Romeo and Julie - Chapter 27
Disclaimer - Not mine.
Notes - I wrote this chapter in about an hour, so I am sorry if it is lame, but I don't have a lot of time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adam stood in front of the mirrors that had been set up out the back in the change room area. He picked up a few items, looked at them, and then placed them down again, confused. He had no idea what any of this shit was. If he lived to be a hundred years old, he would never, ever, understand women and makeup.
His mother spent more on makeup then what he had spent on Hockey gear over the years. She would never leave the house unless she was made up to the nines, and Adam decided early that that was not something that he necessarily found attractive. Girls didn't have to wear make up to be sexy to him, they just needed to be strong and sporty.
But thinking of that was not solving his problem, looking over his shoulder, he called over to Julie and Connie. "Do either of you know how to do make up?"
"Think about that question" Julie asked, crossing to the makeup table, staring at all the stuff. She didn't even know what most of it was. "I am Julie. I have never even done my own make-up, what makes you think I could do yours!"
"Make up" Charlie came up behind them and picked up an eye shadow, silently reading the label "Why do we need makeup anyway?"
Julie shrugged. "Didn't Meredith say something about without make up we would look pale on stage"
"None of us know how to do make up!" Adam sighed, collapsing into a nearby chair. "We are so screwed. How much time do we have left?"
"4 hours. We can work something out." Ken entered, checking his watch quickly. Ken then turned to the other girl. "Connie, do you know how to do make up?"
"I can do my own makeup." She admitted. "Doing make up on you lot, is a completely different matter"
Dean strode into the room and exclaimed. "God, must I always be the one to save the day?"
Julie's jaw dropped, how could the teams enforcer be able to solve their makeup problem. "Portman, you know less about make up then I do, how could you possibly 'Save the day' "
"Because one of us has to have the ideas around here, or nothing would get done" He grinned, and then turned to Adam. He held out his hand and said. "Cake Eater, can I borrow your cell phone?"
Adam reached into his pocket and fished out his little cell phone, handing it to the other boy. Dean looked at it for a few seconds before flipping it open and punching some numbers. Julie was the first to scoff. "I refuse to see how this is helping us…"
"Shh" he mumbled to her, blocking her with his hand. Then, into the phone, he said. "Mom, hey, its Jake" he ignored the confused look of a few members of the team, who obviously had no idea who Jake was. "Are you busy for the next few hours?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Averman lifted his side of the large back drop and moved it into the position. On the other side of it, lifting, was Dean. Or Jake. Or Dean. Or what ever the hell his name was. "So… Jake"
Dean looked up. "What?"
"Jake?" Averman replied.
Dean knew that the others on the team would want to know what that was about. He was not ready to share the story, so he just shrugged and said. "So, its my name"
Averman scratched his head in confusion. "I thought you name was Dean"
"Jake is short for Dean" Dean shrugged absently.
"How?"
"Does it matter. I have a nickname, who cares" Dean growled, and then turned to the door of the auditorium, which had just entered. His mom, who would forever now be called an angel had just entered, and with her was…Deanie. Shit. She will want to meet and greet now. "Oh, mom's here…and she brought Dean"
"Dean?" Averman looked from the boy that he had always known as Dean, to the girl that Dean had just called Dean. If she was Dean and he was Jake, then why was he Dean and what we her name. Crap this was getting confusing. "Is any one else confused"
"Mom" Dean jumped off of the stage and hugged his mother, and then turned to Joanna. "Sister…what are you doing here"
Joanna smiled triumphantly. "I have come to meet the Ducks"
"Fine, you are here, come and meet them." He sighed. He knew that this would happen. He sat her down in a chair and then turned to his Mom again. "Mom, thank you so much for this. We had a director crisis, and she was going to do our stage make up…"
"Jake, it is no problem, can I head back stage and set up?" she asked. Dean smiled.
"Sure" He pointed her in the direction of backstage, and then grabbed Joanna by the arm, pulling her to her feet. "Now you"
"Ouch, Dean, you are hurting me" she mumbled.
"Charlie, Guy, Connie, Dwayne" Portman told her, pointing to each person as he said their name. "Ken, Averman, Luis, Banksie" He turned her to another group. "Russ, Goldberg, and you already know Fulton. There, you have met everyone"
"That is not meeting them. That is you pointing." Joanna replied, hands on her hips. "You have done that with photographs before, and even then I felt I connected with them better." Then she realised something, Dean had left out a name. "And besides, Where is Julie?"
Dean sighed, and Joanna wondered if Julie had told him about their little conversation. "Backstage probably"
"You are such a pansy" Joanna sighed, looking at the Ducks, who were scattered and preparing. "Introduce me or I introduce myself."
"Fine" Dean growled, why did she have to be like this. "Guys! I want you to meet my little sister, Joanna. Joanna, these are the guys on my team"
"It is nice to meet you all, finally" Joanna called back, and then said to Dean, loudly for others to hear. "See the way I said 'finally' Dean"
"I saw" He sighed, and then turned her around and sat her in another chair. "Now can I trust you to sit here, and just watch."
Joanna saluted her brother as he walked off to find something to do. He could be suck a jerk. A lovable Jerk, but a jerk all the same. Joanna jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning to the person who had gotten her attention, her jaw dropped.
"Hi, sorry, I just wanted to introduce myself" the boy said, holding out his hand.
Joanna stared at the nice boy, who would have to be the most gorgeous creature she had ever met. "Wow"
"Wow?" Adam asked, shocked.
"Shit, that was rude, I am sorry" She replied, placing her hand in his, that he was still offering her to shake. "Joanna Portman"
"Adam Banks"
"Hi" Joanna smiled, still holding his hand. Adam made no move to pull away either. "I think I remember hearing stories about you ."
Adam sat and chuckled, slipping his hand away from hers, but still staying close. "If they are from Portman, I assure you they are not true"
"Well, I seem to remember that the word 'prep' was used in association with you" Joanna grinned teasingly. Adam smiled. "And something about eating cake"
"Oh…then it is true" he laughed, running a hand though his hair.
Some one, Joanna was not sure who, yelled from the stage. "Banksie, get back to work"
"That's me, I have to go" He stood and shook her hand quickly again. "Nice to meet you"
Joanna watched as he left, and then collapsed back into her chair. "They don't breed them like that in Chicago"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Next" Lillian smiled as she let the person that she had just finished working on go, and waited for the next person. She turned and was pleasantly surprised at who it was that was there. "Fulton, kiss kiss"
"Hi Momma Portman" he smiled.
"Seriously Fulton" Lillian rolled her eyes and took his bandanna off of his head. Then, she had to tie his hair back so that it would not interfere with her makeup. "My name is Lillian. You either call me mom, or you call me Lillian, none of this Momma Portman crap."
"Ok" He smiled. As much as he loved Dean's mother, he was uncomfortable with calling her mom, so he settled with "Lillian"
"That's better" Lillian smiled at the boy. She picked up her make up and sighed. "Now, I am just going to keep you nice and simple…you are pale, but you are lucky, pale is making a comeback."
Fulton smiled and closed his eyes, letting her work on his face. "I have to say, this is odd, wearing make up"
Lillian smiled. "But I bet that you never even thought that you would get a part in a play like this, did you"
"Hell, ten years ago, I never would have even thought that I would play hockey" Fulton replied. It was amazing to think that that was true. "And now look at me"
"Yeah, my little boys are growing up" Lillian laughed, wiping away a fake tear "Both off with girlfriends"
"Dean doesn't have a girl friend" Fulton replied. And then sighed. "And I have an 'almost-girlfriend', but I guess that is a girlfriend all the same"
"Fulton, you don't have to lie for Dean. I know how my son gets when he is in love" Lillian replied. "Who is the lucky girl?"
"Julie…" Fulton surprised. It was amazing how Lillian could make him want to just spill his guts, about anything, whether it be something about himself, or about others. Fulton really was a horrible liar, he realised. "They are in the middle of a big, 'Days of our lives' style relationship, but they will work it out soon"
"Close your eyes, don't squint" Lillian told him, and began applying something to his face. "What about you? what is an 'Almost-girlfriend'?"
"Rebecca had only just broken up some other boy." Fulton replied softly. "So we are waiting, but…exclusive"
"You are one in a million Fult. If I was 20 year younger…" Lillian was amazed. Fulton was so much more mature then any others his age. He surely was a sensitive new age guy. "No, I am not going to finish that thought. I already fear that Dean and Joanna will be in therapy one day." Lillian paused and looked at him. "But this girl, this Rebecca, she is lucky to have you. I hope that she is worthy…"
"She is more then worthy" Fulton sighed. "I am the one who is unworthy…"
"Love"
"What?" Fulton asked, opening his eyes to look at her.
"You are in love" Lillian playfully tapped him on the nose with the powder brush. "And probably scared"
Fulton smiled. Was he really that easy to read? "Only of the future"
"I know the feeling" Lillian admitted.
"Lillian, you love Dean's father right?"
"Of course I do" Lillian replied, applying more make up to his face. "I adore him"
Fulton nervously asked. "Would you have left your home town, and your family, just to be with him?"
"Fulton, listen to my voice." Lillian smiled, resting her hands on his shoulders to get him to open his eyes. Fulton opened them, and really listened to her. "I don't talk like a Chicago native do I?"
"No" he admitted. He had never realised it, but Lillian Portman spoke differently from her husband and children.
"Because I did move to be with him" She replied. "I left California, bright, sunny Cali to move to cold Chicago to be with him."
"Do you regret it?" Fulton asked. He had happy that he had some one to talk to about this, because all he had been able to think about lately was if he would regret not going to New York with Beck. He had so many reasons to stay, but really, none of them felt that important when he thought about missing her. Missing being with her.
"Never once." Lillian told him firmly.
"Did your family and friends support your decision?" Fulton asked.
"They knew how much Jack meant to me" She shrugged. She knew how important this conversation was to Fulton, but she didn't want to get to serious with it all, because usually that made them shut down. "How much I loved him, and they knew that I was doing the right thing"
"How did you know that you were doing the right thing?"
"Because I could look at him and see everything I wanted." Lillian admitted. "I looked at him, and I saw Dean and Joanna, and years of happy marriage. My future was with Jack Portman. And I would have followed him to the moon and back for what he could give to me." She smiled at the young man before her. "Are you thinking of following Rebecca to the ends of the earth?"
Fulton smirked. "Only to New York"
"If you really love her Fult, or you could see yourself loving her, then it should be no big deal to go with her." Lillian whispered, finished his make up quickly. "If you are worried about leaving your father, don't be, he will understand. And as long as you send a post card to us every now and then, the Portman's wont forget you."
"Thank you"
"Fulton, I mean it. You are like a son to me." Lillian told him softly, and Fulton looked away so that he could hide what he was thinking. He wanted to hide what her nice words were making her feel. "And we all love you. We want you to be happy, and if Rebecca and New York make you happy…"
Fulton stood, quickly and carefully kissed her on the cheek, and left before either of them could get to emotional.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adam pulled back the curtains and looked out over the filling auditorium. "Oh my god, there are people out there"
Behind him, Russ laughed and hit him in the back. "Funny that, considering that they have come to watch us"
"But they are like, real people" Adam swallowed nervously.
"Shut up Banks" Russ rolled his eyes.
"The audience is filling guys" Charlie announced, calling the rest of the team over to where he was standing. They all gathered around for a last minute pep talk. "We are really going to do this?"
Fulton smiled at them. "To late to quit now"
"That is a lot of people" Adam groaned, and Portman took him by the back of the shirt, pulling him away from the curtain.
"Shut up Banks" Russ sighed. "You plan to make a career out of professional hockey, you better get used to crowds"
Connie smiled nervously, she looked like she was going to be sick. "Can you believe it. I never thought that we would ever get this far"
"Sorry to interrupt this tender moment, but, I should go grab my seat" Lillian Portman smiled at the gang, and the Ducks all smiled their thanks at her. "Break a leg, I will be back at intermission for touch ups."
"Thanks Mrs Portman" Charlie grinned. "You are life saver"
"No problem kids" Lillian smiled, kissed Dean on the cheek, and then left the backstage area. "Have fun out there"
As Lillian left, she passed a surprised Meredith, who was in shocked at the group. They looked like they were about to go on stage. "What is going on? What are you all doing here?"
"We have a play to preform" Charlie replied. Meredith's jaw dropped.
"Didn't you think that my storming out sort of meant that , I don't know, the play was cancelled" She exclaimed.
"We have gotten this far, not going to quit now" Julie replied.
Goldberg smirked. "According to Charlie, we don't need you"
"You don't need me?" Meredith repeated, looking from the captain to the others. The Ducks should be called sheep, because they would follow Charlie anywhere. "Is that right is it, Mr. Conway?"
"Yes" he replied confidently.
Meredith shrugged. "Well, I came here to tell the audience that you would not be preforming tonight, but I guess this means that I should go find a seat"
Connie looked shocked "What? You mean you are not going to be out here, directing?"
"Why?" Meredith asked, walking to the door, and the turning back and staring at Charlie. "You don't need me" She laughed at their shocked expression. "Break a leg Ducks"
A few people jumped as a guy dressed in black entered. Backstage crew, but he crept up on the all the same. "Guys, everything it set, the audio visual equipment is up, and I am just waiting for your signal on the lighting"
"Thanks Matt" Julie smiled at the boy who had become one of her best friends. "Well, lets do this"
"Good…" Dwayne began, but Beck clamped her hand across his mouth.
"Are you insane, never say that, it is like jinxing yourself." She hissed at him. "Break a leg"
Now Guy looked shocked. "But telling hockey players to break a leg is dangerous…"
"Well, if you would rather a light falling on your head, then say the other one" Beck shrugged and lightly kissed Fulton on the head. "Break a leg. See you at the cast party"
"Bye Beck" They all replied as Beck picked up her violin and disappeared into the orchestra pit where the quartet was preparing.
"I think I am going to be sick…" Adam mumbled, holding his stomach. He did look rather green around the gills. "I don't…I don't know my lines…guys what's my first line"
Russ, once again, rolled his eyes. "Some one shut Banksie up"
Dean watched shocked as his little sister appeared as if out of no where and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, moving to kiss him. Dean grabbed her sisters arm and pulled her away from him. "Joanna, not like that. Go sit with mom"
Joanna shrugged, smiled at Adam, and left the backstage area, knowing that her brother was shaking his head at her. "Fine. Break a leg guys"
Adam stared after Joanna dreamily. "I like her…"
"Don't even think about it Preppy" Dean growled, and then looked back to the rest of the group. "So, places?"
"Places" Julie agreed, and while the others all split up, she turned to Dean. "Break a leg Dean"
"You to"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The play was going well, almost perfectly. Meredith had gotten one wish, it was turning out to be a very professional production. Every one knew their lines and cues, and no one had screwed up a line yet. But of course, yet.
Julie was thinking a few steps ahead as she always did. Her lines were coming to her easily. She could hardly believe it, she was comfortable on stage. She was no longer Julie, she was Juliet. And Dean was Romeo, this was to easy.
" 'O' Wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?' " Dean smiled, and Julie grinned.
" 'What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?' " Julie, or Juliet, replied.
" 'The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine?' " oh fuck.
Oh Fuck, Oh Fuck. What was my next line. Shit, Shit, Shit "Shit"
Dean heard her soft exclamation and took to steps to her. He cradled her in his arms, making it look as though it was part of the play, and whispered. "What's wrong"
Julie bit her lip and said. "Dean, what's my line?"
"Make it up" Dean sighed, and Julie thought for a few seconds, she had no idea what to say.
"I love you!" It was the first thing that came to her head. So she said it, and said it proudly. Then she looked at Dean and said it again, softly. "I love you"
"Wouldst thou withdrawal it? For what purpose, love?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Fulton handed his best friend a tall glass of champagne. Dean took it absently and downed it in one gulp, chocking. He looked at his empty glass, eyes wide. "Is that champagne?"
"It is, your mom snuck it in." Fulton smiled, sipping his own. "Unless a teacher asks. And then it is non alcoholic cider"
Usually he would have laughed at his friends joke, but at the moment, his mind was somewhere else. His mind was with Jules. "Have you seen Jules?"
Fulton shrugged and replied. "Have you seen Beck?"
From behind them, Luis and Adam, holding their own glasses of champagne, joined the group. Luis asked. "Have you seen Audrey?"
Adam smiled and looked around the group. "Have you seen Joanna?"
Fulton turned to Luis, confused "Who is Audrey?"
But Dean was not glaring at Adam. "Why do you want to see Joanna?"
"My friend" Luis replied.
Adam cowered in fear. "No reason"
Fulton jumped at a hand on his shoulder, and then smiled when Rebecca joined their little group. He smiled and hugged her. "Hey, here is Beck" he told the others, and then smiled at her. "I was looking for you"
"You found me" Beck grinned, and then looked towards Dean, who was still trying to look over the crowds for Julie. Beck reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Are you looking for Jules?"
"Yeah" he admitted.
"Outside" Beck smiled, pointing to the side door. Beck had seen her leave after the play finished. Julie had said that she needed some time alone, but Beck knew what this was all about. "Dean, you know that that cover up in scene two"
"Yeah" Dean cut her off and smiled. He handed her his empty champagne glass, and smiled sarcastically. "Thanks Beck, have some champagne…sip it, don't skull it"
Fulton shook his head and took the glass from her, placing it on a table behind them, and then pulling her to a quiet corner to talk. "The music was great Beck"
Beck blushed a little. "Yeah, but Mercutio stole the show"
"Just a little" Fulton grinned, and then took her by the hand. "Can we talk?"
Beck bit her lip. "Ah, Fulton, I don't like the sound of that"
"Don't worry, it is nothing" Fulton grinned, pulling her into a hug. "Well, nothing bad at least"
She sighed relieved. "Then hit me with it"
"I don't think I am smart" Fulton began, and covered Beck's mouth when she went to protest. He had made up this little speech in his head, and now, all he had to do was get it out there. "Shh, don't interrupt, I need to say this…I don't think I am smart, but doing this play and meeting you, made me realise that anything in the world is possible. Anything"
"Fulton?" Beck began. What on Earth was going on?
"If I get accepted into a school." Fulton told her. "I will come to New York with you"
"You will?" Beck exclaimed. Hugging him tightly.
"If you still want me to" he smiled nervously.
"Of course I do!" She practically screamed. "Fulton, this is fantastic"
"But I am going to have to work hard to get my grades up." Fulton replied softly. He knew to get into one of those big New York schools he would have to do substantially more work then what he was doing now. At the moment he was just scraping through. "Dumb asses don't get accepted into collage"
"You are not dumb at all" She smiled, still holding his as tight as she was before. Beck was yet to let go of him, and she was unsure if she would ever want to. "You are wonderful, and I am quickly falling in love with you"
"Falling in love?" Fulton mumbled. No girl had ever said that to him.
She was standing on her toes, holding his so tight, almost chocking him, it was amazing. Then something caught her attention, her watch. "Fulton…its tomorrow"
"What?" he asked, pulling her away.
Beck grinned, showing him her watch. "Look at the time, 12:01. It is officially tomorrow"
"Tomorrow." He repeated, and then smiled. When he had woken her up that morning (or the morning before, technically) she had said that their day could be tomorrow. Fulton grinned. "And tomorrow is One Day"
"Lets call it Day one" She replied, kissing him softly. "To be followed by many other days"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Juliet… We are all in there celebrating our success. Meredith is chocking on humble pie" Dean smiled, opening the door and walking out into the small courtyard area. Julie stood to the side, quietly. Dean had picked up two glasses of champagne on the way out. "You should come in there and see it"
"I will in a minute"
"My Mom snuck us a few bottles of bubbly. Can I interest you in some Champagne" he asked, placing it in her hand.
"A toast" Dean smiled at her, grinning. "To the play"
And that was when he realised that something was wrong. Julie was practically in tears. "Are you crying? Julie, what is it"
"Tonight was perfect wasn't it…the play, I mean" Julie sighed, picking up the glass, and then pausing. "It was perfect, and I screwed it up by forgetting my lines. I forgot my lines"
"Hey, don't worry" Dean smiled softly. She was making a big deal about forgetting a few lines? Others had forgotten their lines, but none of them had managed to cover it up as well as she had. "You covered it so well"
"I said the first thing that came to mind…" Julie admitted. "And I think I even screwed that up"
"What?" now Dean really was confused.
Julie sighed. "Do you hate me for not telling you"
"Telling me what?" Dean hated not knowing what was happening. And now Julie was talking, rambling with no apparent reading.
"I love you" She muttered. Dean was shocked but let her go on. "It was the first thing that came into my head, and all I wanted to say at the time. In that split second, all I could think of was you, and the way you look at me, and the way you put up with my shit. I looked at you, forgot my lines and then…" she stopped and looked at Dean. She didn't know what else to say. She didn't really think that there was anything else to say, except. "I love you"
Dean was surprised. That admission of love in the middle of the play was real. He downed his glass of champagne, and then just stared at her. "Dean, say something"
He said the first thing that came to mind. "I thought you were just in the moment"
"I was, but I spoke my heart." Julie smiled softly, at least it was out there now. She had done it. She felt that she had stuffed it up, but she had done it. "I thought you were dying to hear me admit it"
"I was…" Dean mumbled, this was all just to amazing. "I am"
Julie sighed. "Could you forgive me?"
"For what?"
"Everything" Julie shrugged.
"Jules, there is nothing at all to forgive" Dean replied, holding her close to him. That felt good to do. "Nothing."
Julie sighed. "I say that there is heaps to forgive"
And then Dean smiled. This could be the beginning of the rest of his life. With Julie. "You can make it all better"
"How?"
"Tell me again?" he whispered.
"I love you" Julie laughed at him. How could he get so much excitement from that. "And that is the one thing that I am sure of lately. It is scary"
"Scary?" Dean asked. "I am scary?"
"Yes" Julie said quickly. "No…This, is scary"
Dean looked down at her. "It doesn't have to be"
"So…" Julie sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What now?"
"Well, I guess we could date?"
"You guess?" Julie exclaimed, she could not believe this. "You went through all of this to get me to tell you I love you, and now you guess that we could date." Dean laughed at her, Julie slapped him. "Portman, ask me out already"
"Ordering me around already" Dean sighed. Julie slapped him again. "Wanna go out with me Julie?"
Jules grinned. "Thought you would never ask"
"Lets stay outside a little longer" Dean grinned, wrapping his arms around her. He was sure that he was the happiest man in the world at that very instant.
"I love you"
"I love you to"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ok, I know I said there would be shout outs, but serious, I am moving today, in like, two seconds, so I have to pack up the computer. So…
Give me about a week to settle in, and then the sequel will be up. Thank you for your support on this story, and I am sorry if this chapter is a little rushed.
Disclaimer - Not mine.
Notes - I wrote this chapter in about an hour, so I am sorry if it is lame, but I don't have a lot of time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adam stood in front of the mirrors that had been set up out the back in the change room area. He picked up a few items, looked at them, and then placed them down again, confused. He had no idea what any of this shit was. If he lived to be a hundred years old, he would never, ever, understand women and makeup.
His mother spent more on makeup then what he had spent on Hockey gear over the years. She would never leave the house unless she was made up to the nines, and Adam decided early that that was not something that he necessarily found attractive. Girls didn't have to wear make up to be sexy to him, they just needed to be strong and sporty.
But thinking of that was not solving his problem, looking over his shoulder, he called over to Julie and Connie. "Do either of you know how to do make up?"
"Think about that question" Julie asked, crossing to the makeup table, staring at all the stuff. She didn't even know what most of it was. "I am Julie. I have never even done my own make-up, what makes you think I could do yours!"
"Make up" Charlie came up behind them and picked up an eye shadow, silently reading the label "Why do we need makeup anyway?"
Julie shrugged. "Didn't Meredith say something about without make up we would look pale on stage"
"None of us know how to do make up!" Adam sighed, collapsing into a nearby chair. "We are so screwed. How much time do we have left?"
"4 hours. We can work something out." Ken entered, checking his watch quickly. Ken then turned to the other girl. "Connie, do you know how to do make up?"
"I can do my own makeup." She admitted. "Doing make up on you lot, is a completely different matter"
Dean strode into the room and exclaimed. "God, must I always be the one to save the day?"
Julie's jaw dropped, how could the teams enforcer be able to solve their makeup problem. "Portman, you know less about make up then I do, how could you possibly 'Save the day' "
"Because one of us has to have the ideas around here, or nothing would get done" He grinned, and then turned to Adam. He held out his hand and said. "Cake Eater, can I borrow your cell phone?"
Adam reached into his pocket and fished out his little cell phone, handing it to the other boy. Dean looked at it for a few seconds before flipping it open and punching some numbers. Julie was the first to scoff. "I refuse to see how this is helping us…"
"Shh" he mumbled to her, blocking her with his hand. Then, into the phone, he said. "Mom, hey, its Jake" he ignored the confused look of a few members of the team, who obviously had no idea who Jake was. "Are you busy for the next few hours?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Averman lifted his side of the large back drop and moved it into the position. On the other side of it, lifting, was Dean. Or Jake. Or Dean. Or what ever the hell his name was. "So… Jake"
Dean looked up. "What?"
"Jake?" Averman replied.
Dean knew that the others on the team would want to know what that was about. He was not ready to share the story, so he just shrugged and said. "So, its my name"
Averman scratched his head in confusion. "I thought you name was Dean"
"Jake is short for Dean" Dean shrugged absently.
"How?"
"Does it matter. I have a nickname, who cares" Dean growled, and then turned to the door of the auditorium, which had just entered. His mom, who would forever now be called an angel had just entered, and with her was…Deanie. Shit. She will want to meet and greet now. "Oh, mom's here…and she brought Dean"
"Dean?" Averman looked from the boy that he had always known as Dean, to the girl that Dean had just called Dean. If she was Dean and he was Jake, then why was he Dean and what we her name. Crap this was getting confusing. "Is any one else confused"
"Mom" Dean jumped off of the stage and hugged his mother, and then turned to Joanna. "Sister…what are you doing here"
Joanna smiled triumphantly. "I have come to meet the Ducks"
"Fine, you are here, come and meet them." He sighed. He knew that this would happen. He sat her down in a chair and then turned to his Mom again. "Mom, thank you so much for this. We had a director crisis, and she was going to do our stage make up…"
"Jake, it is no problem, can I head back stage and set up?" she asked. Dean smiled.
"Sure" He pointed her in the direction of backstage, and then grabbed Joanna by the arm, pulling her to her feet. "Now you"
"Ouch, Dean, you are hurting me" she mumbled.
"Charlie, Guy, Connie, Dwayne" Portman told her, pointing to each person as he said their name. "Ken, Averman, Luis, Banksie" He turned her to another group. "Russ, Goldberg, and you already know Fulton. There, you have met everyone"
"That is not meeting them. That is you pointing." Joanna replied, hands on her hips. "You have done that with photographs before, and even then I felt I connected with them better." Then she realised something, Dean had left out a name. "And besides, Where is Julie?"
Dean sighed, and Joanna wondered if Julie had told him about their little conversation. "Backstage probably"
"You are such a pansy" Joanna sighed, looking at the Ducks, who were scattered and preparing. "Introduce me or I introduce myself."
"Fine" Dean growled, why did she have to be like this. "Guys! I want you to meet my little sister, Joanna. Joanna, these are the guys on my team"
"It is nice to meet you all, finally" Joanna called back, and then said to Dean, loudly for others to hear. "See the way I said 'finally' Dean"
"I saw" He sighed, and then turned her around and sat her in another chair. "Now can I trust you to sit here, and just watch."
Joanna saluted her brother as he walked off to find something to do. He could be suck a jerk. A lovable Jerk, but a jerk all the same. Joanna jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning to the person who had gotten her attention, her jaw dropped.
"Hi, sorry, I just wanted to introduce myself" the boy said, holding out his hand.
Joanna stared at the nice boy, who would have to be the most gorgeous creature she had ever met. "Wow"
"Wow?" Adam asked, shocked.
"Shit, that was rude, I am sorry" She replied, placing her hand in his, that he was still offering her to shake. "Joanna Portman"
"Adam Banks"
"Hi" Joanna smiled, still holding his hand. Adam made no move to pull away either. "I think I remember hearing stories about you ."
Adam sat and chuckled, slipping his hand away from hers, but still staying close. "If they are from Portman, I assure you they are not true"
"Well, I seem to remember that the word 'prep' was used in association with you" Joanna grinned teasingly. Adam smiled. "And something about eating cake"
"Oh…then it is true" he laughed, running a hand though his hair.
Some one, Joanna was not sure who, yelled from the stage. "Banksie, get back to work"
"That's me, I have to go" He stood and shook her hand quickly again. "Nice to meet you"
Joanna watched as he left, and then collapsed back into her chair. "They don't breed them like that in Chicago"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Next" Lillian smiled as she let the person that she had just finished working on go, and waited for the next person. She turned and was pleasantly surprised at who it was that was there. "Fulton, kiss kiss"
"Hi Momma Portman" he smiled.
"Seriously Fulton" Lillian rolled her eyes and took his bandanna off of his head. Then, she had to tie his hair back so that it would not interfere with her makeup. "My name is Lillian. You either call me mom, or you call me Lillian, none of this Momma Portman crap."
"Ok" He smiled. As much as he loved Dean's mother, he was uncomfortable with calling her mom, so he settled with "Lillian"
"That's better" Lillian smiled at the boy. She picked up her make up and sighed. "Now, I am just going to keep you nice and simple…you are pale, but you are lucky, pale is making a comeback."
Fulton smiled and closed his eyes, letting her work on his face. "I have to say, this is odd, wearing make up"
Lillian smiled. "But I bet that you never even thought that you would get a part in a play like this, did you"
"Hell, ten years ago, I never would have even thought that I would play hockey" Fulton replied. It was amazing to think that that was true. "And now look at me"
"Yeah, my little boys are growing up" Lillian laughed, wiping away a fake tear "Both off with girlfriends"
"Dean doesn't have a girl friend" Fulton replied. And then sighed. "And I have an 'almost-girlfriend', but I guess that is a girlfriend all the same"
"Fulton, you don't have to lie for Dean. I know how my son gets when he is in love" Lillian replied. "Who is the lucky girl?"
"Julie…" Fulton surprised. It was amazing how Lillian could make him want to just spill his guts, about anything, whether it be something about himself, or about others. Fulton really was a horrible liar, he realised. "They are in the middle of a big, 'Days of our lives' style relationship, but they will work it out soon"
"Close your eyes, don't squint" Lillian told him, and began applying something to his face. "What about you? what is an 'Almost-girlfriend'?"
"Rebecca had only just broken up some other boy." Fulton replied softly. "So we are waiting, but…exclusive"
"You are one in a million Fult. If I was 20 year younger…" Lillian was amazed. Fulton was so much more mature then any others his age. He surely was a sensitive new age guy. "No, I am not going to finish that thought. I already fear that Dean and Joanna will be in therapy one day." Lillian paused and looked at him. "But this girl, this Rebecca, she is lucky to have you. I hope that she is worthy…"
"She is more then worthy" Fulton sighed. "I am the one who is unworthy…"
"Love"
"What?" Fulton asked, opening his eyes to look at her.
"You are in love" Lillian playfully tapped him on the nose with the powder brush. "And probably scared"
Fulton smiled. Was he really that easy to read? "Only of the future"
"I know the feeling" Lillian admitted.
"Lillian, you love Dean's father right?"
"Of course I do" Lillian replied, applying more make up to his face. "I adore him"
Fulton nervously asked. "Would you have left your home town, and your family, just to be with him?"
"Fulton, listen to my voice." Lillian smiled, resting her hands on his shoulders to get him to open his eyes. Fulton opened them, and really listened to her. "I don't talk like a Chicago native do I?"
"No" he admitted. He had never realised it, but Lillian Portman spoke differently from her husband and children.
"Because I did move to be with him" She replied. "I left California, bright, sunny Cali to move to cold Chicago to be with him."
"Do you regret it?" Fulton asked. He had happy that he had some one to talk to about this, because all he had been able to think about lately was if he would regret not going to New York with Beck. He had so many reasons to stay, but really, none of them felt that important when he thought about missing her. Missing being with her.
"Never once." Lillian told him firmly.
"Did your family and friends support your decision?" Fulton asked.
"They knew how much Jack meant to me" She shrugged. She knew how important this conversation was to Fulton, but she didn't want to get to serious with it all, because usually that made them shut down. "How much I loved him, and they knew that I was doing the right thing"
"How did you know that you were doing the right thing?"
"Because I could look at him and see everything I wanted." Lillian admitted. "I looked at him, and I saw Dean and Joanna, and years of happy marriage. My future was with Jack Portman. And I would have followed him to the moon and back for what he could give to me." She smiled at the young man before her. "Are you thinking of following Rebecca to the ends of the earth?"
Fulton smirked. "Only to New York"
"If you really love her Fult, or you could see yourself loving her, then it should be no big deal to go with her." Lillian whispered, finished his make up quickly. "If you are worried about leaving your father, don't be, he will understand. And as long as you send a post card to us every now and then, the Portman's wont forget you."
"Thank you"
"Fulton, I mean it. You are like a son to me." Lillian told him softly, and Fulton looked away so that he could hide what he was thinking. He wanted to hide what her nice words were making her feel. "And we all love you. We want you to be happy, and if Rebecca and New York make you happy…"
Fulton stood, quickly and carefully kissed her on the cheek, and left before either of them could get to emotional.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adam pulled back the curtains and looked out over the filling auditorium. "Oh my god, there are people out there"
Behind him, Russ laughed and hit him in the back. "Funny that, considering that they have come to watch us"
"But they are like, real people" Adam swallowed nervously.
"Shut up Banks" Russ rolled his eyes.
"The audience is filling guys" Charlie announced, calling the rest of the team over to where he was standing. They all gathered around for a last minute pep talk. "We are really going to do this?"
Fulton smiled at them. "To late to quit now"
"That is a lot of people" Adam groaned, and Portman took him by the back of the shirt, pulling him away from the curtain.
"Shut up Banks" Russ sighed. "You plan to make a career out of professional hockey, you better get used to crowds"
Connie smiled nervously, she looked like she was going to be sick. "Can you believe it. I never thought that we would ever get this far"
"Sorry to interrupt this tender moment, but, I should go grab my seat" Lillian Portman smiled at the gang, and the Ducks all smiled their thanks at her. "Break a leg, I will be back at intermission for touch ups."
"Thanks Mrs Portman" Charlie grinned. "You are life saver"
"No problem kids" Lillian smiled, kissed Dean on the cheek, and then left the backstage area. "Have fun out there"
As Lillian left, she passed a surprised Meredith, who was in shocked at the group. They looked like they were about to go on stage. "What is going on? What are you all doing here?"
"We have a play to preform" Charlie replied. Meredith's jaw dropped.
"Didn't you think that my storming out sort of meant that , I don't know, the play was cancelled" She exclaimed.
"We have gotten this far, not going to quit now" Julie replied.
Goldberg smirked. "According to Charlie, we don't need you"
"You don't need me?" Meredith repeated, looking from the captain to the others. The Ducks should be called sheep, because they would follow Charlie anywhere. "Is that right is it, Mr. Conway?"
"Yes" he replied confidently.
Meredith shrugged. "Well, I came here to tell the audience that you would not be preforming tonight, but I guess this means that I should go find a seat"
Connie looked shocked "What? You mean you are not going to be out here, directing?"
"Why?" Meredith asked, walking to the door, and the turning back and staring at Charlie. "You don't need me" She laughed at their shocked expression. "Break a leg Ducks"
A few people jumped as a guy dressed in black entered. Backstage crew, but he crept up on the all the same. "Guys, everything it set, the audio visual equipment is up, and I am just waiting for your signal on the lighting"
"Thanks Matt" Julie smiled at the boy who had become one of her best friends. "Well, lets do this"
"Good…" Dwayne began, but Beck clamped her hand across his mouth.
"Are you insane, never say that, it is like jinxing yourself." She hissed at him. "Break a leg"
Now Guy looked shocked. "But telling hockey players to break a leg is dangerous…"
"Well, if you would rather a light falling on your head, then say the other one" Beck shrugged and lightly kissed Fulton on the head. "Break a leg. See you at the cast party"
"Bye Beck" They all replied as Beck picked up her violin and disappeared into the orchestra pit where the quartet was preparing.
"I think I am going to be sick…" Adam mumbled, holding his stomach. He did look rather green around the gills. "I don't…I don't know my lines…guys what's my first line"
Russ, once again, rolled his eyes. "Some one shut Banksie up"
Dean watched shocked as his little sister appeared as if out of no where and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, moving to kiss him. Dean grabbed her sisters arm and pulled her away from him. "Joanna, not like that. Go sit with mom"
Joanna shrugged, smiled at Adam, and left the backstage area, knowing that her brother was shaking his head at her. "Fine. Break a leg guys"
Adam stared after Joanna dreamily. "I like her…"
"Don't even think about it Preppy" Dean growled, and then looked back to the rest of the group. "So, places?"
"Places" Julie agreed, and while the others all split up, she turned to Dean. "Break a leg Dean"
"You to"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The play was going well, almost perfectly. Meredith had gotten one wish, it was turning out to be a very professional production. Every one knew their lines and cues, and no one had screwed up a line yet. But of course, yet.
Julie was thinking a few steps ahead as she always did. Her lines were coming to her easily. She could hardly believe it, she was comfortable on stage. She was no longer Julie, she was Juliet. And Dean was Romeo, this was to easy.
" 'O' Wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?' " Dean smiled, and Julie grinned.
" 'What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?' " Julie, or Juliet, replied.
" 'The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine?' " oh fuck.
Oh Fuck, Oh Fuck. What was my next line. Shit, Shit, Shit "Shit"
Dean heard her soft exclamation and took to steps to her. He cradled her in his arms, making it look as though it was part of the play, and whispered. "What's wrong"
Julie bit her lip and said. "Dean, what's my line?"
"Make it up" Dean sighed, and Julie thought for a few seconds, she had no idea what to say.
"I love you!" It was the first thing that came to her head. So she said it, and said it proudly. Then she looked at Dean and said it again, softly. "I love you"
"Wouldst thou withdrawal it? For what purpose, love?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Fulton handed his best friend a tall glass of champagne. Dean took it absently and downed it in one gulp, chocking. He looked at his empty glass, eyes wide. "Is that champagne?"
"It is, your mom snuck it in." Fulton smiled, sipping his own. "Unless a teacher asks. And then it is non alcoholic cider"
Usually he would have laughed at his friends joke, but at the moment, his mind was somewhere else. His mind was with Jules. "Have you seen Jules?"
Fulton shrugged and replied. "Have you seen Beck?"
From behind them, Luis and Adam, holding their own glasses of champagne, joined the group. Luis asked. "Have you seen Audrey?"
Adam smiled and looked around the group. "Have you seen Joanna?"
Fulton turned to Luis, confused "Who is Audrey?"
But Dean was not glaring at Adam. "Why do you want to see Joanna?"
"My friend" Luis replied.
Adam cowered in fear. "No reason"
Fulton jumped at a hand on his shoulder, and then smiled when Rebecca joined their little group. He smiled and hugged her. "Hey, here is Beck" he told the others, and then smiled at her. "I was looking for you"
"You found me" Beck grinned, and then looked towards Dean, who was still trying to look over the crowds for Julie. Beck reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Are you looking for Jules?"
"Yeah" he admitted.
"Outside" Beck smiled, pointing to the side door. Beck had seen her leave after the play finished. Julie had said that she needed some time alone, but Beck knew what this was all about. "Dean, you know that that cover up in scene two"
"Yeah" Dean cut her off and smiled. He handed her his empty champagne glass, and smiled sarcastically. "Thanks Beck, have some champagne…sip it, don't skull it"
Fulton shook his head and took the glass from her, placing it on a table behind them, and then pulling her to a quiet corner to talk. "The music was great Beck"
Beck blushed a little. "Yeah, but Mercutio stole the show"
"Just a little" Fulton grinned, and then took her by the hand. "Can we talk?"
Beck bit her lip. "Ah, Fulton, I don't like the sound of that"
"Don't worry, it is nothing" Fulton grinned, pulling her into a hug. "Well, nothing bad at least"
She sighed relieved. "Then hit me with it"
"I don't think I am smart" Fulton began, and covered Beck's mouth when she went to protest. He had made up this little speech in his head, and now, all he had to do was get it out there. "Shh, don't interrupt, I need to say this…I don't think I am smart, but doing this play and meeting you, made me realise that anything in the world is possible. Anything"
"Fulton?" Beck began. What on Earth was going on?
"If I get accepted into a school." Fulton told her. "I will come to New York with you"
"You will?" Beck exclaimed. Hugging him tightly.
"If you still want me to" he smiled nervously.
"Of course I do!" She practically screamed. "Fulton, this is fantastic"
"But I am going to have to work hard to get my grades up." Fulton replied softly. He knew to get into one of those big New York schools he would have to do substantially more work then what he was doing now. At the moment he was just scraping through. "Dumb asses don't get accepted into collage"
"You are not dumb at all" She smiled, still holding his as tight as she was before. Beck was yet to let go of him, and she was unsure if she would ever want to. "You are wonderful, and I am quickly falling in love with you"
"Falling in love?" Fulton mumbled. No girl had ever said that to him.
She was standing on her toes, holding his so tight, almost chocking him, it was amazing. Then something caught her attention, her watch. "Fulton…its tomorrow"
"What?" he asked, pulling her away.
Beck grinned, showing him her watch. "Look at the time, 12:01. It is officially tomorrow"
"Tomorrow." He repeated, and then smiled. When he had woken her up that morning (or the morning before, technically) she had said that their day could be tomorrow. Fulton grinned. "And tomorrow is One Day"
"Lets call it Day one" She replied, kissing him softly. "To be followed by many other days"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Juliet… We are all in there celebrating our success. Meredith is chocking on humble pie" Dean smiled, opening the door and walking out into the small courtyard area. Julie stood to the side, quietly. Dean had picked up two glasses of champagne on the way out. "You should come in there and see it"
"I will in a minute"
"My Mom snuck us a few bottles of bubbly. Can I interest you in some Champagne" he asked, placing it in her hand.
"A toast" Dean smiled at her, grinning. "To the play"
And that was when he realised that something was wrong. Julie was practically in tears. "Are you crying? Julie, what is it"
"Tonight was perfect wasn't it…the play, I mean" Julie sighed, picking up the glass, and then pausing. "It was perfect, and I screwed it up by forgetting my lines. I forgot my lines"
"Hey, don't worry" Dean smiled softly. She was making a big deal about forgetting a few lines? Others had forgotten their lines, but none of them had managed to cover it up as well as she had. "You covered it so well"
"I said the first thing that came to mind…" Julie admitted. "And I think I even screwed that up"
"What?" now Dean really was confused.
Julie sighed. "Do you hate me for not telling you"
"Telling me what?" Dean hated not knowing what was happening. And now Julie was talking, rambling with no apparent reading.
"I love you" She muttered. Dean was shocked but let her go on. "It was the first thing that came into my head, and all I wanted to say at the time. In that split second, all I could think of was you, and the way you look at me, and the way you put up with my shit. I looked at you, forgot my lines and then…" she stopped and looked at Dean. She didn't know what else to say. She didn't really think that there was anything else to say, except. "I love you"
Dean was surprised. That admission of love in the middle of the play was real. He downed his glass of champagne, and then just stared at her. "Dean, say something"
He said the first thing that came to mind. "I thought you were just in the moment"
"I was, but I spoke my heart." Julie smiled softly, at least it was out there now. She had done it. She felt that she had stuffed it up, but she had done it. "I thought you were dying to hear me admit it"
"I was…" Dean mumbled, this was all just to amazing. "I am"
Julie sighed. "Could you forgive me?"
"For what?"
"Everything" Julie shrugged.
"Jules, there is nothing at all to forgive" Dean replied, holding her close to him. That felt good to do. "Nothing."
Julie sighed. "I say that there is heaps to forgive"
And then Dean smiled. This could be the beginning of the rest of his life. With Julie. "You can make it all better"
"How?"
"Tell me again?" he whispered.
"I love you" Julie laughed at him. How could he get so much excitement from that. "And that is the one thing that I am sure of lately. It is scary"
"Scary?" Dean asked. "I am scary?"
"Yes" Julie said quickly. "No…This, is scary"
Dean looked down at her. "It doesn't have to be"
"So…" Julie sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What now?"
"Well, I guess we could date?"
"You guess?" Julie exclaimed, she could not believe this. "You went through all of this to get me to tell you I love you, and now you guess that we could date." Dean laughed at her, Julie slapped him. "Portman, ask me out already"
"Ordering me around already" Dean sighed. Julie slapped him again. "Wanna go out with me Julie?"
Jules grinned. "Thought you would never ask"
"Lets stay outside a little longer" Dean grinned, wrapping his arms around her. He was sure that he was the happiest man in the world at that very instant.
"I love you"
"I love you to"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ok, I know I said there would be shout outs, but serious, I am moving today, in like, two seconds, so I have to pack up the computer. So…
Give me about a week to settle in, and then the sequel will be up. Thank you for your support on this story, and I am sorry if this chapter is a little rushed.