough. Julie, did the worm make this scratch?”

Julie nodded, wincing as Kira lightly touched around the wound. Part of her wanted to cry, but now, she refused to give Mark something to taunt her with.

“And you fought them both?” Kira queried.

“Yes. Thanks for the weapon - apparently I needed it after all.” Julie replied and winced again. “So, have I been poisoned? Or do I just need a big band-aid?”

Julie’s sardonic tone caught Mark by surprise. She wasn’t crying and wringing her hands over facing monsters. She was annoyed, but it seemed mostly because she wasn’t prepared for the encounter. But the monster part didn’t scare her.

“You weren’t poisoned,” Kira replied with a sly grin. “But this will need to be cleaned and dressed. I have some supplies inside. And impressive handling of the monsters. Good thing you have those fencing skills.”

Mark stayed outside as Julie followed Kira into the cabin. She had a feeling that Kira was used to bandaging wounds seeing as how quickly the woman cleaned and bandaged her scratch.

“I’ll put some extra bandages in your bag. Change it every day - it’s not a deep cut, so it should heal pretty quickly.”

“Thank you,” Julie replied. “And thank you again for the weapon.”

“You’re welcome. You have an interesting skill set. What did you do before moving here?” Kira asked as she deposited some bandages in Julie’s backpack.

“Oh, um marketing. I worked for a marketing firm in Pokyo.”

“Uh huh. And now you’re working a farm? That’s quite a lifestyle change.”

Julie shrugged. “That seems to be the general opinion.”

“I remember your grandparents though. Good people. I was a little younger than you when I moved here. They helped me out when I was getting settled. Bringing back that farm honors their memory.”

Julie smiled as the image of her father crossed her mind. “Thank you.”

Kira didn’t say anything else and Julie had a feeling that she wasn’t big on conversation. She followed the woman outside where Mark was still standing. 

“Thanks again for this.” Julie said. She glanced at Mark. “Apologies for being rude. Have a good night.” With that, she turned and headed back to her farm.

“I can’t believe you gave her that dagger.” Mark commented after Julie was out of earshot. “You loved that thing.”

Kira gave Mark a sour look. “I did not love it. And it’s only a weapon. I have more.”

“I’ve only ever seen you use that dagger,” Mark countered. “Where did it come from anyway?”

“I found it a long time ago in the cavern, when I managed to break through several levels. And I was only ever its guardian, not its owner.”

“What does that even mean?” Mark grunted. “You and Kenny sometimes - I can’t follow the ‘mystical’ stuff you two spout.”

Kira gave Mark another grimace. “Maybe you should try following more.”

Mark ignored the reply. “Back to the dagger - what did you mean?”

“It means that I’m fine using another weapon. That’s all.”

Mark clearly wasn’t satisfied with Kira’s answer, but he also didn’t want to keep pushing a moot conversation. “Well, I’m out. See you tomorrow.”

Kira watched Mark walk away, but her thoughts were on the new farmer and the cavern. She had stopped herself earlier, but she knew what the legend said - certain ancient curses could be repelled by the magic of the ancient ancestors. Cursed places would respond to the presence of that magic. 

“No,” Kira argued with herself. “How could that be possible? It can’t be that.”

Regardless if there was any truth to the legend, something about that farmer was uniquely special and even the island itself seemed to take notice. 

Chapter Text

Julie watched the tiny swirl of pink petals that appeared moments after she exited her home as a vague memory began tugging at the back of her mind. I’ve seen this before. But, how? She was still holding the note signed by “Chieftain”- written on what looked like very old parchment and smelled of sea salt and flowers: 

Hooman,

Afraid of you, I was when you called.

Opened the path, She has.

Visit me, you must. 

Heal the island, we must.

Left of farm, my home is.

Flowers, follow you must.

Chieftain

Chieftain? Was that who appeared to her yesterday before immediately running away? Julie had simply followed the instructions of the voice in her dream - visit one of the island’s sacred trees and touch the tablet. As soon as she pressed her palm against the stone, an odd-looking figure with a large white mask appeared. It jumped, as though startled by her, then ran away. Julie spent several minutes afterward inspecting the tree and the tablet. What made the trees sacred? What was special about them? Who or what was that creature?

Julie continued to watch the petals in curious amazement before deciding to see what happened if she stepped in the circle.  The petals moved with each step she took.

“So, you’re leading me somewhere,” she murmured. “Ok, show me.”

Julie forgot about her morning chores and followed the petals as they led her down a path to the left of her farm - she had just walked along this well-worn trail last night while trying to get a feel of her surroundings and clear her mind. Now she was back, but this time, she could see a giant log that connected her side of the forest with a miniscule isle covered in vines. Another layer of fog from her memories cleared as Julie carefully walked across the makeshift bridge.

“I think I’ve been here before,” she whispered as she surveyed the massive tree in front of her and a unique metal stand in the circle of four large circles on the ground. Julie walked over and touched the top of the unknown object - it looked almost like a mailbox, but there wasn’t any opening. She had seen these stands around the island, including on her farm. Millie absently said something about them being historically significant with the town’s original architecture. But what was one of those stands doing on her farm? And what was one doing out here?

Before Julie could deconstruct the mystery any further, the same swirl of light she saw yesterday appeared near her. She jumped back as the light revealed the same creature she saw the day before. It looked like it was wearing a giant white mask/headdress with an array of greenish feathers cascading down the back, so she could not see any actual face.

“Um…hello?” Julie stammered as she backed away. “I won’t hurt you.”

The creature tilted its head for a moment before bopping closer. “Hurt you, I won’t either. Scared I was when you called. Better I am now. Sent by Goddess you are.”

“Goddess? A voice told me to touch one of those old trees. Then I saw you. Um…who are you?” Julie remained in a state of cautious curiosity.

“Chieftain I am called. Of the Giants. Sent you Goddess did.” The Chieftain paused. “Familiar you are. Sense something. Met before I think we have.”

Julie looked at the figure, then scanned her surroundings again. Another layer peeled back from memories somehow locked deep in her mind. “They thought I was lost. I thought we were playing because I could see my mom.” Her mouth fell open slightly as the last veil of fog cleared. “I’ve been here. I saw you. How could I possibly forget this?”

“Magic of Giants,” the Chieftain answered. “Not ready Hooman was. Not yet.”

“Goom goom,” Julie replied softly as her mind finally let her remember fully.

“Goom goom!” the Chieftain repeated. “Now ready Hooman is. Need you the Goddess does. Need you we do.”

“I still don’t understand. Need me for what?”

“Sickness you must fight. Sick the island is. Hurt Goddess is. Weak she is. Help her you can.”

“That was her? The voice in my dream?” Julie forced herself to push the questions for now. She was talking to what she must have been told was an imaginary friend. If this creature said there was a Goddess, there probably was a Goddess who needed help. “I’m not dreaming now though, am I?

“No dream now. Awake you are. More awake you must be. Ceremony you need.” the Chieftain replied. He then pointed to the space in the middle of the large circles. “Stand there you must. Wait.”

Julie silently obeyed; she watched the Chieftain move just outside the circles and begin rotating his hands in small circular motions. Within seconds, small swirl of sparks and light quickly formed - the light gravitated like water to the first circle, lighting it up. This process continued until all of the circles were glowing brightly.

“Is this going to hurt?” Julie called out. “I see sparks - it looks like it might hurt.”

“Almost ready. Shock you it might. Four, three…now.”

What looked like an electric charge had built up from the circles as the energy from each spot sent a stream of light towards Julie. All she remembered was blinding light and what felt like the biggest static shock she had ever felt. 

“Ouch!” Julie instinctively grabbed her chest. “That did hurt!”

“Sorry,” the Chieftain said in the same tone. “Necessary it was. Awake you are. See as ancients you do. Familiar presence you have. Interesting.”

“So what do I do now?” Julie was still lightly rubbing her chest. She expected to feel differently, but she still felt the same. “How do I help this Goddess?”

“Lake Temple you must go. Speak to her you will. Bring offering you must.”

Julie sighed. It was hard enough trying to translate the backwards way the Chieftain spoke without also trying to understand the riddles in his statements. ‘I think I saw the Lake Temple the other night. But what kind of offering?”

“Must rest. Hard ceremony was. Weak I am.”

“Wait!” Julie exclaimed. “What kind of offering? What do I do?”

“Be from land first offering must. Elements of island she needs. Five.”

“Elements? Like flowers? Coconuts? Or is it something else?” Julie felt the exasperation building. She still had to tend to her recently planted crops and who knows how much time had already passed. 

“Rest I must,” the Chieftain answered, seemingly ignoring Julie’s questions. He disappeared in a swirl of light.

Julie was left alone to figure out what kind of offering she needed to bring. The Chieftain said the Goddess needed elements of the island. Five elements. The analyst side of her brain shifted into gear as the young woman hurried back to her farm. She grabbed her watering can and began “feeding” her crops as she mulled over the riddle of elements. 

“Everything is made up of literal elements. Maybe he’s talking about the land? So, what makes up the island? Shells, coconuts, flowers?” Julie preferred to talk through her problems aloud to actually hear the words themselves. This usually proved effective in finding a solution. “That doesn’t sound quite right though.”

As she was talking to herself, Julie turned to face her small home. She took a moment to marvel at the wall-like cliff behind the house that separated her property from the beginning oft the forest. A light bulb suddenly clicked on in her mind.

“Elements…what makes up the island, literally. Trees, rocks, grass. Sap comes from a tree, but it can also be used to start a fire.” Julie worked through the possibilities. She remembered the Cavern - four different shafts with symbols above the doors that seemed to represent a natural element. “I don’t know how to offer water - maybe seeds? Tree seeds? It’s worth a try.”

Julie finished watering her crops and spent some time clearing a little more of her land. She had a fantasy of multiple plots of crops dotting the property. And maybe a barn? Could she handle animals too? She looked at her plot of land and saw promise, but she had also had no idea how to accomplish any part of that dream. A smile tugged at her mouth as she heard her father’s favorite pep talk - How do you eat an elephant, Jules? One bite at a time. 

After finishing up with whatever chores needed done, Julie grabbed the thick canvas bag that Greg had insisted she would need for carrying wood, supplies, and tools. He also had a special backpack and tool belt made that could hold supplies in case she went hiking and digging in the mines. At the time, Julie didn’t argue because she knew Greg was trying to be helpful somehow. But now, she couldn’t help but smile at how much use she really would get from these items. “Thanks Greg,” she said softly as she filled the canvas bag with small piles of wood pieces, stone, tree seeds, and the more fibrous plants she had been cutting down with her scythe.

Julie hoisted the bag on her shoulder and began walking towards the lake on the northeast side of the island. Since it was early evening, she hoped that her presence could go unnoticed by any potential eyewitnesses. After almost twenty minutes, Julie finally made it to the lake. She could see the temple area in the distance and eventually found steps that led to the structure. Darkness surrounded the temple, along with a foul odor that reminded Julie of dead flowers. A faint glimmer of light caught her attention at one of the five large stone pedestals. 

“Here goes nothing,” Julie murmured as she placed the items in the five bowls sitting on the pedestal. At first, nothing happened. But slowly, the flicker of light grew brighter until it covered the entire pedestal. Petals fluttered over the offered items before they disappeared. The petals swirled around Julie and she felt a strong breeze literally turning her in the direction of a second staircase. 

The petals floated in the air towards the stairs - as Julie followed, they continued their journey up the staircase before briefly hovering over a small pool at the top of the stairs. Another faint light flickered just beneath the water as the petals slowly descended to float just above the light.

“Thank you .” The same voice Julie had been hearing in her dreams suddenly spoke more clearly. “Your offering has given me enough strength to speak to you now.”

“Am I really hearing you or is this in my head? Are you the Goddess?” Julie kept her voice quiet just in case anyone was near that part of the lake.

“Yes. I am still very weak, so my voice may only resound in your mind.”

“The Chieftain said you need help. He also said, or I think he said, that you would explain. I don’t understand…well, any of this.”

“I will try. I do not have much strength. The altars you saw were once used to keep me strong. In turn, I could protect my part of the world. But as the offerings slowly ceased, so did my power.”

Julie felt an odd pang of remorse that she didn’t understand. “Was it because of the oil spill? Is that what caused those black roots?”

“This began long before that. Recent generations became focused on other things and forgot their responsibility to the island. Only your family continued. Your grandparents were faithful each season. They tried to fill the void left by the others as well. But then they left. Unfortunately, now that responsibility falls on you.”

“But what do I offer? What do you need to replenish your strength?”

The voice did not immediately respond. “My strength is waning. The altars will tell you. The island and the waters will tell you. Allow them to speak to you.”

“So that’s all I need to do?” Julie still felt like she was looking at the situation with one eye closed. “Will this help the town? Will this clean up the water.”

“I’m sorry, Julie. I cannot linger any longer. There is magic in you - let it flow out. The answers about the ocean will come soon. Take the vial I left for you and receive my blessing. The devices you were curious about will transport you as you heal the island.”

The voice suddenly faded and the light under the water receded. Julie looked around the temple for a few minutes, waiting to see if the light would return. She eventually decided to check out the other altars. 

“The island will tell me? What does that mean?” Julie asked herself as she descended the stairs. She rechecked the pedestal that was first glowing when she arrived and noticed a small vial of blue liquid sitting where the offering had been. “At least it doesn’t say ‘drink me’ on it.” she joked wryly. The liquid was sweet and reminded Julie of coconut shaved ice.

She felt relieved at not being shocked again and inspected the etchings on the altar. It simply said “Spring” below the five bowls. Julie could also make out pictures that seemed to depict each of the seasons. “Looks like a crop offering for each season. That makes sense.”

The next pedestal was covered with pictures of fish, butterflies, insects, and what looked like crabs and jellyfish. She chuckled to herself as she thought of Sunny and Eleanor arguing over which hobby Julie might like to try first. She had opted to take both the catching net and fishing rod to appease the sweet couple. Now, it seems, there was some kind of method for that madness.

The third pedestal looked like it was devoted to ancient husbandry and artisan goods. She had been thinking of eventually building a coop and barn anyway. The writing on the altar was faded, but Julie thought she read words like “egg,” “milk,” and “wool.” This altar might take a while. 

Even though she wasn’t wearing her watch, Julie could tell that it was late. She decided to try researching the Lake Temple at the library. Scott might even have some notes on the place at the museum. She noticed one of the metal stands at the base of the Temple stairs - it had been dark before, but now faintly glowed. 

“So how do I use this?” Julie pressed her palm against the front of the box that sat on top of the stand. Nothing happened. Maybe the Temple needed more offerings? Julie sighed as she contemplated the long walk back to her farm. “I guess I need to sart heading home.”

The words barely left Julie’s mouth and she felt a weird energy surround her. In an instant, she was standing in front of the box on her farm. “So that’s how it works.” she whispered excitedly. Tiredness suddenly cloaked her and forced any new thoughts to break for a time. Julie needed to sleep so she could begin figuring out the cipher that was the Lake Temple.  It seems her father was more right than he realized when he wrote that the island needed her. Her purpose on Coral Island was clearly beginning to reveal itself.

Chapter Text

Julie’s plan after finishing her farm work was to see what she could find out about the Lake Temple from the library. She also wanted a chance to view the pedestals in the light of day to get a better look at the different symbols and drawings. However, other plans awaited her in her mailbox. Julie opened her front door cautiously, in case another visitor was waiting to confront her. No one. Julie let out a sigh of relief before noticing the flag on the mailbox.

Dear Julie,

I have an interesting proposition for you. I am in need of a diver and I believe you may be the right fit for my project. If you are interested, meet me at the pier at 1pm. I hope to see you there.

Regards,

Dr. Ling

Julie sighed as she folded the note and shoved it in her back pocket. Her entire life changed because of a letter. And another letter threw her into a realm that she never would have believed existed. “What’s going to happen now?” she murmured. “I’m going to start being scared to open my own mailbox if this keeps up.”

It wouldn’t hurt to at least find out what this Dr. Ling wanted, but her research efforts might have to wait another day. Julie shrugged to herself and began her daily chores. She still needed to clear more of the property, but she could already tell that she would need better tools. Julie made a mental note to check with the Pablo and Rafael about what they could do with the ore she managed to get from the mine. From the place that almost tried to kill her, as it were. She grimaced as she remembered the cut on her arm. Luckily Kira had given her that dagger or things might have gone a different, possibly deadly direction. 

Julie pushed the previous night’s events out of her mind and concentrated on her tasks. She smiled as she took note of the sprouts beginning to show from beneath the dirt. Sam didn’t carry a wide selection of seeds, but he teased the possibility of more options if the town could find a way to increase its current rank. If she was successful with what she had planted, Julie would be thrilled. She had a long way to go, but those tiny sprouts held such promise.

Mark watched the farmer for a few minutes before he decided to make his presence known. He had not been particularly happy with Kira’s instruction to meet the young woman and inform her about the mine being open. What business did a farmer have in there anyway? He didn’t care about Pablo and Rafael because they knew how to handle themselves - but this girl? She did manage to kill two monsters though, so she had to be tougher than she looked. Still, Kira’s interest in Julie perplexed him.

“Hey there,” he called out as he moved into view. “Got a minute?”

Julie was engrossed in her own thoughts and jumped at the sound of the booming voice. “You really enjoy accosting me, don’t you?”

Mark grimaced. “I’ll pretend I know what that means. Just wanted to check on you, with your arm being hurt and all. And I did a sweep of the floor you were on - found that worm. You got it alright. Impressive.”

“Thanks? I wasn’t trying to kill it - more like trying not to be eaten.”

Mark chuckled. “Those things won’t eat you. But they’ll scratch you up pretty good if they get too close.”

Julie raised an eye brow. “Did one of them get too close to you?”

“My scar? I’m surprised you didn’t get nosey about that yesterday.”

“Well, I’m not rude to people I don’t know.” Julie countered. “I was being sarcastic anyway. None of my business.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “How’s the arm?”

“It hasn’t fallen off yet, so that must be good sign.” Julie wasn’t usually so sardonic with people, but this guy seemed to bring it out in her. Inwardly, she thought the scar looked good - if a blemish could actually be an attractive feature.”

“Be serious please. I’m trying to be…nice.”

Julie let out a breath. “Apologies. I changed the bandage this morning and it looks okay. I don’t know what Kira put on it last night, but it’s healing well.”

“Thank you,” Mark sounded almost sincere. “She also gave you a weapon?”

Julie nodded. “It’s quite intriguing - a little longer than a dagger, but short for a sword. Kind of reminds me of a rapier, but the blade is curved. It’s beautiful, actually.”

“And you know about blade styles how?” Mark arched his eye brow. “What kind of work did you do before coming here?”

“Marketing. And My dad was a hunter. He taught me some stuff.” Julie wasn’t lying about the last part.

“Your father taught you about swords?” Mark wasn’t buying it, but like she said a minute ago, none of his business.”

“He was a history buff.” Also, not a lie. Julie shrugged to seem nonchalant. “And my mom made me take fencing classes in school.” Better keep with that story for now.

“Okay, if you say so. Glad the arm is healing. I’ll let you get back to it. See you around, Garden Rake.” Mark gave a half-wave and marched off towards town.

And he thought I was nosy. Julie rolled her eyes in the direction of her now departed visitor. Truthfully, her dad had taught her some things, but most of her knowledge came from her previous employment. But that was becoming a more distant memory with every day she spent in her new life. Since her main farming tasks were completed, it was almost time to meet Dr. Ling at the pier. Julie only hoped this potential project wouldn’t be life-threatening. She deposited her watering can in its place and dusted herself off a bit before heading towards her next destination.

*******

Dr. Ling paced back and forth in front of the boat she hoped would be put to use by the new diver. What do I do if she says no? I’m out of options. She didn’t like feeling panicked, but the situation in the ocean was becoming more dire with each passing season. The big story had been all about the oil spill, but Pufferfish claimed they had cleaned up the mess. Either they had no idea what they were truly dealing with or - “No, let’s not go there.” she quietly ordered herself. “It’s not too late yet.”

Ling’s train of thought was broken by approaching steps. She looked up to see a young woman with short reddish-brown hair walking towards her.

“Are you Dr. Ling?” the young woman asked tentatively. “I got a note from you about a project..?” She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket.

“That’s me. You must be Julie. Nice to meet you.” Dr. Ling smiled graciously. “Thank you so much for meeting me. I’m sure you are busy with the new farm.”

Julie smiled back. “Yes and no. Getting set up and seeing if I got the green thumb gene from my grandparents or not.”

“They were wonderful people. I’m sure you’ve been hearing that a lot. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself - farming takes time.”

Julie smiled and nodded. After a moment of silence, Dr. Ling remembered her reason for requesting the young woman’s presence.

“So, the reason I asked you to meet me. I don’t know how to go into all the details yet, but I believe there is a way to restore the ocean around the island. There are ‘structures’ built down there for the purpose of maintaining the coral and the general health of the ocean. Somehow, these devices were rendered inoperable. I’m not able to dive myself to fix them, but they need to be repaired. That’s where you come in.”

Julie blinked. “I don’t have any kind of science or engineering background. I worked for a marketing firm before I came here.”

Dr. Ling held up her hands and chuckled. “It’s nothing like that. It seems the ‘batteries’ for these devices have been dislodged. You just need to find them and put them back in place.”

“And that’s it?” Julie couldn’t help her skepticism. “I don’t want to seem…wary, but couldn’t anyone do that?”

“Theoretically, yes,” Dr. Ling replied slowly. “But…I don’t really know how to explain it. I just have a good feeling about you.”

Julie instantly thought about the Chieftain and her talk with the Goddess. Maybe this had to do with them? A scientist going on a “good feeling” sounded unusual - for anywhere but here, as it would seem.

“Again, not trying to sound overly skeptical - but what’s the catch?”

Dr. Ling sighed. “It’s a bit like a needle in a haystack. But instead of hay, it’s trash. The ocean floor has become littered with trash. I have the tools to help you clear the trash, but that’s the ‘catch,’ I suppose. It’s work.”

Julie stared thoughtfully at Dr. Ling. On one hand, she didn’t see how she could take on something like this. But she could see the desperation in the woman’s eyes. And she couldn’t forget her dad’s final words to her: I think you would be good for this island .

“How about a trial run?” Dr. Ling suggested to fill the silence and hopefully persuade the farmer. “The first area isn’t too deep and you would get an idea of what the work will be like. I have a diving suit for you to use - try it out and it’s yours, even if you decide not to continue.”

She’s really desperate for help . Julie thought. And I came here, in part, to help this place. “I’ll give it a try. I want to help the island - it’s part of why I moved here.”

Dr. Ling’s face brightened. “Thank you! Thank you so much! Okay, let me go over the equipment you’ll be using and ‘introduce’ you to Kibit.”

“Kibit?” Julie asked as she peered at the boat just behind Dr. Ling.

“Yes, my underwater drone. Kibit has a built-in camera, so I can monitor your progress as you’re working. Kibit will also monitor your vital signs through sensors in your diving suit. And mask includes infrared sensors and a mic, so we can communicate for any reason.”

“Wow - that’s really advanced.” Julie replied enthusiastically. “I’ve never heard of any of this before. Did you design it?”

Dr. Ling smiled sheepishly. “Yes. I’ve made great pains to keep my work under the radar of military and some government departments. You’ll be working with some on-of-a-kind stuff!”

“You mentioned equipment to help with the trash?” Julie reminded.

“Oh, you’ll like this.” Dr. Ling motioned for Julie to follow her to the boat. “That container on the back of the boat - the stern - is where the trash or whatever is deposited. The hose there will go down with you and suck up the rubble you break up.” Dr. Ling paused as she picked up a tool that looked a lot like Julie’s scythe on the farm. “ This is what you will use to clear the trash and debris. It’s stronger than it looks. I am working on an upgraded model in the event we go into deeper waters.”

Julie took the outstretched tool. Its shape was similar to her own tool, but the blade looked much thicker and the handle was slightly longer. Even so, it was surprisingly light. “This looks like a scythe.”

“Yes, I modeled it after a traditional scythe. It works very much the same, just much more effective. And it’s rust-resistant, so the ocean won’t damage it.”

“Wow,” was all Julie could say. “When should we start?”

“Today, if you’re up for it. You can dive in right here. If we continue, I can program the boat with specific coordinates. There is space for you to change and a few suits to try on. I took the liberty of including some swim attire. My stepdaughter insisted on picking a few options - she’s a bit of a fashionista. You can keep which option fits best. The suit also comes with shoes - also specially designed.”

“Okay. Um, I guess I’ll get ready.” Julie felt both nervous and excited. “Anything else?”

Dr. Ling rubbed her chin. “Let’s see - Kibit will activate as soon as you enter the water. The end of the hose can hook to your belt. Oh! Yes. The anchor also works as a lift of sorts. You can come up anytime by pressing…why don't you get ready and I’ll walk you through it?” 

Julie nodded in agreement. She gingerly step into the boat and headed into the small cabin to change. The swim attire was quite fashionable. None of the items were really her taste, but it was free. She opted for a blue-green two piece. Next came the suit. Luckily, the first one fit almost perfectly. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that scientist had my measurements . Julie grabbed the mask, deciding she would let Dr. Ling help her get it in place.

Finally ready, Julie emerged from the cabin. Dr. Ling showed her how to secure the mask on her head and connect the oxygen tank. The suit had clips and a holster at the waist for the sea scythe and the hose. Ling also had a satchel for Julie to use. 

“This is what works the anchor,” Dr. Ling explained, pointing to a small keypad on the arm of Julie’s suit. “Green makes it go up. Red brings it down. You can hold on to the rope and ride up - the anchor is programmed to stop so you won’t smack into the boat. And one last thing - you may see some unusually colored kelp down there - coppery, like your hair. It is quite valuable and versatile - glean whatever you find and put it in that satchel. I will explain later how it can be used. I guess that’s it. I’ll head back to the lab and wait for Kibit to come online. Good luck!”

Julie watched Dr. Ling walk away from the boat before she turned around and stared down at the awaiting ocean. Here goes nothing . She found the anchor line and eased into the water. The usual cold shock was tempered by the suit. Julie pushed herself beneath the surface, grabbed the anchor cord, and slowly lowered herself further down. She had never been diving before, so the underwater scenery engulfed all of her senses. When the farmer finally set her webbed feet on the soft ocean floor, she took a few minutes to look around, still mesmerized by her new surroundings. 

Unfortunately, she could not ignore the thick black roots clinging to the coral beds and what looked curiously like remnants of buildings. Dr. Ling wasn’t overexaggerating the trash problem either - Julie’s heart ached as she surveyed the large amounts of debris. She soon spied what must be the structures the scientist was talking about. As Julie bobbed her way closer, she felt a low hum coming from the devices.

“Julie?” Dr. Ling’s voice crackled in her ear. “Doing alright?”

“Yes. It’s so amazing down here!” Julie could not hide her excitement.

“It was even more beautiful before,” Dr. Ling responded wistfully. “And it will be again. Did you find the coral devices?”

“Yes. What do these batteries look like?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that. Silly me. They are egg-shaped and orange. Hopefully they aren’t too far away from the structures.”

Julie forced herself to stop looking around and start working. She unhooked the scythe and swung at a pile of trash. To her surprise, the debris broke apart easily. Julie hit the trash a few more times to break it down further before grabbing the hose in her other hand and pressing the button on the nozzle. The trash vanished through the nozzle.

“Dr. Ling? I just realized - how do I keep from sucking up water?” Julie asked, hoping she didn’t just break something very expensive. “Also, how big is that trash bin on the boat? I don’t want to overload it.”

“The water is filtered out at the boat,” Ling explained. “Don’t worry about the trash - my assistant will clean it out after every dive and take it to our recycling center. 

“One more question and I’ll be done - what do I do with this colored kelp?” Julie hoped she wasn’t being too annoying; her old boss hated being asked more than a few questions.

“You can ask all the questions you want,” Dr. Ling replied warmly. “I’m just thrilled that you’re even willing to try this. You can bring the kelp to the lab. We have a machine that breaks it down and extracts the needed properties.”

“Okay, thank you! I hope I’m doing all of this right.”  

“You’re doing just fine.” Ling assured Julie. “And your stats are looking really good. It’s like you were born to be in the water!”

Julie smiled as she continued cleaning off the ocean floor. It wasn’t too long before she found the first “battery.” It was as Dr. Ling described, except larger than the farmer expected. And it was glowing. She bent down to pick up the orb, but as soon as she touched it, the thing bleeped and shot like a rocket towards a nearby structure. As Julie watched, the glowing orb hovered over the coral device as it slowly opened to reveal a chamber where the orb was meant to rest. The orb then lowered into the center of the coral device. It looked as though a charge was building up as sparks rose out of the center. Then a trail of light snaked out of the bottom and ran along the sand like lightening flashing across the sky.

“Dr. Ling - what’s happening?” Julie’s voice trembled slightly.

“It’s okay. It’s working. You aren’t in any danger. But be ready to clear any trash that might be in its way. This is so exciting! It worked!”

Julie wasn’t quite ready to share Dr. Ling’s enthusiasm and she continued watching nervously as the light finally stopped. An obelisk-shaped apparatus rose from behind the sand - suddenly a bright beam shot out of the structure, connected with the obelisk, and released a brilliant burst of light. Julie felt her mouth fall open as the glowing cloud fell over the area, dissolving the smaller sections of black root and restoring the coral to its once splendorous condition.

“Julie! It worked!” Dr. Ling sang through the earpiece. “Well done!”

“What was that? How did…what are those things?” Julie stammered. “It’s amazing, Dr. Ling. Is this the project? What are those batteries?”

“Yes, this is the project. The ‘batteries’ are called solar cores. And let’s keep going through the trial - 5 coral sites. Then you can decide if you want to continue. I have to sign off for tonight, but Kibit will notify me if there are any problems. Thank you, Julie. Really.”

Julie waved at the drone before turning her attention back to her task. With each solar core she uncovered, she witnessed the spectacle with the same awe as she felt the first time. Julie forgot about time passing - she could have stayed in the water all night. The ocean felt so calm and accepting. She remembered how her father used to say he had ocean water in his veins. You do too, Jules. You’ll see . She held back tears as his voice floated through her mind. If only he could see her now. He’d be so proud.

The drone’s beeping shocked the farmer out of her thoughts. She looked closer at Kibit’s screen - apparently time was up. Julie sighed reluctantly. She only had two more coral structures left, but she also didn’t want to run low on oxygen. 

“Okay, okay.” Julie waved off the drone. “I’m coming.”

She grabbed the anchor cord and pressed the green button on her arm. After an initial jolt, the cord moved slowly and steadily towards the surface. Julie climbed onto the boat and hurried into the cabin to change her clothes. She didn’t need to wait for the end of the trial period - Julie already knew she was in all the way. 

Chapter Text

Julie lay in bed for a while after her alarm clock forced her to open her eyes. She could hear the prattle of rain drops on the roof, which meant part of her chores were already being handled by the weather. Her life had gone through such a metamorphosis in the past few weeks - she felt like she could barely remember her old life, apart from the texts and calls from her mother and sister. She made a point to thank Greg for his help as she was finding great use from the equipment he insisted on buying for her. 

Still not ready to get up, she let her thoughts drift to her ocean endeavors. The new project for Dr. Ling was quickly becoming Julie’s favorite activity. She had only dived a few times so far, but she felt invigorated every minute she was in the ocean. The farmer recalled her conversation with the scientist following the first underwater excursion. She insisted that she didn’t need a trial - I’m in this all the way. I promise.

Julie finally acknowledged that she needed to start her day. She really wanted to clear more space to expand her field, but the rain would delay that project a bit. She could finally go to the library and do some research. And maybe go back to the mine? Maybe. That would require a stop at the farm for equipment and the dagger. At the moment, researching the Lake Temple felt more imperative.

Julie groaned as she sat up and forced herself to stand. The next step was getting dressed and making sure she had something in her stomach other than coffee. Julie noted the critter net and fishing pole near the front door - she really needed to work on her fishing skills if she wanted to save money on food. Just something else to add to her seemingly constantly growing list of “to-do’s.” Moving to Coral Island required a far more varied skill set than Julie thought possible. At least the researching part was more up her alley. 

After getting in her morning coffee and breakfast, Julie grabbed a small bag she often used for her former job to load up the essentials - a few notebooks, pencils, pens, highlighters, and a small stash of snacks. She used to describe herself as “an academic at heart” because of how much she loved being in school. At first, life outside the university felt similar - but several years of work that always felt it was just shy of crossing the line wore her down. Every morning that she awoke on the island pushed that stress further away. Someday, I might even forget completely .

Luckily, the rain was not heavy enough that the farm looked like a muddy swamp. Julie smiled again at Greg’s insistence of weather attire and climbing boots. Most days, she opted to wear the boots because they better protected her feet from the unknown that still existed in much of her property - tree roots, debris, rocks. Umbrella in hand, Julie hopped off her porch and strolled across the bridge towards the museum. 

As she neared the community center, she noticed Mayor Connor standing outside with Millie, both looking concerned.

“We need to get over there and make sure no one does anything stupid,” Millie suggested in a tone that was more of a directive. “Things could easily get out of hand.”

“I agree, but I don’t think any of our residents would be violent.” The mayor scratched his forehead. “This is such a mess. People think I let this happen!”

“Well, you did,” Millie countered. “ But you didn’t know! They had a lot of layers in place to keep us in the dark. It’s not your fault, Mayor.”

They suddenly both noticed Julie staring curiously. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, we have a bit of a ruckus going on at the new construction,” Mayor Connor replied nervously. “The business name was finally unveiled and…”

“It’s Pufferfish,” Millie finished, scrunching her face in distaste at even saying the name of the company. “Apparently they bought the land through a shell company. We had no idea what was really going on until last night.”

Julie stopped cold. Pufferfish. Barely two weeks into starting her new life and a ghost from her past had already intruded. “Pufferfish Oil? They’re here?”

Millie sighed. “Yeah. Satellite office - ‘to continue monitoring the situation involving the oil spill and see how they can improve the communities that have been affected’ - according to the local manager Karen.”

“Pufferfish doesn’t improve anything.” Julie replied flatly. She could feel her temper flicker. “Where else in the area are they?”

“That’s just it - I checked with Beluga Bay and the only thing that’s happened there is an influx of new residents…employees that will be ferried here.”

“Don’t be so worried,” Mayor Connor consoled Julie. “They still need our approval to do any actual work here other than sitting in that building.”

Julie realized that her concern must be playing across her face. She did her best to push it back and make herself smile. “You’re right. It’s just all the stuff I heard on the news and online. Oil companies usually mean bad news for the environment.”

“Apparently a protest has started outside the building. We need to make sure people don’t cross any lines.” Millie said as she nudged the mayor to move.

“Mind if I come with you?” Julie asked out of nowhere. Might as well get it out of the way and face the ghost now . 

Both Millie and Mayor Connor looked a little surprised, but the mayor grinned and waved for Julie to follow them. “Sure. You’re part of the community now.”

The trio climbed the steps from the community center to a path that led towards the new Pufferfish office building. They could hear shouting from the small mob that had formed on the street before even turning the corner. It looked like most of the island’s small population had gathered to voice their stance of the oil company’s presence - the opposition was crystal clear. 

“Everyone, please!” a woman in a slim-fit suit with dark hair cut into an angular bob held her hands up in an attempt to calm the crowd. “There’s no need for this protest. We’re only here to help your community through this hardship.”

“Your company caused the hardship in the first place!”Dinda yelled angrily. “Then you managed to wiggle your way out of the lawsuit and now you want to help?!”

Julie fought the urge to smile at the carpenter’s ire. For a small figure, Dinda packed a lot of punch. She studied the woman in the suit - the face looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Maybe a press conference or TV interview?

“I understand your frustration,” the woman tried to empathize. “But I only want to help - we can bring a lot of much needed capital to this island. You will not have to struggle as you have. The hostility is really not necessary.”

“Hostility?!” Dinda’s face flared. “You haven’t seen hostility yet.”

At that point, Millie practically pushed the mayor towards the crowd. He quickly made his way to the front of the crowd and held his hands up. “Everyone, please! I know you’re unhappy about this - I am too. But let’s not be uncivil here. Please.” 

Mayor Connor turned to the woman in the suit. “Um, Karen - maybe this isn’t the best time for a speech. People are riled up and need some time to calm down.”

Karen looked like she wore a permanent smirk on her face. Perhaps she felt it gave her an air of confidence. All Julie could see was arrogance. She had been surrounded by it before. Now, it just turned her stomach.

Pablo noticed Julie standing next to Millie. “Oye, Farmer! You got an opinion on any of this? Pufferfish being here’s got to affect you.”

The entire crowd, including Karen suddenly focused on Julie. She could feel Karen studying her face with interested intent - the only thing to do at that point was stare back. “I’m still new here, but my opinion - actions speak louder than speeches. Let’s see what they actually do for the community. I plan to focus on my work in the meantime.”

The other residents clapped in agreement. Millie nudged Julie and gave her a quick wink. Karen kept her smirk firmly in place as she took a few steps backwards before disappearing into the building.  Mayor Connor made eye contact with Julie and mouthed “thank you.” The small mob slowly disbanded while Millie and Julie waited for the mayor as he talked to a few of the residents.

“Sorry for putting you on the spot there, linda ,” Pablo winced as he waded through the crowd to apologize. “My blood was pumping and then I saw you over here…speaking before thinking, you know?”

“It’s okay,” Julie replied. “And I just gave my opinion. I have a dog in this fight like everyone else, even if I am new. I’m hoping to stay and I don’t want to see the island taken over by an oil company either.”

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Pablo crooned with a wink. “Man, you got a little fire in you, huh? That’s nice.”

Julie picked up on Pablo’s flirtatious behavior the first time she met him, but she still appreciated the friendliness. Her reception from some of the other town residents had been a mixed bag. The vineyard owners both referred to her farm as “the lot,” a moniker that still rubbed her wrong. She always hated being the new kid on the block, and this time, there wasn’t a single person around who she already knew. Everyone was a stranger and Julie knew she wasn’t the best social butterfly. 

“Hey - were you coming to the community center when you ran into us?” Millie asked, pulling Julie out of her head. She waved Pablo off with a playful huff.

“Actually, yes. I wanted to do a little research in the library about some of the local island lore. I noticed that large structure in the lake a few days ago and I kinda remember my dad talking about it. Um, and something else about Giants?”

Julie hoped her explanation was enough to not arouse Millie’s curiosity too much. The fact that her grandparents lived here for so long, and her father grew up on the island, seemed like a good reason for any questions she might have.

“Oh! You mean the Lake Temple? Wow, you’re the first in a long time to ask about that place. So neat to have someone other than me care about the island’s history.” Millie beamed. “I know Scott did a write-up on the Giants legends - I can print that for you. And there are actually a few older books and writings about the Lake Temple. Let’s get ourselves out of the rain and I’ll show you what I’ve got.”

Julie nodded and fell in step with Millie as they made their way back to the community center. The librarian chatted about some new cookbooks she planned to order, as well as a few romance books since such stories were “almost everyone’s guilty pleasure, whether they admit it or not.” Julie enjoyed the casual conversation, even if she was mostly listening. She rarely chatted with her former co-workers. In fact, she could not even recall most of their names. 

“Be honest - would you rather a mystery or a romance book?” Millie was asking as they entered the community center. 

Julie grinned mischievously. “How about both?” She closed her umbrella just in time to nearly run into the wall that was Mark. “Oh, sorry!”

Mark scowled. “Watch it there, Garden Rake.”

“Oh Mark, be nice.” Millie politely scolded. “Let’s try to be somewhat…less gruff to our new resident.”

Mark and Julie exchanged looks. Millie was not aware of their prior interactions. This was becoming par for the course for them. Still, Mark obliged and stepped out of their way. “I’ll try.”

“By the way, do you have an order list for the shelter yet?” Millie asked.

“Shelter?” Julie glanced from Mark to Millie, then back to Mark. She suddenly realized that she could hear a distant chorus of barks and meows.

“Mark kinda heads up our animal shelter.” Millie explained. “Well, more than kinda. He keeps that place running and in really good shape.”

“Really? Wow.”

Mark arched his brow. “That so hard to believe?”

Julie resisted the initial instinct to smirk at him. “Not at all. That’s great.”

“You an animal lover, Garden Rake?”

Julie thought of her old dog Andy and smiled fondly. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Maybe you should check out the shelter then!” Millie suggested enthusiastically. “There some really adorable pups and kitties in there. Well, maybe once you’re a little more settled. I’m sure the farm could use some added furry cuteness.”

Julie could feel Mark’s gaze, sizing her up as a potential owner. If it were just them, she was almost sure he would roll his eyes and decide that she was still too green to accept such a responsibility. She gave him a polite smile. “Maybe…eventually.”

“I’ll be sure to hold my breath,” Mark responded and marched back towards the shelter entrance. 

“Don’t let him bug you,” Millie consoled. “That’s just Mark. He’s definitely a loner with A LOT of rough edges. But he’s really good with the animals.”

“He doesn’t bug me,” Julie assured her companion. “I’ve dealt with worse.” She noticed Millie’s expression and quickly added. “You know, corporate guys.”

“Ahh. I bet. Come on, let’s find you that information.”

Millie led Julie to the library and directed her cozy nook with desk to get settled while she looked up the source material. “I’ll start printing out Scott’s notes and then find the other writing I mentioned. You may also want to just pick his brain sometime. He’s a bit of a frat boy, in my opinion, but he’s also smart. He’s done quite a bit of research about the island’s history and he’s really passionate about his work.”

“I will have to do that,” Julie replied earnestly. 

Millie lightly patted Julie’s shoulder approvingly and marched away on her mission. Julie pulled out her notebooks and other tools, readying herself for whatever the librarian dropped on the table. It didn’t take long for Millie to return with several pages from the printer, in addition to two well-aged books and some photos she had on file of the different pedestals. “I don’t know if you’re even interested in the pictures, but I grabbed them just in case. I also found a write-up about the legend behind the creation of Coral Island. Again, might be too much information, but I threw it in anyway.”

“There’s no such thing as too much information,” Julie replied. “Research was probably my favorite part of school. I love diving deep into a subject.”

Millie threw a hand over her forehead in a mock swoon. “You sweet butterfly! A woman after my own heart! Well, I’ll leave you to it then. Let me know if you need anything else. I have a meeting with Mayor Connor, but I’ll be back soon.”

Julie thanked her and picked up the printed pages to begin. Scott’s notes were exceptionally thorough. She made a mental reminder to schedule a meeting with him for additional information. According to the notes, the Giants were mythical magical creatures created by the Goddess to guard and take care of the island that she also supposedly created. So this is HER island. Her concern over it makes even more sense.

According to legend, the Goddess created one Giant for each of the elements - Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. The Fire element required two Giants. Old writings do not explain a reason for this, but I theorize that volatility of fire demanded more than one magical caretaker to stabilize it. The Chief Giant oversaw the other Giants and acted as a “manager” of the island, as well as communing with the Goddess. Despite their title, the Giants were not considered physically large, but rather given the name because they cared so much for the island and for nature. Statues found in the local cavern are believed to be true-to-size portrayals of these beings.

Some writings also point to the first human settlers of the island, known as the Ancient Ancestors, interacting directly with the Giants. They were believed to be highly intelligent and possessed possible technology that surpasses even our current society. No actual evidence exists of this technology exists; however, some structures remain on the island that cannot be explained regarding their origin or use. 

Just as the Goddess created the Giants for the land, she also created beings to safeguard the ocean surrounding the island. The lore of mermaids is a worldwide fascination and not limited to this particular region. So far, evidence of this underwater society has not been recovered. However, the myth of this magical kingdom once brought many visitors to Coral Island, all hoping to catch a glimpse of a mermaid.

Julie scribbled in her notebook before dropping the pencil to consider what she just read. She thought about her recent diving project and the coral structures. She also could not ignore the other sites she had come across - what looked like very old remnants of buildings that could not have come from the surface as they appeared to have been constructed directly on the ocean floor. 

“Not yet,” she ordered her mind to stop its thought trail. “We’ll get that eventually.” Julie moved on to the pictures, as she thumbed through the black and white images, one particular photo caught her attention - it was an aerial shot of the island. Someone made three circles on the photo - the right side near a mansion, the pier, and the left side - next to her property. The next photo showed a close-up of an obelisk-like structure at the pier that Julie remembered seeing a few times. As she looked closer, she realized it was the same thing she saw rising out of the ocean floor when she activated a coral device. 

“Wait a minute, is one of those things near my property?” Julie asked herself as she flipped through a few more photos. Sure enough, she found a better image of the third obelisk standing atop a cliff just on the other side of her farm. She stared at the photo for several minutes, trying to see the pieces of the puzzle she wanted to figure out. How were these structures both under the water and on land? Could this be evidence of that ancient technology mentioned in Scott’s notes?

Something in the back of her mind told her not to mention the structures under the water, which she agreed. Scott had researched enough that he would have mentioned such findings in his notes. For now, Julie knew it was best to keep that knowledge to herself. But she definitely needed to have a conversation with Dr. Ling regarding the origin of the coral devices and these obelisks. 

Julie forced herself to go back to the notes about the Giants. She remembered seeing the statues in the cavern, but she had only physically seen the Chieftain. Perhaps I don’t get to meet the others yet? Perhaps I never get to see them? Or maybe they will appear when add more to those pedestals? Right now, she had more questions than theories even. But this was the usual nature of her previous work - start with a lot of unknowns and keep looking until you find a trail of breadcrumbs to follow. 

“Okay, I’ll figure that out later. Time to look at the pedestals.”

Julie went back to the photos on the top stack - a main image of the Lake Temple, followed by close-ups of each pedestal. The etchings were much clearer, especially since the photos were taken during the day with plenty of natural light. She briefly turned her back to the Scott’s research, scanning the pages for any mention of the pedestals. 

The Lake Temple is an important part of Coral Island’s history as it was believed to be the primary communing avenue with the Goddess. The four pedestal structures at the base of the Temple appear to be altars on which the ancient inhabitants presented a variety of offerings each season. Based on the symbols etched into the stone, each altar appears to represent a different type of offering - agriculture, angling and etymology, blacksmithery and artisan, and a fourth altar that seems to require diverse offerings. Islanders gave offerings both in gratitude and hopeful expectation of continued good fortune in their particular profession. Legends suggest that the power of the Goddess at least partially depended on the continuance of these offerings.

“The altars,” Julie murmured. She recalled the Goddess talking about the faithfulness of her grandparents. I guess it’s on me now to pick up that torch? How do I even do this? How do I know what to offer? Perhaps another offering will provide the Goddess enough strength to give her more answers. The weight of what suddenly looked like a colossal responsibility levied itself on her shoulders enough for Julie to physically slump in her chair. “You don’t have to do this all at once. It’s going to take time.”

The weight eased a little. She scrutinized each altar photo carefully and noticed writing that she had not been able to see the evening she first visited the shrine. Clearly, the messages were in a different language, but somehow Julie could read it: The Blessed Will See And Know What is Acceptable.

The blessed? Julie recalled the Goddess offering her a liquid and calling it her blessing. And also, whatever the Chieftain did to “open her eyes.” Is that how she could understand the message? Would she also be able to understand the symbols? They looked so faded, even in the close-up photos. Perhaps she needed to go back to the lake and look the altars herself. Julie added the information to her notebook before grabbing one of the books to give it a surface scan. Scott must have already extracted information for his own research - the only new information she found was a section about the ancient ancestors - a few chosen people were given the role of assisting both the Giants and the Merfolk in protecting the island and ensuring that it continued to flourish. Were these the people in charge of the offerings? Or did this mean something else? What happened to the ancient ancestors anyway?

Julie felt herself sigh again. She wasn’t exactly sure what she had expected, but so far, the balance of answers to questions was almost even. At least I have somewhat of a crumb trail. That’s better than nothing. She looked at her own notes regarding the underwater protectors - maybe it was a good time to let Dr. Ling give her the explanation that the scientist promised.

“How’s it going, study bee?” Millie suddenly appeared out of nowhere. “Finding anything to scratch your research itch?”

Julie looked up with an expression of satisfaction. “I did, thank you so much. Scott’s writings actually summed up most of the information from the books. I definitely need make an appointment with him for a little more discussion.”

Millie giggled. “Make an appointment? You adorable hummingbird. Just go over to the museum and say ‘I have some questions’ - I almost guarantee he’ll be available.”

“I keep forgetting I’m not in the city anymore. Breath of fresh air. I’ll stop by sometime this week then. Thank you again.”

“Oh, you’re welcome!” Millie chirped. “You can just keep what I printed. I’m sure it will make Scott’s day if you bring his notes with you.”

Julie smiled in response. She wanted to stop by Dr. Ling’s lab before it closed, and hopefully go by the cavern again. As interested as she was in going to the lake, she preferred to wait for a sunny day. She helped Millie put the others books away before heading towards her next destination. 

As Julie passed the door to the shelter, she peeked through the window and saw Mark playing tug of war with a large white dog - he was smiling and even let out a few hearty chuckles. She couldn’t help but stare a few minutes longer, until he happened to glance toward the door. Julie felt her cheeks reddened as she gave a quick wave and hurried out of the community center. She heard the front door of the building open, but she just quickened her pace in case it was Mark. 

Dr. Ling mentioned her lab was in town and Julie found the red brick building without much difficulty. Unlike the other businesses, the lab didn’t have a sign, other than “Starlet Labs” on the glass door. She pushed the door open and was immediately met with a blast of cool air. Even with the current muggy weather, the lab still made her shiver. Julie edged a little further into the entry way, trying to spy Ling amongst the bank of computer monitors and a few other machines that looked like they were still being assembled. 

“Julie!” Dr. Ling waved from behind a stack of boxes. “I’m glad you’re here. I promised you a deeper explanation - I’m guessing that’s why you are here. Also, I want to discuss a few other things with you.”

I have a few things to discuss with you too . Julie wasn’t sure how to broach the subject of mermaids, an old underwater kingdom, and what she had already come across in the ocean. “That’s part of the reason. I have a few other questions for you too. Is now a good time to talk?”

“Sure. My assistant went home early. Why don’t you follow me to my back room?”

Julie maneuvered herself around some expensive-looking equipment and followed Dr. Ling through a door that looked it was part of the back wall. The room she entered looked a little something out of a movie. Multiple computer monitors were mounted above a built-in table. Julie felt her jaw drop a little when she saw one of the structures from the ocean, along with one of the brilliant corals she marveled at when she dove for the first time. 

“Is that…?” Julie turned to Dr. Ling. “Did you make those?”

“Well, the coral - yes. Years ago, I figured out how to breed a type of ‘super coral’ that could withstand changing water temperatures and other environmental occurrences. I engineered the corals to work with/through the coral sites, but somehow the cores were dislodged. Perhaps the oil spill was too taxing?

Julie was still staring at the set-up. “But you didn’t build those - what did you call them? Coral sites? Where did they come from?”

Dr. Ling. pursed her lips. “They were already in the ocean - the product of mer..ancient technology, or so I have theorized. Their purpose is to keep the coral revitalized and healthy, but the oil spill was far more traumatic than I realized. The damage wreaked by that ‘accident’ has been horrifying to witness.”

The hint of anguish in Dr. Ling’s eyes made Julie rethink her own questions. This was not the time to delve into old tales of mythical sea creatures. “But the few site things I activated have restored the coral around it. Is that due to your super corals?”

“Partially, yes. At the time, the idea of attaching the super coral to the structure was to allow a continuous ‘feeding’ to the surrounding coral. That is kind of what happened when the sites were turned on again. I am so pleased that the ocean found you worthy - I don’t believe you could have activated those cores otherwise. But, I don’t want you to ever think that you are bound to this. This is not an inescapable fate.”

Julie knew what the scientist was trying to say, but Dr. Ling didn’t know about her interaction with the Giant and the Goddess. She already felt bound to a fate that she didn’t know how to walk away from. Truthfully, she also knew that she didn’t want to walk away. Her family’s importance to this island went far beyond the farm - Julie’s grandparents had apparently been the last remnants of faithful contributors to the Lake Temple. The damage of the island began well before Pufferfish and the oil spill.

“Thank you for telling me this. And honestly, I don’t mind being bound to this ‘project.’ My grandparents and my father loved this place so much - I came here to help, and that’s what I intend to do. Besides, I love being in the ocean.”

“I am truly glad to hear that.” Dr. Ling sounded relieved at Julie’s assurance. “I wish I could be in the water with you, but…well, it’s just not something I can do.”

Julie thought she saw another pang of sorrow on Ling’s face. Part of her instinctively knew that the scientist wasn’t telling her everything - but Julie understood, probably more than anyone, the need to keep certain information hidden. “Was there something else you wanted to discuss?”

“Right. I guess all of us found out today who our new ‘neighbor’ is. No wonder there weren’t any signs during construction. That should have been a clue. Anyway, I might be a little overly paranoid here, but I don’t trust Pufferfish. I’ll leave my boat at the pier for now, but I have added a few security cameras - in case anyone gets nosey. I might have Pablo build a chest for your equipment so it stays out of sight.”

Julie nodded that she understood. She felt another twinge of guilt, even though she knew she have a logical reason for any actual contrition. There’s no way that Dr. Ling could or would be compromised because of me. I don’t have anything to feel bad about.

“What are those solar cores? Did you make those?”

Dr. Ling shook her head. “No. Something else from the ancient technology. I’ve been studying them as well, but I still don’t know how they were made. So, for now anyway, all we have are what’s in the ocean - I hope we’re not missing one.”

“I’ll get back in the ocean as soon as I can,” Julie promised. 

“I know. You have to work this around your schedule.” Dr. Ling planted a smile on her face. “I won’t keep you any longer now. Thank you again - for coming down here and for what you’re doing. You’re saving the world.”

“Oh, thank you. I mean, it’s more fun than work for me. And you’re welcome.”

Julie took one more look at the coral structure before she left the backroom. Something about it intrigued and even attracted her. During her second dive, Julie took a little more time to inspect the structures. Every time her hand touched the metal, it felt like she somehow understood it. How are these things even remotely familiar to me?

Once outside, Julie weighed her options of what to do with the rest of the day. As if on cue, the front door of Socket & Pan opened as the owner Luke and Scott exited. Scott caught sight of Julie and waved her over. “Hey there, newbie! What’s up?”

“I was just thinking about you,” Julie smiled. “I decided to do some reading about the island’s history - Millie gave me a copy of your notes. Very impressive, director.”

Scott looked like he blushed as he pushed a few strands of blond hair out of his face. “Oh, shucks. Thank you. You’re welcome to pick my brain for any more info.”

“Millie said I should do just that. But, looks like you all are busy. I’ll swing by the museum another day.”

“Nonsense.” Luke chuckled lightly. “We’re just going to the tavern. Perhaps you will do us the honor of joining? Let me buy the new farmer a ‘welcome’ drink?”

“That sounds much better than any other plans I might have. Thank you.”

Luke offered a charming smile. “The pleasure is ours. After you.”

The atmosphere at Fishnsips was as welcoming as ever, especially since Erika decided she needed to pull Julie away from her party almost immediately to introduce her mother-in-law Betty and sister-in-law Aaliyah, as well as whisper the very important piece of information that both Luke and Scott were single - as best she knew. “Not suggesting anything, you know. But - consider it an FYI. Just in case you did want to know.”

Julie chatted with Aaliyah for a bit, mostly because she didn’t have twenty questions about Julie’s old life in Pokyo. Scott eventually dragged Julie into a game of pool, where he waxed on about the historical significance of the two fountains near the community center. She pretended to listen even though she really to know more about the Lake Temple, the obelisks, and the ocean kingdom. Julie finally made her exit after the second round of pool, enjoying the quiet walk back to her farm. As she got closer to her house, she noticed the open mailbox and a scrap of paper identical to the first note she received from the Chieftain:

Hooman,

Need you, we do.

Gifted, Goddess believes you are.

Meet me, you must. 

At Cavern entrance, you must wait.

-Chieftain

“I guess I’m going back to the cavern sooner than later,” Julie mused. “Just not tonight. Hopefully tomorrow is soon enough.”

Chapter Text

Julie beamed with excitement and a sense of triumph as she inspected her first actual ready-to-harvest crops. I ACTUALLY GREW SOMETHING! She bounced on the toes of her shoes as she admired her batch of turnips and potatoes. The carrots looked like they might be ready by within a few days. Julie was a little concerned when she first planted the seeds that she was being overly ambitious with the number of different seed types she chose, but seeing the first harvest actually come to fruition erased those concerns.

Pulling on gloves to protect her hands, Julie went to work digging up the potatoes and piling the harvest into her heavy canvas bag. She then turned her attention to the turnips; as soon as she pulled the first turnip from the ground, Julie noticed a pinkish aura around the vegetable. She initially thought it might be reflection from the sun. so she held her hand over the turnip to block any possible sunlight - the aura remained. Julie recalled what the Goddess said about the offerings: the island will show you . For good measure, she inspected the potatoes again and saw nothing. “Okay, so turnips are acceptable, but potatoes are not. Good to know.”

Julie took a small portion of her freshly harvested vegetables inside for herself, then returned to the now loaded canvas bag that needed to go to Sam. She made a mental note to ask around about how to get a cart or wagon as her harvests increased. She grabbed the straps and grunted as she hoisted the load off the ground. Luckily this is a small town and the grocery store is just across the courtyard . Julie could feel her breathing getting a little heavier as she made it across her bridge and past the path that led to the pier and Coral Inn. She was almost halfway across the courtyard when she dropped the bag to give herself a quick break.

“Oi, Farmer!” the laid-back tone belong to the island’s lovable free-spirit Ben. He was equally famous for his bad jokes, unusual merchandise that he sold from his van, and his adorable pet duck Funbucket. “You look like you could use a hand there!”

“Hey Ben!” Julie waved back between gulps of air. “I guess I should have sorted this into two trips. I’m almost to Sam’s though.”

“Stand aside, your ladyship!” Ben bowed in a grandiose manner. “Chivalry still exists on this island - just maybe not with anyone whose name ends with Mark. Or Jim. Bad vibes there.”

Julie broke into laughter. “It’s really heavy though, Ben. I don’t want you to hurt yourself over some potatoes.”

“I’m stronger than I look.” Ben countered with a lazy smile. “And believe me, I could definitely hurt myself on some potatoes - mmmm with some butter and sea salt. Or crispy like Frank does at the tavern. I’m definitely help now!”

Ben looked like he was straining to carry the bag the rest of the way. Julie marveled that the bag itself had not torn. When they reach the front door of the grocery store, she handed a few potatoes and turnips to Ben as a thank you. He giddily shoved his payment in his pockets before they entered the store. Sam was thrilled to see Julie returning with her first crops. Though not known for showcasing much emotion, he did smile broadly as he inspected the harvest.”

“Very nice, Julie. These are nice quality - and good size too. Wow, that must be some nutritious soil you have over there.”

“Thank you!” Julie wanted to clap. “I have some carrots that look almost ready. And I planted a small batch of flowers too. Would you be interested in those?”

Sam gave a light chuckle. “I’ll take whatever you want to grow. We’re getting close to the next season - this might be a good time to get new seeds in the ground.”

“That’s great. What would you suggest?” Julie queried. She was already browsing the selection of seeds. 

“Corn would be good. Oh, tomatoes too. Fresh tomatoes would be very popular. I’ve heard peppers are relatively easy. Hmm…if you’re willing, I would love some fresh blueberries. What do you think?”

Julie was looking at the seeds as she listened to Sam’s recommendations. Her eyes fell on the pepper seeds and she blinked when she noticed the faint aura. She immediately grabbed the seeds. She opted for the store owner’s suggestions - blueberries also faintly glowed. And sunflowers. Additionally, she decided to plant radishes. “This looks like plenty to get started,” she smiled at Sam. “Thank you for the suggestions.”

“Thank you for the produce. Here’s what I owe you. And be sure to bring the other items you mentioned once they’re ready. Thanks again!”

Julie felt like she could have flown back to her farm. She actually did it - even if this was only a baby step, she still managed at least one good harvest. Even though her mind was already working out how to expand her field, she had not forgotten the note left by the Chieftain the previous night. “I want to get these seeds planted, then I can get over to the Cavern.”

Readying the soil for new seeds did not take as long as Julie feared - she finished before early evening. She exchanged her farming tools for her backpack and the dagger, then set off towards the Cavern. She couldn’t help but check towards Kira’s home to see if Mark was outside again. Something about him intrigued her, even with his brash personality and rough edges. His soft spot for animals was certainly a plus. Julie didn’t linger, but continued her journey. 

Given what happened the first time she visited the antechamber of the Cavern, she felt a bit apprehensive and passed through the doorway cautiously. No weird earthquakes this time - that’s good. The statues again caught Julie’s attention and she walked slowly towards them for a closer look. She heard a whirring behind her and turned around in time to see the Chieftain appear in a flurry of sparks. 

“Goom goom! Hooman - glad to see you, I am. Help you can, Goddess believes. Help Giants, you must.”

“I’ll help if I can. Where are they? What do I need to do?” Julie asked earnestly.

The Chieftain pointed at the statues. “Giants.”

“Right - that’s what they look like. Are the statues a clue to find them?”

“Statues the Giants are .” The Chieftain’s voice turned sad. “Trapped they are.”

Julie looked back and forth between the Chieftain and the statues. “You mean…those statues are actually the actual Giants? 

The Chieftain bobbed his head in a way that looked like nodding. “Trapped they have been. Many years. Much time without them. Lonely I am. Miss them, I do.”

“What do I need to do? Break the stone?”

“No. Break curse, Hooman must. To bottom of mine, go you must.”

Julie scrunched her face in confusion. “Break a curse? How am I supposed to do something like that?”

“Unique you are. Powerful too, Goddess believes. Trust Goddess, I do. So, trust you, I do too.”

“Wow, so no pressure then?” she smirked quietly. “So I just need to lower that lift to the bottom level? How far down is the bottom?”

“Reactivated, the magic is. Use it, you can.” The Giant gave another cryptic reply. 

“Use what? I don’t understand.”

The Chieftain didn’t answer - he was looking in the direction of the three statues. Julie felt a wave of empathy for the being. “I’ll figure it out. Promise.”

“Thank you.” He bobbed his giant head before disappearing. 

Julie exhaled loudly and walked over to the Earth door to investigate the lift. Her eyes widened a little when she noticed tiny pink petals floating around the control box. Reactivated the magic is. Use it, you can. She held her breath and gently placed her hand on the panel. The sound of a machine powering up flooded the space and made her jump. Julie looked at the control panel and noticed four rows of small round buttons; she counted the rows - 40 total. Interesting enough, eight buttons were slightly larger and square-shaped; four of the square buttons included an extra symbol that she could not quite understand. Additionally a low glow emitted from the the front of the panel, providing a small amount of light all around the lift.

Let’s see what happens . Julie almost winced as she pressed her finger on the first square button. She didn’t know what to expect, but the lift lightly jerked before beginning its descent. She made a point to count each doorway she saw: 1,2,3,4,5 . The lift halted at the fifth doorway. Julie stepped cautiously into the room, her hand resting on the hilt of the dagger. She noticed what looked like a torch or light fixture near the entrance - unfortunately it offered no light. Great. I’m in a barely lit cave room with possible giant worms and who knows what else. The torch was a little higher than she could reach, so Julie pressed her hand against the rock wall to steady herself as she stretched to reach the light. Her hand found something smooth buried in the wall - almost instantly, she saw a faint glow under her hand. Pulling back, she saw what looked like the solar cores from the ocean! It hummed for several seconds before the torch she was reaching for also began to glow - faintly at first, then quickly growing a little brighter. Within seconds, another torch further down the wall activated and slowly brightened. 

Julie stared, almost dumbfounded as orbs of light began appearing all around the room. It looked like a chain reaction - as one torch reached its peak luster, the next would begin to glow until the entire room was moderately lit. The space was larger than she initially thought, with plenty of rocks in varying sizes littering the floor. Julie could also see faint copper veins in the floor. 

Not wanting to venture much further yet, Julie retreated to the lift and pressed the next round button. She was lowered only one level to a nearly dark room. Hoping for a similar experience, she edged along the wall until she saw a torch. She felt the wall just under the light for a smooth rock. When she found it, she pressed lightly. Same reaction - the first torch slowly lit itself, followed by the next until the room was no longer dark. So the round buttons are the single floors and the square buttons are every five levels? Like any good researcher, she decided to further test her theory and try the next square button. 

The lift continued down another five levels. Julie was expecting another room full of rocks and possible monsters, but Level 10 was quite different. She shone her flashlight along the wall, looking for a torch and the solar core beneath it - upon finding it, she touched it to bring up the light. This room was much smaller and included a small underground reservoir that was being continuously fed by carved openings in the wall. Since the water level didn’t appear to be rising, Julie assumed it was slowly flowing into another area. A small rock-made bridge led to a strange silvery container. Shaped like a globe, the container sat on top of a small pedestal. The lid of the round vessel was partially open; whatever had been inside was now gone. 

Julie sighed in slight disappointment. For a moment, she thought she might find a treasure or relic of the ancient ancestors. Oh well. Whatever was in here was probably taken a long time ago . She hopped back onto the lift and pressed the next square button. After lighting up the room, Julie looked around in awe at its size. A tiny swirl of petals near an area on the back wall caught her attention and she immediately decided to get a closer look. 

Julie was halfway across the room when she heard a familiar plop sound, quickly followed by a weird sloshing. She turned her head in the direction of the noise as her hand closed around the dagger handle and pulled. Not one, but two blue blobs were headed for her. Of course! I’m fighting monsters again! Running didn’t feel like an option, so Julie gripped the unsheathed dagger and prepared. The blobs passed through the rocks she hoped would slow them down. When they were closer enough, she swung the dagger, hitting both. Both blobs squealed - Julie noticed one of them slide closer and slightly rear what must be its head back. Is it about the attack? She jumped back as the blob lunged forward. Another swing from the dagger, followed by another squeal. Julie side stepped to get a better shot and delivered two more blows. The blob disintegrated. She quickly dispatched the second blob before bending over slightly to catch her breath.

A buzzing sound caught her attention and Julie looked up in time to jump out of the way of a giant wasp. Are you kidding me?! What are these things?! She gathered her senses as the creature turned around and charged again, lifting its stinger as it drew closer. Julie side stepped again, slashing at the wasp and nearly cutting in half. Unlike the blobs, this thing barely made a sound as it dropped to floor. 

Julie was close enough to the back wall to see a lever. She pulled it and ran back towards the lift. Loud buzzing behind her suggested at least one more wasp was closing in. She jumped onto the lift and pressed her hand against the largest circle on the panel, hoping it would take her back to the surface. She quickly turned around and swung the dagger just in case her attacker got too close. The wasp had stopped pursing, as if it was being somehow held back. 

The lift jerked upwards, bringing Julie back to the cavern surface. Her heart felt like it might beat itself right out of her chest. She forced herself to slow her breathing even as her hands continued to shake. She would find out another day if pulling that lever was worth possible death by mega wasp. As Julie stepped off the lift, she was met by a wide-eyed Kira.

“Julie! What happened?” Kira asked with some concern. “I was just outside and thought I heard a rumble.”

Rumble? Must have been that lever? Julie shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it was the lift? I went exploring a little deeper today. Um, giant wasps. Really scary place.”

Kira looked past Julie and saw the light coming from the control panel. “What did you do?” She walked closer to the mine shaft and stared incredulously at the panel. “It works. I can’t believe it. How did you do this?”

“I didn’t do anything - promise. It was already lit up when I got here.” She wasn’t lying - just not mentioning the part about the Chieftain and her new mission to free the trapped Giants. 

“Do you know how this works? How far down did you go?”

Julie joined Kira at the control panel. “Based on my ‘testing,’ the small round buttons move the lift one floor at a time and the square buttons are like an express elevator - they seem to stop every five levels.”

“How far down did you go?” Kira repeated her question.

“Oh, um to level 15. That’s where I encountered the wasps.”

Kira raised an eyebrow. “Encountered?” She began inspecting Julie, making her turn around. “Are you hurt? Did they get you?”

“Oh, no. Thank you again for that dagger. I got one and left before the others could get to me.” Julie answered somewhat sheepishly. 

“You got one?” Kira seemed impressed, but her expression was hard to read. She glanced at the panel again, then back to Julie. “You’re really putting those fencing skills to work.” She paused, obviously thinking. “I’ll have Mark start sweeping some of these levels since we have easier access now.”

Julie was quickly getting the impression that Kira didn’t completely believe her, but she also wasn’t quite sure what she could divulge. For now, it seemed best to keep her knowledge and mission regarding the Giants and the Goddess to herself. “I’m not hurt, but I am really tired now. I’m gonna head home.”

“Of course.” Kira nodded. “I think I’ll take a look around Level 15 myself.”

Julie didn’t wait for Kira to decide she wanted to ask more questions - she picked up her discarded backpack and hurried out of the cavern. She knew she must have been underground for a while, but the surrounding darkness outside told her the hour was much later than she assumed. Julie was almost to the bridge, when she noticed a faint pink light out of the corner of her eye. Tucked behind a few trees along the side of the cavern was a warp station. She looked around to make sure no one was watching, pressed her palm on the front of the box and whispered, “home.”

***********

The next day, Mark finished his patrol of a few levels in the cavern. He also re-checked the fifteenth level after Kira did her own sweep of the room and finished off whatever creatures remained. Tired, he lumbered back to Kira to update her.

“There were only a few vermin in level 4, so that was easy. Level 15 is still clear. How are those torches lit on some of the levels?”

“Julie.” Kira answered simply. “Those must have been the levels which she visited last night.”

Mark scratched his head. “But how did she turn them on? How do they even work anyway?”

“The ancient ancestors somehow figured out a way. That’s the only explanation. Well, that and magic.” Kira replied with a smirk.

Mark rolled his eyes. “Come on. I’d buy your ‘ancient ancestors’ bit before I buy that magic had anything to do with…well, anything. Furthermore, I also can’t wrap my head around how some office worker turned farmer is defeating monsters and figuring out how to work possible ancient technology. There’s gotta be more to that story.”

“Oh, I agree. There’s definitely more to her. And whatever it is, we need it and her on our team. I’m inviting her to join the BOS.”

“Excuse me?” Mark looked incredulous. “You can’t be serious, Kira. She’s….”

Kira cut him off with a piercing look. “She’s special. And I think she could be an asset, in her own way. And it’s my decision anyway.”

Mark relented. He had never challenged the chain of command before and he wasn’t going to start now. Especially not Kira. He let out a long sigh in response. Even if he didn’t think Julie had the skills for the team, Mark wasn’t going to repeat past mistakes and question Kira or not try to give the farmer the benefit of the doubt. 

“You really think she’s got what it takes?”

Kira nodded. “I know she does.”

Chapter Text

Julie needed a few days to process her experience in the cavern and better prepare herself before she returned. Additionally, she really had to focus on her farm. If she was ever going to really expand her field, she needed a more efficient water system than herself. She clapped happily to herself again when she emerged from the farm house and found her carrots and flowers ready to harvest. 

Which one of you is an offering? Since her experience with the turnips, Julie literally saw everything growing in the ground in a new light. During a stroll down the path that connected to the Giant area, she found some mushrooms and flowers - one type of mushroom shimmered, but the others looked normal. A little ways further, she discovered wild wasabi plants growing in a forested area - pulled one out of the ground and saw the aura. Since she needed five items for the first offering, Julie assumed that each offering had five parts. I probably need a chest to store what I gather for offerings .

After watering, Julie began digging the ripe carrots out of the ground - as she pulled the first crop loose, she saw the pink shimmer. She didn’t even have to excise the flowers from the soil to know that she needed a daisy. Since daisies were her favorite flower, she cut a small bouquet for herself and harvested the rest, as well as all of the peonies, for Sam. Julie then re-tilled the soil to prepare the ground for new seeds. She had not yet planted radishes or sunflowers, so that would be the next crop for the harvested plots. Next stop would be Sam, then up to the Lake Temple. 

Julie hurried inside to put her flowers in water; she re-opened her door and found Mark waiting for her. “Do you just appear out of thin air?”

“I’m stealthy,” Mark quipped dryly. “At least I didn’t ‘accost’ you at daybreak this time.” He paused and produced an envelope. “Kira sent me again to give you this.”

Julie took the offered message with a small smile. “Thank you. And I should apologize…for my reaction when we first met. I could have been less snappy.”

Mark gave a half laugh in response. “No need, Garden Rake. I probably would’ve responded the same. You were wary of a stranger, which isn’t a bad thing.”

“So I reacted like you? I don’t really know how to take that.” Julie teased back.

“Watch yourself, Garden Rake. That almost sounded friendly. Either that, or you’re trying to flirt?”

Julie couldn’t stop from rolling her eyes. “If I were flirting, I would probably say something like ‘that scar looks good on you.’ I was trying to be kind of friendly.”

Mark smirked. “Of course it does. Scars are sexy. Just read the letter, okay?”

Julie nodded and Mark stalked off. Why does he get to me? And why did I just say that about his scar? Good grief, Julie! She groaned to herself as she opened the letter:

Julie,

Your skills are impressive.

I’m inviting you to join the Band of Smiles.

If you accept, come to my place after sunset.

Mark will be waiting for you.

Kira

Julie contemplated the letter. She knew of the Band of Smiles, but only cursory information - they were an organization not liked by most governments. In truth, she didn’t know what they did exactly. Do I really want to be part of this? As small as the island community was, others must be aware of a BOS presence. Mark runs the pet shelter, so maybe Millie knows something? And perhaps being a member would make anything she had to do in the caves less suspicious - maybe?

For now, Julie needed to stop at Sam’s with her recent harvest. The trip to the Lake Temple would not take long if she returned to the farm. With a basic schedule mentally laid out, she grabbed the bag containing her farm loot and headed toward the grocery store. Sam was excited to see her - he happily informed Julie that her produce had already sold out.

“Seriously?” Julie asked as she plopped her bag on the counter. “It was just turnips and potatoes. I didn’t think those would be hot commodities.”

“ Fresh is the hot commodity,” Sam replied. “Emily and I tried some ourselves - they were fantastic! You’ve definitely inherited your grandparents’ green thumb.”

“Oh, that’s so great to hear. And thank you. It’s just carrots and some flowers today, but I do have another round of potatoes that might be ready in a few days.”

Sam beamed. “Well, keep those fresh crops coming.”

Julie smiled back. After Sam paid her for the harvest, she decided to stop by the community center and see if Millie had any information about the Band of Smiles.

“I don’t really know a lot,” Millie confessed after Julie explained the reason for her visit. “Okay, I do know that they’re monster hunters or something. Kira’s been on the island since before Kenny was born. She and some other people acted like our personal protection squad. And not just monsters, but a also helped us with any scoundrels who tried to start trouble.”

Julie giggled. “Scoundrels?”

“I live in a literary world. I suppose I could have said villains.” Millie shrugged.

“Scoundrels is way better. And speak of - what about Mark?”

Millie’s dark eye twinkled. “You’re interested in Mark? Can’t say I blame you. He’s got some really rough edges, but he also reminds me of a character from one of my favorite books. He’s so…rogue-like and tough. I do like broad shoulders.”

“Need to fan yourself?” Julie snickered. “And I’m not interested like that, but…what do you know about him? He’s part of Kira’s group or team, right?”

Millie rolled her eyes jokingly at the fan comment. “Not much. Um, let’s see - he lives with his sister Anne and her family. Loves animals. I think he used to be in the military a while ago? Not totally sure on that. And yeah, he seems to work with Kira and her crew. Why are you asking anyway?”

“Just curious. I’ve met Kira. Well, and Mark. I overheard something about Band of Smiles and was interested. Seeing as how you almost run the town, I thought you might know something.”

Millie chuckled. “We’re a small community, so we’re used to wearing multiple hats. Well, regardless of your reason, I’m just happy for a bit of company. Slow day.”

Hearing that, Julie opted to spend a little more time at the library to give Millie someone to chat with. An hour later, she bid the librarian good-bye and exited the library. She had just passed through the main doors when she spied Mark sitting on a bench. Still feeling a bit embarrassed from their morning encounter, she opted not to say anything. Mark, however, called her over.

“You read the letter?” His question sounded almost like an interrogation.

“I did.” Julie decided it might be best to say as little as possible.

“So?” Mark pressed.

“What?” 

“Come on, Garden Rake. Do I need to wait for you or not?”

Julie still wasn’t quite sure that joining this group was the right thing to do. But for some reason, she heard her mouth say “Yes, wait for me.”

“Try to be on time.” Mark huffed.

“The letter said ‘after sunset’ - not a super specific time.”

The look of annoyance on Mark’s face was enough to back Julie down a few pegs. She held up her hands in surrender. “I won’t be late.”

Mark didn’t respond, but his facial expression relaxed slightly. Julie tried to smile again before quickly turning and hurrying back to her farm. She grabbed the items for her offering and used the warp station to arrive almost instantly at the Lake Temple. Even though it was daylight, she could not see anyone around who might have noticed her suddenly appearing. She carried her canvas bag up the steps and gently laid the vegetables on the first pedestal.

Within seconds a dim pink light appeared over the offering, quickly engulfing it. A flurry of petals dancing over the now empty space - they quickly vanished, leaving a small vial of green liquid and a scroll. Julie tentatively picked up the glass bottle to inspect it.

“For you, dear farmer to increase your knowledge of the land. Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Julie whispered as she drank the liquid. Like the first vial she was gifted, this tasted sweet and reminded her of papayas. She unrolled the scroll and found what looked like a design for a composter and a recipe for fertilizer that required silver kelp and compost. “I guess that’s why I need the composter. Wow, thank you.”

The sketch of the machine didn’t look too complicated, but Julie knew she would still need help building it. And she would need something to mix and store the fertilizer. She didn’t think Dr. Ling would mind her keeping some of the silver kelp whenever she found it, and maybe Joko and Dinda could help with the construction part. I can’t just show up with an old-looking scroll. Maybe I just say I found it? Maybe I found it on the farm? She really didn’t want to lie, but she also didn’t know how to explain where the design came from. 

Julie decided to take the scroll home and copy the design to show the carpenters. She would only provide extra information if asked. It shouldn’t be suspicious for a farmer to make and use fertilizer - she just wouldn’t show off the recipe. At least not yet. She still didn’t know if Dr. Ling would believe her about everything, except for a few bits in their conversations that made her curious how Ling even knew how the coral structures worked and how she was able to breed her super coral. 

Julie was still chewing on her thoughts about the scroll and Dr. Ling as she warped back to her farm and secured the gift inside before grabbing the dagger and preparing herself for the cavern. As much as she wanted to be back in the ocean, the Chieftain’s plea tugged at her heart. She needed to at least see what that lever on the fifteenth level unlocked, if anything. Julie checked her backpack for food and bandages - she still had the ore she found on her first trip. She pulled the bundle out of her bag and made a mental note to deliver that to the blacksmiths.

Thanks to the warp station, traveling to the cavern took seconds. Thankfully, the space around the outside of the cavern was quiet. She ran through the doorway and almost jumped onto the lift. Based on the time, she only had a few hours until sunset and she really didn’t want to make Mark grumpier than usual. Julie pressed the next square button that would be the twentieth level. What she found after igniting the torches was similar to level 10 - a smaller room with a short bridge leading to a silver-colored container. She opened it and found a beautiful ring with a deep green gem, as well as an interesting pendant. Julie tucked the items inside her backpack to inspect later and returned to the lift. 

The next square button took her to level 25. How far down is this tablet the Chieftain was talking about? She dropped her bag on the floor and found the light source as quickly as possible. Another large room, but this time, the monsters were not hiding. Julie felt a twinge of panic - she could see a lever on the back wall, but it would be a literal fight to get to it. The blobs weren’t new anymore. Same for the angry caterpillars. She didn’t like the idea of dealing with multiple wasps, but the ant eater-looking  creature was new. It wasn’t moving too fast right now, and she hoped it stayed that way.

I guess I just need to just get this over with. Julie unsheathed the dagger and hoped she remembered her training on evasive maneuvers. She felt slightly confidant against the blobs and took care of them without much difficulty. The strong cilantro aroma told her that the worm had circled behind her. Julie delivered three blows and the caterpillar collapsed. She didn’t have much time to reflect - the loud buzzing announced a new threat and she swatted at the end of the wasp with her dagger. The stinger fell to the ground and the wasp screeched. The creature seemed stunned, and Julie took the opportunity and slice her weapon across its midsection. 

She thought she was far enough from the ant eater crawling towards her, but it hissed and launched a red tongue towards her - the sting nearly dropped Julie to her knees. Okay, so this isn’t far enough. Avoid that thing for now . She cried out in pain and pulled herself towards the wall while keeping an eye on her slow-moving attacker. After pulling the lever, she made a wide path away from the ant eater. Unfortunately, two more blobs were moving towards her. Julie shook her arms a bit and broke into a run, hoping to slip past. Her legs still felt the pain of the sting and she had to slow down after only a short burst. She swung at one of the blobs, causing both to pull back. It was enough pause for Julie to get to the lift. Breathing heavily, she pressed the next square button.

Thirty levels down - hopefully I’m getting close . Julie sucked down air as she stumbled into another empty, small room. Perhaps these were made as landing rooms when the rest of the mine levels were being dug out? She could close her eyes and almost see supplies and work materials filling the room. Right now, the emptiness was a blessing - no monsters, no threats - just space to recover. And another chest. After catching her breath, Julie ambled across the room to check out what might be inside. 

“Hmmm I don’t know what this is,” she murmured as she inspected the three-pronged object. The orb also included what looked like a very old map of the island and a cylinder of mahogany wood covered with etched markings. The treasures were all beautiful, but also curious to find. Perhaps Scott might like to see the items and help her figure out where they came from. She added the cache to her bag and returned to the lift. Letting out a long breath, she opted to skip the next square button and try for what would hopefully be the bottom.

The lift jerked a little as it descended, but stopped just after what would have been #35. Julie grabbed her flashlight and check beneath her. She couldn’t see anything at all, but the lift still wouldn't budge. All she could see was darkness - blacker than normal. The beam from the flashlight even seemed to disappear. “What is that?”

“How dare you think you can pass this way. You are too weak to even reach the lever. You are too weak to save him.”

Julie didn’t know where the voice came from, but oddly enough, the emotion flooding her brain was not fear - it was anger. “I am NOT weak. Hang tight.” She pressed the square button that would take her back to level 35. Revitalized by the insult, she illuminated the room and grabbed the dagger. The desire to free Grog had suddenly intensified. 

With dagger in hand, Julie moved forward as she scanned the room. The plopping sound in the distance told her that more than one blob was in the room. She could also smell cilantro quite strongly. She turned to her left as a caterpillar slithered toward. Julie dropped-stepped from her current position, giving her a place to attack the worm. She left it flopping on the floor and turned her attention to the two blobs closing in on her. It didn’t take long to dissolve both; she shook the residue from the dagger blade and kept moving towards the back wall. 

Julie didn’t see the ant eater behind a large rock and jumped back to avoid its stinging tongue. She bumped against what she thought was another large rock - until it moved. She stumbled a bit as the rock stood up and chomped at her. What on earth is this thing?! How do I even kill it? Instinct quickly took over as she swung at the legs. The rock thing faltered and Julie kicked it squarely in the center of what was the body and head. It fell back and shattered. She spun around and noted that two ant eaters were slowly closing in on her. Maybe it’s time to just take these things out . The creatures moved slow enough that she realized she could strike from the side without being hit. The tough skin made it necessary to strike more than the other monsters. Julie managed to kick the ant eater on its side and slice across the unarmored side. The second creature was blocked by the other body, making it easier to avoid. She grabbed the lever and pulled hard.

Julie could hear the rumbling. She also thought she heard that voice again, but her heart was pounding too loudly in her ears. She looked to her right and saw three wasps flying around. They didn’t seem alerted to her yet, so she tried sneaking back to the entrance along the far wall versus running. She could see the lift and her bag when she smelled cilantro again. Fatigue caused her to react a second too slow and something rammed her from behind. Julie stumbled forward, nearly crashing into the floor. The caterpillar hissed loudly, drawing the attention of the wasps. She kicked at the worm, pushing it back enough to give her time to scramble into the elevator and push the last button.

“At least it didn’t bite me,” Julie consoled herself as the lift moved the final five levels to the bottom. She stepped into the room and stared with surprise at the giant stone tablet floating near the back wall. Wisps of dark fog swirled around the tablet and she could just barely hearing a voice muttering something unintelligible. 

“Hooman, here you are.” The Chieftain’s voice came out of nowhere. He was suddenly standing next to Julie. “Waited, I have. Reach the stone, I cannot.”

“What makes you think I can do better?” she asked. 

“Goddess. Believes in you, she does. Believe in you, I do too. Try, you must.”

Julie nodded and began walking towards the tablet. The wisps of fog began swirling faster, creating a barrier of wind. She leaned forward and pushed ahead, using her arms to “swim” through the fog.

“Who do you think you are? You cannot free him. You are weak, just like the other one. You are no different.”

“I don’t know who you are, but I’m not weak. Let him go.” Julie replied as she lunged forward and crashed into the tablet. The swirl of fog immediately died.

“No! No! Who are you?!”

Julie stepped away from the tablet as it suddenly spun around before splitting into two pieces and disappearing. She turned around to ask the Chieftain what happened, but he was gone. “I guess I’ll find out later if that did anything.” She sighed to herself and walked slowly back to the lift. The ride to the surface gave her the chance to relax a bit and dust herself off.

“Hooman!” The Chieftain greeted Julie as soon as she appeared in the doorway of the mine. “Succeeded, you have! Free, Grog is!”

Julie looked around the main floor of the cavern until her eyes landed on a figure  standing near the site of where the statue used to be. It was smaller than the Chief - a white mask and black body wrapped in a rich brown cloak. 

“Grog?” Her voice sounded so quiet. “You’re Grog?”

“I am Grog,” the figure replied. “Grog is me. Grog is now free.”

“Free Grog is. Successful Hooman was.  Happy Chieftain is.”

Another rumble. The trio looked around, but Julie saw it first - the door that once blocked one of the mine shafts crumbled. The symbol above the door looked like water.

“Hooman has opened the water mine.” Grog spoke softly. “Gong is next.”

“Wait, what?” Julie sounded perplexed. “Each mine represents a Giant. Of course.” She paused and looked back at the statues. “But there are only three - where are the Giants for fire? There are two, right?”

Grog and the Chieftain were quiet. Finally the Chieftain spoke. “Know not. Giu the cause, I think.”

Even though their faces did not change expression, Julie could hear the pain in the Chieftain’s voice. “I’m so sorry.”

“Free Gong, you must. Help you more, we can. But need Gong, we do.”

Julie nodded firmly. “I will. But I don’t what I will face in there. It may take some time. At least I have this dagger.” She pulled the weapon from its holder and held it out.

The Chieftain hopped closer to get a better look. “Where find you this dagger?”

“I didn’t find it. Kira…another hooman gave it to me. I don’t know where she found it.” 

The Chieftain’s mask concealed his surprise. “Familiar this weapon is. Seen it before, I have. Long ago. Blessed it is. Blessed more it can be.” He reached for the dagger and held it delicately. “Help me, Grog can. Bless it, we will.”

Grog bounced over to the Chieftain and waved his hands until small sparks appeared. The dagger illuminated for a moment, then the light evaporated.

“Grog bless to help Hooman. Help free Gong.”

Julie retrieved the weapon from the Chieftain. “Um, thank you. But how do you know it? Where did it come from?”

“Later answers will come. Rest now, we must. Thank you Hooman.”

Both giants disappeared in a swirl of light. Julie stood silently in the cavern for a few minutes, looking down at the weapon in her hands. Blessed it is? Where did Kira find this anyway? She resheathed the dagger and grabbed her bag. The faint light outside told her that evening had arrived. She needed to hurry or she would be late.

*******

Julie didn’t bother to run to her appointment, even though she figured Mark would make a comment about her being late. Her mind replayed everything that happened in the mine. Whose voice was that? What happened to the Fire Giants? How was I able to do something that the Chieftain couldn’t? She turned towards Kira’s house and found Mark pacing.

“You’re late.” He greeted her gruffly. “And you’re dirty. Were you in the mine?”

“Barely. Sorry.” Julie threw back. “I was exploring and I lost track of time.”

Mark frowned. “Everything okay?”

“Are you actually concerned?” Julie smirked. “And yeah, everything’s fine.” She felt a smile tug at her mouth. “It’s been a good day.”

“Well, come on.” Mark led her to what looked like a cellar door next to the house. He stopped before entering and motioned for Julie to turn around. He brushed some dirt from her back and noticed the snags in the fabric. “You sure everything’s fine? Looks like something tried to get you.”

“Probably a tree branch.” Julie wasn’t sure why she lied again . She wasn’t ready to explain what happened in the cavern, and she got the feeling that Mark wouldn’t believe her anyway - especially since the tablet wasn’t even there anymore.

“Uh huh. You sure about this, Garden Rake? Joining the BOS?” Mark asked.

“Honestly, no. I don’t really know what I’m getting into, but I’m here to find out.”

Mark didn’t respond. He opened the door and led Julie down the steps to Kira and three other people. Mark quickly introduced them as Axel, Senja, and Jio Dan. Axel and Senja both looked like adventurers, but Jio Dan was smaller and much older.

“Hey there,” Kira welcomed her. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Another green horn?” Jio Dan asked sharply. “Isn’t this the farmer?”

“I have my reasons.” Kira retaliated firmly.

“It’s your branch.” The older man continued sizing Julie up. 

Kira turned her attention to Julie. “Any questions?”

“Quite a few. Why am I here? What is the BOS? Why am I here?”

Kira chuckled. “The Band of Smiles is a guild of adventurers and monster hunters. There are branches all over the world. We handle this part of the planet. And you’re here because I think you have skills.”

“She looks a little…soft.” Senja remarked. In another life she could have been a model - exotic eyes, long hair pulled into a ponytail, and a slender frame that she left just exposed enough for make one wonder. “Looks like she’ll need a lot of training.”

Julie felt her eyes burn. She wanted to argue the monsters she took down just today gave her enough training. Instead she bite her lip to keep from talking and focused on Kira.

“She’s fine.” Kira’s tone put an end to any other comments. “So, Julie - you in?”

“Sure. What do I need to do?”

Kira smiled approvingly, then proceeded to explain the initiation ceremony. The whole thing was over within ten minutes. Julie was given a small pin that denoted her membership and the BOS branch she belonged to. Senja just rolled her eyes and pretended she didn’t care. 

“Time to go,” Mark nudged Julie to follow him out of the underground headquarters. She welcomed the chance to get home and rest instead of dealing with any possible queries about herself. She would wait to ask Kira about the dagger when other ears were not present.

The air always seemed different at night, with the faint sounds of crickets and the rest of the forest. Julie didn’t mind since the island humidity felt somewhat lighter after the sun went down. 

“I’m curious about something - why are you here?” Mark’s voice still sounded imposing, even if he didn’t mean to.

“Here here? Or here on the island?” Julie didn’t want to jump on the defensive every time he spoke to her, but it was almost instinctive now.

Mark smirked. He was always an impressive presence. In the dark, Julie couldn’t tell if there was any hint of a smile in his response. 

“I know you think I don’t belong here,” she began, suddenly feeling like she literally wanted to poke the bear. “But Kira…”

Mark threw up a hand. “Stop. I never said that.”

“Your annoyance implies it.” Julie poked a little more sharply.

He grunted and sighed again. “I’m often annoyed. It’s my thing.” 

“But that is what you think, or am I wrong?”

“Not my place to question. If Kira thinks you’ve earned a spot with the BOS, then I respect that. I just…look, there are things out there that do more than bump in the night.”

“And I’ve already encountered some of those bumps,” Julie retorted. “And yet, I’m still here. There’s those blobs, and giant caterpillars, huge wasps, and….” She stopped, not wanting to let on that she else she encountered. Let them find out for themselves.

“You’re right. Maybe you got lucky. Maybe you’ve had some kind of weapons training, other than ‘fencing.’ I just don’t want another newbie getting hi…herself into trouble because she’s unprepared.”

Mark stepped back. Julie saw a shadow of emotion cross his face. Even with the scar, she could see it before his eyes hardened again and his jaw clenched. “You just need to be prepared, especially since the other elevators are now working.”

Julie wanted to argue that she didn’t get lucky, but she didn’t even understand how she knew how to move and swing the dagger so naturally. But she could also see the argument would be pointless. “Garden Rake? Still?”

Mark almost chuckled. “You’re a farmer, aren’t you?”

“Is Mark being his usual charming self? Perhaps you need better company?”

Julie turned to see Axel emerging from the underground door of the guild’s headquarters. He had not spoken during the initiation, so the English accent seemed out of place with the scars and overall gruffer image. 

“We have not yet had an official introduction - I’m Axel. It’s a pleasure to see you.”

“Julie - Thank you. And you also.”

“The hour is getting late and even beautiful women as capable as yourself might still benefit from company back to your home.”

“Cut the Casanova act,” Mark growled. “I actually planned to walk Julie home since it’s on my way. Don’t you go in the opposite direction?”

Axel laughed. “I can take a detour.”

Julie looked at Mark, shocked at his sudden sense of courtesy. “Perhaps another time, Axel. Thank you, though, for the offer.”

Mark placed his hand lightly on Julie’s shoulder to nudge her to begin moving. They turned to walk away as Axel wandered back to the headquarters.

“Don’t be too charmed,” Mark warned. “He makes friends easily and everywhere.”

Julie smirked. “I don’t swoon that easily.”

“So, why are you here?”

“Why are YOU here?”

Mark seemed unfazed by his question being turned on him. “My sister and her family wanted to move here. Anne and Paul make nature videos. They have a pretty decent following. And the effect of that oil spill has a lot of nature lovers concerned. Plus Kira asked me to help her. We go back a ways. Ok, your turn.”

“My grandparents had a farm here. They died and I inherited the property, according to the letter I received from Mayor Connor. That’s pretty much it.”

They were near the steps that led to her farm as she concluded. Both were silent for what seemed like several seconds before Mark finally spoke.

“That’s it?” Mark grunted. “You just left? No other family? No other life?”

“My mother and her parents live in Pokyo. With my step-father and half-sister.” Julie responded curtly. “Why are you asking? You don’t even like me.”

“Call me curious. It’s odd and I don’t like odd. You show up, then something starts changing out at the lake. And the mine shaft…we tried for a while to get the lift to work. But somehow some newbie garden rake fixes it?”

“I actually had nothing to do with the lift. I don’t know why it started working.” That wasn’t a lie. Julie guessed it was the Goddess. Or maybe the Chieftain. But she didn’t actually know. “And you don’t like odd? From what I can tell, you don’t like much.”

“I don’t like anyone,“ Mark countered. 

“What?”

The bearded ox sighed. “What you said earlier, about me not liking you. I don’t really like anyone. I like my family. And Kira’s family. I tolerate everyone else. And I asked because, despite not wanting to care, I’m actually curious. You left your life to come here. And of all times, you moved here AFTER the economy tanked. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Like I said, the mayor sent a letter about the land…”

“Right,” Mark interrupted. “And you just had to drop your life and rebuild the farm. That sounds like a well-planned, non-rash decision.”

Julie felt tears burn at the corners of her eyes. “I didn’t have a life, okay? My employer fired me because I…they dumped me. Yes, I have a family - but I don’t fit there. And I moved here rashly because the letter from the Mayor included a letter from my dad basically begging me to help the island and take over the farm. Which, that arrived the day after being fired. So, I actually had nothing to ‘drop’ and run away from.”

Not wanting to give Mark the satisfaction of seeing her cry, she practically jumped down the stairs to get away from him. She refused to relinquish a single tear until she was alone in her house.

“Hey now!” Mark bellowed. “Wait!”

Julie stopped moving, but didn’t turn back. “What?”

“Anne would just about kill me if she were here. I’m not good with this stuff.”

Julie hoped he didn’t see the wetness around her eyes as she faced him. “Talking to women? Or people in general”

“All of the above. I just keep to myself. I take care of what needs to be done and I don’t bother with anything else.”

Julie sighed. “I had connections with a firm who worked for Pufferfish. OR rather, still works for Pufferfish. After the oil spill, I saw how they ‘worked their magic’ and made it look like it wasn't their client's fault. I couldn't deal with a career of lies anymore, especially not that.”

Mark didn’t immediately respond. “I don’t know how to do the ‘it’ll be okay’ stuff. That’s my sister.”

Julie laughed. “I can already tell that you wouldn’t do so well at it . I don’t need a pep talk anyway. I just need to not suck too bad at being here.”

“We’re not going to be buddies or anything,” Mark warned. “I told you that I don’t do that.”

“Wasn’t expecting it. Thanks for the walk home.”

“Night, Garden Rake.”

Julie turned back towards her farm and walked as quickly as possible without trying to look like she was getting away. No one else she had encountered over the past weeks had asked such questions. People were certainly curious why she chose the move to an oil-covered island, but the letter from the mayor seemed to appease any curiosities. Except for Mark. 

The moonlight was its own distraction as Julie neared her small abode. She couldn’t decide if joining the B.O.S. guild was wise or not, but refusing the offer might have drawn more suspicion if she continued being seen in the mines. Of course, if statues kept disappearing, she might draw some suspicion regardless. 

“I’m curious about something else,” Mark’s voice shocked Julie out of her brain. 

“How are you so giant and so quiet at the same time?”

“It’s my super power,” he countered dryly. “I’m a hunter. Sneaking up on prey is kind of necessary.”

Julie sighed. “What are you curious about now?”

“You’re not around much.”

“I’m running a farm. Or trying to anyway.” Julie felt her natural sense of wariness move up a notch. “It keeps me very busy. I don’t have time to read on benches.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “Ouch. Yeah, you’ve got a farm. It’s hard work. But still - I rarely see you around.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Julie asked suspiciously.

“Just an observation. As you said, you’re a farmer. It’s just, this isn’t that big of a town, or island, for someone to disappear so often.”

“It’s my superpower.”

Mark scoffed in response. “I guess I didn’t expect a serious answer.”

He turned to leave, then stopped to look at her farm. “This place was really overgrown not long ago. You’ve been clearing this by yourself?”

The change in conversation again took Julie by surprise. She was too physically and mentally tired to keep up with whatever angle Mark might be trying to work. “Yes.”

“This is a lot of work for one person. Unnecessary work, that is.”

Julie shrugged. “I’ve managed so far. I’ll get there.”

Mark raised an eyebrow. “That wasn’t an opinion. You need help.”

“I can take care of it,” Julie replied defensively. “I can’t really hire anyone right now anyway. Besides, it’s a good work-out.”

Then again, clearing the trash on the ocean floor while searching for the solar cores was proving to be a good work-out. Julie had nothing but muscle-wrenching work-outs every day.

Mark scoffed again. “Like I said, hard work that’s unnecessary. You’re part of the team now and I have some free time.”

“That’s a nice offer, but you don’t–”

Mark held up his hand. “Stop. You need help and I’m not a jerk. And, like I said, you’re part of the team. I have an axe and some free time. The tree thing is tomorrow, so see you on Monday.”

Before Julie could agree or disagree, he stomped back into the darkness. She should have been relieved for the help, and part of her was. But part of her was also wary of his knack for observation. What if he asked more questions about her activities? Would he get nosey about her time in the mine, or better yet, in the ocean?

Julie dragged herself into her cabin and stood just inside the doorway for several minutes. “Why can’t I tell anyone?” she asked the empty room. “Why can’t someone know what I’m actually doing?”

The memory of her conversation with the Goddess was still fresh - as though it happened the previous night and not weeks ago. Dr. Ling never specifically said that their work needed to remain a secret, but the need to not speak of what they were doing in the ocean felt implied, at least for now. And then there were the Giants. Julie knew it would be too fantastical and unbelievable for most people to accept.

And, of course, there was her past. She hated lying, but she never felt comfortable talking about her former career. No one pried anyway. No one except Mark. She was truthful in that she couldn’t stand the lying anymore. She hated to see the disaster that had been inflicted on this once beautiful area and no one really cared. They left Starlet Town and Coral Island to its fate and simply shifted focus. And she really didn’t have a life in Pokyo anymore. She needed a fresh start. 

Drained of energy, Julie finally collapsed onto her bed. She felt weirdly drawn to Mark. It wasn’t exactly romantic - she didn’t feel any goosebumps or butterflies, and she could already see that he had no interest in such entanglements. But still, she couldn’t help thinking about him. 

“Or maybe he’s just a gruff bear who needs to be left alone,” Julie mused to herself as she pulled herself up to undress and brush out the tangles and dirt out of her hair. It was growing out fast since her “new life/new style” haircut when she first arrived. She actually missed having longer locks, but the weather was not kind to long hair. But a trim was so far down the list right now - she would get to it eventually.

“This day has been too long already,” Julie sighed as she dropped back onto her bed. “I just need to sleep.”

Chapter Text

Julie had not anticipated being chilly on a tropical island when Summer was just around the corner. She shivered a bit and wrapped her arms around herself as she waited for the mayor and Millie get things ready for the tree planting event. Millie had been somewhat concerned that there wouldn’t be enough volunteers; however, it looked like most of the town showed up - even Lily. Starlet Town’s hacker premier was on the ground near Julie, panting from the hike up the hill. 

“Need a jacket?”Scott’s face suddenly appeared in Julie’s line of sight, making her jump. “Whoa - sorry. Deep in thought there?”

“Oh, yeah. A little. In my head, that is. What did you ask?”

“I saw you shiver. It does get a little chilly up here because of the higher elevation. I can get you a jacket if you want.”

Julie smiled. “No, thanks. I’ll warm up as soon as we get started. But I was hoping to talk to you, although this probably isn’t the best time.”

Scott grinned. “About my notes? I can still answer some questions. Or we can always hang out later…”

“It might have to do with your notes. I was exploring the cavern a few days ago, and–”

“Exploring the cavern?” Scott interrupted. “Oh, sorry. But wow - didn’t take you for the adventurous type. You just keep getting more impressive, Jules.”

Julie tried not to bristle at hearing the museum director call her “Jules.” No one but her father called her that. After he died, she forbade her small circle of friends from using that nickname. Josh tried once early in their relationship and Julie demanded he never say it again. It’s been twenty years - time to ease up a bit . “Oh, gosh. I’m just curious about the island and it’s history. I could almost blame you for that.”

Scott feigned shock. “Me? You mean because of my notes? I will not apologize for piquing the interest of such a lovely reader.” He paused and winked. “Okay, I’ll be serious now. Serious Scott activated. What did you want to talk to me about?”

“So, I was exploring and found–” Julie began before she was interrupted again.

“Hey, Garden Rake!” Mark took three strides and was immediately in her face. “Kira just told me about the statue. What happened?”

“What about what statue?” Scott asked. “One of the statues in the cavern?”

Mark ignored the question as his espresso-colored eyes bore holes into Julie. “You said you weren’t in the cavern yesterday. Were you lying? If it was an accident, just say so. You should’ve just come to us.”

Julie’s face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Mark had been just loud enough to attract some attention. She could already see Luke walking towards them. “I never said I wasn’t in the cavern - I said I was exploring . Yes, I was in the open mine yesterday. I checked out a few levels and found some artifacts that I was just about to mention to Scott. All three statues were fine when I was there. I didn’t maim or break anything .”

“Everything okay over here?” Luke stepped in, both into the conversation and physically putting himself between Mark and Julie. “Maybe this isn’t the right time.”

Mark turned his eyes on Luke. “Just having a conversation with the farmer here about some missing property.”

“Wait, what?!” Scott exclaimed. “What happened to one of the statues?”

“It could have been destroyed and the evidence hidden.” Mark looked pointedly at Julie. “But the front statue is gone. If it was an accident, just say so.”

Luke didn’t move. “Not the time, Mark.”

“Thank you, but it’s okay,” Julie patted Luke on the shoulder. “Really. I’ve got this. I appreciate the gesture though.” She moved so she could face Mark. “I didn’t do anything to any of the statues. I never touched them. Everything was fine when I left.”

“So you also didn’t notice the other mine shaft suddenly opening?”

“WHAT?” Scott looked like he was about to have a heart attack. “Which one?”

Mark threw a side glance at Scott. “The mine with the water symbol.”

Julie faked a surprised expression. “What?! No, I didn’t see that happen. Wow, really? I assumed the other shafts were sealed on purpose. By your group.”

Mark grunted. “Alright. That’s your explanation? You don’t know anything?”

“She doesn’t know anything,” Luke interjected. “Give it a rest.”

“Take your own advice, Silver Spoon.”

“Mark, it’s the truth.” Julie could already see Kira heading toward the group. “You don’t know me well yet, but I would’ve said something last night if I was responsible.”

“I believe you, Julie.” Kira declared as she nudged Mark. “Sorry about this. I suggested we ask if you saw anything. I think Mark took that as me being suspicious.”

Mark walked away before anyone could say anything else. Kira gave Julie an apologetic shrug and followed him.

“I feel like I should apologize for him,” Luke commented with a sigh. “He’s not the friendliest guy, but that was still a little out of line.”

“He’s just a bear.” Julie’s tone was far more sympathetic. “I grew up with someone not too dissimilar. Lots of rough edges, but very loyal and committed. Best to just let it blow over. Thank you again.”

“How about I keep you and Scott company until we get started?” Luke smiled.

“So you found some artifacts in the mine?” Scott was ready to return to the previous conversation. “Like what?”

“Um, some jewelry. A really old-looking map. Um, this wooden cylinder with etchings all over it. Very pretty. I was planning to bring the stuff by tomorrow.”

“These could be artifacts from the ancient civilization that first settled the island. That was so long ago though - I can’t imagine the artifacts are in very good condition still. Even so, I’m excited about seeing them.”

Luke opened his mouth to speak, but was drowned out by Millie on a bullhorn, announcing the beginning of the event. He chuckled and gestured for Julie to walk in front of him. She followed Scott and the rest of the volunteers  to the section of the fire-devastated island where they would be working. Luke finagled with Millie over assigned spaces and got himself relocated to the same area as Julie. With all the work needed to be done, there wasn’t much time for actual conversation. After a few hours, the pair were ready to dig the shallow holes for the tree saplings. After a short time, they both needed a break.

“You sounded like you were defending him earlier,” Luke commented between gulps of water. 

“Who?” Julie paused re-hydrating to give her companion a quizzical look.

“Mark. Earlier.”

Julie took another drink before responding. “Ahh. Maybe more like understanding. He’s like a grizzly bear.”

Luke frowned slightly. “Grizzly bear? And you said he was loyal - I didn't hear much loyalty in his voice earlier.”

“I didn’t say he was loyal to me . That was the friend he reminds me of. Mark’s obviously loyal to this town and the island.” Julie shrugged and finished her water.

“He was still rude.”

Julie chuckled. “Again, I’m not defending him. And I agree - he was rude. But respectfully, I didn’t get the nicest reception from everyone when I moved here. One might call it rude.”

“Like who?” Luke sounded genuinely concerned. “Kira and Jim don’t count.”

Julie laughed aloud for a few seconds. “That’s not fair. But I wasn’t thinking of them anyway.” She paused and gave Luke a slightly winced smile.

“Oh.” He paused and rolled his eyes. “What did my father say?”

“He referred to my farm as ‘the lot.’ And, um…your mother expressed relief at not having any real competition.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “My parents are such snobs. My father more than my mother, surprisingly. But regardless, I apologize for them.”

“It’s fine.” Julie tried to soften the blow. “But yeah, Jim wasn’t all that friendly either. Suki expressed doubtfulness that I would be successful. Understandable, just a hard pill to swallow one day after moving here. And, well…you suggested that I might have flawed decision-making skills.”

“Me?” Luke looked surprised. His face slowly changed as he remembered.  “I did, didn’t I? Wow, I am sorry. Okay, I see your point.”

“No one really knew me, so I guess I understand. I’d like to think that those perceptions will change eventually. And maybe moving here wasn’t the smartest decision, but it also doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right decision.”

Luke picked his shovel up. “I can only speak for myself, but my perception is definitely different. Better different.”

Julie’s face was still red from all the work, so he couldn’t see the blush. “Well, that’s good to hear. Thank you.”

She grabbed her shovel and headed back into the sun to finish the last part of their assignment. Pablo and Rafael followed behind them shortly with tree saplings. Another team was responsible for refilling the holes and adding a little water. Several hours later, the task was done and the exhausted volunteers were ready to return home. Julie was waiting her turn to board one of the boats when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around and found herself looking at an equally tired Mark.

“Got a second?” His voice sounded almost normal.

“Sure.”

“You feeling okay? Get enough water? You should also drink some coconut water - it’ll replenish your electrolytes.”

Julie didn’t want to drop her guard so quickly. “I’ll do that. Thanks. Was that all you wanted?”

Mark huffed. “Look, I’m…ugh, I’m sorry.”

“That looked like it hurt a little.” Julie felt a smile trying to form on her lips.

“I’m being sincere here. Or, I’m trying to.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Julie replied. “Did you overreact? Yes. Did you have a reason? I would also say ‘yes’ to that. You’re just such a grizzly bear though.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?” Mark groused. 

“Anyone in your tribe is very lucky. And anyone not in your tribe better look out.”

With that, Julie patted Mark’s sturdy arm and climbed into the boat. Suki handed her a cup of coconut water. “It’s fresh! And it will help you be less sore tomorrow.”

The ride back to Coral Island didn’t feel as long as before. Julie reasoned that she was also too tired to care out much time passed since the trip gave her and everyone else time to rest and recharge a bit. 

“Feel like talking any more?” Scott asked as Julie exited the boat. “We could meet up at the tavern - dinner’s on me. You can tell me more about what you found.”

“I just want a shower right now. Then maybe crash and sleep.” Julie tried to smile. “Rain check on the dinner part? I can still bring the artifacts by the museum tomorrow.”

“Sure! I’m pretty tired myself, so who knows if I would be good company anyway. And come by anytime tomorrow.”

Julie waved good-bye to Scott and began the slow trek back to her farm. She enjoyed the forest area, especially in the evening. The sounds, the breeze, and even the way that last flickers of sunlight filtered through the trees never ceased being an enchanting experience for her. She was just passing the ranch store when she realized someone was behind her. Despite her tired back, Julie whirled around fairly quickly.

Luke held up his hands. “Apologies. I was trying to not scare you. Looks like I did the exact opposite. It seems we took the same path home. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. It was a really long day.”

Julie wasn’t just surprised by Luke’s presence - she had also not yet seen him shirtless. He must have removed his t-shirt to cool off. Social protocol and personal dignity kept Julie from peeling off her own sweaty top until she was behind closed doors. She could already tell that Luke had a sturdy build, but his muscled chest still caught her attention. She smiled and tried to not stare so obviously. 

“You’re fine.” Wow, he really is . “I just wasn’t paying attention. I’m pretty tired, but it’s not too different from any day I decide to clear more of my property. I just need a hot shower and an early bedtime.”

Luke’s eyes remained fixed on her and Julie thought for a moment that he was looking at her with interest beyond general wellbeing. An engaging smile spread across his mouth. “And here I thought I might convince you to come by for a drink.”

“I doubt I would be very good company this evening. I’d probably fall asleep.” 

“Another time then - so I can make up for my and my parents’ negative welcome.”

Julie giggled lightly. “I already told you it was okay. But sure - another time sounds quite nice. Thank you.”

As she trudged down the steps leading to her house, Julie could somehow tell that Luke was still watching. He’s really nice and charming. But so was Josh. She was also assuming that Luke had any interest other than being a kind neighbor. Maybe he was just being nice. Julie pushed open her front door and almost fell over as soon as she closed it.

“Not yet,” she ordered her exhausted body. “Shower, food, then bed. In that order.” She took another step and her stomach growled loudly. “Okay, maybe food first. Then shower, then bed.”

*********************

Julie wished she had stretched a little before finally crawling into bed the night before. She was definitely feeling the soreness. The weather was already beginning to feel like Summer, so Julie opted for shorts instead of longer pants. She felt torn between getting back in the ocean and trying to free the next Giant. Her sore muscles, however, told her that trying to fight anything in the mine needed to wait. Perhaps she could dive later, depending on how long her visit to the museum would take.

“Morning!” Mark’s voice snapped Julie to attention as she left her house. He was already hacking at a tree with an axe. “Breakfast is on the porch. Anne insisted.”

“I forgot about you coming over. Sorry. I should have told you not to worry about it. You’re probably sore from yesterday.” Julie replied as she looked down at the brown paper bag. Inside was a fresh egg sandwich. 

Mark stopped chopping. “Nonsense. I said I would be here. And actually not sore. I stopped by the hot spring yesterday evening. I was going to tell you about it, but you took off.” He grimaced for a second. “Then you were talking to Luke, so I cut through Monkey Lane. Anyway, hope you like eggs.”

“I wish I’d known about the hot spring.” Julie commented before taking her first bite of the sandwich - it was delicious. She took another bite, savoring the combination of egg, cheese, and tomato slice on what tasted like fresh bread. She didn’t realize that she was making any sounds while eating until she noticed Mark looking at her with a raised eyebrow. 

“Keep it up, Garden Rake, and you’re gonna make me blush.” Mark smirked. He chuckled as Julie swallowed what was in her mouth and blushed. “Glad you like it.”

“I’m going to ignore you now and finish this amazing sandwich, then get on with my work. You can get back to whacking that trunk.”

Mark coughed hard, clearly not expecting the remark. He huffed again and resumed his work. Julie finished her breakfast and grabbed her recently upgraded water can - Dinda found a design that sprayed the water versus pouring through the spout. This was far more effective and should work until she felt comfortable investing in a sprinkler system. She was happy to see tiny sprouts of her newly planted seeds. She remembered the scroll for the composter and fertilizer. I need to get that design to Dinda .

Julie found herself sneaking glances at Mark while he chopped trees and cut down the tall grass with her scythe. Even with his rudeness at the tree planting event and his general gruff attitude, she still felt drawn to him. She wasn’t lying when she told Luke that Mark reminded her of a friend. But that person had long been out of her life - since before university. She didn’t know yet if it was attraction, even though she did find him attractive. However, six months was not enough time for Julie - she needed more distance from that heartbreak. 

“Mark!” Julie waved her hands to get her helper’s attention. Her farming chores were done and she wanted to get to the museum. She felt guilty leaving while Mark was still working. “You don’t have to do any more. What you’ve done so far is so great.”

Mark lifted his shirt to wipe his face, exposing his husky build. Swirls of dark hair covered his chest and trailed down to his navel. Julie really hoped her eyes didn’t noticeably widen, but she swallowed and tried to force herself not to stare. Good grief. It’s not like you’ve never seen a man’s chest before . But she knew it was about seeing another side of Mark - even if it was momentary, he lowered his guard with her.

“I’m guessing you need to go somewhere and you don’t want to leave me alone here?” Mark responded after wiping his face. He noticed Julie staring at him and coughed again. “I promise not to make off with your scythe.”

Julie almost retorted until she saw the upturned edge of his mouth. “Ha. Yes, I have an errand I want to run. And if I’m breaking, then it seems fair for you to break.”

“Alright, I’ll stop.” Mark agreed as Julie handed him a bottle of water. “Thanks.”

“No, thank you. So much. Really…this is wonderful.” No smirk. No dryness. Her voice was genuine - probably for the first time since their first exchange.

Mark didn’t know how to respond. Nearly every conversation they exchanged permeated with sarcasm and thorny responses. But now, the farmer’s facial expression and voice exude gratefulness. “You’re welcome. Glad I could help. I can come back another day…if you need any more help. Just let me know.”

Julie nodded a little too enthusiastically before beginning to turn to leave. She actually didn’t know how to not be prickly with Mark. “Okay, I need to head out. Thank you again.” She popped inside her house to grab the backpack and change her shirt. When she re-emerged, Mark was gone and her scythe was on the porch.

Scott eagerly greeted Julie near the entrance of the museum. “Great timing. I was just coming back from a snack break. I’m a little excited to see what you have.

“I wrapped everything when I got back home, but I’m a little worried that I still damaged something.” Julie replied with a slight cringe.

“I’m sure it’s fine. I remember being on a fossil dig during my graduate studies - regardless of how careful we were, we still affected the bones somehow. Besides, you didn’t have any training…yet.” Scott winked with his last comment. “Let’s take a look.”

Julie followed Scott the short distance to the work space he shared with the island’s entomologist Eleanor. She smiled and waved a greeting before returning to her work. Scott cleared off a table so Julie could display the different items she found in the cavern. After several minutes of silent inspection, the director grinned with satisfaction.

“Julie, these are AMAZING! Where in the mine did you find them?”

“Well, I found a few levels that looked like they might have been loading areas or something . Much smaller space. Anyway, there was an odd chest in each room with these items.”

“Odd how?” Scott asked with a furrowed brow. “Wait, how far down did you go?”

“For one, the chests were kind of round. They looked like they were made with some kind of metal.” Julie replied, then paused for a second. “Um, the mine stops at level 40. There isn’t anything there.” Not a lie - now anyway . 

“You climbed down, then back up, forty levels ? Totally impressed here!”

“Oh, no. Um, I used the lift. It works now. Maybe Kira or someone on her crew got it working? It was lit up all of a sudden the other day.” Julie explained awkwardly. She was fairly certain that she didn’t have anything to do with the lift working again. However, the actual explanation might be a little hard for anyone else to understand.

Scott looked blown away. “Okay, wait - so that lift just started magically working. AND also, one of the statues went missing. AND another mine shaft opened. What is going on up there? Maybe I need to check this out for myself!”

That might be a bad idea. I need to investigate the other mine before anyone else tries to go to the bottom level . Julie feigned an expression of agreement while she tried to devise of a way to delay his plan. Fortunately, Scott helped her out.

“You know what?” Scott followed up his previous declaration. “I’m actually a little nervous about going into the mine shafts. I definitely want to check out the missing statue situation, but…I don’t want to run into whatever Mark and those other two are dealing with. I’m more of a lover than a fighter. Of history - lover of history.”

Julie laughed softly at the last awkward addition. “I’m happy to bring things to you as I find them. I don’t really plan to ‘mine’ in there - I’ll leave that to Pablo and Rafeal. But if and when I find artifacts, I’ll bring them straight to you. How’s that?”

Scott’s face brightened. “Yes! That would be great! And actually, it might help me with a project I want to do. It’s huge. Like probably not a good idea, but I’m gonna do it anyway. I just need to fill the museum up a bit more first.”

“You’ve piqued my interest, Director - can you talk about it?”

“I knew I was going to like you,” Scott grinned. “Well, we need to enhance the museum, right? Right. And, well, we can’t do that without money. But our town rank is terrible, so I can’t get any foundation to even consider us for a grant. BUT I also know that improving the museum will help the town rank. But those foundation people - ugh. They’re so frustrating. They can’t see the predicament we’re in and just help.”

Julie raised her eyebrows. “Um, yeah. Totally agree. So…your idea?”

“Right! Thanks! Okay, my idea is using a crowdfunding platform to raise money to upgrade our museum. I’ve been looking at Pickstarter and I think that’s our best bet. Be honest, Jules - good idea? Bad idea? Worst idea ever?” Scott winced in preparation.

“Breathe Scott. I think it’s a good idea. And if finding stuff for the museum will help, I’m willing to help how I can.”

“Awesome!” Scott was excited again. “And the artifacts help with that part of the displays. I need to figure out how to add to the other sections.”

Julie titled her head. “What are you talking about? What other sections?”

“The aquarium and terrarium. When I said before how Millie had to sell everything - she sold everything . We had some fairly rare fish in here. The second aquarium was just a fish overflow, but we could get some ocean creatures instead, maybe? I don’t know how though. Maybe Theo?” Scott scratched his chin.

“Um, well I’ve actually been diving lately.” Julie started. “ I’m helping Dr. Ling with something. I don’t know how to collect the different…critters, but I can ask her.”

“Perfect! I mean, that you do that too. Wait, is that too much? I mean, you’ve got your farm. I think we can compensate you for your time. I think anyway. And we actually have humane traps that you can put down. You just have to check them and get them to the surface. I can take it from there. I might still ask Theo to help too. Is that okay?”

Julie laughed as she held up her hands for Scott to pause. His brain ran at a much higher speed than most people, which meant his rapid fire comments often got tangled with each other towards the end. “I’ll still talk to Dr. Ling. But I don’t see any harm in putting the traps out and seeing what we get. This sounds really fun actually.”

“I know, right?!” Scott never seemed to run out of energy or grins. “And maybe I can pick your brain about some marketing ideas to promote the campaign?”

“Oh, sure. I should warn you - my job was more research, writing, and proofreading. I never actually came up with ads and stuff, but I’m sure I still gleaned some helpful info for you.”

Scott waved Julie off. “That’s okay…you’re doing enough. I’ll bug Luke about it. BUT I reserve the right to possibly bug you about my ideas in the future.”

“Absolutely. So…we’re really doing this, huh?”

“Yes. Yes? You feel good about this? We just need to fill te museum a little more so I have good pictures for the campaign. Right?” Scott’s voice sounded unsure.

“Yeah, I do. I’ll bring stuff in as I find and catch it.” Julie assured him.

“Everyone loves butterflies!” Eleanor finally chimed in. “I have some really good traps - just need someone to help me set them up.”

“If I have time, I can.” Julie couldn’t believe she was volunteering for something else. “I would suggest someone else, but I don’t really know people yet.”

“You’re so sweet,” Eleanor crooned. “I’ll find someone, dear. Thank you though.”

“Okay! We have a plan! Go Team…Restore the Museum!” Scott exclaimed. “Yeah, I’ll work on the name. Keep me updated, Jules. Thanks again!”

Julie finally exited the museum, feeling both excited and a little overwhelmed. She had no idea how big Dr. Ling’s project was, but the ocean was vast - even if the coral structures were only stationed around/near the island. Then there were the trapped Giants, and Julie didn’t know what would happen after the other two were freed. And now, she just agreed to help refill the empty museum. Good thing you love project .

“You look deep in thought.” Luke seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of Julie. “Penny for at least one of them?”

“I just agreed to help Scott find stuff for the museum.” Julie still had not decided if she was more overwhelmed than excited. “I think I even offered to help. Scott’s kind of hard to resist when he’s so excited like that.”

“Trying to make me jealous?” Luke teased. He looked nice in slacks and a light green dress shirt. “I’m kidding. I know what you mean. But wow - that sounds like a fairly involved project. Does he have a plan beyond that?”

Julie grinned slyly and patted Luke on the arm. “I’ll let him tell you all about it when he asks you for marketing advice.”

Luke looked at his arm for a second before smiling at Julie. “I thought you were the resident marketing pro. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten that sage wisdom.”

“Ha-Ha. As I told Scott, I didn’t create campaigns - I did research, writing, and proofing when necessary. I was but a lowly peon.”

Luke grinned again and leaned close. “Clerks run the world, Farmer.”

Julie smirked. “That explains Millie then.”

Luke bellowed with laughter. He continued to chuckle for a few seconds before finally stopping. He opened his mouth to respond, but Mark cut him off.

“Hey, Garden Rake!” Mark was standing on the other side of the courtyard. “I need to talk to you real quick.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that he calls you that?” Luke grimaced. “You don’t have to jump for that guy - especially after the tree event.”

“It’s fine. I find it kinda funny actually.” Julie countered. “And he actually apologized for that. I’ll be right back.”

She offered a small smile before walking towards the human ox. Mark’s shirt had been a long-sleeved hoodie once upon a time - now the sleeves were gone, revealing his impressive arms. “You summoned?”

Mark grunted. “Funny. Kira asked me to find you - she wants to talk. Now-ish. So, maybe tell Silver Spoon to move along?”

“You could almost make me swoon when you’re extra charming like that.” Julie’s penchant for prickly retorts were back in full force. “I’ll meet you there.”

“I’ll wait.” Mark jeered. “Hurry.”

Julie jogged slowly back to Luke. “Apparently Kira wants some gardening help. Find Scott and see how long it takes before he tells you everything. Report back.”

Luke laughed again. “Roger that. Catch you later.”

Julie’s expression changed as she met up with Mark. “Let’s go.”

“Sorry I pulled you away from the island’s most eligible bachelor,” Mark quipped. “Don’t worry - I’m sure he’ll find you again soon.”

Julie had not considered the idea of dating or Luke’s relationship status at all, even though Erika already mentioned that he and Scott were single. She was simply enjoying pleasant, fun conversation. But, he IS single…if I were curious . Mark’s comment still bugged her because it reminded her of university friends whose lives seemed to revolve around their significant other. Perhaps the fact that Julie never really considered her previous relationship something important enough to revolve around even slightly should have been a red flag. 

“I guess that would be good to know if I cared to have said information. He’s a nice guy - end of story. Not that you care or anything.” Julie huffed back.

“You’re the new shiny toy, the fresh meat for the guys around here. Date, don’t date. But…try to avoid drama, Garden Rake. That’s my one cent on socializing.”

“Fresh meat, huh? Let me guess - you’re a vegetarian?”

Mark coughed again. “Geez, Garden Rake. You got a thing for me?”

Julie felt her face flush. “You’re different than pretty much everyone else around here. So, that kinda gets my interest But sorry, Grizzly Bear, I don’t ‘got a thing’ for you.”

“Good. I’m worse at those kind of relationships. Too complicated. I like simple.”

“I’ll have to rib you about that later.” Julie replied when she realized that they were almost to Kira’s house and she was waiting for them. 

“Hi there.” Julie greeted. “You wanted to see me?”

“I did - thanks for coming. It won’t take long.” Kira looked like she was smiling. “I already know your explanation of the missing statue and new open mine.”

“Which was - I don’t know.” Julie hoped she sounded both casual and convincing. 

“We haven’t started checking out the new mine yet. I want you to join Mark on patrol of the first few levels tomorrow. That work for you?”

Julie tried not to show her disappointment. She was hoping to dive tomorrow. But she was also curious about the mine that was connected to Gong. “Sure. Sound good.”

“Great. You two just work out a time. I know you both have other responsibilities. Thanks for the help, Julie.”

The meeting seemed over since Kira started to move away from her and Mark. Julie remembered the question she wanted to ask. “Wait - I have a quick question about the dagger. Do you know where it’s from?”

Kira looked at Julie with an unreadable expression. “I found it in the cavern.”

“Do you remember where?” Julie could feel herself buzzing for some reason.

“I think you already know,” Kira replied softly. “The tenth level.”

Before Julie could say anything else, Kira practically jumped her porch steps and disappeared inside her house. 

“What was that about?” Mark queried. “You know something about that dagger?”

“I’m not sure. And I was just curious, that’s all.”

“Oh, yeah. That sounds believable.” Mark’s voice was a little gruff, but not sharp. “Anyway, we’re on this patrol together…when do you want to go?”

“Some time in the afternoon? I can’t give a specific time. You know, farm and all.”

Mark shook his head. “Fine. How about I swing by a little after noon? 

Julie nodded. “Sure. Thanks.”

Mark’s eyes were focused on Julie and she didn’t know why, but she did notice him glancing down at her bare legs. “You got nice legs, Garden Rake. Wear pants in the mine if you want to keep them nice. Got it? See you tomorrow.”

Julie didn’t quite know what to think - he was looking at her legs and did kind of compliment them, as best as Mark probably could offer a compliment. But it wasn’t something she really should or want to care about. After all, this was Mark - the stark opposite of the guy he called “the island’s most eligible bachelor.” And he just said that he wasn’t interested in relationships. And she wasn’t really even thinking about that.

“Mark doesn’t like he complicated? He’s nothing but complicated.” Julie fumed to herself before walking back towards her farm. To her surprise, Luke was waiting near the house.

“Oh good. That didn’t take long at all.” Luke grinned. 

“Kira’s not known for being chatty,” Julie joked. “Sometimes, it’s nice.”

“So, how about that drink? It’s a lovely night.”

Julie felt a nervous smile form on her lips. “I probably need to clean up a bit.”

“Nonsense,” Luke grabbed her hand and began walking slowly in the direction of his estate. “You look wonderful. I promise I won’t keep you late.”

“Um, sure. A drink.”

“I think I can throw a cheese and fruit plate together too.” Luke kept Julie’s hand folded in his. “You look like a pineapple lover. How about blueberries?”

“Sound great.” Julie liked the feeling of someone holding her hand, even if she didn't necessarily feel anything else yet.

“I think we might even catch the sunset. Perfect.”

Yes. Almost perfect. Almost.

Chapter Text

Julie found herself awake well before the alarm was scheduled to force her out of deep sleep. She wasn’t sure how much she actually slept since her dreams lately had been a blend of voices - the Chieftain, the Goddess, and the eerie darkness from the Earth Mine. And somewhere in the middle was another fainter voice that she could barely understand. It seemed so far away - or maybe far back in the past?  Her first season on Coral Island felt like an entire year. How did I manage to get so involved in so much SO QUICKLY? Did Dad know about the Giants and the Goddess? Why didn’t he ever tell me? I wish I could remember my grandparents. 

The last thought was not new, but rather a continual regret that Julie carried with her since the first night she spent in her new house. Their house. Her past resentment with her mother revolved around Connie remarrying - too soon for Julie’s younger self to accept. But now, she had to fight against moments of anger at not spending more time around her father’s family and the island. Her responses to texts had become more sporadic, but fortunately, Connie must have assumed that Julie was simply busy - again.

“I can’t lay here forever,” Julie grumbled to herself. “Got stuff to do.”

She dressed quickly so she could get started on her chores before Mark arrived. Checking out the newly opened mine was both an exciting and intimidating prospect, especially since Julie would have company. Even more annoying was how Mark’s presence kept her in a state of slight unsteadiness. She didn’t want to have to watch for possible danger and keep her from being distracted by her patrol partner. Maybe joining the BOS was a mistake. At this point, that particular concern might be too little, too late.

Julie jumped into her daily work - somehow her crops appeared to be growing faster. The plants were noticeably taller than a few days prior. She had not even made that fertilizer yet, so how was this possibly? I guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse too hard in the mouth? Faster growing crops just means quicker harvests . She also noticed the soil seemed to still be watered in some areas, which reduced the time required for hydrating the crops. Could it somehow have anything to do with green vial? Julie somehow assumed she might gain some special farming knowledge, but perhaps it did something else? “It’s magic Jules - anything’s possible.” She chuckled to herself.

“Good morning!” Luke waved to get Julie’s attention as he hopped down the steps near the rock wall. “Got a minute?”

Julie waved back and walked back towards the front of her field. “Hey there. You’re out kind of early. How’s it going?”

“Ouch!” Luke joked as he pressed his hand against his chest. “I’m up at least this early every morning, thank you very much. I like jogging in the morning - great way to wake up the brain.”

Julie had to force herself not to imagine Luke jogging - shirtless and in shorts that showed off more of his toned body. At present, he was wearing khakis and a peach-colored polo that nicely complimented his bronze skin. She only hoped she wasn’t staring, or at least being too overt about it. 

“My apologies,” Julie laughed softly. “Have a good jog this morning?”

Luke’s smile faded a little. “It was okay. That’s kind of why I’m here. Usually my dog Taco joins me. He didn’t come home last night, which I was hoping didn’t mean anything. But he still wasn’t home this morning, and I didn’t see him on my route. Have you seen him around your property?”

“No. Is he usually gone for long periods of time?” Julie asked, her face now showing concern.

“Sometimes. He likes going on adventures, but he’s usually home by dinner time. I actually fell asleep shortly after you left yesterday evening. I thought maybe he was at the Inn since Suki took care of him before I adopted him. I already checked - no Taco.”

Julie gently patted Luke’s arm. “Maybe he’s having an extra long adventure?”

“I hope so. Taco was originally a mountain dog. He followed Suki home one day and just stayed. I adopted him shortly after.” Luke paused and sighed. “Part of me has always kind of worried that he might someday go back to the mountains. I just want to know he’s safe.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for him,” Julie offered. “I can help look for him later too.”

Luke managed a small smile. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you. I meant to stop by anyway…to thank you for the pleasant company yesterday.”

Julie bit her lip bashfully. She wasn’t sure if she made the best impression, especially with Walter since she opted for juice instead of wine. Luke kept the conversation light, but he still tried to ask more about her life before the island and Julie didn’t overindulge on details. She left within a few hours and declined her host’s offer to walk her home. “Thank you. I had a nice time also.”

“I don’t want to interrupt you any more than I have. Thank you for looking out for Taco. I hope you have a good day.” Luke smiled again and left the same way he came.

Julie returned to her crops, checking the newer sprouts and watering the rest of the recently planted seeds. Seeing Taco always reminded her of Andy - they were both happy, energetic dogs. Andy was a slightly bigger dog, but it didn’t stop him from trying to crawl in her lap, especially during storms. Andy was also a stray who followed her father home one day. Just like Taco. Julie promised herself that she would do her own search after she finished the patrol with Mark.

After finishing with the field, she decided to work on clearing a path to the small lake at the bottom of the property before the day heated up too much. A few hours later, Julie decided to take a break and rest her arms before the patrol.

“Julie!” Another visitor announced their arrival - this time it was Dinda. “I was taking a walk and thought I would see how that watering can was working for you.”

Julie beamed and hurried closer to the carpenter. “It is WONDERFUL! Hopefully I’ll be at a place where I need to consider sprinklers by the next season, but this thing is already helping out a lot. Thanks so much for making it!”

Dinda scanned the farm and smirked. “I think you’re gonna want those sprinklers sooner than later. I still can’t believe what this place looked like before last season. Wow! You’ve done so much already! And look how much area you’ve cleared. I hope you aren’t overworking yourself.”

“Well, I can’t take credit for that much of the clean-up. Um, Mark helped out one day - he easily doubled my progress.” Julie nodded her head towards the wood piled against her house. “I’ve been meaning to stop by for a few days now - to ask if you all needed any wood, and also to show you a machine design I…found recently.”

Dinda reacted to Julie’s explanation. “Did you say Mark helped you? Wow. I mean, he’s not a bad guy or anything…just not all that social. Really keeps to himself. Well, that’s great that you had some help. And we’d love to take some wood off your hands - not for free, though. We’ll pay for it.”

“I don’t really know who to go to about this composter. And you made the watering can, so I figured I would start with you and Joko. Maybe we work out a trade of sorts?” Julie batted her eyes playfully.

Dinda laughed in response. “Okay, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Julie hurried inside to retrieve the redrawn design for Dinda. The carpenter looked over the pages for a few minutes in silence, her nose wrinkling like she was thinking. She finally nodded to herself before winking at Julie.

“This is really interesting. Where did you find this?”

“Oh, my mom sent it to me. She found it…I don’t remember where now. I know it’s not very ‘modern,’ but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, right?”

Dinda raised her eyebrows. “Your mom found it? Was the book a history of farming or something?”

Julie tried to laugh casually. Her excuse was barely believable, but Dinda didn’t push for any other information. “I’m not sure I could build it without help. What do you think?”

Dinda waved off Julie’s question. “Joko and I got this. Or rather, Joko and Rafael can do it. How about we trade the machine for half the wood?”

“That would be great! And maybe you could take a little extra wood to build something I can store fertilizer in?” Julie asked. “I’ll pay for that upfront.”

“Look at you - Miss Serious Farmer!” Dinda winked again. “And I’ll just lump that in with our trade deal. This really saves us a trip across the Bay for wood.” She glanced around the farm again, then pointed to the area that Mark cleaned up. “If you’re interested in having animals too, that would be a good spot for at least a coop.”

Julie slightly cringed. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet , but it’s something I was recently thinking about. Maybe.”

“No pressure,” Dinda replied. “But if you decide to go for it, we can build the coop and Jack can supply you with the animals. Well, I’ll have one of my cousins pick up the wood later and I’ll let you know how it’s going with the machine!”

“Thank you,” Julie beamed. “I’m really excited about this. See you later!”

Dinda noticed something as she was leaving and gestured with a nod for Julie to turn around. “See you later.”

Julie turned around and saw Mark crossing the bridge. To her surprise, she actually didn’t mind seeing him. “Almost perfect timing.”

“Kinda hard for you to be late if we’re meeting at your house,” Mark smirked. “Unless you’re not ready to go…?”

Well, I almost didn’t mind seeing him . “That’s why I said ‘almost’ perfect timing. Dinda stopped by to discuss something. I’ll be ready to go in a minute.”

Mark sighed in response. Julie bite her tongue lightly to keep from snapping at him. They had to work together today, so it was important to not be combative. She went back inside her house to grab her backpack and weapon. She also remembered to change into long pants and her climbing boots. 

When Julie rejoined Mark outside, he glanced down at her pants and boots. “Nice boots. They actually look sturdy.”

“For what other reason would I have boots?” Julie didn’t mean to sound annoyed. “I just meant…never mind. Thank you.”

Mark gave his usual raised eyebrow look. “Alright then. I guess I’ll keep the pants comment to myself.”

“What’s wrong with my pants? You said long pants.” 

“They’re fine. They look nice. Just looks like something Senja would wear.” Mark walked away before Julie could react. She looked down at her pants - they were recommended by the sales associate for spelunking and general ‘adventuring.’ She also didn’t know how to take the comparison to Senja. 

“Wait up!” Julie jogged to catch up to Mark. “What did you mean with the Senja comment?”

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Mark complained. “I didn’t mean it as a bad thing. Can we drop it?” He glanced at Julie and sighed. She didn’t look upset - she looked hurt. “They’re just a little…tighter than what I’ve seen you in. Or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. I shouldn’t have said anything. Sorry.”

Julie almost snickered in response. He was looking at her ?! She immediately decide not to drag out the subject any longer. “Um, the pants are new. My mom bought them for me before I moved. The sales person said they were perfect for spelunking. I’m not sure what she thought I would be doing out here.”

“Spelunking? That sounds like something Silver Spoon does. Didn’t take you for that kind of crowd, Garden Rake.”

“Wow, you really don’t like Luke,” Julie observed. “Is there a particular reason?”

“It’s nothing like that. And I don’t particularly dislike him. Plus, he takes good care of Taco. It’s just - in my experience, privileged people are all kind of the same.”

“And you being antagonistic is just the icing on top?” Julie asked as they crossed the bridge and stopped at the cavern entrance.

Mark smirked. “You and your big words. Does the nickname bother you?”

“Oh please,” Julie replied dryly. “If any nickname was going to bother me, it would be ‘Garden Rake.’ I was just curious.”

She pushed through the cavern door and entered ahead of Mark. They both tried not to pay attention to missing statue as Julie continued to lead the way to the new mine. She was inwardly relieved to see a lift with a lit control panel. Mark tapped Julie’s shoulder and nodded toward the Earth Mine.

“We need to check the bottom level first and make sure there’s nothing…weird down there.” Mark declared as he walked towards the mine shaft. 

The weird was already there. Hopefully that tablet is still gone. Julie kept her facial expression unreadable as she followed Mark onto the lift. The pair had to stand a little closer together than usual to fit on the platform. Mark coughed and Julie opted to face the control panel. She pressed the last square button and kept her eyes on the buttons as the lift slowly lowered itself 40 levels. The doorway finally came into view when Julie finally turned around. It looks a little darker in there than I remember . Perhaps the tablet had been the main light source for the room? The lift finally stopped and Mark stepped just inside the room. Something in the air pricked at Julie’s skin. Whatever that presence was before was not completely gone. She noticed Mark take a few more steps as the scent of cilantro put her brain on alert.

“Mark, stop. Something’s in there.”

“It’s fine, Garden Rake. You can wait a little longer to start getting paranoid.”

Julie almost responded, but she smelled the cilantro again. She stepped around Mark and armed herself. She could hear Mark sighed loudly behind her, but seconds later, two monsters similar to the caterpillars emerged from the darkened part of the room. They seemed more focused on Julie than Mark, hissing loudly and baring teeth.

Mark was instantly at Julie’s side with his sword ready. “How did you know they were here?”

Julie didn’t have a chance to answer as one of the worms lunged at them. Mark nearly severed the creature with one hit. She dealt with the second worm, putting an end to it with three blows from her dagger.

“This room is giving off some serious bad vibes,” Mark commented as he backed towards the doorway. “Let’s get out of here.”

Julie nodded in agreement and followed Mark onto the lift. He pressed the top button and they stood silently, again, as the lift moved upwards.

“You gonna answer my question?” Mark finally spoke.

“About?”

“How did you know the worms were there? You weren’t just guessing - you knew, somehow.” Mark asked again.

Julie could feel his eyes on her. “They smell like cilantro to me.”

“Come again?”

“Cilantro.” Julie repeated. “The first time I encountered those worms, I remember smelling cilantro. And every time since, I smell cilantro when a worm is nearby.”

Mark didn’t say anything until they were back on the main floor of the cavern. “So, do you any other special skills I should know about?”

“I wouldn’t exactly consider ‘smelling’ a special skill,” Julie could hear the defensiveness in her voice. “I know what cilantro smells like because my mom made me take some cooking classes with her once.”

“Cooking classes, huh?” Mark mused. “Also sounds like Luke’s crowd. Interesting. I really didn’t see you being a silver spoon.”

“How do cooking classes translate to a privileged upbringing?” Julie’s tone was laced with ire. “Does it actually matter anyway?”

Marked huffed. “Just an observation. I’m usually right though.”

“My stepfather brought the spoon.” Julie retorted. “If you want to see ‘privilege,’ you should meet my half-sister. She and Leah would be great friends.”

“That sounds like a long story, and we have work to do.” Mark started to walk towards the other mine, then stopped. “Let’s backtrack a sec - what did you mean by ‘every time since’? How many times have you fought those things?”

Julie chewed on her lip for a moment. “More than a few, but not a lot.”

“Thanks for not being vague.” Mark stomped towards the new mine shaft. “Let’s get to this. I don’t want to be late for dinner.”

Julie stepped onto the lift after Mark and pushed the first small round button to take them to the first level. Mark stepped off the lift and scanned the room - it was surprisingly empty. He waved Julie into the space and pointed to the torch.

“Care to show me how you turned on the lights in the other mine?”

“You keep acting like I did something special. I just leaned against the wall and lucked out,” she explained as she felt the wall under the torch until her hand found the smooth surface of the solar core. Within a few minutes, the room was lit.

“I’m guessing you don’t know how it works?” Mark asked as he closely inspected the glowing orb. “What are these things?”

Julie realized that he wasn’t interrogating so much as trying to understand. She breathed out and dropped her guard a little. “I don’t know. I found the first one by luck, and then checked out other levels to see if those glowy orb things were there too.”

“That’s a more scientific approach than I would expect from someone in marketing,” Mark mused. “Good work, though. Let’s check out the next few levels.”

Julie returned to the lift with Mark and moved to the next level. After lighting up the level, he found and killed two blobs. The third level looked quiet, until Mark noticed a large round boulder not far from the doorway.

“Garden Rake, do you see this?” He pointed to the boulder and began moving closer for a better look. “How is that rock almost perfectly round.”

Julie jumped off the lift and grabbed Mark’s hand to stop him. He looked more surprised than annoyed at her hand wrapped over his. Still holding onto Mark, she bent down and grabbed a small stone, then tossed the stone at the round boulder. It moved, stood up, turned around, then plopped back down.

“ What the …?” Mark’s eyes widened as he stared at the large round rock.

“That probably best sums up just about everything in this cavern,” Julie replied as she released his hand. 

“Something else you ran into in the other mine?” Mark raised one eyebrow.

“Literally…while running from a giant wasp. It has surprisingly skinny legs - knocked it down after a few hits on the legs.”

Mark gave Julie a serious look. “Explain to me why you put yourself in that kind of danger…what was the reason for checking out the lower levels of the other mine?”

For Gong. For the Giants . Julie knew she couldn’t give Mark the real answer, but anything less than the truth felt like a subpar explanation. “It’s a stupid reason, but I was exploring. And also, I didn’t really run into a lot of problems until after level 30.”

Mark sighed again. “Ahh well - if it wasn’t you, it was going to be someone else eventually, like Scott. At least you can handle yourself.”

Julie couldn’t help teasing. “Did you just compliment me?”

“Let’s check out the next level.” Mark said instead of acknowledging the question.

“But wait - you complimented me, didn’t you?”

Mark’s mouth curved into a half grin. “Didn’t I already do that with the boots?”

The boots and the pants . Julie was glad that she was facing the control panel because she felt herself blush. She pressed the button for the next level. Instead of an open space, it looked like the next level was carved around a wall of rock at the center of the space.

“This is different,” Julie commented. “I guess whoever made the mine left a ‘support beam’ at the center?”

“Whatever it is, it’s creating blind spots. We’ll have to be careful.” Mark advised as he rested his hand on the handle of his sword. Let’s not split up yet though.”

Julie nodded her head that she understood, but felt a flicker of frustration. Does he not trust me? He just said that I can handle myself. I guess I’m still a rookie and he’s responsible? She followed behind Mark as they slowly investigated the other side of the level. At one point, she wandered slightly ahead of Mark, not realizing why he stopped until she heard the tail of the ant eater slide across the dirt floor.

“Garden Rake, do you see this?” Mark was watching the creature as it moved slowly in his general direction. “It doesn’t look like it would be too dangerous.”

“You should really back up,” Julie advised. “You’re not far enough away from it.”

Mark looked at her with a quizzical expression. “What are you talking about?”

The creature took another step and hissed loudly. Julie remembered it hissing right before the long red tongue shot out and stung her. She could tell that Mark wasn’t far enough away to avoid the ant eater’s attack. Instead of trying to explain, she ran towards Mark and crashed into him to move him out of the way. They both stumbled back into the wall and Mark instinctively wrapped his arms around Julie to steady her.

“Gar-Julie! What are you-” Mark started to say when he saw the tongue from the ant eater lash out and hit a rock near where he was standing. The shock from the monster crackled against the rock’s surface, causing a few pieces to break off.

“That’s why,” Julie said as she tried to catch her breath.

“How did you know?”

“I found one in the other mine,” Julie explained, still panting a little. “I thought I was far enough from it too, but I wasn’t.”

Mark looked down. “When?”

“Um, the other evening…when I joined the BOS.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Mark’s tone was more concerned than irritated.

Julie stared at the chest in front of her. She felt guilty for not warning him or anyone else in advance. “I know - I should have told you all about the monster. I’m sorry. I was late getting there…you were already bugged. Then Kira and the ceremony happened…and Jio Dan and Senja - I just forgot.”

Mark slid his knuckle under Julie’s chin to make her look at him. “I didn’t mean ‘why didn’t you share information’ - why didn’t you tell me…us that you were injured? That had to hurt. And what about Jio and Senja?”

Julie couldn’t look down again as Mark’s knuckle kept her face on his. “I wasn’t hurting anymore by the time I got there. Well, they didn’t sound happy about me being a part of team. No one really did, except Axel.”

For the first time, Mark noticed Julie’s eyes - light brown, with a hint of golden hue. It reminded him of the cinnamon tea his sister forced him to drink sometimes; he put up a fight, but it was always soothing - just like now. He needed to keep his mind focused on the task, but for now, he felt caught. 

“Jio complains about everything, so we barely pay attention.” Mark explained. “And Senja…well, that’s just her. But that’s also kinda why I herded you out of there so quickly - in case Kira wanted to talk to her.”

“I should have said something. I’m sorry.” Julie realized that her hands were still pressed against Mark’s chest, but she couldn’t move them because his arm held her still. His eyes were not angry or scowling, but looking - at hers, at her .

The pair quickly realized that they were pressed together, with Mark’s arm not letting go yet. Another shuffle in the dirt drew their attention to the ant eater that was slowly turning towards their position. Mark coughed softly and released his hold on Julie.

“We should, um, move. Did you ever take one of these out?”

Julie stepped back to put a little distance from whatever unknown thing was happening in the previous moments. “Oh, yes. The hide is pretty thick, but I managed to kick it from the side and roll it over.”

Mark grinned approvingly. “Nice. Good job.”

He moved much faster than Julie or anyone would have assumed given his size and circled to the tail side. Mark brought his sword down on the monster’s tail, causing it to screech lowly and begin to turn. He took a step, hooked the toe of his boot just under the side and kicked hard. The monster flopped onto its back and Mark quickly finished it off. “I’ll remember to keep my distance next time. Thanks.”

Julie felt herself smile. She was scanning the room for other monsters. “There could be something else around the other corner. Shall we check?”

“Yeah. Let’s finish this level and call it a day. Axel and Senja can circle back around another day. You take the lead.”

Mark followed Julie to the next bend around the center pillar - only a few blobs could be seen and they each took care of a monster. After rechecking the area around the doorway, Julie loaded onto the lift first with Mark close behind. The closeness during the short ride to the surface felt slightly awkward for new reasons. Julie suddenly didn’t mind being so close to her patrol partner, but she wasn’t quite sure why. And she assumed that he still wasn’t comfortable being near her.

They walked back to the BOS headquarters in relative silence, but Julie glanced at Mark and saw a hint of a smile on his face.

“You know,” Mark finally broke the quiet. “I might have to come up with a new nickname for you…’Garden Rake’ really stuck though.”

Julie couldn’t help laughing. “I really thought you were about to say ‘Silver Spoon.’ I shudder to think what other names are in your head. Maybe we just stick with ‘Garden Rake’ for now.”

“Shudder?” Mark smirked. “You and your big words.”

They reached the small clearing near Kira’s house and the headquarters just as Senja was leaving. She saw the pair and walked towards them in a way that Julie would only describe as alluring.

“Hey Mark - how was babysitting? Oops, I mean training.”

Mark’s scowl returned. “Knock it off. Julie’s pretty capable. I’m impressed. I have some info to pass on to you and Axel for future patrols - thanks to Julie actually.”

Senja looked over Julie before turning her attention on Mark. “Maybe you can catch me up while we spar a little.”

“No, thanks.” Mark replied with a slight edge. “I’ll fill you and Axel in later.”

“Oh, come on Mark - I thought you enjoyed sparring with me. It’s been a while and I could really use the work-out.” Senja’s voice carried an enticing tone. She reached out and playfully ran a finger down the top of Mark’s chest.

“Well, nothing quite says ‘third wheel’ like that comment.” Julie wasn’t sure why she just said that, but now she had to follow thorough. “I’m gonna head home. Mark - thanks for the training. Senja - always a pleasure. Have a good night.”

Mark watched Julie turn and walk away quickly before he could stop her. He looked back at Senja, clearly annoyed. “What was that?”

“Oh, I was teasing.” Senja waved off his gruffness. “It’s part of being the newbie - you get teased. You didn’t even like her two days ago.”

“Have a good night,” Mark replied flatly as he started to walk away.

“What about sparring? Come on…” Senja’s voice sounded like velvet.

Mark didn’t turn around. “Go find Axel.” He didn’t notice if she replied as he walked towards Julie’s farm. Luckily, Julie was still outside, sitting on her porch.

“She isn’t always like that.” Mark’s voice made Julie physically jump.

“It’s fine.” That was Julie’s new mantra. She wasn’t as bothered by Senja jabbing her as she was by the other comments to Mark and that bugged her. She didn’t want to be interested in anyone right now, especially not him. 

Mark moved so Julie could see him. “It’s not fine. It was rude. Even if she swears she was teasing.”

Julie looked up from staring at the ground. “You were rude all the time . And she wasn’t teasing - she was…look, I’m not judging - I just don’t want to be put in the middle of anything. So, go - ‘spar’ to your heart’s content.”

The last comment was probably unnecessary and definitely petty, but Julie didn’t feel like trying to restrain herself at that moment.

“Yeah, I was rude.” Mark’s admitted. “I’ve got my reasons, but that’s still not a good excuse. And Senja…it was a long time ago and–”

Julie held up her hands to stop him. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me or explain anything there. No judging, remember?”

“Oh, stop.” Mark rolled his eyes. “Look, you’re not in the middle of anything because there’s nothing to be in the middle of .” He paused and turned to look at the property. “I noticed just now that the wood pile is half its size.”

Julie inwardly sighed in relief at the change in conversation. “Yeah - I traded some wood to Dinda for their help in building me a composter and a storage box for fertilizer. Dinda’s trying to talk me into building a coop.”

“That’s not a bad idea. Jack has some chickens and ducks, but he just barely keeps up with filling Sam’s requests. Another coop around would be really helpful.”

“I guess so,” Julie replied. “But I still have to pay for the coop, pay for the birds, pay for a fence. It’s all doable, but it’s also added chores.”

“It’s not as much work as you think,” Mark countered. “Jack would give you a good deal on the animals. And as for the fence, I bet Kenny and I could put something together that would work.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Julie felt even more petty now for her previous comments. “I’ll get there eventually.”

“You don’t have to ‘get there’ by yourself. The people here are eager to help, especially with what you’re doing for them…us.” Mark was still looking at the land. “I’m guessing the space I cleared is where the coop will go?”

“Um, yes.”

Mark rubbed his chin for a few seconds. “I think we can start with a smaller fence and expand if or when you build a barn. I’ll talk to Kenny and get back with you.”

Julie finally pulled herself off the porch. “You really don’t have to.”

“Too late. You handle the coop part whenever you’re ready. I’ve got the fence. See you later, Garden Rake.”

Chapter Text

Julie woke up with a To-Do list already building in her mind. She barely remembered to look for Taco after the patrol. She was still a little off-kilter by the day’s events and didn’t remember until evening. She checked with Luke, who sadly reported that the dog still had not come home. He tried to make some light conversation, but his mother Bree and younger woman who looked vaguely familiar pulled him away for dinner. 

However, as soon as her eyes opened, Julie realized that she didn’t check the beach. If Taco lived with Suki for a while, then he would have played on the beach as well. She jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top. “Maybe I can catch Luke before he starts jogging.”

Morning chores would have to wait a bit. Julie jogged up the hill to the vineyard, catching Luke as he was about to leave. As she previously thought, Luke wasn’t wearing a shirt - just black running short and shoes. A pair of of wireless earbuds hung around his neck. 

“Julie! What a pleasant surprise. Have you decided to join me this morning?”

“I’m already kinda winded just from jogging over here,” Julie panted. “I woke up thinking about Taco. Did you ever check the beach?”

Luke’s face brightened. “Why didn’t I think of that? He spent a lot of time on the beach before he moved up here. I’ve been checking the forest and the trails that lead towards the mountain area. I never thought to check the beach.”

“I will run down there and check real quick.” Julie was already turning to head to the beach. Luke fell in step next to her. She tried not to think too much about the bare chest next to her and focus on where Taco might be hiding on the beach.

The beach felt so different early in the morning - calm and quiet, except for the sound of waves breaking against the shore. Luke opted to check the side near the lighthouse and Julie headed past the volleyball court. She had just rounded a rock formation near the far east side of the beach when she thought she heard a bark. A few more steps and she was beyond the formation - and looking right at Taco.

“Hey Taco!” Julie called to the dog. “We’ve been looking for you!”

Taco paused his barking at whatever was in the water and trotted over to Julie. Part of his coat was covered in sand, but he looked otherwise unhurt. 

“Come on buddy - let’s get you back to Luke,” Julie coaxed. The dog perked at hearing Luke’s name and began following her. They were near the volleyball court when Luke appeared. He saw Taco and immediately ran towards the dog.

“Taco! My boy! We found you!” Luke dropped onto the sand to hug and inspect his dog. “I have missed you! I’m so glad you’re okay!” He stood up and clasped Julie’s hands in his. “Thank you so much, Julie. I am so very grateful for your help.”

“You are very welcome. I’m glad Taco is okay. I know you were worried.”

Luke looked down at his hands, then back to Julie. “I need to do something for you - as a ‘thank you’ for finding Taco.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do anything.” Julie smiled warmly. She didn’t want to stare at her hands still clutched by Luke, but she was struggling to not stare at his chest. 

Luke moved a little closer while still holding Julie’s hands. “Perhaps dinner?”

Before Julie could respond, another voice caught their attention.

“Good morning!” the woman who was at Luke’s house the previous evening was now walking towards the small group. “You found Taco! How wonderful, darling!”

Julie gently tugged her hands free and turned around to introduce herself. The woman wore a bright smile that was only slightly bigger than her eyes. Her short hair bounced in the morning breeze. 

“Julie, this is Nina. She owns the house up there,” Luke gestured to the mansion overlooking the beach. “Nine, this is Julie.”

“Why, yes - the farmer!” Nina extended a manicured hand. “Bree mentioned you last night at dinner. Welcome to the island!” She reached over and playfully squeezed Luke’s arm. “I can’t believe you’re not sleeping in. We were up SO late last night.”

Luke smiled awkwardly. “It’s part of my routine.” He looked at Julie and opened his mouth, but Nina interjected.

“He’s such a gentleman - insisted on walking me back over here since it was so late, and then stayed over longer so we could catch up. I don’t even know how I’m up already.” Nine winked at Julie. “What are you two up to so early?”

“I was just helping Luke look for Taco - turns out, he was at the beach. And now, I really should get back to my work. Nice to meet you, Nina. You two have a nice day.”

Julie managed a smile before she turned to trek back to her farm. Luke grabbed her hand again to stop her.

“What about dinner?” He asked again. “A celebratory meal for finding Taco?”

“Oh, you should come by the tavern tonight!” Nina interrupted again. “We’re meeting there later with some other people. How about that?”

“Maybe,” Julie’s smiled was looking more forced. “If I have time. Well, and if I feel like it. Manual labor and all.” 

“Why don’t I stop by later then?” Luke asked as he let go of Julie’s hand.

Julie had hoped to dive again; the break from her routine and plans was only pushing that further back. At the moment, she also just wanted to get away from what felt like another potential triangle situation. “Don’t do that. Please. I’ll come by if I can.”

She finally extricated herself from what had become an awkward situation. In her haste to get away from the beach, Julie nearly ran into Mark holding a steaming cup.

“Look out, Ga…Julie. I almost spilled on you.” Mark’s voice lacked the gruff edge she had become accustomed to. “You’re out of place this morning.”

Julie hoped that Luke had not tried to follow her. “Apologies.”

“That’s a little formal for the morning,” Mark quipped. 

“Right - no formalities before coffee?” Julie shot back with a light grin.

“Coffee? No way. This is hot chocolate.”

The grin now stretched over Julie’s entire mouth. “No wonder you were worried about spilling it. That’s precious stuff.”

“I know you’re trying to make fun, but it really is good. Mark let his mouth show a slight smirk. “So, where you at the beach just now?”

“Oh, yeah. I was helping Luke look for Taco. And now, I am heading back to my farm to get work done.”

Mark arched an eyebrow. “Taco was lost? When?”

“Well, Luke stopped by yesterday morning to ask if I had seen him. Apparently Taco didn’t come home the night before. I was going to mention it to you, but we got..um busy.” Julie’s mind was already reminding her of Mark’s arm holding her close and his knuckle gently tilting her head to look at him. “By the end of patrol, I forgot.”

Mark shrugged. “I would’ve suggested you check the beach. Apparently my niece sees him there all the time. He and Bon-Bon play together a lot too.”

“Well, Taco was at the beach, so I wish I had remembered to ask you. And then I got to meet Nina. And now I’m going home.”

“Nina?” Mark queried before he nodded his head. “Right. That other Silver Spoon. She’s…well, there’s a lot of personality there. Too much for me.”

“I think she’s what we could call ‘an acquired taste,’” Julie joked. “Okay, I am behind enough. Enjoy your cocoa, tough guy. See you later.”

“Later, Garden Rake.” Mark continued in the direction of the community center.

Julie decided to jog the rest of the way back to her farm. She was at least an hour behind her schedule, so she jumped right into her work. While watering plants, she thought about her morning - Luke certainly seemed interested in at least getting to know her, but Julie couldn’t tell from the few short interactions if Nina had any interest in Luke. To be fair, she didn’t even know if she had any interest in Luke. And then there was Mark - gruff, distant, complicated; and yet, there was something about him that intrigued her. 

“You have more things to deal with right now,” Julie reminded herself as she finished watering her crops. The peppers looked like they were almost ready to harvest, much to her delight. She took a few minutes to look over her slowly growing field with a sense of pride. Who knew she was capable of being a successful farmer? Even though the farm was still its beginning stages, Julie felt more confidant with each passing day that she was exactly where she should have been all along. The bleakness of her former career barely had a place in her mind anymore. 

With daily work handled, she just needed to change and ready herself to dive. Julie slipped into the two-piece suit that Dr. Ling originally provided, then put her shorts and tank back on. She packed some snacks and towels in her bag and was about to leave for the pier when her phone rang - it was her mother.

“Hey mom,” Julie greeted the caller upon answering.

“Hi, sweetheart! How are things going?” Connie’s voice sounded as song-like as ever. “Do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure. What’s up?”

Connie huffed lightly. “You sound like I’m keeping you from something.”

“I’m kinda always busy, Mom.” Julie wanted to sigh. Most of her recent conversations with her mother involved Connie pouting for some part of the call. “But I have time to talk. You sounded like you called for a specific reason.”

“Well, I did. But you didn’t even answer my question.”

Julie closed her eyes and breathed. “I’m doing well. I’m enjoying my farm. Things are going really well.”

“Oh, good.” Connie didn’t sound very excited at the answer. “So you like being there? Making any friends?”

Julie immediately thought of Mark. Was he a friend yet? They had only a few conversations where they didn’t trade barbs. Millie might be closest she had to a friend at this point. “Yes, I love being here. And you know me - I’m not the biggest social butterfly, but I’m getting there.”

“That’s what I’m worried about, sweetie.” Connie replied with a hint of concern. “I just don’t want you to be lonely. Aside from friends, are there any eligible bachelors in that little town?”

“Oh, mom! To answer your question, yes, there are some single guys. But right now, I’m just trying to get things off the ground. I’m in no rush for anything romantic right now anyway.” Julie believed most of what she just said, even as the image of shirtless Luke floated through her mind.

“I ran into Josh the other day.” Connie commented. “He asked about you…I wasn’t really sure what to tell him, so I said you were busy and fine.”

Julie felt herself stiffened at the mention of her ex-boyfriend’s name. “Maybe just don’t talk about me to him and/or talk to him at all? He moved on and got married, so he shouldn’t be asking about me anyway.”

Connie sighed into the phone. “Sweetie, he was probably just being nice. But I still don’t know what to tell anyone about this new…path of yours.”

“What’s the problem? I moved to Coral Island to bring back my family’s farm. You could say that I moved here to rediscover my family and myself. Both of those options are also true.”

Connie sighed again. “I still don’t understand why you felt like you needed to do this, but there wasn’t much I could do about it.”

Julie wanted to explain that she was needed on this island - by the Goddess, the Giants, the residents, and even the ocean. At this point, she would even say that she was destined to return to the island. Her reason for moving here? Fate.

Connie didn’t wait for her daughter to respond. “So, there’s actually two reasons why I called - first, I came across a box of stuff that looks like it came from there.”

“Came from here? Like from this house? What kind of stuff?”

“Well, there’s a lot of papers. A few journals, or I think that’s what they are. Your dad must have gathered this up after the accident. I guess I forgot about it all this time. I’m assuming that you want it?”

“Yes!” Julie responded more enthusiastically than she meant to. “Uh, yes. Please. If you don’t want to ship it, maybe you could come to the island for a weekend and bring it then. Everyone - you all could see the farm. It’s starting to look so good.”

“Or…you could pick up the box when you visit.” Connie suggested. “Greg just got a big promotion and we’re having a little party to celebrate. It’s next weekend. What do you think?”

“Mom, I probably can’t. Rather, I know I can’t.” Julie tried not to sound exasperated. “I’m happy for Greg - that’s so great. But, I’m running a farm.”

“Honey, it’s not that big of a farm. Can’t you just hire someone to water the plants for a few days?” 

“I know it’s not a huge enterprise yet,” Julie felt her temper rising. “But it’s not some tiny garden either. I’ll see what I can do, but don’t make plans for me to be there. Please ship the box of my family’s belongings.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Connie quickly backtracked. “I know that place is important to you. I just miss my daughter.”

“So, why don’t you all visit me?” Julie asked again. “The Coral Inn is so beautiful and…”

“I know it is,” Connie interrupted. “It was a lovely place when we visited 25 years ago. In a town like that, I doubt much has really changed. Summertime is not the best time to visit, what with all the humidity. Plus, I read that there’s still a lot of mess from that oil spill. Don’t worry, sweetheart - I’ll get the box shipped to you.”

She doesn’t want to come here. She never did . The realization dropped on Julie like a heavy tarp. Her mother would always make excuses. Whether it was the island, the town, or maybe the memories - she had no interest in visiting.

“Thanks mom. I’ll see what I can do about next weekend.” Julie tried to lighten her voice and sound happy. “I’m glad you called.”

“Sure, sweetie. I guess I’ll let you get on with your day. Love you. Bye.”

Julie stared at her phone for several minutes after the call ended. She knew that she was leaving one part of her life behind when she moved to Coral Island, but she didn’t really understand at the time that she was leaving every part of her old life - possibly including her family. But I’m needed here. I can’t leave. I don’t want to leave.

“I just need to get in the water,” Julie assured herself. She grabbed her bag and left the house. Instead of warping to the pier, she decided to stop by the lab first and talk to Dr. Ling about capturing sea critters for the museum.

*******

“I think that’s a great idea!” Dr. Ling replied after Julie explained what Scott wanted to do for the museum. “I think I can put something together to help bring the traps back to the surface.”

“He said he would also talk to Theo about helping.” Julie added. “But I’ve already seen a few different species that look relatively easy to grab.”

“I think I can help with that effort.” Dr. Ling affirmed. “And I’m glad you stopped by - saves me a trip to the boat. I want to get some water and coral samples to send in for testing. If we can show evidence that the coral is healing, it might open up some grant options and other aid for the island.”

Julie clapped her hands softly. “That would be so great. I’d love to help out. Just show me what I need to do.”

Dr. Ling proceed to show Julie the method for collecting coral and water samples. “I can use Kibit to take photos. You’re still in the shallower area, right?”

Julie nodded. “I’m hoping to make more progress today since I’m getting started a little earlier than before.” She bit her lip before asking the question in the forefront of her mind. “I’m happy to help with collecting samples, but I’m just curious why Surya isn’t doing it. Of course, that’s probably none of my business.”

Dr. Ling smiled, but her eyes looked uncomfortable with the topic. “Well, he’s not so good with swimming…underwater.”

“Say no more. I probably shouldn’t have asked anyway.”

“It’s okay,” Dr. Ling replied. “It’s an understandable question. No worries.”

Julie replied with a smile as she grabbed the collection equipment and left the lab. The afternoon sun quickly engulfed her with its heat and she was glad to be heading to the coolness of the ocean. Walking down to the beach was the shorter path to the pier and the boat, but it also meant possibly running into people who might slow her down or ask questions. Maybe if I don’t make eye contact? The thought no sooner crossed her mind when she heard her name.

“Julie! Over here!” It was Nina. She waved at Julie from a beach towel not far from the water’s edge. “Come and sit with us!”

“Hi there,” Julie greeted both Nina and Lily, who lay nearby. “I wish I could, but I actually have a project I’m working on.”

“Surely it can wait,” Nina cooed. “You rushed off so quickly this morning that we barely had a chance to get to know each other.” Nina turned to Lily. “Apparently, our dear farmer helped Luke find Taco this morning - right here on the beach!”

Lily just smiled as she glanced at Julie. “Oh, um that’s nice. Luke loves that dog.”

“I’m sure someone would’ve seen Taco today. I just happened to think of checking the beach. No biggie.”

“Luke went on and on last night about Taco,” Nina replied. “To think - he was so close and didn’t even realize it. We used to hang out at the beach at night all the time when we were younger.”

“That’s…nice,” Julie wasn’t sure how to respond. “Well, it was nice to see you again. You two have a nice afternoon.” She smiled at the pair and started to walk past them towards the pier, but Nina raised her leg up to block Julie.

“You ran off this morning to work, and now you’re trying to run off somewhere else to work - the day is too beautiful, my love, for all that working. Take a break with us.”

Julie politely stepped around Nina’s barrier. “That’s very nice, but this is actually something I’m looking forward to. I’ll see you all later.”

She continued towards the pier, but apparently Luke was also on the beach, relaxing on a sandbar not far from the main shore. He waved as if to call Julie over - she merely waved back and continued towards the boat. After boarding, she quickly changed and readied herself to jump into the water. The specimen collection equipment fit nicely inside the bag she used to collect kelp and anything else that caught her eye. She could hear footsteps on the pier, so Julie grabbed her tool and jumped in without looking up to see who might be nearby. 

The scene underwater was even more impressive and colorful than the first time Julie dove - the bright colors of the coral seemed to shine even more from the faint glints of sunlight breaking through the watery barrier. She began the collection process before moving on to the next area that needed cleaning. She still didn’t know how to ask Dr. Ling about the structures she saw in the ocean, or the fact that she was hopping along what looked very much like a road on the ocean floor. Maybe she doesn’t know where all of this comes from either. Or maybe she’s waiting for me to ask? 

Julie’s thoughts were interrupted when she saw what looked like a fish-shaped building with a doorway; as she moved closer, her eyes zeroed in on a familiar sight - next to the entry point of the building was a warp station! She could hear her heart beating in her ears as she floated up to the structure. It was exactly like the station on her farm and around the island. What does this mean? How and why are these things in the ocean?

“Are you alright?” Dr. Ling’s voice suddenly broke through. “I stepped out to grab a coffee and returned to Kibit’s alarm going off. Your heart rate jump–”

Julie looked up from the warp station to see why Dr. Ling stopped talking. She felt herself jump back in the water when she saw them - massive, scary, black roots “pointing” at her and seemingly blocking the path. 

“Dr. Ling, what are those?” Julie heard the slight tremble in her voice. For the first time since she began diving, she felt scared. 

“It’s okay,” Dr. Ling’s voice sounded more sad than afraid. “I don’t believe they will actually hurt you. That’s what we are trying to get rid of. Just keep going.”

The only option for progress was up a flight of stairs. Julie tried to act as though she wasn’t shocked, but she knew her body could not do the same. For the time being, she tried to push the questions back and focus on her work. The next section to cleanse was bigger, but had fewer coral structures. I really am hunting for needles in a massive haystack . Fortunately, Dr. Ling’s tools made the work less burdensome and Julie worked her way along without feeling all that tired. The burst of light that rained down from the coral structure still felt so thrilling to watch. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing this . 

After several hours of working on the coral structures, Dr. Ling suggested Julie take a break. “I left some nutrition squeeze packets on the boat - did you get them?

“Yes, thank you. I wondered how I would eat underwater if I needed to.” Julie pulled one of the packets from a pocket in her suit. After awkwardly fumbling with her mask, she managed to stick the packet past her lips and push its contents into her mouth. It tasted better than she assumed and she quickly emptied a second packet.

“It looks like I have one more structure left…upstairs,” Julie stated after finishing her snack. “The scenery down here is so amazing and interesting.” Interesting - buildings, stairs, and now an area that kinda looks like an amphitheater .

Dr. Ling didn’t respond to Julie’s last comment. She wasn’t sure yet if the scientist just didn’t know the origin of the sights or wasn’t ready to share what she knew. I suppose it doesn’t matter - I said I would help and I’m going to help . She shrugged to herself and went back to cleaning away the debris. At one point, she found herself close to the edge of the area she was cleaning.

“Um, Julie - you might want to be careful. Maybe move away from there.” Dr. Ling suggested. “Julie? Can you hear me?”

“What am I looking at?” Julie finally spoke. She could see Kibit floating next to her. “That looks like an arena. And there’s something under those roots down there. What am I looking at? What have I been looking at ?”

Dr. Ling sighed into the mic. “Julie…what you’re doing down there - you’re not just doing it for one world…you’re doing it for two.”

Julie didn’t say anything. She was still staring at the auditorium and what looked very much like a small dragon trapped under a web of black roots. She reluctantly turned around and swatted at a pile of debris, revealing the solar orb she was looking for. She pressed her hand against it and waited for the show. Julie was about to press the button for the anchor when she felt the ground shake.

“Julie!” Dr. Ling gasped. “What’s going on? What was that?”

The rumbling stopped after several seconds. Julie knew her heart rate had to be through the roof as she tried to slow her breathing after the scare.

“Julie…slow your breathing. It’s okay.” Ling spoke soothingly.

“I don’t know what that was, but it felt like it came from below.” Julie was already moving towards the staircase to investigate the source of the rumbling. She was halfway down the stairs when she saw them - her eyes widened and she felt her heart rate pick up again as she stared in astonishment at the mermaids swimming in front of her.

*********

Denali and Agung were almost finished with their daily patrol - as much as they could with the enormous black roots hindering a lot movement in the ocean. Denali absently twirled a thick strand of her shiny onyx-colored hair as she stared at the roots that had kept them almost imprisoned within the boundaries of the kingdom. 

“You’re driving me nuts with that habit,” Agung swam by and batted at Denali’s hand. “We’re almost done for the day. Don’t get any ideas about trying to follow those roots again. Sem chewed me out last time because I wasn’t at my post. What are we scouting anyway? Nothing and no one is getting past these things.”

“There has to be a way of getting rid of them,” Denali pushed her patrol partner’s hand away from her hair. “We already tried fixing those coral things. They’re broken. We have to figure something else out.”

Agung shrugged. “The Oracle says that the Goddess has a plan. Or the ways of the Goddess will reveal themselves? Maybe she said both?”

The sudden rumbling knocked the pair back. Denali swished her tail to right herself in time to see roots blocking their access to the shallower part of the ocean recoil and slink backwards into the deeper parts of the sea.

“DID YOU SEE THAT?” Agung’s dark eyes widened with shock. “What just happened? 

Denali looked from Agung to where the roots had once blocked, then back to her partner. “I don’t know. We have to check it out!”

“Uh, no. We need to report what happened.” Agung crossed his arms across his chest. “That’s protocol.”

“But we don’t even know what happened,” Denali argued. She was already swimming in the direction of the rumbling. “We need to have something to report.”

Agung huffed as he resigned to follow. “We already have something to report - ‘giant roots ran away.’ There - done.”

Denali glanced at Agung and wrinkled her nose. “That’s a terrible report. Come on - it won’t take long.”

Much of the ocean area just outside the kingdom was still the same - covered in black goo and decayed with trash littering the sea bed. After swimming a little further, Denali caught sight of something - green! Green coral that looked perfectly healthy.

“Agung - look! Up there!” Denali exclaimed as she darted ahead. “It looks perfectly healthy!”

She and her partner swam up the long stairway and both gaped at the sight of the bright coral and lush green surroundings. They swam down the pathway a little to check out other parts of the shallow area before turning around and returning to the staircase.

“We’re really seeing this, right?” Agung gingerly touched a piece of coral. “This isn’t a hallucination? It’s…”

“Healthy!” Denali chirped. “Yes, it’s really real. It’s a miracle. And the coral structures - they’re all lit up and working! But how?”

A buzzing sound caught their attention and they turned around to see a strangely dressed figure staring at them from another set of stairs. A small white creature swam around the figure, but it didn’t look like any sea critter they had ever seen.

“Oh my!” Denali exclaimed. “It’s a land dweller. I’ve never seen one under the water before. Well, not around here anyway.”

“Stay calm,” Agung’s eyes narrowed. “We can handle this.”

“Look where it’s coming from…do you think it did this?”

Agung edged closer. “I think I’ve seen this one before. Cap told me to find another way to this area several moons ago. If this is the same land dweller, it was messing with the coral devices.”

“Messing with or fixing?” Denali countered. “How else do you explain what we’re seeing?”

Agung continued to inspect the land dweller from his position, finally noticing the being’s shape and wavy hair floating in the water. “I think this is a female land dweller. And no way she did this. Land dwellers don’t fix anything - they only know how to break.”

“I wish I could talk to her. We could ask what she’s doing here.” Denali tried to smile at the figure. “She actually looks kind of scared. I don’t think she’s dangerous.”

“Now you want to talk to it? No way. We’ve broken protocol long enough. Let’s head back and report in before Sem chews us out.”

Agung turned and quickly swam back down the stairs. Denali smiled again and gave a quick wave before she also swam away.

**********

Julie felt frozen in her spot on the stairs as she took in the sight before her. Mermaids! Actual mermaids! They still exist! They were talking to each other a lot, but she couldn’t understand any of the words. The male glared at her, but the female seemed much nicer. She even waved before swimming away. Julie was planning to leave the ocean before the rumbling happened. Not only were the giant black roots gone, but apparently mer-people also lived in the same area. Dr. Ling did tell her that her work would help two worlds. So Dr. Ling already knew about the mer-people?!

Her head still spinning a little, Julie pressed the button on her suit to drop the anchor - at least the new dive coordinates would be saved in the ship’s navigation system. When her head broke the surface of the water, she was a little surprised where she ended up in relation to the pier. She climbed out of the ocean and hauled the bag with the ocean samples into the boat. 

“Julie?” Dr. Ling’s voice crackled out of the boat’s speaker. “Are you on the boat already? I’m waiting for you at the pier. Hurry!”

“Time to go,” Julie told herself as she started the motor and steered the boat back to its slot at the pier.  Luckily she had already changed out of the diving suit because Dr. Ling practically pulled her onto the pier as soon as the boat stopped.

“What just happened down there?”

Julie swallowed. “You tell me. You seemed to already know that they exist.”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” Dr. Ling began. “I was waiting until later - I didn’t expect them to find you like that. Wow…I haven’t heard that language in so long.”

“Wait a minute - you can understand them? How do you know that language?”

Dr. Ling ignored Julie’s second question. “Oh, that’s right… you couldn’t understand them. We can’t have that if you’re going to interact with them again.”

“If I’m going to what?” Julie held up her hands. “Whoa…the one mer-guy looked like he wanted to fight.”

“Merfolk,” Dr. Ling gently corrected. “And it’s just because you’re a land dweller. Also, you can’t communicate with them yet. That is, if you want to…?”

Julie felt any sense of uncertainty and alarm drain from her mind. The Goddess told her in the beginning that the answer for the ocean would reveal itself. What if this was part of it? “I was just surprised. Yes, I do. It’s…a lot, you know? To take in.”

Dr. Ling patted Julie’s arm. “Yes, it is. But I will take care of it. I have another suit I can work on so you’re ready to communicate next time. I’ll let you know when it’s done.”

“Don’t forget this.” Julie held up the collection kit for Dr. Ling to take with her. 

“Thank you so much. You have no idea how grateful I am - for everything.”

Julie smiled. “What was it you said tonight? We’re not just doing this for one world - we’re doing it for two.”

Chapter Text

As soon as Julie woke up, her mind immediately screamed MERFOLK! They exist! They actually exist! She already had her suspicions that the island’s old stories about the existence of an underwater civilization might be true due to the sights she encountered in the ocean, but she had begun to wonder if the structures and stairways were merely relics from eons past. And then she saw the auditorium and the creature caught under the black roots. And then… I actually saw them. I actually saw merfolk.  

Julie ran her hands through her hair as her brain tried to rectify what should be unbelievable notions. But then again, she never would have believed that the Goddess was real - or the Giants - until those encounters. The last mysterious part of the previous night was Dr. Ling already knowing the Merfolk language. As she told herself to push that riddle to the back of the line, Julie realized she could hear banging and metallic sounds coming from outside. She grabbed some clothes to hurriedly dress so she could investigate.

Mark looked up from his task in time to see Julie rush onto the porch. “Did we wake you? Shouldn’t you be up anyway?”

“What are you doing?” Julie demanded. She then noticed Kenny doing something with a saw. He looked up and tipped his hat at her.

“We talked about this,” Mark looked nonplussed. “You needed a fence for your coop. So, we’re building a fence.”

“I think it’s a great idea what you’re doing!” Kenny chimed in. “Dad will be really happy for the help. We just don’t have the space to expand our coop.”

“I don’t remember us really talking about it so much as you telling me that you were going to look into a fence idea.” Julie tried to argue nicely. She glanced at Kenny at smiled. “Well, I didn’t think I would be starting that project so soon.”

Mark let out a small sigh. “Look, we came up with a plan for a fence. We’re getting it started - there’s no rush on the coop thing, okay? Chill out and eat your egg sandwich.”

Julie glanced down on her porch and saw a small paper bag. “Oh, thanks.”

“Yeah, whenever you’re ready,” Kenny added. “We’re glad to help anything that benefits our town.”

With a small hint of guilt over her reaction, Julie quietly gobbled down her breakfast before focusing on her field. To her surprise and delight, she was immediately greeted with the sight of bright red peppers, ready to be picked and sent to Sam. She hoped the shop owner wouldn’t question how the plants grew so fast and just be happy with more fresh produce. Julie also had a batch of radishes ready to harvest. Thank you, Goddess - whatever you gave me is already working! She finished watering the other plants and returned to dig out the veggies.

“Wow, those look great.” Kenny had apparently paused his work to come over and admire the plump radish crop. “Mom used to grow these and pickle them. She hasn’t done it in a while though.”

Unlike Julie, Kenny looked like a carbon copy of his parents - almost as tall as Jack, with curly black hair like Kira and dark eyes that match both parents. His personality, however, was a stark contrast to his serious mother and often stoic father - friendly, talkative, and more sensitive than Julie would have expected. 

“She even sold some jars at Sam’s for a while, but…well, couldn’t keep up with the demand. Plus, crops just weren’t growing well for a while. Are you using something special on your soil?”

Julie remembered the composter that Joko was building - it was supposed to be ready soon. “Um, not right now. I’m planning on making my own fertilizer though. I guess this is just good soil?”

“Apparently so! These veggies look great!” Kenny chortled. He then pointed to the blueberry plants. “I am so glad you planted blueberries. Mom used to make jam also.”

“That sounds really neat,” Julie replied somewhat wistfully. “I kinda wish I knew how to do something like that.”

“It’s actually really easy. Mom doesn’t use her crocks anymore - I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if I brought them over. And Same would be really happy too.”

Julie looked at Kenny apprehensively. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m sure it takes supplies and–”

Kenny stopped her. “Sea water, salt, and a couple of days. You’ll need jars, but I bet Sam can help with that…if you want to try.”

Julie didn’t realize she actually said “yes” until she saw the bright smile spread across Kenny’s face. 

“Great! After we stop for the day, I’ll talk to Mom and bring the crocks over. You’re going to enjoy doing this - just wait!” Kenny patted Julie’s shoulder before returning to his work. 

Julie stared down at her just harvested radishes. I guess I need to save some for whatever I just agreed to try. Maybe some peppers too . She still had crops to water, as well as more seeds to plant; the extra work kept her mind from dwelling too much on anything - Dr. Ling, merfolk, Mark, or her latest little pickling project. She finally finished her farming tasks and shifted her attention to her harvest. As usual, she kept some of the crops for herself and carried those inside. The canvas bag looked very heavy and Julie wasn’t sure if she could get the whole lot to Sam’s in one trip. I really need to remember to ask someone about a cart or wagon . She re-emerged from her house and found Mark standing in front of the porch with the canvas bag.

“We’re breaking for the day since it’s getting hot. Let’s go.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Julie started to reply.

“Save it, Garden Rake.” Mark nodded towards the bridge. “I don’t have all day and this is still a little heavy for me.”

“Well, thank you.” Julie hopped off the porch and began walking with Mark towards the grocery store. “And thank you for the fence. How’s that going?”

“You’re welcome,” Mark’s voice sounded a little tired. “Kenny built the fences at the ranch, so that’s the design we’re using. The pieces interlock, like a puzzle - that way it’s easier to expand later, if needed. It’ll probably take us a few mornings, when we have time.”

“I’ll talk to Dinda about building a coop. The farming is going better than I thought, to be honest. I probably could handle a few birds too.” Julie smiled at the optimism in her voice. “And apparently, I might try pickling.”

Mark chuckled. “Yeah, Kenny’s excited about that. That’s one of the reasons we called it a day. I need to check on the shelter and he has to dig out some ceramic pots or something.” He glanced over at Julie. “You’re definitely making an impact here, Julie. In a lot of ways. Good ways.”

“Did you just use my name? My actual given-to-me-at-birth name?”

Mark shook his head, trying not to smile. “It just slipped out.”

As they neared the grocery store, Julie hurried ahead so he could open the door for Mark. He easily filled the doorway, and the entryway of the store suddenly looked much smaller. Bree made pointed eye contact with Julie at the sight of Mark with her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Sam noticed the pair and called them to the counter.

“What have you brought me today?” He asked eagerly. “I actually didn’t expect to get anything from you so soon into Summer, but I’m glad your plants decided to grow fast.”

“Yeah. Good soil, I guess?” Julie shrugged. “So, more radishes and a batch of peppers. And I might have a new product to bring by - if I do it right.”

Mark held up a hand. “Not to be rude, but I gotta split. Later, Garden Rake .” He gave a quick nod at Same, then hustled out of the store.

“That man,” Bree huffed. “I can’t believe you let him call you something like that. You should put a stop to that.”

Julie pursed her lips at Sam before turning around to respond. “It’s an inside joke, actually. And I’ve been called worse. Or rather, my grandparents’ farm has.”

Bree forcibly smiled at the comment and redirected her focus to Sam. “I need to return to the vineyard - will this take long?”

Julie stepped aside so the store owner could take care of his impatient customer first. She offered a polite smile before leaving.

“She does have nicer moments,” Sam commented as he began unloading the canvas bag. “She and Walter are just…”

“Acquired tastes?” Julie finished. “There’s a few of those personalities on this island. I guess it makes things less monotonous?”

“That’s a nice way to put it,” Sam chuckled. “So, tell me about this product.”

“Oh…well, Kenny has talked me into trying out his mother’s pickling crocks.”

Sam’s face lit up. “ That is great news. This store used to sell a variety of artisan goods. If I recall, your grandparents were pretty well-known for fresh fruit juices and jams. I hadn’t inherited the store yet, but my father bragged about them all the time.

“Don’t make me more nervous about this,” Julie joked. “I’ll see how things go and bring you a sample soon.”

“I can’t wait,” Sam grinned as he unloaded the canvas bag. 

He totaled up the harvest and paid Julie for what he called “top standard produce.” She grabbed the now empty bag and promised to return soon with blueberries, tomatoes, and hopefully some decently pickled radishes and peppers. After exiting the store, she decided to stop by the lab and check on Dr. Ling’s progress. She entered the brick building and waved at Surya.

“Hey there - is Dr. Ling available?”

Surya shook his head. “She’s been in her back room since yesterday. Said she doesn’t want to be disturbed. But, I’m glad you stopped by because I just finished a little project for you. Dr. Liang said you had traps…for some ocean creatures? Right?”

Julie didn’t really hear his question. “Who?”

“Who what?” Surya looked as puzzled as Julie.

“You said ‘Liang’ - who is that? Do you have another scientist here?”

Surya’s face flushed. “I said that? Really? Oh…maybe I’m just tired. I mean Dr. Ling. Yeah - Ling. Sorry.”

A second of awkward silence hung between them, but Surya immediately went back to his presentation. “So, about the traps - Dr. Ling said you needed a way to get the traps back to the surface. I made a little attachment based on some other equipment I’ve seen…basically, it hooks onto the top of the trap and acts like a flotation device after you open the little ‘lid’ here. The trap will slowly float to the surface, then we can retrieve it.”

Julie grinned. “That is so cool! And the critter stays in the water, right?”

“Yes. I already talked to Scott and he gave me a trap to work with. I think he has four traps total. I guess we can order more if we need them, but this seems like plenty for now. There’s also your scuba net for anything that floats, and I’ll put a ‘holder’ on the boat so they can stay in the water until we retrieve them.”

“Very cool,” Julie patted Surya on the shoulder. “It’s a little exciting that I get to help with this. Thank you for all of your work.”

Surya smiled shyly and shrugged. “It’s actually fun, you know? And it’s different from the other projects we’re working on. Besides, it’s to help the town.”

“So, can I start setting to traps on my next dive? Do I need bait?”

“Let’s test this one,” Surya suggested. “If it works, then I’ll get the other traps from Scott. And ask Sunny if he has any kind of bait or scent that might work.”

Julie gave a thumbs-up. “Will do. Well, I will get out of your hair for now. Thanks again!” She waved good-bye and left the lab. Maybe I should check in with Scott. He never really finished telling me about the artifacts I found . Her eyes momentarily locked onto Socket & Pan; she had not seen or spoken to Luke in a few days. He tried to invite her out as a thank you for finding Taco, but Nina’s arrival on the beach the other morning put Julie off. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to say hi real quick.

She trotted lightly down the short stairway that led to the town’s shopping section and opened the door of the electronics store. Luke was near the front of the counter, phone at his ear and an irked expression on his face.

“Sure, I can talk. What? I don’t think you need to…oh, super. See you then.” Luke rolled his eyes as he hung up before he noticed his guest. “Hey there! Um…it’s great to see you - I could actually use some help real quick.”

Luke shoved a dusting cloth in Julie’s hand before hurrying to a nearby display to begin dusting. “Can you help me straight up real quick? Start with the front counter.”

Julie stared down at the cloth, then back at Luke. “You want me to…dust?”

“Please. The store looks terrible.” Luke had already moved to another area. He stopped and looked at Julie. “What are you doing? Dust!”

Still confused and now slightly annoyed, Julie stepped over to the counter and began gently running the cloth over the glass counter surface when Luke stopped her. 

“No offense, but you’re not doing it right.” He sounded stressed.

“Oh, my apologies,” Julie retorted. “For not knowing how to clean off non-existent dust.” She dropped the cloth on Luke’s hand and turned around. “I’ll catch you later.”

“Wait. Wait. I’m sorry,” Luke sighed. “That call…that was–”

The door jingled as it opened and Luke’s father Walter stepped into the store. “Good day, son. Oh, it’s the farmer. Good day.”

“My father,” Luke finished through gritted teeth. “Dad, her name is Julie.”

“Wow, no customers and your store still isn’t clean?” Walter glanced around the immaculate store. “I thought I taught you how to be more productive with your time.” 

“Always a pleasure, Dad. Thanks for stopping by.”

Walter chuckled lightly, waving off Luke’s attempt to get rid of him. “Perhaps we can speak after you’ve assisted your customer?”

Julie realized Luke’s father was referring to her. “I just stopped in to say hi. I have another stop anyway.”

“Personal visits really shouldn’t happen during business hours,” Walter chided. “But perhaps my son just has lower standards than I do.”

Luke looked like he wanted to explode, but Julie shook her head quietly to deter him. “Julie, thank you for stopping by. Feel free to come by anytime .”

Julie smiled thinly and left the store. Her mother could be pretentious at times, but neither she nor Greg were nearly as bad as Luke’s parents. Lucky me to have interacted with both of them today. I’m 0-2 in giving a good impression. She shook her head to refocus herself on the task at hand - visiting Scott at the museum.

************

Scott’s face lit up as soon as he saw Julie walking up the steps to his workroom. “Hello! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?”

“You’re sooo much nicer than Walter,” Julie crooned.

“That’s random…and not really a compliment, if I’m being honest.” Scott furrowed his brow. “What did he say?”

“I think he called me ‘low standard’ - I was at Luke’s store when he came by. He chastised me for making a social call during business hours.”

Scott grabbed his chest and sighed. “I barely even got a chance - the island bachelor strikes again.” He then laughed and winked at Julie. “Just playing.”

“Island bachelor? Is that really a thing?” Julie asked. “Also - ’strikes again’?”

“Oops,” Scott winced. “I didn’t mean it…you know, like that. I mean, he’s a popular guy. Knows how to be charming.”

“And the ‘island bachelor’ thing? What is that about?”

Scott chuckled. “Kind of an inside joke. Millie started it, actually. Maybe something she read? She likes the lovey-dovey books.”

Maybe something she heard - from Mark? Julie bit her lip to keep from smiling. “So the reason I’m here - I was curious about those artifacts. Do you know anything about them yet?”

“Oh, yes! Very fascinating stuff, Jules. I’m still studying the pieces, but I want to show you one thing - that wooden cylinder isn’t just a decoration.”

Scott motioned for Julie to follow him to a table holding some of the artifacts. “The markings on that round wooden artifact appear to be letters, possibly. I recognize some of the symbols from the island’s sacred trees, but I’m still trying to decipher the message.”

“Message?” Julie furrowed her brow.

“It’s like a tiny printer. You just cover the piece with whatever you’re using for ink, then roll it over cloth, or a form of paper, and voila - instant message.” Scott threw up his hands for a dramatic effect. “This is quite a find, Jules.”

“Do you know what the message is? Or is it not safe to…print it?”

“I already did. Take a look.” Scott pointed to a printed sheet of paper. “I took a rubbing of the artifact, then scanned it and laid out the rows in order.”

Julie looked down at the printed message and also gasped. Most of the paper looked like it was covered with random characters, but she could clearly read three of words: Goddess, Vasiom, and darkness. Who or what is Vasiom? What does this have to do with the Goddess? How can I read any of this?!

“Wow, Scott - this is so neat!” Julie hoped her enthusiasm covered any looks of surprise. “I had no idea this was anything very important. Well, if it is important.”

“Absolutely!” Scott beamed. “This could be writing from the ancient ancestors. The wood is still in such good condition - I’m honestly amazed.”

“Would it be possible to get a copy of that message?” Julie asked a bit timidly. “Just like a really neat souvenir, you know?”

Scott scooped the paper off the table and handed it to Julie. “Of course. You’re the reason I even get to study this. Thank you for finding all of this.”

Julie chatted with Scott a little longer, even though her mind could not stop wondering about the message on the artifact - not only what else it said, but why she was able to read any of it. Finally, she announced that she needed to leave - she also hinted at the possibility of going back into the new mine soon. Scott gave her an enthusiastic ovation in response.

“Oh by the way,” Julie half turned her head before she left the workroom. “To avoid any potential rumors…the ‘island bachelor’ hasn’t struck anything. I’m just trying to make friends right now.”

Scott laughed and mocking wiped his brow in relief. “Friends are always good. And you - forget about Walter. You are anything but low standard, Jules.”

Julie was looking over the message while leaving the museum and didn’t see the other person crossing her path until they nearly collided. She heard another voice and immediately tried to step out of the way, but tripped over her foot.

“Whoa!” Luke grabbed Julie to steady her. His hand slid under her arms, coming to rest on her lower back. “Are you okay?”

“I’m so sorry!” Julie exclaimed. “I wasn’t paying attention and…did I hurt you?”

Luke chuckled. “Not at all. It’s nice ‘running into you’ actually.”

“Literally.” Julie smirked. She finally looked up at the person holding onto her. His eyes reminded her of the dark chocolate treats her grandmother recently shipped her. Luke was smiling at her and his hand seemed fixed on its position on her back.

“I’m really sorry about my father earlier,” he started. “Please know that you’re welcome to stop by the store anytime. Really.”

“It’s already forgotten,” Julie replied. “I hope the rest of his visit was okay.”

Luke didn’t give any indication that he was letting go. “It was, actually. A little strange - seems he wants to work for me. Like, in my store.” 

A door shut somewhere in the distance and Luke finally seemed to realize how they looked with him holding her. He blushed lightly and removed his hand from Julie’s back. He didn’t step back though, but remained standing close.

“Wow, that’s…how do you feel about that?” Julie wasn’t quite sure if she was disappointed or not that Luke moved his hand. 

“I’m not sure, if I’m being honest. He built the vineyard business from scratch and made it enormously successful. It’s something he doesn’t let me forget either.” Luke’s voice suddenly hardened. He paused and took a quick breath. “But, maybe this will be a good thing for us. We might be able to connect again by working together.”

Julie didn’t let her doubt come through in her expression. The whole reason she agreed to attend cooking class, oil painting class, and even a pottery class was to connect better with her mother. In the end, they were just different. Connie finally accepted that, somewhat. 

“I hope it is a good thing for you and your father,” Julie replied warmly. 

Luke looked up at the slowly darkening sky. “I suppose I should let you continue on your way. I’m meeting up with Pablo and Raf for a bit. Thank you for stopping by the store today - really made my day.”

“You’re welcome.” Julie kept the smile on her face. As nice and charming as Luke was, her mind couldn’t stop reminding her of how much he resembled Josh. “And sounds like a fun evening. I’ll see you around.”

Julie picked up the paper she dropped during her almost run-in with Luke and headed towards her farm. As she approached her porch, she noticed three large ceramic pots sitting on her porch. These must be the pickling crocks from Kenny . A piece of paper was wedged under one of the lids. She retrieved it and found Kira’s instructions for using the crocks. For now, she left the containers alone and headed inside to relax.

A day that should not have felt “world shaking” ended up giving her a tiny rumble in the form of an ancient message that she could partially read. Julie mused over the message a little more as she secured it to the fridge with a few magnets that Joko and Dinda’s son Archie gave her as a housewarming gift. Maybe I can read this because of the Chieftain’s ritual? Or maybe it was that vial from the Goddess? Whatever it was, she was both nervous and a little excited for what more might lie ahead of her.

Chapter Text

Julie woke up to the sound of power tools. She couldn’t be too annoyed at Mark and Kenny since they were building the fence for free. This may also be a good time to get some advice from Kenny about setting up the pickling crocks and getting started. Plus, Kira’s note mentioned keeping them inside and they were a little too heavy to lift.

Julie barely had time to dress and start the coffee maker when she heard a quick knock at the door. She opened it and found an excitable Dr. Ling.

“Good - you’re up! Come with me to the lab right away.” Dr. Ling waved her hand for Julie to follow. “Don’t worry about coffee - I have a fresh pot at the lab. Let’s go!”

Julie closed the front door and Dr. Ling grabbed her wrist, gently tugging her along. She glanced over at Mark and Kenny, both of whom wore puzzled expressions. Julie managed a wave before she was hauled away by the scientist.

“Surya told me that you stopped by the other day and he got to show you what he figured out for the traps. We’re excited to see how well the test trap works.”

“I am too. I was actually kind of waiting for you before I got back in the water. I assume you’ve dragged me away for good news?” Julie replied with a smirk.

Dr. Ling laughed as she walked briskly. “Oh, yes. Very good news.”

They reached the lab and Dr. Ling led Julie to her back room. A dive suit was hanging near the computers and Julie noticed a new, slightly larger mask on the table.

“I finished the modulated suit and mask.” Dr. Ling stated proudly. “I worked pretty much non-stop, but it was actually rather exhilarating. The suit itself is not much different, but it is better designed for colder temperatures and deeper waters. But the mask - I basically added a tiny translation computer with a mic. The set-up will allow you to communicate with the merfolk. The mask also includes a display screen so you can read anything written in the merfolk language as well.”

“Wow,” Julie replied somewhat quietly. “I’m honestly stunned. I mean…WOW. This is really amazing. I can’t even imagine how you were able to do all of this. Thank you.”

Dr. Ling beamed. “You don’t understand what it means to me that you are willing to do this work. The ocean has clearly accepted you, and I know the merfolk will too.”

“I hope so,” Julie responded. “I wouldn’t even have the chance to find out without you though.”

Dr. Ling looked thoughtful for a few seconds. “Um, Julie - I need you to promise me something. Please. Whatever happens, you cannot mention me or my involvement to the merfolk.”

Julie wanted to ask why Ling would make such a request, but the look on the scientist’s face told her to let it be for now. “I promise.”

“Thank you. I know you have questions, but it’s not something I can talk about yet. For the time being, this has to be our secret.”

Julie offered a smile. “It’s fine. I understand.”

“Good. Thank you.” Dr. Ling replied gratefully. “I will have Surya deliver the suit and the trap to the boat. I’ve also uploaded new data to Kibit. Everything is ready to go whenever you can get back in the ocean.”

“Sounds great. I think I can get back to cleaning tomorrow. I’ll drop the trap in a shallow area before I go further.”

Ling smiled. “Sounds great. Thank you again, Julie. Really.”

Julie bid Dr. Ling and good day and left the lab. She was behind on her daily work, but she figured that she still had time to get most of the chores done before the temperature made working outside too unbearable. She was crossing in front of the Community Center when Millie ecstatically waved her down. 

“Julie! Sweet hummingbird! I have some great news!” Millie proclaimed in an excited tone. “We just got the confirmation that our town rank went up! Rank E!”

“Really?! That’s wonderful!” Julie replied as Millie hugged her. “But, how?”

“Dr. Ling submitted some samples to the committee that showed healing in some of the corals. And, well I sent in some photos of the Lake Temple and a few of the sacred trees because I noticed how they looked…different. Better different. Not by much, but a little. I guess it was enough to increase our rank.”

Julie felt tears in the corners of her eyes. I’m helping. I’m finally actually doing something positive. “That is really good news.”

“I know it’s not much.” Millie’s enthusiasm tempered a little. “Rank E is still way lower than Rank A. But I see it as progress, you know? We’re finally moving forward. It gives me hope.” 

“Of course it’s progress,” Julie rubbed her friend’s arm. “Did someone say differently?”

“Oh, no. Well, not yet anyway. But I already know the people who won’t cheer with me like you did. I’m so glad I ran into you first.” Millie’s grin returned. “I need to put the news on the board, so I’ll see you later!”

Julie waved as Millie walked away. She opted to jog back to her farm so she could get started on work. Grabbing the watering can, Julie began quickly tending to her field. The tomatoes and radishes looked almost ready to harvest. The blueberries and sunflowers were also coming along fine also. My second season of crops and things are still looking good! She smiled to herself while watering and admiring each of her crops. Soon she would have new veggies for Sam and another offering for the Lake Temple. 

“Daydreaming over there?” Mark’s voice shook Julie out of her thoughts.

“What?” Julie looked up from her task as Mark walked closer.

“I look over and you’re smiling while you’re watering plants.” Mark raised an eyebrow. Truthfully, he didn’t mind seeing Julie smile. He somewhat minded that he liked her smile. Thoughts like that only led to complications and he wasn’t interested in that.

Julie blushed a little. “I guess I’m in a good mood. I ran into Millie on my way back and she gave me some great news.”

“And?” Mark smirked. “Is this news secret or can you share it?”

Julie wanted to stick her tongue out in response. “Not a secret. The town rank went up from F to E.”

“That’s it?”

“Is that really your response?” Julie felt her smile change to grimace. 

“Sorry. I just wouldn’t call it ‘great’ news. Not bad news though.” Mark replied indifferently. He saw the expression on Julie’s face and felt a small twinge of remorse. “Okay, it’s ‘better’ news. I’m not squealing about it, so stop looking at me like that.”

“It’s hopeful. Millie’s really excited about it and she already knows there are some people who will rain on her parade. Try not to be one of those people if she talks to you.”

“What people?” Mark asked.

Julie shrugged. “She didn’t say. Who knows? Maybe you’re already on that list.”

“Gee, thanks.” Mark smirked. “I’m always nicer to Millie than most people. She can be a little obsessive with stuff, but she’s a good person at heart. She cares about the town and the people. And she’s supportive of the shelter.”

“That’s surprisingly kind of sweet.” Julie felt part of her smile return.

“Stop. It’s not sweet. It’s a fair assessment of an individual I happen to not greatly dislike.”

Julie held up her hands like she was surrendering. “My bad. You’re still as grizzly as ever to me, okay? So, how comes the fence?”

Mark opted to not argue the grizzly comment, partially because Julie was smiling again. “It’s actually coming along pretty well. Kenny’s a pro at this, so it will be finished soon. The next thing will be to get a coop.”

“Today.” Julie stated. “I can visit Dinda as soon as I’m done.” 

“There’s no rush. In fact, might need to build up the wood pile again first. We’re going through a lot of wood with this fence.” 

Julie followed Mark’s gaze towards the rest of her property still covered with trees, grass, and other debris. “I can start chopping trees when I’m done with farm chores.”

Mark shook his head. “It’s already getting pretty hot. You don’t want to overwork yourself. We can pause on the fence for a few days and I’ll do some more clearing.’

“ Or I hire Joko’s cousins. You shouldn’t have to keep doing all this manual labor. I’m still determined to pay you and Kenny for the fence.”

“I can’t speak for Kenny, but no to paying me,” Mark countered. “I offered to help, so that’s what I’m doing. But I won’t argue with you about the other. I get it, actually.”

Mark could barely keep his usual walls up with Julie and it bothered him. He blamed their patrol, when she pushed him out of the way of a monster and he instinctively grabbed her. Even though the encounter lasted minutes, Mark saw her concern and a sliver of vulnerability. Julie lowered her own defenses and he couldn’t unsee it. He couldn’t unsee her. His personal sense of protectiveness was already beginning to rear its head, which in his opinion, could only cause problems.

“I just want to be fair,” Julie began. “I am so grateful for your help….”

Mark waved off the rest of her explanation. “It’s okay, Garden Rake. Like I said, I get it. Offer’s always there, though - just in case.” 

Julie started to respond, but Kenny interrupted to ask a question about the fence. She took a few seconds to study Mark while he answered Kenny. She found it a little humorous that, for all his gruffness, he was surprisingly well-groomed. He kept both his light brown hair and matching beard short and trimmed. Julie sometimes wondered about the story behind his scar, but she also didn’t dare ask. She quickly diverted her eyes back to Kenny, unaware that Mark noticed her looking at him.

“When you have time,” Julie directed her focus to Kenny. “I have a few questions about the pickling crocks. And I might need some help moving them.”

Kenny grinned. “Of course!”

“The note says to keep them out of the sun. Where did Kira put them?”

“She used the shed,” Kenny began. “But inside any building should be fine. Want me to move them into your house?”

“That would be great!” Julie returned the smile. “I got ahead of myself and already mentioned my project to Sam. He’s excited to try the first batch.”

“No problem. We can do it now if you want.” Kenny turned and trotted to Julie’s porch with her closely following.

Julie opened the front door and showed Kenny the space she made for the containers. He tipped his hat when he finished and returned to his fence work. She went back to her field and finished watering. Her next planned chore was weeding, but there appeared to be fewer weeds than the previous weeks. Another perk from the goddess?

Kenny and Mark soon announced that they were done for the day. Most of the fence was complete and they estimated that only one more work day would be needed. Kenny waved good-bye and hurried towards the ranch. 

“Before I go - mind if I ask what Ling dragged you away for?” Mark asked as he wiped his face with a towel. 

“That sounds strangely polite coming from you.” Julie teased. “She just had something to show me about a project I’m helping her with.”

“Project?” Mark raised both eye brows. “Didn’t take you for a scientist.”

“I’m not. Um, I’m just diving for her.”

Mark smirked. “ And you’re a diver. Of course. I guess you had diving lessons after the fencing lessons?”

“Ha.” Julie smirked back. “I actually never did it before moving here. She asked for help and I agreed to try. It’s fun and relaxing.”

“You’re definitely keeping busy,” Mark mused. “Got any time to patrol?”

Julie flushed slightly. In truth, she had forgotten about the cavern and the BOS somewhat. It only felt like a few days since she patrolled with Mark, but it had been at least a week. And aside from the BOS, she had a Giant to hopefully free.

“I could go today. Scott asked me to check the new mine for artifacts anyway. I could do both - two birds, one stone.”

“Why would Scott ask you to do that?” Mark queried. “Is that kind of his job?”

Julie shrugged a little bashfully. “Um, I’m helping gather stuff to help replenish the museum. And think about it - who would you rather be exploring the mine?”

“That’s true,” Mark relented. “Think you’ll be okay by yourself?”

“Sure. Do I check in with Kira when I’m done?”

Mark nodded. “Don’t overdo it though. Pace yourself.” He paused as if he wanted to say something, then shook his head. “I’ll see you around. Later, Garden Rake.”

Julie gave a small wave and watched as Mark crossed the bridge that led to town. She had not intended to visit the cavern today, but she did need to get back to the Water Mine and free Gong. Let’s see if that can happen today. After grabbing her backpack and dagger, Julie used the warp station to arrive at the cavern in seconds. As usual, she checked the area before stepping out from behind the natural screen provided by the trees. She hoped that Axel and Senja had not delved too far into the Water Mine and discovered the few treasures left behind by much older inhabitants.

As she walked towards, Julie stopped to look at the small statue that the Chieftain previously indicated was Gong. “You’ll be free soon. I promise.”

Julie stepped onto the left and pressed the square button for the 10th level. A small sense of relief filled her when she saw the still dark room. After touching the stone on the wall, she hurried to the round chest and found an intricate pearl brooch and an old hair stick made out of jade. The last treasure in the box was a small piece of parchment with writing similar to the wooden cylinder. For now, Julie opted to leave the message until she could properly transport it. She returned to the lift and counted to small round button that would take her to the 15th floor. She left her backpack on the lift and drew her dagger as soon as she brightened the room. She now expected monsters to gather near the wall with the lever.

Julie was ready for the blobs and wasps. She was careful not the disturb the large round boulders, just in case they were actually monsters. The new surprise, however, nearly left her open for attack - a floating skull that glowed bright blue. The sight of it made her stop and stare in shock, not paying attention to an ant eater moving slowly towards her. At the last second, she heard the his and jumped to avoid the sting. The movement seemed to trigger the skull, which charged Julie while chomping its jaw. Still partially stunned, she swung at the floating head and extinguished it after four hits. 

She ran to the lever on the back wall and pulled down. Somehow the ant eater was still tracking her, so moving slowly back to the lift felt less like a good idea. Other monsters might be close behind. Julie switched to jogging back to the lift. Even though she knew it would be a terrible idea, she still found herself wishing for back-up. 

Next stop was level 20 - the round chest held an enchanting silver teapot with etched designs of dragons and two intertwined dragons making the handle for the artifact. Julie immediately thought of the underwater auditorium she saw with that looked like a dragon trapped under the black roots. She also found an intriguing golden knife with a winding blade that remind her of a snake. Or perhaps an underwater dragon?  

After securing the items in her bag, Julie moved on to level 25 to get the next lever. She surprised herself at the ease in taking out the blobs. She could see three of the floating skulls and opted to stay along the wall as much as possible. Two more blobs seemed to come out of nowhere and force her to also fight off a skull. The now familiar buzzing from a giant wasp hit hear ears as soon as she reached the lever. After pulling down, Julie turned to face the monster before running back to the lift. 

As the lift made its way to level 30, Julie noticed the air getting chillier. She rubbed her arms for warmth as she stepped into the noticeably colder room. Even with the lights now glowing, the temperature remained cold. She heard a crunch as she took a stepped and looked down. Is that snow?! How is there snow in here?! She shivered and continued to the round chest. Inside, she found a strange oblong-shaped artifact that felt slightly warm when touched. The other item in the chest reminded Julie of a sundial, except small enough to fit in her hand. Scott will be excited to see these . She carefully wrapped both items and placed them in her bag. 

The air felt more than just cold as Julie made her way to level 35. She could sense the presence that tried to keep her from freeing Grog, only this time, she actually felt a little nauseous from it. 

“ Who do you think you are?! You are trespassing on what is mine!”

Julie ignored the voice and forced herself to focus beyond the nausea. As soon as she entered the room, the chill intensified as a blue glowing skull appeared from the darkness. She grabbed her dagger and swung at the gnashing monster. The hit stunned the skull back enough for Julie to side step and swing again. In an instant, the monster evaporated. Seconds later, another skull monster floated into view. She delivered a critical blow before the thing could open its mouth. This is definitely new. I’ve never had a welcoming party before. She rubbed her arms again and reached out to run her hand along the wall for the solar orb. Her fingers pulled back quickly. Is that ice? She grabbed the climbing gloves from her bag to better protect her hands and soon found the orb. 

As the room illuminated, Julie was shocked to see walls made from ice and snow-covered floors. She also noticed more skulls floating in the air. However, they almost looked like they were asleep. The blobs, unfortunately, were not asleep. She had barely advanced towards the back wall when she was suddenly surrounded by three slimy monsters. Gritting her teeth against the chill on her skin, Julie had the sudden idea to hold out her dagger and spin. Hopefully I don't get dizzy . She stretched out her weapon and spun. She could feel heat from the dagger as it hit each monster. Incredibly, she wasn’t dizzy and one of the blobs had disintegrated. The still heated weapon sliced through the remaining blobs with ease. Afterward, Julie took a few seconds to catch her breath and survey any other hindrances between herself and the lever on the back wall.

“Great,” Julie muttered as she saw the wasps seemingly guarding her end goal. 

“ You will not succeed this time, weak being. You will fail like the other one .”

“I didn’t fail before,” Julie spat back at the voice. “And I won’t fail now.”

Two more floating skulls suddenly appeared and lunged for Julie. She swatted at them with her dagger and nearly tumbled to the ground. Catching herself, she stood up as two of the wasps began moving in her direction. The cold no longer affected her - the heat from her weapon radiated up her arm and kept her warm. She spun herself to avoid a stinger from one of the wasps and a surge of heat exuded out of the dagger.

Julie stared at her weapon for a second and suddenly remembered Gong and the Chieftain blessing it. Is this effect part of that blessing? The blade now glowed bright orange - she swung again at a wasp and killed it instantly. The other wasp died after two blows from the dagger. She leveled her gaze on the lever and moved forward. Two more wasps flew her way, but did not last long. The back wall was now much closer, but the floor was also icier and Julie felt herself slide as she took a step. She managed to catch herself on a cluster of large rocks, however, she was not prepared to dodge an attack from an ant eater monster that was moving towards her. The shock from the monster’s tongue made her cry out in pain.

“ You are weak and you will fail. Just like the other. He was weak too. ” the voice seemed to cackle as it taunted Julie.

Julie scrambled to her feet and gripped her dagger. She jumped to a non-icy patch of ground and kicked the monster onto its back before it could turn and attack her again. The still warm blade took out the creature with a few blows. Her legs still felt a little wobbly from the recent jolt, but she still managed to get to the wall and pull the lever. The fight back to the lift included two more floating skulls and three wasps. She felt drained of energy by the time she stumbled onto the lift. 

“Can’t quit now,” Julie told herself. “I’m so close. Gong’s waited long enough.”

Feeling a small renewal of energy, she pressed the last square button and waited for the lift to reach the final level. An arctic blast of wind assaulted Julie as she stepped into the room. She shivered violently and felt frozen in place. The room looked it was made out of a glacier. She tried taking a step, but her legs didn’t want to move.

The Chieftain suddenly appeared in swirl of sparks. “Hooman! Made it, you did! Worried, we were. Help Gong, you must.”

“I’m trying,” Julie gasped as she shivered. “I’m so cold. I can barely move.”

“Help you in here, I cannot. But magic you have already. Blessed your weapon, we did. Use it, you can.”

Julie remembered what happened when she spun around. She fumbled for her dagger and forced her body to turn slowly. Nothing happened on the first turn, but she felt a faint glimmer of warmth on her second spin. Encouraged, she spun herself two more times until the blade began glowing orange. Heat flowed over her and she pushed forward towards the giant stone tablet suspended in the air.

“ Who are you?! How dare you try to take what is mine!”

“Gong doesn’t belong to you!” Julie yelled back as she used her dagger to slice through the bursts of wind hitting her. “And whoever you are - I’m not the weak one here.”

The tablet was finally close enough for Julie lean forward and press her hands against the ice cold surface. A sudden blitz of snow knocked her back, but a flutter of petals caught her before she hit the ground. As before, the tablet spun around and split in half. A dark fog emanated from the middle of the tablet and disappeared. The two pieces of the tablet also disappeared. 

“Again, you did it!” the Chieftain clapped. “Hurry to the surface, we must.”

Julie nodded and walked slowly back to the lift. She pressed the button that would return her to the main level of the cavern. The Chieftain was waiting for her, along with Grog and a small figure dressed in blue - Gong.

“Free! Free! Gong finally free! Gong is so grateful!” the small figure crooned.

“Hooman freed Gong like she did Grog,” Grog explained to the tiny Gong.

“Very powerful, Hooman is. Right Goddess was.” the Chieftain bobbed his head in satisfaction. “Groo free, very soon. Almost whole, we are.”

Gong danced over to Julie. “Gong so happy to be free. Gong happy that hooman helped break curse. Hooray Hooman!”

“You are very welcome,” Julie replied warmly. “I am happy to help.”

She looked over at the empty space where Gong had been imprisoned. She was happy that another Giant was free, but another missing statue also meant more suspicion. And knowing Mark, the suspicion would be focused on her.

“Look upset, Hooman does.” The Chieftain commented. “Why sad, are you?”

Julie ran a hand through her hair. “I’m not upset. It’s just…other hoomans notice when a statue goes missing. A few of them think I’m responsible.”

“Sad, you need not be. Fix problem, we can.” The Chieftain replied as the other two Giants returned to their former positions. They waved their hands over the area, producing a flutter of sparks. 

“Solved, problem is.” The Chieftain announced with satisfaction.

“Solved how?” Julie inquired. “It still looks the same.”

“Only looks the same to Hooman,” Grog spoke quietly. “Other hoomans will see statues. Only special Hooman can see the truth.”

Julie smiled. “That’s wonderful! Thank you!”

The Chieftain bobbed his head in a nod. “Now time is, Hooman, for Groo. Be freed, Groo must.” He pointed to another mine shaft on the far left of the platform that was now open. “Help again, we hope.”

“Of course,” Julie replied. “I don’t understand why or how I’m able to break those tablets, but I will help.”

“Powerful, you are. Know not why, we do. Trust Goddess, we do.”

Footsteps near the door caught everyone’s attention. The Giants waved at Julie and disappeared. The door creaked open and Mark filled the doorway.

“Everything okay?” Mark asked as he entered the cavern lobby.

Julie hoped she didn’t look too startled. “What? Yeah. Why?”

“You don’t sound okay,” Mark replied as he studied Julie. He glanced toward the statues and gaped when he saw the first statue back in its spot. “Whoa! Do you see this? The statue’s back! And another mine is open?!”

“Are you serious? I mean, I saw the statue - that’s what startled me,” Julie felt relieved to have a reason for being surprised other than Mark showing up. “I just finished my patrol. Like, two minutes ago.”

“So, it wasn’t here when you started? And that other door wasn’t open?” Mark was still staring at the statue.

“Correct. This is all new.” Julie moved closer to the statues. She decided not to offer any other information. “What are you doing here?”

Mark gave the question a snort. “Excuse me?”

“What? It’s just a question. Harmless curiosity.”

“I thought I would check on you,” Mark sounded like he didn’t want to make such an admission. “I was in the area anyway.”

Julie tried not to smile. “Okay. Well, I’m fine.”

“What’s on your shirt?” Mark leaned forward to brush what looked like white dust from Julie’s shoulder. Her body was still warming up from her altercation on level 40 and her shoulder still felt a bit frosty. “Why are you so cold?!”

Before Julie could explain, Mark wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. She wanted to pull away, but the warmth felt too good. 

“Don’t get any ideas,” Mark said dryly. “I would do the same for anyone.”

“Even Axel? Or Silver Spoon?” Julie joked into Mark’s chest.

“Almost anyone,” Mark cracked back. “Now, why do you feel like you just came from the North Pole?”

“For some reason that I cannot explain or understand, the lower levels of the Water Mine are cold and covered in snow.”

Mark pulled Julie back to look at her face. “Why were you in the bottom levels?”

“Think of me as your advance scout. Also, I’m looking for artifacts for Scott. Well, for Scott for the museum.”

Mark rolled his eyes and drew Julie back to his chest. “Let’s get you warmed up better before I yell at you.”

Julie pulled herself away. “Yell at me for what?”

“Not yell, just…I know you can handle yourself, but it’s an unexplored area and you might need help. No artifact is worth getting hurt over. Especially not for Scott.”

“And yet, I’m fine. Almost a popsicle, but otherwise fine. AND you all now know to bundle up past level 25. Also, I found a new monster.”

“Come on,” Mark sighed. “Tell me while I walk you home.”

Julie grabbed her bag from off the floor and followed Mark outside. They were just past the cavern entrance when he held up his hand for her to stop. He was staring intently at movement in some tall grass. Julie tried to move to get a better look, but Mark held up his hand again.

“Monster?” Julie whispered.

Mark scowled and shook his head. “Shhh.”

He inched forward slowly and pulled something from his pocket. “Hey there. It’s okay. We won’t hurt you.”

The grass moved more and Mark continued to coax whatever was hiding to come out. Finally, a small dog bounded out of the grass and took the outstretched offering from Mark.

“There you go! You’re just a cute thing, aren’t you? A little dirty, but that’s okay. I’ll get you fixed up. And get you fed too - you look pretty skinny, even for a small dog.”

Julie finally moved closer to inspect the dog - mostly white with a few dark gray splotches in its coat. Big eyes looked up her and a little bark erupted from its mouth.

“What a cutie,” Julie leaned down and gently petted the small head. The dog responded with another yip and a tail wag.

Mark scooped the dog in his arms and handed it another treat. “I’m not sure where she came from, but I can keep her at the shelter for now. Tonight, however, she can stay with me. Bon-Bon might like the company too.”

“You’re so different with animals,” Julie commented before she could stop herself. 

Mark’s expression grew slightly sad. “Animals are easy. They don’t judge or criticize. They’re generally happy and accepting. Sure, they’re demanding, but they can’t help it. And the payoff is always worth it.” He stared down at the dog in his arms before continuing. “I’m glad to do what’s needed to keep my family and this island safe, but the cost is…it’s hard, Julie. It can wear you down. Taking care of the strays at the shelter is where I find balance. It keeps me sane.”

Julie petted the dog again and gently patted Mark’s shoulder. “Thank you for checking on me. Looks like it was good timing for this little thing too.”

Mark smiled at the dog. “Looks like. I better get her home for a bath.”

The pair walked in silence until they were near Jack’s store.

“This is where we split up,” Mark nodded at the different paths. “I assume you’re good to get yourself home?”

Julie nodded. “Yep. And good luck on that bath. Hopefully she doesn’t bite.”

“Ha. Thanks.” Mark half-smiled. “Besides, it couldn’t hurt any worse than this.” He pointed to the scratch over this eye.

“Are you kidding me? I thought that was a battle scar.”

Mark chuckled. “Kind of. Big ol’ tom cat that needed his shots.”

“Fingers crossed you don’t get another one.” Julie joked as she walked toward the short stairway leading to her farm.

“Night, Garden Rake.” Mark waved and continued on the path toward his house.

Julie watched him walk away as she thought about what he said earlier  about the cost of his commitment to the BOS and their mission. What would be the cost of her commitment to the Goddess and healing the island? Would she end up alone and carrying the weight of secrets that very few would understand and/or believe? Would she eventually lose her family because she couldn’t/wouldn’t leave the island?

Julie forced herself out of the mental spiral so she could get into her house and recoup from the day’s experience. She noticed the mailbox flag pulled up and walked over to inspect. She found a note from Millie, asking her to stop by the library soon:

Dear Julie,

Sweet songbird! Something “magical” happened at the library. Or maybe it really is magic? I found some books in the library that I don’t remember seeing before. I know I didn’t buy them recently either. They look old. Come by and see for yourself! Also, I have something else to show you - it’s related to the trust.

See you soon!

Millie

Julie smiled at the note, especially since it was written on light yellow stationary with songbirds on each corner. She was definitely intrigued by the books, but Millie’s mention of the trust really got her attention. Hopefully she could get on her daily work without interruptions so she could stop by the library before diving. And hopefully the news about the trust is good news . Julie crossed her fingers for luck as she finally disappeared inside her house to rest.

Chapter Text

Julie could already hear the rain drops on her roof before the low rumble of thunder cemented the presence of the storm. She smiled as her eyes opened slowly - perhaps this was an extra ‘thank you’ from Gong? Rain meant that she could relax in bed a little longer since she didn’t have to water crops. After her adventure in the water mine the previous day, she took a hot shower before climbing in bed. Her muscles were only slightly sore, but having a light day would definitely help if she intended to return to the ocean today. The possibility of seeing the merfolk again made her heart jump.

“Time to get going,” Julie ordered herself as she finally stood up and dressed. Among the things she had to adjust to after moving to Coral Island was washing her clothes. The farm house had a small washer, but no dryer. Sometimes she would use the clothesline that Dinda fixed when Julie first moved in. Most of the time, she relied on the makeshift clothesline she put up in the house. The fans that kept the inside cool also sped up the drying time. Instead of watering her crops, she took time to fold her recently dried clothing and check on the pickling crocks. Kenny suggested she wait until she could strongly smell the contents before opening the crocks. From the ‘smell’ of things, the crocks needed at least another day. 

Julie re-read Millie’s note while sipping her coffee. The mention of the trust made her both nervous and hopeful, but she liked to think Millie would have warned her in the note if it was bad news. Maybe it’s just legal stuff that needs to be done to officially close the trust . The only way to know anything would be to visit Millie as soon as possible. She finished her breakfast, threw a notepad and pens in her bag, and grabbed her umbrella to set off for the community center. The humidity felt like a heavy curtain outside as Julie plodded towards her first stop. She used her free hand to pull her hair off her neck, making a split decision to visit the salon as soon as she could. 

“Hey you,” Luke appeared in Julie’s line of sight. “How’s your morning going?”

“Wet,” Julie joked. “Not bad. I’m still getting used to the summer humidity. Rain is nice though - less work for me.”

Luke grinned. “That’s a nice way to look at it. How have you been? It feels like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’m well. Just busy.” Julie returned the smile. Busy is an understatement - I discovered the existence of merfolk, fought off monsters, and rescued a magical creature vital to the island’s well-being . “How are things with your father at the store?”

Luke’s smile faded. “I don’t know. I knew there would be a learning curve, but I also thought he would pick things up a little faster. I hope the reason I haven’t seen you isn’t because of my father being in the store…”

Julie shook her head. “Not at all. I really have been busy.”

“You know,” Luke lowered his voice as he moved closer. “I still owe you a dinner for finding Taco. And that does not include the interest that has accrued on that particular invitation. It is probably more like two dinners.”

“Interest, huh?” Julie tried not to blush. “I suppose I can’t have interest compounding like that. We will have to rectify this very soon.”

Luke brushed his hand against Julie’s hand that held her umbrella. “I like the ‘soon’ part - not sure how I feel about the ‘rectifying’ part though. But I agree that sooner is most certainly better than later. How about tomorrow?”

“Oh, sure.” Julie swallowed against her sudden nervousness. “That sounds fine.”

“I can stop by your place after work.” Luke smiled again. “I will make the plans and you just be ready for what is hopefully a nice evening.”

Julie nodded as Luke looked down at his watch. “Shoot. I’m late. It was so nice running into you this morning. You made my day already. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Luke winked and hurried away towards his store. Julie rubbed her forehead as she continued towards the community center. I have a date with Luke?! How did that even happen? Julie knew she was joking more than flirting, but she also couldn’t help but appreciate his forwardness. She had felt like being noticed by anyone since Josh broke her heart almost six seasons ago. Gotta get back out there eventually.

Juie grabbed the door handle of the community center just as a large hand reached around her for the door.

“Morning,” Mark said gruffly in her ear.

“Oh!” Julie jumped and let go of the handle. “Hi…sorry.”

“Kinda jumpy this morning, aren’t ya?” Mark pulled the door open and stepped to the side so Julie could enter first. “Didn’t take you for the nervous type.”

Julie stuck her tongue out at Mark as she passed through the doorway. “Funny. I just wasn’t expecting a grizzly bear behind me.”

“Gotta train those eyes in the back of your head,” Mark smirked. “A few training sessions wouldn’t kill you. I’ll even promise to go easy.”

Julie let a mischievous smile play across her lips. “You know, the last time I heard some talk about ‘training,’ it didn’t involve swords. At least not a traditional one.”

Mark tried not to spit up the sip of cocoa he just put in his mouth. “Geez, Garden Rake. Keep it in your pants. It was a PG offer.”

“I was kidding ,” Julie retorted to cover her embarrassment. “I didn’t realize you were so delicate.”

Mark finally grinned slyly. “Sure you were. You really gotta work on those flirting skills, Garden Rake. You sound rusty.”

“Julieeee!” Millie’s sing-song greeting proved to be the perfect interruption. Mark took another sip of his cup and turned to enter the shelter as Millie pranced over to Julie and grabbed her hand. “Perfect timing, you precocious butterfly! I saw the rain this morning and figured you would be here early.”

“Technically I could have done a few things on the farm this morning.” Julie shrugged. “But who would keep you company?”

Millie giggled. “And I’m sure my note had nothing to do with it. I was hoping my ‘magic’ comment would pique your interest. But first, we need to stop in the mayor’s office for some trust talk.”

Julie followed Millie into Mayor Connor’s office. He was already behind his desk and grinned when the pair entered.

“Good morning! Thank you for coming by so soon. Once again, I must apologize for the delay here. We’re working on getting more organized.”

“No problem,” Julie replied as she sat down in one of the cushy chairs flanking the mayor’s desk. “I hope this is good news related to the trust?”

“I would think so. We need to handle this first so we can officially close the trust.” Connor explained as he held out a a few typed pages. “This is for you.”

Julie took the pages and glanced over them. “What is this? Wait…my dad’s name is on this. And mine?”

Millie placed a hand on Julie’s knee. “It seems the property wasn’t the only asset in the trust. It looks like your father also included some money. He also apparently set up an account with the town to cover the property taxes on the property…for the next twelve seasons.”

“What?!” Julie stared at Millie before looking back at the paper. The funds had been held in a special account and would be automatically transferred to her after she was informed of the farm. “This is a lot of money. I don’t understand. My mother never mentioned this. Did she not know?”

Mayor Connor looked back down at some papers on his desk. “According to the information we have, it looks like the money came from an insurance policy - it seems Rudy put the proceeds directly into this special account. It was earning interest all this time. I guess our five year delay benefited you a little.” The mayor chuckled nervously. “Apologies again about that. But now, I just need your signature on that second page and we can handle the rest. We’ll let you know when all the funds have been transferred.”

“It looks like your father covered all the angles of you taking over the farm.” Millie added gently. “Just more proof that you’re meant to be here.”

“Again, I’m really sorry that we didn’t have this organized and ready when you visited.” Mayor Connor grimaced slightly. “But I am very happy that you decided to take over the farm, even without knowing about the account.”

Julie felt tears in the corners of her eyes. “This is amazing. And it’s okay - I would have made the same choice, regardless of seeing this. The timing is pretty perfect actually.” She took a pen from the desk and signed the tabbed line. “Thank you.”

Connor looked relieved. “I think your grandparents would be very proud of you.”

Millie stood up, gently tugging on Julie’s arm. “I need to go before I start crying. And if Julie’s done, I need to show her something in the library.”

The mayor smiled and waved the pair off. “Oh, yes. All done. Julie, I’ll send you a note when everything is settled.”

Julie nodded her thanks to Mayor Connor and followed Millie across the hall to the library. She still felt a little stunned from what she just learned. Not only did her father give her a new life in the form of the farm, but he also provided a nice nest egg to help her get started. I guess I should talk to Dinda about that sprinkler system!

“Now for the books,” Millie explained as she led Julie to a bookshelf on the library’s second level. “I swear, these books were not here before yesterday. You know me - I am very particular about organization, so I can’t see missing these books in my routine inventories of the library.”

Julie looked closer at the books Millie was pointing to. Like she said in her note, they looked quite old. Julie gently pulled one of the books from the self and let it fall open. At first glance, the pages looked like they were filled with characters similar to the sacred trees and the wooden cylinder in the museum. A faint pink hue fell over the page and Julie realized she could read it. 

“Is that talking about farming?” Millie peered at the open pages. “How old is this book? It looks like it’s about the fall apart.”

“Um, yeah.” Julie felt slightly relieved that Millie could also read the pages. “Have you thought about showing these to Scott?”

Millie wrinkled her nose. “Yes, but also…well, this is something special for the library and he would just want to take them for the museum. I know it sounds silly, but I want to keep this bit of island magic here.”

Julie smiled at her friend as she slowly flipped pages. “It doesn’t sound silly to me. Maybe they are magic. Who knows? I wouldn’t want to part with them either.”

“How would you feel about going through them with me?” Millie’s eyes sparkled. “It could be like our own little book club!”

Julie laughed. “I do have something to do later, but I’ve got some time now.”

Millie clapped. She grabbed another book for Julie to carry and she took the other two volumes for herself. Julie pulled the notebook from her bag and settled herself at a nearby table. She opened the farming book at the beginning and looked for a title page - nothing. No author, no publishing date or mention of a publishing company. Where did these books come from? Did the Goddess just create them out of thin air?

“This is so weird,” Millie commented quietly. “There isn’t anything in this book about the author’s name or who published it.”

“Same with this one,” Julie echoed. “Really Millie - this might actually be magic.”

Millie bit her lip in excitement. Julie giggled as she refocused her attention on the book. The information detailed how the particular civilization planted crops in each season, including which crops were planted near one another and how to rotate planting in each season to replenish the soil. Julie almost caught her breath when she saw Grog’s name plainly mentioned in the text. Scott’s notes mentioned the ancient ancestors working with the Giants - is this book about THAT civilization ? She continued reading and making notes about rotating her crops and which seeds should be planted together. The book also mentioned a special mix that added nutrients to the soil. Julie guessed it might be the fertilizer from the scroll left for her on the pedestal. She needed to check with Dinda about the composter.

“So, how are things going?” Millie asked as she flipped a page. “Anything new happening with you?”

“Pretty good. Keeping busy.” Julie glanced up from her book. “By new, do you mean me getting wrangled in to helping Scott with the museum?”

Millie looked at Julie over the top of her glasses. “He told me about that. I wanted to object, but we really, really need the help. So, thank you. And that’s not what I was talking about. I heard about you finding Taco. Luke kinda went on about it at the Tavern. Plus, my roommate Yuri is a good friend of his.”

Julie felt her cheeks flush a bit. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. He would’ve eventually found Taco. Or the dog would have gone home, probably later that day.”

“Not to hear Luke talk about it. Even Nina called you the hero.”

“Oh. Yeah - Nina. She seems…nice. Colorful.” Julie forced a smile.

Millie chuckled. “Girl, please. Colorful? Nina can be a bit splashy, but she’s honestly nice. She’s also rich - like very rich. Not snobby though.”

“Sounds like she and Luke’s family go way back.” Julie tried to sound nonchalant. “I kinda thought maybe they…you know, had history.”

“You’d think so, right? I know they grew up together, but I don’t think they ever dated. Maybe they’re too much alike? I think Bree would like they to get together though. According to Yuri, she’s kinda critical about his relationships.”

Julie felt her brow furrow. “Oh. Well, okay then.”

“Why?!” Millie sat up and stared at Julie with a grin. “Do you like him?”

“Stop looking at me like that. He’s nice. And definitely attractive. I don’t know though. But um…he did kinda asked me to dinner this morning.”

“What?! For real?!” Millie closed the book in her hands to clap lightly. “Did you say yes? Of course, you said yes!”

Julie opened her mouth to respond, but Mark’s grunt caught their attention. He was standing in the doorway of the library with one eyebrow cocked. “How is it that I can hear Millie over the animals in the shelter?” 

“You’re not running a daycare over there.” Julie replied dryly. “I don’t think we need to be quiet."

“You’re in a library.” Mark quipped.

 Julie rolled her eyes. “And we’re the only ones in here too.”

Mark tried not to smile. The only other person to verbally spar with him was his sister Anne. Julie’s arms were now crossed over her chest and he could see some tone beginning to show on her upper arms. Her skin was also more bronze from working in the sun. “What are you getting Millie worked up about anyway?”

“Girl stuff,” Millie decided to jump in. “No boys allowed. Sorry, Mark.”

“Looks like you’re getting some muscles there, Garden Rake.” Mark kept his eyes on Julie. “Maybe I shouldn’t go easy on you after all.” 

Julie laughed lightly. “Looks like I’m not the only one who sucks at flirting. What did you say to me earlier? You sound a little rusty.”

Mark snorted. “Try to keep it down.” He shook his head and headed back to the shelter.

Julie sighed and looked over at Millie, who was wide-eyed again. “What?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? That ! What was that?”

“What was what? With Mark? It’s kind of an inside joke. I said something earlier and he made this crack about me flirt–”

Millie held up her hand. “I don’t think so. You two clearly have chemistry. I’ve never heard him joke around with anyone. Like, ever.”

“He wasn’t really joking around.” Julie countered. “We talk that way all the time. I’m not sure if we even know how to not be sarcastic with each other.”

“I’m sorry - exactly how often do you talk to him? And you are brilliant and wonderful in so many ways, lady bug, but you apparently are a little…less brilliant when it comes to men.” Millie patted Julie’s hand. “That just now - that’s flirting.”

Julie shook her head. “No. Not with Mark. He’s just gruff…it’s how he is. And he’s not interested in that anyway.”

“So you’ve thought about it?” Millie teased. “I mean, he’s not bad to look at, especially when he’s on the beach.”

“What does he wear on the beach?” Julie ignored her friend’s tease.

“If you haven’t seen, I’ll just let that be a surprise.”

Julie shook her head at Millie as she checked her watch. “Shoot. I have to go. I’m so sorry. I promise to come back another day to look at the books.”

“No worries. Thanks for the company!” Millie chirped. “And good luck on your dinner with Luke!”

Julie squeezed Millie’s hand before she headed out of the library. She stopped at the shelter door and tapped on the glass. Mark looked up from playing with the new dog he found in the woods and nodded his head. She waved before hurrying outside. Rain wouldn’t matter under the water. Julie decided to take the path along the unofficial “garden lane” that ran past Millie and Yuri’s house and connected with the inn and the pier. 

Ling’s boat sat in its usual spot. Julie boarded and changed into the new diving suit before she guided the boat to her most recent coordinates. She readied herself to go under, remembering to also grab the critter trap. The new suit actually felt a little cushier than its predecessor. The helmet also surprised her - it wasn’t nearly as heavy as she assumed. The idea of getting to test out Dr. Ling’s upgrades was almost more thrilling than healing the corals. Julie felt her stomach flutter as she lowered herself into the water. She let out a sigh of contentment at the now familiar sight beneath the ocean’s surface. I could spend every day down here and never get tired of this .

Her first task before moving to the lower depth was to backtrack to shallower water to set up the trap. She followed Surya’s note about how to set the trap and gave a thumbs up to Kibit so Dr. Ling could get the coordinates. Once that assignment was complete, Julie retraced her steps and bobbed down the long staircase to a much larger section that needed to be cleaned. She marveled at the open expanse of the space with its dragon statues and remnants of once healthy coral. After only a few hours, she managed to clean away most of the debris and find the solar cores needed to recharge the coral structures. 

A black tarry barrier forced Julie to follow a specific path to the next area that needed help. She happened to look down at the scallops and shells along the floor - one bright blue shell was surrounded by a light pink glow. I didn’t think about offerings coming from the ocean, but that makes sense . She scooped what turned out to be a mussel into her bag and began breaking up debris and trash to find the next set of solar cores. 

After another hour, Julie stopped to rest and have a snack. The new helmet made eating more challenging, but she soon figured it out and replenished her energy before getting back to work. She found the final solar core needed for that area and pressed her hand against the glowing surface before move away so the charging process could complete unhindered. After the shower of light restored the coral and evaporated more of the black tarry substance, Julie looked around for the next path to take and realized that one of the previously blocked paths was now open. She guided herself and her equipment down another “road” on the ocean floor before seeing a warp stand next to another fish-shaped building. As she inspected the building, she became aware of being watched. Julie turned around to find the female merfolk from before floating in front of her.

Surprised, Julie hopped backwards and dropped her scythe tool. The mermaid also looked shocked and started to turn away.

“Wait!” Julie called out. “Please - I mean you no harm. You just surprised me. Please, do not go.”

“You speak our tongue,” the mermaid replied in awe. “How is that possible? How do you know about us?”

“I cannot explain it,” Julie responded slowly. She could faintly hear the speech coming from her mic and it barely sounded like an actual language. “All I know is that the Goddess asked for my help and I am trying to do that.”

The mermaid furrowed her brow. “So, you are here because of the Goddess? Are you the one who has played with the coral sites?”

“I fixed them. Their power sources were somehow dislodged. I use my tools to clear the trash, find the power core, and then put it back in place.”

The mermaid smiled. “So you ARE the one who has healed our coral!”

Julie felt herself relax a little. “I am just turning the structures on again. It is simple work, but I am quite glad to do it.”

“My name is Denali. And we were not able to figure out what happened to the sites. Whatever you are doing is not simple at all.”

“My name is Julie. Were these structures not built by your people?”

Denali shrugged. “It was before my time. My father says that the structures are very old…technology from an ancient kingdom.” Her long, ebony hair shimmered every time she moved her head. She blinked at Julie with a constant wide-eyed expression that made her look more like a doll than a living being. 

“Your hair is so pretty,” Julie decided to change the subject. “I’ve never seen hair so shiny before.”

Denali giggled. “Thank you! My mother makes a special balm for my hair. My patrol buddy Agung makes fun of my hair all the time. He says that I am liable to attract a giant sea monster with it.” She titled her head as she stared at Julie. “Your hair is a weird color. I’ve never seen hair like that before. Has it always been that way or do you use a balm as well?”

“This color is not uncommon with land dwellers. My father’s hair was also like this. It is a little different, but I actually like that.”

“It is pretty.” Denali replied. “When I said ‘weird,’ I only meant that I had not seen it before. Although, you would probably not do well if you were trying to hide. Agung especially would locate you in a second!”

“I supposed that’s true,” Julie laughed. She inched a little closer to get a better look at her new friend. “Is Agung the other merfolk I saw before?”

“Yes. He’s my patrol partner sometimes. Our captain has him doing other things today, so I thought I would try to find you again. And I did! We have been so worried about these giant roots. But the day we saw you was also the day a REALLY BIG tangle of roots just got sucked away! Agung thinks it’s a coincidence, but I know it’s because of whatever you have done so far.”

Julie felt her eyes moisten. She started to reply, but Denali suddenly swam very close, grabbed Julie's helmet, and pressed her forehead against the mask.

“I wish I could see you better.” Denali commented as she touched the outside with her hands. “But I guess you need this head thing?”

“I cannot breathe underwater,” Julie replied, feeling slightly nervous. “Without the mask, I would drown.”

Denali pulled her hands back as it she touched something hot. “Oh, my! I am sorry! I will leave your head thing alone.” She squinted her eyes to get a better look. “Do your eyes match your hair like me?”

Julie laughed again. “No. My eyes are the color of sand. Sort of.”

“I wish I could see for myself,” Denali pouted. “Oh well. It must be hard to walk around in all of that. Do you have to wear that above the ocean too?”

“No, this is just to help me in the water. It is cold down here for land dwellers. This suit and mask keep me safe.”

Denali frowned. “That sounds complicated. My father says that most land dweller affairs are complicated. Land dwellers today do not know that we exist. Maybe that is why they do not clean up the water better?”

“I wish I could say that was true. Not all land dwellers are…messy. Some of us do care about the ocean. And your father is not wrong - many things in my world are very complicated.”

“You might like being a merfolk then! You wouldn’t have to wear that head thing. And you could swim much better.” Denali’s eyes sparkled as she spoke. Oh! And you could sleep on soft kelp and eat the best foods all the time! You wouldn’t be cold either.”  

“That sounds really nice.” Julie answered in a wistful tone. “I do have a good life on land. It is not as complicated as it once was. And I love my farm.”

“You have a farm?! My mother has a small garden, but nothing like a whole farm .” Denali’s eyes grew even wider. “I went to a farm once with my father when we visited his place of birth. The fields were HUGE! I wonder if our crops are very different from your crops? Do you have anything like mermoos and carabirds? Slamet takes care of all the seahorses and most of the creatures in our kingdom. He’s so nice and the seahorses go nuts when he brings them treats.”

Julie paused to figure out what Denali might be talking about when she heard Dr. Ling’s voice. “She’s talking about cows and poultry.”

“Yes, we have animals like that.” Julie replied to Denali. “I don’t have any animals yet, but I am building a house for some…carabirds. And I am not sure I could call my farm ‘huge.’ I am still learning how to care for all the crops.”

Julie and Denali paused as they both heard a voice in the distance. 

“I should go,” Denali announced somewhat sullenly. “That sounds like Agung and I don’t want him to find you. He would tell our captain and Semeru might try to run you off. You seem very nice, Julie. I hope to see you again!”

“Thank you for not running away,” Julie replied warmly. “And you seem very nice also. It was nice meeting you, Denali. I hope to talk again!”

Denali waved excitedly before she darted off towards the voice. Julie let out a small sigh. I can’t believe I just talked to a mermaid! An ACTUAL mermaid!

“Are you feeling overwhelmed at all?” Dr. Ling asked. 

“Yes and no. It felt like this normal conversation I was having with a being I always thought was just myth. It feels so surreal. And I could kinda hear what the translator was saying - it doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard.”

Dr. Ling laughed lightly into the mic. “How many other languages have you heard? And yes, it does sound quite strange at first. You’ll get used to it.”

Julie was glad Ling couldn’t see her face. The truthful response to that question might lead to a discussion she wasn’t quite ready to have. “I guess I need to get back to cleaning for a bit longer.”

“I’m glad I happened to plug into Kibit’s feed when I did. I am signing off for the day though. See you later!”

Julie waved at Kibit before floating up a set of stairs to a brightly decorated area now marred by black roots and brown coral patches. She worked herself through almost half of the area before deciding to call it a night. She signaled the boat and waited for the anchor to drop at her new location. After changing out of the suit on the boat, Julie made her way back to the pier. Even at night, the air was still warm enough that she opted not to cover the swim top. She had just left the boat when Luke waved at her from just outside the inn.

“Fancy seeing you here!” Luke grinned as his eyes took in Julie’s swim top and denim shorts. “Wow, you look…I don’t think I’ve seen you in beach attire before. Apologies for staring, but - wow.”

Julie swallowed hard. The upside of all the recent manual labor had been a more toned body, especially her arms and abs. Her legs were also getting stronger, thanks to the diving. “I was…it’s still warm out - I left my shirt off.”

“Lucky me then.” Luke replied with a devilish hint in his voice. “Tomorrow evening suddenly seems much further away.”

Julie playfully rolled her eyes. “Oh stop. You’re making me self-conscious.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll try to be good. I am glad to see you though. The rain finally stopped, so we don’t have to hide under umbrellas. May I walk you home?”

Julie smiled and nodded. For a second, she thought about asking Luke why he was at the inn. It’s really not my business. And it’s not like we’re even a thing. It’s one date. “I hope your day was better with your dad.”

Luke sighed. “I wish I could say it was. He’s not picking things up - like, not at all. I can’t tell if he simply isn’t trying or really that lost. AND he let Macy leave without paying for some ear buds. How do you even explain that?”

Julie winced. “Ouch. I’m sorry things aren’t going better.” She sighed inwardly when Luke mentioned Macy. Maybe that’s why he was leaving the inn ?

“I’m really hoping he improves quickly . Luckily he hasn’t suggested working during the weekend - no way on that. And it’s not just about him not knowing anything in the store…he keeps nitpicking how I do things.”

Julie lightly patted Luke’s shoulder. “Are you sure this was a good idea?”

Luke smiled briefly at Julie’s hand on his shoulder. “I still think it might turn around. He does complain all the time. We’ve chatted a lot too, just casual. That part has been rather nice.”

Julie paused at they finally reached her porch. “I hope things get better then. Thank you for the company. I look forward to tomorrow night.”

Luke stepped closer and lightly ran his finger lightly down Julie’s bare arm. “I am also looking forward to tomorrow night. Until then.”

Julie waited briefly before entering her house. The smell of radishes and hot peppers had grown a little stronger. She wrinkled her nose at the aroma. “I think tomorrow’s gonna be D-Day for these crocks.” She fixed a sandwich to give her growling stomach something before bedtime. Every time she encountered Luke, the attention always felt nice. But, no butterflies or catch in her breath. Maybe I’m just older and wiser about those feelings. Maybe I just don’t get that anymore? Julie knew that love was more than fuzzy feelings, but not feeling that at all saddened her. Even if she wasn’t necessarily looking for romance right now, she still hoped for the chance to have someone take her breath away.

*************

Julie waited for Luke to arrive for their date. She looked down at the purple sleeveless top and short black skirt she picked out from White Flamingo. She also stopped at the salon to have Erika return her hair to the previous layered bob style that she chose when moving to Coral Island. The stylist kept fishing for clues behind Julie’s need for a trim, but she kept mum about her plans with Luke. And now, she felt a little silly dressing up without knowing the specifics of their date. Sighing, she decided to wait on the porch and enjoy the slightly cooler evening air. She had just sat down when Luke appeared, slightly out of breath.

“I am so sorry,” He panted. “Dad made a bit of a mess and…well, really sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Julie stood up. “Things happen.”

Luke grimaced. “About that…I just got roped into a client dinner with my parents. Some prospective vendor for the vineyard. I feel terrible, especially looking at you right now. Wow, you look amazing.”

Julie kept the smile on her face. “It’s okay. Really. Things happen.”

“Unless…you’re willing to join me?” Luke asked hopefully. “I doubt my parents will mind. It will absolutely be boring, but I would greatly appreciate your company. What do you think?”

“Sure.” Julie replied. “You’re sure your parents won’t mind?”

Luke tucked Julie’s arm under his. “I’m sure. Thank you so much.”

************************

Two hours later, Luke walked Julie back to her house. She felt somewhat exhausted from trying not to care at Walter and Bree’s subtle passive-aggressive comments throughout dinner. Her jaw was tired from keeping the pleasant smile plastered on her face and keeping her mouth closed for most of the meal.

“So…that was even worse than I expected.” Luke finally spoke. “I didn’t think that client would ever shut up. I’m honestly sure if I care whether you secured him or not.”

Julie offered another fake smile. Either you didn’t realize your parents were picking on me or you don’t care . “The one story about the safari trip was interesting.”

“The first fifteen minutes anyway,” Luke smirked. “And my parents - why are they such snobs? I apologize if they were a little too…”

“Pretentious and patronizing? Of course not.” Julie answered dryly. “But I probably should have changed before we left my house anyway. I don’t think your mother appreciated my ‘tantalizing outfit’.”

Luke stopped just before reaching the porch and slid his arms around Julie’s waist. “Well, I appreciated it very much. And I actually think your outfit is quite nice.”

“Thank you,” Julie murmured. “I feel like I’m 0 for 2 with your parents so far.”

Luke leaned down and brushed Julie’s nose with his own. “I don’t think it went as badly as you think. But I much prefer time alone with you anyway.”

Julie looked up to ask Luke what he meant, but her lips met his in a sudden, but non-intrusive kiss. His lips touched hers again, this time, gently coaxing her mouth open with his tongue. Suddenly missing such physical closeness, Julie gave in and let Luke deepen the kiss. She felt his arms tighten and pull her closer against his chest. Julie slid her arms around Luke’s neck as the kiss continued. She felt his hand leave her waist and stroke her back before thumbing the back of her top. She gently broke the kiss and slightly titled her head down.

“Was I too forward?” Luke asked quietly as he kissed her ear.

“No…it’s just, um, it’s been a while since I’ve...”

“Ahhh.” Luke smiled and nuzzled her cheek. “And you’re wanting to go slow?”

Julie smiled weakly and nodded. “Yes. I hope that’s not an issue.”

“Of course not.” Luke’s smile looked a little less genuine. He dropped his arms from Julie’s waist and took a small step back. “Slow is just fine. I still owe you a few dinners anyway.”

“Thank you for tonight,” Julie felt ready to go inside. “I’ll see you later?”

“You are welcome. And yes, definitely see you later. Good night, Julie.”

Chapter Text

The previous days were busy for Julie as she neared the middle of the Summer season. Joko and Rafael finally finished the composter and fertilizer storage box. Julie did not have much silver kelp collected yet, but she used a makeshift drying rack to dry what she had. Dr. Ling assured her that more kelp would grow in the newly healed areas. She also decided to try making her own sea salt. When she checked on her experiment later, Julie noticed a pink hue around the salt. Another offering! Perhaps that goes with the mussel I saw?

Julie scooped the dried salt into a small jar and placed it next to the blue mussel. She collected the kelp and added it to the recently finished compost material and the already collected sap. Now to mix and let it sit for a day . She also remembered to talk to Dinda about hiring Joko’s cousins to chop more wood and schedule building of the coop. Sam loved the pickled radishes and peppers, eagerly asking for more. She promised more, along with fresh blueberries and tomatoes that were ready the following day. 

Julie also took some time to search for any wild fruits or flowers that she could forage. The magic of the Goddess led her to figs and some bright red hibiscus flowers. She picked those, along with extra figs to either pickle or dry on the rack. She ran into Luke after finding the figs, who pulled her close for a light kiss. Julie smiled and agreed to find him at the town’s animal festival the next day. As much as she wanted to enjoy the casualness of a new romance, she couldn’t seem to get away from the tiny tug in the back of her heart that wanted to feel those butterflies. 

On Saturday, Julie hurried to get through her daily chores so she could spend some time at the animal festival. She was not planning to attend until Millie practically begged her to at least stop by. The blueberries in her fridge were begging to be eaten, so she indulged with some fresh fruit and an egg sandwich she learned to make after hunting down Anne for instructions. She wanted to try her hand at making preserves, but that required a full day with nothing else to do. Julie finished the last of her breakfast and returned to her field to finish up. Afterward, she donned the swimsuit under her clothes in the hopes of getting to dive after attending the festival.

As soon as Julie crossed the small bridge from her farm, she saw the large hay arch and brightly painted sign for the festival. The local doctor Charles stood near the entrance, petting a llama from Jack’s ranch. 

“Hey there!” Charles beamed. “Welcome to your first animal festival!”

“Hi back. And thank you! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before.” Julie reached over the lightly scratch the llama’s head. “It looks fun though.”

Charles gave a bashful smile. “There are a few fun things to do, like the mechanic bull, the cow race, and pet photos. Mostly, it’s just a fun day with a lot of animals.”

“I promised Millie I would make an appearance. I guess I should find her.”

Charles blushed slightly. “She’s around - all cheery as usual.”

Julie smiled at Charles before she moved on to find her friend. She only met the doctor during a routine exam. He seemed nice, but didn’t talk much. She laughed to herself at his blushing when she mentioned Millie. I wonder if he likes her?

“My shining butterfly!” Millie waved at Julie as she bounced over. “You came!”

“You lovingly badgered me into submission.” Julie joked. “Besides, it doesn’t hurt to be more involved with the community. This looks so neat!”

Millie gave Julie a quick glance. “How do you look so cute after farm work? My hair was all frizz this morning. I think I like my outfit, but I feel kinda frumpy.”

Julie took a second to look at Millie’s yellow romper. “Stop hating on my friend. The romper is very cute. And whatever you did to fix the frizz is working. You look great.”

“Maybe I should do some farm work too,” Millie gently poked Julie’s bare arm. “Look at these guns, girl! Dang!”

“I’m going to walk away before you embarrass me.” Julie subconsciously rubbed the bridge of her nose. “But thank you, I think, for the compliment.”

Millie grabbed the arm she had just poked. “Wait a second, ladybird. You’re not going anywhere until you tell me how the date went. I need to live vicariously here.”

Julie sighed. “Well, it was hijacked by a client dinner. He convinced me to come, but…well, I knew his parents weren’t thrilled about me being there.”

“Bummer! Why in the world would he think you would enjoy that? I don’t have anything against Bree personally, but her and Walter are…a bit ostentatious.”

Julie chuckled. “That’s a nice fancy word to describe fancy people. I agree. He did walk me home though, so that was nice.”

Millie leaned in, her eyes excited. “Aaannddd?”

“You’re incorrigible. Don’t tell anyone, please?” Julie implored. “Yes, he kissed me. It was really nice.”

Millie did her best not to squeal. “My only question here is ‘really nice’? This is the suave, handsome island bachelor we’re talking about.”

“Speaking of that - I know you got that from Mark.” Julie raised an eyebrow. “And I’m fairly certain he didn’t mean it as a compliment.”

“But it fits.” Millie countered. “And don’t dodge my question. Are you just not into him? Are you maybe more into someone else…perhaps a crankier someone?”

“Who’s cranky?” Mark’s voice intruded into the conversation as he walked over the the pair. “You’re a little late to the party, Garden Rake.”

Julie felt her face flush as Millie choked down a giggle. “How can I be late to a festival that runs all day ?”

“The same way you somehow managed to be late when we were meeting at your farm. It takes talent, so bravo for pulling it off consistently.”

“Wait a second,” Millie interrupted. “What were you meeting for? A date?”

Mark’s face pinked for a moment. “Nothing social.” Clearly flustered by Millie’s question, he focused back on Julie. “So, who’s cranky?”

“Other than you?” Julie smirked. “Jim maybe?”

“So you were either talking about me just now or Jim. Not that I want you two

whispering about me, but whispering about Jim actually sounds worse.”

“It was a private conversation, Mark.” Millie countered. “But if you must know, I  was telling Julie about a character from my new book.”

Mark eyed Millie like he didn’t believe her. “Alright Garden Rake, now that you’re here - plan on riding the bull later?”

Millie had to turn away as she coughed down another giggle. Julie hoped her face wasn’t bright red. “Um, no. I don’t think I would be very good at that.”

Millie gagged again and Julie wanted to jab her in the ribs. Mark looked slightly confused, but rolled his eyes and walked away. 

“Have you lost your mind?” Julie playfully swatted her friend. “What was that?”

“I’m sorry. Maybe I’ve read too many romance books.” Millie chuckled. “So, before we were interrupted by the topic of my question…”

“Shush. Stop making me blush. And no, I am not interested in him like that. We’re friends. Or kind of friends, anyway. Maybe I’m still being too cautious. Luke did request a redo on our date, and he asked me to find him today.”

Millie grinned. “Being cautious isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I should go check on a few things. Luke is heading up the pet photo area. See you later!”

Julie waited for Millie to walk away before she scanned the bustling courtyard for the pet photo stand. She finally spotted Luke and Taco at a booth near the museum entrance. As she weaved through the clusters of people, she noticed the secretary from Pufferfish standing close to Luke and whispering in his ear. He chuckled in response before turning back to snap a few more pictures. The woman lightly squeezed Luke’s arm before blending into a group of nearby tourists. I wonder what that was about .

Julie finally made it to the photo stand and waited for Luke to finish taking more pictures before she tapped him on the shoulder.

“I thought we…” Luke started to say as he turned around. “Julie! Hey there. Where did you come from?”

“Just across the courtyard. I haven’t been here long. Millie stopped me for a bit. Looks like you’re staying busy.”

Luke quickly scanned the crowd before settling his eyes on Julie. “Oh, yeah! I was asked to handle the photo booth - probably because I have a digital camera. But it’s still a lot of fun. Maybe you want to get a few photos?”

“I don’t have a pet though. I think I would look a little weird on the hay bale by myself.” Julie remarked lightly, despite her curiosity about the secretary.

Luke scanned the crowd again before leaning in. “You could borrow Taco.” He glanced down and noticed the swimsuit strap. “Mmm planning a stop at the beach?”

“Oh, maybe some diving later - if I have time. It’s turning into my new hobby.”

“Diving can be a lot of fun,” Luke mused. “Perhaps we could go together sometime? Or, at least, you should spend an afternoon on the beach with me.”

Julie smiled back at Luke. “I actually haven’t relaxed on the beach yet.”

Luke lightly traced his finger over the top of Julie’s hand. “What about doing that on Monday? With me? Then we can have a private dinner. What do you think?”

“That sounds fun.” Julie replied with a little forced enthusiasm. “I can meet you on the beach when I’m finished with work.”

“I can also ‘pick you up’ and we can walk together. Would that be okay?”

Julie nodded. “Sure. I try to wrap things up by 1-ish. I’ll see you then.”

A couple of tourists walked up to the booth with their puppy, so Luke refocused his attention on setting up for pictures while Julie slipped away. She was fairly certain that Luke thought she was the Pufferfish secretary when she first approached him. She was more curious than annoyed, but seeing their exchange still scratched an old memory that she didn’t necessarily want to remember right now. She weaved back through the scattered pockets of festivals goers and animals while trying to find an exit. She was almost free when she saw Mark waving her over.

“Leaving already?” Mark queried as Julie drew closer to him.

“Yeah. It looks like a fun festival, but I’m not really a big crowd person.”

Mark sighed. “You and me both. My niece Zoe begged me to be here, otherwise I would be on the beach with a book.”

“You read on the beach?” Julie couldn’t help smiling. “I never would’ve guessed.”

“Yeah, yeah - it’s a bit cliche. But I find it relaxing.” Mark shrugged. 

Julie bit her lip. “This is something I’ll need to see for myself to really believe.”

“It’s not like I’m knitting. I read books. It’s really not that weird.”

“So many layers to you, Grizzly Bear.” Julie teased. “Next thing you’re gonna tell me is that you cry during the sad parts of movies.”

Mark gave her a gentle shove. “Go be by yourself already. If you stick around any longer, I might throw you on that bull myself.”

Julie held up her hands in surrender. “I’m going. Promise. See you later.”

She could see the smile at the corner of Mark’s mouth before she walked away. The walk down to the pier felt nice, especially without the usual batches of people to distract her. Except for that secretary - she had just spread out a towel so she could relax on the mostly empty beach. Her mostly black hair fell like a waterfall down her back. The crimson highlights framed her face and almost perfectly matched her strappy red bikini. Julie couldn’t help the small stab of jealousy at the young woman. It seemed silly to be even remotely jealous - she didn’t know if she really liked Luke and she didn’t know if what she saw was actually anything to be concerned about. 

The secretary looked up at saw Julie looking at her. “Oh, hi. You’re the new farmer who just moved here, right?”

Julie nodded. “That’s me. Julie. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Raina. Suki mentioned you recently. I’m living at the inn right now. Um, I work for the oil company.”

Julie managed a dry smile. “Yeah, Pufferfish. I know.” She paused for a few seconds. “Well, nice to meet you Raina. Enjoy your beach time.”

Raina smiled awkwardly. She offered a small wave as Julie walked past her. The whole brief exchange felt uncomfortable and tense. Julie knew she could have been nicer and the tension from her was mostly due to Raina’s interaction with Luke. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her head as she climbed into the boat. Surya had already loaded the other traps since the first test was successful. She would need to make a few trips up to the boat to get all of the traps in place. Julie sighed at the extra work, even though she readily volunteered to help the museum. She changed into her suit and grabbed two traps to set up before returning to the boat for the other two traps.

After getting the traps set up around the shallow area of the ocean, Julie drove the boat to her last entered coordinates and got herself prepared to reset more coral structures. She needed to talk to Dr. Ling about lengthening the vacuum tube that sucked up the debris. During the last diving session, she noticed the tube had less slack on it than before. If she went any deeper, then vacuum likely wouldn’t reach. Julie pushed her hair back before securing the mask over her head, then grabbed her tool and lowered herself into the water. She had another diving excursion after her interaction with Denali, but the mermaid never showed herself. Julie faintly hoped for another conversation as she took time to retrace her previous path and glean a bag full of silver kelp. I might also need to ask Dr. Ling about a bigger bag! And/or I need to dive just to collect kelp. 

Julie tried not to look too much at the size of the newest area she needed to clean. Just keep focused on a little bit at a time. Like dad always said - one bite at a time . She put her back to the large, trash-covered space and concentrated on imagined grids of trash that she could clear before moving to a new patch.

***********

Denali watched Julie work from a concealed spot. The last time she actually spoke to the land dweller, she had to lie to both Agung and her captain about not having any interaction with who Semeru deemed an intruder. However, the fact the this land dweller knew their language so fluently made Denali too curious not to risk seeking Julie out again. But just as she was about to swim over, a hand grabbed her shoulder.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Agung demanded. His usual lazy grin was replaced with a stern glare. “I knew you were lying before, Denali. You’re terrible at lying, by the way. But I still tried to convince myself that you really weren’t so foolish as to actually show yourself to that land dweller. It’s dangerous!”

Denali jerked away from her patrol partner and glared back. “ She is not dangerous! She’s trying to help. The Goddess asked her to heal the ocean - that’s why she’s doing this. She’s a farmer on the island. Her name is Julie.”

“How do you know all this?” Agung gaped. “Did you actually talk to her? Are you serious?!” He stopped and furrowed his brow. “Wait a minute - how do you know any of that? They don’t understand us.”

Denali’s eyes flashed excitedly. “But she can! She speaks our language!”

“That’s not possible. How?” Agung looked from Denali to the land dweller. “What is she doing?”

“Cleaning up the trash. Just watch, okay? It’s really cool when she finds one of those solar cores.”

“What do you mean?” Agung still looked confused. His ire melted into curiosity as he looked back towards the figure in the distance. She was hitting the trash with some kind of curved tool and using what looked like a long snake to make it disappear. After a short time, she stopped and bent over - suddenly, a small glowing orb shot up from the same spot and rocketed towards one of the coral structures. Agung felt his mouth fall open as he watched the shower of lights instantly healed the near-dead coral. 

“What just happened?” 

Denali giggled. “Isn’t it so neat? The way Julie explained it, she’s just putting the thing that powers the sites back so they will start working again.”

Agung wrinkled his nose. “How did they get knocked out to begin with?”

“Julie doesn’t know.” Denali answered with a shrug. “But maybe it has something to do with all the roots?”

“Exactly how many times have you talked to this land dweller?”

Denali huffed. “Oh, stop. Just once, but I asked some questions.”

Agung looked back at Julie as she returned to hitting debris. “Probably more out of curiosity than trying to gather information. But, this land dweller is a curious case.” 

“I wanted to talk to her more…get more information.” Denali commented.

“I don’t know. How does she even know our language? Doesn’t that make you at least a little suspicious?

Denali looked over at Agung and shrugged again. “She received the blessing of the Goddess. She can’t explain how she can speak to us. If she weren’t doing what she’s doing, that would make me suspicious. But, she’s helping.”

“Most of the time, I appreciate your optimistic view of things,” Agung began. “ BUT what if she’s just doing this to get to us?”

Denali rolled her eyes. “That barely makes sense. She doesn’t know us. She’s trusting us not to harm her. AND look at the fish - not a single predator has come near her. Watch them…they’re leaving her alone? Why? The ocean has accepted her because the Goddess sent her.”

“I hate when you make better sense than me.” Agung grumbled. “That does make sense. So, we keep watching her?”

“Nope.” Denali winked as she pushed away from her hiding spot. “We talk to her.”

Before Agung could grab her again, Denali darted towards the land dweller.

“Great. I can’t let her go alone or I’ll actually be in MORE trouble.”

****************

Julie was ready to take a break after cleaning up almost half over the large underwater field. She looked up in time to see Denali swimming toward her with a wide smile. Just behind Denali was the other merfolk she saw that day. That must be Agung .

“Julie!” Denali waved enthusiastically. “Hi! You’re back!”

“Hey there! It’s nice to see you again.” Julie smiled even though she knew the merfolk couldn’t see her face. “And is that your patrol partner?”

Agung shot a look at Denali. “What all have you said about us?”

“I saw you already.” Julie jumped in. “Remember? You looked mad then too. Are you always mad? And all Denali said was that you were her patrol buddy.”

“Unlike my sometimes gullible friend here, I am less trusting.” Agung narrowed his eyes at Julie. “Our job is to patrol the area around our kingdom and gather intel.”

“So, gather.” Julie leveled back. “Ask away, just like Denali did.”

“And how do we know that you aren’t trying to get information about us as well? Maybe you’re a spy from your kingdom.”

Agung’s last comment hit Julie a little hard. She could feel her face getting red. Suddenly Kibit beeped to alert a rise in heart rate. The merfolk both jerked their heads in the direction of the robot and moved back.

“What is that?!” Agung glowered. “You are tracking us!”

Julie felt herself beginning to get dizzy. “The…machine…measures…can’t…” She dropped her tool and pressed a hand against her mask. 

“You’re scaring her!” Denali snapped at Agung. She grabbed Julie’s head and looked into the mask. “You’re okay. Just breathe. My father told me once that land dwellers can get sick underwater.” She pressed her hand against Julie’s chest. “I feel something pounding. Is that your heart?”

Julie nodded as she tried to concentrate on her breathing. After another minute, Kibit stopped beeping and she was able to focus again. “Thank you. That machine keeps track of my heart rate and oxygen. Your father is right - for land dwellers, many things can be dangerous for us underwater.”

Agung swam next to Denali. His expression was now more apologetic. “I apologize if I caused that. We are just very wary of land dwellers.”

“I understand that. It makes me so sad to see all of this trash, and of course, the roots. My island is covered with these things too.”

“But how do you know how to fix these coral sites?” Agung asked. “And how do we know that machine is not also recording us?”

Julie sighed. “It is recording…BUT no one sees it. The camera is mostly for my protection. I never expected to encounter merfolk. As for the coral sites, I actually didn’t know how to fix them. All I knew from research was about the solar stones. When I found the first one, I touched it to pick it up and…well, Denali saw what happened.”

“I saw it too, right before we came over.” Agung’s brown eyes softened as he looked at the newly healed coral. “So you’re really here just to fix these coral sites?”

Julie nodded. “That’s it. And I don’t even know how many of those things are down here. I’m mostly just following the black roots.”

Denali and Agung exchanged looks. “She can’t go much further,” Denali whispered to Agung. “Without….you know?”

Agung let out a sigh before looking back at Julie. “Maybe you weren’t intending to find our kingdom, but that’s exactly where you’re headed. This could get ugly, especially if we don’t tell Sem about it.”

“Are you trying to scare me again?”Julie asked. She hoped that she had enough oxygen left to finish cleaning the current area. 

“Of course not!” Denali threw a look at Agung. “But we just know our captain, and he is not very accepting of new…well, any land dwellers. But, you’re different.”

“Denali’s trying to be nice, as usual.” Agung winced at Julie. “You think I’m mean? I am nowhere as mean or grumpy as Semeru.”

“Hooray,” Julie muttered dryly.

Denali wrinkled her forehead. “No Julie, that’s not good news.”

“Oh. No, I didn’t meant it like that. Maybe sarcasm is just a land dweller thing?”

Agung let out a chuckle. “I might start liking you after all. Denali doesn’t always get sarcasm. She’s quite innocent.”

“Oh stop!” Denali lightly slapped Agung on the arm. “We need to figure out how to present this so that Julie can finish her mission from the Goddess.”

Agung nodded at Denali, then looked behind them as if checking the area. “We should probably get back soon. The last thing we need right now is for Sem to find us away from our post AND with a land dweller.” He glanced at Julie. “No offense.”

“It is a shame you can’t see my expression.” Julie replied. “But I see what you mean. Land dweller military superiors are also really strict. I don't want you all getting in trouble because of me.”

Agung grinned. “It’s a shame you aren’t merfolk. We might get along.” He looked around again. “Okay, I’ll head back now. Don’t stay much longer, Denali.”

Denali watched as her partner swam away. “I am sorry that we stressed you. That was not my intention at all. I am quite glad that you answered the Goddess.”

“I am too,” Julie replied warmly. “I hope to see you both again soon.”

“We will let you know how things go with our captain.” Denali promised before she waved good-bye and followed Agung back to their post.

Julie tried to get herself back in the frame mind to keep working. She couldn’t help noticing how attractive Agung was - rich brown eyes, bronze skin, thick black hair, and a muscular build . He actually reminded her a little of the blacksmith Pablo. I wonder if he’s as flirty as Pablo too? She smiled as she remembered his grin before he left. The fact that she considered whether any merfolk could be considered a friend felt extremely surreal. She barely had friends when she lived in Pokyo, but here - not only did she have friends on the island, but she was possibly building friendships underwater too!

“Julie?” Dr. Ling’s voice broke through Julie’s thoughts. “Are you okay?”

“Hey there. Yeah, I’m alright.” Julie replied. I am now anyway . 

“I had to be in the main part of the lab for longer than I expected. I just returned to my back room and saw Kibit’s alerts flashing on my screen. What happened?”

“Oh. That? Have you watched the feed yet?”

“Not yet. What happened?” Dr. Ling asked again, her voice sounding more concerned. 

“Well, Denali returned. And her partner followed - Agung? He was a little aggressive at first and I guess it triggered…something? I’m okay now though.”

Dr. Ling sighed into the mic. “I’m sorry Julie.” I should’ve warned her about him. I should’ve warned her about all of them. “The merfolk are very distrustful of outsiders.”

“They seem mostly distrustful of land dwellers specifically.” Julie replied as she broke up another pile of trash. 

“Can you blame them?” Dr. Ling countered. “You should know that you may encounter more hostility if you continue.”

Julie chuckled dryly. “According to Denali and Agung, that’s pretty much a certainty. I don’t know who is above their captain - Semeru, I think? - but they actually seemed more concerned about the captain. I’ll go as far as they’ll let me.”

“Thank you. Again.” Dr. Ling was glad Julie couldn’t see the tears clouding her eyes. “I need to get back to the front. You’re sure you’re okay?”

“Yes.” Julie assured Ling. “I might cut things short after this area since that episode likely used up a lot of oxygen.”

“Be careful Julie. Your well-being is priority here. Okay?”

Julie turned to Kibit and gave a thumbs-up. “Talk to you later.”

After Dr. Ling signed off, Julie was relieved to see that she was almost finished with the current large field. She found the last two solar orbs fairly close to each other. While she generally liked watching the healing process, her lowered oxygen level felt a little concerning. She bobbed over to a section previously blocked by roots that looked like another amphitheater to set a new location for the boat. Julie signaled the anchor and sighed in relief as she slowly rose back to the surface. Even though Dr. Ling and the two merfolk warned her of likely hostility in the future, she could only hope that another ally existed to help her finish this mission.

********************

Julie needed a few days to recover following her stressful experience in the ocean on Saturday. She spent the next day working on her farm and attempting to make blueberry preserves. It tasted good to her, but Sam would be the final authority on her new artisan sample. She also made her next offering at the Lake Temple, receiving another scroll and a small vial of sweet-tasting liquid as compensation. The scroll contained a design for a small mill. What do I need this for? Why would I need to build a mill ? Julie merely shrugged and stored the scroll with the other one to look at later. 

Now it was Monday - the day of her beach hang-out with Luke. Part of her was looking forward to seeing him, but she also wanted to either return to the ocean or investigate the newly opened mine. Julie felt a little guilty for not being very eager for the date. Luke is a catch - handsome, nice, intelligent, and successful. Why don’t I care more about seeing him ? Truthfully, she already knew why - Josh. So much about Luke reminded her of her ex, including whatever she witnessed with Raina. Maybe it was nothing, but her couldn’t get rid of the nag in the back of mind. 

Julie finished her work, including picking the next harvest of peppers. She would pickle some since Sam specifically requested a second order, and sell the rest to him. For now, she needed to get ready for her day at the beach. She changed into the two piece suit and added denim shorts and a cropped tank for the walk to the beach. A light rap on the door told her that Luke had arrived. She threw a few towels and some sunglasses into her bag before opening the door.

“Hey there,” Luke crooned. “You look amazing as always.”

Julie smiled. “Thank you. How’s your day been so far?”

Luke grabbed Julie gently and pulled her towards him. “It’s been okay. Getting better by the second.” He leaned down and planted a light kiss on her lips. “You know, we could also just stay here…much more private.”

Julie laughed nervously. “I guess it is, huh?”

“Unless that makes you uncomfortable?” Luke lightly grazed Julie’s nose with his. 

“Um, not uncomfortable…just not yet?”

Luke smiled as though he wasn’t fazed by Julie’s response. “No problem. I thought perhaps we could hang out on this side of the beach. It’s much less crowded.”

Julie made a point to inch herself the rest of the way through the door and close it behind her. “That sounds really nice.” 

Luke took Julie’s hand in his own and led her towards the southern entrance of her property that connected to the Lighthouse and the west side of the beach. Most of the lounge chairs were empty; Luke chose two chairs far away from the few occupied chairs and covered Julie’s chair with one of the inn’s large towels. As they enjoyed the sun’s warmth, Luke discussed his father’s latest faux pas at the store. He then switched to talking about an upcoming electronics expo he was interested in attending before turning the conversation on Julie.

“Tell me more about your life before the island,” Luke said as he lightly stroked Julie’s arm. “Do you have family close by?”

“There really isn’t much to tell,” Julie replied. “I was hired by a marketing firm right after university and worked there until I was let go a few weeks before I moved here. My mom and stepfather live in Pokyo. I have a younger sister. Um, my mother’s parents live with her.”

“I assume you miss them? Or has it been nice being away from them?”

Julie laughed. “A little bit of both? I worked so much that I didn’t spent much time with my family outside of special occasions. Part of the reason I moved here was to learn more about my dad’s family. I was very young when my grandparents died and I barely remember them. And my dad left a letter asking me to take over the farm. It’s turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Luke cocked his head. “Really? Farming is the best thing you’ve ever done?”

“Yeah. Sounds strange, but I love every part of my new life, even the laborious parts. I am very content here.”

“I can’t imagine living here being better than Pokyo, but I am glad that you are happy in your life. That’s the important part, right?”

Julie nodded. Luke’s hand moved from her arm to trace down her thigh. She shuddered slightly at being touched again after so much time. A small part of her wished that she had not literally closed the door on his earlier suggestion. But she also knew what her heart needed something that Luke still had not elicited.

“Can I ask you something?” Julie asked suddenly.

Luke had just reclined on his back. “Sure. What’s up?”

“I’m just curious what you think about the stories about the island?” 

“What stories? About the Goddess and all that?”

Julie chuckled lightly. “Yeah, you know - the Giants, the underwater kingdom. What are your thoughts about it?”

“I see you’ve talked to Scott,” Luke replied in a teasing voice. “It makes for a good bedtime story. I guess most places have some special story to give it an extra layer of interesting. That’s how I take it - just adds some ‘mystery’ to the island. That’s all.”

Julie kept the smile on her face, but could already feel her heart sinking a little. It’s not fair to dismiss him simply for not believing the lore. Plenty of people here don’t believe that any of the lore is true. She laid back and tried to relax and quiet her mind.

After a few more hours of talking and relaxing, Luke checked his watch before suggesting they move to their next destination. He led Julie back through her property and past Jack’s ranch. They cut through the forest area to a small clearing near the waterfalls just before the cavern. 

“I am a little ahead of schedule,” Luke quickly explained. “I’ll be right back.”

He soon returned with a large picnic basket and a plush blanket. Julie helped spread the blanket and unpack the basket. She noticed that most of the food choices were fancier than a picnic usually included - pricey cheeses, caviar, fruit, imported chocolate, artisan crackers, and smoked salmon. 

“This looks like a very fancy picnic.” Julie teased. “It’s quite impressive.”

“Really?” Luke asked as he pulled a bottle of wine from the basket. “It’s usually what I eat at home. But we do import most of our food. Sam is great, but he just doesn’t carry the best selection most of the time.”

“I’ve been working with him on adding some pickled veggies and fresh preserves.” Julie said. “And I’m on a good roll with fresh crops almost every week.”

“That’s great!” Luke smiled as he poured two glasses of wine. “The locals will love that, I’m sure.”

The locals? Doesn’t that include your family? Julie hoped her thoughts weren’t affecting her expression. She accepted the wine glass graciously and made the effort to not judge the picnic as anything by a nice gesture. Luckily, Luke didn’t ask more probing questions about her background. He actually seemed fairly comfortable carrying most of the conversation. As the sun started to set, Luke suggested they head out before the nighttime bugs invaded their meal. Julie agreed and helped repack the basket. 

“I hope this was okay for you,” Luke commented as they walked back towards her property. He left the picnic basket near Ben’s encampment and took Julie’s hand while they strolled down Monkey Lane to the sounds of the insect symphony in the forest.

“It was nice,” Julie replied sweetly. “Thank you for the lovely evening.”

She managed to check out the front of Kira’s house for any sign of Mark before they turned and walked down the stairs to her farm. No Mark. Why am I relieved? She was on a date with someone trying to show his interest. Mark was obviously not interested, and she didn’t know yet if she had any feelings for him beyond friendship.

“You seem distracted.” Luke stated as he stopped near Julie’s house.

“Oh, I’m sorry. My mind is going through stuff I need to do this week.”

Luke pulled Julie towards him, holding her in place with his arms around her waist. “Perhaps I need to redirect your mind back to the present.” 

He slid a finger under Julie’s chin and tilted her head upward as his lips covered hers. She closed her eyes and let the kiss shut out any contrary thoughts. Luke again teased Julie’s mouth open so his tongue could entice hers. Her hands gingerly cupped his face before sliding her arms around his chest. Luke responded by sliding a hand under Julie’s tank to caress her back and grazing her neck with his lips.

“I like how you taste.” he whispered between kisses on her neck. “Are you sure you still want to move slowly?”

Julie felt her face flush with excitement. She almost gave in, until her mind reminded her of the exchange she saw at the animal festival. “I do. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.” Luke kissed her mouth again before slowly stepping back. “But I should probably stop before I get too excited.”

“I’m sorry,” Julie pretended to look bashful. “Thank you for understanding.”

Luke took Julie’s hand and brought it to his lips. “Of course. I had a wonderful time with you today. I look forward to more of that.”

“Me too.” Julie smiled as Luke kissed her hand again and headed for the small bridge. She watched as he crossed the bridge and turned towards the inn.

“Are you not going home?” Julie wasn’t sure if she regretted the question or not.

Luke stopped and looked a little surprised. “Oh, I think I left my sunglasses at the beach. I figured I would check before I go home. I don’t want to lose them.”

Julie kept her smile in place. “Oh, ok. Have a good night!”

She walked inside her house without waiting to hear if Luke said anything back. Some part of her wanted to be suspicious and even jealous. But the memories of Josh reminded her to keep herself and her heart distant for now. She had more important things than the island bachelor to focus on anyway. 

Chapter Text

As much as Julie’s brain wanted to still chew on her date with Luke a few days prior, she had enough on her plate to also worry about that. Her body missed being touched and caressed, and part of her wanted to just give in. But she also knew that if she let her heart also get involved, it would likely lead back to a similar experience to Josh. I would rather eat glass than deal with all of that again . 

Julie readied herself for the day and began her chores after finishing breakfast. Joko’s cousins had already chopped down a number of trees - they arrived soon after Julie started watering her field to finish clearing a little more land. Dinda soon followed to put the finishing touches on the coop and discuss installing a sprinkler system.

“This just came to me the other night.” Dinda commented as she showed Julie the sketch she drew up. “The design is actually easier than my other plan. And with the other mines open, Pablo and Raf have much easier access to any metals we might need. We will build a small reservoir tank that can draw water from the river flowing past your farm. The tank will feed the sprinklers and viola ! What do you think?”

Julie beamed. “I love it! Did you have a dream about this?”

“Almost,” Dinda replied. “I was falling asleep and -bam!- I got this idea…jumped out of bed and sketched it out real quick. How weird is that?”

“Very interesting,” Julie mused as she tried not to smile. Either by the Goddess or the Giants, Julie was apparently not the only one getting inspired. “But I love the idea.”

“So we’re good to start?”

Julie nodded. “Absolutely. And the coop looks great. I’m actually a little excited about getting chickens. Well, birds. Kenny and Ben believe I need a duck as well.”

Dinda laughed in response. “Have you met Funbucket yet?”

“Oh yes. Ben made sure of that. He is a cutie. So probably a duck too.”

Dinda wandered over to the men hacking down tall grass and spoke to them before heading back to the coop for a final check. Julie went back to her work only a few minutes before she saw Sam crossing the bridge and waving at her. She set down her watering can and walked towards the new visitor.

“I realized this morning that I haven’t seen the farm since you moved here,” Sam commented as a smile spread over his usually unemotional face. “This is looking really good, Julie. Your grandparents would be so proud of what you’ve done.”

“Thank you.” Julie replied warmly. “That means a lot. Really. So you walked over here just to check out the farm?”

Sam chuckled. “Well, not just that. First - we loved the preserves. If you can handle it, I would be quite happy to include that in the store. You might want to start thinking about making labels for your pickled goods and preserves. That sort of relates to my other reason for visiting. This will likely sound a little…odd. I had a dream last night - I was in my store and was stocking bags of fresh flour with your farm’s name on it. And not just regular flour, but the gluten-free kind as well - rice flour, amaranth flour, and so on. Maybe sugar too? It was like a seeing a movie clip that suddenly stops.”

“It’s not weird at all.” Julie felt her skin lightly hum. That’s why she gave me the plan for the mill! “I actually just ran across a design for a small mill that uses wind to power it. Millie found some old books in the library that offer some interesting ideas about farming in the older societies. I’d have to ask first, but it looks like something Joko and Dinda could really build.

Sam’s eyes widened. “You mean, you think this could really happen? You know how great it would be to sell locally-sourced flour? And maybe sugar eventually, if that’s possible. I wouldn’t have to charge so much and could actually get the store more in the black for a chance. We really need to come up with a label design for your farm!”

“I guess I can ask Millie? I don’t really have a name for the farm yet. Maybe ‘Phillips Family Farm’?” Julie furrowed her brow. “I’m up for trying this if you are.”

“Of course! This is really exciting. I honestly expected you to say that it would be too much. First thing’s first - you need to get some wheat planted. A lot of it. Do you think you can handle expanding what you have?”

“Dinda and I were just talking about adding a sprinkler system. With that in place, I can definitely expand my field. She thinks they can get the sprinklers set up soon. I don’t mind the extra watering in the time being.”

Sam held up his hands to pause Julie’s already racing mind. “I don’t want to add to your workload without helping somehow. This certainly helps my store and the island, but it’s still using your land. I want to help with building the mill and I can help with planting and watering the wheat until you have sprinklers. It’s the least I can do.”

Julie hopped on her toes in excitement. “Joko’s cousins just helped clear more of the land. I’ll see about them helping me hoe more space for the seeds. I am making some fertilizer that we can add to the wheat. This is really exciting!”

Sam reached over and squeezed Julie’s shoulders. “You remind me so much of your dad. I always thought he would take over the farm…I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’re here. I will also donate some of the wheat seeds as part of my investment in this project.”

“No. I appreciate it, but you’re already helping with the mill and we don’t know yet how much that will cost.” Julie countered. “I can handle the seeds. Just help me water.”

“Okay, okay. I will have a bag ready for you whenever you want to get started. This will be so great.” Sam grinned again. “I need to go open the store. Talk to you soon!”

Fresh energy surged through Julie’s veins as she waved good-bye to Sam. She needed to finish her watering task so she could have another project talk with Dinda and visit Millie about making labels for her farm. And actually naming my farm . She returned to her watering task and finished in under an hour. 

The middle of the summer season only brought more heat and humidity. Julie felt like she was soaked with sweat by the time she finished her chores. Since no one was around by that point, she pulled her shirt up to wipe off her face.

“Nice almost six pack.”

Julie dropped her shirt to see Mark with an amused look on his face. “You need to start wearing a bell.”

“Didn’t I already tell you that stealthiness is my super power?” Mark quipped. “You look really hot though.”

“Excuse me?” Julie jerked her head up.

Mark picked up Julie’s water bottle and shoved it into her hands. “You look like you’re hot - better? Drink.”

“And here I was about to compliment your forwardness,” Julie joked as she took a long sip of water. “What’s up?”

“That new mine - feel like checking it out?” Mark asked as he tried not to keep mentally picturing Julie’s toned stomach and a hint of what looked like a light blue bra. Kenny commented earlier about seeing Julie and Luke having a picnic a few evenings ago. Mark already didn’t care for Luke, but the news made him care for the guy even less. Looks like she went for Silver Spoon after all. Figures.

Julie thought she saw a light flush on Mark’s face. I hope he didn’t see my bra. I should’ve brought a towel out here. “With you or by myself?”

“With me. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” Mark replied, his tone suddenly a little edgier. “Figured I would ask since I was nearby.”

“Oh, stop. I didn’t mean it like that.” Julie groused. “And sure. Sounds fun.”

“I know how you like to go rogue,” Mark’s tone lightened. “But it’s wise to check out new territory with back-up.”

“I just finished my chores, so let me change real quick.” Julie turned to hop up the porch steps, but her foot slipped and she felt herself beginning to fall backwards.

Mark saw Julie’s foot miss the step and he lunged for her, catching her as she fell backwards. His hands settled on her waist to keep her balanced. When she righted herself, Julie turned to look at Mark while his hands remained on her waist.

“Thank you!” Julie breathed.

“Are you hurt?” Mark implored. “Maybe we should check your foot.”

Julie shook her head. “I think it’s okay. Just scared me is all.”

“We should make sure, especially considering where we were planning to go.”

“Were going?” Julie raised her eyebrow. “Mark, I’m fine . Promise.” 

Mark scowled. “Humor me.” He couldn’t help liking how it felt to touch her. But he  also didn’t like not being in control - he didn’t want to admit that seeing Julie start to fall scared him on a small level. No good can come of this. Plus, she’s taken.

Julie relented and led Mark inside her house so he could inspect her foot. She insisted to Dinda and Joko that she didn’t need an actual bedroom door, but rather just a curtain would work. She also regretted not splurging for a couch, even though she really didn’t want to lose the space. With a small inner sigh, Julie pushed the curtain aside and plopped on her bed to remove her shoe.

“Decided against having any furniture?” Mark observed. He lingered near the doorway of her bedroom, obviously not sure what to do. 

“At the time, I wanted to save money. And I didn’t see myself entertaining at my house for a while.” Julie replied with a wan smile. “Sorry.”

Mark huffed to himself and walked over to the bed where Julie sat. He cradled her foot as gently as he could while inspecting it. He forced himself not to look at her so he also wouldn’t have to look too closely as her long, toned leg. As he continued his inspection, something deep down suddenly throbbed - Mark almost dropped the foot like it was on fire. “Okay, yeah - looks fine. I’ll wait for you outside.”

Julie was left with a confounded expression as Mark almost ran out of the house. She quickly changed into the pants she wore for their first patrol, a clean shirt, and hiking boots. She also took a minute to splash water on her face and brush her hair. She grabbed her backpack and the dagger before joining Mark outside.

“Ready?” Mark barely looked at Julie before he started walking. She wasn’t quite ready to match his speed and had to jog to catch up. The pair walked most of the way to the cavern in silence. Julie wouldn’t have minded the quietness if not for the fact that Mark almost refused to look at her. As they passed the abandoned Temple now seemingly occupied by monkeys, Julie jumped in front of Mark to force him to stop.

“Hey!” Mark scowled. “What are you doing?”

“What did I do? Are you mad that I tripped?” Julie demanded. “Because it was an accident. I’m sorry I made you have to check me for injuries even though I said I was fine. But you’re clearly in a mood, and I don’t want to be dealing with monsters and you wanting to bite my head off.”

Mark partially regretted looking at Julie’s face very closely because he could see the sliver of hurt in her eyes. “I’m not mad. I apologize.” He let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m just not used to…the list of people I have any concern for was a little shorter before this past Spring, okay? I’m not used to that.”

“Oh.” Julie looked down for a second before she stepped aside. “Okay.”

“Look-” Mark started to respond, but Julie held up her hand.

“It’s okay.” She offered a small smile. “Really.”

Julie nudged Mark with a shoulder and they resumed walking to the cavern. Once inside, Mark directed Julie to the open mine shaft on the far left. They squeezed onto the lift and Julie pressed the button for the first level. She still didn’t know quite how to respond to Mark’s admission that he cared about her. If nothing else, it meant that he considered her a friend. Does he consider more than that? Would I even want that ?

The lift reached the first level of the new mine. Mark stepped into the room and felt a breeze sweep over his face. He felt along the wall until his hand glossed over a smooth surface. Within seconds, light flooded the room. 

“Hey Garden Rake - you gotta see this.”

Julie followed Mark into the room and started in awe at the lush green grass under her feet and vines climbing along parts of the wall. She shivered slightly at the breeze. I guess this makes Groo the wind Giant. “This is, um, very interesting.”

“I saw the snow and ice in that other mine - what would cause this?”

Julie patted Mark’s arm before heading back to the lift. “Magic.”

Mark rolled his eyes and joined his companion on the lift. They checked the next two levels and found mostly empty rooms. Mark suggested they skip a few levels and go to level 6. Per usual, he entered the room first and turned on the lights before Julie followed. Unlike the other levels, two green blobs almost immediately appeared and sloshed towards them.

“At least it’s just blobs,” Julie commented as she grabbed her dagger.

“Is that what you call them?” Mark smirked. “We call them slimes.”

“Slime makes more sense.” Julie stepped back to avoid a slimy headbutt. She responded with two quick slashes from her dagger, causing the slime to disintegrate.

Mark grinned at Julie as he finished off the other slime. “Nice, Garden Rake.”

“Are you sure you wanna train with me?” Julie snickered, momentarily not caring if it sounded like she was flirting. “I wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

Mark shook his head even as the grin tugged itself back in place. He moved around a natural corner in the room, disappearing for a second before Julie heard him grunt. She hurried towards the sound and nearly ran into a giant wasp. The monster passed by her back and spun around to jab her with its stinger. Somehow, Julie heaved the dagger behind herself to block the attack. She spun around and delivered a deadly blow to the wasp. The glow on the dagger blade was faint - Julie resheathed the weapon before Mark noticed. 

“That was kind of exciting.” Julie brushed dust off the front of her pants. 

“And you dealt with rooms like this by yourself?” Mark looked down at Julie with impressed curiosity. “Maybe you don’t need training after all.”

Julie felt herself blush a little as she re-boarded the lift. She always felt different with Mark than anyone else, whether they were snapping at each other or getting along. Luke was more overtly charming and appealing, whereas Mark buried his charm under layers of gruffness and biting comments. But if someone could get beyond that, they would find his deep concern and loyalty for anyone on his “list.”

“Want to keep going?” Julie asked.

Mark leaned over her shoulder, his chest pressing against her back. “I’m up for a little more if you are. Let’s skip down a little more.”

Could this be like foreplay to him ? The thought invaded Julie’s mind so suddenly that she actually coughed. Why would I possibly care if that’s even true? Stop that .

“You okay?” Mark looked back at Julie as she coughed again. 

Julie nodded and grabbed a bottle of water from her bag. “Dusty.”

Mark raised his eyebrow. “You’re not getting tired back there, are you?”

Julie tried to lightly shove Mark, but he grabbed her hand and slowly pinned her arm behind her back. “Then again, training could teach you how to get out of this.”

“I’m sure I could figure it out.” Julie smirked as she stuck her tongue out.

“That could be a dangerous thing to do right now.” Mark’s voice was suddenly low and thick. His eyes stared intently into hers and his face seemed a little closer.

“Why is that?” 

Julie opened her mouth to playfully flick her tongue again, but this time, Mark’s mouth devoured hers as his tongue enveloped her own with an intensity that made Julie’s legs tremble. Mark let go of her hand and gripped her lower back as her hands grasped his face. The kiss lasted for several seconds before Mark finally released her mouth. Julie pulled him back for a second, softer kiss before they both stepped away from each other and into instant awkwardness.

“Um…I…” Mark rubbed his forehead as any words failed to form. 

“Yeah.” Julie felt a little breathless from the sudden encounter. “So, um…we’re at the next level if you…”

Mark shook his head to gain a little clarity. “Yes. Let’s check this out.” 

He almost jumped off the lift into the room. Julie felt her head spinning. She had never been kissed quite so fiercely before. As soon as she saw light coming from the doorway, she stepped into the room and drew her weapon. Mark was just ahead, obviously making an effort to not look at her. Why did I stick my tongue out again?! Maybe I wanted him to make a move? That kiss though! Julie closed her eyes for a moment to reset herself. When she opened her eyes, a slime was bearing down on her.

Julie jerked her body sideways to avoid the attack, then spun around and slashed at the monster. It screeched and lunged again. She barely moved in time, then passed her dagger to her other hand and swung again. The slime dissolved following another cry. Mark was now at the other end of the room - Julie checked her surroundings quickly before moving towards his location. 

She was just passing by a large boulder when the shock ripped through her body. She cried out in pain and nearly crumbled to the ground. The loud hiss told Julie that another hit was imminent and she had to move. She stumbled forward, just in time to hear the tongue hit a nearby rock. Darkness clouded her eyesight and panic began to set in as she worried that she might pass out. 

Mark was finishing off a wasp monster when he heard Julie scream. He turned around to see her stumble forward and grab onto a large rock as she struggled not to fall. He then noticed the ant eater monster moving towards her slowly. He gripped his sword and charged the monster, nearly kicking it into the wall. He brought his sword down on the creature’s exposed underside and killed it instantly. After looking around the room to ensure that all monsters were dead, he dropped his weapon and grabbed Julie.

“I’ve got you. It’s okay.” Mark felt his heart pounding in his chest.

Julie rubbed her eyes as the pain of the shock started to subside. “No…it’s hiding.”

Mark lightly stroked the side of her face. “I got it. Just breathe.” 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t see it.” Julie caught her breath and let her eyes focus on Mark's face before she finally stumbled to her feet. “I’m fine. The pain doesn’t last very long.”

“You scared me. Again.” Mark spat out the words like they were sour. “You have to be more careful, Ga…swe….” He paused and took a step back. “You can’t do that.”

“Again?” Julie felt her temper rising. “I’m sorry. It was an accident. There was a big rock in the way and I was trying to get closer to your-” 

“That’s the problem.” Mark cut her off. “That’s the problem with that .” He pointed toward the lift. “It makes people sloppy. And it distracted you.”

Julie glared at Mark. “Distracted me ?! You couldn’t get away from me fast enough. Did you even turn around to check on your patrol partner before you ran to the other side of the room?”

“I thought you could handle yourself.” Mark growled back. “Maybe I wasn’t trying to get away from you - maybe I didn’t look back because I trusted you to cover us.”

“And what? You don’t trust me now?” Julie felt a hint of tears stinging the corners of her eyes. “I get it - I teased you. I’m sorry. Maybe you should have ‘sparred’ with Senja after all and you wouldn’t have needed a stand-in.”

Mark looked at Julie like she slapped him. “Excuse me?”

“Oh come on, Mark! What happened on that lift - you were not kissing me. Maybe you were kissing Senja, maybe someone else. But no way were you kissing me like that .”

“You have a lot of room to talk.” Mark sneered.

“Meaning what?” Julie retorted. 

“Didn’t you just have a romantic picnic with Mr. Island Bachelor the other evening? You’re snapping at me because you think I was imagining someone else when you’re dating someone? Maybe you were imagining Luke.”

“What? Are you spying on me? I went on A date. ONE. And I wasn’t overly wooed. Not that it matters, but I don’t think I’m the only one he’s charming on the island.” Julie sighed. “So no, I wasn’t imagining anyone else on the lift. Your turn.”

 “I’d rather not dignify that comment with a response.”Mark replied sharply as he closed the distance between them. “It’s insulting.”

Julie looked down, wishing at this point that she could rewind time and take back her remark. “You're right - it was petty.”

Mark tilted Julie’s head up to look at him. The anger in his voice evaporated. “You think I give half a damn what happens to Senja versus you? You think she’s ever scared me before?”

“Please don’t say it's because she’s better trained and you don't have to worry about her.” Julie willed her eyes not to show any moisture.

“Because she isn’t you.” Mark pulled Julie into his arms. “I wasn’t kissing anyone but you on the lift. And I’m not kissing anyone but you now.”

Julie didn’t know how to react, but she didn’t have much time anyway. Mark’s lips claimed hers again, and just like earlier, quickly cloaked her tongue with his. This time, she played back with her tongue, enticing a deeper and longer kiss. The intensity of the kissing moved Julie slowly backwards until her back met the soft wall. 

She felt his hands grip her lower back before moving below her waist. Her hands moved from Mark’s face and dragged slowly down his chest. He pulled his mouth away long enough to remove his shirt. Lust began to fog her rational thinking as Julie hungrily kissed his neck before moving her lips to his burly chest. Mark let out a soft moan and tugged gently at Julie’s shirt. She swallowed, knowing she might be at a point of no return. She pushed past her reservations and quickly slipped off the top, revealing a light blue bra. 

“You are so beautiful,” Mark murmured as he traced a finger along the outline of the bra, making Julie shiver. He pulled her back against his bare chest to kiss her deeply again. His skin felt warm against hers - a tiny moan escaped her throat as her body demanded more attention, more warmth. Mark gently kissed her neck, then let his lips trail along her shoulder before his teeth clutched her bra strap. Julie whined as his mouth pulled the strap down her arm. He kissed the skin above her breast, moving his lips closer to where Julie wanted his mouth as she arched her back. 

A sudden noise above them startled the pair out of their wanton haze. Julie realized with some embarrassment that she was almost topless. With Mark.

“Um…we should stop.” Mark stated quietly. “We really shouldn’t…we shouldn’t.”

He scooped both of their shirts off the floor, handed Julie’s top to her, and quickly covered himself. He turned around so Julie could redress in private. She felt like she was shaking, and the heat on her face refused to die down.

“I’m sorry,” Julie finally spoke.

Mark turned and smiled at her. “No. You didn’t do anything. It’s just not a path we should go down…yet, especially here. If anyone’s at fault, it’s me.”

Julie nodded and used her fingers to smooth her hair. She grabbed her dagger and resheathed it before stepping onto the elevator, with Mark following right behind her. She pushed the button that would bring them back to the main floor. They left the cavern in silence. Julie fully expected Mark to make an excuse so they wouldn’t have to walk together, but he nudged her to walk with him.

“I wasn’t spying on you.” Mark’s comment came out of nowhere.

“What?” Julie slowed her pace.

Mark stopped and looked at Julie. “Your question from earlier. Kenny apparently saw you with Luke and told me. Not sure why he thought I would care.”

“Oh. I shouldn’t have said that. It just surprised me that you knew.” Julie stared at the ground for a moment. “It wasn’t a secret. I didn’t think you would care. Like I said, it was one date. I’m not ‘seeing’ him.”

Mark let his hand find hers. “Well, I did…care.”

“Oh.” Julie finally looked at Mark. The look in his eyes made her want to kiss him again.

“Julie, I’m not really sure what this is…I don’t want you to think I’m using you. It’s not like that. I’m just not good with this stuff.”

“Wow.” Julie let a smile play on her lips. “Did you just say my name? Like, my actual given-to-me-at-birth name?”

Mark broke into a small chuckle. “Sorry. It just slipped out. Don’t get used to that. I still prefer ‘Garden Rake’.” He paused and squeezed her hand. “Can we not make this ‘a thing’ yet? I’m not looking for a fling or anything like that. I just don’t want-”

“It’s fine.” Julie stared at her hand wrapped in Mark’s fingers. “Just don’t decide that what happened was mistake, at least not for a few days. Okay?”

“That’s not my style.” Mark’s voice sounded gruff and soft. “I don’t usually do things that I don’t want to do…or don’t mean.”

Julie suddenly realized that the sky was barely dark. Here they were, holding hands, and anyone could see them. I need to say something to Luke in case this actually turns into something . “Do you think you’ll make dinner?”

Mark chuckled. “I might be a little late, but Anne always keeps a plate for me. I planned to walk you home though. Or do you have other plans?”

Julie knew she wasn’t imagining the edge in his voice when he asked about other plans. “Kind of. I need to talk to Millie about an idea Sam has.”

“Oh? What kind of idea?”

Julie bit her lip. “It probably won’t sound very exciting to you, but we’re excited about it. The short version is that Sam asked about building a small mill on my land to produce locally-sourced flour, sugar, and maybe even salt.”

A grin broke over Mark’s face. “That sounds great. If he can get the flour from you, then prices will go down. Wow - way to go, Garden Rake.”

“Sam suggested I make labels for all this stuff. I figured I would start with Millie.”

“Sounds like you could’ve skipped the patrol.” Mark mused. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Julie shrugged. “I knew it could wait a day.” Her heart still wasn’t all in, but she at least knew that she preferred Mark’s company to Luke. 

“I’ll leave you then.” Mark looked like he wasn’t sure what to do. “I want to kiss you again.” He whispered. “But it’s probably best to wait on that.”

Julie squeezed his hand. “See you later?”

“Yep. Later, Garden Rake.”

************

Julie waited for Mark to round the corner leading past the carpentry shop before she jogged to her house so she could change before walking quickly towards Millie’s house. She hopped onto the porch and rapped on the door Luckily, Millie answered.

“Hey there! What brings you over? Come in!”

“Is Yuri home?” Julie whispered.

Millie nodded. “Why?” she mouthed.

Julie beckoned her friend to come outside. Millie rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her. “What’s going on?”

“You feel like a quick walk to the beach?” Julie asked. “I need to tell you something. BIG.”

Millie’s eyes perked up. “Is it about Luke? Is that why you won’t come inside? Okay, you need to tell me or my brain will go nuts!”

Julie tugged on Millie’s arm. “Walk. Then we can talk.”

Millie huffed, but followed Julie down the path that led to the beach. “We’re walking, so spill. What’s the something big?”

“Remember what you asked at the animal festival?” Julie began slowly.

“About me looking frumpy?” Millie squinted as she tried to remember.

Julie sighed. “No.”

“About your date with Luke?”

“After that.” Julie coaxed.

“For Goddess’ sake - just tell me!”

“Mark kissed me.” Julie whispered loudly. 

“WHAT?!” Millie squealed. “WHEN?! WHAT?!”

Julie dragged her friend further from the pier. “This is supposed to be a secret.” She swallowed. “Today. I mean…I don’t know what time exactly. We were checking out the new mine that’s open now.”

“And you decided to make out instead?” Millie’s eyes looked like saucers.

Julie buried her face in her hands. “It just happened. It just…I have no idea what it means. If it even means anything.”

“So just one kiss or….” Millie pulled her glasses down. “Inquiring minds here.”

“Um…technically, two kisses, I guess? Or two separate instances where it happened. The second time was…way more intense.”

Millie squealed to herself. “I’m sorry - this happened two separate times ? Wow, you just couldn’t your hands off each other. Ok, I have to ask - how does he kiss?”

“Intensely.” Julie felt herself blush. “Especially the second time. I mean, wow. I don’t think Mark knows how to anything on a lower setting.

Millie raised her eyebrows. “You’ve mentioned the second kiss twice now - what else happened?”

Julie’s face instantly flushed. “More. I would like to leave it at that.”

“Mark so reminds me of the guy in my current book.” Millie fanned herself. “He’s Scottish - in the book - and so ‘you’re my woman’ and just grabbing the girl when he kisses her. It’s not wrong to love a fictional character, is it?”

Julie giggled. “I won’t judge. And that does kinda sound like Mark.”

“Aren’t you lucky!” Millie suddenly pursed her lips. “Oh. What about Luke?”

“I feel kinda bad about that.” Julie shrugged. “It’s not like we’re ‘officially’ dating or anything. Also, I think there might be someone else anyway.”

Millie started to respond, but they heard voices near the pier and hid so they wouldn’t be seen. One voice belonged to Suki’s ex Antonio - he was saying hi to someone else. Millie peeked to see who the other voice belonged to - Luke!

“It’s Luke.” she mouthed to Julie. She peeked again before ducking.

“Is he gone?” Julie whispered. 

Millie nodded and they stood up to ensure the coast was clear. “Looked like he was leaving the inn. I wonder what he’s doing there?”

“I saw an exchange between him and Raina at the animal festival.” Julie remarked. “It looked…very friendly.”

“Raina?” Millie thought for a moment, then gave Julie a horrified look. “Oh no! The Pufferfish secretary? Why?!”

“Shh.” Julie quieted her friend. “Well, she is pretty. And it might actually be what we’re both thinking anyway.”

“You’re much prettier.” Millie declared. “ And you’re not the enemy.”

Julie laughed. “Thank you.”

“Suki would know. I mean, Raina is living in the inn.” Millie’s face looked like her brain was churning out a plan. “I could ask her.”

“I don’t want to start trouble, especially if it’s nothing.” 

Millie snorted. “Oh, it’s probably exactly what we’re thinking. I thought Luke was finally done with playing around. Apparently not.” 

“I wasn’t really that involved anyway.” Julie remarked. “And when I talked about the new products I’m making for Sam, he said it sounded like something ‘the locals’ would really enjoy.”

“The locals?” Millie grimaced. “He really is a snob.”

“He’s nice. But just not for me.” Julie shrugged again and hooked her arm with Millie and began walking along the garden path. “I guess I should still talk to him.”

“Maybe don’t tell him about making out with Mark?” Millie paused and wrinkled her nose. “Unless we find out for sure that he’s playing office with that secretary. He could stand to drop a few pegs.”

Julie giggled. “No! I don’t want to cause unnecessary drama. And I don’t know if that was anything than a ‘moment’ with Mark.”

“A hot, steamy, kissy moment!” Millie teased. 

“You are sworn to secrecy.” Julie stated. “Also, I do need to discuss some actual business with you…in case Mark asks you tomorrow. I won’t have lied.”

“Can we go inside my cool house for that?” Millie pleaded. 

Julie laughed again. “Yes, we can. Lead the way.”

Chapter Text

I can’t believe I did that. Julie woke up with a mixture of regret and some level of thrill. I kissed Mark! We did more than just kiss - what would’ve happened if that noise hadn’t stopped us? Julie groaned and fell back on her pillow. “I really hope I didn’t ruin whatever we had before I stuck my tongue out.”

The only thing she could do was get started on her day so she could visit Dinda to discuss the idea of building a mill. She also needed to start hoeing the area where they would plant the wheat seeds. There was too much to do for her continue overthinking what happened in the mine. She grabbed a pair of denim shorts and a cropped tank, then fixed a quick breakfast so she could get a jump on her work.

Julie was barely halfway through watering her crops when she saw Luke in front of the house. Great . She forced herself to smile as she walked towards him.

“Hey there.” Luke purred as he eyed her. “Wow, Julie. You make farm work look really good.” He reached for her waist, but Julie pretended to drop something on the ground to avoid his hand. 

“Oops. Clumsy hands today.” She kept her smile in place. “How are you?”

“I’m okay. My father is driving me crazy at the store. I don’t know how much longer I can keep accepting his help.” Luke moved his arm to grab Julie before she could react. “I’ve missed seeing you. I actually came by yesterday after work, but you weren’t here. I guess you had a busy day?”

Julie wasn’t sure what to do. She did need to talk to Luke, but she wasn’t ready right then. And this wasn’t the time for such discussion anyway. And she really didn’t understand why he would be so attentive if he was already seeing someone else. Unless I’m wrong about that? But it still doesn’t change MY feelings.

Julie laughed lightly. “Um, yeah - definitely eventful.”

Luke tried to nuzzle Julie’s neck, but she flinched. “Hmm looks like maybe too eventful? Is your neck sore?”

“Not really. I guess it tickled?” Julie offered a smile. “I’m already kinda sweaty, so you probably shouldn’t get too close.”

Luke chuckled lowly. “I’ll risk it.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against Julie’s. She closed her eyes and tried to go with it, but her mind instantly flashed to the previous evening in the mine - Mark’s mouth on hers, his hands on her, his name building on her tongue. She pulled away and coughed before she actually said anything.

“So sorry!” Julie apologized between fake coughs. “My throat must be dry.”

Luke raised his eyebrows. “Do you think you’re getting sick? Maybe you’re working too much. Mother said that Sam is talking about some flour partnership with you?”

“Oh, yeah. He talked to me yesterday about it. I need to meet with Dinda about a mill design I found.” Julie explained as she gulped her water bottle. 

“Do you really think you should be trying something like that now? It’s a great idea, in theory. But neither of you are experienced regarding mills and you’re still getting the hang of the whole farming thing.” Luke remarked. “I would hate to see you take on too much too fast and it blow up on you.” 

Julie set her bottle down and looked back at Luke. What if this is a bad idea? I am still getting my footing with the farm. But - Sam’s dream and that scroll - this can’t be a mistake. The Goddess gave him that for a reason. No, this will work.   “I appreciate your concern, but I’m not overwhelmed or overworked.”

“Are you sure?” Luke asked as he moved closer. “I stopped by yesterday after work and you weren’t around. You start work earlier than me and you’re still busy ten hours later?”

“I was probably at the cavern at that time. A new mine recently opened up.”

Luke’s expression clouded slightly as he tugged Julie towards him again. “Why? I know you told Scott you would help him, but the cavern is dangerous.”

Julie wanted some distance from Luke at the moment, both figuratively and literally. She didn’t want to add any more confusion for her brain and heart to deal with. “One - I can actually handle myself. And I wasn’t alone anyway. Mark was there too.”

“Come again?” Luke’s jaw stiffened.  “Mark went with you?”

“Yeah.” Julie answered as casually as possible. “He had to patrol the new mine anyway. I tagged along.”

“How can you continue to be around that guy?” Luke grimaced.  “He’s such a jerk. Do you not remember his behavior at the tree planting event?”

Julie didn’t realize that Mark was at the ranch entrance of her property. She sighed loudly and pulled away from Luke a second time. “We’re friends. I know some people don’t understand, but I don’t really care. As for the tree planting event, he apologized. And that was, quite literally, so last season.”

“What is going on with you all of a sudden?” Luke demanded. “You won’t let me touch you. And now you’re picking a fight.”

Maybe I want to know why you’re at the Coral Inn all the time. Julie tried to soften her expression. “I’m not trying to pick a fight. I’m just tired and sweaty, and I’m losing the best time for me to work before it gets really hot.”

“Mark is not your friend.” Luke replied tightly. “Or rather, he shouldn’t be. I’m just trying to look out for you.”

******************

Mark wasn’t sure what he would say to Julie after what happened in the mine. She might think that she initiated the first kiss, but he knew better. His attraction to her was cemented after their first patrol, but he never acted on it until yesterday. As he walked towards her farm, Mark tried to keep himself from picturing Julie after she pulled off her shirt and hearing her soft moans and whines as he kissed her. While he had no desire for a romantic entanglement, he badly wanted to be that close to her again. 

He reached the end of the ranch and saw Luke talking to Julie. His eyes narrowed as a small fire of jealousy burned in his chest.  She assured Mark that she wasn’t interested in Luke, and he could tell by her facial expression that she wasn’t enjoying the encounter. Then Luke pulled her close to him and Mark had to force himself not to roar into the scene. Instead, he quietly descended the stairs and moved a little closer. 

“We’re friends. I get that people don’t understand, but I don’t really care.” Mark was within earshot as Julie responded to whatever her companion said. Luke stepped closer to her again and Mark felt his fists clench. He decided that he needed to interrupt whatever was happening and hope Julie would appreciate the assistance.

******************************

Julie didn’t get a chance to respond to Luke. She saw Mark walking towards them with a big smile on his face.

“Hey Garden Rake. Sorry I’m late. Where do you want me?”

Luke rolled his eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He turned around and saw Mark strolling towards him and Julie. “What are you doing here?” Luke looked back to Julie. “What is he doing here?”

“Millie told me about your project with Sam. Sounds like a great idea. She said you would need help tilling a big area for wheat seeds and it would be nice if some of us helped out. Is that why you’re here, Luke?”

“No.” Luke looked visible annoyed. “I have a business to run. I stopped by to see Julie. And really - do you have to call her that?”

Mark smirked. “What? Garden Rake? It’s a nickname. A friendly term of endearment, if you will. And given that she’s a farmer, I think it’s fitting.”

“It’s demeaning.” Luke snapped. He looked at Julie. “Please don’t tell me that you’re actually okay with how he treats you.”

Luke didn’t see Mark’s clenched fists, but Julie did. “I really, truly, honestly don’t mind the nickname. It’s like an inside joke at this point. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it’s not a big deal.” She glanced at Mark before putting her hand on Luke’s arm. “Maybe we can talk later?”

“Um, yeah.” Luke sighed. “Just come find me when you’re less busy.”

Julie watched Luke stalk away towards his store. She didn’t want to look at Mark until Luke was out of sight. Suddenly, Mark’s hand lightly rubbed her back. 

“Hey there, Garden Rake.”

“Hey,” Julie mumbled. “Thank you. I mean, that was messy, but also over a little quicker than if you hadn’t barged in.”

Mark chuckled. “Barged in? Really?”

“But it was a perfectly timed barge.” Julie quipped as she turned and smiled at Mark. “I wasn’t expecting to have to deal with that situation yet.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Mark regretted every word leaving his mouth. “If you like him, I won’t cause a problem. Whatever happened yesterday can…”

Julie put her finger on Mark’s lips. “Except that I don’t like him, okay? I already wanted to close that door before yesterday.” She let out a sigh. “I should get to work.”

Mark reached for her arm. “I really am here to help. What do you need?”

I need you to finish what you started in the mine . The thought shocked Julie enough that she worried she blushed. “Um, I could use a little help watering crops.”

“What were you just thinking about?” Mark grinned slyly. “Something made your cheeks flush a little. I’m thinking it wasn’t farming-related.”

Julie looked at Mark to roll her eyes, but he bent down and slowly kissed her. His mouth lingered on hers for a few extra seconds. “Just in case you need that too.”

Mark walked to the watering can and picked up where she left off earlier. Julie redirected her attention to crops that were ready to harvest - tomatoes, corn, peppers, and blueberries. She had already ordered another large bag to use for harvesting. This would definitely take her multiple trips. She sorted out the crops to keep, then prepared the bags for transport to Sam’s.

“Taking that to Sam’s?” Mark asked as he walked toward Julie. “Here. Let me.”

“You already helped.” Julie argued. “Thank you for watering. I can get this to Sam. You can go on to whatever you were actually planning to do today.”

Mark edged Julie out of the way as he grabbed both bags. “My plan today was to help you. Yes, I need to check in at the shelter, but that can wait a little longer.”

Julie started to argue, but Mark stopped her with an arched eyebrow. She huffed quietly and fell in-step with him towards the general store.

“I don’t want to pick a fight,” Julie began slowly.

Mark let out a short laugh. “This doesn’t sound like it’ll go well.”

Julie ignored the jest. “ You said that you don’t want to make…this ‘a thing.’ Which, I understand.  So I’m just trying to act like normal - before yesterday.” 

“And that’s still true.” Mark replied calmly. “But it doesn’t mean that I don’t want you. I think I made fairly clear yesterday. It also doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

Julie swallowed. “You’re just trying to figure stuff out?”

“Yes.” Mark gently nudged Julie with his elbow. “I don’t know if I made things worse by acting on my…want. But it happened and I don’t regret it”

“Me either.” Julie nudged Mark back before she opened the door for the general store. She breathed a sigh of relief that Bree wasn’t shopping. Sam waved her over.

“Wow, this is a lot ! And it looks so good, of course.” Sam grinned approvingly. He directed Mark to drop the bags behind the counter. “Mind if I get your bags back to you tomorrow? I’m still checking in my weekly shipment. I can bring your payment as well.”

Julie nodded. “Of course. And I’ll just stop by after my morning chores. I may have some good news to share with you anyway.”

“Sounds good.” Sam gave a thumbs-up. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As Julie turned to leave, she felt Mark’s hand on her back, lightly guiding her to the door. She noticed Sam’s wife Emily raise her eyebrows and wink. She just smiled and hurried through the door Mark opened for her, almost running into Anne. 

“Oh goodness!” Anne stepped back. “Oh, I’m sorry!”

Julie teetered slightly on one foot, but Mark steadied her with the same hand. “I’m so sorry, Anne. I wasn’t paying attention.” She gushed with a wince.

“Oh, that’s okay. It happens.” Anne soothed. She looked at her brother. “But, what’s going on here?”

“What’s going on where?” Mark’s stern face returned.

“With you touching Julie and holding her up.” Anne winked. “I knew something was going on. You can’t fool me, big brother.”

Mark looked down at his hand on Julie’s back and immediately withdrew it. “Nothing. I was being courteous. Isn’t that what you keep bugging me about?”

Anne turned her attention to Julie. “Isn’t he just a sweetheart when he stops being such a big grouch?”

Mark pushed Julie forward. “No way. This conversation is over.” He looked at his clearly amused sister.  I’ll see you later at home where we will not talk about this.”

Anne just laughed as she disappeared inside the grocery store. Julie bit her lip to keep from giggling as she walked. Mark glanced at her and rolled his eyes. 

“This is funny to you?” He demanded.

“You kind of did it to yourself. People, especially women, notice little things like that. Sam’s wife Emily gave me a look as we were leaving.”

Mark hooked Julie’s hand with his index finger to stop her. “I really want to stay low-key right now.”

Julie looked down at her hand. “But you keep touching me.”

“I know.” He replied huskily as he lifted his finger from her hand. “Can’t help it.”

“I like it. But I’m okay with low-key too. I still have to deal with Luke, I think.”

Mark grimaced. “Right.” He looked toward the Community Center. “I guess I should check on the shelter. Maybe see you later?”

“Sounds good.” Julie smiled. “By the way, how is that little stray doing?”

“The puppy I found near the cavern?” Mark’s face lit up. “She’s getting better. Already put some weight on. Wow, you remembered.”

“Of course.” Julie winked at Mark before she headed towards her farm. She didn’t have time to copy the mill design to other paper, so she would have to take the scroll to Dinda and hope the carpenter didn’t freak out.

******************

“Very cool,” Dinda murmured as she studied the mill design on the scroll. “I have no clue what a ‘solar stone’ is, but we’ve incorporated solar panels into other construction before.” She scrunched her eyes at the picture. “This seems to mostly run on wind anyway - there’s plenty of that almost every day. But still, we could probably put a small solar panel on top at some point.”

“Apparently Sam is already talking about it,” Julie started. “He had an idea about milling wheat for flour. And other grains as well. Maybe eventually sugar cane.”

Dinda looked up and grinned. “Yeah, he told me - said you would be over soon with a mill design.” She stared back at the scroll. “ Where did you get this?”

Here goes . Julie let out a breath. “I found it at the Lake Temple.”

“You found it? How? Where?” Dinda’s dark eyes widened. 

“On one of the pedestals. Apparently my grandparents used to bring crops there. Um…tradition, I guess?” Julie shrugged awkwardly. She couldn’t read Dinda’s face at all, so she kept talking. “So, I did it too. And then I found a scroll.”

“The composter.” Dinda whispered. “And now this? Must be the Goddess. There’s no other explanation.” She looked down at the scroll again as if it were pure gold. “We can absolutely do this. Oh, Julie!”

“This new plan will require a few more sprinklers. And I wanted to ask about hiring Joko’s cousins again to help till some ground for wheat seeds.”

Dinda smiled and gave Julie a wink. “You know, Joko and I already talked about doing something to help with this. We were thinking a discount on the mill cost, but we’ll just cover the labor - it’s probably about the same as our discount.”

“Oh, thank you!” Julie gushed. “This means so much. I was wondering this morning if maybe this was too much too soon. Luke mentioned-”

“Luke?” Dinda rolled her eyes. “I like Bree, okay? And Luke is pretty nice most of the time, but he and Walter walk around like they are a couple of business geniuses. You were given something very special - from the Goddess !“ Dinda put a finger on the scroll. “ This means something. Sam’s dream means something. Don’t listen to Luke.”

Julie squeezed Dinda’s hand. “Thank you.”

“We need to get on this soon.” Dinda mused as she squeezed Julie’s hand back. “We’ll need a few days to coordinate with our guys, but I can stop by tomorrow and get a lay of the land. Literally. How does that sounds?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Julie beamed. “I will leave the scroll here - take care of it. I need to finally get some birds in my coop. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll copy down the design and bring the scroll with me. Yes - tomorrow!”

Julie gave Dinda another grin before she left. Her next stop would be Jack’s store to talk to the rancher about getting a few chickens and ducks. Jack didn’t talk much, but he seemed glad to have another coop on the island. Kenny came into the store and helped discuss the details - he promised to bring the animals over the following day.

As she left the ranch store, Julie’s mind returned to two pressing issues - Mark and Luke. She didn’t know what would happen with Mark, but any shred of interest she might have had for Luke disintegrated when Mark kissed her the first time. Her brain wasn’t completely sure if it wanted more of what happened in the mine, but her body was screaming for it. More touching, more warmth, more of Mark’s mouth on her skin. She felt her skin flush just thinking about Mark kissing her neck and shoulder. But this wasn’t the time to let herself fixate on any of that. She wasn’t quite ready to go back to the mine, but she could check on the traps in the ocean and possibly pick up more kelp. 

Julie changed into the two-piece before heading for the pier. She was leery of using the warp during times when people could potentially see her suddenly appear out of nowhere. Especially right now, the fewer questions were preferable. She avoided the garden lane and cut through her own property to get to the pier and Dr. Ling’s boat. She got into her diving suit and dropped into the water to retrieve the traps. To her delight, all four traps were full. Julie hit the button on the handle to send each trap to the surface, then returned to the boat so she could get closer to the depth that contained silver kelp.

She took the boat the last coordinates and lowered herself back into the water. It would be easy enough to backtrack to the already cleaned sections. It didn’t take as long as Julie thought to gather kelp. I guess I can clean for a bit . She made another trip to the boat to empty her bag and grab the vacuum hose. Apparently Dr. Ling managed to add some length to the hose. Will this still work if I go much deeper? How far into the ocean will this project take me ? She pushed those thoughts back as well and lowered herself back down to the next area to fix. She was unaware that she was being watched. 

****************************

A pair of crystal blue eyes studied Julie from a distance, watching her go up and down a cord with a weight on the end. Finally she returned again and began clearing trash with a strange curved tool. The observer grimaced at the sight of a land dweller so close to the gates of Eldoris. 

“See Sem?” Agung finally spoke. “She’s not what we thought at first.”

“You’re still on duty.” Semeru groused. “It’s ‘captain.’ And I haven’t seen anything yet that proves what you two keep insisting.”

“Keep watching, sir.” Denali spoke up as she threw Agung a look. “She’s the one responsible for all the healed coral. She’s been working her way down. Or, over.”

Semeru grunted in response. He only agreed to observe the land dweller after Denali’s father Tahat interceded on his daughter’s behalf. “What is she doing?”

“Looking for the power source.” Denali answered. She paused and excitedly banged on Semeru’s arm. “Oh! Look - I think Julie found one!” 

Semeru shot Denali a stern look. “Watch it.”

“Sir! Watch!”

Semeru sighed and looked back at the distant figure bent down and touched something on the ground. It glowed bright and propelled itself through the water to a nearby structure that had suddenly opened. The glowing object lowered itself into place as a loud hum emitted. Then came the light beam - Semeru heard himself let out a small gasp as he continued watching. The shower of light descended over part of the coral, bringing back to its perfect state before the oil spill and the deathly black roots.

“What…was….that?” Semeru stuttered. 

“That was my first reaction too.” Agung answered as he smiled. “It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? That’s apparently what happens every time .”

Denali bounced with glee. “As Julie explained it, this is what happens when the power source is returned to the structures.” 

“And how does she know about this?” Semeru’s voice remained skeptical. “How is she doing any of this?” He stopped and glanced at Denali. “Julie?”

“That’s her name.” Denali replied somewhat stubbornly. “She doesn’t know - the Goddess called her in a dream, then sent her down here.”

“So she says. How were the power sources removed in the first place?”

Agung spoke up. “Julie doesn’t know, sir. I guess the Goddess didn’t tell her?”

“She’s trying to help.” Denali jumped in. “I asked her all these questions.”

Semeru scowled. “Was that before or after you disobeyed a direct order to have no contact with the unknown land dweller?”

“Come on Sem.” Agung tried to defend his partner. “We wouldn’t know anything if Denali didn’t-”

“It’s ‘captain’!” Semeru snapped. “And regardless, I gave an order that you both chose to defy. Your recklessness could have had serious consequences on the safety of our kingdom. I am only here now out of respect for you father, Denali. That’s it.”

Semeru paused and looked back at Julie. “Did either of you consider that she tampered with the devices to begin with?”

Denali felt her temper flare. “With all due respect, sir - how could she access the Deep Sea without us knowing? And as I reminded Agung, look at the ocean itself. Not one shark or deadly thing has come near her. LOOK - they are welcoming her.”

“That makes some sense.” Semeru finally admitted.

Agung patted his captain on the shoulder. “She hit me with that too.”

Semeru shot Agung a withering look, causing him to back up. “What do you know about her anyway?”

“She’s a farmer, sir. And she’s not a spy. She said that she’s just doing what the Goddess asked - to heal the island and the ocean.” Denali smiled weakly. “She didn’t expect to encounter merfolk. Something else - the first two times we/I saw her, she was looking at those boxes outside the sacred buildings, like the one in our city. She was inspecting it like she already knew about it.”

“Meaning what?” Semeru wasn’t ready to be convinced yet. 

“I don’t know.” Denali admitted hesitantly. “But we don’t even know what they are. And if she does, that has to mean something. Right?”

“She didn’t expect to encounter us, but she speaks our tongue?”

Agung finally felt brave enough to speak again. “She insisted that she can’t explain how she knows our language. She said that the Goddess gave her a blessing to understand how to fix the island. Maybe that’s how?”

“I don’t like all these unknowns.” Semeru replied.

“Sir, we’ve already tried to fix the structures ourselves.” Denali reminded her captain. “And then Agung and I found one of the orbs yesterday…we touched it just like Julie did - nothing happened. We can’t do it without her.”

Semeru closed his eyes and sighed again. “Okay. I guess it’s worth at least talking to her. Do you know her schedule? How often is she here?”

“No schedule that we have noticed.” Agung replied. “She told Denali that she’s a farmer. And if she’s doing anything on the surface for the Goddess, then that might explain her sporadic appearances.”

Denali raised her hand. “Um, sir - if she knew that we wanted to speak with her further, she might come back sooner. If Agung and I could talk to her again…sir.”

“Fine.” Semeru relented. “Go. Now. I’ll be watching. And do it quickly.”

Denali smiled at Agung. “Let’s go!”

***********************

Julie watched as a second coral structure lit up. She felt a little tired and decided to finish the area another time. She was about to press the button to retract herself on the anchor when she heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see Denali and Agung swimming hastily toward her.

“Julie!” Denali called out. “Wait!”

“Oh, hi.” Julie waved. “I didn’t think I would see you two.”

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Agung explained as he caught his breath. “Our captain is watching us actually.”

Julie looked around, suddenly nervous. She could barely see another figure in the distance. The figure moved and she caught a sight of a shark tail. Her heart rate jumped.

“It’s okay.” Denali calmed Julie. “He’s willing to talk to you.”

“But he wants a specific time.” Agung explained. “You’re actually just outside the border of our city Eldoris.”

“I didn’t know.” Julie stammered. “I wasn’t trying to encroach your territory.”

Agung laughed lightly. “You did that as soon as you jumped in the water. But it’s okay. He sent us to set up a meeting.”

“Okay.” Julie breathed in relief. “When?”

“Whenever you can return. But it should be soon.”

Julie touched her mask to check the current time. “It’s evening now. I assume your captain wants to meet earlier in the day. I can’t come back tomorrow. Not sure about the day after either. What about three days from today? I’m sorry - the best I can say is afternoon.”

“That’s alright.” Denali smiled sweetly. “That will work. We’ll tell him.”

Agung glanced in the direction of the figure. “We should probably go.”

“We’ll see you in three days.” Denali reached over and patted Julie’s hand. “It will be okay. We’ll be there too. And maybe my father. I’ve been telling him about you and what you’re doing.”

Julie nodded. The merfolk waved at her before they swam away. She waited a few more minutes before pressing the button and returning to the boat. Her hands were slightly shaking as she pulled off her diving suit. I have a meeting with someone who already hates me? Great. At least I have Denali and Agung on my side.

********************

Julie eased the boat into its slot and walked slowly down the pier. The waves sounded so peaceful, especially at night and she decided to stop by the beach near the lighthouse before heading home. She was descending the stairs when she heard it - a small squeal among the crash of the waves, followed by what sounded like a moan.

“What is that?” she mumbled to herself. She was about to investigate closer when she noticed Suki waving wildly at her with a broom.

“Julie!” Suki hissed. “Come here!”

“What’s up?” Julie asked she walked back up the stairs and closer to Suki.

“You should probably stay off the beach right now.” Suki’s expression was a mix of awkwardness and concern.

“Do you hear that?” Julie asked quietly as she heard another squeal.

“Um, yeah.” Suki winced a little. “You shouldn’t go down there. Probably best to just head home?”

Julie started to inquire further when it registered what she was hearing. “Oh. Wow. Some guests having ‘fun’ down there?”

Suki gave an uncomfortable smile. “Something like that.”

“That’s…daring. Especially with your daughter living here.”

“Yeah.” Suki looked annoyed. “But…um, you shouldn’t be here.”

Julie wasn’t sure if Suki’s irritation was at her or the guests on the beach. “Okay.”

She turned to walk away when Suki grabbed her arm and lightly pushed Julie towards the stairs. “Hide. Now.”

Thoroughly confused, Julie descended a few steps and crouched down. She could now hear other voices nearing the front of the inn. I guess the guests finished.

“Oh, hi.” A female voice greeted Suki awkwardly. I bet they weren’t expecting an audience for their show .

Then Julie heard the other voice - a man. It sounded familiar. Too familiar.

“I’ll see you later?” the voice said. “Hey Suki. How’s your evening?”

“Fine.” Suki replied tightly. “Just sweeping the sand away.”

The female voice said something that Julie couldn’t hear. A door opened and Julie peeked to see who the voices belonged to. She felt her face flinch when she saw Luke.

His back was turned to her position, but Suki signaled her to come closer. As the door closed, Luke started to walk away when she saw Julie.

“Hi.” Julie waved and smiled. “How about we consider that there our ‘talk’. Nice to see you, Suki. I think I’ll head home now.”

Luke was still staring at Julie as she crossed the inn porch toward garden lane.

“Wait!” Luke called. He jogged toward Julie and grabbed her arm. “Wait.”

“For what?” Julie countered as she spun around. “I think we’re done here.”

Luke held her arm firmly. “Come on. Raina is a friend.”

“And she sounded very friendly on the beach.” Julie let out a dry laugh.

“You know, you and I aren’t actually dating yet.” Luke replied thinly. “And I never said I wasn’t-”

“Sleeping with someone else?” Julie yanked her arm free.  “You never said you were either. I’m not judging, promise. But why try to start anything with me if you already had a ‘friend’?”

Luke sighed. “Raina and I have been hanging out, off and on. But she’s not going to be here much longer. And it was always only a casual thing.”

“Oh, I see. So you’re trying to fill an upcoming vacancy? Is that it?”

“You and I were getting to know each other.” Luke’s voice tightened.

Julie rolled her eyes and continued walking. Luke caught up just past Milie’s house and stopped her. “I don’t know what you were expecting, Julie. We had one actual date. And you wanted to go slow, remember?”

“For one, we were doing more than ‘getting to know each other.’ Or you were trying anyway.” Julie paused and took a breath. “ And yes, I wanted to go slow - mostly because I didn’t really want anything when I moved here. Not serious. Not casual. Nothing. I just wanted to restart my life. But you seemed interested, and I thought I should at least try.”

“I am interested.” Luke insisted. “Very much so.” He tried to slide his hand down Julie’s arm, but her face told him to stop.

“So, what are you expecting? From this?” Julie already knew the answer. So much like Josh - charming, smooth, full of himself.

Luke cleared his throat. “We get to know each other better. And yes, maybe it’s casual first - but that can always change to something more down the line.”

Did it change for Raina? For anyone else? Julie kept her temper in check. Another outburst would only hurt at this point. “I think I’ll pass. Thanks though.”

“Seriously?” Luke took hold of Julie’s arm again. “We’re about the same age, Julie. You’re telling me that you want a serious relationship now ? Really?”

Julie pointedly pulled her arm away. “Honestly? I’m not sure what I want right now. Like I said, I wasn’t looking for anything when I moved here. You can believe this or not, but I figured I would try with you…to feel something. But, I didn’t.”

“Oh, sure.” Luke replied snidely. “You seemed really uninterested when I was kissing you.”

Julie sighed. “And I stopped it both times, remember? I just couldn’t get there with you. But from I heard earlier, it’s definitely more me than you.”

Luke wasn’t ready to let go of the argument. “Were you able to get there with someone else? Mark maybe?”

“Excuse me?” Julie kept her expression tight. 

“Something changed within the past few days. You were fine after our date, but today - you are completely different. I’m not jealous, but Mark? I really thought you had better taste.”

“I do. That’s why I’m done here.” Julie leveled back. “You know, Luke - I don’t know exactly what I want right now. But I know I want two things - a man who looks at me like I actually matter and who takes my breath away. You aren’t either.”

She turned around again and started across the bridge. “Don’t follow me.”

Luke let out a loud sigh of frustration and stormed away. Julie could see Mark’s outline as she crossed over the bridge and neared the farm house.

“Hey there.” Mark said as he stood up from from sitting on the porch. “That looked and sounded bad. Can’t say it makes me sad to see Silver Spoon get shot down like that. Nice going.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “That started because I heard him on the beach with Raina.”

“Doing what?” Mark asked, then shook his head. “Oh. That.”

“I already suspected after seeing them at the animal festival. I wasn’t ever that interested anyway. I should have just stopped the whole thing then.”

Mark moved closer. “What was it you said to him just now? You were trying?”

“Yeah.” Julie shrugged. “Waste of time.”

“What about with me?” Mark gently pulled Julie towards him.

“The only thing I’ve had to ‘try’ is not be too sarcastic all the time.” Julie sighed contently at Mark’s hands on her back. “I don’t think I do very well there.”

Mark leaned down and let his lips find Julie’s. She willingly opened her mouth so his tongue could pull her deeper into the kiss and the passion he already fueled. Her fingers curled around the back of his neck. Mark responded by holding her tighter. He finally pulled his mouth away, but Julie leaned forward to kiss his chin.

“I should go,” Mark said with a hint of sadness. “I’ll be honest, Garden Rake - I don’t want to. But I don’t want to rush anything either.”

Julie couldn’t help the giggle that escaped. “Only you would kiss me like that, then call me Garden Rake.”

Mark smiled and kissed her forehead. “I’ll think of another nickname.”

“I like Garden Rake.” Julie playfully argued.

Mark didn’t know what it felt like to hold Julie before yesterday. They had that moment during their first patrol, but it wasn’t the same as what happened during their second patrol. And now, he didn’t like letting go. “I’ll see you later then?”

Julie forced herself not to touch him again. “Of course.”

“Night, Garden Rake.”

“Night, Grizzly Bear.”

Chapter Text

The morning air felt a little crisper than usual - Summer’s humid hold had finally relaxed enough for Julie to not be drenched in sweat before early afternoon. She let her mind wander a bit as she watered her crops. The slightly cooler temperature meant that she could start working on the new plots for the wheat. I should have let Mark actually start that yesterday. He probably could have finished half of the space. Maybe he would have taken of his shirt again. Julie lightly banged on the side of her head with her free hand. Stop that. You wanted to go slow. He wants to go slow. And he may not want to “go” at all. She looked at her field and kept her mind focused on the current task.

Julie refilled her watering can and turned around to see Bree walking towards her. She resisted the urge to sigh out loud and pressed a polite smile on her face.

“Good morning.” Bree said in her usual unreadable tone. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

“Sure.” Julie set down the can and gave Bree her attention. “How can I help you?”

Bree glanced from Julie to the farm and gave a small smile. “I haven’t seen the property since you moved here. What you’ve done in such a short time is impressive.”

“Thank you.” Julie answered tentatively. “Is that why you stopped by?”

“Luke came home very agitated last night.” Bree commented while still looking at 

the farm. “I finally pulled out of him what happened.”

 “I actually have a fair amount of work to do still.” Julie’s smile tightened.

Bree acted like she didn’t hear. “Do you know how Walter and I met? He likes to say that it was love at first sight. And it was, for one of us anyway.” She glanced at Julie. “I had to wait a few months before he finally discarded his little black book.”

“I’m sorry.” Julie wasn’t sure what to say.

Bree shrugged. “He eventually came around. And he has been devoted ever since.” She paused and gave a short dry laugh. “Luke and Walter are at odds so often, but they’re more alike than Luke wants to admit. Apparently he inherited more than his father’s business insight and jawline.”

Julie remained cautious. “I see. I think?”

“I love my son, but I don’t love his behavior.” Bree admitted. “I had hoped that he would be done…sowing his wild oats and consider settling down, at least a little.”

“Maybe he is.” Julie couldn’t believe she was trying to console Bree. “And I’m just not the right person. It wasn’t really about oat sowing - we just weren’t a match.”

Bree raised her eyebrows. “I find that hard to believe.”

“With all due respect, Luke isn’t everyone’s type.” Julie’s replied thinly.

“Oh, I know.” Bree smirked. “I meant you.”

Julie stared at Bree with surprise. “You don’t even like me. Unless I misunderstood you just now.”

“I’m his mother, dear. I don’t like any of the girls.” Bree offered a small smile. “But I disliked you the least.” She glanced at the field again. “You’re doing a good job here. Keep it up. I need to get to yoga. Have a good day.”

Julie remained dumbfounded as Bree walked away. I cannot wait to tell Millie about this . She chuckled to herself and returned to watering her crops. She decided to start tilling the new area until Dinda arrived. The ground felt easier to break up than before and she wondered if Grog had anything to do with the softer, richer soil. Julie happened to look up as Dinda was just arriving - perfect time for a break.

“My goodness!” Dinda stared at Julie with a broad grin. “No wonder you have such nice arms. Maybe I need to join you.”

Julie chuckled. “I’ll be really nice and let you do all of it if you want.”

“Girl, I get enough of a workout with the wood cutter.” Dinda joked. “But let’s check out the area down there. And you can show me where you want the mill.”

Julie nodded. She grabbed a quick drink from her water bottle before she and Dinda walked to the area she was just working. They spent some time discussing the site for the mill and the cost of the project. Sam had already made Dinda aware of his intent to help with payment. Once again, the carpenter couple was happy to barter for wood. After finalizing the plans, Dinda handed Julie the scroll before she headed back to her workshop. Since the sun was climbing the sky, Julie decided to clean up and pay a visit to Millie. She secretly hoped that Mark was working at the shelter.

In a short time, Julie was ready to check in with Millie before stopping by the grocery store to collect her bags and payment. As Julie neared the community center, she realized that Mark was close behind her.

“Hey there.” His voice sounded a little softer and lower. “How was your morning?”

Julie felt her face smile in response. “Oh, mostly uneventful.” She reached for the door handle, but Mark leaned forward and grabbed it first, letting his chest press into her back. “No fair. You have longer arms.”

“You have better legs.” Mark replied lightly.

Julie knew her face was at least pink. She glanced over her shoulder as he chuckled. “Bree stopped by though.”

Mark’s smile faded. “Why? Because of Silver Spoon?”

“She in the yoga class.” Julie whispered. “And yes. But, I think she’s on my side. Not that there are sides. But she wasn’t there to criticize me.”

“That’s a relief.” Mark scooted Julie through the door. “Move it, cutie. I have animals to check on.”

Julie tried to hide her growing smile at Mark calling her “cutie.” She waved him off and continued on her way to the library. She found Millie surrounded by boxes, holding what looked a heavy box and looking at the floor with an exasperated expression.

“What are you doing?” Julie grabbed the box from Millie. “Here. Let’s put this down and you get yourself from among the other boxes.”

“Thank you! I ‘boxed’ myself in while trying to unload some books. Bree managed to acquire a donation of new books for the library. A little surprising, to be honest.”

Julie sat down next to her friend. “Seems Bree is a popular topic this morning.”

“Oh?” Millie perked up. “Would this have anything to do with whatever I couldn’t hear between you and Luke last night? I was praying you would come tell me about it.”

“Oh girl.” Julie rolled her eyes. “It was so bad.”

“Luke sounded mad.” Millie replied as her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you caught him with that secretary?!”

“Not in the act , but I heard them.” Julie grimaced. “On the beach. Suki was also there. Luke walked Raina to the door, then saw me.”

Millie looked like she might fall out of the chair. “NO WAY!”

“Shh!” Julie tried not to laugh. “You’ll get us in trouble with Mark again.”

“Technically, I’m his boss. He can’t really yell at me. But, you could also just make out with him again and get us out of trouble.”

“You’ve read too many smutty books.” Julie quipped. “Anyway, the argument that happened after was…not good.”

Millie started to respond, but Mark’s voice suddenly boomed through the wall.

“What was that?” Millie jumped up.

“Mark!” Julie was already running out of the door.

Participants from the yoga class were filtering into the hallway as Julie dashed to the shelter and yanked the door open. Mark was on his knees in front of the small stray he rescued. The dog was barely moving and Mark’s hands were shaking.

“What happened?” Julie dropped to the floor next to him.

“I…don’t….” He looked completely panicked. “I gave her…I don’t know.”

Mark turned to Julie and she gently grabbed his head, telling him to breathe. Somehow he forced himself to focus. “I need to get her to Kenny. But I…”

“Go.” Julie let her hands drop. “We’ve got the shelter. Go.”

Mark scooped the dog into his arms. Julie jumped up and opened the door for him. Bree was standing close to the front door of the community center. As soon as she saw Mark holding the dog, she pushed the door open and held it for him. 

Millie followed Julie back inside the shelter. “What happened?!”

“I don’t know. The pup wasn’t really moving.” Julie looked down at the bowl of dog food. Next to the bowl, she noticed what looked like regurgitated food. “Oh no. I think she got sick. Maybe from the food? It must have been a really bad reaction.”

“Poor Mark.” Millie shared Julie’s worried expression. “I can call Anne to fill in for the rest of the shift. She covers when we need extra help.”

Julie nodded and looked for a towel to clean up the mess. She set the bowl aside in case Kenny needed it. Kira walked in as Millie was leaving.

“Is everything okay? Kira asked. “Mark looked very shaken. Not like him.”

Julie tried not to look as worried as she felt. “One of the dogs he rescued got very sick. She looked bad.”

“Which one?”

“This little white dog he found by the cavern. I think she was his favorite. Mark just told me that she was gaining weight and doing really well.”

Kira looked at Julie like she was thinking. “Wow. You and Mark have gotten quite close. That’s interesting. He’s usually very guarded.”

What does that have to do with the sick dog ? Julie wanted to ask the question in her mind, but decided against it. “Um. Well, we’re friends.”

“I’m glad he’s not alone.” Kira gave Julie a half smile. “He doesn’t do well losing things. Or people. Be kind to him.” She waved before walking out of the shelter.

Millie returned shortly and said that Anne was on her way. “You don’t have to stay in here. The animals will be okay. I think Anne is bringing Zoe.”

Julie nodded and followed her friend into the hallway. Millie looked at her and grabbed one of her hands and rubbed it assuredly.

“You look so worried, lady bug. I’m sure the dog will be okay.”

“It’s not the dog.” Julie replied softly. “Well, not just the dog.”

“You don’t have to wait for Anne. I can stand here until she arrives and you can go check on Mark.”

Julie shook her head. “I don’t think he would want me hovering. We agreed to be low key and not make this ‘a thing’ yet.”

“But you’re still friends, right?” Millie countered. “If I got sick and had to be rushed over to the clinic, I would expect you to be around.”

“if you’re at the clinic, wouldn’t you already have Yuri?” Julie tried to lighten the moment. “And Charles. Who, by the way, blushes around you A LOT.”

Millie rolled her eyes in response. “Girl, please. You still better come.”

“Of course I would.” Julie let out a sigh. “Okay, I see what you mean.”

Anne entered the community center with Zoe in tow just as Julie stood up to leave. She hurried over to Julie after telling Zoe to check on the animals. “Millie told me that a dog got sick? What happened? Where’s Mark?”

“We don’t know what happened,” Julie explained. “I think she - the dog - got sick from some food. Mark took her to Kenny. He looked really shaken up.”

Anne grabbed Julie’s hands. “You’ll check on him though? He rarely gets that way, but he doesn’t always do well when he is.”

“Of course.” Julie replied assuredly. “But he is with Kenny. Aren’t they friends?”

“Not like you.” Anne answered. “Please check on him.”

Julie smiled at Anne to calm her. “It’s my next stop.”

She hugged Millie and promised to let them know any updates. She hurried out of the community center and ran most of the way to Kira’s house. Julie stopped just outside the BOS headquarters to catch her breath. She didn’t see Mark anywhere and guessed he was inside. Jack suddenly rounded the corner of the house and waved at Julie.

“He’s inside. You can go in.” Jack announced. “You’re looking for Mark, right?”

“Oh. Um, yeah.” Julie stammered. “But I can just wait out here.”

Jack gave a light chuckle. “Nonsense. Just go on in. It’s fine.”

Julie tentatively climbed the stairs and opened the front door. She found Mark pacing in the foyer area. He stopped and looked at Julie as she stepped inside.

“Hey.” She announced herself in a small voice. “I just wanted to–”

Mark walked over and scooped Julie into a tight hug. “Thank you for coming.”

Julie slipped her arms around his chest. “Of course.” 

After what felt like several minutes, Mark finally eased his hold, although he didn’t completely let go. “Did Millie call Anne to watch the shelter?”

“Yeah.” Julie’s voice was muffled by Mark’s shirt. “She brought Zoe.”

“Good. Zoe loves the animals.” Mark let out a light laugh. “Did Anne tell you to check on me?”

Julie managed to pull her face away from his chest and look up. “She did. I was planning to come by anyway.”

Mark kissed Julie’s forehead. “I’m glad you’re here.” He finally pulled back enough to look at her face. “I have no idea what happened. I don’t know if she choked on the treat I gave her. Or maybe I played with her too hard?”

“I saw a little bit of regurgitated food next to the bowl.” Julie gently informed Mark. “Maybe she did choke on something?”

“Wait - what? She threw up some of the food?” Mark dropped his arms and stepped back. “Could it have been the food?”

“What kind of food was it?” Julie inquired. “It looked homemade.”

“It is. I make it - a special blend of some protein and veggies, with a few local herbs. The other dogs love it. I was worried it might be too rich for the pup’s system until she gained some weight.” Mark rubbed his temples. “Oh Julie, what if this is my fault?

Kenny suddenly appeared in the foyer. “Hey Mark. How are you doing?”

“Me? How’s my pup?” Mark demanded. “Is she okay?”

“She’ll be alright.” Kenny said in a calm voice. “She was a sick little girl, but she’s tough. Looks like an allergic reaction to something she ingested.”

Mark sunk into a nearby chair and buried his face in his hands. “This is my fault. And she didn’t even want the food…I gave her a treat to coax her into eating it. She was trying to tell me and I wouldn’t listen.”

Kenny patted Mark on the shoulder. “If this is the same food you give the other dogs, it was an honest mistake. You couldn’t have known. None of the other dogs had a reaction. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Mark stood up, a guilt-ridden expression covering his face. “She was trying to tell me and I didn’t listen. And she almost died because of it.”

Julie delicately rubbed Mark’s arm, hoping that he didn’t snap at her. “But it sounds like she’ll be okay. Right, Kenny?”

Kenny mouthed “thank you” as he nodded. “I’ll be an eye on her through the night and see how she’s doing tomorrow.”

Mark nodded sullenly. “Thanks Kenny. I’ll check on her in the morning.” He took Julie’s hand from his arm and held it in his own, then led them outside.

“You probably think I’m overreacting.” He said quietly. 

“Not at all.” Julie replied. “But I also don’t think your reaction is just about the dog. I’m not going to pry, but I am here if you want to talk.”

“You have time to take a walk?” Mark asked, still holding Julie’s hand. “Wait. I really should check up on Anne. How about in a few hours?”

“Sure.” Julie replied. “I need to stop by Sam’s anyway. And I am supposed to get some chickens and a duck today.”

Mark’s thumb lighting rubbed her hand as he stared at something in the distance. He finally looked over at her and gave a weak half-smile. Neither spoke as they cut through Julie’s property and crossed the small bridge. As they came to the edge of the courtyard, Julie stopped and directed Mark’s eyes to their hands. “Should we…?”

“Right.” He reluctantly let go. “I’ll find you later?”

“Yes, please.” Julie wanted to reach for his hand again, but resisted. They were being low key. “See you soon.” She gave a small wave and walked towards the grocery store as Mark dragged himself to the community center. Her hope was to get in and out of the store quickly. But Julie saw Bree talking to Sam as soon as she entered.

“Julie dear,” Bree waved her over. “What happened this morning? Is that little dog going to be okay? My goodness - Mark looked terrible !”

Dear? When did that happen? Julie tried to keep her expression neutral, but seeing Mark so vulnerable earlier just about broke her heart. “First, yes - the dog will be okay. Kenny said she had an allergic reaction to something she ate.”

“Oh no. I just donated some natural dog treats to the shelter a few days ago. Oh, I hope it wasn’t those treats.” Bree looked and sounded genuinely concerned. “Kenny’s a miracle worker with animals, so that little girl is in good hands.” She lightly squeezed Julie’s arm. “And I’m sure Mark is in good hands as well.”

Julie hoped she didn’t blush. Could I have been wrong about Bree? Or is this because I’m not involved with Luke anymore ? “I’m sure he is.”

“I won’t keep either of you any longer.” Bree nodded to both Sam and Julie, then glided out of the store.

“When did she take a shine to you?” Sam voiced what they were both thinking. 

“I think when I took myself out of running with Luke.” Julie let the snide remark slip out. She instantly winced. “I’m sorry, Sam. That was…”

Sam chuckled loudly. “Well put. Besides, I think you have a better option already.” He gave Julie a knowing smile. “How is Mark? I know how he loves those animals and that dog getting sick must be rough on him.”

“He’s fine…I think.” Julie swallowed. “You know Mark. Keeps to himself.”

“You’re right - none of my business.” Sam patted Julie’s arm. “I still think you can do better than Luke…personal opinion. But you’re here for other reasons.”

Sam walked behind the counter for Julie’s bags and she breathed in relief that he changed the subject. She swallowed a laugh at Mark thinking that they keeping anything low key. EVERYBODY knows! Or they suspect, at least . 

“Oh - I met with Dinda this morning about the mill. Their cousins will be over tomorrow to till the planting area for the wheat. And she will start on the mill a few days after. Looks like we’re finally moving forward.”

“That is really good news.” Sam smiled as he handed Julie her bags and payment for the crops. “If the ground will be ready tomorrow, I can bring the seeds over.”

“I can just come over when they’re done with the ground.”

Sam waved Julie off. “Nonsense. You’re doing plenty already. The least I can do is bring over the seed. I’ll see you sometime in the morning.”

“Thank you, again.” Julie replied. “And I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She left the store and walked back to her farm. She glanced at the community center as she passed. I’m no more concerned than I would for any friend - right? But he’s not just any friend either. Julie sighed and rubbed her head. She was overthinking things again, but only to keep her heart from getting attached when it didn’t need to be.

To her relief, Jack was waiting with two cages. He was already inside the fenced area and Julie could hear clucks and quacks among the grass.

“Hey there.” Jack waved. “I went ahead and released the birds into the yard. They’ll find the coop just fine. Just remember to close the door at the end of the day. I also added a temperature machine inside the coop - it’ll keep them cool right now and warm in the winter.”

“Thank you so much.” Julie replied as she watched the birds peck around their yard. “I wasn’t sure about this before, but Kenny assured me that it’s easy.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah. Just check the coop each morning for eggs. You’ll get the hang of it.” He climbed over the fence. “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

Julie looked back at her new birds and tried to decide what names would be most fitting for her two chickens and two ducks. She suddenly felt a presence behind her - Mark leaned close and slipped his arm around her waist.

“Hey there, Garden Rake.”

Julie felt the same tightness in her stomach that she did in the mine; not quite butterflies, but close - physical want. Mark stoked something that night in the mine and she longed for more of it. Now every touch from him fueled that fire a little more.

“Hey back. Get everything taken care of?”

“Yep. All squared away.” Mark didn’t know why he kept torturing himself - pulling her close, then stopping before things went too far. He wanted Julie so badly. Craved her. But he also cared for her and didn’t want to hurt her. No good would come from more . “Looks like Jack brought your coop residents. How do you feel about ‘em?”

Julie leaned back against Mark’s chest. “Kenny and Jack both say it’s easy. I hope so. I can already hear Kenny telling me that I need a cow next”

Mark let out a small chuckle. “That’s way more work than chickens. Hold off on that as long as possible. Or, just say no.” He held back from kissing her then. “Still feel like taking a walk?”

“Of course.” Julie stood herself upright. “Where do you want to walk?”

“Everywhere.” Mark sighed. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and led in the direction of the ranch. He glanced toward Kira’s house and sighed again. They walked quietly toward the cavern, but then Mark changed direction and ambled into the forest.

“I’m not trying to pry,” Julie said gently. “But…is there a reason you wanted to walk? Did you want to talk about something?”

“Yeah. Something I need to tell you.” Mark looked upset. “Kira’s the only one who knows this.”

Julie couldn’t help bring his hand to her lips. He sounded so pained right now and the sadness in his eyes tugged at her heart. “You can tell me anything.”

“You say that now,” Mark gave himself some distance from Julie. “This happened a while ago. I was still a little new to the BOS. Kira was my trainer. Anyway, the team recruited this new kid Drake. He was the son of someone important - I think that’s how he got a spot. Kid had heart, but no skills. More than green, you know?” Mark refused to look at Julie. He took a breath and continued. “For some reason, he kinda latched onto me. I had no time for some greenhorn and I let him know. I did more than tease the kid - I straight up bullied him. I regret it now, but then - I just wanted him to leave me alone.”

Julie took a few steps closer to Mark and tentatively placed her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Do you also have a deep dark secret that haunts you every day?” Mark hated himself for sniping at her. He had to prepare the walls in case she changed her mind.

“Actually, yes.” Julie felt herself tremble slightly as she answered.

Mark looked at her with a puzzled expression. “Like what?”

“Finish what you were telling me.”

“Like what?” Mark repeated himself.

He may never forgive me . Julie swallowed hard. “I’ve been lying - to everyone - since I moved here.”

Mark felt his jaw stiffen. “About what?”

“My former employer. It wasn’t Serenity Marketing Group. Well, I guess technically, sort of - that was my cover job. My actual employer was Central Bureau of Intelligence. CBI. I was–”

“CBI?” Mark felt his mouth fall open. “Please tell me this is a horrible joke. You can’t be serious. You’re aware who… what they are, right?”

“Please just let me finish.” Julie pleaded. “I was in their Research & Analysis Department. Low level clearance. I was a researcher. That’s it. I was recruited out of university and–”

“That’s it? That’s it?” Mark fumed. “You drop this bomb that you worked for a covert intelligence agency, BUT you’re just a researcher . And that’s it?”

Julie heard her voice tremble as she spoke. “It you will let me finish…”

Mark stepped back, still in shock. “You are aware that the BOS is on their watch list, right? You have to be aware of that , at the very least. And you let Kira bring you on to the team without even the slightest warning.”

“If I could just finish…” Julie tried again as she mentally pummeled for herself for saying anything at all. “I couldn’t…”

“Couldn’t what?” Mark interrupted again. “Couldn’t just be honest with anyone? With me? I can’t believe I…we could have…”

“You know what?” Julie snapped. “If you won’t let me finish , then never mind. What were you about to tell me before I stupidly interrupted? What happened to Drake? I’m guessing he’s not alive anymore.”

“Low blow, Julie.” Mark tried to compose himself, even though it felt like she punched him in the gut. “No, he’s not. I pushed him too far and he died going up against an enemy he wasn’t prepared to face - all so he could prove to me that he was good enough. There.”

“And I just bared my darkest, most shameful secret to prove to you that I knew how you felt.” Julie’s eyes burned with tears. “ And you won’t even let me finish! ”

Mark reacted to the last part being screamed at him. He opened his mouth, but Julie turned and ran away. No good ever comes of getting close . He wouldn’t dare cause more pain by trying to talk to her. He might have broken what they had for good. Mark let out a shaky breath and trudged toward his house. 

*******************

Mark stared at the house he shared with his sister and her family. Still reeling from his altercation with Julie, he didn’t feel quite ready to go inside yet. Instead, he decided to commiserate another stupid mistake in one of the deck chairs outside while staring at the lake. He didn’t want to close his eyes because all he saw was the look on Julie’s face before she stormed off. Only a few minutes before that, she was listening to him divulge one of his most shameful secrets and not judging him. His thoughts spun around without any desire to stop and let him make sense of Julie’s admission. He was so engrossed in his mind that he didn’t hear the footsteps until a hand touched his shoulder.

“Jul-” Mark looked up to see his sister. “Oh. I’m not in the mood to talk.”

“You were clearly expecting someone else.” Anne walked around to face her brother. “Everything okay?”

“Peachy.” Mark grumbled. “Please leave me alone.”

“Is this about the dog? Is everything okay?”

Mark kepting staring at the lake. “The dog is fine. I’d like to be alone though.”

Anne sighed. “So it’s about Julie? What did you do?”

“Excuse me?” Mark finally looked at his sister. “What do you mean by that? Why do you automatically assume I did something?” 

“Because,” Anne gave Mark a knowing look. “I know you. What happened?”

“I really don’t want to talk about it.” Mark went back to staring at the lake. “Come on, Anne - please leave me alone right now.”

Anne dropped herself in the chair next to her brother. “I’m not leaving until you tell me. And I won’t let you in the house either.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “Fine. I found something out about her today that I can’t - it’s a lot to accept.”

“What did you find out?”

“I don’t think it’s something I should be sharing around.” Mark countered. “Can we please just drop this?”

“Who am I going to tell?” Anne pushed. “I’m your sister - I’m used to not being able to share stuff. So spill.”

Mark sighed loudly. “Julie informed me today that her marketing job was actually just a cover. Her real job was as a research analyst for Central Bureau of Intelligence.”

“That’s it?”Anne replied. 

“Seriously?” Mark growled. “You sound just like her - ‘I worked for a covert intelligence agency, but I was just a researcher. That’s it.’ She lied, Anne.“

“Wow,” Anne clapped lightly. “You almost got the voice down.”

Mark glared at Anne. “Enough. She lied.”

“That she was basically a librarian for the CBI. Come on, Mark.” Anne sighed. “Give me more context - how long did she work there? What was her clearance level?”

“She said she was recruited out of university. I don’t know when she left exactly. And she said she was low level.”

“But, not an operative - right?” Anne felt a little guilty, but she also knew she needed to keep pressing Mark. “Did she say why she left?”

“No. She…the conversation ended before that part.” Mark huffed. 

Anne scoffed. “Let me guess - she starts telling you this big secret, the you flip out, so she flips back, then storms off?”

“Did you already talk to her or something?”

“No.” Anne nudged Mark to look at her again. “But I know you. Let me ask this - does she know about your past?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Mark already knew he was wrong. Anne was just twisting the knife now.

“That’s a no. Your past is just as ‘secret’ as hers, but actually more so - military, special ops teams, the whole ‘if I told you, I’d have to kill you’ thing. There’s over a decade of your life that I know nothing about. Most of the people in your life, past or present, also don’t know anything about your life.”

“But I didn’t lie.” Mark already knew he had lost the argument.

Anne shrugged. “You’ve probably dealt with this CBI during your time in the military, right? Everything’s always ‘hush-hush,’ even if it doesn’t mean to be.”

“What’s your point?”

“Even if she’s not there anymore, wouldn’t they still make her…hush?”

Mark closed his eyes and groaned. “I think she was trying to tell me. Damn. Yeah, she probably had to sign something when she left. Even if she was ‘low level,’ she still viewed mission-related data. Damn it.”

 “I don’t know why she chose to tell you, but it had to be a good reason.” Anne’s voice softened. I know you care about her. You need to apologize.”

“It’s not that simple.” Mark hung his head. “She’s…I broke it, okay? I did exactly what you think I did. She screamed at me, Anne. I don’t see how I fix this.”

“I could see it in her eyes today, Mark. She cares about you too.”

Mark sighed. “Fine. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

Anne slapped Mark on the arm. “You are going right now .”

“Hey!” Mark stood up to stare down at Anne. “What was that?”

“You are not going to let that sweet woman spend all night thinking she ruined things with you.” Anne stuck her chin out. “You need to go there now.”

Mark actually wanted to find Julie, but he was honestly worried that she wouldn’t want anything to do with him. “And if she doesn’t want to see me?”

“You won’t know unless you go over there.” Anne grabbed Mark’s hand. “Don’t let this be another thing you can’t forgive yourself for.”

“Fine.” Mark nodded and headed in the direction of Julie’s farm.

*******************

Julie sunk onto her porch. She actually took a long way back to her farm after running away from Mark. She glanced at the fence around the coop and felt a few tears slide down her cheeks. All she had to do was let him talk and not say anything. Julie still didn’t know why her mouth decided to do anything. That decision wasn’t a head thing at all - it was definitely a heart thing. Either her heart was protecting her from making a mistake or forcing the decision to finally be honest with someone about her past. Either way, it clearly blew up in her face. She finally stopped holding back and let herself cry.

“Lady bug?” Millie could hear crying as she crossed the bridge to the farm. After everything that happened today, she wanted to check on Julie. Now, Millie could see her sitting on her porch and crying into her hands.

“Julie, sweet butterfly, what happened?” Millie rushed to the porch and plopped down next to her friend. “Is it about the little dog? Did Luke come back?”

Julie shook her head. “No. It’s something else. I ruined it. He hates me.”

“Mark? No way.” Millie soothed quietly. “He’s got a loud bark, but he cares about you, sweetie. It’s kind of obvious. To me anyway.”

“You don’t understand.” Julie replied as a fresh batch of tears fell from her eyes.

Millie hugged her. “I won’t push, but you can tell me if you want.”

“I don’t think I can stand losing two friends today,”

“It can’t be that bad.” Millie consoled. “I know you. We bonded over our love of research and my addiction to romance novels. We’re besties now.”

Julie let out a shaky breath and relayed her part of the blow-up with Mark to Millie.

“Wow.” Millie sat back. “That’s like a whole new level of research skills.”

“What?” Julie turned and stared at her friend. “You’re not upset?”

“Why would I be upset? I might actually be a little jealous. You’re like a professional researcher, Julie-bug.” Millie winked. “Don’t get mad at me, but I can kinda see why Mark was shocked. I mean, if he really was in the military, maybe he had bad run-ins with an agent. Maybe he was involved in some secret ‘liaison’ with some sexy femme fatale and she betrayed him and he just…”

Julie couldn’t keep from laughing. “You are too much sometimes.”

“So…how did you leave that place?”

Julie sighed. “It’s a very long story. But the upside is that I finally got to leave there. And the same day that I was ‘freed’ was the day I received that letter from Mayor Connor telling me about the farm.”

“Oh! Really?!” Millie squealed. “That makes your story sooo much better! Like - it was fate! That’s kind of romantic, in a way.”

Julie smiled for a few moments, then her mind reminded her of how Mark looked at her right before she ran off. Within seconds, tears filled her eyes again.

“Oh lady bug!” Millie hugged Julie again. “It’s gonna be okay. You’ll see.”

“I feel so stupid,” she lamented. “It wasn’t even a thing. We were - I don’t even know - figuring it out, I guess? But…I miss him.”

Millie looked up because she heard someone on the bridge - Mark. She nudged Julie to look at the bridge before standing up. “This feels like a personal conversation, so I’m gonna go.” She pointed at Mark. “You keep making her cry like this and we will not be cool. Got it?”

Mark was staring at Julie, looking like he wanted to crawl into a hole. “Got it.”

He watched Millie saunter away before turning back to Julie, who was now trying to compose herself. Her red eyes and tear-stained face felt like another gut punch. “I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am, Garden Rake.”

“Garden Rake?” Julie sniffled. “Really?”

“I thought you liked it.” Mark drew closer. “I said I would think of a new one, but you told me not to. I suppose I could call you ‘Cookie’.”

“Why Cookie?”

“Because cookies are my favorite dessert. Well that and egg custard, but that doesn’t sound like a good nickname.”

Julie pulled herself up. “Why are we discussing new nicknames anyway?”

Mark physically ached to touch her. “Because I am hoping that you still want to have anything to do with me. I was so unfair.”

Julie took a step towards Mark as he quickly filled the gap. She tentatively laid her head against his chest. He pulled her close and sighed in relief. 

“I’m sorry too.” Julie said quietly.

“Cookie, no. You have nothing to apologize for.”

Julie giggled. “Okay, please just stick with Garden Rake.”

“What about ‘honey’?” Mark asked. “I don’t eat it much now, but my mom used to make honey toast for Anne and I all the time. We loved it.”

“Isn’t ‘honey’ kind of…more than friendly?” Julie countered. “It’s very sweet.”

“Like you.” Mark felt like he was turning into putty. 

“Back to me apologizing,” Julie looked up. “You were right when you called out my low blow. It was. And I never let you finish either.”

“I kinda had it coming.” Mark admitted. “There wasn’t much more to tell, I suppose. I pushed too hard and he had to prove himself…ran off to fight this Dark Wizard before we could get more information. He never came back.”

“Now I really feel bad for what I said.” Julie kissed Mark’s shirt-covered chest.

He squeezed his arms to hug Julie in response. “He died because I pushed too hard. That pup could have died too, for the same reason. And in a way, I almost lost…um pushed you too far.”

“I won’t say anything about what happened in the past other than it’s in the past. But I do get how it weighs on you.” Julie replied softly. “But the pup - you couldn’t have known. And she’s gonna be okay.”

Mark hugged Julie again. “So…will you finish telling me?”

“Yeah.” Julie tried to step back, but Mark wouldn’t let go.

“You can tell me from right here.”

Julie let out a small sigh. “Like I said, I was recruited out of university. And if you know nothing about things like that, they don’t sound all that bad.”

Mark shrugged. “I guess I can see that. Go on.”

“I worked there for almost nine years,” Julie continued. “And I spent at least six years trying to leave. My boss liked my work ethic, so he made it sound near impossible to just quit - all the legal hoops I’d have to jump through.”

“But you obviously managed to leave.” Mark commented. “Right?”

“Yeah.” Julie smirked. “Because I was fired.”

Mark raised his eyebrows. “Why?”

“Well, the ‘official’ reason on the paper work was for poor performance.”

“You obviously pissed someone off.” Mark grunted.

Julie nodded. “My boss. Basically - I saw an inaccuracy in some information and tried to do the right thing. It wasn’t technically one of my assignments, but I was pulled in to double-check a small part of the intel. I decided to check more and found the problem. I tried to tell my boss, but he refused to listen.”

“And I’m guessing you didn’t let it go?”

Julie gave a tight smile. “No…I went over his head.”

Mark let out a low whistle. “I’m betting that didn’t go well.”

“That’s an understatement.” Julie smirked. “I was shut down almost immediately. But, I was right and the mission failed - badly. Three people almost died. Somehow, my boss was able to dump the disaster at my feet.”

Mark kissed Julie’s forehead. “And that’s why you were fired?”

“I took it as a blessing in disguise. The letter from Mayor Connor was in my mailbox when I got home that day.” 

“Wow.” Mark whistled. “And the rest is history.”

“I wasn’t trying to lie.” Julie explained. “But, I was required to sign an NDA before I left the job. And also, I just wanted to forget and start over.”

“Yeah. I figured it was something like.” Mark replied. “Once I stopped being stupid and actually thought about it. You were trying to tell me…just like the pup.”

Julie hugged Mark. “We’re both okay though.

Mark gave a sigh. “I’m sorry about this, but I need to ask.”

“About the BOS?” Julie looked up. 

“Yeah. Did you really not know?”

Julie kept her gaze on Mark. “All I ever knew was a name on a watch list. That’s it. I even asked once because of the name - Band of Smiles? It was so odd. But I was told the info was above my clearance level.”

“I’m really sorry I didn’t let you finish.” Mark felt the pull of those eyes. 

“I’m glad you came back though.” Julie finally gave a quiet smile. 

Mark chuckled. “And now I need to leave. I gotta catch Jack - see if he’ll let me sleep in his shop. I wanted to be close by to check on the pup tomorrow.”

“Or…you could stay here.” Julie felt certain that didn’t come from her brain. “Just to sleep, of course. Might be more comfortable.”

Mark wasn’t sure how to respond. “Oh…um…”

“Nevermind.” Julie said hastily as she backed up. “Jack’s shop is technically closer. And, well, that’s the whole point.” She forced herself to smile to hopefully push aside any awkwardness in the air. “Thank you for coming back.”

“Wait.” Mark could already feel his pulse jump and the thought of accepting her invitation. “It’s not that I don’t want…if I’m being honest, I don’t trust myself with you behind closed doors. I know you want to go slow.”

“It’s okay.” Julie kept smiling. “I understand, really. It’s okay.” I said that twice. It’s not okay, but it’s also terrible timing. He’s not interested in that right now .

“Well, I should find Jack before it gets too late.” Mark’s boots suddenly felt like they were filled with lead. “I’ll stop by tomorrow though, okay?”

“Sounds great.” Julie waved as she climbed the porch to her front door. “I hope the pup is okay. Sleep well.” She watched Mark start to walk away and hurried inside.

“What were you thinking?” Julie chided herself. “After everything that happened today and you ask him to sleep over ? Oh geez.”

She thought about trying to make more preserves, but that would just cause a mess and it was already evening. Instead, she opted for a smoothie while she decided what she might like for dinner. Julie dropped the ingredients in the blender and turned on the machine. After several seconds, she poured the drink into a cup and stared at the light pink aura. The smoothie is an offering?! Could there be other recipes too?

The knock at the door startled Julie. She placed the smoothie in the fridge before she opened the door and found Mark.

“On second thought…”Mark started, but Julie grabbed his shirt and tugged him towards her. He pushed the door shut as he swept Julie into a deep, searching kiss. Mark gripped Julie’s back as he continued to kiss her, taking in the feel of her bare skin on his fingers. He moved his lips to her neck and he had to hold back from sucking too hard. Julie’s fingers trailed from his face to digging into his shoulders.

“Am I hurting you?” Mark managed to ask as he tried to slow himself down.

Julie whined at his lips no longer on her neck.

Mark gave a low chuckle. “Answer me please - am I hurting you?”

“No.” Julie looked like she was out of breath. 

“Look at me, Honey - we can stop if….” Mark started to ask, but Julie pulled his mouth toward hers.

“I don’t want to stop…again.” She felt a shiver at him calling her Honey.

“Neither do I.”

********************

The NSFW scene that follows is in a separate work - “Mark and Julie’s Night.” This is a Mature scene that involves sex. Not reading it does not affect the main story line of “The Farmer and the The Island.” 

Chapter Text

Julie opened her eyes to find Mark watching her while making small circles on her hip. She smiled shyly as her brain quickly reminded her of the previous night’s activities. They fell asleep shortly after finally finishing what they started in the mine a few days prior. Sometime in the middle of the night, both woke up in physical need of each other and satisfied the want all over again. And now, Julie still couldn’t quite believe that she was waking up next to Mark, naked and lazily touching her so gently with his formidable, rough hands. But on her skin, his fingers felt soft and almost just right.

“Good morning.” Mark leaned down and kissed her lips. “How’d you sleep?”

Julie felt the smile on her face all the way down to her toes. “Not bad. Except I was woken up in the middle of the night…”

Mark chuckled. “ You were woken up? I remember it a little differently actually. It seemed like more of a mutual thing. But I don’t think I was the one instigating things.”

“I just touched you.” Julie giggled. “Not my fault you’re so sensitive.”

“It is exactly your fault.” Mark kidded as he patted Julie’s hip. “And if I didn’t need to check on my pup, it would be your fault again. It probably wouldn’t be too difficult to keep me in this room all day.”

“Well,” Julie planted a light kiss on the burly chest. “If it weren’t for your sick pup and me expecting Joko’s cousins and Sam this morning, that wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“You having a party this morning, Honey?”

Julie laughed as she tried to roll away so she could get dressed. “We’re tilling soil and planting wheat seeds. Exciting times.”

Mark caught Julie and pulled her back against him. She could feel his burgeoning excitement. He pressed his mouth against the back of her neck, eliciting a small sigh. “Something to remember me by.” He kissed the same spot again before letting go so they could both begin the day.

Shades of shyness resurfaced as Julie scrambled to grab clothes and cover herself. She also felt a little awkward watching the naked giant retrieve his clothing and redress. Their passionate actions may have satiated one appetite, at least for the moment - but it potentially opened the door for new issues as they tried to figure out how to navigate a menagerie of grey areas.

Both Mark and Julie were soon dressed, as though they had not just spent twelve hours intertwined with each other. He looked around the small house, trying to figure out how to leave without being insensitive.

“So…” Mark ran a hand through his hair. “I need to go check on that pup.”

Julie had her back to the door and Mark while she made coffee. “Okay.” She turned around and offered an easy smile. “I hope she’s okay.”

Mark finally made the few steps necessary to be close to Julie. “I’ll see you later then?” He planted a lingering kiss on her lips. “Good luck with the wheat.”

“I’ll be around.” Julie kissed him back. Keep things low key. He doesn’t want this to be official yet. “And thanks.”

Mark gave her smile that threatened to melt her resolve. “Later, Honey.”

Julie refused to let herself linger him calling her “Honey.” She already knew it didn’t mean what others might assume. Luckily, her heart was still skittish enough that his softness towards her could not be taken to mean anything deeper right now. She abandoned her coffee for later and headed outside to start her daily chores. As she closed the door, she noticed someone standing on her side of the bridge - Luke.

His expression was a blend of shock and irritation. He was dressed in jogging clothes and looked he just finished his morning workout. Julie wasn’t sure if she should say anything or go about her chores. 

“Good morning.” Luke’s voice sounded strained. “I thought I would stop by after my run - clear the air and apologize.”

Apologize? Julie wondered for a second if his visit had anything to do with Bree. She kept her face in a polite, but otherwise unreadable stance. 

“But considering who I just saw leaving, you probably don’t care” Luke continued, still strained. “I guess what I heard last night really was true.”

Even though she was curious what he was talking about, Julie refused to get into another verbal sword fight with Luke. Fortunately he didn’t appear to be in the mood to trade barbs. He shook his head and let out a sigh.

“I am sorry.” Luke said quietly. “I really did…do like you. I should have gone about this different. Better. And the…what happened with Raina that night - it just happened. I’ve already apologized to Suki and assured her that it will not happen again.” 

Julie felt her expression soften a little. “It wasn’t really about that night. But…” 

Luke stopped her. “I know.” He paused for a second. “I hope he knows how lucky he is.” He didn’t wait for response, but turned around and walked back across the bridge.

I am not going to feel bad about this. Not too much anyway. He didn’t have what I wanted, whether or not anyone else was involved. Julie nodded in agreement with the thought while she walked to the new “ranch area” to let her birds out for the day. They clucked and quacked like they were talking to each other. She checked the coop for eggs - she shouldn’t have been surprised to see pink auras around both types of eggs. She carefully placed the eggs a nearby chest, then left to begin her daily work with her crops. She couldn’t wait for the sprinkler system to finally be installed - this would allow her much more time each morning to expand her farm.

Julie let out a sigh as she began watering crops. She knew the other thought waving to be noticed in the back of her mind, but she refused to give it an audience just yet. But she knew it had to do with Mark. She didn’t want to spend the morning arguing with herself about how she could dismiss Luke, but welcome Mark to her bed. It’s different. And in the end, Luke wasn’t for me.

The arrival of Joko and his cousins rescued Julie from dealing with her mental quandary for a while. She thanked Joko for his and Dinda’s “gift” of labor and showed the men what area needed to be worked on. She noticed, to her delight, that some of her field was still wet - either magically watered or magically retaining water. Either way, she had less work to do and could focus more the new area. As the workers began their task, Julie hurried to finish what watering was still needed so she could start on the new area. Millie contributed to the project with some research on planting wheat, so Julie and Sam would have a good idea of what to do.

Julie was refilling her watering can when she saw Sam pulling a wooden wagon over the bridge. He noticed Julie and gave a wave.

“Good morning!” Sam called. “I come bearing seeds. And some instruments to help us with the actual planting and fertilizing.” He nodded to the contents of the wagon.

“That looks plenty of seeds.” Julie noted the two medium burlap bags.

“There’s actually a little more at the store, but I figured this would be plenty to get us started.” Sam explained. “When people found out what we…well you were attempting, they donated towards the cost of the seeds. Then Bree waltzed in right before I closed yesterday and said she would take care of the rest.”

Julie’s mouth dropped mouth. “Are you serious?! I don’t know what to say - that is sooo great!” She clasped her hands together. “This means so much to me.”

“You’re inspiring people.” Sam patted Julie’s shoulder. “Just like your family.”

“Let me show you where we will be planting. I think the soil is about ready.”

Julie grabbed her watering can and led Sam to the plot that was now tilled and ready to be used. The cousins offered to spread fertilizer while Sam began planting and Julie started watering. It didn’t take much longer for all of the work to be completed. She thanked the cousins and Sam profusely for the assistance before they left.

I wonder how things went with the pup . Julie grabbed a towel from the clothesline to dry herself off while she considered whether she should check on Mark. The voice of reason in her mind cautioned against getting too close or too comfortable just yet. But he’s still my friend. If it were Millie, I would be checking on her. She would expect it . Ignoring the more skeptical voice, she jogged towards the Community Center. 

Millie was leaving as Julie slowed down in the middle of the courtyard. Her face perked up at the sight of her friend. “Hey you! I was just thinking about you!”

“Do you ever not work?” Julie joked. 

‘The life of a multi-hyphenate job.” Millie rolled her eyes dramatically. “This is actually my day off, but I had to check something at the library. Now I get to stop at Sam’s for some less healthy snacks. What’s up with you?”

“I thought I would check on the little dog.” Julie tried to sound casual.

Millie giggled. “And check on your man too?”

“He isn’t my man.” Julie blushed. “He’s not ready for it to be ‘a thing’ yet.”

“I’m gonna roll my eyes for real now. What is it with the men here?”

Julie laughed. “I think it’s more than the guys here. The way he acts - I’m thinking maybe he got burned…bad. I’m trying to let this be low key for now.” 

“Well, people are already talking.” Millie raised her eyebrows. 

“Oh!” Julie suddenly remembered. “Luke said something this morning about whatever he heard being true - do you know what he’s talking about?”

“Rewind a second. You talked to Luke this morning?” Millie’s scrunched face demanded answers. “Why? Where? Why?”

“He stopped by this morning after his run to ‘clear the air and apologize.’ But then he saw…well, he made a comment about what he heard last night being true.”

“Wow.” Millie let out a low whistle. “Um…I think you skipped over something. He saw? Saw what?”

Julie chided herself for the slip. “What are people saying?”

“You are intentionally evading.” Millie’s eyes slowly widened. “Julie! No way!”

“You would be make a terrible spy.” Julie felt her face grow hot. “Can you answer my questions first, please.”

Millie sighed. “Fine. I stopped in the tavern last night to pick up some dinner and Erika was telling Aaliyah and Chaem that Emily mentioned to her about Mark being all over you in the grocery store..?” She said the last part slowly, like she didn’t believe it could possibly be true. “Luke was there too, so maybe he heard?”

It was now Julie’s turn to roll her eyes. “He wasn’t ‘all over me.’ But he did help me deliver some crops to Sam the other day, and had his hand on my back as we were leaving. Anne saw it too. Great.”

“Okay! Your turn, lady bug - what did Luke see this morning?”

Julie covered her face for a moment. “Um..he saw Mark leaving.”

“I’m trying really hard not to totally lose it right now!” Millie squealed. “I was hoping you two patched things up last night. Apparently so! Way to go!”

“It’s not like I just hit a winning home run or anything.” Julie quipped 

“You sure about that?” Millie teased. “But…he did apologize, right?”

“Yes.” Julie couldn’t help the smile. “Sweetly.”

Millie sighed wistfully. “So romantic! And then…things got…steamy?”

“We finished what we started the night we kissed.” Julie had to close her eyes from embarrassment. She wasn’t used to the girl talk. 

“I’m not trying to be crude or cause you any more embarrassment,” Millie began. “But…how was it?”

Julie blushed again. “Mind blowing.”

“Wow. Mark?”

“Maybe I need to read a few of your books to get some tips.” Julie joked. “Maybe he sneaked a peek at one of the books because…wow.”

Millie giggled again. “I’m glad he isn’t here today because I don’t know if I could face him right now. So, what else did Luke say?”

“Wait - Mark isn’t in the shelter?” 

“I didn’t see him.” Millie bit her lip. “Maybe he just left?”

Julie tried to shrug it off. “I really was coming by to check on the dog.”

Millie pursed her lips. “I didn’t see the dog either. I was checking too. Maybe Kenny decided to keep her longer?”

“I’ll find out.” Julie wasn’t sure if she should be concerned. A picture suddenly flashed in her mind of Mark sparring with Senja. No - he wouldn’t do that .

“He probably got stuck at home.” Millie tried to soothe her friend.

Julie forced a smile. “It’s fine. We’re not…he doesn’t have to check in with me or anything. He has his own stuff to do.”

“For an almost spy, you’re not good at lying.” Millie gently teased.

Julie felt a small laugh escape her. “You’re incorrigible. I won’t worry about it. He’s the shelter manager, so I’m sure he has it handled. I have a few things I can do.”

Millie rubbed her friend’s arm. “I’ll be home later if you need to talk any more.”

Julie gave her a quick hug and walked back to her farm. She wanted to find Kenny and check on the dog, although she already knew that most of her motive for that would be finding out if Mark really did stop by that morning. I feel so petty right now. I shouldn’t be like this after one night . But after the drama with Josh, then several seasons of closing herself off only to be charmed by another version of the man who broke her heart - letting her guard down with Mark like that was as scary as it was physically thrilling.

I need to leave him be and maybe do some more exploration of the new mine. Julie decided as she jumped over the porch steps to grab her weapon and backpack so she could hurry to the cavern. Since she was alone, she opted to warp to the cavern and save a little time. She always breathed a little sigh of relief when she wasn’t seen using the warp boxes. It may have been common centuries ago, but people today would have an opposite reaction to her suddenly appearing out of thin air. Except maybe Millie .

Julie noticed something a little different on the lift control panel - certain buttons were already lit up. Perhaps these were rooms already visited? She liked to think she would have noticed this feature on the other control panels. Maybe it has to do with more Giants being freed? She decided to start with level 10 and see if any artifacts were waiting for her. Being on the lift again immediately reminded her of the initial kiss that started everything else. She felt her heart flutter a little as she recalled Mark’s mouth on hers for the first time. I didn’t want that to stop either . She sighed at herself as the lift came to a stop at level 10.

The lights had already been activated, but the round chest in the room appeared to be untouched. Julie carefully opened the lid - inside was a surprisingly light sculpture that looked like stone. She looked closer and realized it was actually a three-dimensional carving…of the island! Is this the original settlement of the ancient ancestors? It’s so detailed and intricate! She carefully wrapped the stone model before placing it in her bag. She also found a silver teapot with an exquisitely crafted dragon on the lid, as well as a bracelet made from various gemstones. As she touched the bracelet, Julie felt an warm sensation soak through the skin of her hand. She looked down to see a faint glow on the stones. This can’t be an offering, can it? The glow isn’t pink, but nothing else has glowed before. She slipped the bracelet into the bag to check out later.

Julie returned to the lift and prepared to go to level 15. Her hand was already on her weapon as she eased cautiously into the room. She found the solar rock as quickly as she could to shed light on any monsters in the room. She spotted three slimes almost immediately and used the new spinning technique to deal a significant amount of damage at once. She was then able to take out each slime easily. 

She could see the back wall fairly well and started moving toward the direction of the lever when she heard a noise almost directly above her. She looked up to see a cat-like creature inching along the ceiling. You’ve got to be kidding me! It had a dark swatch of fur that looked like a mask around its eyes. A cat wearing a mask? Looks like an actual cat burglar. The creature drew closer, and Julie noticed that its eyes suddenly looked red. She looked down and saw a faint red circle around her. So the cat monster has laser eyes? Great. At least I know where it will attack . 

She decided to try and time how long the creature waited to attack after seeing the red circle. Not long - seconds later, the monster dropped from the ceiling and took a swipe at Julie. She jumped back and swung her dagger. The creature screeched and lunged again, but she managed to block the attack. She dealt two more hits from her dagger, causing the creature to growl in pain before running away. 

Julie took a second to reorient herself with her surroundings. Her confrontation with the cat creature alerted a few floating skulls to her presence. She fought them off and ran to the lever before turning to deal with another slime. This has been a busy room. And I would rather not fight another cat burglar . She took the most direct route back to the lift, but still had to take out an ant eater monster before it shocked her. She finally jumped onto the lift and pressed the button for level 20 as she sighed in relief. She might not be able to go much further without wearing herself out.

Level 20 contained another underground pool. Julie wondered briefly if any fish lived in the water as she crossed the small bridge to the round chest. She found a few more artifacts to pass on to Scott - an old, faded map drawn on thin leather and a thin stone disk with various symbols or figures painted on the surface. She wrapped those items and added them to her bag. I might need to find something better for transporting these relics. I don’t want to damage anything . She briefly looked around the room for any other potential items for the museum, then returned to the lift to check out level 25.

As the lift slowly descended, Julie noticed the tunnel below her suddenly filling with what looked like dark fog. She pressed a button to stop moving and shone her flashlight below the lift. The tunnel looked so black - blacker than regular darkness.

“You should turn back. You will not succeed.” The voice felt like nails on Julie’s brain. “ You will never save him.  Whoever you are, whoever sent you - I will ensure that you fail. ”

Julie tried to ignore the taunting from the black fog. She just needed to keep her mind focused on getting to the next level. Before she could press the button to restart the lift, a sudden burst of cold air blasted Julie and the lift from below. The sudden gale caused the wooden platform to sway, careening into the side of the tunnel along with Julie. She grunted as she felt a sharp pain in her leg. Shivering slightly and hurting, she pressed the button to take her back to the surface. When the lift finally came to a stop, she dragged herself and leaned against a nearby wall to catch her breath.

The tiny bark immediately caught Julie’s attention. She looked toward the doorway just as a furry head popped into the view. The little dog that Kenny was treating!

“Hey little cutie,” Julie forgot her hurting leg as the small white dog pranced over to her. “What are you doing out here? Kenny let you out?”

Mark burst through the door a few seconds later. He looked startled to see Julie, then glanced down at the dog and shook his head. “Fun’s over, little girl. Let’s go.”

“Playing hide and seek with the pup?” Julie joked.

“Ha. I’ve been looking for this sneaky little thing all day. She snuck out of the window this morning - just before I got to the house to pick her up. Kenny and I combed the forest for a few hours. Then we split up and searched just about the whole island.”

Julie looked down at the happy dog and laughed. “Got the boys chasing after you already? Good girl!” She tried to keep herself balanced as she looked back at Mark. “Looks like she kept you busy all day. I bet you’re tired.”

Mark’s eyes suddenly narrowed. “Not too tired to notice how you’re standing.” He stopped and looked around. “Wait a sec - what are you doing here?”

Julie shrugged nonchalantly. “I had some time, so I checked out a few levels.”

“You look like you’re hurt.” Mark slowly circled Julie - his eyes widened slightly when he saw the gash on her leg. “What happened?!”

The little dog yapped at Mark as he rushed to Julie and picked her up. “That looks kinda ugly, Honey - I need to check it out.”

“It’s probably not that bad.” Julie tried to explain. “There was a weird gust of wind as I was coming up…it caused the lift to sway and I hit the wall.”

Mark looked like he winced a little. “This is one reason why we wear long pants.” 

He carried Julie to platform that led down to the murky water and lowered her onto the stairs. The dog followed, alternatively barking and making cute growling sounds.

“Do you have anything in your bag that I can use here?” Mark asked gruffly.

Julie unzipped a side pocket and pulled out a roll of gauze. “How’s this?”

Mark grabbed the gauze. “That’s a handy bag. You have any water in there?”

Julie rotated the bag and pulled a mostly full bottle of water from the built-in holder. “I might even have a kitchen sink in here somewhere.”

“Stop being cute.” The gruffness in Mark’s voice returned. “You’re bleeding. That’s never a good thing when you’re in a cave filled with monsters.”

Julie winced as Mark poured the water over the cut on her leg and gently cleaned it with some of the gauze. She pulled the dog onto her lap and kept both of them occupied while Mark treated her wound.

“It doesn’t look like you need stitches, so that’s good. But you should still keep it bandaged.” Mark let out a sigh. “When did you decide to come here? And by yourself?”

“I had some free time this afternoon.” Julie responded defensively. “I thought you agreed that I could handle myself, right?”

“Don’t get like that.” Mark grumbled. “Yes, you can handle yourself. But that mine shaft is still new. Why didn’t you ask me to come with you?”

“You weren’t around.” Julie felt herself stiffen slightly. “I thought you were…busy. And it didn’t go too well that last time we were here together.”

Mark’s mouth fell open slightly. He looked wounded. “Wow. Okay then.”

“No…that’s not what I meant.” Julie reached for Mark, but he stood up. 

“I really should this pup home - she’ll probably need another bath.”

Julie scooted the dog off her lap and struggled to stand up. Mark tried to move past her on the stairs, but she reached for him again and almost pitched forward. He caught her with his arm. As if by habit, Mark’s arms slid into place around her waist as he pulled her up.  

“I didn’t mean that not going well.” Julie stated earnestly. “ You told me that…personal stuff causes distractions. You even got mad at me for it.”

“Because you scared me!” Mark sounded exasperated. The dog whined and moved behind Julie’s legs. He closed his eyes to calm down. “It’s just been a while since…I was distracted.”

“I’m sorry about scaring you.” Julie replied quietly. “To me, I can’t scare you if you’re not with me. And I’d like to think that things are more personal now than they were before, so wouldn’t that make you…us more distracted?”

“This is just new for me,” Mark admitted. “I was taught that distractions could cost lives. It’s just hard to get out of that mindset sometimes.  But I also want to help you. And who else would go with you?”

“Axel?” Julie suggested lightly while trying not to smile.

Mark responded by gently pinching Julie’s side. “Not funny.”

“What’s wrong with Axel?”

“I don’t trust him with you.” Mark looked serious. “And he can be patronizing sometimes. He’s not a bad guy, just not the best partner for you.”

Julie pulled herself away. “I don’t really know how to take that.”

“Take it to mean that I don’t like him and I would prefer he not be around you.” Mark replied. “If you really want to check more levels, I’ll go with you.” He looked down at her leg. “Think you can walk okay or do I need to carry you.”

Julie broke into laughter. “We’re already the subject of the rumor mill around town. I don’t think you carrying me will help that.” She took a few steps to test her leg. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I think it’s time to get this girl home.”

Mark picked up the dog and Julie’s backpack and followed Julie out of the cavern. The sun was only just setting and the horizon looked like a postcard with its bands of reds, oranges, and yellows - all mixed with the sparkling blue of the sky. 

“Tell me - what is the rumor about us? Did someone say something to you?”

Julie almost winced at the questions. He’s really not going to like the second answer . “Someone supposedly saw you ‘all over me.’ That’s what Millie told me, but she didn’t really pay attention because she knew it wasn’t true.”

“Gossips.” Mark rolled his eyes. “So Millie told you about this?”

“Millie confirmed it.” Julie exhaled. “I first heard it from Luke. He stopped by–”

“Excuse me?” Mark stopped walking and stared at Julie. “He came by your house? When?”

“This morning. He said that he came by to apologize.” Julie shrugged. “ But he saw you leaving…he was not happy about that.”

Mark tried not to smile. “That’s too bad for him.”

Julie playfully pushed Mark. “You’re being smug.”

Mark chuckled. “It’s a little hard not to be. Did he actually apologize?”

“He did. He sounded genuine too.” Julie answered. “But he also mentioned something about what he heard being true. I ran into Millie later and asked her.”

Mark slowed down as they reached the edge of her property. “Maybe we should Kira or Kenny look at that leg. I don’t want it to get infected.”

“I have more gauze and antiseptic at home.” Julie patted his arm. “I’ll be fine. You need to deal with the great escape artist here anyway. Also, she needs a name.”

Mark chuckled again. “I could name her Cookie.”

Julie ruffled the dog’s head. “No..she needs something cuter. More dainty. What about Daisy?”

“That’s cuter than Cookie?” Mark smirked. “Alright. Daisy it is.”

The dog gave a short bark. Julie smiled at the newly christened Daisy. “No more escaping for you. Gotta be good for the grouchy Grizzly Bear.”

“Hey now. I’m not that grouchy.”

“I will tend to this cut right now.” Julie announced. “You’ve got Daisy.”

“I’ll see you later?” Mark wanted to kiss her again, but the dog in his arms was getting more antsy.

“Later Grizzly Bear.”

“Later Honey.”

***************************

Julie was more focused on rechecking and re-bandaging her leg that she didn’t see the faint glow coming from the side of her fridge until she was putting up the first-aid supplies - it was the paper containing the message from the wooden cylinder. She moved in for a closer look and gasped to see a new word appear: “Beware”. Some of the message was now clearer, and it was chilling:

Beware ___ Darkness.

Beware ___ ____ __ Vasiom.

Goddess ____ ____ Darkness ___ __ Vasiom

___ ___ ______.

Beware ____ ____ ____ ____ _____.

Chapter Text

Julie’s brain woke her up before the alarm clock - today was her meeting with the merfolk military captain. Today she would find out if her mission to clean the ocean would continue or not. She hadn’t talked to Dr. Ling yet, even though the scientist may have already reviewed Kibit’s recording. But she still wanted to check in with Ling first. Her heart sped up for a few minutes at the thought of meeting with someone both Agung and Denali were a little scared of. But he’s their commanding officer - he probably has to be stricter with them than with others not under his command. Maybe? They also said that he distrusts land dwellers. I just have to hope that he will listen to me .

She made a mental note to wash a few loads of laundry soon as she dressed and readied herself for the day. Watering the wheat seeds would take extra time, so getting started early would hopefully ensure she was in the ocean by sometime in the afternoon. After checking on her coop and letting the birds out, Julie began watering her crops. At some point while working through each section of her field, she looked up to see Sam, Emily, Millie, Anne, and Paul crossing the bridge to her farm. 

“Good morning hummingbird!’ Millie called out. “Your helpers have arrived!”

“My helpers?” Julie queried. “What are you talking about?”

Sam grinned. “I already told you that I would help water the wheat seeds until your sprinkler system is set up. And others have also volunteered to help.”

“Sam got just about everyone to sign up for shifts.” Anne smiled as she explained. “I made Paul come with me, so he’s extra help.”

“I think I might cry.” Julie beamed. “Thank you so much!” She paused and looked down at her watering can. “I just have the one watering can though.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Millie grinned. “We came prepared. You go back to what you’re doing and we’ll handle the new seeds.”

She gave Millie a quick hug and headed back to her work. She noticed Mark standing near the ranch entrance of her property and ambled towards him.

“Good morning,” Julie greeted. “You’re out early.”

“Ha.” Mark quipped. “I’m always an early riser. Remember that morning I ‘accosted’ you about the cavern opening?”

Julie laughed in response. The morning she first met Mark felt like it was so long ago, but she had barely been on the island for two full seasons. “I’m not sure if I really remember that. Maybe you could jog my memory?”

Mark shook his head as he laughed quietly. “If you didn’t have that crowd over there, I would try.” He glanced at the small group again. “Why is my sister and her husband here?”

“They’re helping water the wheat seeds. Sam has turned this into a real community project. The seeds were even bought by other people. It’s amazing actually.”

“It really is.” Mark agreed. “Just makes it harder for me to have my way with you.” He looked at Julie in a way that made her stomach tighten. 

Julie felt herself blush. “I have some diving work to do for Dr. Ling, but I should be done by early evening. Think you’ll still feel like having your way with me then?”

“Probably more so.” Mark replied in a low voice. “But I don’t understand why you’re diving for Dr. Ling - doesn’t she have an assistant?”

Julie shrugged. “I guess he doesn’t like diving? I don’t know. But I actually like it. A lot. It doesn’t feel like work to me.” Because it’s bigger than that. It feels like I’m saving the world - two worlds.

“Well if you like it,” Mark shrugged back. “Just don’t overwork yourself.” He glanced over Julie’s shoulder again. “I should probably help out, since I’m here.”

“You don’t have to.” Julie replied. “They’ll be done soon.”

Mark smirked and nudged Julie towards her field. “Come on.”

She bit her lip to keep from laughing as she returned to her watering while Mark checked with Sam for supplies. In a short time, all the crops were watered. Julie thanked the volunteers again. Sam reminded her that he and a new set of helpers would be over the next day before the group left. 

Mark waited until they were almost out of sight before he walked up behind Julie, slid his arm around her, and softly kissed her neck. “Good thing I decided to stay.”

Julie closed her eyes as Mark’s lips continued their descent to her shoulder. She thought for a moment to suggest they go inside, but she quickly remembered her meeting in the ocean. That is far too important to mess up . She managed to pull away enough turn around. Mark grunted and brought her close to him again, then tilted her head to kiss her - soft at first, then deeper and longer. He didn’t want to excite either of them too much, but he also didn’t know how to not be at least a little excited by her.

“You’re making it rather difficult to go anywhere else.” Julie breathed. “If I didn’t really need to help Dr. Ling, I might just be dragging you inside.”

Mark’s chocolate brown eyes looked much darker at the moment. He grinned as he kissed Julie again before finally releasing her. “I’ll let you drag me inside later.” He headed back the way he came, presumably going to the BOS headquarters.

Julie hurried inside to change into her swimsuit, then made her way to the lab. She shivered a little as she entered the chilly building. She could just see Dr. Ling’s head over a machine that looked like it was in the process of being assembled. 

“Dr. Ling - do you have a few minutes?” Julie called out.

“Julie!” Dr. Ling perked up. “I’m so glad to see you. How are you doing?”

“Doing well. It’s been busy lately.” Julie smiled.

“I heard about the project you’re doing with Sam. I know it will be successful. AndI might actually have a few automated machine ideas that may help you.” Ling announced with a gleam in her eye. “Not just for you, but maybe we test the devices out on your farm and you keep what we test?”

“That sounds like it could be very beneficial for my farm.” Julie replied. “I’m absolutely up for my farm being your guinea pig. But I did stop by for another reason.”

Dr. Ling pointed to her back room. “Let’s talk back there.” She led Julie to the second office and closed the door. “What’s up?”

“I have a meeting today…in the ocean. With the merfolk captain.”

“Semeru? Really?” Dr. Ling’s eyes grew wide. “Wow. This could be really big.”

She kinda sounds like she actually knows him . Julie tried to push her thought aside to focus on the conversation. “I know. I’m a little nervous. Well, a lot nervous.”

“I will try to be around in case you need help.” Dr. Ling promised. “But please remember - don’t mention that you are working with anyone else. It will just make them even more suspicious.”

“Right.” Julie nodded in agreement. “I will be going down soon. I just wanted to talk to you first.” 

“Oh! One more thing.” Dr. Ling grabbed a collection kit. “I think we can take more samples - the area you recently cleaned.”

“Will do.” Julie took the kit and started to leave, then stopped. “One last question. It’s kind of weird, but have you ever heard of something or someone called Vasiom?”

The momentary look on Dr. Ling’s face was answer enough, but she quickly recovered and tried to look like clueless. “Um, no. Why do you ask?”

“Something I found in the cavern. I can’t read all of it yet, but it seems to be a message about the Goddess and Vasiom.”

“Old island lore, I suppose.” Dr. Ling tried to sound light, but Julie could tell that her question rattled her, at least a little. “But you should get going so you won’t be late.”

Julie waved good-bye and made her way down to the pier. She kept her eyes as on her destination as she passed a small cluster of people that included Luke. The conversation died down momentarily as she walked by. She could just see Luke staring at her, so she pushed a polite smile onto her face and continued walking. Just get to the boat. You have more important things to do . She boarded the boat and set off for the coordinates of her last dive. Julie felt a little apprehensive as she pulled on her diving suit and mask. She grabbed her tools, partially in case she needed any kind of weapon.

Julie let out a breath into her mask and lowered herself into the ocean. Usually she was excited to be in the water - today was a little different. She was still excited, but also nervous. Almost scared. I’ll just keep doing what I usually do and Denali will find me. If she’s there, then hopefully everything will be fine . She settled herself in the area she was previously cleaning. One coral structure still needed to be recharged. Meeting or not, she still had a job to do. Julie went to work on clearing trash and looking for the last solar orb. She finally found it and bent over to press the glowing object. She then swam away to watch the coral structure power up and clean the coral. She had to move again to avoid the obelisk rising out of the ocean floor, dropping her tool in the process. When she stood up, Julie was staring into a pair of brilliantly blue eyes. 

“Hello land dweller. I am Semeru - captain of the guard of Eldoris.”

Julie felt her tool slip out of her hand for a second time. She swallowed and tried to focus on the figure in front of her. His intense eyes were what she noticed first - his chiseled jawline and rugged features came into focus next. His hair color was identical to the silver kelp dancing nearby. Somehow she didn’t notice the deep pink scar across his face until she managed to back up.

Semeru’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you could speak our language.”

Julie kept staring. She felt like she was in a trance. It took her a moment to realize she had been holding her breath. “Oh, wow.”

“What did you say?”

“Apologies.” Julie stammered, still unable to look away from the Semeru’s blue eyes. “My name is Julie. I am honored-”

“Don’t be.” Semeru cut her off. He stopped and looked around at the now pristine coral. Some of the tension in his jaw eased. “I almost forgot what it looked like before.” 

He looked back at Julie. “My patrol officers speak well of you. They say that you have been sent by the Goddess to heal the ocean. They also say that it is by the blessing of the Goddess that you can communicate with us.”

“Okay…” Julie didn’t know quite how to respond. “Yes. That is correct.”

Semeru continued sizing up the land dweller. He had no love for the land species that seemed resolute in their desire to pollute the ocean. He also didn’t trust her explanation of how she knew their language. However, he could not deny what she had done for the ocean and part of their kingdom. He also knew that they had already tried everything they could to remove the black roots. She may actually be our only hope .

“Tell me about the machine that accompanies you?” Semeru was not quite finished with his interrogation. 

“Machine? How do you–”

Semeru scoffed. “I am not a child, land dweller. I am aware enough of your world’s devices - I’ve cleaned up enough wreckage.”

In that moment, the collective shame of the surface world somehow rested on Julie’s shoulders. “Not all of us pollute the ocean, sir. Some of us do care. And with all due respect, I am risking my life every time I dive. I am risking my life even now.”

“How are you risking your life?” the question was less a sneer and more of an honest inquiry. Semeru’s eyes remained fixed on Julie.

“My kind are more fragile than you think. I could die quickly if my equipment fails.” Julie gestured to the spear still pointed in her direction. “All you have to do is create a small tear in my suit, and I could die.”

Semeru looked from his spear to Julie, then back to his spear. He grunted and aimed the spear up. “Answer my question about your machine.”

“The machine monitors my life signs - oxygen, heart, and even my blood level. Before you ask, yes - the machine also makes record of my coordinates and what I do. But it is for my safety and no one else sees it.”

“No one else sees what this machine records?” Semeru repeated. “No one else is helping you?”

I hate having to lie again . Julie grunted to herself. “The Goddess is helping me.”

“Follow me.” Semeru turned and started to swim away. 

“Wait.” Julie called out as she pressed a button on the vacuum hose to retract it. She turned to follow Semeru, but now she could see him more clearly - he was bare-chested, save for a one-shoulder piece of armor that strapped around his chest. He was not not husky like Mark, but rather sculpted like an ancient statue. “Oh, wow.”

“Are you coming with me?” Semeru demanded. 

“I do not swim as fast as you.” Julie snapped before she remembered that she needed to be more gracious. “I move a little slower. Apologies.”

Semeru grunted again and slowed his pace. They soon entered a clearing where Julie spied Denali and Agung speaking to mermaid adorned with a jeweled crown.

“Stay here.” Semeru ordered before swimming toward the group. He seemed to be speaking to the other mermaid in particular. She furrowed her brow, obviously not happy with whatever the captain was telling her.

“You cannot tell me what to do!” she shouted. “Where is this land dweller?” She looked up, saw Julie, and swam immediately in that direction.

“Your Highness!” Semeru growled. 

Julie remembered Mark’s comment when she first moved to Starlet Town about her being the shiny new toy on the island - she felt exactly like that now as the crown-wearing mermaid came to a stop within a few inches of her mask.

“How wonderful to meet an actual land dweller! I am Princess Miranjani. You may call me Mira - I know we will be friends soon! Welcome to Eldoris!”

“I am honored to meet you.” Julie wasn’t sure if she needed to bow or try to curtsy. “My name is Julie. Thank you for the kind welcome.”

Semeru was between them in seconds. “With respect, your Highness, we are still unsure what security threats might accompany allowing this land dweller into the city.”

Mira narrowed her eyes at the captain. “If what Denali and Agung have told me is true, she must speak with Father immediately . Take her to Syrenum right away.”

Julie now had a closer look at the princess’s crown - it was actually a depiction of two dragons encircling her head, their heads perched on top, with jewels decorating their eyes and scales. It was stunning. The princess was also quite lovely, with long black hair and a distinctive golden tail. 

Denali and Agung finally joined what looked like a brewing argument between the princess and Semeru. Agung gave Julie a quick wink as Denali attempted to calm Mira.

“I do not understand what the problem is,” Mira complained. “She is obviously not trying to harm us, just like Aunt Liang used to tell me. I have seen the healed coral with my own eyes.”

Julie was glad the merfolk couldn’t see her face because she knew she look shocked. Aunt Liang!? Surya once referred to Dr. Ling as Liang; could this be the same person? Is this how Ling knows so much about the merfolk - because she IS one?

Denali finally turned to her captain. “Semeru sir, we could continue to debate this, but I do not believe Julie much time. As she explained once, she only has so much air.”

Semeru glanced at Julie. “Is this true?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Julie answered. “I still have enough air for 4-5 hours, but a lot of movement and speaking also uses air.”

“Fine.” Semeru sighed and looked at Julie. “But we will accompany you during your entire visit to our city. You will not be alone. And you must turn off your machine.”

“As I told you before, the machine monitors my life signs.” Julie wasn’t sure what to do and Dr. Ling still had not spoken up.

“This is not debatable.” Semeru growled. “Turn it off or turn back!”

Julie felt herself gasp. Her heart rate jumped and Kibit beeped. Semeru turned his spear towards the robot, but Denali and Agung interceded.

“Sir, please!” Denali begged. “That just means that something is wrong with Julie. I think you scared her.” She looked at Julie. “You don’t have to worry. It’s okay.”

Julie nodded her head and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She floated over to the robot and pressed a button to send it back to the boat. “It’s gone.”

Semeru led the small party across an expansive stone bridge, then through a massive gate and into the city itself. Julie gaped at the vibrant colors and lush scenery as Denali and Agung helped her keep up with Semeru. Princess Miranjani was at the lead - Julie marveled at how gracefully she moved. Most of the soldiers she saw had shark tails like Semeru, but one mermaid holding a spear had a vibrantly colored tail that reminded Julie of a lion fish. She met the princess and directed two soldiers to open the impressive and intricately adorned palace doors. Julie only had a few seconds to look at the palace exterior before she was whisked inside.

While Mira, Semeru, and the other lion fish guard swam ahead, Denali and Agung stopped to give Julie some instructions.

“How are you doing?” Denali asked.

“Nervous.” Julie admitted. “But I am otherwise okay. Thank you.”

“We wouldn’t have let anything bad happen.” Agung assured her.

“You are about to go before the King and Queen of our kingdom.” Denali whispered. “They will grant your passage to the Deep Sea. We hope.”

Julie nodded. Her body felt like it was on high alert, but she took a deep breath to calm herself. “If I may ask, is Eldoris the name of the kingdom? I heard the princess mention Syrenum.”

“Correct. Our kingdom is Eldoris…this city is at the center.” Agung explained. “Syrenum is the old term for the palace.”

“What is the delay?” Semeru called out. “Bring the land dweller forward.”

“Her name is Julie.” Mira interjected from where she now sat.

Semeru glowered. “Bring Julie forward.”

Denali took Julie’s arm and guided her up the aisle to a splendid throne display. Julie had only seen pictures of historical and ancient castles, but this was different - the thrones were elevated above the palace floor - arrayed in gold and gems, with elegant carvings of dragons. The king was an imposing figure even without the heighth of his throne, from his broad chest and volumes of thick black hair to his golden tail that coiled beneath his seat. The phrase “mountain of a man” never seemed more appropriate.

Denali nudged Julie on the back to bow with her and Agung. “Our marvelous King Krakatoa and gracious Queen Nanda Devi - we present Julie. She is the land dweller we encountered who is responsible for healing the coral sites in the shallow sea.”

“Julie?” King Krakatoa murmured. “Sounds like an odd name. Who are you and where do you come from?”

Julie glanced at Denali who motioned for her to stand. “I am a farmer who lives on Coral Island. I actually come from a different city, but I moved to the island because I inherited my family’s farm.”

The king rubbed his chin. “I see. And what led you to the ocean and the coral structures? How did you know how to fix them?”

“The Goddess.” Julie replied simply. “She came to me in a dream shortly after I moved to the island. I actually think she tried to speak to me before that, also in dreams. She told me how I could help restore the island. She only said that the ocean would tell me how to help.”

“And you just figured it out?” Queen Nanda finally spoke.

“Honestly, yes. I saw the structures, but I didn’t know how they worked. I thought I was sent to clean up the trash, so that’s what I did. I found a glowing stone and tried to pick it up. As soon as I touched it, I saw what happened.”

“You were able to communicate with the Goddess immediately?” Queen Nanda’s tone was polite, but also teeming with suspicion. 

“No. I had to meet with the Chie…” Julie stopped. What if they don’t know about the Giants? How do I even begin to explain them?

The palace doors opened again and everyone turned to see who entered. A voluptuous figure with a wide purple tail and a head full of shining curly silver hair glided towards the group. “With your Majesty’s permission, Cho Oyu wishes to hear what the land dweller has to say. The currents have been most vocal about her activities.”

The king gave a nod of approval. “Of course. We are always grateful for the wisdom and guidance of the Oracle.”

The Oracle stopped near Julie and looked at her with a slight grin. “Finally you are here. Cho Oyu has been waiting.”

Queen Nanda’s expression remained nonplussed. “You were saying, farmer?”

“Um…I had to bring an offering first. Then the Goddess spoke to me.”

“How did you know to bring an offering?” the king asked.

Julie felt her brain racing for an explanation without mentioning the Giants. She was sure that Kibit would be beeping like crazy if the robot were present. “I…it might be hard to explain.”

Cho Oyu suddenly chuckled. “She is trying to protect the Chieftain.” She looked at Julie with some amusement. “Have no fear, child. We know of the Giants. Cho Oyu has communed with the Chieftain many times. He has been silent for many, many years…until recently - my spirit has heard whispers from him.”

Julie sighed in relief. “I was sent to the Chieftain first. He performed a ceremony that allowed me to speak to the Goddess. He told me about the first offering.”

King Krakatoa looked impressed. “You know of the Giants. And the Chieftain trusts you as well?”

“Enough to ask me to free the others.” Julie replied somewhat casually. Her reply, however, resulted in looks of shock from the king, queen, and Oracle.

“Free the others?” Cho Oyu asked. “Free them how?”

Julie swallowed, suddenly wishing she could drink something. “They were trapped…in stone. In the cavern on the island. Each mine tunnel contained a large round tablet surrounded by a black fog - I touched it and it disappeared. At the same time, a Giant was freed from the stone.”

“Vasiom,” Cho Oyu whispered.

Julie jerked her head towards the Oracle. “That name - what/who is that?”

“That is a discussion to have later.” Cho Oyu responded. 

King Krakatoa jumped in. “You’re saying that the other Giants were trapped and you freed them - by touching a stone tablet? They are all trapped in stone?”

“I only see three statues in the cavern, but I believe there are five total, right? Not including the Chieftain?”

Cho Oyu nodded. “Yes. And how many have you freed?”

“Only two…Earth and Water. I am working on the third, but it has been a little more difficult. The monsters are–”

“Monsters?” Semeru interrupted. “Where?”

Julie felt a little overwhelmed at all the different questions thrown at her, but she took a breath and hoped her oxygen tank wasn’t close to empty. “In the tunnels. There are many levels I have to go through to get to the tablet.”

“And you fought off monsters?” Semeru asked incredulously.

“Yes. Not like swarms, but several in each level.”

“This explains much.” Cho Oyu mused. “The weakness of the magic and the silence of the Chieftain. But now…the magic seems to be slowly reviving.”

“Seems the farmer is more than just a farmer.” Queen Nanda stated. “Are you doing this at the same time as fixing the coral structures?”

“It seems both are needed for the Goddess.” Julie replied. “Being in the ocean is actually the easier job. I love being down here.”

“And you are here requesting access to the Deep Sea?” the king finally took control of the conversation again.

“I don’t actually know of the Deep Sea.” Julie responded tentatively. “I only wish to continue my work for the Goddess.”

“The Deep Sea is sacred to us.” The queen’s skepticism returned quickly. “Can we really allow a land dweller passage?”

“We must.” Cho Oyu spoke up. “We all know the dire state of the Coral Tree. It is barely clinging to life even know. But until recently, I feared greatly that the Tree would wither completely. Every time a coral structure is restored, the Tree gains a little more life. If we force Julie to stop now, we risk much more than passage to our sacred Sea. We risk our very existence.”

“Father,” Princess Mira finally jumped in. “Aunt Liang used to tell me that the barrier created by the Goddess was not only to keep evil out, but to ensure that only those carrying her blessing could pass through it.” She looked at Julie and smiled. “How else could Julie have entered our gates if not for that blessing?”

Denali couldn’t help herself. “With respect, your Majesties, remember just now - Julie refused to answer questions to protect the Giants. That must speak to her loyalty and trustworthiness, at least a little.”

Semeru shot a look at Denali and she almost hid behind Julie.

The king glanced at his queen. “We must…for the Tree. For our kingdom.”

Queen Nanda looked down at Julie. “If we decide to trust you and grant you passage, you cannot divulge any of this to anyone.”

Super. More secrets. Julie bowed again. “I promise.”

King Krakatoa’s face eased. “You are granted access to all remaining coral sites. We will be watching you. Do not force me to rescind the trust we are placing in you.” He directed his next statement to Semeru. “Take her to the entrance of the Deep Sea.”

Semeru bowed. “Yes, your Majesty.”

“Wait!” Mira popped up. “I want to show Julie something first.” She hopped up from her seat and flew down to Julie. “Come with me, please.”

“This is not a good idea.” Queen Nanda tried to object. “This land–”

“Her name is Julie.” Mira shot back. “And if we can trust her in the Deep Sea, I think we can trust her in my room.”

Mira smiled at Julie before dragging her away. “I need your expertise.”

Semeru called to the lion fish guard. “Deno, go with them.”

Mira finally stopped pulling Julie as they entered her bedroom. It was what she would have expected a princess’s room to look like - posh and decorated in dainty colors and fabrics. A large table was covered with clocks, keys, and locks. 

“I’ve been collecting these for a while.” Mira explained as Deno joined them. “Rather, others have found most of this for me as I am not allowed far from the city. But…I don’t really know what they are.”

Julie glanced at Deno before approaching the table and touching a clock. “We use these to track the time of day.”

“Do you not just use the sun and sky?” Mira asked.

“Our ancestors did. But as land dwellers grew in knowledge, they created these devices to be more precise.” Julie stopped as her brain searched for words that the princess might understand. “For us, a day includes…hours. 24 hours, to be exact.”

Mira cocked her head. “What are hours?”

Julie smiled. “The measurement of time our ancestors eventually created.”

“No wonder land dwellers are so busy and unhappy.” Mira exclaimed.  She then pointed to the keys. “What are these?”

“They are called keys. They open the other devices here.” Julie pointed to the locks on the table. “You have doors for your palace - how do you secure them?”

“Why do you want to know?” Deno interjected.

Mira gave Deno a sharp look. “Don’t be like that.” She looked back at Julie. “I do not know. I suppose we use something.”

Julie glanced at Deno again before answering. “Land dwellers often use the locks to secure doors for privacy and safety. A precise key is created for each lock.” 

Mira stared at her table in amazement. “How very interesting!”

Julie looked around the room again, her eyes finally settling on a portrait of a woman holding a baby. She looked back at Mira. “May I?”

“Of course!” Mira nodded her head at Deno to move. “That is a painting of my Aunt Liang with me. I wish you could have met her! She was so kinda and smart. She always believed that land dwellers and merfolk should work together.”

Julie moved to the painting and looked closely. She swallowed hard when she saw the face of the woman in the painting. “You said this is your Aunt Liang?”

“Yes. I miss her so much.” Mira replied with a sigh.

“What happened to her?” Julie hoped her voice sounded normal.

Mira sighed again. “I do not know. She left. Father would never tell me why.”

I think I know why. Julie didn’t say anything else. Semeru appeared in the doorway, clearly unhappy.

“The lan..Julie needs to come with me.”

“I’m not finished.” Mira pouted.

Semeru ignored the princess and shot a look at Julie. “Now.”

*********************

Julie followed Semeru and Denali along a corridor outside the palace. The entire afternoon had been more than surreal. Even now - moving through the city as other merfolk stared in disbelief at the two-legged creature. She tried not to look around too much and keep up with her escorts. They finally reached a a large archway. Semeru sent Denali to resume her patrol assignment. She gave Julie a quick hug before departing.

“This leads to the Deep Sea.” Semeru explained. “However, as you can see, the roots have almost blocked our ability to get in. I’m not sure how you will fair.”

Julie stared at the massive black roots pointing at them like giant torpedoes. She had not encountered too many of the roots this size, but they always seemed to backtrack when she got too close. Perhaps I can climb over them? She inched closer to see how she might maneuver herself, but as soon as she touched one of the roots, the cluster drew back.

“What did you just do?” Semeru demanded. “How did you make them move?”

Julie spun around. “I didn’t do anything. I touched one, that’s it.”

“But they moved.” Semeru was now staring at the roots with curiosity. “Can you do that again?”

Julie moved closer to where the roots had retreated and reached out again. This time, she didn’t have to make contact for the massive invaders to recoil even more, leaving the area near the archway almost completely empty.

“Who are you?” Semeru looked closely at Julie.

“I’ve already told you. I run a farm on the island. I used to live in Pokyo. I’m just your average land dweller.”

Semeru studied Julie with an intense expression. “I do not believe there is anything average about you. I still think you’re hiding something, but the king has decided to trust you. We will have to see if you are worth the faith being put into you.”

Julie carefully moved past him. She wasn’t sure if she could still contact the boat to reach her, but she pressed the button for the anchor. After a few minutes, she heard the familiar whirring of Kibit finding her.

“Did you just call your machine?” Semeru asked.

“Yes. I need the machine to find me so the boat can find me.” Julie replied without looking at him. “I don’t have much air left. I need to return to the surface.”

“When will you be back? The king wants us to watch you.”

Julie look over to Semeru, trying to not stare at the blue eyes. “I’m not sure. As I told the king, I need to free the next Giant.”

“You need to finish your task here.” Semeru replied gruffly.

“And they have been trapped for a very long time.” Julie leveled back. “For who knows how long? And I still have my farm to take care.”

Semeru sighed. “You’re right. My kingdom is my primary concern…but you have many concerns to handle.”

“I do love being in the ocean, so within a few days.”

“By days, I believe you mean sunrises?” Semeru asked, trying to understand.

Julie walked back her temper. “Correct. I will return soon.”

************************************

The sun had already set when Julie reached the pier. She docked the boat and made her way onto the pier. Her brain was surprisingly quiet, possibly still trying to make sense of everything that happened underwater, especially learning the truth about Dr. Ling - aka Liang. Should I ask her or keep pretending like I don’t know? Wait - no. I’m carrying too many secrets. I need to know. Julie let out a small sigh as she neared the short steps leading to the inn. 

The front door of the inn opened and Mark emerged. Julie felt her heart drop into her stomach. She tried to turn around, but he saw her and hurried over.

“There you are.” Mark smiled as he approached Julie. “That dive took a while.”

Julie couldn’t help the flat expression that crossed her face. “Yeah.”

“What’s wrong?” Mark stepped closer and appeared to be inspecting Julie. “Are you hurt? Did something happen down there?”

A LOT happened down there. “Did something happen in there?” Julie nodded her head towards the inn.

Mark looked confused. “I dropped off a package for Alice. I guess she and Anne are trading knitting patterns? I tried not to pay attention to what Anne was explaining.”

“I’ve just never seen you at the inn before.” Julie tried to not sound like she was interrogating Mark. “And at night.”

“What’s with the third degree?” Mark’s voice sounded a little edgier. “I agreed to drop off the package in hopes of catching you.” He looked back at the inn as a light bulb clicked on in his mind. “Oh. I see. I ran an errand for my sister. That’s all.”

Julie looked down for a second. “Okay.”

“I’m not like that, okay?” Mark titled Julie’s head to look at him. “You can go ask Alice yourself. I won’t be mad.”

Julie shook her head. “It’s fine. I believe you.”

“There’s only one woman on this island I’m interested in being close to and I’m looking at her.” Mark gently grabbed Julie’s hand. 

“Still want to have your way with me?” Julie felt herself relax.

“I’d be fine just holding you.” Mark admitted.

“I think we can do both.” Julie teased. 

Chapter Text

Julie woke up next to Mark for the second time since their kiss in the mine. Everything about their transition from friends to something more still felt surreal. The current situation still weighed on her though - the undefinable air of them. She was truthful with Luke when she said that she didn’t know what she wanted - But I know I want a man who looks at me like I actually matter and who takes my breath away . Mark certainly checked the first box, but if she was willing to be honest, he didn’t do the second. He did, however, make her aware just how much she had been starving for warmth and touch - how starved she was to be wanted again.

Julie didn’t realize she made any sounds at all until Mark nudged her. “What’s wrong?”

She looked up with slightly sleepy eyes. “What?”

Mark kissed her forehead. “You’ve sighed twice now.”

Julie shrugged. “Maybe that’s just how I breathe.”

“Funny. Come on, what’s on your mind?”

Julie tried to push the thoughts back by nuzzling closer to Mark’s warm chest. She didn’t necessarily want to talk about anything in her mind right now. Besides that, the image of piercing blue eyes kept flashing across her mind. She closed her eyes to force it back into its mental file again. “Nothing.” She looked up to see Mark looking at her with a cocked eyebrow. “Well…yeah, nothing. Nothing.”

“About us, right?” Mark guessed.

“I don’t know,” Julie fidgeted. “Possibly.”

“Honey…”

“Likely, yes.” Julie bit her lip. “Very likely.”

Mark gave a light chuckle and kissed her forehead. “Tell me.”

“It’s fine.” Julie replied as lightly as she could. “We’re taking it slow. Not making this ‘a thing’ right now. It’s fine.” I said that twice. Good grief. What is my problem?

“Oh yeah, you sound fine.” Mark smirked. “Okay - I honestly don’t know what I want. I didn’t expect…this. You. Before last season, I didn’t care to be ‘involved’ ever again. Relationships equaled complications for me.”

“Oh.” Julie sounded small. 

“But you…” Mark started. “You woke something inside me up. And honestly, it feels really good. You feel really good. I just…I still can’t go there yet.”

Julie kissed his chest. “So why did/do relationships equal complications?”

“They always end badly.” Mark replied sadly. “Ended badly.”

“What happened?” Julie didn’t want to ruin the moment, but she needed to know. She needed to know how guarded she needed to be. “I mean, if you don’t mind.”

Mark let out a slow breath that tickled Julie’s forehead. “It’s alright. You have a right to know, especially now.” He breathed again. “My fiancee left me.”

Julie almost sat up. “Come again?”

Mark pulled her back down. “I haven’t talked about this in a while. It happened before I moved here, obviously.”

“If you don’t want to talk about it…” Julie trailed off. 

Mark lightly slapped her thigh. “Don’t worry, Honey. I’m gonna tell you.” He let out another breath. “Things were going south for a while, but…well, I loved her. At least, I did in the beginning. And I wasn’t around enough to notice how south we were.”

“I’m sorry.” Julie looked up to see the shadow of remorse in his eyes.

“I was on a…um, I was out of town. Business trip. Took longer than planned. She was gone when I returned. Found the ring and a note. After that, I was done.”

Julie kissed Mark’s chest again. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s in the past.” Mark nudged Julie’s face upward to kiss her.

“So. Business trip?” Julie gave a sly smile. “Is that what the military calls missions now? Or it is ops? Operations?”

Mark raised his eyebrow again. “What are you talking about?”

“Sorry. I assumed you used to be in the military.” Julie blinked innocently.

“You’re pretty good at being coy.”

Julie jokingly punched Mark’s arm. “Out with it, Grizzly.”

“What makes you think I was in the military?”

“A few things.” Julie paused. “Okay, I did ask Millie once. She thought you were former military, but she didn’t know for sure.”

“When was this?” Mark now looked amused.

“Last season. I was asking–” Julie started to explain.

“Wait, wait - you were checking me out last season? Really?”

Julie rolled her eyes, making Mark chuckle. “I was trying to get information about the BOS. It was the day I received Kira’s letter.”

Mark smirked. “Why were you were asking about me to find out about the BOS?”

“Oh, stop.” Julie tried to wiggle away. “I was researching .”

“About me. Didn’t know you’ve been checking me out that long .”

Julie rolled her eyes again. “You’re trying to distract me.”

“Right.” Mark chuckled. “You’re the one who was checking me out back then.”

“Other than that - the way you carry yourself.” Julie continued, ignoring Mark’s jests. “The way you heed Kira, even if you don’t agree.”

“Maybe I’m just respectful.” Mark was enjoying Julie being flustered. “Okay, yes - I used to be in the military.”

“Thank you for telling me.” Julie settled back down against his chest.

“But we’re still not done with you checking me out. I’m honored, Garden Rake.”

Julie looked up and stuck her tongue out. “Bite me.”

Mark laughed loudly and kissed her deeply. “Sorry…Honey.”

“I probably need to get going on work. People are helping water the wheat seeds until Dinda and Joko install the sprinklers.”

“I suppose finding me here would blow some heads.” Mark quipped. “I need to stop home before I get to the shelter anyway.”

Julie untangled herself and dressed quickly. She realized as she dressed that whether he meant to or not, Mark had distracted the conversation away from the subject of them. I guess it doesn’t matter. I think I know where that would lead anyway.

“Honey,” Mark began as if he could hear her thoughts. “We never finished our conversation.”

Julie smiled as though she didn’t care. “It’s okay.”

********************

The morning air felt cooler as the Summer season neared its end. Barely a week left before the next season, which also meant new crops. Julie felt a little guilty for not being more fervent in researching the offerings needed for the Lake Temple. She was curious which prepared foods were needed. Her focus felt so split right now, especially with personal dramas pulling her attention. And now the ocean project feels so much more dire. I can’t let the Coral Tree whither. 

She tended to her coop, then moved on to the watering crops. Mark left shortly before new volunteers arrived with Sam to tend to the wheat seeds. Julie was happy to have help with the new field so she could deal with the rest. She had more to harvest that morning and Sam instructed Ben and Rafael to carry the loaded bags to his shop after they finished with the wheat.

“These crops look great.” Sam commented as he gave Julie a hand picking the fresh peppers and corn. “I remember doing this with your dad during our school breaks. To be honest, I wanted to be on the beach. But my father insisted that I help him by helping Grant and Mariah. And he wanted me to have a good work ethic.”

Julie smiled at the bit of nostalgia about her father and grandparents. “And it looks like it worked.”

“It also helped me land Emily.” Sam grinned. “She was visiting during a break and took an interest in the farm for some reason. We got to know each other while watering crops for your grandparents.”

“Actually,” Emily cut in with a sly grin. “I had an interest in Sam , but he spent most of his time here. I figured if I wanted to know him better, I needed to be here too.”

“That sounds quite romantic.” Julie replied. “Such a sweet story.”

“You might have one of those stories yourself.” Emily winked.

“Now, now.” Sam glanced at his wife. “We don’t want to be nosy.” He looked back at Julie. “But as your are the daughter of one of my oldest friends, it might happen from time to time.”

“As long as you tell more stories about my dad.” Julie winked. 

Sam laughed and gave Julie a thumbs up. The volunteers were finished watering the wheat field and Sam left with her harvest. “Stop by later to settle up.”

Julie noticed Dr. Ling crossing the bridge as everyone else was leaving.

“Good morning.” She greeted. “Looks like I just missed the party.”

“Sam organized some help in watering the wheat until the sprinklers are installed. I probably need to check with Dinda about that.” 

Dr. Ling’s expression changed. “I figured we needed to talk. I saw the Kibit footage before you were forced to shut it down.”

“How long ago did you leave Eldoris?” Julie decided the direct approach was better than dancing around the truth.

Dr. Ling sighed. “Feels like a lifetime. Fifteen years, give or take.” She closed her eyes and breathed out. “I figured you were already suspicious enough.”

“There were plenty of clues, but I didn’t know for sure until Mira invited me into her room yesterday and I saw the painting of her with her Aunt Liang.”

Tears formed at the corners of Dr. Ling’s eyes. “My sweet Miranjani. I miss her so much. I miss them all so much.”

Julie gently patted Dr. Ling’s shoulder. “I can imagine. I’ve been ‘chewing’ on this since yesterday. I couldn’t understand why you would choose to leave so much. But I decided that the reason had to be greater than just wanting to see this world. You did it for them. For Eldoris. And also, for the island.”

Dr. Ling nodded as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “I can’t say that I didn’t have a choice because I did. But…how could I not choose to save them?” She stopped to calm herself before continuing. “Everyone thinks the roots appeared after the oil spill, but that’s only when we saw them on the surface. They appeared at the border of the kingdom years before that. We didn’t see them as the terrible thing they were until it was too late. They creeped in so slowly.”

“Where do they come from?” Julie asked earnestly. 

“I don’t know.” Dr. Ling looked pained. “I was already trying to breed my super coral, but I couldn’t get anywhere with it. I realized that I needed the science and technology of this world. And…”

“The Goddess gave you a choice?” Julie quietly finished.

Dr. Ling covered her mouth to keep from crying. “I had to leave.”

Julie’s heart broke for the scientist. She didn’t know if she should hug Ling, but the least she could do was not push anymore than she already had.

“I did return to the ocean,” Dr. Ling continued sharing. “To plant my super corals. But after that, it was too hard to be in the ocean and not be with my family. After my last expedition, I vowed to never go back. I couldn’t bear it.”

“Were the coral structures still working then?”

“Most of them, yes. A few in the deeper part of the Deep Sea had already been disabled. I tried, but I couldn’t activate the solar orb.” Dr. Ling clasped Julie’s hands. “You have no idea just how important you are.”

Julie felt a slight blush. “I still don’t understand how or why they work for me.”

“I’m still trying to figure that out. But at least someone can finally fix them.” Dr. Ling let out a slow breath. “What happened after you turned off Kibit?”

“I was taken to the palace and met the kind and queen.” Julie replied.

“How is my brother?”

Julie tried to be gentle. “Clearly stressed. And along with everyone else, confused how I can speak to them. But I understand now why you must remain secret.”

Dr. Ling cringed. “I am sorry for putting you in that position, but thank you for keeping my assistance hidden. I know you have other things on your plate, but healing the Coral Tree is of the utmost importance.”

“I agree. I am still trying to do some things for the Goddess on land, but the ocean is at the top of the list.”

“Good.” Dr. Ling finally offered a small smile. “I will help however I can.”

“In the meantime,” Julie began cautiously. “Maybe you can help with information? About Vasiom? When I asked yesterday, you seemed to recognize that word.”

“Not a word - a name.” Dr. Ling replied with a hint of hesitation. “I don’t know much, but I do remember a mention of darkness. Did you really find something in the cavern that mentions Vasiom?”

“Sort of.” Julie replied. “I found an artifact…a small wood cylinder with symbols all over it. Scott analyzed it and determined it was actually a message. I only saw a few words at first - Goddess, Vasiom, and Darkness. A few days ago, I was able to read another word - Beware. Part of the message is warning about Vasiom and Darkness.”

Dr. Ling shuddered. “Does what you are doing for the Goddess on land have to do with the cavern?”

Julie nodded somberly. “It has to do with Giants.”

“Be very careful, Julie. Like I said, I don’t know much - but that kind of darkness is dangerous.”

“I have been.” Julie replied. “But I will be more cautious now.”

Dr. Ling let out a breath. “Maybe we should change the subject? Were you able to get the coral samples?”

Julie shook her head. “I didn’t have time yesterday - Semeru began his interrogation a little earlier and more sudden than I expected.”

Dr. Ling chuckled. “He’s not as mean as he seems. He is quite abrupt at times, but at least you always know where you stand.”

“So you do know him?” Julie queried. 

“Not very well.” Ling replied. “But we were in Eldoris at the same time.” She chuckled to herself. “He almost looks the same - his hair was silver even then.”

“Hopefully I don’t stay on his bad side.” Julie joked. 

“Just focus on healing the tree and he might come around.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about the vacuum,” Julie commented. “The entrance of the Deep Sea is around 40 meters - based on the name, I am assuming it gets…well, deeper.”

“I’m already working on a replacement. The hose should be okay for now, but I’m almost finished with the other.” Dr. Ling took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I will leave you to go back to the boat. Try to keep Kibit with you.”

Julie smirked. “Unless a grouchy merfolk threatens me with a spear again, I promise I won’t turn it off.”

After Dr. Ling left, Julie changed and made a stop at the carpenter shop to check on the progress of the sprinkler system.

“We’re finally good to go.” Dinda grinned. “We had to get an okay from Connor about pulling water from the river to the reservoir. That was the only hold-up. And Joko needed some materials from the Sanchezes. But he’s finishing up today and we’ll be ready to install the system tomorrow.”

“That is really good news.” Julie grinned. “The sprinklers will free a lot of time and let me expand more.”

“This is an easy system to grow.” Dinda explained. “I had Joko make some extra sprinkler heads as well, so we’re ready for you.”

Julie thanked Dinda again for their help and left. Her next stop would be the library to look for some cookbooks. She made her way down the stairs that led to community center and hurried inside. Mark was just leaving the shelter as Julie entered.

“Hey there,” He gave an easy smile. “Checking me out again?”

Julie groaned. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

Mark grinned. “I’ll go easy on you now. What’s up?”

“I want to look at some cookbooks in the library.” Julie replied. “Might be nice to learn a few more recipes.”

“You in a cooking mood, Honey?” Mark murmured. He looked like he wished they were alone right then. “Didn’t you tell me that you took cooking classes?”

“I did, but it was a long time ago.” Julie playfully rolled her eyes. “And I was forced into it, so I tried not to enjoy it. But I suppose I could give it another try.”

The door to the yoga studio opened just then and the hallway was no longer empty. Julie caught Bree giving her an amused expression as she passed. Mark touched Julie’s hand and nodded towards the library. Millie was not behind her desk or anywhere else in the room. Mark took the opportunity to kiss Julie on the back of her neck.

“I’m supposed to take Zoe worm hunting for some school project.” Mark kissed the same spot again. “Have fun with your cookbooks. I’ll try to find you later.”

Julie turned to wave, smiling as Mark winked before he exited the room. She walked to the section she once helped Millie set up for all the cookbooks. I don’t even know what I’m looking for, except that pink glow . She leaned down for a closet look at the titles on the spine of each book and finally saw it - on the bottom shelf, one of the spines looked pink. She slowly pulled the book from its place and saw the now familiar glow she was looking for: Cooking Basics: Simple Recipes for Kitchen Novices . 

“I guess that’s me.” Julie chuckled to herself. She filled out the clipboard for checking out books, then scribbled a quick note to leave on Millie’s. She left the library with a mental plan to stop by the house before going to the pier. While walking toward her farm, she opened the cookbook and found a list of the included recipes. They were definitely simple, requiring only a few ingredients. Her eyes locked onto “fried egg” as the dish name faintly glowed pink. Looks like I definitely have the right book . Julie decided to look through the book later to find more highlighted recipes. For now, she needed to change and get in the water.

Before returning to the Deep Sea, Julie stopped at a 30M spot to gather coral samples for Dr. Ling. She also re-baited the traps and set them up for new critters. After finishing, she selected the coordinates for the most recent anchor drop and prepared to dive. She wondered briefly if the dive would include another run-in with the captain. Once again, his fierce eyes crossed her mind. And again, she forced the thought out. I don’t know why I keep seeing his eyes. Maybe it’s just the color - I’ve never eyes that blue . But she also remembered his sculpted features and silver hair that looked clearer than the silver bars Rafael once showed her when she dropped off her one attempt at mining. She chalked it up to general fascination of interacting with merfolk and nothing more.

***************

Semeru waited impatiently just outside the entrance to the Deep Sea. He didn’t appreciate being pulled away from his usual duties for something that any of his soldiers could handle, especially Denali. But the Oracle insisted that he be the one to wait for the land dweller. Semeru grumbled as he stared at the black roots now moved much further back from where they had been until the land dweller pushed them back simply with a touch. She seemed as surprised as he was at the roots’ movement, but that instance made him both curious and suspicious. He voiced his concerns to the Oracle when she requested he wait for the land dweller. Her name is Julie . Cho Oyu’s voice still echoed in his mind when she corrected him. Semeru grunted an apology then left. Julie said she would not return for at least two sun rises. This is a waste of time . He was about to leave and go about his schedule when an anchor cut through the water and made a soft thud on the ocean floor.

**********************