"I took over Julie's hostess job. Poor thing is she ok now? I can't believe that skank did that to her!" Meg grumbled to Daniel, who'd returned from the spy adventure and once again donned his suit.

"She'll be fine, she just really doesn't have the heart to come back down now. Plus nothing to wear." Daniel shrugged.

"Least you two finally got her calmed down. I was worried, you guys were gone so long." Meg said looking at her husband carefully.

"You know Jules, she gets worked up sometimes." Daniel said quickly, knowing Meg was starting to see threw this entire upset Julie routine. Luckily Meg seemed to let it go without further questions.

"Ok, dance with me." Meg smiled and soon was whirling around the floor laughing.

Upstairs there was more laughter, as Julie came out of her bedroom towel drying her hair giggling.

"What is it with you and baths huh?" Dean asked looking at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked flopping down on the sofa and grabbing the remote from him.

"You always seem to come out laughing and happy." He said trying to get the remote back.

"It's just relaxing, and I have major reason to be happy after this bath. I don't smell like that thing any longer!" She said putting the remote behind her. "Hey and I don't want to smell like you either now stop it!" She cried as he tried to move her from the remote.

"Come on Jules, let me watch tv. You're off in happy bath land still anyway, don't you need to dry your hair or something?" He asked.

"What is with you men and remotes?" She asked then tossed the remote at him.

"Ahh the power." He said taking the remote and holding it up.

"And you think I have issues." She mumbled.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing." She smiled.

"Right." He said giving her a look.

She watched idly as he flipped channels for a few minutes. "Wonder where I should get that film developed." She wondered to herself, "Not around here it would surely get back to Mitchell. Do I know anyone who can develop film?" She asked herself and put an elbow up on the back of the sofa and leaned her head in her hand thinking.

She sighed out loud and got up heading back to the bathroom to dry her hair. He shook his head as she left and went back to watching the baseball game. She was putting up the hairdryer when it suddenly hit her.

"That's it!" She squealed then ran back into the sitting room and yelled, "I've got it!"

"Are you trying to kill me?" He said sitting his drink down and wiping up what he'd spilt when she yelled.

"Be quiet bash boy!" She said and walked over. "If I remember correctly I might can get those photos developed by tomorrow morning."

"How so?" He asked.

"If he's still around, Hobbs can do it." She smiled.

"And Hobbs would be?" He asked.

"Well see he used to be a really nice journalist, but he got caught into the wrong story and sent to jail. By the time he got out everyone forgot about him, or just didn't want him around." She went silent thinking a moment, "I think he might still have that cabin by the old wood mill."

"You think you can trust a jail bird?" He asked amused which got him a sharp look for his efforts.

"He didn't do it. He found out information he really shouldn't have, and it caught up with him. He was always nice to me however." She sighed loudly sitting down on the sofa. "It's kinda late to go bother anyone tonight, just go in the morning."

"Gonna tell Daniel about this?" He asked and she smirked.

"Should I?" She laughed.

"We're a team Jules, no more solo crap. It's too risky now, we've gone too far." He said seriously.

"I know, I was just joking. I tend to joke when I'm trying to cover my worries." She said quietly.

"Everything will work out, I'm sure." He said sounding confidence but truly wasn't.

"It better, I have less then a week till my birthday and no doubt the stuff is about to hit the proverbial fan." She smiled.

"And that's a big fan." He smiled.

"Around here do you expect anything else?" She giggled.

"After seeing this place, no. I'd expect nothing less." He nodded then added; "You know this all came as a shock to us the money and all." He glanced over watching her nod slowly and playing with a string on her shirt.

"I didn't exactly toss it out there. Didn't seem right too." She shrugged, "Besides it's not like any of us had a lot of time to go into details of our lives huh?" She smiled.

"That's for sure. Still all crazy isn't it? Being brought in with the Ducks, goodwill games, the preppie school now college." He paused thinking back on everything and smiled, then sadly added. "Only one more year then it's over."

"I've avoided thinking about that. Doesn't seem right thinking this time next year, we'll be all over this world and won't have a next season to count on to see one another. And I'll have to hang up the skates and take a desk job." She groaned.

"Why would you retire?" He asked surprised.

"It's not like I'll be heading to the NHL anytime soon." She smiled at him.

"What about the Us national team? Women go to the Olympics now." He said and she let a short laugh out.

"Yeah they do, I just didn't give that much thought. I mean I've played with and aginst guys all my life. Then suddenly I'd be facing only the girls? Would seem to strange I guess, I'm used to the fast pace, ruff edge hockey. They play a bit cleaner." She smirked and added, "Bash girls just doesn't have the same ring to it."

"I don't know I could see that." He gave her a devilish look.

"Yeah I bet YOU could." She shook her head.

"Ok I'll get off that idea, but what about minor leagues? A few of us will head there I'm sure you could make any of those teams." He picked up his drink taking a sip.

"Perhaps I could. I don't know I just hate thinking about it. You guys have been family to me, I hate the thought of not having that anymore. But life goes on, and things change they keep telling me." She sighed.

"You never know." He smirked and she rolled her eyes.

"By the way the game is over, Cubs lost can we turn the channel now?" She asked and he grumbled at the score.

"No chick flicks." He stated going threw the channels.

"Yes sir Mr. Portman sir." She said doing a mock salute.

"You know one day you're going to smart off and I'm going to make you pay for it big time." He stated causing her to laugh.

"And I'm going to be living in fear from now on." She shoved his arm "I'm so not afraid of you."

"And why not? You've seen me on the ice, I'm a bad man." He said acting tuff.

"Yeah, such a bad man. If you're so bad why did you come back to school? You didn't have to show up, no matter what coach Bombay said."

"Yeah well." He said softly.

"And there's the answer, cause deep down you're really a nice guy to those of us who know you." She smiled victoriously, while he sat beaten.

"Next subject." He said.

"Next subject would be, my head is starting to hurt and I'm thinking seriously of going to sleep, begin conversation." She voiced amused.

"Take two pills get sleep call me in the morning." He smiled over at her.

"Works for me." She said getting up stretching, "Night Dean, and thanks again. I owe you a million."

"I'll take it. Or you could just sign over the Jaguar."

"No dice! I'll let you drive it though." She yawned.

"Good we'll take it when we go to town tomorrow."

"We're going to town tomorrow? The mill is just up the road." She said confused.

"Yes but the pizza place is in town, and we're going." He replied.

"Oh gee wow, you mean like a date? Oh my god I must go tell Connie and I have to pick the cutest outfit, and I." She didn't finish since a pillow smacked her in the head.

"Yeah I know a date with me is something wonderful." He said sitting back smiling.

"Toss another pillow and you won't live to see the next minute let alone tomorrow." She uttered tossing it back.

"I love it when you get violent." He winked.

"Why me." She sighed turning around. "Night."

"Night Jules." He smiled as she shut the door, then thought to himself. "Now what am I going to do? Why am I such a wimp over her, dang it." He grumbled stopping the channel on another baseball game and flinging the remote down.

Julie climbed into bed and turned the lights off, all the while wondering just what exactly was going on.

"Can this get any more confusing?" She asked softly aloud, then added quickly. "Yes I'm sure it can." She sighed very loudly and thought she heard him snicker. "And you can shut up in there." She yelled loudly hearing his laughter. "Jerk." She said softly and rolled over. "But a cute jerk." She thought, then smiled and went to sleep.