(A/N: 12/11/08- This is a re-post of the same story. If you've read this, there's no need to re-read this (unless you want to). Gramatical errors and such were brought to my attention and I wanted them corrected. I think I've gotten them all. Special thanks goes to broadwaybear for the heads up. Sorry for any inconvience. -TT)
Disclaimer: I don't own the Mighty Ducks nor the song the story is set to.
(A/N: The song is "Every Other Weekend," a dueted song by Reba McEntire and Kenny Chesney. Check it out)
Key: (Singer), Lyrics, Storyline.
(Reba)
Every Other Friday
It's toys and clothes and backpacks
Is everybody in?
Okay, let's go see Dad
"Mom, where's my Transformers? I can't find them."
"Check in the living room. Maggie, honey, finish your spaghetti-o's. We've got to see Daddy in a little bit."
"Daddy! I wanna see Daddy!"
"Then you better finish you're food." The four year old quickly stuffed the remaining bites into her mouth and ran off to her bedroom to grab her backpack and stuffed animal duck, an inseperable present from her 'uncles' and 'aunt' at her birth.
"Oh honey, you're a mess." Julie grabbed a washcloth and wiped her daughter's mouth off. "Mags, you got it all over your shirt," she groaned. "Alright, let's get you changed. Hands up," she told her as she lifted off the dirty shirt. "Anthony Reed Portman, you better not be dumping your toys all over the floor," she warned sternly.
"I can't find Optimus Prime," the six year old explained. "Dad gave him to me. I wanna bring him with me."
She stopped to think, "Are you talking about the ones that's a truck?"
"Duh Mom" he said rolling his eyes.
"Excuse me young man," she said in a warning tone, with eyebrows raised and arms crossed.
"Yes ma'am," he replied defeated.
"Much better."
"Have you seen him?"
"You left him in the car."
"Mommy!"
"Oh sweetheart, I didn't forget about you. I got your shirt right here," she told, putting it over her head. "Anthony, you packed your homework this time right?"
"It's in my backpack."
"Alright," she went over her mental checklist, "Toys, clothes, bag, backpacks…"
"Let's go!" Maggie ran to the front door pulling her brother behind her.
"Let's go," she said following her children.
Same time in the same spot
Corner of the same old parking lot
Half the hugs and kisses
There are always sad
His car was already there, and he was out, leaning against it. A smile broke out on his face when she pulled her car up to the same parking lot where they always met.
"Daddy's here!" Maggie cried in glee.
Tony unbuckled his seatbelt. "Anthony, wait 'til the car is off."
He fidgeted anxiously with his hand on the door handle as Julie put the car in park and shut the car off. He bolted out the door and into Dean's arm, "Dad! I missed you!"
"Hey little man!" he said lifting him up, "I've missed you too." Seeing them side by side, it's easy to see that he got more than his name from Dean. It's the closest thing to seeing Dean she got nowadays, besides when she saw him briefly, every other weekend.
Julie unbuckled Maggie from her seat so she too could jump into her father's arms. "Daddy!" she clung to his leg.
"Hey Maggie," Dean lifted her up in his other arm and gave her a kiss, "How's my princess?"
"Good, Mommy got Walter a new outfit," her pale blue eyes sparkling as she showed him her duck decked out in a green and purple jersey.
"Wow, Walter's looking good," he told her, matching her excitement. Despite her dark curls, he swore she looked more and more like her mom every time he saw her. It's the closest thing to seeing Julie he got, besides when he saw her briefly, every other weekend.
He set them both back on the ground. "So you guys ready to go?"
"Yeah!" they both cheered.
Julie appeared behind them with their bags in hand. "Tell your mom bye," he told them as he reached out for a bag with "Gaffney 06" stitched on it- her old practice bag now turned kids' over-night bag. They'd come a long way from the days when he used to carry this bag for her, but he grabbed that bag and the rest from her and threw them in the trunk.
She bent down and they hugged her. "Bye Mom," Tony kissed her, "See you on Sunday!"
"Bye Baby. I love you."
"Bye Mommy," she kissed her too. "I love you."
"I love you too, Mags."
"Mommy," she whined, "what about Walter?"
"Oh, I couldn't forget him," she smiled. "Bye Walter. I'll see you soon." She stood up and kissed the top of their heads before they ran to his car. "Be good you two," she called after them, "and listen to your father!"
We trade a couple words and looks and kids again
Every other weekend
It was only Julie and Dean now as they stood awkwardly in front of each other, avoiding long glances at their once-partner. Julie stood with her arms wrapped around her to cover the emptiness she felt every time she let them go. Dean shoved his hands in his pocket as he drew in a deep breath. "So…"
"So…um, Maggie's had her nap, and they've both eaten before we came, just spaghetti-o's and a hotdog, so they might still be up for one of your ice cream runs later if you choose."
He nodded, a slight smile on his face, "ok."
"Dad, come on!" Tony called impatiently from the car.
"Coming," he told them and turned back to Julie. "...Um, I'll have them back on Sunday."
She nodded, "Yeah sounds good."
"…Bye Jules."
"…Bye Dean." She watched sadly as his car drove off the empty lot until it was out of sight. Then she got in her car and drove in the other way to her house.
(Chesney)
Every other weekend
With very few exceptions
I pick up the love we made in both my arms
"I missed you guys. What have you been up to?" he asked looking back into the rearview mirror. "Tony, how's school going?"
"It's alright," he shrugged. "Mr. Evans hung my spelling test on the wall for getting the highest in class."
"Wow Buddy, that's impressive!"
"Daddy, what's impressive?"
He smiled, "It means I'm proud of your brother. I'm proud of you both." They beamed at the praise.
They got home and unloaded their things into his apartment. Dean watched as they settled in so comfortably, playing with their toys. He missed seeing them everyday like he used to when they were a family- when they all were a family. He smiled and gathered them up in a hug.
"Dad?" Tony asked confused.
He smiled, "I love you guys so much."
It's movies on the sofa
Grilled cheese and cut the crust off
"But that's not the way Mom makes it, Daddy" breaks my heart
"How about a movie?"
"Yeah!" they yelled.
"Anyone hungry yet?"
"I am!" Maggie raised her hand. "I want grilled cheese."
"Ah, my specialty," he rubbed his hands together. "How 'bout you Tony?"
"No thanks."
He started to fix two sandwiches, one for him and one for his daughter. "So what movie are we gonna watch?"
"Transformers!"
"Again?" he laughed.
"Yeah!"
"Ok," he nodded, "That fine with you Mags?" She nodded, too preoccupied with Walter to care. "Alright, Transformers it is."
Ten minutes later, they sat down to watch their movie and eat.
Maggie scrunched up her nose after taking a bite. "This doesn't taste like Mommy's," she said and set the sandwich back down on the plate.
"But Mags, I made it just like you like it, with the crust off and everything," he pointed out confused. She poked at the sandwich on her plate. "You know, Mommy learned to make grilled cheese from me. We make it the same way."
She shook her head. "But it's not the same," she protested.
He sighed and leaned back against the couch, "No, it's not, is it?" he threw his sandwich back on his plate too.
I miss everything I use to have with her again
Every other weekend
Every other weekend, he tried to convince himself that things were working out, and every other weekend he would almost believe himself- until he put the kids to bed. He picked his sleeping kids up off the floor and tucked them into their beds. He cleaned up the toys, replaying memories of times when she still loved him. They used to be so eager for the kids to fall asleep, for a time when it was just the two of them. Now when the kids fell asleep, that's it; there's no one else. He has no one to hold through whatever cheesy movie came on that night, no one to return to the bedroom with, no one to even kiss him goodnight when he too fell asleep. Yes he was lucky. He got to see his children every other weekend. He got to put his kids to bed after a long day of being their hero. But that still couldn't replace the longing in his heart for her.
(Chesney)
But I can't tell her I love her
He climbed into his bed, wondering what would've happened if they hadn't separated, wondering if they could ever be the family they once were again. And then he sighed. He could never tell her he still loved her.
(Reba)
I can't tell him I love him
Across town, Julie climbed into her bed, imagining what they'd be doing right now if they hadn't split up, wondering if she could ever hold more than her memories of him again. But she sighed. She could never tell him she still loved him.
(Chesney)
Cuz there's too many questions and
(Both)
Ears in the car
Every other weekend they searched for a sign, a lean, a movement, a glimmer of hope that the other still had feelings for them as they stood there waiting to reciprocate. But no, neither would make the first move with two pairs of eyes watching them out the car window and ears that would burn to learn why Daddy kissed Mommy or why Mommy won't stop hugging Daddy. No, they knew it'd never be as simple as saying the words "I love you still."
(Reba)
So I don't tell him I miss him
So Julie turned their kids over to their father every other Friday, and picked them up Sunday, not telling him that she missed him.
(Chesney)
I don't tell her I need her
And Dean picked them up every other Friday and returned them to their mother on Sunday, never saying that he still needed her.
(Both)
She's (He's) over me, that's where we are
They lived their lives in the belief that their ex's had moved on, never realizing they were- and have always been- in the same position as the other, every other weekend.
(Chesney)
So we're as close as we might ever be again
(Both)
Every other weekend
So they never ventured to conversations of themselves or idle chit-chat about the weather. That wasn't what their meetings were about. They had their chance once and they blew it. Now, it's strictly about the kids, the only thing they had in common anymore.
(Reba)
Every other Saturday
First thing in the morning
I turn the TV on to make the quiet go away
Most people would die to have a weekend all to themselves, to relax and unwind from the week. But Julie would trade all the rest and relaxation in the world for a night of staying up late with Dean and a morning of being woken up by their kids at 6:30 to make breakfast for them. Except she was never offered that option. Instead, every other weekend when the silence woke her up after a lonely night, regardless of the time and the lack of need, she got up at her normal time and made breakfast. She turned on the TV for some company, to mask the overwhelming quiet. She sat down with her scrambled eggs and black coffee and had her breakfast, alone.
I know why, but I don't know why
We ever let this happen
Falling for forever was a big mistake
Despite the newscasters cracking their jokes, Julie sat quietly, sipping her coffee and thinking. She knew why things had to be the way they were, she just could never understand why they let them turn out the way they had. She must've remembered a moment when everything fell apart, but honestly she couldn't even remember what it was that drove them to their current situation. One day they were happily married with two kids, then next day they were signing divorce papers. They went from seeing each other every day- throughout hockey practices and games, through high school and college, through marriage and kids- only to be reduced to mere minutes every other weekend. Yep, every other weekend took a toll on her heart; their time was never enough. She sighed and finished her breakfast. She felt so stupid for falling forever in love with a man who no longer felt the same.
There's so much not to do, and all day not to do it in
Every other weekend
With no children to chauffer around and no toys to tidy up, no dishes to do and no meals to make, she had nothing to busy herself with. For a while she settled for catching up with a Duck or two, but she quit soon after when it became evident that they were always going to ask about her and Dean, the kids, how she was doing and what exactly had happened. She couldn't figure out the answers to those questions when she'd asked herself them. Plus, she had already spent too much time struggling for the answers on her own; she didn't need anyone else helping her spend her remaining time doing the same. No, instead she devoted what was left of her life to her kids, but unfortunately, when there were no kids, it meant no life. She had nothing to do, and all weekend not to do it in. She grabbed her keys and headed for the market thinking she'd get some errands done to captivate her time, maybe free her mind. No such luck. Julie drove halfway there when she stole a glance at the empty car seats, revealing the truth in the rearview mirror. She reached the market in tears and sat in the car fixing her makeup in that same mirror.
(Chesney)
Every other Sunday
I empty out my backseat
While my children hug their mother in the parking lot
"Tony, don't forget your jersey."
"I've got it, Dad."
"Oh, Mags, why are you crying?" she emerged holding her head. "You bump your head?" she nodded. "Aw, c'mere sweetheart," he said drawing her into a hug and kissed her head. "You'll be alright," he said soothing her. "Tony, your jersey's here on the couch."
"That's where I put," he said remembering.
Dean smiled and scooped up Maggie in one arm, her bag in the other. "You guys ready to see Mommy?"
"Yay! Mommy!"
"Yeah, yay Mommy!" Dean echoed softer. He turned to see his son slightly struggling as he followed with his bag. "You need help Little Man?" he laughed.
"Nope," he said trying not to let on to his difficulty.
They piled into the car and drove to the familiar lot where she had already arrived. She stood outside her car, leaning against it as she waited for them. A smile broke out on her face when she saw his car pull up.
"There she is," he stated the obvious.
"Mommy!" Maggie squealed.
"Tony, stay seated 'til I've parked."
As soon as the car shut off he was out the door and into his mother's arms. "Hi Mom!"
"Hi Anthony, did you have fun?"
"Mmhm," he nodded.
Maggie came running up after him, "Hi Mommy."
"Hi Baby, and hello Walter," she addressed them both.
Dean was transferring the bags into Julie's trunk as the kids simultaneously tried to tell her about their weekend.
"Well, gang, I'm out of here," Dean announced after the last bag.
Both children latched on to their father saying the three little words that broke his heart every time, "Daddy, don't go." But it was never Maggie's pleads that would determine his comings and goings. He bent down to their level and smiled at them. "I'll see you again in two weeks. You be a big girl 'til then?" She nodded and hugged his neck. "And how 'bout you Little Man? You be ok?" he nodded too. "You be man of the house and take care of your mom for me huh?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright, I love you guys," he hugged them both again and kissed them before sending them back over to their mom.
We don't touch
We don't talk much
Maybe goodbye to each other
Then she drives away with every piece of heart I've got
Julie had stood watching their interactions trying to hold herself together best she knew how.
He got up from where he had crouched down and they stood in front of each other at what they deemed to be a safe amount of space.
"So…"
"So...uh- we went for ice cream around lunch time, but I took them to the rink afterwards so the sugar's probably worn off by now." She smiled, and then it seemed- just for a moment- they were able to forget that they couldn't.
"Ju-"
"De-"
They both start simultaneously, "Mo-o-o-m!" Tony complained louder than them though reminding them of their presence. "Maggie keeps kicking me!"
"Maggie, stop kicking you brother." She smiled weakly at Dean. "I should go," she said softly.
He nodded, "Yeah, me too."
"…Bye Dean."
"…Bye Jules."
She joined the kids in the car and he watched sadly as the car drove off out of sight carrying everything that mattered to him. He got in his car and headed off in the opposite direction to his apartment.
I re-convince myself we did the right thing
Every other weekend
He drove in his car, ignoring the weight growing heavier in his stomach as he got further and further away. He told himself that what they were doing was for the best and he couldn't have it any other way.
(Chesney)
So I can't tell her I love her
Dean returned home, pausing in the doorway of his empty apartment. A life that was once overflowing with joy and love, now stood vacant of those who filled it, except on every other weekend. And despite having the number memorized, he stopped himself from recalling it to mind whenever he picked up the telephone. He couldn't just call her up and tell her he was still in love with her…
(Reba)
I can't tell him I love him
Julie returned home, letting the kids in first and following in after. She plopped down on the couch, mentally exhausted from trying to keep herself together all weekend. Seeing him only reminded her of what she had, had lost and could never reclaim. She'd always hoped that the kids would give her an excuse to call him up and have him come over, but one never surfaced. No imperative toy left over, no homework left behind, no reason to see him in between their visits. And she couldn't just call him up and say she wanted him back because she still loved him…
(Chesney)
Cuz there's too many questions and
(Both)
Ears in the car
Because at the end of the day, there were still two little kids caught up in the middle of a messy relationship. And it would never be as simple as saying "I still love you." There'd be too many questions needing answered, too many discussions to speak of and too many heartbreaks if their loveless relationship failed again.
(Reba)
So I don't tell him I miss him
So in the name of the kids she wouldn't dig up a reason to see him again. She'd fill the gaping hole in her heart the best she could with the love she still had. She'd convince herself that it was enough until the reality of her loneliness reared its head once again, every other weekend.
(Chesney)
I don't tell her I need her
And in the name of his kids he'd let the phone receiver rest undisturbed in its cradle. He'd wait impatiently for every other weekend to roll around in hopes of satisfying his need for her, from only the moments he'd get to see her.
(Both)
She's (He's) over me, that's where we are
They wouldn't put their kids through the awkwardness or hard feelings of opening old wounds of their relationship, especially when the one they loved had moved on.
(Chesney)
So we're as close as we might ever be again
(Both)
Every other weekend
So they let another visit go by without saying a word about themselves. What they had was gone- moved on. The closest they felt that they could let themselves get anymore was when they exchanged the kids, every other weekend.
(Chesney)
Yeah for fifteen minutes we're a family again
Dean headed off to bed, content in knowing that for 15 whole minutes, they were a family again. For 15 minutes he saw glimpses of what his life could've still been. For 15 minutes he saw himself happy again.
(Reba)
God, I wish that he was still with me again
Julie knelt down beside her kids as they said their prayers for the night. She listened to them ask for blessings for their sibling and their mother, and as they prayed for some blessings for their father too, Julie always added a silent prayer of her own that they might find the love they used to share, and share it once again, together for more than every other weekend.
(Both)
Every other weekend...
-TT
Thanks for reading. Please reveiw, they make my day!