Body Guard

With the meal choices ready I checked my email on my phone and answered a few urgent ones. Through my job as Julie’s bodyguard and being the head of security’s son I had some power among the security and staff. But beyond that I had worked hard and everyone had come to learn my position was well earned.

Looking up when she stepped out I smirked, “Alright, I have things to change into in my locker. You ready?” Snagging up the list I offered it out.

Emily:
"Yes sir," I said, grabbing the list from his hand as I walked past. I grabbed my keys from the counter and inspected the list as I opened the front door. "Oh they made doughnuts today?" I asked, my voice high and excited.

“So it seems. She wanted to try out a new recipie on the dough.” I glanced at her out of her corner of my eye then asked, “Serious question...favorite doughnut?”

Emily:
I turned to look at him as we walked down to the kitchen. "Not even a contest. Strawberry frosted, of course." I said. "What about you?" I asked. "if you say anything with jelly filling, we cant be friends anymore," I warned, pushing the double doors to the kitchen open.

“Nope. Powdered sugar doughnut holes.” Flashing her a grin I let her go first into the kitchen. “Jelly isn’t bad though. So long as it isn’t covered in maple I’m good.”

Emily:
"Doughnut holes dont even count. Half the appeal of the doughnut is the shape," I argued. Lucy stood in front of the fridge, putting away ingredients.

"Luc, please tell Cody that doughnut holes dont count as doughnuts," I said, before he could argue with me. I hopped up on the counter next to a huge plate of assorted doughnuts and grabbed one that looked good.

“They totally count. It’s just the missing center!” I protested. Waving and winking at Luc I moved to sit at the breakfast bar. “Nothing wrong with regular ones. Just the little ones are nice and bite sized!”

Emily:
I slid along the counter till I was close enough to reach his face. I felt his forehead and then his cheek with the back of my hand. "Are you feeling alright? Maybe you're coming down with a fever, because I think you're delusional!" I said, dramatically, trying not to laugh. "Lucy, do we have any soup, I think he's sick!" I continued.

I heard Lucy sigh but I knew she wasn't angry with us. "Would you two stop it?" She said with a laugh in her voice.

Leaning away from Jule's touch I laughed. I even tried to swat at her hands in defense, "Oi, I'm doing just fine thank you!" She was back to normal this morning it seemed. A very great relief not only for my job but also because I cared about her.

Lucy's sigh had me stepping away entirely from Julie, though my shoulder still shook with laughter. "I'm behaving. I'm being the good one today."

Julie:
I held my hands up innocently, still laughing, with one hand clutching my doughnut. "I did nothing wrong," I said, taking a bite.

People were filtering in and out of the kitchen and out of the corner of my eye, I recognized two of the newer guards. I don't know how long they had been standing there but it must have been enough to see the joking around.

"Glad to see you having such a good time. Its not like anyone died yesterday trying to protect you or anything," one of them sneered. The other elbowed him in the side, trying to shut up him. The laughter evaporated from my face and my shoulders slumped.

"I... I'm really sorry about Ryan," I said, sincerely. I felt bad that I didnt know their names but I was certain they were new on the staff. The one who made the comment went to say something else and the other one elbowed him again, stopping whatever he was going to say.

Cody:

I let out a slow breath, glancing at the pair out of the corner of my eyes. "Marco...I think you and I should have a training session in a bit. Go ahead and get changed, I'll meet you on the mats in twenty minutes." My lips held some of the mirth I'd been feeling, but it was nothing more than a mask. My eyes told the true story of cold anger.

My fingers flexed for a moment before I checked the motion. I was better trained than this, making mistakes and letting emotions get the better of me. After a pause my face cleared and it was as if nothing was wrong. "Jules, I'm sorry but you'll have to workout and head to the gym on your own. I need to take care of some work first."

Julie:
I slid off the counter and wiped my hand on a napkin. "Honestly, I'll probably just go to my room. You can take your time with work," i told him. I was hurt by the words, but i understood them. I also saw very clearly how mad Cody was. "And its not a big deal," I said, lowering my voice. I didnt want to guy in trouble for missing his friend. "Hes just upset," I finished.

I searched her face for a long moment. “There are standards Jules. And discipline.” Letting out a slow breath I nodded. “I’ll let my father handle it then. He would be nicer about it.” I still wanted to hit the guy but not with Jules feeling like this. “Let me go just have a word and then we can follow with our original plan alright?”

Julie:
I was glad he wouldn't be the one disciplining the other guard. He was clearly upset about what he said. It was sometimes hard for me to imagine him as a boss or something. But then he would get mad at something or someone and I was thankful he wasn't MY boss, regardless of his bossy attitude sometimes.

Still, I was touched he cared enough to get mad over it. I nodded for him go have a word with the two guards and I went to grab a bottle of water to bring with me to the gym.

Flashing her a smile I turned and jogged after the guy. Catching up to Marco I called his name and slowed down. “Marco, hold up. Go talk to the head of sec-“ I was cut off as he whirled around and took a swing at me. As he moved my training kicked in and I leaned back while turning my body. His fist passed my face by an inch and already I was stepping toward him with my elbow moving to clock him in the temple. My other hand wrapped around his wrist and I finished the motion by kicking his legs out from under him and wrenching the arm I now held behind his back. Settling my weight on the small of his back with a knee I kept his arm pinned in place while he cursed into the dirt.

“Enough. Now you will go to my father to receive disciplinary actions instead of to voice your displeasures over the masters daughter.” Punctuating my point by moving his arm up further I forced him to shut up. “Do we understand one another?” He grunted and nodded before I released him and stepped back.

Julie:
I smiled back small and closed the fridge as I watched him leave. Almost as soon as the door closed behind him, I heard a loud commotion and Lucy let out a surprised scream. At the sound, I dropped the water bottle and ran without thinking. I stopped short, right next to Lucy, who had a box full of napkins in her hands and a worried look on her face, staring at Cody and the two other guards who were supposed to only be having a conversion.

Cody had the one who had yelled at me pinned to the ground and as soon as he let him up, I rushed forward. "What the hell? Are you okay?" I asked, looking him up and down to make sure he was alright.

"I'm fine. He however took a swing at me." Digging into my pocket I drew out my phone and dialed my father. Pinching the bridge of my nose I sighed.

"Dad, we had a small altercation." I rattled off the details of what happened then after listening to him sigh and agree to handle it I hung up.

Looking at Jules I spread my hands. "I'm okay. Promise. I didn't get hit at all."

Julie:
I gave him one more glance over before I agreed that he was as fine as he said he was. How he managed to not get hit, the world would never know. That guard had the same amount of training as Cody did and yet he was on the floor.

I sighed and ran a hand though my hair. The adrenaline that had me running as soon as I heard Lucy scream was fading and my heart beat was returning to normal. "Can we just go to the gym and get that over with?" I asked. The sooner I was back in my room, everyone, including Cody, would be safer.

"Of course Jules." Slipping my hands in my pockets I took slow steady breaths on the walk towards the gym. My adrenaline was pumping still but by the time we reached the doors of the large gym I was calmed down once more. "Still planning on doing some running?"

Julie:
I shrugged and eyed some of the machines. They were top notch, state of the art equipment and I almost never used them. "Yeah, I guess so," I said. "What are you gonna do?" I asked, looking at him. If he was also doing cardio, I was picking a machine far away from him. I didnt need him next to me, showing off how much faster he was.

"I was planning on doing some weights actually. Over there." I gestured towards one half of the gym dedicated to various weight machines to work out just about any muscle in the body. Shifting my weight I glanced at her. "Are you okay? What they said...what you just saw...." I struggled to find the right words, even grasping at the air with one hand.

Julie:
I sighed and looked away from him. "I'm fine," I said. "I can't exactly be upset at them for the way they feel," I added. I felt guilty enough about Ryan's death without the comments, but I couldn't fault them for making them.

As for him getting into a physical altercation, as much as I hated it, I would rather that outcome then him getting hurt. "As for the other part...I should be asking if you are okay?" I asked. He had already assured me that he was, but you could never be too carful.

“I’m alright. I caught him off guard and that helped.” I searched her face for a long moment trying to peer past her eyes and read what was going on underneath the surface. But I had nothing. I couldn’t get anything. I knew she blamed herself for Ryan, but she’d all but said as much. Our job was dangerous and when we signed on we knew such things. We planned such things. We wrote wills, got training in defense and training on how to take care of the aftermath. I’d gone to a special training school to do this. I was better trained than most of the guards and those that had more usually had it gained from experience.

Nothing told me though on what I should do to alleviate guilt and cheer up our charges. That wasn’t our job. But I didn’t see Jules as one to go to therapy. So I did the only thing I thought my work. I pulled her into a tight hug and murmured softly into her ear, “you are a good person Jules. Better than we deserve.”

Julie:
I couldn't remember if Cody had been particularly touchy when we were kids. I think he might have been quicker with a hug and he sometimes grabbed my hand when we were playing. But as he grew up, and his training got more and more intense, that stopped. We had hugged more in this last month than I could recall in the last ten years and every single one of them was initiated by me.

So when he pulled me into his arms, it took me a second to react. I squeezed my eyes closed at soft spoken words and threw my arms around him, hugging him just as tightly back. I wasn't sure how he knew I needed that, but it felt so good to be in his arms. Maybe too good...

"Thats not true...but thank you for saying it" I mumbled back, into his chest. They all deserved a lot more for the work they did for my family. Him especially.

It was always plesant to hold her like this. A warmth and softness that reminded me a lot about who she was as a person. She wasn't perfect, but she tried so hard to make a difference in people's lives. She cared about all the people working under her. She really was a good person.

"Even if you don't believe it. I'm going too. Because I believe in it, I believe in you." I rubbed a hand up and down her back. I let the hug linger for a bit longer before gently ending it. "Now come on. Let's get a good workout on, then ruin it with something fattening."