A/N: This is my first attempt at a MD fic. It's been years since I've seen the films that I grew up with, and now that I've watched it recently on Netflix, I just have to take a crack at writing something that has been on my mind as of late. I love this pair growing up, and still do after so many years. Not sure if there's still interest out there considering the films were done 2 decades ago, but what the heck. With that said, I hope you enjoy reading.

Summary: With her incredible strength and athletic ability, Julie Gaffney was always considered one of the boys. But after an awkward encounter with a fellow duck mixed in with influx of hormones, her feelings about herself begins to change as she attempts to find her place in being one of the girls. Meanwhile, tension rises among the team as they fail to understand what it means for Julie to fit in both worlds.


"BEAUTY IN HOCKEY GEAR"

Prologue

The roar of the crowd that echoed along the concrete walls faded into the background as the celebrations that followed the annual JV-Varsity showdown has finally come to an end. The JV hockey team, well known as the Mighty Ducks, continued their celebration—filling the locker room with sheer excitement and joy. Though they have gone through so much together as a team and won numerous games—constantly having to prove their worth to critics who didn't think they could make it—many would agree that this victory was one, if not their greatest achievement yet. It didn't matter to Eden Hall that they were once District 5—a lackluster group of misfits with no potential that evidently rose to the challenge and became champions—or competed in the Junior Goodwill Games and won a gold medal for team U.S.A. None of that mattered once they stepped foot on campus. It was as though their accomplishments were instantly forgotten. They had to prove themselves once again that they indeed belong in a prestigious school like Eden Hall—not just as hockey players but as students.

One by one, the ducks exited the locker room leaving a few members behind who were either still in the showers or changing into extra clothes. Adam Banks, the lead scorer in the team, was one of the very few people still in the locker room. He was absently collecting his gear and placing them in a gym bag when he heard a familiar voice call out his name.

"Hey, Banks!"

He quickly looked over his shoulder and acknowledged his larger teammate's presence who was still grinning from ear to ear after their victory against the Eden Hall Warriors Varsity Team. After all, it was his unexpected goal that gave them the win.

"Hey. What's up, Goldberg?"

"Guy, Connie, Averman and I are going to grab a bite to eat. You should come."

Adam didn't realize how hungry he was until the thought of food made his stomach grumble. Normally he would go out and celebrate with his teammates after a huge win like this one, but after today's physical game, which took so much out of him, he wanted nothing more than to crash on his bed. However, he needed the extra boost of energy to get through the rest of the day and make it to the dorms. He decided then he was going to join them and eat something before he went crashing down in the middle of God knows where. "Alright, sounds good." He replied smiling as he swung his gym bag over his shoulder and followed Goldberg out the double doors and into the hallways.

They walked down the nearly empty hallway as some of the team chatted and waited at the other end near the exit. Adam instinctively placed his hand on his back pocket and realized he left his wallet behind.

"Oh shoot. I forgot my wallet. Hold on a sec." He dropped his gym bag on the floor next to Goldberg and headed straight to the locker room. Upon entering through the double doors, he looked up and spotted Julie with her slightly damped blond hair cascading down past her shoulders, covering half her back, and in the middle of putting a t-shirt over her black bra. "Oh my God…" His lips slightly parted in disbelief, and without warning, the door slammed shut behind him, causing her to turn around in surprise.

"Oh my God, Banks?!" She screamed, quickly straightening her shirt before facing him. "What the hell!"

Though his female companion was fully clothed, he immediately turned away—embarrassed and completely horrified at what he just walked into. "I'm so sorry, Julie. I-I just came back for my wallet, didn't know you were still in here." Adam rambled on nervously, unable to look at her as he felt his cheeks burning red. "I'll just um…go now. Sorry again." He immediately left the room, completely forgetting about his wallet as Julie watched on with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, got your wallet?" Goldberg asked moments later as he handed Adam his gym bag.

"Uh, left it in the dorms," he lied to avoid another awkward run-in with Julie. He needed to get out of there quick.

"Don't worry. I got you." Goldberg assured him as they started down the hallway once again. He immediately noticed the distracted look upon the star athlete's face as he began walking at a faster pace. Goldberg had to keep up. "You alright, man?"

"Yeah, why?" Adam replied hastily, trying so hard not to let the incident get the best of him, even though it was hard not to think about it since it was the first time he walked in on a girl half-dressed, let alone his very own teammate.

Goldberg gave a light shrug. "Just asking. You just look as though you've seen someone naked." He replied, chuckling.

Adam froze halfway towards the exit where the others were waiting outside and slowly turned to Goldberg with wide eyes. A perplexed expression fell on Goldberg's features as he studied Adam carefully whose stunned silence gave too much away. "Oh my God, you've seen someone naked!" Goldberg exclaimed, followed by uncontrollable laughter that resonated in the hallway.

"Shhh! Keep it down."

"Okay, okay." It took a moment for Goldberg to finally calm down as he gave his male companion a playful smirk. "So who was it, man? Did Ken forget his towel and clothes in the locker again?" He asked with such persistence and utter annoyance, Adam knew he wasn't going to get off that easily.

"She wasn't naked, alright. She had a bra on, and her back was towards me, so I didn't see anything."

Goldberg's eyes sprung open. "She? You mean…"

"Hey, Perv!" Came that feminine voice they knew all too well as Adam shut his eyes in defeat. 'Dammit!' he cursed under his breath as Goldberg shifted his gaze over to Julie and then back at Adam. He smiled knowingly causing Adam to roll his eyes at him.

"I'll uh…see you outside, Cake-eater. Good luck." Goldberg chuckled as he waved to Julie before heading outside to meet the others.

Adam took a deep, steady breath in attempt to gather himself together. It didn't help that his heart was pounding so fast, he felt like throwing up. 'Could this get any worse?' He thought worriedly, swallowing the lump that has suddenly risen in his throat as she approached him. Adam then turned around and faced Julie who thankfully looked merely confused, and not angry. "Here's your wallet." She handed him the black leather that held his school ID and a few 20 dollar bills. "Don't worry, I didn't steal anything." She replied hotly causing Adam to wince at her sour mood. But who could blame her?

He awkwardly took the wallet, offering her a faint smile in return. "Thanks…"

Julie shrugged. "Sure, whatever". He immediately noticed her discomfort, the way her arms were folded across her chest, how she was shifting her weight back and forth on both feet, and how she could barely look at him. A sigh escaped from his lips. He knew he needed to fix this for the sake of the team.

"Julie…I'm so sorry." He said, soft and quiet. "I don't know what else to say." The silence stretched between them as she continued avoiding his gaze. "If it makes you feel better, I'm not into you like that…"

She shot him an unamused look, trying to conceal the hurt. Not that she had feelings for him. But she often wondered if the guys in school would ever notice her; see beyond her sporty-tomboyish personality. She didn't care about it before. But ever since drastic changes were happening to her body, her feelings towards the opposite sex were also changing. It surprised her even how much she enjoyed receiving a congratulatory peck on the cheek from the Varsity's goalie, Scooter at the end of game. If it weren't for the sudden changes in hormones, any guy that ever tried to get at her usually ended up on thin ice…literally.

"So you're not into me."

It sounded more like a question than a statement, but Adam was too confused and distraught about what was happening, he didn't even care to notice.

"No, Julie. I swear to you, I never looked at you in that way. You're my friend." He spoke earnestly. "I mean imagine if it was Portman who walked in instead. He would have bragged about it and hit on you for weeks."

A small smile crept over her lips as the tension that mounted between them subsided. Lucky for her, Adam was the perfect gentleman who never showed interest in girls despite the overwhelming attention he was receiving from them. With his handsome boyish looks and athletic ability, he could have any girl he wanted if he put his mind to it. But his entire existence has always been about hockey, and she knows it...the whole team knows it. They thought perhaps there really isn't any room for Adam in the romance department. "Okay, you're right. It could've been a lot worse." She conceded calmly.

"Yea," Adam nodded as he felt his muscles relax, finding comfort around Julie. "Anyway, you should ask coach about having separate locker rooms." He suggested, wondering if the other guys ever notice or find it weird that they've been sharing a locker room with members of the opposite sex. Not that it bothered any of them before, but considering they were all grown up and no longer little kids, perhaps it was a good idea to bring it up, especially after his little run-in with Julie. "It must be awkward for you and Connie to be changing in and out of your gear in front of the guys." He continued on, finding the courage to suddenly speak his mind. "I mean…not that it's weird for me. You're just like the guys, so I don't think much of it."

She studied him carefully, deep in thought. It dawned on her that this was the most they said to each other since they met in the Junior Goodwill Games. "So…if I wasn't playing hockey…would I still be considered one of the guys?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, completely baffled at what she was talking about. He just couldn't imagine her doing anything else other than hockey. It was in her nature. "What else would you be doing? You're great at what you do." He replied, smiling.

"I suppose…" she spoke lamely as they finally reached the exit and stepped outside where the others were waiting. All eyes were on them as Adam caught Goldberg nudging on Averman's shoulder who was suppressing a laugh he can barely contain. He glared at them, knowing exactly what was on their minds as they exchanged mischievous grins.

"You told them, didn't you?" Julie muttered quietly, leaning closer to Adam with clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry! I had to explain myself to Goldberg. He doesn't let up."

She grunted in annoyance. "This is just great."

Adam sighed, looking down shamefully. "I'm sorry…"

"Yea, yea. I heard you the hundredth time."

"Can we just forget that this ever happened? Please?"

Julie turned to him, her eyes softening in his gaze. "Forget what happened?" She asked as he offered her a relieved smile.

Moving forward, they agreed to never mention the incident again.


A/N: Thanks for reading. Originally I wanted to post the entire story once I was finished with it, but I just couldn't wait to get it out there. I have the next chapter ready to go, and currently working on the third one. Please send in your reviews and let me know what you think. It's definitely a great motivator for me.