Julia's Pack.

Chapter 3 - Training is a pain in the skull.

It wasn't long after Beth said that that the phone cut out. It shouldn't have bothered Julia- if Beth was coming back now, she was either flying or boating down, and the trip wasn't exactly reliable for reception. But it made her nervous. They got Levi's call just as Oliver tugged out last night's dessert and pulled Julia back into his lap to continue it.

This time, although Levi sounded sort of calm, the noise in the background was a little less controlled. Four kids. One man. Julia squirmed, restless, and Oliver's arm remained fixed around her waist as he offered her dessert while he and Levi tried to talk over the noise of breakfast.

“Everything okay?” She asked, finally. “Do you-”

“No. Beth and Yasmine might be gone but I can handle it. They're just getting their things and we're going to leave early for school. Get some breakfast on the way in. You don't mind if the call's short, do you?” Levi hesitated. “MacDonalds for breakfast seemed like a good idea.”

In other words he was bribing them. Maybe it wasn't the worst idea in the world. Julia still felt bad again, guilt creeping back in, as if she should have been there. Should have been the one to do all this.

“If she's got that guilty look on her face again, Oliver....” Levi warned. Julia squealed as Oliver's hand tickled her, sudden, and it made Levi laugh. “I thought she would have.”

They ate as they listened and talked to Levi, while he rushed backwards and forwards trying to get shoes on, bags, check that they had their Tuck Shop orders, till Julia heard his cane come out. Her heart sank then. It meant that he had already sprained his bad leg enough to need it. Not that he'd ever admit it, he'd never admit he struggled to walk still, but sometimes he got it out anyway.

“Julia, you'll have to come now.” Randy's voice made them both jump. Was Levi late for school? No, Julia realised, she'd forgotten Beth. Randy stood in the open door of the kitchen, holding a phone in his hand, that patient expression on his face as he waited. She sighed softly, ignoring Oliver's arm tightening around her and kissed his cheek as he held on.

“Yeah, I do have to go.”

“Julia-”

“Love you both.” She stood up and followed after Randy, knowing Oliver wouldn't like this, that he was possessive of time with her and he wouldn't be impressed that Randy had just come into his house like that. Pack or not, Oliver's 'things' were Oliver's 'things'. Julia had to do her job though. She picked up her bag on the way out the front door.

“Come around lunch, Oliver.” Randy called over his shoulder as they made their way through the rose garden and down the steps to the Pack Hall. “Beth's got a visitor coming.”

“She said an otter.”

“Well, it's a man.” Randy shrugged. “I'm not sure why she called him an otter. You've got a few days?”

“A few days? She said she was coming today.” Didn't she? Julia wasn't quite sure.

“No, the man needs a few days to recover. He came from America. News on the Pack. She got everything she could and we'll go over it after lunch.” Randy's eyes went up, eyebrow raising, and she turned to see Oliver. Gym. Punching that punching bag like nothing else. That was one thing about the library- it had a one way mirror into the main rec-room below the Pack Hall. Nice view of the gym too. Of Oliver, half naked, sweating as he forced and pushed his body into hitting that thing.

He was pissed off. Randy invading his space. Taking Julia away before they'd agreed. Julia could almost read it, read how his mind was ticking, knowing that he'd rather exhaust himself this way than start a fight. She sighed.