"Eh…you've seen one old building, you've seen them all." Darcy teased with a wink. "I say, bring on a mall and somewhere tasty for lunch."

Juno rolled her eyes playfully. "You have no appreciation for the beautiful, Darc."

"Sure I do - as long as it's at least six feet tall and works out a couple of times a week." Darcy retorted with a grin.

Viv poked her in the ribs with a teasing smile. "Since when is there a height requirement for the Darcy Smithson Dating School?"

"Since the last guy I dated that was shorter than me had a total Napoleon complex and wouldn't let me wear heels because they made me taller than him. This way, I can eliminate awkward conversations about my shoes." Darcy laughed.

"I really want to take a tour of this church, you guys." Juno said, barely listening to them quibble. She squinted into the sunlight as she looked up at the beautiful spire of the church. "Would you mind? I'll wander around by myself for a few hours, and then meet up with you tonight for dinner back on board?"

Viv shook her head. "Of course not, honey. We'll try and account for Darcy's shopping deficiency, prowl for some hot Scottish men, and then see you tonight. Be careful, and have a good time."

Juno nodded, checking her shoulder bag for her camera and digging out a pair of sunglasses. "Sounds good. You guys have fun too. Remember we have a limited amount of suitcase space for getting clothes and shoes home on the plane." She teased Darcy with a smile.

After making their goodbyes, Juno hurried up the stairs of the church, paid the two pound entrance fee and spent the next half an hour walking quietly through the beautiful old building. She surreptitiously snapped a few photos and sat in one of the front pews, reveling in the silence and the remarkable architecture. She had loved everything about the cruise thus far, but there was something to be said for solid ground and a chance to see something entirely different from her own world.

After she'd had her fill of the building, she slipped on her sunglasses and went back outside. Juno walked down a narrow side street, peeking through shop windows and smiling at some of the locals who smiled at her as they passed. When she spied a corner newspaper shop, she stepped into the cool dimness and looked around.

This beats Walgreen's any day, Juno thought with a smile. Magazines, ice creams, a selection of groceries, a small post office counter, candies and fresh vegetables filled the small space, and Juno gazed around in appreciation. This is how she always pictured shopping in Europe.

As Juno tried to limit herself to only a few candy selections and wandered up and down the small aisles, she got into conversation with the shop's owner about the weather, their trip, the history of Cullen and Scotland in general. Juno realized she had probably learned more in her time in the shop than she had at any other point of their vacation. She watched regular customers come and go, and eventually made her own shopping purchases, thinking wryly how disappointed Darcy would be in her shopping expedition - and afternoon spent in a dim shop with only a few packets of Flakes and Smarties to show for it.

With a wave and a smile to the friendly shopkeeper, she stepped back out onto the street and noted how much lower the sun was in the sky. Picking up her pace slightly, she walked back towards the center of town, wishing she'd put her wristwatch on this morning when Viv and Darcy weren't looking. As she emerged from the side street, she looked up and saw a clock suspended above a pub on her right.

With a gasp and a double take, Juno hurried back the way they had originally come, bound for the shoreline and their docked ship. She was late. Really late.

Oh please, oh please, oh please, she repeated in her head as her feet quickly hit the pavement towards the dock.

She skidded to a halt and looked around in confusion. Maybe she was in the wrong place. Maybe she had taken a wrong turn somewhere. Maybe…

Juno gasped as she looked out towards the horizon. "Oh my god…" She breathed, sinking down onto a nearby bench, her eyes locked on the ocean before her.

There was the Hebridean Shadow, their ship, steadily steaming away from land - and from her.

"Oh my GOD…" Juno repeated, her eyes still locked on the ship's rapid disappearance. "They left me. They LEFT ME!" She could hear the rising panic in her voice, matching the roiling of her stomach and her mouth that had suddenly gone as dry as one of Viv's martinis.

Okay. Okay. Juno thought to herself. Think. What to do, what to do…

Juno looked around helplessly, as though expecting other passengers to be waving the ship back along with her. The dock was deserted, but for a few workers sweeping floors and picking up trash left by the tourists. The ticket counter appeared to be totally shut for the night, and there weren't any other desperate looking people staring at their enormous cruise ship.

Okay. Juno thought again. Let's assess the situation. The cons: I'm alone, in a foreign country, left behind by my only mode of transportation and my friends. I don't know anyone, I haven't much money, I have no phone, and I'm a little scared. The pros: I'm…

Juno wracked her brain for a few pros, but nothing immediately sprung to mind.

She sat for several minutes, watching the ship get smaller and smaller and trying to decide what to do next. She knew the Shadow was due to put out to sea for at least two days until their next stop, which she couldn't now remember. She knew that she wasn't able to rent a car in Scotland, and she knew she didn't know which way to go even if she did remember.

Juno also knew she was more than a little scared.

She was always the one that printed out maps before going on trips, was always the one with an itinerary, was always the responsible and well-planned one of the group. Suddenly, the shoe was on the other foot, and she hated it.

She thought angrily of Viv and Darcy, of them taking her watch and encouraging her to live spontaneously and forget about schedules and deadlines for a week or two.

Did they even try to detain the ship so she could get back? Did they worry that she wasn't there? Did they even notice she wasn't there?

Fighting the rising panic, Juno stood up in a moment of decision. She knew what she was going to do now.

She was going to get a cup of tea.

Tea helped everything.

Yes.

1225 / 2662 / 50000

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