Summary: Gordon Bombay had told Wolf Stansson that they'd see each other again. Little did either of them know how soon that would come to pass. One year after MD2. Established Julie/Gunnar. Julie's POV. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Even on the ninth installment in this Series, I still own nothing. All belong to Disney.
Author's Note: What do you know, Chapter 1 is ready in a timely fashion as well. It must be a miracle. A big thank you to faithful readers Sand Sibling and katiehofffan for their enthusiastic reviews on the opening chapter! Here now we'll see more of what Julie's been living with over the past few months and share in her excitement as the Rematch draws nearer. Enjoy, everyone!
Sympathy for the Icelanders: Part IX
Rematch – Chapter 1
All in all, the Eden Hall school year had been comparatively uneventful after the JV Mighty Ducks defeated the Varsity Warriors in a surprising upset. Charlie and his crush Linda were now officially dating, and Connie and Guy were also back together to "give it another try." I wished them the best, as there were times that we could all see how they truly made each other happy.
My own relationship with Gunnar Stahl was still going strong. Upon my return from Iceland nearly six months ago, he and I had been in contact almost religiously; and since the formal hockey season was over (at least for me), our communication had become one of the most consistent aspects of my life. He was still playing hockey outside of school, with Wolf Stansson as his coach, yet somehow he always made time for me in his crazy schedule. I tried not to think about how much sleep he was probably missing.
But I had really needed the encouragement of his letters and phone conversations once I got back to school, and things immediately got very awkward. As Connie had warned me, the Duck boys were now well aware of what had been going on between Gunnar and me. Charlie had at least tried to be positive about the revelation, but it wasn't long before a guilty conscience drove him into silence, as a way of showing support instead to one of his older friends.
Adam Banks really did take the news hard, I'm afraid. For weeks, he wouldn't look me in the eye, and he'd scarcely say more than two words to me at a time. Things were somewhat better between us now, but I think he was still hurting from the harsh realization that he and I would never be more than just friends. He had a gift for making me feel like I'd just kicked a puppy whenever I was in his presence.
When he returned to Eden Hall, Portman's first words spoken directly to me after the JV/Varsity showdown were, "Seriously, Jules? What the hell?" I didn't have to be a mind reader to know precisely what he meant, and even now, he and I weren't on the best of terms. At least Banks was trying to accept that my affections lay elsewhere; Portman, however, would probably never be satisfied with that answer. Especially not when he knew that I had rejected him in favor of an Icelander, of all people.
Even Scooter's behavior toward me had changed rather drastically since the start of the New Year. I had never really noticed the special attentions he'd paid me, until they were suddenly withdrawn. He was still as pleasant as ever if we happened to cross paths, and he'd even made it a point to welcome me back and ask if I'd had a nice trip over the Christmas holiday; but he no longer went out of his way for me like he used to do.
Unfortunately, the story didn't get much better when it came to the other Ducks who didn't feel as though I had personally slighted them in some way. Only Connie remained truly excited on my behalf, but I know it can be difficult for her to maintain that enthusiasm when the rest of her old friends are less than thrilled.
Some consider me a downright traitor, as I'd feared would be the case from the very beginning. I'm sure there are others who hold a more or less neutral position on the matter, but they keep quiet about it for fear of being ostracized from the flock along with me. And because they're afraid to speak up (or simply don't have reason enough to do so), all I hear about Gunnar Stahl from my teammates is negative material drudged up from the past. I tried to fight back in the beginning, and I even had Connie and Charlie's help for a while; but there's just no winning against some of these hard-headed young men. Hard-headed and hard-hearted.
It resulted in a lot of lonely times for me this past semester, and international phone calls quickly became the highlight of my existence. No wonder I spent so many nights locked away in my dorm room, writing a new letter to Gunnar or looking through the pictures from my time with him in Iceland. In some ways, the memories were better company than the people who were supposed to be my friends. I had even taken to reading Nordic sagas for pleasure in what little spare time I had; the school librarian probably thought I was crazy. Or just unhealthily obsessed.
So you can imagine my shock, and my joy, when Coach Bombay made his announcement about the upcoming Rematch. I attempted to contact Gunnar every day after that and finally succeeded on my third call. He had just found out about the Rematch as well and was already dealing with dramas similar to my own, so we spent the remainder of that conversation empathizing and sharing our excitement at having another opportunity to see each other.
Apparently, Wolf Stansson still didn't know anything about his star player's interest in me; or at least, he hadn't known anything about it before Bombay told him. Gunnar didn't say much more about it then, but I sincerely hoped Stansson wouldn't make his life too miserable on account of me. After all, I had witnessed firsthand that the Dentist had no qualms whatsoever about being rough with even his best players.
And speaking of Stansson's best players, three of them had a reunion of sorts not long ago. Gunnar and his best friend Olaf Sanderson had spent the better part of their spring break in Hamburg, Germany, with Gunnar's older brother, Mikael. Gunnar had related some tales of their trip to me, but now I was already eager to hear more of the details from him in person.
Gunnar's birthday would fall in the month between now and the Rematch, as well. He was only a year and a half older than me, but to say that he was on the verge of turning seventeen just sounded so much older than my own fifteen and a half years. I would have to be sure to call him again when the actual day arrived.
Over the coming weeks, I wanted desperately to escape the tensions around campus – maybe go shopping for a new outfit or two that I could wear while Gunnar was here. But between hockey practices and preparations for exams, it sadly wasn't possible. I would be so happy to finally put freshman year behind me!
Final exams ultimately came and went, and I was thrilled to learn that my lowest score had been a B plus on my Geometry final. Thankfully, that wouldn't be enough to break the straight A's I'd be bringing home on my report card. I was just walking away from the board where our test results had been posted, when I suddenly heard my name being called out from behind.
"Hey, Gaffney!"
I turned around. "Hi, Scooter." I couldn't resist greeting him with a smile. He just reminded me too much of Gunnar, and it was always nice to see a genuinely friendly face.
"How'd you do on your exams?" he asked me.
"Some of them were tough, but I actually did pretty well. How about you?"
The Varsity goalie rolled his eyes. "I managed. Let's just say I'll be happy if I never see another Chemistry equation again. So tell me…are you looking forward to the big Rematch against Iceland?"
By the playful glint in his eye, I could tell he already knew the answer but wanted to hear me say it for myself. Suddenly, I felt like I was talking to one of my big brothers.
"Yes, I am – and for a number of reasons, thank you very much. I've never really played against those guys except for the one all-important shot last year, so this should be fun."
"Well, I have no doubt that you, at least, will be able to handle them. Some of us Varsity players are planning to stop by once both teams get settled here." He nudged me with his elbow. "You'll have to introduce me to my supposed long-lost twin."
"I would be happy to! I definitely want to see you and him stand side by side, just to prove to myself that I'm not crazy. Are you sure you don't have any Scandinavian blood in your family?"
"Pretty sure, yeah. Just let me know if you need any help getting ready for those Vikings, okay?"
"Thanks, I will." I watched him go, suddenly reflective. It was probably treasonous for me to even be thinking this…but I do believe I could have been very happy with Scooter Vanderbilt if things had gone differently in Los Angeles. If Banks hadn't sent me out on a late-night quest for medical tape.
When the school year officially concluded, we had to say goodbye to all of our non-Duck acquaintances. Charlie was rather devastated as he bid farewell to Linda, even though she promised to attend the Rematch in two weeks' time. Our team captain then had the temerity to mope over his girlfriend's absence for the next couple of days, sending embittered glances toward Guy and Connie whenever they were seen to be sharing a romantic moment together. If I was more of a vindictive person, I would have told him he didn't know the first thing about being separated from one's significant other.
Gordon Bombay returned to the academy as scheduled, and one of the first things he did was ask to see me – in private. So I stayed behind in the locker room after practice that afternoon, waiting only a minute or two before he sat down on the bench beside me.
"Congratulations on winning the starting goalie position," he began the conversation. "I think the Ducks truly are a better team for it, and you guys proved that in your showdown against the Varsity."
"Thank you, it's nice of you to say so." Hearing his praise was great, but we both knew why he really wanted to talk to me.
My old coach then leaned forward, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Now, Julie, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I need you to tell me honestly: is playing against Gunnar Stahl going to be an issue for you in this Rematch?"
"No, not at all!" I answered truthfully. "I mean, I admit that I'm more excited about seeing him than I am about the game itself; but his being there isn't going to negatively affect my playing. If anything, it'll make me more determined to play better than ever, and I know he feels the same way. We've talked about it, and all in good sport, we agree we both have a lot to prove after what happened last year. He's certainly not going to back off just because his girlfriend happens to be in goal, I can guarantee that."
"Did you two play against each other at all while you were in Iceland?"
"We didn't, and that was probably our only real regret from the trip. I skated with him and watched him play with some of his friends, but that's it. No real goal-tending for me while I was there, so you don't have to worry about there being any unfair advantages on either side."
"All right, I believe you. But will you please promise to let me and Orion know if ever it does start to become a problem for you?"
It was fair enough for him to request that reassurance, so I nodded. "I will, Coach, I promise. And, so you know, I'm not completely naïve about this whole situation, either. I understand that there will be dramas and questions around every shot that either he makes or I save."
That comment seemed to spark some kind of memory for him. "Julie, when exactly did this whole thing start between you and him back in L.A.?"
Well, one could technically argue that it all started when Gunnar and I were locked in that freezing storage room together…but I had no desire to tell Bombay about that incredibly awkward night!
I answered instead, "We didn't really hit it off until after the Championship, when we spent the entire day together. So in other words, no, it wasn't a factor whatsoever during the shootout."
"I thought not, but it's still good to hear you say so yourself." He smiled at me but sobered up again rather quickly. "I have talked to Wolf about the situation, too. He's been telling Gunnar that there shouldn't be any problems as long as you and he can keep business and pleasure separate; I believe 'distinctly and severely separate' were his exact words."
That sure sounded like Stansson. "I think we can manage that. Honestly, I'm more worried about how some of the guys on our team will react seeing us together."
The point was perfectly valid, in my opinion. I realized it was one thing for my teammates to know that I was dating our rival team's star captain; it would be quite another thing for them to actually see the proof of it right in front of them. It made me wonder if they would have been this vehemently opposed to my going out with Scooter, in another universe.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Coach acknowledged with a nod of his own. But then he looked at me strangely, as though he was just seeing now seeing me for the first time. "You really do like this guy, huh?"
Finally realized that, did he? Aloud, I responded, "Yeah, Coach. I really do. I mean, I know he's an aggressive hockey player, and everyone here probably thinks he and his teammates are just a bunch of jerks…which, yeah, some of them can be at times. But even Olaf Sanderson is capable of an occasional redeeming moment."
He raised his eyebrows. "You saw Sanderson up there, too?"
"Yeah, sure. He's Gunnar's best friend, after all, so they're kind of a package deal. But nothing dreadful happened; it was all good, for the most part."
Bombay chuckled suddenly. "I'm sorry; I just have this vivid memory of how you knocked both those guys flat on their backs the first time you interacted with them. I haven't been able to get that image out of my head for the past month, so it's hard for me to believe you were actually in Iceland hanging out with the two of them. I told Don Tibbles you and Stahl were dating, and I think he almost had a stroke."
Tibbles? Oh please, no. "He's not going to come make a big media circus out of us, is he? I don't think I could deal with that on top of everything else."
"No, don't worry, he won't be here until the night of the Rematch. I'll be handling everything on behalf of the Goodwill Committee this time around."
The words, "Oh, good," escaped me before I could wince apologetically.
My old coach let it slide, rather choosing to ask, "Julie, are Gunnar's friends actually okay with the two of you seeing each other? I don't want there to be too much trouble with them, either; at least, no more trouble than is already bound to happen."
"I would say that they're okay-ish. That is, at least they're not openly fighting it anymore." My voice turned a bit grim. "Gunnar must have a stronger influence over his friends than I do over mine."
"Even Sanderson?"
"Olaf tried to fight our relationship at first, but I kind of put an end to that when I went up there for Christmas. Now we agree to more or less tolerate each other."
I don't think Bombay knew what to say to that, so he just nodded again. It was odd to see a former lawyer like him looking so perplexed.