Body Guard

Julie:
I jerked awake at the sound of my phone going off. I took a moment to realize that I was still sitting on the couch and Codys door was still open, which meant he never came back. I sighed and rubbed my eyes and stretched my sore neck from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position.

I grabbed my phone to see I had a text and I was only a little bit dissapointed to see that it was Ben.

Museum today?- Ben

I sighed again, because I wasnt sure if we were going to the museum. Cody wasn't here to make the necessary plans and I...wasn't sure I was ready.

I put my head in my hands and rested my elbows on my knees and wished I had gotten a few more hours of sleep.

I redressed in my clothes from the night before, grabbed a muffin and scarfed it down.  I was slower with my apple, eating it methodically as I sat at the table.  Taking up the papers I flipped through them, reading them entirely before leaning back in my seat.

I resigned the same damn papers every year.  My rules were intensive and numerous.  A slave to terms in an era where slavery was supposedly banned.  But I dug through a cup of pens and pencils until a highlighter found its way between my fingers.

It was easy to go through and highlight passages.  OVer the years I'd read this thing enough and all it's revisions I could all but recite the thing from memory.  But it was several passages that came to mind:

By signing I swore to protect the Family and it's interests even up to including my own life.

By signing I swore to keep emotions away from my duty.

By signing I swore to never engage in a relationship beyond professional friendship with the Family.

Sighing I put away the highlighter and gathered up the pair of pages that held my highlights.  I was leaving behind a stack of papers.  My contract was long and in-depth, detailing various faucets of expectations, consequences, and various clauses that had changed and been updated over many generations.

I tossed my core in the trash on my way out, I made a detour to the security room informing them that I suspected the Prince and Jules would want to make a trip out to the city as well as a brief list of likely choices.  From there I made my way towards Jules's wing of the manor.  Already I could feel a headache developing from today.

(( Wasn't nearly as long as I wanted...but I had to rewrite it after reading what I had from yesterday. ))

((it was worth the wait!))

Julie:
I decided to get dressed for the day, even though there was no sigh yet that I would even be leaving the room. Its not like I could very well leave without informing anyone. As I pulled on a blouse and a simple skirt, short enough to show my youth and long enough to be professional and modest, I got more and more annoyed. I pulled my hair into a tight ponytail and huffed in frustration when I decided my eyes were too itchy from sleeping in my contacts that I would have to wear my glasses today. I hated wearing my glasses in public.

I grabbed my phone and scrolled to Codys name, deciding I had waited for him to check in long enough. Now, he would have to hear me yell at him. I mean seriously, how was I supposed to know he was okay? We had a system here! We check in with each other and let each other know we're okay-...well I did. He didnt really have a reason to. Oh who cares, he cant just disappear!

I was just about to hit the button to call when I heard footsteps outside the door. I hesitated, hoping it was him.

I knocked three times before I entered. Spotting Jules just standing staring at the door I smiled faintly. “You didn’t have to wait for me.” Even with the joke, weak as it was, I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.

“You look nice today.” I remarked as I gave her another quick glance over. “I suppose I was right in preparing for an outing today.” Gesturing towards the table with my hand and the papers.

Julie:
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. I was getting more and more irrationally angry as the seconds ticked on. "You could have told me you werent coming back here," I said, looking at the papers he was waving around. "I mean, you say some confusing stuff and then disappear for the rest of the night like I'm not gonna be worried!" I said, waving my hands at him.

"I know you dont live here, but you're always here when I wake up and you werent today. I almost called your father and reported you missing!" I was exaggerating. The only one who was about to get a phone call, was him.

"And what is that?" I asked, pointing to the papers in his hands, unable to ignore them.

I could see the anger on her face, in her glare, heard it in her words. And I just bore it. Letting it pile onto the rest of my stress and worries. I waited until she was done. Waited for it all to come out before I sat at the table and laid out the two pieces of paper.

“This is my life. My explanation from yesterday. My shackles.” It was cryptic and I looked up at her again. “I figure it’s time you and I had our talk.”

Julie;
I looked at him, confused and sat down too. "Well, talk then," I said, looking at the papers. It looked like some kind of legal document, but I didn't understand the relevance. Why was he showing me this? "Cody, whats wrong?"

“What do you think my job is Jules? Why was I made into a bodyguard for you when I’m two years younger?” I felt so very tired then as the questions left my mouth. “I’ve been doing this since I was twelve. Seven years as your official bodyguard. And you never questioned it.”

Tapping the papers with a finger I pressed on. “This is part of my contract. The contract I have signed since I was five. Whenever your father decides to sign it over to you you’ll get the the full thing. But I’m under such heavy chains and rules and...”

I pushed away from the table and paced a few steps for a few moments then focused on her again. “I don’t get what I want. I don’t make my own choices. I can’t...” a sigh slipped from between my lips. “I have to pretend like nothing happened and that what I truly want doesn’t matter.”

Julie:
I watched him in silence. I had never heard anything like this coming from him before and I wasn't sure how to react. I let him get it all out and opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. I had never seen him this upset before. I grabbed the papers he was pointing at and slid them closer so I could read. Parts of it had been highlighted and my eyes were drawn to certain sections.

I had known that he was young when he was signed on to this job. We both were. I hadn't known the extent of the contract though. He wasn't allowed to have anything more than 'professional friendship' with me or anyone in my family. He couldn't express emotions that might interfere with his job. And while I had always known on some level that if it came down to it, Cody would jump in front of a bullet for me, I hadn't realized he was contractually obligated to.

This wasn't a job contract, it was ownership papers.

"I..." I shook my head and looked up at him. "I didn't know, Cody." I told him, softly. "I can- I mean what-" I shook my head again and rubbed at my forehead.

"Tell me what you want. Do you want out of the contract? I can talk to my father..." I offered, feeling like it wasn't enough.

"It's not that easy Jules. This is my life, I've accepted it a long time ago." I smiled at her, still feeling that weariness through out my body. It was hard to believe she didn't know. She was smarter than that, and I had assumed not nearly so naive.

"You'll find out everything eventually. I know this....isn't what you would have wanted to know. But there it is." I went silent for a moment then shook myself and settled back behind a mask of a smile. "So. With our talk out of the way, what is the plan for today? Are the two of you heading out?"

Julie:
I looked at him for a long moment and cleared my throat. I swiped the papers off the table and held them close to my stomach. "Um...I dont know yet. Ben wants to go to the museum. I havent answered his text." I said, feeling a little shaky.

I stood up and grabbed my phone off the counter. "I can give him a call and tell him to be ready if you are," I said. I decided to take the call in my room, for the purpose of privacy and for the more prudent purpose of finding a spot for the papers that I wanted to look over in more detail later.

I nodded, "I have already spoken to the security team. I only need to get prepped myself." I watched her walk into her room and then looked away to murmur. "I wish I could have one more kiss. But even what you've given me was more than I ever deserved."

Moving towards the kitchen counter, I leaned against it, waiting for her to to do what she needed. I pulled out my phone and fired off some messages to affirm that we were going to be heading out and to prepare.

Julie:
I made the phone call and Ben said he was ready to go whenever I was. I took an extra minute in my room to gather my thoughts and then I retightened my ponytail before walking back out to Cody.

"I'm ready to go. Hopefully theres no pictures because I'm wearing my glasses today." I said, not looking at him at all. I busied myself with digging through my purse to make sure I had everything I needed .You know...very important things like tissues and mints.

((Is this the outing he gets hurt on or not yet?))

(( Not this one I'd say. We could do a little time skip to one if you'd prefer. A few days later perhaps.))

((Yeah lets do it!!)

(( Sweet! ))

I knocked on the door to her wing as I always did. But this time I waited longer before entering. Since having our talk together things had been...strained between Jules and I. The secret was no longer a secret but neither of us were quite sure how to handle it all. I tried to dive into my work but my work was still revolving around her. She had refuge in Ben and after their second outing the world was buzzing with rumors and speculations.

A quick glance around told me Jules wasn't out of her room yet and I sat at the table to wait. The past handful of days had been long and exhausting. I wasn't sleeping well and it was making me a bit jittery. I'd spent a few sleepless hours at the range last night and my accuracy had gone down. Jealousy that I couldn't act on. A crush I'd finally admitted to myself was forcibly ignored. Sadness at the lost of the closeness I'd once shared with my best friend. And the mind-numbing wall that was becoming my job.

Just thinking about my job had me looking around again. I'd been sitting for a few minutes and a quick glance at my watch told me that is was a late start in the morning even for Jules. My eyes focused on the doorway to her room. The open doorway. Frowning I stood and crossed the room in only a few strides. I knocked only once before stepping inside. The bathroom door was open. The closet too. Her bed was empty and slightly rumpled. She was gone.

Cursing under my breath I yanked out my phone and put in a call to the security room as I marched out of the room and did a quick check through out her entire wing to confirm she wasn't here. A few choice questions and I had all the answers I needed. Benjamin, his royal pain in my ass highness, had decided to slip the guards and take Julie out. He'd taken some of his guards, and one of the cars from the garage.

Livid I dialed my father, explaining the situation in short clipped sentences. He agreed to help me mobilize a team together. But two things made my blood run cold. He informed me of a rumor, complaints heard through a few sources that people weren't happy with Jules and Ben being together. And as I passed an employee staring at a television I saw plastered on a news broadcast that the pair had been sighted at the amusement park.

("Benjamin, his royal pain in my ass" is an amazing line, btw lmao))

Julie:
I was woken up early to the sound of my phone incessantly ringing. I ignored it twice before I groaned and grabbed it off my dresser.

"What?" I moaned, putting my head back on the pillow as I answered the phone. I knew it probably wasn't Cody. Since we had our talk, things had been a little awkward between us. I had no idea how to act around him anymore. I felt bad every time I laughed or joked around with Ben that he was standing off to the side, watching. He had sort of acknowledged that we had kissed, but we were forced to pretend to everyone else that it never happened. And I didn't want to pretend that it never happened. But he has signed a contract.

I found myself making little mistakes. I wasn't communicating directly to Cody as much as I used to. A lot of the plans that were made were told to Ben's guards and then they told Cody. Cody would then give the green light and we would go.

He kept his distance at hime too. He didn't stay the night in the guest room anymore and I missed his presence.

Mostly, I just missed my best friend.

"Hello little miss ray of sunshine," a chipper, british voice said. I smiled softy and rolled onto my back. "I made plans for us to go out today. Its a surprise, you're gonna love it," he said.

"I really don't like surprises Ben," I said, but I laughed anyway and sat up, rubbing my eyes.

'Well too bad. It'll be fun, I promise!" He said, sounding just as carefree as ever.

"I don't think Cody is here yet," I said, pausing for a moment to listen. I didn't hear any movement outside my door to indicate he was waiting for me like usual. Although it was a bit earlier than I was usually awake.

"I informed the guards Jules, we're fully ready to go," he said. I almost wanted to tell him not to call me that. There was only one person who used that nickname and it felt weird to hear it from someone else. "I'm picking you up at your door in ten minutes!" The line clicked and I pulled it away from my ear with a sigh.

If everything was already taken care of and Cody already knew, I had no reason to deny him. I wasn't sure how public a place he had picked but I dressed for the possibility of pictures. I had read a few newspapers and there was certainly buzz about our possible relationship.

The truth was, I wasn't sure I felt anything other than a friendship for Ben. He had tried to hold my hand a few times andonce or twice I thought he might try to kiss me but I always turned my head and changed the subject.

I was just getting my hair into place when I heard a knock at the door. A quick glance at the clock had me rolling my eyes. He was right on time.

When I answered the door, he wasted no time grabbing my hand and pulling me with him to limo that was waiting.

It took almost no time after that for me to start panicking as I looked out the window. "Ben...are we going to an amusement park?" I asked, incredulously. There was no way Cody approved this. The crowds would be insane and unmanageable. There was no way.

"Relax. Guards are in the car behind us. I promise, everything will be fine. Nothing to worry about," He said, his thumb stroking my hand.

I suppose if Cody was preparing for this, he would have out more guards on than usual. That would explain why he wasn't in the car with us. He was just riding along with everyone else. I pulled my phone out to send him a text but it was promptly pulled from my grasp.

"No cell phones. Just you and me," Ben said, sliding my phone into his jacket pocket. I sighed at him and almost fought for it back but then he had me laughing at something else and I forgot about it.

By the time we pulled up to the gates, I was actually a little excited. I hadn't been to an amusement park since I was too young to be recognized.

I suited up at the armory, buckling on a vest, checking out my pistol and a few extra clips. If I had the time I would have changed into something other than my suit, but there wasn't time. I made my way down to the garage where already four other guards were geared up and loading into a car.

I called Duncan once we were on our way. "The hell are you doing Duncan?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Ben and Jules are at the amusement park right now."

"I know. They went inside already, we are trying to check in with our weapons. What's wrong Cody? Today was your day off right? We can handle this."

"I dont get days off you idiot. Who even told you that?"

"Ben di-"

"Duncan shut up a moment and listen to me. We have intel on a threat to their lives. And you just let them out of your sight."

"Shit."

(( Haha, well thank you! ))

Julie:
Ben led me by hand throughout the amusement park and I could already tell people were taking pictures. I glanced behind me to look for our security and couldnt find them in the crowd. "We should slow down, I cant even see Cody," I said, pulling on his hand to stop him.

"Well it would be quite a trick if you could. Hes not here," Ben said, stopping with me

"What? What do you mean hes not here? You said you set up security!"

"I did," he said, looking at me in confusion. "Duncan was right behind us. I dont see him but im sure hes got eyes on us. Hes really good, you dont have to worry," Ben pulled me a little closer when a group of teenagers pushed around is.

I moved until we were behind one of the food carts so no one would hear us. I couldn't believe i hadnt checked with Cody before I left.

"Ben, I need my phone back. Cody is gonna kill me! I dont go out in public without him!" I started patting his pockets for my cell phone and when I found it, i started dialed.

I didnt get a chance to finish before arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back.

(Im thinking attempted kidnapping? Cody gets there in time but gets hurt?)

(( Kidnapping works for me ))

A buzz had me pulling the phone away from ear only to slap it back after answering, "Jules? Where are you? I need you to-...hello?" The only sounds I heard from the other end was the tell-tale sound of a phone tumbling to the ground right before the call cut out.

If my blood was cold before, I now felt an ice pit in my stomach. But at the same time I felt a sudden clarity to the world around me. I drew my pistol from it's holster, checked my magazine to ensure I was full up before slotting it back in and chambering the first round. I kept the gun in my hands as I gazed out the front windshield from the back seat of the car. Five minutes away. Five minutes and I'd tear the entire amusement park to the ground to find her.

Julie:
I got out one scream before a hand was placed over my mouth to muffle it. Then, over the noise of the park, there was no way anyone could have heard me. I kicked and scratched as much as I could but the arms around me were like steel.

I tried to turn my head to see my attacker but all I saw was tanned skin and facial hair, nothing identifiable. The man started yelling something in a language I didn't recognize and we were on the move. I couldn't see Ben and I hoped he had somehow run away, gotten help, called Cody.

My feet were fully lifted off the ground so I couldnt drag them, but I also wasn't about to get kidnapped without a fight. I threw my elbow back as hard as I could and heard a grunt. His grip loosed enough for my feet to land on concrete and I took off running.

Just get to the crowd. Find people.

I didn't make it very far before I was pushed to the ground from behind. I felt my elbows and knees scrape against the floor and I tried in vain to crawl just the few more feet it would take to get out from behind the food stands. Hands grabbed me again and I whimpered as I was back in the same position as before.

I was out of the car seconds after it pulled up out front. Duncan jogged over to me the second he saw me and I finally put away my weapon then. "I made contact, did not sound good."

"I've already notified the park of the situation, they are going to give passes to any area we need. And your local police are on their way as well."

"Fine. Lets go."

He grabbed my arm and I stiffened, dropping my gaze to his hand. "We have to go about this the right way. The park security is closing off all the entrences, even the employee ones. They wont leave without us knowing."

"Duncan. Are you willing to bet the life of your prince on a security guard? Without wondering if perhaps they might be part of the problem? Now let go before I make you."

His eyes narrowed but he let me go. "Fine. Go. Bring them back safe."

Without another word I took off running into the park, barely slowing down to vault the turn style and snag the security pass from the shocked looking worker.

Julie:
I kept up my fight as best I could. I kicked and hit and scratched but the man wasn't even phased. His grip had gotten tighter since my first attempt at escape and it was getting harder to breath with his hand over my mouth.

In a desperate attempt for air, I bit down hard on his palm, sucking in greedy breathes as soon as he yanked his hand away. He said more things in his language and even though I didnt know what he was saying, I could tell he was cursing at me.

As soon as I had enough air, I started screaming again, only to be hit across the face. He mumbled something else and started dragging me towards a van parked at the end of the food stands. It looked like a workers van, maybe what they used to transport food into the park.

I knew if I got in that van, I probably would never come back again.

I ran until I stood in the midst of the main street. MY outfit drew more than a few eyes. A bullet proof vest and a gun drew the eye. MY eyes flickered over the crowd, searching for something. Anything. The park was a big place, Jules could be anywhere.

And then I heard it, a few notes of a scream just barely above the din of the crowd. Whirling towards the food vendors. The crowd parted for me at first, but before long I was all but shoving people out of the way as I tried to weave and dodge my way through the crowd of people.

"Jules!" I yelled over their heads, a sound that barely reached my own ears over the pounding of my heart.

Julie:
As the open door of the van got closer and closer, I almost gave up. He was bigger than I was and stronger and no one was coming to save me. I was all but dead weight in his arms, which coincidentally he was having a harder time with than when I was kicking and punching him.

I wasn't even sure I heard it, the sounds of the park and my own heart pumping in my ears was so loud. And I was so desperate for the sounds, I wouldnt be surprised if I had made up the sound.

Jules.

Only one person called me that.

Since I was dead weight in his arms, the man had to let go of my mouth to lift me up and into the van. I didnt waste the moment before the doors closed.

"CODY! CODY BEHIND THE-" I screamed before the doors shut in my face.