Lol glad someone picked up on the coffee talk moment in the last chapter!!
Couldn't help myself it just seemed to work great there. Again if chapters
are late sorry playoff hockey has my full attention! On to it then!
"Hey sleeping beauty wake up." Julie said shaking Dean's arm.
"Huh what?" He muttered before looking up at her still half asleep.
"Just wanted you to know I'm going to be at Daniel's. Didn't want you to freak or anything." She smiled then added over her shoulder as she left. "And yes you can call and see if I'm lying or not."
"Mind reader." He yawned and rolled back over.
She arrived at Daniel's without any fan fare and knocked on the door. She waited a few minutes then smiled when he answered the door.
"Good morning sunshine." She smiled at his typical morning grumpiness.
She walked past him and wound her way to the kitchen in back. Meg was leaning over the stove and glanced up when Julie came in.
"Morning sis." She smiled, "Want a pancake?"
"Hum sure why not." Julie smiled back and took a seat at the table.
"You're very happy this morning, what's wrong?" Daniel asked sitting back down.
"Do I need a reason to be happy?" Julie questioned.
"For you to be awake and happy at this hour? Yes mam you do." Daniel eyed her.
"Oh she's young and in love leave her alone." Meg sang causing Daniel to choke on his coffee and Julie's jaw to drop.
"Wha.. I'm, I'm not in love where'd you get a crazy idea like that?" Julie stammered feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.
"Just kidding." Meg smirked not meaning a word of it.
"Oh yeah, ok." Julie forced a nervous smile.
"Humm ok so Jules, you better now?" Daniel asked sounding a bit funny.
"Yeah I'm fine, she was only joking!" Julie nodded.
"I meant about last night you know, with everything." Daniel said giving her a look.
Julie paused a moment then realized what he was meaning, "Oh yes last night. Yeah I'm still a bit upset you know. I was looking forward to that ball and to have it ruined so early!"
"Yeah it was a shame." Daniel nodded.
"And my lovely dress! Can't believe it still." She shook her head.
"Some manners that girl had." Meg grumbled setting down the pancakes on the table. "I bet we can get that stain out Jules, don't worry." Meg smiled at her then went back for the syrup.
"I'm sure we can, thanks." Julie said and exchanged devilish smirks with Daniel.
They ate while carrying on a small banter of talk till everyone was done. "I'll help with the dishes." Julie said grabbing plates and heading to the kitchen.
"We'll just rinse them and toss them in the dishwasher Jules, don't worry with it now. Besides I get the feeling you and Daniel want to talk about something without me knowing." Meg smiled then added as she put the last plate in the dishwasher, "Something about last night maybe?" She smirked and left the kitchen.
"Daniel?" Julie said.
"I didn't say a word." He spoke softly as he came over beside her pouring more coffee into their cups. "Come on." He made for the side door and she followed. They walked down towards the old barn he'd renovated and made into a comfy office.
"So I had an idea." Julie started as she sat down.
"Gezz Jules, least I got breakfast down before you threw that out at me." He groaned sitting down at his desk.
"Oh be quiet, do you want to hear it or not?" She asked.
"Let's hear it."
"Ok we can't get those photos developed anywhere in town, they'd look too suspicious. So I thought maybe Mr. Hobbs could do it. If he still does that sort of thing and all. What do you think?" She questioned.
He nodded his head, "Only one problem." He said sitting forward.
"What?" She asked confused.
He smiled then opened a drawer to his left and pulled out a large brown envelope and tossed it on the desk. She started for the envelope when he nodded; she pulled it over to her and opened it.
"What the?" She said looking at them then back up at him.
"You were only a few hours behind me on it." Daniel smiled, "You're getting better."
"Hey I thought of it last night, but thought it was too late to bother anyone." She smiled looking at the photos of the files they'd taken the night before.
"Wasn't too late for me, I called him when I got home. He was quite happy to help. Now we just have to figure what they are." He said taking one of the photos and staring at them.
"You already have an idea of what they are don't you." She stated as fact and he smiled. "That answered my question." She sighed.
"What do you think they are?" He asked her. She shrugged and looked down at them for a few minutes.
She turned her head slightly and bit her bottom lip slightly in thought. "Mostly bank accounts?" She said looking up at him.
He smiled, "I think so to." She smiled proud of herself.
"But now we have to figure out where they are, how much money, where it's from and why he'd got it hidden." Daniel sighed.
"Is that all?" Julie laughed.
"Yeah no problem huh?" He smirked, "Probley be here all day and night working on this." He shook his head.
"In that case I need the phone." She said reaching over and pulling it towards her.
"Checking in with your keeper are you?" Daniel taunted.
"Shut up!" She tried to look annoyed then smirked.
"Hang up." Daniel said quickly and she looked at him surprised.
"We'll just go get him. He can help us, we need all we can get." Daniel said getting up and she nodded.
"That's true." She agreed going out the door.
They took his car and headed back to the house, once there she raced up the stairs and to her room. "Hey Dean?" She said walking threw the door.
"Yeah?" He said raising up.
"Get up and dressed, we're going to Daniel's. He's got the photos." She said looking over the sofa at him.
"Already?" He said surprised.
"Beat me to Hobbs." She smirked. "Rain check on the pizza?" She asked sweetly.
"Of course, nailing Mitchell's ass is much more important right now." He smiled, "Give me a minute."
She said an ok and waited a few minutes till he was done, then together they headed back outside and into Daniel's waiting car. An hour later they were scattered out in the barn office each with their own set of photos and unanswered questions.
"I need more coffee." Daniel muttered and started out the door, Julie held her cup in the air as he past her. "And more for 007 here." Daniel laughed as she threw a paper ball at him.
"Bond baby." She smiled as she shut the door.
"Hey Jules?" She heard Dean ask and she turned to look at him. "Look at this."
She got up and crossed the room taking a seat beside him. "This phone number pops up twice on this page then once more three pages later." He said pointing them out to her.
She looked at the numbers then said absently, "Oh that's just the number of the chateau in France." She shrugged and got up heading back to her seat then stop cold in her tracks and turned back around. She jogged back over and took the photo from him and stared. "Why would that be on here?" She asked in shock.
"Find something?" Daniel asked rushing back inside.
"The number for the chateau in France is on these papers a few times, why?" She asked as he looked for himself.
"Now that is strange." He shook his head slowly.
"Something to do with Alex or maybe mom using the place?" She questioned.
"Perhaps." He said walking over and sitting down. "Perhaps not, didn't you tell me once that Mitchell's got a lot of rich friends in France?"
"Yes, why?" Julie asked.
"Well isn't it something that for awhile there Mitchell was sent to Europe, supposedly to go to school but he was never enrolled nor accepted into one." He stated.
"What?" Julie asked shocked and confused.
"I checked into it, he never even applied to a college. God knows on grades alone he'd not get in anywhere. But he never went, and around that same time the family had minor money problems." He stated and she continued.
"Yeah and then within weeks of him being gone they suddenly were financially sound again."
"How ironic." Dean commented.
"But what does this have to do with the phone number?" She questioned and they all went silent.
"Alex." Dean said out of the blue.
"Naturally." Julie groaned sitting back down. "Mitchell was always there when Alex was."
"So is Alex in on whatever this is?" Dean asked.
"I'm willing to bet he knows some of it, but Mitchell does for himself alone." Daniel nodded.
"Someone tried to buy the company's stock." Julie said rising slowly out of her chair.
"What?" Dean and Daniel said at the same time.
"Last summer, we went to France as always and I remember dad having a phone call with someone. He seemed annoyed when he got off the phone, so I asked what was wrong. He said someone was buying a lot of the company's European stock. But that's all he said." She said thinking.
"That could be something." Daniel agreed thinking also.
"Corporate raid?" Dean asked causing both Julie and Daniel to look at him surprised. "Not just a dumb hockey player." Dean smiled at them causing laughter.
"Not dumb at all." Daniel shook his head; "There have been problems with the European side of the business for along time. Many attempts at a buy out, nothing of major note however."
"But now would be perfect, with me now owning everything." Julie said softly.
"But it started a year ago, all this movement so the paper say." Dean said.
"Dad only got sick a few months ago." Julie said, then got a horrified expression on her face "Oh god you don't think someone would have, I mean." She didn't finish the statement before Daniel jumped in.
"No Jules, there was no foul play in his death." He said quickly watching her slowly nod and sink back down in the chair. He got up and walked over kneeling before her taking her hands in his. "Believe me if anything even remotely looked foul in that I would have been all over it. So you can get those thoughts out of your head, Mitchell's a heartless bastard that's true. But he wouldn't go that far." He smiled and got up.
"Yes he would." She said weakly.
"What do you mean?" Dean asked.
She glanced at the two of them and sighed loudly, "You know the day Mitchell was announcing I was going to marry him?" She asked.
"Like we could forget." Daniel grumbled.
"The night before at that dinner party, when I went outside to get air Mitchell came up behind me." She rubbed her eyes a moment then continued on. "Anyway we sort of had a little argument, I tried to leave and he grabbed me then said he'd hate to do it but if he was forced he would. Then asked me who was always here for me who I loved, so I said grandfather. And he said something to the effect that I could avoid anything tragic happening if I took my place by his side where I belonged, if I came to him." She shuddered upset yet again.
"Bastard." Daniel said rubbing his face.
Dean on the other hand said a colorful selection of cuss words under his breath.
"This is getting worse by the minute." Meg said walking in.
"Heard all of that I take it." Daniel asked and she nodded walking over and patting Julie's shoulders.
"We need to get grampie somewhere safe." Julie said wiping away tears.
"I know where he can go, without any worries. We'll handle it." Meg said then nodded towards the door at Daniel. He paused by Julie's chair and hugged her as she stood. "We'll be right back ok?" He said softly and she nodded.
"Are we having fun yet?" She asked trying to smile but failed.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Dean asked softly. "Scared?"
She nodded slowly, "I don't want anyone to be hurt because of me, I'd rather die then let that happen."
"It'll be ok." He said walking over and hugging her.
"Will it?" She mumbled weakly.
"Yes it will. I'll say it again, you have to tell me these things from now on ok?" He asked and felt her nod her head.
"Ok." She pulled back after a minute then gave him a funny look; "So what about the nightmares?"
He looked surprised at her a moment then nodded; "We'll get into that later ok? Just promise me something."
"What?" She asked.
"You won't toss too much of a fit at me sleeping on the floor in your room from now on. I don't want you to be alone even in there." He said worried at the thought of Mitchell.
"You shouldn't sleep on the floor, you can sleep on the pull out bed in the chair if you're nice, with two conditions however." She said after a bit.
"Which are?" He wondered.
"One, no tossing pillows at me, and two the remote is all mine." She smirked and he groaned. "Take it or leave it."
"You drive a hard bargain." He said offering his hand; she smiled and shook his hand.
"I try." She smiled slightly.
"Ok now what?" He asked.
"Back to the photos, I need a distraction." She said picking up a photo.
"What I'm not enough?" He asked acting hurt.
"You so sounded like Luis there." She laughed as he scowled.
"Thou has found me out, I aspire to be as great as he." He said sitting down beside her.
"You ever thought about being an actor? I could see shades of greatness there." She smirked.
"I like keeping my options open." He smiled grabbing a handful of photos.
"Things will be fine won't they?" She asked.
"Yeah," He said slowly, "I really think everything will be great, things will get tuffer but you have us all. And I'll take care of you so no worries ok?" She nodded and smiled, as did he for the first time in along time honestly feeling a sense of control.
"Hey sleeping beauty wake up." Julie said shaking Dean's arm.
"Huh what?" He muttered before looking up at her still half asleep.
"Just wanted you to know I'm going to be at Daniel's. Didn't want you to freak or anything." She smiled then added over her shoulder as she left. "And yes you can call and see if I'm lying or not."
"Mind reader." He yawned and rolled back over.
She arrived at Daniel's without any fan fare and knocked on the door. She waited a few minutes then smiled when he answered the door.
"Good morning sunshine." She smiled at his typical morning grumpiness.
She walked past him and wound her way to the kitchen in back. Meg was leaning over the stove and glanced up when Julie came in.
"Morning sis." She smiled, "Want a pancake?"
"Hum sure why not." Julie smiled back and took a seat at the table.
"You're very happy this morning, what's wrong?" Daniel asked sitting back down.
"Do I need a reason to be happy?" Julie questioned.
"For you to be awake and happy at this hour? Yes mam you do." Daniel eyed her.
"Oh she's young and in love leave her alone." Meg sang causing Daniel to choke on his coffee and Julie's jaw to drop.
"Wha.. I'm, I'm not in love where'd you get a crazy idea like that?" Julie stammered feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.
"Just kidding." Meg smirked not meaning a word of it.
"Oh yeah, ok." Julie forced a nervous smile.
"Humm ok so Jules, you better now?" Daniel asked sounding a bit funny.
"Yeah I'm fine, she was only joking!" Julie nodded.
"I meant about last night you know, with everything." Daniel said giving her a look.
Julie paused a moment then realized what he was meaning, "Oh yes last night. Yeah I'm still a bit upset you know. I was looking forward to that ball and to have it ruined so early!"
"Yeah it was a shame." Daniel nodded.
"And my lovely dress! Can't believe it still." She shook her head.
"Some manners that girl had." Meg grumbled setting down the pancakes on the table. "I bet we can get that stain out Jules, don't worry." Meg smiled at her then went back for the syrup.
"I'm sure we can, thanks." Julie said and exchanged devilish smirks with Daniel.
They ate while carrying on a small banter of talk till everyone was done. "I'll help with the dishes." Julie said grabbing plates and heading to the kitchen.
"We'll just rinse them and toss them in the dishwasher Jules, don't worry with it now. Besides I get the feeling you and Daniel want to talk about something without me knowing." Meg smiled then added as she put the last plate in the dishwasher, "Something about last night maybe?" She smirked and left the kitchen.
"Daniel?" Julie said.
"I didn't say a word." He spoke softly as he came over beside her pouring more coffee into their cups. "Come on." He made for the side door and she followed. They walked down towards the old barn he'd renovated and made into a comfy office.
"So I had an idea." Julie started as she sat down.
"Gezz Jules, least I got breakfast down before you threw that out at me." He groaned sitting down at his desk.
"Oh be quiet, do you want to hear it or not?" She asked.
"Let's hear it."
"Ok we can't get those photos developed anywhere in town, they'd look too suspicious. So I thought maybe Mr. Hobbs could do it. If he still does that sort of thing and all. What do you think?" She questioned.
He nodded his head, "Only one problem." He said sitting forward.
"What?" She asked confused.
He smiled then opened a drawer to his left and pulled out a large brown envelope and tossed it on the desk. She started for the envelope when he nodded; she pulled it over to her and opened it.
"What the?" She said looking at them then back up at him.
"You were only a few hours behind me on it." Daniel smiled, "You're getting better."
"Hey I thought of it last night, but thought it was too late to bother anyone." She smiled looking at the photos of the files they'd taken the night before.
"Wasn't too late for me, I called him when I got home. He was quite happy to help. Now we just have to figure what they are." He said taking one of the photos and staring at them.
"You already have an idea of what they are don't you." She stated as fact and he smiled. "That answered my question." She sighed.
"What do you think they are?" He asked her. She shrugged and looked down at them for a few minutes.
She turned her head slightly and bit her bottom lip slightly in thought. "Mostly bank accounts?" She said looking up at him.
He smiled, "I think so to." She smiled proud of herself.
"But now we have to figure out where they are, how much money, where it's from and why he'd got it hidden." Daniel sighed.
"Is that all?" Julie laughed.
"Yeah no problem huh?" He smirked, "Probley be here all day and night working on this." He shook his head.
"In that case I need the phone." She said reaching over and pulling it towards her.
"Checking in with your keeper are you?" Daniel taunted.
"Shut up!" She tried to look annoyed then smirked.
"Hang up." Daniel said quickly and she looked at him surprised.
"We'll just go get him. He can help us, we need all we can get." Daniel said getting up and she nodded.
"That's true." She agreed going out the door.
They took his car and headed back to the house, once there she raced up the stairs and to her room. "Hey Dean?" She said walking threw the door.
"Yeah?" He said raising up.
"Get up and dressed, we're going to Daniel's. He's got the photos." She said looking over the sofa at him.
"Already?" He said surprised.
"Beat me to Hobbs." She smirked. "Rain check on the pizza?" She asked sweetly.
"Of course, nailing Mitchell's ass is much more important right now." He smiled, "Give me a minute."
She said an ok and waited a few minutes till he was done, then together they headed back outside and into Daniel's waiting car. An hour later they were scattered out in the barn office each with their own set of photos and unanswered questions.
"I need more coffee." Daniel muttered and started out the door, Julie held her cup in the air as he past her. "And more for 007 here." Daniel laughed as she threw a paper ball at him.
"Bond baby." She smiled as she shut the door.
"Hey Jules?" She heard Dean ask and she turned to look at him. "Look at this."
She got up and crossed the room taking a seat beside him. "This phone number pops up twice on this page then once more three pages later." He said pointing them out to her.
She looked at the numbers then said absently, "Oh that's just the number of the chateau in France." She shrugged and got up heading back to her seat then stop cold in her tracks and turned back around. She jogged back over and took the photo from him and stared. "Why would that be on here?" She asked in shock.
"Find something?" Daniel asked rushing back inside.
"The number for the chateau in France is on these papers a few times, why?" She asked as he looked for himself.
"Now that is strange." He shook his head slowly.
"Something to do with Alex or maybe mom using the place?" She questioned.
"Perhaps." He said walking over and sitting down. "Perhaps not, didn't you tell me once that Mitchell's got a lot of rich friends in France?"
"Yes, why?" Julie asked.
"Well isn't it something that for awhile there Mitchell was sent to Europe, supposedly to go to school but he was never enrolled nor accepted into one." He stated.
"What?" Julie asked shocked and confused.
"I checked into it, he never even applied to a college. God knows on grades alone he'd not get in anywhere. But he never went, and around that same time the family had minor money problems." He stated and she continued.
"Yeah and then within weeks of him being gone they suddenly were financially sound again."
"How ironic." Dean commented.
"But what does this have to do with the phone number?" She questioned and they all went silent.
"Alex." Dean said out of the blue.
"Naturally." Julie groaned sitting back down. "Mitchell was always there when Alex was."
"So is Alex in on whatever this is?" Dean asked.
"I'm willing to bet he knows some of it, but Mitchell does for himself alone." Daniel nodded.
"Someone tried to buy the company's stock." Julie said rising slowly out of her chair.
"What?" Dean and Daniel said at the same time.
"Last summer, we went to France as always and I remember dad having a phone call with someone. He seemed annoyed when he got off the phone, so I asked what was wrong. He said someone was buying a lot of the company's European stock. But that's all he said." She said thinking.
"That could be something." Daniel agreed thinking also.
"Corporate raid?" Dean asked causing both Julie and Daniel to look at him surprised. "Not just a dumb hockey player." Dean smiled at them causing laughter.
"Not dumb at all." Daniel shook his head; "There have been problems with the European side of the business for along time. Many attempts at a buy out, nothing of major note however."
"But now would be perfect, with me now owning everything." Julie said softly.
"But it started a year ago, all this movement so the paper say." Dean said.
"Dad only got sick a few months ago." Julie said, then got a horrified expression on her face "Oh god you don't think someone would have, I mean." She didn't finish the statement before Daniel jumped in.
"No Jules, there was no foul play in his death." He said quickly watching her slowly nod and sink back down in the chair. He got up and walked over kneeling before her taking her hands in his. "Believe me if anything even remotely looked foul in that I would have been all over it. So you can get those thoughts out of your head, Mitchell's a heartless bastard that's true. But he wouldn't go that far." He smiled and got up.
"Yes he would." She said weakly.
"What do you mean?" Dean asked.
She glanced at the two of them and sighed loudly, "You know the day Mitchell was announcing I was going to marry him?" She asked.
"Like we could forget." Daniel grumbled.
"The night before at that dinner party, when I went outside to get air Mitchell came up behind me." She rubbed her eyes a moment then continued on. "Anyway we sort of had a little argument, I tried to leave and he grabbed me then said he'd hate to do it but if he was forced he would. Then asked me who was always here for me who I loved, so I said grandfather. And he said something to the effect that I could avoid anything tragic happening if I took my place by his side where I belonged, if I came to him." She shuddered upset yet again.
"Bastard." Daniel said rubbing his face.
Dean on the other hand said a colorful selection of cuss words under his breath.
"This is getting worse by the minute." Meg said walking in.
"Heard all of that I take it." Daniel asked and she nodded walking over and patting Julie's shoulders.
"We need to get grampie somewhere safe." Julie said wiping away tears.
"I know where he can go, without any worries. We'll handle it." Meg said then nodded towards the door at Daniel. He paused by Julie's chair and hugged her as she stood. "We'll be right back ok?" He said softly and she nodded.
"Are we having fun yet?" She asked trying to smile but failed.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Dean asked softly. "Scared?"
She nodded slowly, "I don't want anyone to be hurt because of me, I'd rather die then let that happen."
"It'll be ok." He said walking over and hugging her.
"Will it?" She mumbled weakly.
"Yes it will. I'll say it again, you have to tell me these things from now on ok?" He asked and felt her nod her head.
"Ok." She pulled back after a minute then gave him a funny look; "So what about the nightmares?"
He looked surprised at her a moment then nodded; "We'll get into that later ok? Just promise me something."
"What?" She asked.
"You won't toss too much of a fit at me sleeping on the floor in your room from now on. I don't want you to be alone even in there." He said worried at the thought of Mitchell.
"You shouldn't sleep on the floor, you can sleep on the pull out bed in the chair if you're nice, with two conditions however." She said after a bit.
"Which are?" He wondered.
"One, no tossing pillows at me, and two the remote is all mine." She smirked and he groaned. "Take it or leave it."
"You drive a hard bargain." He said offering his hand; she smiled and shook his hand.
"I try." She smiled slightly.
"Ok now what?" He asked.
"Back to the photos, I need a distraction." She said picking up a photo.
"What I'm not enough?" He asked acting hurt.
"You so sounded like Luis there." She laughed as he scowled.
"Thou has found me out, I aspire to be as great as he." He said sitting down beside her.
"You ever thought about being an actor? I could see shades of greatness there." She smirked.
"I like keeping my options open." He smiled grabbing a handful of photos.
"Things will be fine won't they?" She asked.
"Yeah," He said slowly, "I really think everything will be great, things will get tuffer but you have us all. And I'll take care of you so no worries ok?" She nodded and smiled, as did he for the first time in along time honestly feeling a sense of control.
