Author's Note: Really, thanks for the reviews. I appreciate it so much!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 3: Best Friend

July 2007

"I'm moving down here," Fulton said. Julie looked at him and shook her head. The rest of the Ducks nodded.

"Don't," She sighed, "I know you and Dean made some kind of weird Pearl Harbor, you'd take care of me pact, but I'm fine, or I will be."

"It's not just him," Charlie said looking at her. "You shouldn't be alone, we all think so." Everyone nodded.

"Guys," She said softly, "Really, I appreciate your concern, I do, but this isn't something that the team can fix." She sighed, "I need to lie down." She stood up and walked upstairs and lay down in the bed. She fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

"Is she alright?" Mrs. Portman asked.

"She won't talk to anyone," Connie sighed, "I barely got her to eat last night. The women from that support group she was in, she asked them all to leave. The only person she'll even look at is Fulton. And Kayla."

"I know," She said softly, "I wanted to apologize, for the other day."

"You two were both upset," Connie shook her head. "I'm sure she's not holding it against you."

Julie woke up and looked at the clock, it had been hours, and hopefully everyone had gone. She walked down stairs.

"Fulton!" She sighed. "I really want to be alone."

"OK," He said, "Look, I know you think you're going to be OK, and you probably will be," He sighed, "I'm not sure I will be. And you've got this nice big empty house." She smiled. "What do you say? Roomies?"

"You're such a pain in the ass," She rolled her eyes and walked back upstairs.

"That's not an answer," He shouted after her.

"I expect you to pay rent," She shouted back.

January 2008

Julie was in that wonderful place between dreams and waking. Her eyes were still closed and she could feel Dean's arms around her. It had been so long since she'd felt him close. As she blinked and woke up, she realized. Dean was gone, she wasn't with him. But she was with someone. This was all wrong! What had happened?

Fulton grunted in as he woke up and looked at the woman in his arms. No, he hadn't done this. He was far from being perfect, but he was better than this. He hadn't slept with his best friend's fiancée. Even if Portman was dead, that was just something you didn't do. It was so goddamned cliché! And she was awake.

"Julie," He said softly, stroking her hair, she burst into tears and pulled herself closer to him, "Julie, it's OK."

"It is not OK!" She sat up, taking the covers with her, to cover herself, a useless gesture she knew, "Fulton how is it at all OK?" He wiped a tear from her cheek. She was so beautiful, and right now she looked so scared. He wanted to say something, anything, to make her feel better, appease her. But to be honest he had no idea how this could be OK. So he just kissed her again and held her close while she cried.

August 2005

"I can't believe it's your last night and we're not alone!" Julie sighed, her arms around Dean's neck, he kissed her.

"You know the Ducks won't be denied," He smiled. "And it's not my last anything. I'll be home before you know it." He kissed her again. Fulton walked over, "Now, I have to talk to this ass hole." He laughed. She nodded and walked away.

"This sucks, man," Fulton said, as they high fived into an extremely tight man hug.

"Yeah," Dean nodded, "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything," Fulton nodded, "You know that." They broke away from each other.

"I need you to make sure that she's OK," He said quietly.

"Dude," Fulton shook his head, "Don't do that. You'll be back in six months, everything's going to be fine."

"If it's not," He looked at him, "I need to know that she's being taken care of." He looked away, "I'm scared, Fult. I mean, I'll do what I have to do, but this isn't like before. People die over there."

"Yeah," Fulton sighed, "But you won't. You can't," Portman laughed. "Look, I'll promise if it means that you'll drop this."

"You got yourself a deal," Dean smiled. "God," He looked at Julie sitting playing with Connie and Guy's two year old daughter. "I'm crazy, I should do everything possible to stay with her."

February 2006

"You're down here a lot more than you used to be," Julie laughed one night as she and Fulton walked back from a bar where they'd spent the evening hanging out.

"Well," He smiled, "I did promise Portman I'd take care of you, so, you know."

"You didn't!" She laughed, he nodded, "So that makes you Josh Hartnett right?"

"Oh you're funny," He nodded. "He's just worried that's all."

"I know," She smiled softly, "Its sweet, really, but I don't need looking after." He smiled at her.

"That's what I said," He nodded, "But you know him, once he gets an idea in his head,"

"Do I ever," Julie whispered. "Have you heard from him lately?"

"No," Fulton shook his head. "You?"

"No," She sighed, "Every time I go more than a week without any contact I go into worry over drive. I mean, when I'm hearing from him regularly I can sometimes think about something else, but when I haven't…" She trailed off, "I'm killing my buzz," She laughed, so did he. "At least he'll be home soon, and this can all be over. Did I tell I joined one of those ridiculous wives and girlfriends groups?" She laughed.

"That's good Julie," He said.

"It's just so weird," She shook her head, "I mean, it's good to have other people to talk to about it, you know other people who are going through the same thing. But they're all always talking about how proud of them they are. What a great thing they're doing. And all I can ever focus on is why Dean's over there fighting, and nothing's clean cut or good about it. I mean, when he was in Afghanistan, that I understood, sort of, but this," She sighed.

"Come here," He hugged her. "He loves you so much Julie, and trust me I know, because every time I talked to him, he asks me if I've talked to you, and how you're really doing." She smiled. "He knows you're a big liar and you'd never really tell him what's going on with you." She laughed, and they kept walking, "So tell me about this group."

"Well, most of them are married already," Julie said, "Because you know it's the army and that's how it works. A few of them have the most adorable kids! I mean, not like our Kayla, of course," She laughed.

"Well that's because not all kids can be both completely adorable, and brilliant," He laughed. "When are you coming up?"

"Soon," Julie shrugged, "As soon as I hear back from law schools."

"Sure," He smiled.

April 2007

"What about September?" Dean said as he and Julie lay in bed. He was home for a week, and they hadn't left each other for more than a few minutes.

"For what?" She laughed.

"Our wedding," He smiled, "I come home in August, and I think we should just do it right away."

"It's not right away," She smiled, "It's five years after right away."

"True," He said softly. "But what about September?"

"I like September," She smiled. "September is perfect." He kissed her. "I wish you could stay." She sighed.

"I wish I could too," They kissed. He had his arms around her. "But I'm here now."

"Yes you are," She kissed him. "You're here," She wanted to lose herself in him. And for the moment she did.

"I'll always love you," He whispered. "I'll always take care of you."

"I don't need to be taken care of," She kissed him again, "I just need you."

I know, it's a horrible cliche, but I couldn't help myself. Keep those reviews coming.