AUTHOR'S NOTES: Here it is, everyone…the very last chapter. Whew! Never thought I'd get there. I wanted to end on a happy note, so I did something with Christmas. The next story is completed on paper, but I'm gonna take a small break before I start posting it.

A NEW LIFE – CHAPTER TEN – MERRY CHRISTMAS, DUCKS

Kaley exited the school building and sighed happily. Christmas break had finally arrived, and now she was home free for two weeks. What am I ever going to do with all this time? She thought. Well, I could stand outside and try to thicken up my blood, or see if I could coerce Dad into actually putting some decorations up, or…

"Kaley! Yo! Kaley! Hey!" Kaley turned around and found a very urgent Connie running across the schoolyard to her. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Are you coming?"

"Coming where?" Kaley asked, confused.

"To Hans'!" Connie said. "We're gonna help decorate the shop a little bit. We do it every year."

"Oh?" Kaley said. "Well, um…I'll have to ask Dad."

"He already knows." Connie said. "He's bringing the tree. Come on! We're not that far away; we can walk."

"Walk?" Kaley asked. "Connie, It's December!"

"I know." Connie said. "Let's go!"

Well, I did say I want to thicken my blood. Kaley thought, following Connie.

"Hey guys! I could use some help here!" Averman called from his precarious perch on top of a stepladder, trying to hang a garland over the cash register.

"People!" Tammy Duncan called out indignantly, slinging some lights over a window.

"Forget it, Averman." Peter Mark said. "None of us are getting on that stepladder."

"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas, Ducks!" Every single head turned and saw Gordon entering the shop with a Christmas tree.

"Hans! The tree's here!" Tommy Duncan said, running to help Gordon carry the tree in.

"All right, all right." Hans chuckled. "Easy, now. Tommy, come help me get the tree stand. The rest of you get the decorations."

The Ducks all crowded into a closet and began unloading boxes of decorations. "Here are the lights!" Kaley announced, holding up a white trash bag.

"Hi, everyone!" A cheery female voice said, accompanied by the jingle bells Hans had tied to the door. Kaley saw Casey entering with a plate of brownies. "I brought the food. Who's first?"

"Food!" Goldberg dropped the ornament he was holding-fortunately, it was wooden-and ran over to Casey.

"Hold it, Goldie." Peter said. "The rest of us want some too, ya know?"

Gordon glanced up at Casey, and was depressed when he saw Scott enter behind her. Scott Farquar. He thought with disgust. What kind of name is Farquar? He strained to look at Casey's left hand. On the third finger sat an absolutely infinitesimal diamond. Couldn't even get her a decent ring. Gordon thought, remembering the diamond he had in his bedside drawer. But he didn't want to look like he was staring, so he went back to setting up the tree.

Once all the Ducks had gotten their brownies and had begun decorating the tree, Scott kissed Casey on the cheek and went out to the car. Gordon saw his chance to talk to Casey alone for a minute. He could see the dread in her face the second he began walking in her direction. "Gordon-" Casey tried.

"Why, Casey?" Gordon asked.

"Gordon, I don't want to talk about this right now." Casey said.

"Well, I do." Gordon said firmly. "I want to know why you didn't wait for me."

Casey looked uncomfortable. "Because…I didn't…you never called, Gordon. Never wrote, never tried to keep in touch."

Gordon nodded. He had to give her that. "And?"

"And…well…Scott walked into the diner one day, and it was just…we just clicked. He makes a good salary, maybe enough to get me into nursing school. He's a good man, Gordon. He'll be a good father for Charlie."

Gordon decided to quit mincing words. "OK, sure, but he smells like beer." He stated bluntly.

Casey snorted. "Gordon, he's trying to quit drinking and smoking." She said.

"Mm-hm." Gordon said, looking past Casey. In the window he could clearly see Scott smoking a cigarette.

"Let's face it, Gordon." Casey said. "There's nothing between us. There never was. Charlie loves you like a father. Can't we just leave it at that?"

Before Gordon could answer, Scott entered the store. "Am I interrupting anything?" He asked, slipping his arm possessively around Casey's waist.

Casey looked up and gave her fiancé a smile. "No, not at all." She said, turning her gaze to Gordon.

"Hey Coach!" Fulton called. "Hey! Come on!"

"The, uh, the kids need me." Gordon said lamely, heading over to the tree.

"How do you work these things?" Goldberg asked. He was completely tangled up in lights.

"Here, Goldberg." Adam sighed, trying to untangle the goalie.

"Gosh, there are way too many ornaments in here for just one tree." Kaley said, picking through the box.

"Look!" Charlie grabbed an ornament from the box and read the writing on it. "Minneapolis Mighty Ducks Peewee Champions 1992!"

"That one needs to go up front." Hans said, placing the ornament on the front.

"Man, Goldberg, I'm glad you don't have a Christmas tree in your house!" Connie laughed, watching Adam try to untangle Goldberg.

"Hey, I resent that." Goldberg said.

"Have you ever lit anything on fire with the menorah?" Fulton asked.

"No!" Goldberg said indignantly. "Come on, guys, is there anything wrong with being accident prone?"

"Let's use another string of lights." Tommy said, taking another string out of the bag.

After stringing the lights, the ornaments were placed on the tree. The girls constantly fought over where each ornament should be placed, while the boys just placed them on the tree at random. Connie, Kaley, and Tammy were badgering the boys about this when Averman looked out the window and said. "Hey! It's snowing! Let's go out back and skate!"

The kids quickly abandoned the tree and grabbed their skates. "Remember to wear hats and gloves, kids!" Casey called. "And don't forget your coats!" But her words of wisdom seemed to go unnoticed by the pack of antsy skaters.

"Hey Dad! Watch this!" Kaley called, trying to do a spin on her skates.

"Doesn't work on hockey skates, Kaley!" Gordon called out, laughing.

"No, Kaley, like this!" Tammy said, demonstrating the spin again.

"I'm not a figure skater, Tammy!" Kaley said. "I play hockey! I do triple dekes, not triple axels!"

"Watch it!" Came a shout, and the next thing Kaley knew she was on the ice. "Ow! Charlie! Hey!" She lunged over and tackled Charlie.

Gordon had to laugh watching them. They act like they're brother and sister. He thought, looking over at Casey and Scott. He pulled Kaley's hockey picture from his coat pocket. Looking at the birthday, he jumped. "June eleventh." He whispered. "Casey?" He asked. "When's Charlie's birthday?"

"June eleventh, 1981." She asked. "Why?"

"Just curious." Gordon said, looking at the picture again. June eleventh, 1981. He thought. They could be twins!

"Kaley! Kay, come on! Stop!" Charlie said, giggling helplessly.

"No way!" Kaley said. "You're way too much fun to wrestle with!"

"Oh yeah?" Charlie sat up and took Kaley to the ice.

"Charlie, stop it. Seriously." Kaley said breathlessly.

Charlie backed off. "OK." He said. "Are you all right?"

Kaley sat up. "I think so." She said. "Yeah, I'm good." She got up and began skating. "Hey Spazway! I'll race ya!"

"Hey!" Charlie scrambled to his feet. "Hey, how'd you find out about Spazway?"

"Catch me if you can!" Kaley took off. As Charlie followed her, she drew in a breath of the cold air. She missed Baltimore and the Royals, but she had to admit the Royals couldn't compare to the Ducks. Coach Evans was good to the Royals, but her dad was a father to the Ducks. And the Ducks treated each other like family. With all they'd been through, it really wasn't surprising. Maybe someday they'll get another coach. Kaley thought. And I can play a game with them. That would be cool. Who would've thought that one car crash could change my life? And for the better? I'm out of the bad part of Baltimore-Mom always said someday we'd get out of there-and I have a whole new life in Minnesota. Life is beautiful.