D3 The Mighty Ducks My Way

The locker room was silent as we all changed; we had just gotten back from doing our 20 laps only to be informed that we had practice right after school for our game tomorrow, which we would be playing without four players now. I looked over at Fulton's and Charlie's lockers only to find them empty, they must have been here while we were skating, I thought as I threw my clothes on. I felt everyone's eyes on me all wondering what was going through my head. I slammed my locker shut and picked up my backpack and hockey bag and turned to everyone else.

"We have class." I said and started walking to the door.

"Su." Connie said and I halted.

"About what Charlie said-"

"I could care less about what Charlie said." I interrupted and quickly headed out the door. I walked out of the arena and across the campus as students loitered about the grounds. I passed some varsity players who smirked as I walked on by. I walked up to my locker in the semi crowed hallway and stuffed my hockey gear in there and grabbed my English textbook for my next class, my stomach rumbled as I brought a hand to it, might as well and go grab some breakfast. I shut my locker and turned and stopped suddenly. Down the hallway was Adam talking to Tracy, I could tell from his posture that he was troubled and Tracy couldn't tall by the way she was throwing herself at him. I rolled my eyes at the scene and stomped away my hunger completely forgotten.

--

No one said a word at lunch. We just sat there picking at our food, even Goldberg barely ate anything. I found myself staring at the spots that use to belong to Charlie and Fulton and I saw myself looking down at the far end of our table where two empty seats sat reserved for Portman and Adam who weren't here either, well at least one wasn't. Against my will my eyes traveled over to varsity's table were they were laughing about something, all except one. Adam just sat there staring down at his food, as the varsity joked and laughed. He seemed out of place among them even in a red warrior's coat. He didn't belong with them, he belong with us…with me. I shook my head at that thought as I turned my attention back to the emptiness of our table, would it always be like this?

--

I panted as Coach drilled us, he wasn't going easy today. And to prove that he was making us do suicides, the devil play.

"Come one, once more!" He blew his whistle as we skated to the other side of the rink.

"Good now take a knee." We did as we were told as we all clumsily took a knee on the cold ice. Practice had been quiet and without incident, no Charlie there to anger Coach, just us.

"Now you guys have been doing well today, a little more energy would be nice but you have all had a hard day. Now I want to switch some things up, Goldberg you are no longer a goalie." We all stared up in shock at Coach; he wasn't getting rid of Goldberg was he.

"What?" Goldberg asked astonished as we all looked on in horror, Coach seeing our looks and realizing what he had sounded like quickly said.

"No don't worry I am not kicking you off the team, you are just switching positions." We all breathed in a sigh of relief, thank goodness.

"But why Coach?" Goldberg and asked and Coach sighed.

"Julie has been performing as goalie while you sadly have not." Well it's kinda true, even I have to admit that.

"So I was thinking you would do better as a defenseman and if Julie can't perform for some reason you would step up as goalie. That sound good to you." It wasn't a question it was an order. Goldberg gulped and nodded, and Coach actually smiled. Well I think he smiled, he moved his lips.

"Good, you'll be our secret weapon. Now uh why don't Su and Russ show you the ropes, while the rest of us work on scoring." We nodded as Russ, Goldberg and I headed over to the far right net while everyone else went to the other side of the rink. I don't really know why I am here, I am a forward but oh well I do know defense.

"Ok Goldberg do you know anything about defense?" I asked as I skated in front of the net, Goldberg was changed into defensemen pads instead of goalie. He shrugged and responded.

"I know you guys never help me on it." He said and Russ and I rolled our eyes.

"Goldberg." We said exasperated at the same time.

"What? It's true, don't you guys here me all the time, I could use some defense."

"Well man you are the defense." Russ said and I nodded.

"So shut up and block." We said at the same time laughing and we high five each other.

"Alright Goldberg, as a defenseman you have to help block the net."

"Something I've been doing for years." He interrupted and I glared at him.

"As I was saying, you job is to make sure no one gets to the goalie, which is now Julie. Things you need to do get the puck away from our net and then try and take down the opponents."

"So basically act like the bash brothers?" Goldberg asked and Russ nodded.

"Yeah man, it should be easy for you, you like weigh the same as both of them combined." I laughed and Goldberg glared.

"Thanks Russ, I feel good about myself now." Russ just rolled his eyes as I said.

"Don't worry about it Goldberg, ok let's practice. Uh Russ you be the goalie I'll be the opponent and Goldberg you are going to try and stop me from scoring, all right?" They both nodded and got into position. I got the stray puck and lazily headed to the net, Goldberg tried to come at me but I dodged him easily. I got the puck and effortlessly shot it in.

"Ah come on Su! It's not fair how am I supposed to go up against you? You're like one of the best players I've ever seen." I blushed at the compliment as we continued working. By the end Goldberg had gotten quite good and had sent me to the ice a few times.

--

I found myself skating in a different direction then home. It had been a long day and I wasn't in the mood to deal with my parents, I love them and all but they just don't understand. But one person should. Hans, the man who had taught us all to fly all those years ago. I hadn't seen him since before I left on vacation so it would be nice to catch up with him, besides it isn't sundown yet so I still have time. I quickly skated to his skate shop, one of my favorite places in the world. I smiled as it came into view, I came to the front door and saw that it was locked, never kept me out before. I did my secret knock so Hans would know it was me, two loud knocks, then three quick knock, finished with one quite knock. I waited patiently as I heard the locks go undone. Hans smiled at me as he opened the door.

"I have been waiting for you to come and visit me Su." I smiled at him as he let me in. After taking my skates off I gave him a quick hug as he directed us into his living room, even better about his store was that he lived here as well.

"So what brings you here?" He asked as I sat down on his worn out red couch as he took a seat in his favorite chair. I sighed and leaned back into the couch.

"Everything Hans."

"Do tell."

"Well you know about Coach Bombay getting that job with the Junior Goodwill Games?" Hans nodded and smiled.

"And you know about Portman not coming up from Chicago and Adam getting moved to varsity?" He again nodded and I sighed.

"Well today Charlie and Fulton quit the Ducks." I said and silence hung around us.

"Why would they do that?" Hans asked and I shrugged.

"They felt like Coach Orion was bad and Charlie had been upset over losing his C, and the trouble with varsity, and…and everything blew up and now Charlie and Fulton are gone and the Ducks are dead." I said quietly.

"Ah Su, even though you may not be called the Ducks you still are." I shook my head no and Hans peered at me.

"Something else is bothering you, no?" I nodded and said quietly.

"He called me a Hawk Hans."

"Who?" Hans asked knowing how I hated that word.

"Charlie, he said I wasn't and never was a Duck."

"Charlie was upset, he did not mean that." I shook my head and looked out the window.

"Yes he did Hans; he wouldn't have just said it. And when he did it felt like I was ten again being a bully to them."

"That was a long time ago Su, people change. You and Adam have and for the better. You know when I went to the game with Hawks versus Ducks who were D5 at the time, I watched you and Adam play and I saw something different about the two of you, something the made you stand out against the rest of the Hawks. And what it was, was that you two loved the game. You played for that reason alone and I knew you two would be Ducks. And fine players which you are." I smiled up at him and shook my head.

"You always make me feel better, Hans."

"Well I am glad, now look at the time you should get home and get started on the homework." I nodded and stood up and Hans walked me to the door as I quickly put on my skates.

"You'll be listening to our game tomorrow on the radio right?" I asked and he nodded and smiled.

"Just like I always do, goodnight Su."

"Goodnight Hans." What I didn't know was that would be the last time I saw him alive.

--

"Good going Goldberg!" I yelled happily slapping Goldberg on the back, as he skated over to the bench. He was really good at being a defenseman, that was the fourth person he took down already and we were only ten minutes in the game and the score was 0-0. The Elliot Cougars were a good team, normally we would beat them but without Charlie or Fulton we weren't playing as good. And it showed and in the end we lost 5-2.

--

We all sat at lunch talking, something was up though, practice had been cancelled with the reason that Dean Buckley wanted to talk to us.

"We better go." Guy said and we nodded and walked to his office. I smiled as I saw the ant farm; you couldn't even tell that we kidnapped around 600 hundred of them to set upon an unsuspecting varsity. I almost laughed thinking of the prank a few days ago, how long ago it seemed. Dean Buckley looked very solemn as he motioned for us to all sit down on his couch and chairs. I sat down in a leather chair with Kenny sitting on its arm.

"Well I know you're all wondering why you don't have practice today." We all nodded our heads and he continued.

"Well Ducks I am truly sorry to have to tell you this, but a friend of yours Hans I believe his name is." He trailed off as we all looked at each other intently.

"Sir, what about Hans?" I asked quietly praying that he was all right.

"Well he…he passed on last night, I'm afraid." He trailed off mentioning some things like heart attack and died in his sleep but I zoned it all out. Hans was gone. The very man the created us was gone and I would never see him again. And the last thing I said was goodnight, not goodbye, but goodnight. Tears pricked my eyes as I made no move to wipe them away. I looked around and saw Connie and Julie shedding tears as well with all of the guys hanging their heads and looking down. We had all loved Hans even the out of stat Ducks. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder and looked up to see that Kenny had placed it there. We listened some more to the Dean and then he dismissed us. We all stood out of his office like zombies.

"I…I have to go." I said quietly walking off to my locker, tears clouding my vision. As I neared it I saw Adam standing there looking sad and he looked up and we locked eyes, and I could tell in that instance that he knew as well. I wordlessly walked up to him as he opened my arms and I went into them holding onto him tightly as I sobbed, the hallways were empty as class had started a few minutes earlier. We sank to the ground as Adam never let go of me as I buried my head into his shoulder. I looked up to see all the rest of the Ducks standing there as they all took seats around and across from us as we all cried for our lost friend.

--

I hate black. I thought as I came down my stairs wearing a black dress, today was Hans's funeral and all of the Ducks had been invited. My parents were giving me a lift there and were staying as they would stand in the back. The car ride over was silent, my parents had tried to comfort me earlier but had learned that I needed the Ducks for all of this and they understood, or at least I hoped they did. As we got to the cemetery I quickly got out of the car and joined the rest of the Ducks who were huddled together saved for Charlie. We all quickly made our way to the front where we all stood, Charlie was there with his Mom but he didn't speak nor look at us as the preacher began. He said prayers as I kept my head bowed and I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Adam behind me, he gave me a small smile and I turned and put my attention back on the preacher. Adam and I hadn't worked everything out yet, but we were on our way. Someone moving caught my eye and I turned to see Coach Bombay walking up, He walked up to the front and his eyes were watery, he looked at all of us and quietly asked the preacher if he could say something, the man nodded and Bombay infolded a original Duck jersey with the number 11 on the back below the name Hans. He laid it on the casket and said.

"Every time you touch the ice, remember it was Hans that taught us to fly." Tears stung my eyes as he said those words and Charlie stormed off angrily. When the service was over all of us Ducks stayed there as Bombay hugged every single one of us. When he got to me he held me tightly and asked.

"Are you all right Su?" I nodded through my tears and he gripped my shoulder before moving no. I noticed Adam was by his parents talking.

"Hey Coach we're going to have a street game tomorrow at the basketball courts, you can come if you want." Fulton suggested and Coach nodded before walking off. We all stayed huddled together as Adam walked back. He stayed on the outskirts of the group looking uncomfortable, which he should we treated him like crap and said he wasn't our friend anymore, of course he should be uncomfortable.

"Well guys I got to go, I'll see you around." He said before walking off, I watched his retreating form before making up my mind. I pushed through everyone and called out.

"Hey Adam!" He turned and I continued.

"We're having a game of street hockey tomorrow at noon at the basketball courts. We…I would really appreciate it if you came." Adam looked past me to the others but they just nodded and he smiled and shook his head. I felt better knowing he was going to be there.

(Please R and R! I do not own The Mighty Ducks.)