Sorry for the delayed update! With the playoffs going on I'm well,
distracted!! Add in a tiny writer's block, and there ya go! Anyway I hope
this isn't too bad!!
---------
Portman sat eating cereal watching tv in the sitting room the next morning. He turned his head when he heard the door behind him open; a maid came in with a tray and sat it down on the coffee table. She smiled at him then left. He sat forward and pulled the cloth off and found fresh cinnamon apple muffins.
At that exact moment Julie threw open her double doors and walked into the room with her held out straight at her sides. She took a deep breath then smiled, "Muffins." She said almost as a breathless whisper.
He gave her a crazy look as she jumped over his legs that were resting on the table and flopped down in the floor pulling the muffins over and took a huge bite. She mumbled with happiness chewing her muffin, then reached for some coffee. He couldn't help but smile trying not to laugh at how she devoured an entire muffin in a minute.
"Hungry are we?" He asked.
She smirked and gulped down her bite, "Whatever gives you that idea?"
"Just a wild guess." He smiled going back to his cereal.
She reached over and grabbed the remote just as he did that and flashed him a smirk when he glared.
"I was watching that." He complained.
"You can watch espn anytime." She smiled flipping threw the channels. He shook his head not bothered by the channel change. She flipped threw and found the channel she wanted and sat the remote down. She then set forth on finishing her second muffin. He sat his bowl down and reached for a muffin and got his hand slapped in the process.
"Hey!" He gasped and she smiled then grabbed the basket and held it in her arms.
"Mine!! All mine!" She said guarding them.
"You can not possibly eat ten muffins." He said laughing.
"Humm I could." She replied.
"And where are you going to put all that?" He questioned.
"In my belly?" She smiled and he shook his head.
"No possible way." He countered.
"I eat more then it looks like I do! Just work my butt off to get rid of it is all." She smiled.
"Muffin? Please?" He said giving her a pouting look.
"Oh no you don't! Stop that!" She said trying not to look at him.
He kept pouting till finally she sighed loudly and handed him a muffin.
"Taste of your own medicine. " He smirked and she shot him a glare.
"Oh be quiet!" She smiled turning her attention back to the television.
They finished eating then sat in silence watching the show.
"What is that guy doing with that horse?" Dean asked confused. "Aren't you supposed to be riding them around the track not leading them?"
"He's ponying him. Just giving him a jog without a rider is all." She answered trying to stand up out of the floor. He offered his hand getting up she took it and soon was standing: for a second anyway. Without warning a loud pop rang out in the room, he stared at her surprised and watched as her face screwed into an obviously painful state.
"You ok?" He asked making sure she didn't fall backwards.
"No." She tried to say normal but it came out as a soft squeak.
"What was that?" He asked as she fell on the sofa.
"My knee." She muttered shaking her head. "I shouldn't sit down I gotta move it."
"Here." He said grabbing her foot and pulling her leg.
"Not funny!" She squeaked then calmed down when her knee popped again. "Fine now, you can stop!"
"Ya sure? I mean it could be out of place again." He laughed and she narrowed her eyes.
"I am not joking with you, stop now or I'm going to hit you." She stated and he seemed to think this over a minute.
"I'll risk it." He laughed.
"That's it." She grabbed a small pillow and clocked him in the head with it.
"Ohh Gaffney, that was not a smart move." He said grabbing his pillow.
"Hey now, I hit you with a small pillow not a real pillow. That's unfair!" She complained.
"You know you're right." He said lowering the pillow, then added. "But all is fair in love and war." And with that he began hitting back quicker then she could retaliate.
"Was that Jules screaming?" Charlie asked in panic.
Averman, Guy, Connie and Fulton shrugged and continued forwards towards her room. They heard her squeal again and they picked up the pace then flung the door open finding her sitting on the floor with Portman looming over her with a pillow in each hand laughing.
"What the.." Charlie began and Dean turned his head to look at them. Julie smirked devilishly and took advantage and kicked his feet out from under him sending him falling flat on his back. She laughed hysterically and got even worse when he shot a look her way then slapped her foot.
"Cheap shot." He grumbled.
"Was not you took your eyes off me, big mistake." She said wiping tears from her face.
The four of them still standing at the door looking at one another bewildered.
"Have you two lost your ever loving minds?" Charlie asked.
Julie and Dean looked at one another a moment then back at them and burst into another round of laughter.
"I think that answered the question." Fulton said shaking his head.
"I really worry about you two sometimes." Connie said walking in, making sure to get far enough away from them.
"Worry about us?" Julie questioned getting up.
"Yeah really, we are the normal ones. " Dean said, "Help me up Jules." He asked and she put her hands on her hips.
"Why should I?"
"You're the reason I'm down here." He stated, "Wait humm no you're not I messed up. Sorry, help me?" He smiled and she rolled her eyes.
"Don't you dare pull me down either." She threatened and offered her hand and pulled him up.
"See I can be nice." He smiled.
"Awee feel the love." Guy laughed sitting down.
"I'd be careful with my words if I were you." Connie smirked.
"Why?" He asked grabbing a muffin.
"My muffins!!!!" Julie squealed and dove over the sofa.
"You have done it now." Dean said shaking his head.
"What the! Jules!" Guy yelled.
She sat up and tossed a muffin at him and laughed.
"You're a lucky man." Dean said shaking his head. "Those are her muffins, beware!"
"You two really do need some serious help!" Guy laughed.
"You would know." Julie smiled, and Connie laughed loudly earning her a stare from Guy.
"Sorry dear." She said sweetly. They spent the next hour laughing and making jokes at one another. A knock came at the door and Julie called out for them to enter. The maid from that morning came in looking a bit uneasy.
"What's wrong?" Julie asked.
"Your mother, she's leaving." The maid said sounding a bit shocked.
"Leaving? Where?" Julie asked standing up.
"I'm not sure, I thought you should know." She smiled.
"Thank you Mary." Julie said smiling sweetly.
"She's leaving from the side door." Mary said then left.
Julie sighed loudly then started for the door.
"You need backup?" Dean called and she paused at the door turning to look at him.
"No I think I'll be fine." She nodded and headed off down the stairs.
She reached the door and walked outside seeing the bags being loaded into the back seat of the car. She glanced around looking for her mother but found her no where in sight. She walked over and sat down on the small bench back from the door and waited a few minutes, till finally she heard voices coming from inside.
"You have all the numbers if something of drastic nature should happen. " Her mother said putting on her sunglasses.
"Going somewhere?" Julie asked.
Her mother whirled around surprised, "Heavens you scared me."
Julie held her smile inside and got up walking over. "Where are you going?" She asked.
"I thought I'd go to Miami, I don't feel like flying a long distance or I'd head to Paris." She answered.
"Can't believe you'd miss something as social as the ball tonight." Julie asked acting nonchalant.
"I never was one for those old fashion southern balls. They just lack the proper sophistication for a party up here." She said as fact and Julie did all she could not to yell.
"Yes I can see why you'd not like them." She sighed.
"Exactly." Her mother smiled.
"Yeah, I mean why would you? It's geared very much towards a loving family style. You'd of course not fit in there." Julie smiled at the look on her mother's face. "Well have a nice trip, mom." She said as she was heading back inside. She passed Alex (who had been hiding behind the door listening to everything they said) as she reached the door, "Morning Alex." She smiled and kept going.
He turned and watched her walk away surprised then walked down to where his mother, now sitting the car had the window down.
"What is with her?" Alex asked.
"I don't know, she's strangely happy." Her mother shook her head thinking.
"She's been like that a lot the last few days. I rarely see her not smile." He stated then added, "Or without her guard dog."
"Yes I've noticed she's never alone. Such a strange situation going on here, seems like something big is going to happen." She shrugged and then smiled. "Well have fun dear, see you in a few weeks."
Alex stepped back and watched the car pull away. He got his car keys out and headed for the garage.
Julie jogged up the stairs and walked back in to her room where the rest of the Ducks had arrived in her absence.
"Everything ok?" Dean asked and she smiled.
"Everything is exactly as I wanted it." She smiled and patted him on the head before walking into her room.
"What is with her today?" Luis asked.
"That's nothing, just don't touch those muffins man." Guy shook his head.
"Muffins?" Luis asked confused and Guy, Charlie, Connie, Fulton and Dean laughed loudly.
Julie walked over holding her phone, to the window in her room that over looked the garden. She dialed the number then waited till it was answered on the other end. "Hey just checking in, everything going ok?" She smiled happy with the answer and talked a tiny bit more then hung up and rested the phone under her chin.
"This is going to be fun." She smiled then tossed the phone on her bed and headed back to the sitting room.
Portman sat eating cereal watching tv in the sitting room the next morning. He turned his head when he heard the door behind him open; a maid came in with a tray and sat it down on the coffee table. She smiled at him then left. He sat forward and pulled the cloth off and found fresh cinnamon apple muffins.
At that exact moment Julie threw open her double doors and walked into the room with her held out straight at her sides. She took a deep breath then smiled, "Muffins." She said almost as a breathless whisper.
He gave her a crazy look as she jumped over his legs that were resting on the table and flopped down in the floor pulling the muffins over and took a huge bite. She mumbled with happiness chewing her muffin, then reached for some coffee. He couldn't help but smile trying not to laugh at how she devoured an entire muffin in a minute.
"Hungry are we?" He asked.
She smirked and gulped down her bite, "Whatever gives you that idea?"
"Just a wild guess." He smiled going back to his cereal.
She reached over and grabbed the remote just as he did that and flashed him a smirk when he glared.
"I was watching that." He complained.
"You can watch espn anytime." She smiled flipping threw the channels. He shook his head not bothered by the channel change. She flipped threw and found the channel she wanted and sat the remote down. She then set forth on finishing her second muffin. He sat his bowl down and reached for a muffin and got his hand slapped in the process.
"Hey!" He gasped and she smiled then grabbed the basket and held it in her arms.
"Mine!! All mine!" She said guarding them.
"You can not possibly eat ten muffins." He said laughing.
"Humm I could." She replied.
"And where are you going to put all that?" He questioned.
"In my belly?" She smiled and he shook his head.
"No possible way." He countered.
"I eat more then it looks like I do! Just work my butt off to get rid of it is all." She smiled.
"Muffin? Please?" He said giving her a pouting look.
"Oh no you don't! Stop that!" She said trying not to look at him.
He kept pouting till finally she sighed loudly and handed him a muffin.
"Taste of your own medicine. " He smirked and she shot him a glare.
"Oh be quiet!" She smiled turning her attention back to the television.
They finished eating then sat in silence watching the show.
"What is that guy doing with that horse?" Dean asked confused. "Aren't you supposed to be riding them around the track not leading them?"
"He's ponying him. Just giving him a jog without a rider is all." She answered trying to stand up out of the floor. He offered his hand getting up she took it and soon was standing: for a second anyway. Without warning a loud pop rang out in the room, he stared at her surprised and watched as her face screwed into an obviously painful state.
"You ok?" He asked making sure she didn't fall backwards.
"No." She tried to say normal but it came out as a soft squeak.
"What was that?" He asked as she fell on the sofa.
"My knee." She muttered shaking her head. "I shouldn't sit down I gotta move it."
"Here." He said grabbing her foot and pulling her leg.
"Not funny!" She squeaked then calmed down when her knee popped again. "Fine now, you can stop!"
"Ya sure? I mean it could be out of place again." He laughed and she narrowed her eyes.
"I am not joking with you, stop now or I'm going to hit you." She stated and he seemed to think this over a minute.
"I'll risk it." He laughed.
"That's it." She grabbed a small pillow and clocked him in the head with it.
"Ohh Gaffney, that was not a smart move." He said grabbing his pillow.
"Hey now, I hit you with a small pillow not a real pillow. That's unfair!" She complained.
"You know you're right." He said lowering the pillow, then added. "But all is fair in love and war." And with that he began hitting back quicker then she could retaliate.
"Was that Jules screaming?" Charlie asked in panic.
Averman, Guy, Connie and Fulton shrugged and continued forwards towards her room. They heard her squeal again and they picked up the pace then flung the door open finding her sitting on the floor with Portman looming over her with a pillow in each hand laughing.
"What the.." Charlie began and Dean turned his head to look at them. Julie smirked devilishly and took advantage and kicked his feet out from under him sending him falling flat on his back. She laughed hysterically and got even worse when he shot a look her way then slapped her foot.
"Cheap shot." He grumbled.
"Was not you took your eyes off me, big mistake." She said wiping tears from her face.
The four of them still standing at the door looking at one another bewildered.
"Have you two lost your ever loving minds?" Charlie asked.
Julie and Dean looked at one another a moment then back at them and burst into another round of laughter.
"I think that answered the question." Fulton said shaking his head.
"I really worry about you two sometimes." Connie said walking in, making sure to get far enough away from them.
"Worry about us?" Julie questioned getting up.
"Yeah really, we are the normal ones. " Dean said, "Help me up Jules." He asked and she put her hands on her hips.
"Why should I?"
"You're the reason I'm down here." He stated, "Wait humm no you're not I messed up. Sorry, help me?" He smiled and she rolled her eyes.
"Don't you dare pull me down either." She threatened and offered her hand and pulled him up.
"See I can be nice." He smiled.
"Awee feel the love." Guy laughed sitting down.
"I'd be careful with my words if I were you." Connie smirked.
"Why?" He asked grabbing a muffin.
"My muffins!!!!" Julie squealed and dove over the sofa.
"You have done it now." Dean said shaking his head.
"What the! Jules!" Guy yelled.
She sat up and tossed a muffin at him and laughed.
"You're a lucky man." Dean said shaking his head. "Those are her muffins, beware!"
"You two really do need some serious help!" Guy laughed.
"You would know." Julie smiled, and Connie laughed loudly earning her a stare from Guy.
"Sorry dear." She said sweetly. They spent the next hour laughing and making jokes at one another. A knock came at the door and Julie called out for them to enter. The maid from that morning came in looking a bit uneasy.
"What's wrong?" Julie asked.
"Your mother, she's leaving." The maid said sounding a bit shocked.
"Leaving? Where?" Julie asked standing up.
"I'm not sure, I thought you should know." She smiled.
"Thank you Mary." Julie said smiling sweetly.
"She's leaving from the side door." Mary said then left.
Julie sighed loudly then started for the door.
"You need backup?" Dean called and she paused at the door turning to look at him.
"No I think I'll be fine." She nodded and headed off down the stairs.
She reached the door and walked outside seeing the bags being loaded into the back seat of the car. She glanced around looking for her mother but found her no where in sight. She walked over and sat down on the small bench back from the door and waited a few minutes, till finally she heard voices coming from inside.
"You have all the numbers if something of drastic nature should happen. " Her mother said putting on her sunglasses.
"Going somewhere?" Julie asked.
Her mother whirled around surprised, "Heavens you scared me."
Julie held her smile inside and got up walking over. "Where are you going?" She asked.
"I thought I'd go to Miami, I don't feel like flying a long distance or I'd head to Paris." She answered.
"Can't believe you'd miss something as social as the ball tonight." Julie asked acting nonchalant.
"I never was one for those old fashion southern balls. They just lack the proper sophistication for a party up here." She said as fact and Julie did all she could not to yell.
"Yes I can see why you'd not like them." She sighed.
"Exactly." Her mother smiled.
"Yeah, I mean why would you? It's geared very much towards a loving family style. You'd of course not fit in there." Julie smiled at the look on her mother's face. "Well have a nice trip, mom." She said as she was heading back inside. She passed Alex (who had been hiding behind the door listening to everything they said) as she reached the door, "Morning Alex." She smiled and kept going.
He turned and watched her walk away surprised then walked down to where his mother, now sitting the car had the window down.
"What is with her?" Alex asked.
"I don't know, she's strangely happy." Her mother shook her head thinking.
"She's been like that a lot the last few days. I rarely see her not smile." He stated then added, "Or without her guard dog."
"Yes I've noticed she's never alone. Such a strange situation going on here, seems like something big is going to happen." She shrugged and then smiled. "Well have fun dear, see you in a few weeks."
Alex stepped back and watched the car pull away. He got his car keys out and headed for the garage.
Julie jogged up the stairs and walked back in to her room where the rest of the Ducks had arrived in her absence.
"Everything ok?" Dean asked and she smiled.
"Everything is exactly as I wanted it." She smiled and patted him on the head before walking into her room.
"What is with her today?" Luis asked.
"That's nothing, just don't touch those muffins man." Guy shook his head.
"Muffins?" Luis asked confused and Guy, Charlie, Connie, Fulton and Dean laughed loudly.
Julie walked over holding her phone, to the window in her room that over looked the garden. She dialed the number then waited till it was answered on the other end. "Hey just checking in, everything going ok?" She smiled happy with the answer and talked a tiny bit more then hung up and rested the phone under her chin.
"This is going to be fun." She smiled then tossed the phone on her bed and headed back to the sitting room.
