Title: The Journey Home
Author: antarianprincess
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The Mighty Ducks and all its characters belong to Disney. I own nothing and only write for enjoyment.
Warnings: Slash!
PLEASE READ – Author's Notes: Hey everybody! I know it's been a while but I was looking through some Mighty Ducks stories last night on and I suddenly came across my own and I realized I absolutely have to finish this. I'm not too pleased with the structure of the story or even some parts in the first chapter but since I began it this way, I'm going to finish it this way. Excerpts are taken from Emily Bronte's poem, The Two Children, parts 1 and 2 which I have used for my Harry Potter fanfic, but I feel that it applies so well here as well. Feedback always appreciated! Let me know what you like, what you don't like, what you would like to see or anything you want to me to know! Hugs and kisses to you all!

Chapter 2: Love by Any Other Name

Never has a blue streak
Cleft the clouds since morn -
Never has his grim Fate
Smiled since he was born -

Frowning on the infant,
Shadowing childhood's joy;
Guardian angel he knows not
That melancholy boy.

I, the image of light and gladness,
Saw and pitied that mournful boy;
And I swore to take his gloomy sadness,
And give to him my beamy joy -

"Heavy and dark the night is closing;
Heavy and dark may its biding be;
Better for all from grief reposing,
And better for all who watch like me -

"Guardian angel, he lacks no longer;
Evil fortune he need not fear;
Fate is strong–but Love is stronger,
And more unsleeping than angel's care.

Charlie POV

As I quickly made my way from the locker room back to the dorms, excusing myself from the wild celebrations my fellow teammates were currently indulging in, I couldn't help but reflect sadly on the troubled state of my friendship with Banksie.

I have never been an analytical person but the reunion with Adam was obviously not happening and that troubled me more than I thought possible. We did have our Banksie back as I had cockily told Riley and we were best friends again but I had felt the tension in the locker room, painfully forcing its way between us and forming a wall that even my cheerful babble could not dispel. Already, he has forgiven me, forgiven the Ducks for deserting him because it is in his gentle nature to do so. But he is so disappointed in me. I can sense his overwhelming sadness and his gentle acceptance of the situation and that hurts me in a way that resembles the pain I feel as if Rick Riley has just slammed me as hard as he could into the boards.

As a child, I could only remember how much I wanted to be him. I was only ten years old at the time and I had never a particularly self-aware person but even then I had felt the injustice that a little boy my age had so much more than me. Worst of all, he and his friends used their unearned status to bully us back when we were District Five, the joke of the Pee Wee Hockey League. How I resented Adam Banks back then.

I may have reached out to him first, attempting to welcome him his first day in the Ducks locker room and passing him the puck when nobody else would but I also think I took the longest time to forgive him. I pitied him that day, remembering how alone and afraid I myself had felt through much of my early childhood

And I never could understand why - perhaps it was because I was the first to give him a chance - but from day one Banksie always seemed to gravitate towards me. Sometimes I wonder if Banksie and I would have become best friends if he had not pursued me. And yes, he did pursue me as much as his shy personality would allow, always asking me if I wanted to hang out after hockey practice or watch a movie during the off season. Somewhere along the line when I wasn't looking, Adam must have broken through because I began to realize that he had problems too, that in reality, he was just a boy who needed attention and approval. And for some reason, he desperately wanted those things from me. Was I flattered? Immeasurably.

By the end of the Good Will Games, it had become firmly established. Spazway and Cake Eater, the team captain and the team star, were the best of friends and that was not going to change.

How naive my twelve year old self must have been to think that nothing would ever change, I think as I smile sadly at the thought of just how much has changed since the beginning of Freshman Year. I have never been one to embrace change as I'm sure every one of my teammates can attest to after all that's happened this year, but I'm also not one to lash out violently because of change either. I was going through a hard time in life, starting high school - and a preppy high school to make matters even more difficult - and then I find that Coach Bombay was leaving us. Truly he is the father I never had, a constant in my life since I was ten and losing him for Coach Orion seemed like the worst thing in the world at the time.

But the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back was definitely losing Banksie to Varsity. Of course, I was incredibly jealous of him and I had every reason to be. I had always been the captain and undisputed leader of the team, and I was good at hockey but no matter how hard I tried, Adam was just always better. But what most people thankfully didn't see was how much I missed having Adam in my life.

I had felt the loss of him and our friendship much more than deeply than I would have expected and that frightens me more than I care to admit. That night at the Minnesota Club, when he and the Varsity team walked out, leaving us the eight hundred and fifty seven dollar bill as their happy surprise, I don't think I have ever felt that betrayed in my life. Washing the dishes and scrubbing the toilets was disgusting and revolting but it was nothing compared to that suffocating feeling in my chest as if he had just walked out of my life forever. He tried to explain himself to me of course, but that only deepened the pain. "Charlie, believe me," he had entreated and even now I could hear the heartbreaking pleading in his voice. He was suffering and it was mostly my fault. I could have stood up for him and the team would have followed me. Somehow, I decide, I have to make things right with Adam because he had become too important a part of my life for me to neglect.

A soft knock on my door interrupts my thought process and I sigh tiredly to get up and answer the door. Linda stands on the other side in a cute lacey red tank top, smiling excitedly up at me and I remember suddenly that I am supposed to be taking her out to get that long awaited Coke. Maybe after all this time, we should upgrade to coffee.

"Hey Charlie, are you ready," Linda asks a note of anticipation in her voice. And suddenly I felt guilty all over again. I had courted this girl because I was lonely and looking for a challenge but now that I had my moment with her, I just didn't care anymore.

"Sure, let's go," I answer back with as much energy as I could, giving her a lopsided smile that I hoped looked genuine as I began to lead her outside.

She followed me happily into the halls on our way out as my thoughts alternated between guilt and plausible ways I could fall down the stairs that did not require the hospital emergency room but did require an immediate return to my room for rest and relaxation. I groaned inwardly as I saw a group of Ducks on their way back to the dorms, still on cloud nine after beating Varsity.

"Ohhh Charlie! So that's why you couldn't stay and celebrate. You had a lot of homework!" Averman says winking at Linda as she giggled at what I thought was an extremely mediocre joke, even for Averman.

"Shut up Averman, we're going now" I growled hoping that I wasn't blushing. I definitely don't want to lead her on anymore than I already have.

"Okay Charlie, but remember have the little lady back by midnight so don't get too crazy out there," Averman teases in that annoying singing voice of his.

"We have to go now," I laughed shaking my head and pulling Linda after me. This was going to be a long night indeed.