Julia clutched the script of Body Double, the crime show on which she was set to appear, close to her chest. These pages were confidential, and if even a line of dialogue was to get out… it was unthinkable. She'd be fired, at the very least, and Julia did not wish to lose this particular role. She was an avid follower of the intelligent, gritty, and well-paced show penned by writer Artie Doyle, and would have done just about anything for a part. She had been ecstatic when Thomas had phoned with the news, and had been thoroughly engrossed with both the script and her character's mentality. Julia was set to play a troubled policewoman who poses as a prostitute in order to uncover an illegal organization, and finds herself falling into deep trouble. Julia had found herself asking questions about this character's past and motivations, as to portray her to the best of her abilities, and had discovered within herself a fascination toward psychiatry. Perhaps, she thought with some amusement, I was a psychiatrist in another life. Shaking such thoughts aside- as they were ridiculous to contemplate upon- Julia glanced up from the lawn chair that she was relaxing on. William sat on the grass, a little way away, his face somber. As she watched, he lifted his phone and put it to his ear, for the seventh time in the past ten minutes. Shaking her head, in equal measure sympathetic and exasperated, Julia made her way over, sinking down beside him.

"Who are you calling?" she asked, quietly, though she was fairly certain that she knew whom he was attempting to reach.

"Susannah," William replied, his agitation plain on his face and palpable in his frustrated voice. "She won't answer- I'm worried- perhaps I should go over there and-"

"Didn't you talk to her an hour ago?" Julia said patiently, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear as it fluttered in the light wind. "I think that you should leave her be."

William glared at her, his brown eyes unusually harsh. "She's extremely sick, Julia. At any moment- I need to make sure- as her elder brother, I have to…"

Again, Julia cut him off, laying a cautious hand on his shoulder. "I understand completely, William. I have a younger sister, too, remember?" At this, she couldn't suppress a wince. Ruby had been arrested yesterday, for disorderly conduct- Julia assumed that she had been hammered- and she hadn't been there to clean up the mess. Though she felt somewhat guilty about this, for the most part, she felt relieved. Toronto was a sanctuary, a break from yelling agents and drunken sisters and ego-bruised costars. "Still…. There's only so much that you can do. Be supportive, be there for her when she needs you, but don't smother her. Smothering is not something that Susannah wants or needs." Julia thought of herself at Susannah and Ruby's age, smiling wryly.

"I suppose you're right," William said grudgingly. There was a moment of strained silence, and then he continued. "I'm sorry for snapping. You didn't deserve that. And I'm sorry for making your trip so miserable, with my moping around."

"There's no need to apologize," Julia replied, firmly. "I'm glad that I was able to be here for you, when you most needed me. I had to be here for my show, anyways." Her hand found his; his touch, as usual, was steady and reassuring. "You do need cheering up, though. I'll think of something." True to her word, Julia's mind began to whiz. There weren't many films on at the moment, save one of hers, but the thought of watching herself on screen didn't at all appeal to her. They'd already been to a restaurant, the other day, but they couldn't make a habit of it- William felt uncomfortable allowing Julia to pay, and he truly could not afford many dinner dates. They were both of them content with lounging at parks and beaches, talking the long summer days away, but Julia wanted to do something special. A little blue envelope winged its way to the front of her mind; she frowned, struggling to remember its contents, and how they were significant.

Immediately, Julia sat upright, having slid down onto the grass a bit. "William?"

"Yes?" he asked, rather sleepily

"Didn't you mention once that you admired James Pendrick?"

"The architect? Indeed. He's a childhood idol of mine. I had hoped to meet him at Toronto's invention convention, several years ago, but he was not present." William glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Why? What do you have in mind?

Julia grinned mischievously.

"For goodness's sake, William, you look perfectly fine," Julia said, in an infuriated manner. Of course, she thought that he looked more than fine, in his handsome suit- or perhaps he himself made the suit handsome- but that was beside the point. He continually fiddled with his bow tie and glanced about nervously; Julia wondered if he had ever before been to a party of this type. James Pendrick was celebrating the success of his newest industry endeavor, and many important businesspeople and celebrities were attending. The party was housed in one of Pendrick's buildings, which had greatly excited William, though Julia shared little to none of enthusiasm. These sorts of festivities generally bored her to tears, but she was willing to face a dull evening if it meant that William's spirits were lifted. She hated to see him so morose; it wasn't right. Neither he nor Susannah should have to face such a thing, so early in life. Julia had only met Susannah briefly, but she had told the younger woman that she would be there for her and her brother, in any way possible. That was a promise that she sorely intended to keep, even if her career itself got in its way.

"How many people will be here?" William asked, subdued, as a flashily dressed couple brushed by and entered the building, their talk and laughter cutting through the air.

"Quite a few, I imagine," Julia replied honestly. "Mr. Pendrick isn't well acquainted with many, as he's, uh… a tad eccentric. However, his wife, Sally Pendrick, is. I'm guessing that it was she who arranged this party; Mr. Pendrick would probably rather work."

"I didn't even know that he had a wife," divulged William, "but I'm excited to meet her."

"Don't you get too attached," Julia warned, good-naturedly. As they walked, arm and arm, nearing the doors, a sudden thought occurred to her. "William? It doesn't matter at all; you certainly don't have to at this particular party… but I'm curious. Can you dance? Ballroom dance, I mean."
William appeared to be blushing, but she couldn't wholly tell in the gloom. "…No, I can't. I've never really had reason to learn, as I've never had an opportunity to…."

Julia exhaled. "Good. I'm not the only one. I've never had reason to learn, either. We should take lessons together; I think it would be quite interesting."

"Susannah took several lessons, I believe. With a Professor Otranto," William replied, simply making conversation. His sister's name, however, appeared to have an affect on him, and so Julia quickened her pace. She wrapped a hand around the door handle.

"Julia?" William's voice was warm. "You look beautiful tonight."

It was Julia's turn to blush, and this time, she hoped that the darkness would conceal the flush coloring her cheeks. "Thank you, William. You look rather dashing yourself."

A tumult of noise reached their ears the moment they stepped inside; warmth enveloped them, alongside soft artificial lights. The room was massive, and gently oval shaped, with a domed ceiling and far stretching marble floors. The guests filled it well, however, and smartly dressed waiters flitted from side to side, laden with silver trays. There appeared to be a band in the corner, though they played quietly, their music underlying the chatter pleasantly. Julia looked around, drinking in the sights and scents, appreciating the architecture and design of the room. She would have been content to keep to herself and William, but that would be considered unspeakably rude; a woman of her Hollywood status had to meet and greet. Eying a nearby food table- God, was she starving- Julia began to point out various people to William. Terrance Meyers stood beside the band, talking urgently into his phone, his hand cupped over his mouth as to hide it. Julia thought this absurd, as he wasn't some kind of government secret agent, but didn't comment on it. Isaac Tash, a director and producer, was talking to an unknown man and woman. She looked forward to talking once more with her old high school friend, but decided to avoid him under William's eye. After all, Isaac knew. Isaac was the only one that she had confided in, after it had been done. Not even her father knew. Shaking off old ghosts and regrets, Julia scanned the sea of people for James. She quickly located him- and without Sally, thankfully- and tugged on William's arm as to capture his attention.

"William, Mr. Pendrick is over there. I'll introduce you to him."

James seemed delighted to see Julia once more, and he regarded William curiously after obligingly shaking his hand. Julia searched his eyes, but could find no trace of knowledge within their depths. Of course not. He wasn't the type to read tabloids or listen to gossip. She watched, silently, as the two men hit it off, as she had suspected. They shared many common interests, and were both men of intellect, and their conversation flowed effortlessly. As they began to discuss James's latest project, Julia slipped away. She approached the food table, stomach growling with hunger, but froze when Sally Pendrick came into view. Unfortunately, the other woman noticed her, and made her way over.

"Ms Ogden! It's so good to see you. We thought you wouldn't be able to make it."

"Sudden change of plans," Julia said, trying not to sound short. "I'm glad that we were able to come, after all, though. It's a pleasure to see you and James again."

Sally's sharp eyes lit up. "Of course, you have company," she purred- that was the only way Julia could describe her tone- "and he's very handsome company."

Julia's own eyes narrowed. She didn't appreciate the way that Sally was looking over at William in the slightest. "Yes, he is," she said curtly. Julia had never liked Sally to begin with- too clever, too flirty, too manipulative, too unreadable- but she felt her opinion on her drop even further. "Excuse me. I must go and talk to Mr. Tash."

"Of course," said Sally absently, her gaze still on William. "I think I'll go introduce myself to your… friend. I must discuss something with James, in any case."

Julia very nearly growled; her hunger suddenly gone, she stalked toward Isaac.

"Julia!" He, too, sounded surprised, though a dash more welcoming than Mrs. Pendrick.

"Why is everyone so surprised that I'm here?" demanded Julia irritably. "I'm not socially impaired. I do attend events like this, on occasion. My presence isn't that astounding."

Isaac had the nerve to laugh, and her hot temper melted inside of her. He offered her a bright smile. "It's good to see you again, Julia. How have you been?"

"It's good to see you too. I've missed our talks. I've been busy, extremely busy, and I've been forgetting to call… I know that's a pretty lame excuse."

Again he grinned. "It is. I forgive you, though. I haven't called either; believe it or not, I was extremely busy, too." One of his eyebrows lifted as he changed tack. "Who's your friend?"

"That's the second time he's been called my friend," noted Julia with a touch of annoyance. "Do we have a friendship vibe? Am I doing something wrong?"

"No. I just didn't know what to call him, and I wasn't certain. You know that I don't read the tabloids. He's not in the business, is he?"

"He's not," confirmed Julia, with a nod. "I met him at the Blood and Circuses premiere; he lives here, in Toronto. There were also a few… accidental… texting things."

Isaac scratched at the back of his head, his concentration wavering slightly. His eyes darkened as he lowered his voice. "Are you and him… serious?"

"Yes. I think so. I hope so," Julia responded, and then she groaned. "You're making me feel as if I'm sixteen again. Do you remember that boy I dated?"

"The one who broke your heart within three days of your relationship? I remember him. I also remember distinctly warning you not to date him." The words were lighthearted, but they didn't match his intense tone. "If you're serious… have you told him?"

She glared fiercely at him. "Not yet! I need time! He's a devout Catholic; he doesn't… I need the right way to tell him. I want to wait for a little while, and…"

"Julia."

"All right, Isaac, I'm scared. I don't want to ruin what we have, and this… this really might. I should have told him, right from the start, but I was scared then, too. I put it off, thinking I'd build up courage, but I haven't." Julia didn't look directly at her friend.

"Is there anything else you're scared of? Him telling the media, for example?" Isaac questioned, and then his hands flew into the air. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sure he wouldn't. I'm concerned for you, though, Julia. You have to tell him soon."

"I know," she replied miserably. She turned once more to look at William and James, noticing how close Sally Pendrick was standing next to him. Clenching her fists, "but first, I'm going to punch Sally Pendrick's lights out. With satisfaction." Julia didn't mean it, although she considered it while approaching the trio- she resigned herself to a forced smile, positioning herself so that Sally was forced to shift away.

William seemed attuned to her feelings; he took her hand and politely excused them. "Let's go outside for a bit," William suggested. "This room is lovely, but somewhat stifling."

The night was as quiet as it could be in the middle of Toronto, but per usual, Julia found the hum of the traffic comforting. She was home.

"It's a full moon tonight," observed William, pointing toward the bright white orb.

"Don't tell me you believe in werewolves," teased Julia, a smile evident in her voice. William chuckled. "George told me what those were recently. I didn't know before."

Julia turned to face him, taken aback. "Really? I thought everyone knew what they were. They're kind of a trend, aren't they? Ruby's really into the Twilight saga, so I know all about gorgeous werewolves. Gorgeous sparkling vampires, too."

She wasn't sure, but by the way the shadows on his face moved, he was frowning in puzzlement. "Vampires… sparkle? Since when? That seems rather odd to me…"

"I agree wholeheartedly. I couldn't take Twilight. Dracula was a far better vampire read."

Again he laughed; Julia was becoming extremely fond of the sound. William asked whether or not anybody would miss them, and she honestly couldn't care less. This was a near-perfect moment, watching the night with William, feeling him beside her. Only one thing could possibly make it bette- abruptly, William leaned down and kissed her. Julia sighed with contentment as she leaned into him, hands threading through his hair. Scratch that. This was absolutely perfect, and no-one and nothing could make a dent in her happiness.