Author's Note: Thanks for last nights reviews, I truly appreciate them. I am laid up with a really bad cold, which means a lot of writing for meee!! Anyway, yeah, lots of drama, even more in this chapter. Hehe, I'm torturing you I know.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything!

Chapter 5: Ex Encounters

"Portman's in my bed," Connie said walking in and then out of her room the next morning, Gary looked up from his coffee and nodded, "Why is Portman in my bed?"

"Because he's too big for the couch?" He said. She looked at him, with her head to the side. "Ok, they had a fight, and she wouldn't let him back in her room, so he was going to sleep on the couch, which I thought was stupid, because well, you weren't sleeping in your room."

"OK, new house rule," Connie smiled, "When I'm sleeping at Rick's you don't get to let people sleep in my bed, alright?"

"Fine," he said, "Oh, Guy's coming over."

"Which explains why you took a shower," Connie smiled.

"Does not," Gary said, "I have work, I like to not smell at work."

"Mmm," Connie nodded, "of course. It's OK to like him Gary."

"No it's not," Gary shook his head, "it's not OK to like him, because you are far too important to me, and to him, to screw up how good things are right now."

"You two talked," Connie said, finally understanding.

"Yes, yes we did," he nodded, "right after you two started talking again. Also, he has a boyfriend. Which is what I'm thinking his surprise is, we get to meet the new boyfriend."

"He has a surprise?" Connie said.

"According to Colleen," Gary nodded. "She was the only person around when he called poor thing." He shook his head.

"What did Julie and Dean fight over?" Connie said, finally braving that conversation. "Was it Gunnar related?"

"He slept with Tammy," Gary said.

"No!" Connie gasped. "When?"

"Right after she and Gunnar got engaged," He said. "They were on the same plane to California, or something."

"That's not good," Connie said. "That's very not good."

"I know it's not good," Dean groaned as he stood up. Connie looked at her coffee. "Next time you're talking about me, make sure the door is closed. I know its not good. But to be fair, I thought she was marrying someone else."

"Tammy, Dean?" Connie said, "Really? I mean, what did Fulton say?"

"He wasn't happy with me," he sighed, "but well, he forgave me pretty quickly."

"How do guys do it?" Connie said, "it took me six months to talk to Gary again after the whole Guy thing."

"Different scenario," Gary said, "You and Guy were still together. Tammy and Fulton, way over. Am I right?"

"Not to Fulton," Dean shook his head. "She's his Julie."

"Hey," Julie walked out, wearing nothing but her Ducks jersey, he smiled, "I wanted to apologize, and maybe, make it up to you." She walked over sat on his lap and kissed him.

"OK, gross," Connie said, standing up, "I'm going to change, and go to work."

"Hello?" Guy knocked on the door, "You know, New York is a pretty dangerous city and you people should really, Portman?"

"Guy!" Connie ran over and hugged him, "they're back together." She shook her head towards them.

"I gathered." He nodded. "Jules, you, uh, gonna put some pants on there?"

"Shit!" Colleen ran out of her room, "Sorry, hi, good morning shit! I'm late, I'm gonna get fired, I've had this job for like two days and I'm gonna get," she stopped, "Hi."

"Colleen," Connie smiled, "this is Guy. Guy, our new roommate Colleen."

"Hi," he said, waving, and then looking over at Julie and Portman who were making out in the kitchen. "Julie seriously, pants!" She laughed, and stood up.

"I have to get ready for work anyway," she kissed him one more time and stood up. "Oh, Guy, what's this surprise you told poor Colleen here about?"

"Pants first," he said, pointing to her room, "surprise second."

"Like you even care," she rolled her eyes, "but fine, for you, pants. Sorry Dean, Guy said I need to put pants on to get my surprise."

"You get a bigger one if you don't put them on," Dean said, biting his lip.

"Again," Connie said, "gross." Julie stuck out her tongue as she walked into her room.

"Hi Gary," Guy said, Gary waved, "oh, so surprise," he said, "I was walking around a couple of weeks ago, and you'll never guess who I ran into!" He went over to the door. "Guess who?"

"Hi!" Tammy squealed as he opened the door. Connie's face dropped.

"Oh shit," Dean said.

"You don't look happy to see me," Tammy said scanning the room, completely confused, and when she saw him, "Oh no."

"There Guy are you happy?" Julie walked out in one of her work outfits, pulling her shoes on, not looking up "So what's the big sur," she looked up, tightened her lips and walked out of the apartment, slamming the door.

"You two got back together," Tammy said, Dean nodded, "and you told her?"

"Told her what?" Guy said, "What happened?"

"We slept together," Tammy said sheepishly, Guy's eyes got big.

"Does Fulton know?" Guy said looking at them both.

"No!"

"Yes!" They said at the same time.

"You told him?" She said.

"You didn't?" He said.

"No," she shook her head, "I didn't think you would tell Julie either. Since we both agreed that it was a terrible drunken vulnerable mistake."

"You know what," Connie said, "I'm just going to go."

"Uh, me too," Gary said, "Good seeing you guys." They walked out of the apartment.

"Hi," Colleen said, after a few minutes of tension, "I'm Colleen, you must be Tammy?" They just sort of stared at her, "Alright, well, I guess I'll go too." She smiled awkwardly and walked out.

"So," Guy said, "you two, um, when?" They glared at him. "You know what, none of us live here, so we should probably go."

Julie fumed as she walked up the street. What was probably the worst about it was that she really had no right to be mad. She had come around to it, it was in the past, but God, there she was just standing, like she had no shame or something. Tammy Duncan, the original blonde Duck. Every time Julie stood in a room with that girl she felt inadequate. In high school, when she met Tammy, she couldn't help but notice that this girl was prettier than her, more feminine than her, and because she wasn't on the team anymore, whenever she was around got more attention than any one else in the room. It drove her crazy, the thought that Dean slept with her killed her inside. She could imagine it was just another comparison that she would have to deal with, another way that Julie wouldn't measure up to Tammy. She stopped for a moment, to gather herself and gazed at the ground. She looked up and started walking again. She sighed loudly as she reached the building for work. She did not need work right now. Her job was shit, her boyfriend was sitting in her apartment with the one woman she didn't know if she could forgive him for sleeping with, and she knew she looked like a total mess, the only thing that could possibly make this moment worse,

"Julie," she looked up, and it happened. "How are you?"

"Hi, Gunnar," she said, trying to smile, oh shit, "I'm, um, I'm good. How are you?"

"I'm good," he smiled, she sighed, this is not how you're supposed to run into your ex the first time. "It's good to see you. You look, um well."

"I'm kind of a mess this morning," she blushed, "but you look great."

"You look beautiful," he nodded, "you always look beautiful." She sighed and looked down. He kissed her on the cheek. "It's good to see you."

"You too," she nodded, awkwardly. "I should really get in to work." She stopped for a minute and looked at him.

"I've wanted to call you," he said, "I wasn't sure if I should. How's your past month been?"

"Good," she nodded, "Dean and I got back together." She closed her eyes.

"And that's working out for you?" He said, she could hear him trying to hide the hurt in his voice.

"For now," she nodded, "I really have to go, but it was so good to see you."

"You too," he nodded and started walking. "Bye."

"Bye," she said quietly. She walked into the building and up to her desk. Once she settled in and got herself together, she picked up the phone.

Carla sighed as the phone next to her and Charlie's bed rang.

"Let the machine get it," he said, kissing her.

"I can't," she said, "what if it's an emergency."

"They'll leave a message." He said, "Come on, just leave it."

"I can't" she said, kissing him. "Hello?"

"Carla?" Julie said, "I need you."

"Jules?" She said, Charlie groaned and stood up.

"I'll leave you alone," he said, walking out. "Tell her I say hi."

"What's up?" Carla said.

"Dean slept with Tammy," Julie said, "and I flipped out about it, and we had a huge fight."

"Oh sweetie," Carla said, "When?"

"A month ago," Julie sighed, "right after Connie told him about Gunnar. Anyway, it gets worse."

"What happened?" Carla sighed.

"Guy came in from California for the week," Julie started, "and guess who came with him?"

"No!" Carla said, "She was in the apartment."

"Yup," Julie sighed, "Just standing there, in all her perfect Tammy glory. Anyway, I just stormed out and headed to work, dirty hair, no makeup, just left, and on my way to work, I ran into Gunnar."

"You have had the worst morning in the history of the world," Carla said, "I'm mentally hugging you right now."

"I appreciate that." She laughed. "What really sucks is, I was such a mess, and he looked," she sighed, "well you know."

"Perfect," Carla nodded.

"Exactly," Julie sighed, "Well, I should probably actually work."

"Call if you need anything," Carla said, "And Julie."

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to worry about him comparing you to her," Carla said, "I know that's why you freaked."

"I know," she nodded, "Bye."

"Bye." Carla hung up and got out of bed. She walked into the kitchen. "Mm, I'm gone for a few days and all of a sudden the whole world falls apart."

"Everything OK out there?" Charlie said.

"It will be," she nodded and kissed him.

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