Title: More Than You'll Ever Know

Summary: All Adam's dad wants is for Adam to make pro-hockey. All Adam ever wanted was a friend. A friend to stick by him. He'd lost one before, and when she comes back, sparks fly, but not for the better.

Main Duck: Adam Banks

Rating: PG-13 for language and later violence

Time frame: After D2, before and during D3 maybe after D3 if I feel like it and if you give me reviews =p

Author's Note: I know some of you have been asking about Jessica's next chapter. It's in 2 chapters.

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own 'em. I just own Jessica, Ethan, Sally, Jason, and Andrew.

This chapter: Jessica's confession and Bombay's slip.

Ethan

            The party last night was great except for one thing. My younger sister refused to come downstairs until Josh, my room mate, team mate, and best friend, went up there to get her. There are only two people on my football team that Jessica trusts: me and Josh. It must be because we're the only ones that don't try to hit on her. It's kind of pathetic to me that a bunch of juniors and seniors, with maybe a sophomore thrown in (which isn't too bad), flirts with a fourteen year old girl. Not to mention that her older brother happens to be on the team. There are two captains on the team, me and Josh. Surprisingly, the team isn't as stupid as some of the jocks in the school, but I have to say that some of the cheerleaders are like the ditzy ones from the stereotypical movies.

            But anyway, when Jessica finally came down into the living room, she looked extremely uncomfortable. I think she was afraid that Adam would be there. I'm not exactly sure what happened between them because Jess hates to talk about it, but all I do know is that they hate each other's guts and would be happy if the other fell off the face of the planet.

            "Glad you could join us, cutie," Williams, from the team, smiled at her.

            "Please, give me a break," she muttered plopping onto the couch near Jesse Hall, a player on the hockey team.

            "Man if you don't want a pounding, I advise you to stay away," I warned him.

            "Do you want something to eat?" a big guy with brown eyes and brown hair offered her (even though it was her house); he must have been the enforcer. My sister shook her head mumbling, "No thanks." After that, no one talked to her and she seemed content with that. She spent the whole 'party' watching football, actually getting into the game. Then, she switched the channel to some MTV thing that had Nick Carter on it. The guys groaned and Jessica sighed, turning the TV back to ESPN to watch a hockey game. Right before everyone left, I saw Jessica retreat out the back door.

            "Hey," I stepped out onto the deck we had in our backyard. The crowd had finally left and all was quiet again.

            "Hi," Jessica looked up. She was sitting on the porch swing, her favorite spot. Jessica and I got along really well, especially since our mother started using drugs and alcohol. Before that, we never acknowledged each other's presence. I guess that was one good thing that came out of our mother's abuse.

            "Do you want to sit?" I heard my sister's voice. I snapped out of my daze and took a seat next to her. We gently rocked the swing back and forth- actually, I rocked it; her legs didn't reach the ground.

            "Is something bothering you?" I asked after a few moments of silence. Jessica was only shy and quiet around people she didn't like (unless she'd known them for a long time. For example: Adam Banks, Barry McGill) or didn't know. Otherwise, she was pretty talkative. Except, that is, when something was bothering her.

            "Jessica?" I prodded. She sighed.

            "Ethan, I can't go to Eden Hall!"

            "Why not? Weren't you excited to go?"

            "Since when?"

            "A few weeks ago."

            "Well a few weeks ago, our mom was abusing us and we weren't related to Adam Banks' coach!" she cried.

            "Can't you just avoid Adam?"

            "I could do that, but all the other Ducks have it in for me."

            "They do not have it in for you. That's ridiculous!"

            "No, it's not!"

            "What's not ridiculous?" our…dad (Could I finally call someone dad? Yes!) asked.

            "Uh…" Jessica turned red so I covered for her, "The fact that Jess won't make the JV hockey team at Eden Hall." I wasn't telling a complete lie. I knew that Jess was pretty nervous about hockey, but not as nervous I made her out to be. Dad's (this is so cool…dad…I liked it) face lit up, "You play hockey?"

            "Of course! I played for your old team for a few years," she commented boldly.

            "The Hawks?"

            "Yeah!"

            "He let a girl play?"

            "Reilly? We had to tweak some strings, but towards the end I got to play. I played a little in the championship game against you guys."

            "That's cool. Man, I really wish I'd been there for you guys when you were younger."

            "What happened anyway?" I asked. Dad told us how he and our mom got into a huge fight and he'd left her before I was born. Wait a minute. If he left before I was born, who was Jessica's dad?

*Haha…I wouldn't leave you at a cliffhanger like that. Actually, I probably would. But the next chapter's too short so I combined these two. Enjoy!

Bombay

            I knew I had made a mistake the moment I said that I had left Nancy before Ethan was born. I could see it in their faces, but they weren't mad or anything. Ethan looked confused and Jessica looked a like a lost puppy.

            "But does that mean…" Ethan trailed off. I nodded, "You and Jessica are only half-siblings." This was met by genuine silence. I looked at each one of them and saw understanding and a look of thanks of each of their faces. I had figured that they wanted to stay together.

            "So…you're not my read dad?" Jessica looked up at me with sad eyes. I nodded reluctantly, not wanted to upset her or Ethan.

            "How come you took me in? How come you didn't dump me with some foster family?"

            "Well, Ethan and you obviously wanted to stay together," I said, finally finding my voice, "And I wanted you to be comfortable." Wordlessly, Jessica stood up and hugged me. Then she retreated to her room.

            "Don't worry about her, she'll be fine." Ethan said from behind me.

            "She's so small and quiet," I observed.

            "Not really," he snorted, "Just you wait until you see her on the ice. Or with her garage band."

            "Garage band?" I had a musically talented kid?

            "Yeah. They're amazing. You have to listen to them sometime." Yes, I really did have a talented kid!

            "Beep beep!" my cell phone rang. Ethan excused himself to shower and left to let me answer my call. Despite the short conversation, one thing was clear. Jessica was someone who needed motivation and a little extra push.