"Don't take this personal Jules but your family is very strange." Averman whispered as they headed up the stairs after the very brief meeting with her mother and brother.

"Those two are, everyone else is pretty normal." She paused a moment then continued. "Except Aunt Melanie, she thinks she's true British royalty half the time. But hey, if she wants to be delusional that's fine by me. I just hope if she comes she doesn't start talking about marrying me off to European royalty."

"Such tragic life it seems, to be born or married into royalty." Luis spouted off dramatically as he tossed his arm around Julie's shoulders. She gave him a look then answered back.

"I see you have not halted in your drama. I remind again someone always ceases to escape a most fateful end, and careful you would be wise to be, if it shant be you in the end."

Luis stared at her a moment then smiled.

"I've met my match."

"Somehow I don't find it so offensive when Jules is talking like that." Goldberg said loudly from behind them.

Luis started to respond but Julie stopped him.

"Quit while you're ahead." She stated. "And here is your room, with whoever you can talk into sharing."

Ken hung his head as he walked into the room before Luis to snickers from everyone else. Julie turned and asked.

"Ken lost the shortest stick has to room with Luis game again didn't he?"

Everyone nodded and she smiled shaking her head. She got everyone into his or her rooms and started back to the stairs when she ran into her brother coming around the corner. He didn't say anything to her he just gave her a dismissing looking and walked on. She paused on the stairs and took a deep breath and closed her eyes trying to clam herself.

"You ok?"

She jumped at the voice and turned her head. She smiled slightly at him and spoke softly.

"I don't really know half the time. You and Fulton all settled?"

"Yeah, thanks." Portman nodded. This time she nodded and turned her gaze farther down the hall seeing the rest of the team heading their way.

"How about a tour of the crib Jules?" Russ yelled loudly and she smiled.

"Man Jules, I knew you were loaded but this is like royal!" Russ stated a half-hour later looking around as Julie showed them one of the downstairs rooms.

"Yeah it's nice, been in the family for generations now. I'm the ninth." She smiled and opened a door leading outside. She showed them the stables and various garden areas then headed them back up towards the house.

"Where is your room?" Connie asked as they headed back upstairs.

"Follow me." She led them down the first hall and to the left then finally towards a large door. She opened it up and brought them into the sitting room that adjoined her bedroom. It was nicely done, mostly in warm colors with touches of beige around to tone it down some. A sofa was placed in front of the fireplace with chairs on the side.

"Dang girl." Jesse stated, then added. "But where's the TV?"

She smiled walked over and hit a button on a remote, they watched in awe as a screen pulled back above the fireplace revealing a massive TV.

"Oh no way man satellite, DVD, VCR, wicked stereo and surround sound!" Goldberg spoke in astonishment.

"Yeah, I really love watching the tube and listening to music. So dad made sure I always had the best on the market. He spoilt me I know." Julie smiled.

"Marry me Jules!" Averman spoke heading towards the TV with wide eyes. She shook her head at him and started for a door leading off to the left of the sofa. She pulled open the french doors and led them into the bedroom. This time it was Connie who was dumbstruck.

"I want your room. Oh wow Julie." Connie said walking over to the bed with a massive canopy crown over the head of the bed. Another fireplace was just to the left of the bed, with another door off to the right of the bed.

"That other door just leads to the bathroom and dressing/ closet area."

Connie took off at lightning speed to see the bath and her closet. She came out a few minutes later finding Averman drooling over the TV, Charlie, Jesse, Russ and Fulton going threw her CD's and Goldberg going threw her movies, and everyone else sitting on the sofa. She flopped down by Julie and spoke.

"I want to borrow half your closet!"

"You're welcome to anything you want." Julie smiled.

"We are so watching this movie!" Goldberg yelled and came back, handing the DVD to Julie. She glanced down and laughed.

"Yeah Rush Hour 2 is awesome." She jumped up and placed the movie in and sat back down. They all laughed and had fun while the movie was on and even after it went off they turned music on and, well behaved like Ducks.

"I've missed you guys." Julie said almost to herself.

"Awe, Jules we've missed you too." Dwayne said and smiled. She smiled back and laughed as Goldberg took Dwayne's hat and began speaking with a twang much to everyone's amusement.

"You have Motley Crue CDs!?!?" Fulton turned around shocked. Julie laughed.

"What is that so hard to believe? Keep looking I have all kinds of stuff, I like almost everything."

"Wicked." He mumbled and kept going threw her CDs.

A knock came at the door and Julie called out for them to enter. It was Nancy; one of the maids announcing supper was ready for her and her guests.

"Food!" Half the guys yelled and leaped up racing past a stunned Nancy. Julie walked up to her and smiled, "Forgive them. They see or hear the word food and loose all mental process." They laughed and went downstairs to eat. Julie had suggested something easy to fix, and spaghetti was the answer.

"This is pretty good for non Philly cooked food." Goldberg mumbled with his mouth full.

"Oh close your trap Goldie! Gezz don't you have manners?" Charlie quipped.

"Don't you have a napkin?" Goldberg laughed pointing at Charlie, who at the moment was suddenly realizing he had sauce on his chin. He whipped furiously till he got it all then joined in the laughter.

"So I take it this agrees with everyone?" Julie asked before taking another bite.

"It's great Jules, everything is thanks!" Guy smiled.

Julie returned the smile and went back to eating. Everyone was halfway threw their meal when her mother came in and spoke quietly to Julie. Portman watched as Julie obviously tensed up and got a very exhausted expression as her mother left the room. She got up slowly and quietly excused herself from the table and followed threw the door her mother had previously left.

She entered the study and instantly knew she'd walked into a trap. Her brother was sitting behind the desk and her mother closed the door behind her. Julie let her head dip slightly mentally cursing herself for not thinking, then quickly regained her stance.

"Something you two want?" She asked strongly yet bored.

"Actually a few things, sit down." Alex spoke glancing up at her.

She raised an eyebrow and sat down in one of the two chairs facing the desk.

"Make it quick I have friends to attend to." She answered fixing her skirt.

Her mother took the other seat and smiled at her son, who returned the smile. She glanced back and forth for a moment then settled for what was to come.

Little did she know she had a pair of protectors standing on the other side of the door ready to charge in and come to her defense in an instant.