Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(A/N: It's been a while and it's not a PM, but a big thank you to Mali08 and Fuzz for your comments too! I really appreciate your input! Thanks to all who are still reading, despite my ever-increasing time between posts. Please enjoy! –TT)

Don't shut me out, don't hold it all in
Don't let my venom get under your skin
'Cause every word and every turn
Every sign points to your hurt
With every hour you're drifting further away
"Drifting Further Away" –Powderfinger

Fulton surfaced from his room the next morning and grabbed a skillet to start his breakfast. The clinging and clanging woke Julie from her spot on the couch. She leaned up, groggily, hair sticking every which way.

"Good morning," he said smiling at her disheveled appearance.

"Morning," she mumbled, grumpily, as she shuffled over and sat down at their table.

"Rough night?" he laughed.

She looked at him. "You could say that. Mr. Personality in there," she gestured with her thumb, "decided to show up early this morning," she said annoyed, "and not alone, if you know what I mean," she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ah, so that explains why no one came to get me last night."

She ran her hands over her tired eyes. "Yeah," she said. "Those two were at it all night." She dropped her hands down. "I slept terribly."

"From the noise or because he's in there with someone else?" he smirked.

"Honestly," she rolled her eyes, exasperated. "You have one little crush." She shook her head. "That was forever ago."

"Forever, huh?" he laughed. "So that's what we're calling 'days' now."

"Oh you got jokes this morning," she returned sarcastically.

"Jokes, bits of truth," he weighed in his hands, "but yeah, I could serve up more with your eggs if you'd like."

"Um I'll take neither."

"You don't want breakfast?"

"I'm not staying. Tammy and I made plans for today. Plus, I never told her I was staying over here last night- mainly because I wasn't planning to," she added bitterly. "So after I talk with Dean I'm out."

Fulton looked at her. "Oh, you're planning to talk to him this morning."

"Yeah," Julie frowned. "Why?"

"Oh, yeah, no it's-" he shook his head. "It's nothing,"

"Ok."

"It's just," he shrugged, "you're a little grumpy this morning," he understated.

"Well maybe if someone wasn't trying to be funny..." she returned defensively.

"Case and point," he nodded.

Julie closed her eyes and sighed, "I'm sorry Fult. I guess I am a little irritable. Just, this thing with Dean is totally bugging me. I just want it to be over. I can't deal much more with his aftermath."

"Well maybe we could just post…pone…" His suggestion trailed off as the bedroom door opened.

"Speak of the devil," she mumbled.

Fulton sighed, dreading the inevitable. "Go easy, Cat."

She looked at him. "Of course."

Portman emerged with the bleach-blonde, smiling. He kissed her and she giggled and whispered something in his ear. He whispered something back and kissed her again. She made her way out the door and Dean joined Julie near Fulton at the kitchen table. They both stopped what they were doing to look at him, "What?" he asked nonchalantly.

Fulton cast one last look at Julie before simply shaking his head and returning to his ingredients. Portman looked to Julie, "What?" he questioned again and reached for the cereal box on the table.

She took a breath before she started. "What happened last night?"

"What? You want a play-by-play?" he asked flippantly, picking through the Cap'n Crunch for the berries. "Didn't take you for that type of girl." Julie snatched the box from his hands, setting it back on the table. She wasn't interested in competing for his attention again this morning. "Hey!" he frowned.

"Jules," Fulton cringed.

"Don't get cute Dean," She warned. "I am not in the mood." She'd had every intention of easing into this conversation, but now, watching him cross his arms and listen indifferently to her, she was just hoping to stay calm long enough to get her point across to him. "You blew me off. I was talking to you last night, trying to tell you something important and you…" she shook her head. "You just blew me off. Then come to find out, the important thing you had to do was some girl you picked up at a bar?"

"Club, actually," he nodded.

She looked at him. "What?"

"You said 'bar'." She rolled her eyes and he shrugged. "Hey, if we're going to sit here and recap…"

Julie closed her eyes, quickly forcing out a short breath. "You get my point. I've been patient and put up with you ignoring me all last week but then last night I get to take back seat to a slut from a club too?"

"Wow," Dean frowned. "She's not a slut."

She rolled her eyes. "Next you'll be telling me she's a natural blonde too. Dean, c'mon, that girl?"

"What is your problem?" he returned defensively. He could tell she was clearly on the warpath this morning, and if things didn't ease up soon, things were going to get really ugly really fast. "Why are you being like this?"

"Why are you being like this?" she countered.

"Me? You're the one attacking Trish and you don't even know her!"

"Didn't give me much of a chance now did you when two times I'd seen her you'd had her plastered to your face," she challenged sarcastically.

"Julie." Fulton was hoping this wouldn't call for a referee but if things kept up, he'd be sending them to their separate corners in his next breath.

She looked at him then took a breath to regroup. "Look, I could care less about Tess."

"Trish," Dean he corrected, agitated.

"Right," she nodded, "Trish. I don't need to know her. This isn't about that girl; this is about you, Dean. I know you. I know you're being cold and self-destructive because of this thing with Liz."

"Back off, Jules," Dean warned sternly, drawing away. "We're not going there." He got up, running his fingers through his hair and trying to remain calm but let a groan escape when she stubbornly disagreed.

"No, we need to 'go there'. I can't keep taking your crap while you pretend to be ok. Liz screwed you up and-"

"Will you ever shut up!" he shouted. "Just- shut up about Liz."

She folded her arms in front of her. "You aren't going to scare me away with your yelling."

He rested the weight of his upper body on his knuckles as he leaned in on the breakfast table. "What part of 'I don't want to talk about this' don't you understand?" He pushed off of the table with plans to be anywhere but there right now.

"The part where you don't want to talk about it with me," she answered after him, standing up too.

"I don't want to talk about it with anyone!" he told her, whirling back around. "And you know that." He pointed accusingly. "Yet you insist on bringing it up in every conversation."

"Because it affects every conversation!" Julie returned. "You can't keep pretending it doesn't by ignoring the issue!"

"I couldn't ignore it even if I wanted to! You make sure of that! Every time I see you-"

"'Every time you see me' has been a whole five seconds in the last week. This is the most we've talked since you went to California!"

"'Cause look who you're having us talk about. You think that because you're Julie Gaffney that you can just do anything- that what people say and how people feel doesn't matter."

She frowned. "No, that's not-"

"That when I say I'm fine, it's still up for your scrutiny."

"Dean-"

"That when I say I'm moving on, I can't until I've exhausted every angle of conversation about this with you and you decide that I can move on."

"It's not just me," she managed to get in. "Ok?" she looked over to where Fulton was listening and Dean followed suit.

"It's true, man." Fulton agreed.

"Your roommate and friend," she listed off her fingers, "his girlfriend, my boyfriend- they all agree with me."

"You've been talking about me behind my back?"

"Yeah but not like- We just," she sighed, a little frustrated, "we just want Dean back. We want to help you get over this- really get over this and move on. 'Cause treating your friends like crap is not being 'fine'. Terrible mood swings is not being 'fine'."

He started shaking his head. "No, huh uh."

"And jumping into bed with random girls is not being 'fine'." She finished a little louder from his attempts to ignore her.

"No," he told her standing up, "I'm not going to sit here and listen to this."

"Dean-"

"You know what Julie? Get off your high freakin' horse," he told her emphasizing the last words. "I was in a relationship for two years. What would you know about that, huh? But yet you're going to sit here and set me straight on what I'm going through?"

"Portman," Fulton once again piped up.

"No," she stopped their 'referee' and turned back to Dean, frowning. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that, last time I checked, you weren't in a prime position to give advice to anyone."

"I've been in the same relationship for 6 months now," she threw out there. "True it's not two years but it's still something."

"You and Rob are dysfunctional- at best. But hey," he continued sarcastically, "You've got plenty of other relationships to choose from, now don't you? Let's go back to before Rob. There was what nine? ten guys to choose from? just this year alone."

Julie's jaw dropped.

"Portman!" Fulton tried to stop him but he was on a roll.

"You think you could use any of those shinning examples to relate?" Fulton dropped his head in his hand. "No? We could even go back the whole two years if you like. We could go out, grab a beer. You could tell me how those 'heartbreaks' can possibly be applied to help me." He shook his head. "Yeah, didn't think so. I don't need your help. Like I said, I'm doing fine on my own," he told her starting to walk away but stopped to add, "and I'm not looking for your approval on who I go out with. If I want to see Trish again, I'm going to. And if I want to pick up a 'slut at a bar', I'm going to." Julie sat there full of rebuttals and yet completely speechless. Dean made his way out of the kitchen, on his way to his room before turning around one last time, seeing the folders still sprawled about. "And another thing," he pointed.

"Dude that's enough," Fulton growled.

Julie lifted her head up from her palm to fix an unimpressed glare on him. "This dump you call a building, I told you last night, it was out of the question- that we couldn't do it. So I'm sorry if you wasted your night waiting for me but that's not my fault. It's just another thing you keep trying to shove it down our throats. You're not even involved in it- any of this." he gestured widely.

That was the final blow. Julie straightened, holding her head up high. She refused to take this from him, a 'friend'. Without another word she got up, slapping the manila folders one on top of the other.

"Julie…" Fulton tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen.

She glanced at him before turning to Dean. With tightened facial expressions, she lifted the paperwork about a foot above the trash can and released it with a thud.

"Cat," he helplessly tried again but she held her hands up 'backing off' and stormed away. She grabbed her purse and opened the door slamming it hard behind her.

Fulton turned to his remaining friend, "Dude!" he punched his shoulder. "Not cool man!"

"Oh, yes, by all means," he rolled his eyes, "Please, let's expand on this conversation some more."

"You just tore into Julie."

"So?"

"You." He pointed. "You just," he threw his hands up, "ripped her apart."

"Again, so?"

"You're an idiot. You think she was saying all that to hurt you? You think that was her intent? She wouldn't yell at you if she didn't care. That's what friends do. She was only trying to help."

"Well I don't need her help."

"Maybe not. But you do need her," he told him, shutting down the kitchen. "In fact, she is the one you need. When are you going to wake up and realize that?" Fulton headed for the door but turned around, "And the news she was waiting to tell you," Dean looked at him impatiently, "She'd been working to save money for us too, for the club. We could've afforded that place she found and still had a little money for repairs. But now," he shook his head. "I not too sure I want to be in business with you." He stormed out the door to try to find Julie, leaving Portman behind to take in what he said.

Dean shuffled over to the couch and dropped himself down. He'd never meant to go that far, saying all that he did, but once he got going, he couldn't stop himself. It was like a cork had been sprung and all the emotions he'd bottled up came bursting out. Julie just made for an easy target.

Five minutes later, Tammy came through the doors. "You just missed Fulton," he told her, barely shifting his gaze form the TV.

"You're kidding." Her shoulders dropped. "Really?" he nodded. "Is he coming back?"

"Dunno."

She sighed. "Don't suppose you've seen Julie, have you?" He looked at her. "Right." She nodded and he resumed flipping through the channels. "…So…" she started, not doing well with the silence. "How are ya?"

Dean closed his eyes heaving a sigh. He flipped the TV off, throwing the remote on the couch and storming off to his room.

Tammy jumped as the door slammed. "Yeah. Nice talking with you."

"Oh hey Baby." She turned around to see Fulton closing their front door.

"Hey." He gave her a kiss then started pulling the folders out of the trash. "Portman's still grumpy I see."

He paused. "He's still here?"

She pointed. "Just went back there." He looked at Portman's door and picked the last file out and set them all on the counter. "What's going on? What happened?"

"All hell broke loose." Fulton groaned. "Do me a favor." She nodded. "Go find Julie. She just left here a moment ago, probably gone back to your guys' dorm to find you. Let her vent a little to you so she doesn't do something stupid."

"Sure," she nodded though she was still in the dark.

Fulton kissed her goodbye and headed back to his friend's room.

"Portman." He knocked once and went in.

Portman lifted the pillow off his face to see Fulton standing there with arms crossed. "You talk her from the ledge?" he joked ineffectively.

"Couldn't find her," he replied shortly.

"…Right," Portman sighed. "Look man I'm sorry."

He snorted. "Should be," he let his arms unfold and he grabbed a seat at Portman's desk. "Gonna telling me what's really going on?"

Portman turned his gaze to the ceiling as he softly shook his head. He didn't even know where to start.

Fulton kicked up his feet showing he wasn't going anywhere despite the silence so Dean took a breath and dove right in the middle. "How do you make it work?"

"'Scuse me?" Fulton blinked.

"You and me, we're kinda cut from the same cloth. I mean, there's a reason we're called the Bash Brothers, right? I mean, same kind of humor, temperament, same taste in sports, music, movies. We dated the same kinda girls through high school. Then we get here. You see that one chick for, like, a minute before you find Tammy and you guys are still together. I date a couple of girls here and I've yet to find someone like that."

"Has a lot to do with the girl, Port."

"That's what Liz was all about. Dude, she was perfect: beautiful, smart, funny." He shook his head sadly. "She got me, you know? I was crazy for her." He laughed humorlessly. "You know, when Jo got engaged, she got me thinking about marriage."

Fulton's eyes went wide. "You were gonna propose to her?!"

"I said I was thinking about it," he corrected. "I mean, I'm still in school and I can't really afford supporting anyone besides myself right now, but I could've seen us married."

"Wow, Man, I- I had no idea. I'm," he shook his head, at a loss of words. "I'm sorry."

"I just want to forget her and move on. Find someone better and, you know, if she and I so happen to visit California one day and run across Liz whose life has gone down the crapper since I left, that'd be ok too."

"That's healthy," They laughed. "So you think this girl is gonna be the one to do that?"

"Who, Trish?" Dean looked at him and shrugged. "I don't know. Probably not. I'm pretty sure she was trying to make some other guy there jealous and I just needed to get out of here. It's just sex. We made plans to hang out again though so, honestly, who knows anymore?"

Fulton blinked. "Didn't you just send Julie out of here on that point? Her 'dysfunctional' just sex relationship?"

"No that's completely different."

"Um...no it's not."

"The're trying to make it work. I'm not trying to take this anywhere. If it happens go some place, then so be it, but we aren't in love."

"Neither are they."

"She's not in love with him," he amended.

"Rob's not in love."

"I thought you were supposed to be the insightful one." He shook his head. "Julie's a 'one man' girl. Rob is more of the 'any and all girls' guy. She tries to make every relationship last and he's on to the next one in a week."

"I know." He nodded.

Portman held up a hand to allow further explanation. "After they'd started going out a while, I started to notice he'd been talking less and less about his conquests and hanging out more with Cat- that was six months ago."

"You don't think the fact that you threatened him with death if he didn't treat her right had anything to do with it?"

"Aside from that initial incident, I never said anything about their business."

"Oh," Fulton said. "Well that still doesn't mean anything. There's about a million of other explanations that could fit that. I mean they both agreed going into it that it wasn't anything. He was the one making sure she knew. Why would he be the one getting serious?"

"Because not even Rob can do causal with Cat. You fall for her, man, you fall and you don't get back up." They sat quietly for a moment before he spoke again, softly. "She's doing exactly what Liz did."

Fulton looked at him and things finally started to click together: his mentality, hostility, his sensitivity, everything. He shook his head. "Port-"

Dean continued. "She's letting him think he's got a fighting chance when all the while, she's just waiting for someone else to come along." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't even like Rob. He's a cocky, obnoxious idiot," he shook his head. "But I wouldn't even wish this on him." He sighed and leaned back letting his eyes drift shut. "Dude, I just- I feel awful all the time."

"It's not the same. Julie wouldn't do that," he told him softly, making the obvious leap. "Not to you. You know that."

"I can't even look at her without thinking of Liz."

Fulton turned up one corner of his lips in a slight, sympathetic 'I told you so' smile. "You never did make that distinction."

"And you never made the connection," he countered, tweaking a small smirk of his own.

"I suppose it doesn't matter much now." Portman shook his head in silent agreement. "So," Fulton rubbed his hands together. "When do you think you guys will make up?" he looked at his watch. "Before dinner? We could do pizza and rent some movies tonight."

Portman looked at him. "You're kidding right?"

Fulton returned the look. "…Not long enough? Dude just go apologize."

"Me?"

"I'm sorry, did we not just land on the same square a moment ago? I thought we determined that you just dumped Liz's crap on Julie."

"Yeah there was some Liz in there. But come on, you can't possibly think I'm the only one to blame in this." Fulton dropped his head back with a groan. "This didn't change anything. I still don't want to see her."

"This is not how I saw my Saturday going," he mumbled. "Look, you both said some things I'm sure you'd take back but she understands your head's screwy and you know she was only trying to help so…" he made a shooing motion to urge him on his way.

"She always 'means well'." He rolled his eyes. "That doesn't mean they are well. I'm serious; she doesn't need to be in all of my business. I don't need her in everything- being everything. I need some space."

Fulton sighed and leaned back. Though they could never see it, Julie and Dean were a lot alike in their temperaments: full of pride- in each other as well as themselves, a tad bit of arrogance thrown in there, short-fused when provoked, and more stubborn than any mule. When push came to shove, neither wanted to be the one on the bottom of that dog pile. And although neither wanted to make an enemy from a friend either, their prides were hurt, they were hurt- by each other, no less. That wasn't easy for them to take.

Fulton had his work cut out for him.

(A/N-2: Whew! I think that was the worst of it. Pretty much every aspect of this chapter was incredibly hard for me to write: the turmoil, conflicting emotions and thought processes that maybe you (as readers) know or infer, but they (as characters) are left in the dark about- I could go on and on. lol! Every time I proofed this I noticed another angle to correct or tweak. I hope that it all made sense for the most part. If not, as always please let me know. And I know I've not been helping you stay a fan of Dean in my last couple of chapters and I'm sorry! I want you to be tho! This is a major reference point for the rest of my story so that's why the couple chapters on it. I hope you can see in his head a little better and see where he is right now and where he's coming from. I also wanted to emphasize that it's a two-way street with him and Julie- push and shove. They're so alike but in different ways lol. I meant for it to be more evident in previous chapters but whatever ha ha!

I won't say I'll have the next chapter up soon because every time I do, it takes longer than before. So just know I'm trying. School and life in general has been a little crazy but it's settling down and I'm finding my routine.

Please review; they totally keep me motivated! Thanks! -TT)