Sorry for the long delay between chapters, I honestly hit a wall on how to
build up to the conclusion, so in a sense this continues the last one, and
fills a bit till I can get threw what I refuse to call a writers block!
Hopefully I'll get inspired and turn out several chapters and fast!
"I'm waiting." Julie said looking at Fulton.
"Well I humm." Fulton stuttered.
"What did you say to him?" Julie questioned.
"I just called him a chicken! I mean it's not like I put him up to it." He said trying to avoid her stare, "Not exactly."
"Gezz Fulton!" Julie groaned getting up. "Even if he does truly feel that way, do you have any idea how strange he must feel now!"
"I know I know, I shouldn't have pushed him that far but gezz come on. I realize that he was holding off saying anything cause he didn't want to bother you with one more distraction but I thought I was doing what's best for my best friend." Fulton said sitting down.
Julie sighed and walked over sitting down next to him; "It's ok I'm sure after he's over being mad he'll understand." She said pushing him slightly shoulder to shoulder.
"Hope so." He said softly. "Sorry I did this to you also."
"It's ok." She smiled. "Glad you pushed him and not me though."
"Yeah don't tell him this but I fear you're right hook much more then his." He laughed.
"I take that as a compliment." She giggled then got serious. "Would be best to leave him alone for a while, right?"
"Yeah Jules. I got him pretty annoyed, just let him chill and think for a bit. He'll come around when he's ready to talk." Fulton nodded.
They sat in silence for several minutes.
"So what about you?" He asked and she tilted her head slightly.
"About him?" She asked then shrugged at his nod. "I admit there's a little bit of an attraction there."
"A little bit?" Fulton smirked and she jokingly slapped his arm.
"I don't know, I feel comfortable around him. I know I can trust him, depend on him. But is it just that? Or something more?" She said. "I'm not really clear on anything."
"He's not the only one who needs to think." Fulton confirmed.
"Yeah I know." She nodded. "Actually I've been avoiding it, with everything going on right now. I need to stay focused on Mitchell and Alex."
"That's exactly what he's been doing." Fulton smiled, "Man you two are so alike it's scary, right down to the freaky dreams." He laughed then stopped when she got a distressed look on her face.
"Dreams? What do you mean?" She asked softly.
"You know the dream you had, you said something about him being in danger or something?"
"Yeah, so?" She asked.
"He had something similar to that, only it was you." He finished.
"Oh that's comforting." She groaned, "I don't have to ask why he didn't tell me."
"Yeah, freaky stuff." Fulton agreed, "But they are just dreams Jules."
"But dreams can be a window to show you what's looming." She said softly.
"Maybe not this time." He tried to reassure her.
"Hope not." She muttered.
"Dare I go to my room?" She asked.
"He's probley in the room we shared, he knows I wont be coming in there so he'll stay there." He smiled and got up.
They walked inside and slowly made their way to the stairs and down the hall. Once inside her room they flopped down on the sofa. After several minutes of channel surfing they found a movie and settled in.
"Just so you know, he might not show up till tomorrow. Which might be best for you both you know." Fulton said glancing over. He watched as she smiled then responded.
"Is this your way of telling me that I should be off thinking or something?"
"Just a suggestion." He smirked.
"I don't believe thinking about it will help any, sitting back and just letting things be as they should be seems best." She spoke.
"Logical as always." He shook his head.
"I am a goalie." She smiled.
"Then you should be in a mental home." He muttered under his breath.
"I heard that." She said giving him a look as she rose and walked into her room. She spent the next hour on the phone, with whom Fulton never knew since she never said a name. He heard her laughing loudly several times and laughed a little himself. He heard the door open and he smirked despite himself.
"Back so soon?" He said then glanced over at Portman who was now standing at the end of the sofa.
"You know I should kick your ass for forcing all this." He said sitting down. "I would have said something, I almost did when we were leaving the movies. I just don't want to push it, timing isn't right."
"Yeah I know you both are holding it off, you cause you don't want to worry her, and her because she wants to stay focused. I've got it down, but hey I'd do it again." He laughed.
"You just love stirring it up don't you." Portman shook his head.
"Guilty as charged." He smiled.
Julie came threw the door and paused as she pulled her hair up.
"I have to do something, I'll be back in a bit ok?" She said heading for the door.
"Hey!" They both yelled.
"I'll be fine, I'm taking slap shot out for a little jog around the estate. Now unless you two would like to play cowboy and attempt at keeping up with me I'd suggest you stay here." She smiled and shut the door.
"She's up to something." Dean sighed.
"So are we giving her a five minute head start or two?" Fulton smirked.
"Why not go wild and give her all five?" He laughed and got up.
Julie called down to the stable asking for her horse to be saddled and waiting, since she knew she'd have two guys following her. She didn't want her Mitchell watcher to be known just yet, so a quick leave was in order. She jogged down the path reaching the stable just as one of the guys led slap shot out.
"Thank you." She smiled and jumped up in the saddle and took off. Twenty minutes later she was beginning to wish she'd asked to meet closer, instead of at the far end of the property.
"Another of my brilliant ideas huh boy?" She said patting the horse who replied with a snort. "Least you blend in with the dark night, I shouldn't have worn white." She mused. "But would have been too obvious if I wore all black."
She slowed him down to a canter and glanced around, finally she saw a small flashlight signal from behind the tree. She flashed one in return and pulled slap shot to a stop and tied him behind a smaller tree then went over to converse with the snitch.
"I think were lost." Fulton said looking around.
"Were not lost." Dean grumbled.
"You said that ten minutes ago." Fulton sighed.
"There's hoof prints all over the place, how was I to know this is a popular trail around here?" Dean grumbled again.
"We need to put a tracking device on that girl." Fulton suggested.
"That would be great, but she'd figure it out and we'd be at her mercy." Dean smiled.
"Scared of her are you?"
"You've seen her right hook, I think I should be the goalie and she should be the enforcer." Dean recommended while Fulton agreed and laughed.
"She can't be that far can she? I mean this is a massive place but she's only got a few minutes on us." Fulton looked around.
"She's on horse." Dean explained.
"Well so are we." Fulton said giving him a crazy look.
"Yeah but Julie on a horse and us on a horse are two very different things." Dean nodded.
"Where's Dwayne when you need him" Fulton shook his head.
"Yeah really." Dean muttered then pulled back suddenly on the reigns causing the horse to fling his head. "Good lord I'll never figure out how to handle one of these things."
"Please no problem, just don't jerk the bit so hard in his mouth and everything will be fine." Fulton shrugged and patted his horse.
"And how did you get so horse wise?" Dean shot him a look.
"I just have skills." Fulton smirked, and Dean muttered something rolling his eyes.
Julie glanced around making sure they were still alone. "So everything is set right?"
"Everything is going perfectly."
"Ok good, just watch your back. It won't be long now." Julie smiled.
"Lights"
"What?" Julie asked looking to where the informant pointed. "Headlights."
"Time to go." The informant said quickly.
"You first, it wouldn't look strange me being here but you it would." Julie said sending them off.
Luckily the lights seem to have stopped for some reason, which gave her snitch time to get away. Julie waited a few minutes then jogged over and untied slap shot and led him back to the path. She glanced around seeing the lights still halted, "What is going on?" She wondered. She walked backwards beside the horse for awhile keeping her eyes on the lights. She got around a turn and figured she was out of anyone's sight, turned back around and got back aboard slap shot.
"Back home we go boy." She whispered and sent him off. She was so off in thought she didn't notice she was no longer alone, not until the lights illuminated all around her. She turned around quickly seeing headlights no less then a mile behind her.
"Why me?" She wondered, knowing it couldn't have been anyone from the farm.
She urged slap shot forward into a quicker pace, the faster she went the fast the car behind her went. They closed in and finally she let loose of the reigns and sent him running ahead. The car was behind them in an instant, she quickly began to get panicked. She didn't dare speed slap shot up more, if they went too fast around the sharp turns he could loose his footing and fall.
"I'm on horse back, there are some places I can go that a car can't." She thought and glanced to her left seeing one of the paddocks. She steered for it knowing they'd reach a fence soon, she only hoped slap shot didn't refuse at the jump.
"Are we even on a trail now?" Fulton said glancing around as they reached the top of a small hill.
"I'm starting to think not." Dean said looking around.
"Is that a car?" Fulton asked pointing to a moving light well below them.
"Looks like it." Dean said wondering.
Just as the boys above noticed the lights, Julie made out the fence in the now moonlit darkness.
"Here we go." She said softly and urged the horse forward; they reached the fence and soared effortlessly over it. They landed with ease on the other side and went galloping across the field.
"Ok that can't be good." Fulton said as they saw Julie take the fence and continued running.
The car halted to a stop and Julie glanced over her shoulder keeping watch. As she turned her head back towards the front she noticed the movement on the hill, and quickly turned that way. She reached the top and pulled back sending dust flying everywhere.
"What the hell is going on?" Dean asked quickly.
"Like I know? Some lunatic in that car was chasing us. I couldn't see the driver, I don't know that car." She said turning around and looking back down. They watched as the car waited a few minuets then backed up, turned around and left.
"I bet we know who's involved though." Fulton muttered.
"Ok so no more secret meetings with my fellow spy." Julie shook her head.
"Is that what you were up to?" Dean asked and she smiled. "Gezz Jules, I think if you didn't already know you certainly do now how dangerous even riding on your own property is."
"Yes I realize that now, I won't do it again."
"You always say that." Fulton mused.
"Oh shut up." She smirked and went past him.
"Tie her up somewhere." Dean shook his head and turned his horse around to follow.
"Hi ho silver and away!" Fulton yelled and joined the trail ride home.
"I'm waiting." Julie said looking at Fulton.
"Well I humm." Fulton stuttered.
"What did you say to him?" Julie questioned.
"I just called him a chicken! I mean it's not like I put him up to it." He said trying to avoid her stare, "Not exactly."
"Gezz Fulton!" Julie groaned getting up. "Even if he does truly feel that way, do you have any idea how strange he must feel now!"
"I know I know, I shouldn't have pushed him that far but gezz come on. I realize that he was holding off saying anything cause he didn't want to bother you with one more distraction but I thought I was doing what's best for my best friend." Fulton said sitting down.
Julie sighed and walked over sitting down next to him; "It's ok I'm sure after he's over being mad he'll understand." She said pushing him slightly shoulder to shoulder.
"Hope so." He said softly. "Sorry I did this to you also."
"It's ok." She smiled. "Glad you pushed him and not me though."
"Yeah don't tell him this but I fear you're right hook much more then his." He laughed.
"I take that as a compliment." She giggled then got serious. "Would be best to leave him alone for a while, right?"
"Yeah Jules. I got him pretty annoyed, just let him chill and think for a bit. He'll come around when he's ready to talk." Fulton nodded.
They sat in silence for several minutes.
"So what about you?" He asked and she tilted her head slightly.
"About him?" She asked then shrugged at his nod. "I admit there's a little bit of an attraction there."
"A little bit?" Fulton smirked and she jokingly slapped his arm.
"I don't know, I feel comfortable around him. I know I can trust him, depend on him. But is it just that? Or something more?" She said. "I'm not really clear on anything."
"He's not the only one who needs to think." Fulton confirmed.
"Yeah I know." She nodded. "Actually I've been avoiding it, with everything going on right now. I need to stay focused on Mitchell and Alex."
"That's exactly what he's been doing." Fulton smiled, "Man you two are so alike it's scary, right down to the freaky dreams." He laughed then stopped when she got a distressed look on her face.
"Dreams? What do you mean?" She asked softly.
"You know the dream you had, you said something about him being in danger or something?"
"Yeah, so?" She asked.
"He had something similar to that, only it was you." He finished.
"Oh that's comforting." She groaned, "I don't have to ask why he didn't tell me."
"Yeah, freaky stuff." Fulton agreed, "But they are just dreams Jules."
"But dreams can be a window to show you what's looming." She said softly.
"Maybe not this time." He tried to reassure her.
"Hope not." She muttered.
"Dare I go to my room?" She asked.
"He's probley in the room we shared, he knows I wont be coming in there so he'll stay there." He smiled and got up.
They walked inside and slowly made their way to the stairs and down the hall. Once inside her room they flopped down on the sofa. After several minutes of channel surfing they found a movie and settled in.
"Just so you know, he might not show up till tomorrow. Which might be best for you both you know." Fulton said glancing over. He watched as she smiled then responded.
"Is this your way of telling me that I should be off thinking or something?"
"Just a suggestion." He smirked.
"I don't believe thinking about it will help any, sitting back and just letting things be as they should be seems best." She spoke.
"Logical as always." He shook his head.
"I am a goalie." She smiled.
"Then you should be in a mental home." He muttered under his breath.
"I heard that." She said giving him a look as she rose and walked into her room. She spent the next hour on the phone, with whom Fulton never knew since she never said a name. He heard her laughing loudly several times and laughed a little himself. He heard the door open and he smirked despite himself.
"Back so soon?" He said then glanced over at Portman who was now standing at the end of the sofa.
"You know I should kick your ass for forcing all this." He said sitting down. "I would have said something, I almost did when we were leaving the movies. I just don't want to push it, timing isn't right."
"Yeah I know you both are holding it off, you cause you don't want to worry her, and her because she wants to stay focused. I've got it down, but hey I'd do it again." He laughed.
"You just love stirring it up don't you." Portman shook his head.
"Guilty as charged." He smiled.
Julie came threw the door and paused as she pulled her hair up.
"I have to do something, I'll be back in a bit ok?" She said heading for the door.
"Hey!" They both yelled.
"I'll be fine, I'm taking slap shot out for a little jog around the estate. Now unless you two would like to play cowboy and attempt at keeping up with me I'd suggest you stay here." She smiled and shut the door.
"She's up to something." Dean sighed.
"So are we giving her a five minute head start or two?" Fulton smirked.
"Why not go wild and give her all five?" He laughed and got up.
Julie called down to the stable asking for her horse to be saddled and waiting, since she knew she'd have two guys following her. She didn't want her Mitchell watcher to be known just yet, so a quick leave was in order. She jogged down the path reaching the stable just as one of the guys led slap shot out.
"Thank you." She smiled and jumped up in the saddle and took off. Twenty minutes later she was beginning to wish she'd asked to meet closer, instead of at the far end of the property.
"Another of my brilliant ideas huh boy?" She said patting the horse who replied with a snort. "Least you blend in with the dark night, I shouldn't have worn white." She mused. "But would have been too obvious if I wore all black."
She slowed him down to a canter and glanced around, finally she saw a small flashlight signal from behind the tree. She flashed one in return and pulled slap shot to a stop and tied him behind a smaller tree then went over to converse with the snitch.
"I think were lost." Fulton said looking around.
"Were not lost." Dean grumbled.
"You said that ten minutes ago." Fulton sighed.
"There's hoof prints all over the place, how was I to know this is a popular trail around here?" Dean grumbled again.
"We need to put a tracking device on that girl." Fulton suggested.
"That would be great, but she'd figure it out and we'd be at her mercy." Dean smiled.
"Scared of her are you?"
"You've seen her right hook, I think I should be the goalie and she should be the enforcer." Dean recommended while Fulton agreed and laughed.
"She can't be that far can she? I mean this is a massive place but she's only got a few minutes on us." Fulton looked around.
"She's on horse." Dean explained.
"Well so are we." Fulton said giving him a crazy look.
"Yeah but Julie on a horse and us on a horse are two very different things." Dean nodded.
"Where's Dwayne when you need him" Fulton shook his head.
"Yeah really." Dean muttered then pulled back suddenly on the reigns causing the horse to fling his head. "Good lord I'll never figure out how to handle one of these things."
"Please no problem, just don't jerk the bit so hard in his mouth and everything will be fine." Fulton shrugged and patted his horse.
"And how did you get so horse wise?" Dean shot him a look.
"I just have skills." Fulton smirked, and Dean muttered something rolling his eyes.
Julie glanced around making sure they were still alone. "So everything is set right?"
"Everything is going perfectly."
"Ok good, just watch your back. It won't be long now." Julie smiled.
"Lights"
"What?" Julie asked looking to where the informant pointed. "Headlights."
"Time to go." The informant said quickly.
"You first, it wouldn't look strange me being here but you it would." Julie said sending them off.
Luckily the lights seem to have stopped for some reason, which gave her snitch time to get away. Julie waited a few minutes then jogged over and untied slap shot and led him back to the path. She glanced around seeing the lights still halted, "What is going on?" She wondered. She walked backwards beside the horse for awhile keeping her eyes on the lights. She got around a turn and figured she was out of anyone's sight, turned back around and got back aboard slap shot.
"Back home we go boy." She whispered and sent him off. She was so off in thought she didn't notice she was no longer alone, not until the lights illuminated all around her. She turned around quickly seeing headlights no less then a mile behind her.
"Why me?" She wondered, knowing it couldn't have been anyone from the farm.
She urged slap shot forward into a quicker pace, the faster she went the fast the car behind her went. They closed in and finally she let loose of the reigns and sent him running ahead. The car was behind them in an instant, she quickly began to get panicked. She didn't dare speed slap shot up more, if they went too fast around the sharp turns he could loose his footing and fall.
"I'm on horse back, there are some places I can go that a car can't." She thought and glanced to her left seeing one of the paddocks. She steered for it knowing they'd reach a fence soon, she only hoped slap shot didn't refuse at the jump.
"Are we even on a trail now?" Fulton said glancing around as they reached the top of a small hill.
"I'm starting to think not." Dean said looking around.
"Is that a car?" Fulton asked pointing to a moving light well below them.
"Looks like it." Dean said wondering.
Just as the boys above noticed the lights, Julie made out the fence in the now moonlit darkness.
"Here we go." She said softly and urged the horse forward; they reached the fence and soared effortlessly over it. They landed with ease on the other side and went galloping across the field.
"Ok that can't be good." Fulton said as they saw Julie take the fence and continued running.
The car halted to a stop and Julie glanced over her shoulder keeping watch. As she turned her head back towards the front she noticed the movement on the hill, and quickly turned that way. She reached the top and pulled back sending dust flying everywhere.
"What the hell is going on?" Dean asked quickly.
"Like I know? Some lunatic in that car was chasing us. I couldn't see the driver, I don't know that car." She said turning around and looking back down. They watched as the car waited a few minuets then backed up, turned around and left.
"I bet we know who's involved though." Fulton muttered.
"Ok so no more secret meetings with my fellow spy." Julie shook her head.
"Is that what you were up to?" Dean asked and she smiled. "Gezz Jules, I think if you didn't already know you certainly do now how dangerous even riding on your own property is."
"Yes I realize that now, I won't do it again."
"You always say that." Fulton mused.
"Oh shut up." She smirked and went past him.
"Tie her up somewhere." Dean shook his head and turned his horse around to follow.
"Hi ho silver and away!" Fulton yelled and joined the trail ride home.
