Hey guys! I'm back from my little college tour, thank God!!! I'm happy to
be home, that's all I have to say. thank you all soooooo much for
reviewing, you guys really are amazing and I love you all!
kellyerielf: Thanks for the review, it was soo nice and it means a lot to me! Honestly, your review was so sweet, it got me so excited! You're right, no fic is complete without a tad bit of bankst, so this fic will have some. I love Guy and Jesse, too, I think they're both great, and both will be playing major parts in this. Thanks again for the nice review, and thanks so much for reading this!
xomegsxo: Thanks so much!!! You're review was so nice! I'm glad you like my story, it means a lot to me! I'm in love with Jesse too - he's just sooo cute. I was so upset that he wasn't in the third movie. What was Disney thinking? I love Connie/Guy also, I think that they're the best couple of all time. Anywho, thanks again!
Dolphin-girl: Thank you very much for the nice review!!! I'm glad you like Connie/Guy drama storylines, because there will be a strong one in this story! As for a Portman/Julie storyline, I'll try not to disappoint you!!! I like Julie and Portman, too.I think that they'd be good together.
Valerina1: Thanks for the review!!! I read over my story, and you're so very right, it does get very choppy at points. So thank you for pointing that out to me, I took your advice and read the chapter out loud to myself before I made the final changes to it (my sister thought I was hallucinating and talking to myself, haha). So thanks very much for the advice, I hope this chapter is better!
percussion: I'm glad I made you laugh! That's very exciting for me!!! Thank you for the reviews, you rock!!! It seems like Guy is the perfect candidate for not being able to lie (although it will cause him some problems later in the story!) As for speedos, haha, we haven't seen the last of them!!! Seriously, how did they skate to Banksie's? I always wondered about that. But, hey, it's Disney, and I guess they can do whatever they want! Thanks for the reviews!!!
OreoLine00: Thanks for being my first reviewer!!! I got sooo excited when I saw your review, cuz it was my very first one!!! So thank you very much for that and for encouraging me to write, I was a little bit unsure if anyone would like this. As for being mean to Dwayne, you're right, I was a little harsh on the poor kid. But don't fret!!! He's going to have a big part in helping one of his teammates later on in this fic, so things should be going uphill for him, I promise! I'm sorry if I'm mean to him again though!
Flat*Out*Crazy: All I have to say is that you are sooo right about so many things in the review haha! First of all, Jesse is DEFINATLY hot!!! Why couldn't he be in the third movie, so we could all see the progression of his hotness. Second of all, you're right, poor Adam and Goldberg. I always felt really bad for them, and I'm trying to show how rough they have it. But don't worry, I think things will get better for them. I love them both, so I won't do anything too mean to them. And thirdly, you were right, there is gonna be some major trouble in New Jersey! Are you sure you're not a fortune teller? Thanks so much for the review, you're awesome!!!
iluvguygermaine00 aka Samantha: I'm glad that you also get really excited about reviews, just like me. And we both named Guy's little sister the same thing.maybe we're twins haha! The truth is, YOU ROCK!!! Thanks for your sweet reviews, they completely made my day. And I have to tell you, your story "Caring" is awesome. And don't worry about the Guy obsession, he is VERY cute, I must say. Although Banks is my personal favorite, I love Guy, too!!! Thank you so much for reviewing and for reading my story in the first place. You're great!!!
Meme-Ann: Thanks for your unbelievably nice review!!! I got soo excited when I saw it because I love your stories, I think that they're really great. So hearing something so nice from such a great author got me really pumped!!! I'm glad you also love Jesse, I was so upset he wasn't in the third movie. It was a complete injustice, if you ask me. Damn Phil Banks, why can't he just be happy with Adam. Personally, I would be VERY happy with him! And as for Goldie spilling a milkshake on the girl, that's SO something I would do also!!! Actually, I did once drop a thing of barbecue sauce on a really hot guy, it got all over his pants. It was sooo emabarassing! And I promise I will never copy you (or anyone else for that matter!) Anyway, you're too good of a writer, even if I tried to copy you it wouldn't come any where near how good your writing is. Thanks again!!!
Cimmy: Ahh I got really excited when I saw your review also, because I really like your stories. "It's Summer In My Heart" is a really great story, I always get so excited when you girls update it. I'm glad that you're also a Jesse fan!!! And don't worry, I'm completely one of those people who need to know what's happening between Connie and Guy, too. They'll be stuff about them in almost every chapter, and I have a pretty good idea about what I'm going to make happen. I think I'm rambling a little bit, I have a history of doing that, but what I'm trying to get at here is thanks so much for the nice review, and keep up the good work with your own stories cuz I love them!
Minet DelValle: Thanks for saying nice things about this story!!! Truthfully, I was really scared noone was going to like this, so hearing you tell me to keep writing was really great. Thank you!!! Truth be told, I'm kind-of wondering what's going to happen in NJ myself, haha, which is a little bit scary cuz I AM the one writing this! Actually, I have what's going to happen to all of the characters roughly outlined, and I hope you like it!!! Thanks for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it!
Nellie2: Thanks so much for all of the compliments in your review! That's really nice to hear, especially since I was (and still am) a little nervous about what people are going to think about my stories. Thank you for the advice about more descriptiveness and making the chapters a little bit longer. As for Connie and Guy's relationship, there will probably be little tidbits about it in every chapter. I tried to do what you told me to, I hope these chapters are better!!! Thanks for you're second review, you have no idea how excited I was that you liked it! Anyway, thanks very much for the advice, we all know I need the help! You rock!
Emma Ratliff Henson: Thanks so much for your review. I'm glad you like Connie/Guy drama, I do too!!! And you're in luck, there's gonna be a lot of it. Thanks for the compliments in your review, it means a lot to me!!!
turtlepower: First of all, I love the pen name turtlepower! Sorry, that's completely irrelevant, but anywho.thanks so much for the nice review. I got so excited when you said that I kept the Ducks close to their original movie characters, cuz I was scared that I wasn't doing a very good job of doing that. So I really appreciated that comment!!! In this chapter, they'll be arriving in New Jersey, so I hope you don't mind that the real action won't start until next chapter. Thanks again!
*********IMPORTANT********: Ok here's the deal.Casey Conway got remarried, to a guy named John Favreau, so when you hear me refer to "Mrs. Favreau", it's her! And Gordon moved to California in the Ducks freshmen year to work on the Goodwill Games Committee. Just wanted to clarify that, so you guys didn't get incredibly confuddled!!!
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Chapter 4: Deep Talks And Big Surprises
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At 4:30 on Saturday morning, Charlie was rudely awakened from his dreams of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (whom he loved, although he would never admit it) by his mother shaking him.
"Charlie, honey, come on, you have to get up."
Charlie was not a morning person by any means. He swatted his mother's hand away viciously. "Mom, go away, stop shaking me. I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" God, she was annoying in the morning.
"Okay, Charlie, no problem. Have it your way. I'll just call Gordon and explain to him that you won't be coming to New Jersey because you can't get out of bed. I'm sure he'll understand."
Charlie sat straight up in bed. The Ducks were leaving for New Jersey that morning; how could he have forgotten?
Charlie's mom smiled and tossed a pair of clean jeans at him. "I thought that would get you. The bus is coming in twenty minutes, so hurry up and get dressed." Bombay had arranged for a bus to pick all of the Ducks up, so their parents wouldn't have to worry about dropping them off at the airport and being late for work. Typical Bombay; he thought of every little detail.
Charlie got out of bed, and stumbled into the shower. Then, he threw on some clothes, brushed his teeth, and ran some gel through his hair. Recently, in the past few years, he had started to actually care how he looked. Probably because, starting with Linda in the ninth grade, girls had really started noticing him. In fact, last year the team had crowned him "Boy Who Spends Most Time In Front Of The Mirror". For some reason, the Ducks were obsessed with giving people embarrassing awards.
At any rate, that morning Charlie actually managed to get ready somewhat quickly. He grabbed his bag, his roller blades, and his hockey stick (after all, what vacation would be complete without some Ducks street hockey) and carried them downstairs to the kitchen, where his mother was making coffee.
"Can I have some of that?" he asked his mother as he gently put his luggage down.
Casey Favreau, his mom, turned around and smiled at him. "No. It'll stunt your growth." Charlie groaned and she reconsidered. "On second thought, maybe that'll be a good thing. You're already 6'1." She handed him a cup of coffee, and then poured herself one.
"Thanks mom," Charlie said as he sat down at their small wooden table. Casey sat across from him. They sat in silence for a few minutes.
Suddenly Casey looked at her son. "Penny for your thoughts."
Charlie answered slowly. "I guess, I don't know, I was just thinking about how things turned out."
His mom looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"
Charlie thought of his stepfather sleeping in the next room. "I don't know. If you had asked me the year the Ducks were formed what I thought would happen between you and Bombay, I would have said you guys would get married and we'd all live happily ever after. Like a fairy tale or something. I guess I was naïve and dumb . . . but I honestly believed it. But then Bombay went to the minors, then you married John, then Bombay moved to California to be the head of the Goodwill Games . . . it's just funny how things don't work out, you know?"
Casey gazed at her son. "Sweetie, things don't always work out the way we want them to, but . . . in the end, everything falls into place. Always. When you were born, I was young and angry and scared, and I didn't think that having a baby could possibly be a good thing. But you," she smiled and shook her head, "you were the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I will never regret marrying John. I know that he's not Gordon, and that Gordon was like a father to you. And who knows, maybe he could have given me that fairy tale love. But honey, I couldn't wait forever to find out. What your stepdad and you and me have, it's real. It's not perfect, and we have our problems, but we love each other. And that's all that really matters."
Charlie sat quietly. He was trying to process what his mom had just said. He knew that it was deep, and important, but it was 4:45 in the morning, and it was going right over his head. Was it possible that nothing would ever be perfect? Is that what his mom was saying?
He didn't have very long to think about it, though, because a few minutes later there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find Connie standing there with all of her bags.
"Hey C," she greeted him. "My parents didn't want me to wake them up, and I was bored. So can I wait for the bus over here?"
"Sure Cons," Charlie told her as he grabbed her biggest bag and put it down in the hallway. She put the rest of her bags down and followed him into the kitchen.
"Hey Mrs. Favreau," Connie said to Charlie's mom as she sat down at the table.
"Hi, sweetie. Can I get you anything?" She wasn't surprised to see Connie. Connie wasn't exactly neglected, but her parents didn't pay an awful lot of attention to her. She had practically lived at Charlie's house ever since they were in diapers.
"No thanks," Connie said. Charlie tossed her an apple and she began to eat it. She loved Charlie's house. She always felt at home there. And she knew she was lucky to have a friend like him. No one had ever looked out for her the way he always did. Except for maybe Guy, back when they had been dating. Even now, Connie knew that Guy would lay his life down for her. That was just the kind of person he was.
After Connie had finished eating her apple, the three of them grabbed Connie and Charlie's bags and went to wait for the bus out on the porch. When it finally came, the bus driver got out and started loading their luggage on board.
Charlie and his mother hugged. "Be good, okay, honey? And say hello to Gordon for me. And think about what I said."
Charlie nodded. "I will. I love you, Mom." He turned and walked onto the bus.
"I love you, too!" Casey called after him. Then she stepped back and gave Connie a hug. "And I love you. Make sure those boys don't get into any trouble!" she told Connie, smiling.
Connie laughed. "I'll watch them like a hawk!" She climbed onto the bus and sat across from Charlie. As the bus started to move, she felt a rush of excitement. They were on their way!
The next stop was Guy's. When they got there, Guy hugged his sister, kissed his mother, and dragged his bags onto the bus. He smiled at his friends, and sat down in front of Connie. "Can you believe we're on our way to New Jersey?" he asked, turning around to look at her.
"No! I'm so excited!" Connie answered, grinning. He winked at her, and made a mental note to make sure they sat next to each other on the plane. He wanted to be there just in case she was scared of flying and needed someone to hold her hand, of course.
Next up was Goldberg's house, where he and Averman were waiting patiently for their arrival.
"What is Averman wearing?" Charlie asked suddenly. Connie and Guy looked. He appeared to be wearing a hat. A neon pink hat. With green polka-dots.
"He can't be serious," Connie whispered.
"Yea, anyone who wears a hat like that deserves to be shot," Guy declared. Connie and Charlie glared at him. Guy was famous, make that infamous, for his wretched taste in hats.
"Man, you of all people should NOT be talking," Charlie told him.
"Seriously," Connie giggled, as she tossed a Cheerio at him.
"It wasn't that bad!" Guy tried to defend himself. "Okay, maybe it was, but you know you loved it."
Charlie shook his head. "Believe me, NO ONE loved that hat."
Just then, Averman and Goldberg got onto the bus. "Um, Averman?" Charlie ventured. "No offense, dude, but what the hell are you thinking with that hat?"
"Ave, don't take this the wrong way, but please take that off before we get to the airport," Connie pleaded with him.
Averman grinned. Sometimes it really bothered him that no one took him seriously. Times like this, though, he was happy to have his humor to hide behind. Truthfully, he had thought the hat was kinda cool, but now he could play it off like he was just kidding around in the first place. "You don't think it's sexy?" he asked, striking a pose in his seat.
"Nope, not at all," Guy told him, laughing.
"Ave, if Guy wouldn't be caught dead in the hat, you know it's pretty bad," Goldberg said.
Averman smiled and pulled the hat off his head. The bus pulled up to Jesse's house. For the sake of saving time, Fulton and Adam had agreed to wait for the bus at the Hall's. Fulton and Jesse were talking excitedly to Jesse's brother, Terry, and Mr. Hall. Adam, though, was standing next to Mr. Banks, who was clearly lecturing him. He looked murderous.
As Adam, Jesse, and Fulton got on the bus, Mr. Banks called after his son, "I mean it Adam! You better practice every day! If you suck again like you did last season, no scout will ever look at you." Adam turned bright red and sat down behind Charlie.
The rest of the Ducks sat there stunned. Adam Banks sucking? Yea, right! Last season he led their team in goals scored AND assists. Not to mention the fact that he was a nasty defenseman and easily the best player on their team. It was really no wonder he never had any confidence in himself. His dad ripped him apart every chance he got.
Guy vocalized what everyone was thinking, "Mr. Banks is such an asshole."
The rest of the Ducks agreed. Charlie was so angry that he almost got off the bus and decked Mr. Banks right then and there. It took all the willpower he had not to give him the finger as the bus pulled away.
Instead, he turned around and looked at his best friend. "You okay, Banksie?"
Adam looked up at him "Yea, I'm fine. Just another fun day with my dad."
"Don't let him get you down," Jesse piped up.
"Yea, forget about him," Goldberg agreed.
The Ducks rode in relative silence for the rest of the bus ride. When they got to the airport, they picked up their bags and hockey sticks, and scrambled to find their plane.
This proved to be a bit of a challenge. Charlie didn't realize that he had a metal pin in his pocket, and managed to set off the metal detector six times before he figured out what was doing it. Connie and Fulton went off to find food without telling anyone, so the others went crazy looking for them until they showed up a half an hour later, without food for anyone else. Then Jesse read the tickets wrong (although he tried to blame it on Goldie) and they almost got on the wrong plane.
When they finally got on the plane and found their seats, things weren't much better. Jesse and Goldie were still fighting over who read the tickets wrong. Connie tried to get them to stop fighting, which resulted in both of them yelling at HER. Guy tried to defend Connie, to which she replied by telling him to go to hell because she could defend herself.
Fulton got airsick and spent the majority of the plane ride running back and forth between the little bathroom. Charlie got angry when the stewardess served them nothing but nuts, which he was allergic to. Banks kept laughing hysterically at all of the wrong parts of the move they were showing. On top of that, Averman was listening to his discman, and he had an extremely annoying habit of humming to the music, which wasn't making anyone happy.
Nevertheless, when the plane touched down in New Jersey, the excitement took over, and all was forgiven. The Ducks ran off the plane, collected their luggage, and found the six continental Ducks already there, waiting for them.
Connie squealed and ran over to give Julie a hug, and then Luis. Portman and Fulton hugged and chest-butted each other. The rest of the Ducks tried to catch each other up on what was happening in their lives. They were reunited!
"It's gonna be just Bombay and the Ducks, just like the good old days!" Charlie declared, and everyone cheered.
A few minutes later, Bombay walked into the airport. The Ducks all grinned at each other. With him was a pretty woman, slender and blonde, dressed in a yellow shirt and jean shorts.
"Who's that?" Russ asked.
"Probably the bus driver," Charlie assured him.
When Bombay saw them, he ran over and greeted them all. He gave Charlie a big hug, and then stepped back and put his arm around the woman. "Everyone, this is Ellie. Ellie, meet the Ducks. I wanted to tell you guys this in person . . . we're engaged!"
Ellie grinned and showed them all her ring. "It's so nice to meet all of you. Gordon here has told me so much about you."
The Ducks just looked at one another. Some of them managed to utter a hello to her, but the rest of them were too shocked to talk.
"So much for just Bombay and the Ducks," Jesse muttered under his breath.
Charlie just stood there stunned. Bombay was getting married?
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A/N: Sorry if that was a little long and boring. I apologize! But now they're in NJ, things will be heating up!!!
kellyerielf: Thanks for the review, it was soo nice and it means a lot to me! Honestly, your review was so sweet, it got me so excited! You're right, no fic is complete without a tad bit of bankst, so this fic will have some. I love Guy and Jesse, too, I think they're both great, and both will be playing major parts in this. Thanks again for the nice review, and thanks so much for reading this!
xomegsxo: Thanks so much!!! You're review was so nice! I'm glad you like my story, it means a lot to me! I'm in love with Jesse too - he's just sooo cute. I was so upset that he wasn't in the third movie. What was Disney thinking? I love Connie/Guy also, I think that they're the best couple of all time. Anywho, thanks again!
Dolphin-girl: Thank you very much for the nice review!!! I'm glad you like Connie/Guy drama storylines, because there will be a strong one in this story! As for a Portman/Julie storyline, I'll try not to disappoint you!!! I like Julie and Portman, too.I think that they'd be good together.
Valerina1: Thanks for the review!!! I read over my story, and you're so very right, it does get very choppy at points. So thank you for pointing that out to me, I took your advice and read the chapter out loud to myself before I made the final changes to it (my sister thought I was hallucinating and talking to myself, haha). So thanks very much for the advice, I hope this chapter is better!
percussion: I'm glad I made you laugh! That's very exciting for me!!! Thank you for the reviews, you rock!!! It seems like Guy is the perfect candidate for not being able to lie (although it will cause him some problems later in the story!) As for speedos, haha, we haven't seen the last of them!!! Seriously, how did they skate to Banksie's? I always wondered about that. But, hey, it's Disney, and I guess they can do whatever they want! Thanks for the reviews!!!
OreoLine00: Thanks for being my first reviewer!!! I got sooo excited when I saw your review, cuz it was my very first one!!! So thank you very much for that and for encouraging me to write, I was a little bit unsure if anyone would like this. As for being mean to Dwayne, you're right, I was a little harsh on the poor kid. But don't fret!!! He's going to have a big part in helping one of his teammates later on in this fic, so things should be going uphill for him, I promise! I'm sorry if I'm mean to him again though!
Flat*Out*Crazy: All I have to say is that you are sooo right about so many things in the review haha! First of all, Jesse is DEFINATLY hot!!! Why couldn't he be in the third movie, so we could all see the progression of his hotness. Second of all, you're right, poor Adam and Goldberg. I always felt really bad for them, and I'm trying to show how rough they have it. But don't worry, I think things will get better for them. I love them both, so I won't do anything too mean to them. And thirdly, you were right, there is gonna be some major trouble in New Jersey! Are you sure you're not a fortune teller? Thanks so much for the review, you're awesome!!!
iluvguygermaine00 aka Samantha: I'm glad that you also get really excited about reviews, just like me. And we both named Guy's little sister the same thing.maybe we're twins haha! The truth is, YOU ROCK!!! Thanks for your sweet reviews, they completely made my day. And I have to tell you, your story "Caring" is awesome. And don't worry about the Guy obsession, he is VERY cute, I must say. Although Banks is my personal favorite, I love Guy, too!!! Thank you so much for reviewing and for reading my story in the first place. You're great!!!
Meme-Ann: Thanks for your unbelievably nice review!!! I got soo excited when I saw it because I love your stories, I think that they're really great. So hearing something so nice from such a great author got me really pumped!!! I'm glad you also love Jesse, I was so upset he wasn't in the third movie. It was a complete injustice, if you ask me. Damn Phil Banks, why can't he just be happy with Adam. Personally, I would be VERY happy with him! And as for Goldie spilling a milkshake on the girl, that's SO something I would do also!!! Actually, I did once drop a thing of barbecue sauce on a really hot guy, it got all over his pants. It was sooo emabarassing! And I promise I will never copy you (or anyone else for that matter!) Anyway, you're too good of a writer, even if I tried to copy you it wouldn't come any where near how good your writing is. Thanks again!!!
Cimmy: Ahh I got really excited when I saw your review also, because I really like your stories. "It's Summer In My Heart" is a really great story, I always get so excited when you girls update it. I'm glad that you're also a Jesse fan!!! And don't worry, I'm completely one of those people who need to know what's happening between Connie and Guy, too. They'll be stuff about them in almost every chapter, and I have a pretty good idea about what I'm going to make happen. I think I'm rambling a little bit, I have a history of doing that, but what I'm trying to get at here is thanks so much for the nice review, and keep up the good work with your own stories cuz I love them!
Minet DelValle: Thanks for saying nice things about this story!!! Truthfully, I was really scared noone was going to like this, so hearing you tell me to keep writing was really great. Thank you!!! Truth be told, I'm kind-of wondering what's going to happen in NJ myself, haha, which is a little bit scary cuz I AM the one writing this! Actually, I have what's going to happen to all of the characters roughly outlined, and I hope you like it!!! Thanks for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it!
Nellie2: Thanks so much for all of the compliments in your review! That's really nice to hear, especially since I was (and still am) a little nervous about what people are going to think about my stories. Thank you for the advice about more descriptiveness and making the chapters a little bit longer. As for Connie and Guy's relationship, there will probably be little tidbits about it in every chapter. I tried to do what you told me to, I hope these chapters are better!!! Thanks for you're second review, you have no idea how excited I was that you liked it! Anyway, thanks very much for the advice, we all know I need the help! You rock!
Emma Ratliff Henson: Thanks so much for your review. I'm glad you like Connie/Guy drama, I do too!!! And you're in luck, there's gonna be a lot of it. Thanks for the compliments in your review, it means a lot to me!!!
turtlepower: First of all, I love the pen name turtlepower! Sorry, that's completely irrelevant, but anywho.thanks so much for the nice review. I got so excited when you said that I kept the Ducks close to their original movie characters, cuz I was scared that I wasn't doing a very good job of doing that. So I really appreciated that comment!!! In this chapter, they'll be arriving in New Jersey, so I hope you don't mind that the real action won't start until next chapter. Thanks again!
*********IMPORTANT********: Ok here's the deal.Casey Conway got remarried, to a guy named John Favreau, so when you hear me refer to "Mrs. Favreau", it's her! And Gordon moved to California in the Ducks freshmen year to work on the Goodwill Games Committee. Just wanted to clarify that, so you guys didn't get incredibly confuddled!!!
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Chapter 4: Deep Talks And Big Surprises
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At 4:30 on Saturday morning, Charlie was rudely awakened from his dreams of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (whom he loved, although he would never admit it) by his mother shaking him.
"Charlie, honey, come on, you have to get up."
Charlie was not a morning person by any means. He swatted his mother's hand away viciously. "Mom, go away, stop shaking me. I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" God, she was annoying in the morning.
"Okay, Charlie, no problem. Have it your way. I'll just call Gordon and explain to him that you won't be coming to New Jersey because you can't get out of bed. I'm sure he'll understand."
Charlie sat straight up in bed. The Ducks were leaving for New Jersey that morning; how could he have forgotten?
Charlie's mom smiled and tossed a pair of clean jeans at him. "I thought that would get you. The bus is coming in twenty minutes, so hurry up and get dressed." Bombay had arranged for a bus to pick all of the Ducks up, so their parents wouldn't have to worry about dropping them off at the airport and being late for work. Typical Bombay; he thought of every little detail.
Charlie got out of bed, and stumbled into the shower. Then, he threw on some clothes, brushed his teeth, and ran some gel through his hair. Recently, in the past few years, he had started to actually care how he looked. Probably because, starting with Linda in the ninth grade, girls had really started noticing him. In fact, last year the team had crowned him "Boy Who Spends Most Time In Front Of The Mirror". For some reason, the Ducks were obsessed with giving people embarrassing awards.
At any rate, that morning Charlie actually managed to get ready somewhat quickly. He grabbed his bag, his roller blades, and his hockey stick (after all, what vacation would be complete without some Ducks street hockey) and carried them downstairs to the kitchen, where his mother was making coffee.
"Can I have some of that?" he asked his mother as he gently put his luggage down.
Casey Favreau, his mom, turned around and smiled at him. "No. It'll stunt your growth." Charlie groaned and she reconsidered. "On second thought, maybe that'll be a good thing. You're already 6'1." She handed him a cup of coffee, and then poured herself one.
"Thanks mom," Charlie said as he sat down at their small wooden table. Casey sat across from him. They sat in silence for a few minutes.
Suddenly Casey looked at her son. "Penny for your thoughts."
Charlie answered slowly. "I guess, I don't know, I was just thinking about how things turned out."
His mom looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"
Charlie thought of his stepfather sleeping in the next room. "I don't know. If you had asked me the year the Ducks were formed what I thought would happen between you and Bombay, I would have said you guys would get married and we'd all live happily ever after. Like a fairy tale or something. I guess I was naïve and dumb . . . but I honestly believed it. But then Bombay went to the minors, then you married John, then Bombay moved to California to be the head of the Goodwill Games . . . it's just funny how things don't work out, you know?"
Casey gazed at her son. "Sweetie, things don't always work out the way we want them to, but . . . in the end, everything falls into place. Always. When you were born, I was young and angry and scared, and I didn't think that having a baby could possibly be a good thing. But you," she smiled and shook her head, "you were the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I will never regret marrying John. I know that he's not Gordon, and that Gordon was like a father to you. And who knows, maybe he could have given me that fairy tale love. But honey, I couldn't wait forever to find out. What your stepdad and you and me have, it's real. It's not perfect, and we have our problems, but we love each other. And that's all that really matters."
Charlie sat quietly. He was trying to process what his mom had just said. He knew that it was deep, and important, but it was 4:45 in the morning, and it was going right over his head. Was it possible that nothing would ever be perfect? Is that what his mom was saying?
He didn't have very long to think about it, though, because a few minutes later there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find Connie standing there with all of her bags.
"Hey C," she greeted him. "My parents didn't want me to wake them up, and I was bored. So can I wait for the bus over here?"
"Sure Cons," Charlie told her as he grabbed her biggest bag and put it down in the hallway. She put the rest of her bags down and followed him into the kitchen.
"Hey Mrs. Favreau," Connie said to Charlie's mom as she sat down at the table.
"Hi, sweetie. Can I get you anything?" She wasn't surprised to see Connie. Connie wasn't exactly neglected, but her parents didn't pay an awful lot of attention to her. She had practically lived at Charlie's house ever since they were in diapers.
"No thanks," Connie said. Charlie tossed her an apple and she began to eat it. She loved Charlie's house. She always felt at home there. And she knew she was lucky to have a friend like him. No one had ever looked out for her the way he always did. Except for maybe Guy, back when they had been dating. Even now, Connie knew that Guy would lay his life down for her. That was just the kind of person he was.
After Connie had finished eating her apple, the three of them grabbed Connie and Charlie's bags and went to wait for the bus out on the porch. When it finally came, the bus driver got out and started loading their luggage on board.
Charlie and his mother hugged. "Be good, okay, honey? And say hello to Gordon for me. And think about what I said."
Charlie nodded. "I will. I love you, Mom." He turned and walked onto the bus.
"I love you, too!" Casey called after him. Then she stepped back and gave Connie a hug. "And I love you. Make sure those boys don't get into any trouble!" she told Connie, smiling.
Connie laughed. "I'll watch them like a hawk!" She climbed onto the bus and sat across from Charlie. As the bus started to move, she felt a rush of excitement. They were on their way!
The next stop was Guy's. When they got there, Guy hugged his sister, kissed his mother, and dragged his bags onto the bus. He smiled at his friends, and sat down in front of Connie. "Can you believe we're on our way to New Jersey?" he asked, turning around to look at her.
"No! I'm so excited!" Connie answered, grinning. He winked at her, and made a mental note to make sure they sat next to each other on the plane. He wanted to be there just in case she was scared of flying and needed someone to hold her hand, of course.
Next up was Goldberg's house, where he and Averman were waiting patiently for their arrival.
"What is Averman wearing?" Charlie asked suddenly. Connie and Guy looked. He appeared to be wearing a hat. A neon pink hat. With green polka-dots.
"He can't be serious," Connie whispered.
"Yea, anyone who wears a hat like that deserves to be shot," Guy declared. Connie and Charlie glared at him. Guy was famous, make that infamous, for his wretched taste in hats.
"Man, you of all people should NOT be talking," Charlie told him.
"Seriously," Connie giggled, as she tossed a Cheerio at him.
"It wasn't that bad!" Guy tried to defend himself. "Okay, maybe it was, but you know you loved it."
Charlie shook his head. "Believe me, NO ONE loved that hat."
Just then, Averman and Goldberg got onto the bus. "Um, Averman?" Charlie ventured. "No offense, dude, but what the hell are you thinking with that hat?"
"Ave, don't take this the wrong way, but please take that off before we get to the airport," Connie pleaded with him.
Averman grinned. Sometimes it really bothered him that no one took him seriously. Times like this, though, he was happy to have his humor to hide behind. Truthfully, he had thought the hat was kinda cool, but now he could play it off like he was just kidding around in the first place. "You don't think it's sexy?" he asked, striking a pose in his seat.
"Nope, not at all," Guy told him, laughing.
"Ave, if Guy wouldn't be caught dead in the hat, you know it's pretty bad," Goldberg said.
Averman smiled and pulled the hat off his head. The bus pulled up to Jesse's house. For the sake of saving time, Fulton and Adam had agreed to wait for the bus at the Hall's. Fulton and Jesse were talking excitedly to Jesse's brother, Terry, and Mr. Hall. Adam, though, was standing next to Mr. Banks, who was clearly lecturing him. He looked murderous.
As Adam, Jesse, and Fulton got on the bus, Mr. Banks called after his son, "I mean it Adam! You better practice every day! If you suck again like you did last season, no scout will ever look at you." Adam turned bright red and sat down behind Charlie.
The rest of the Ducks sat there stunned. Adam Banks sucking? Yea, right! Last season he led their team in goals scored AND assists. Not to mention the fact that he was a nasty defenseman and easily the best player on their team. It was really no wonder he never had any confidence in himself. His dad ripped him apart every chance he got.
Guy vocalized what everyone was thinking, "Mr. Banks is such an asshole."
The rest of the Ducks agreed. Charlie was so angry that he almost got off the bus and decked Mr. Banks right then and there. It took all the willpower he had not to give him the finger as the bus pulled away.
Instead, he turned around and looked at his best friend. "You okay, Banksie?"
Adam looked up at him "Yea, I'm fine. Just another fun day with my dad."
"Don't let him get you down," Jesse piped up.
"Yea, forget about him," Goldberg agreed.
The Ducks rode in relative silence for the rest of the bus ride. When they got to the airport, they picked up their bags and hockey sticks, and scrambled to find their plane.
This proved to be a bit of a challenge. Charlie didn't realize that he had a metal pin in his pocket, and managed to set off the metal detector six times before he figured out what was doing it. Connie and Fulton went off to find food without telling anyone, so the others went crazy looking for them until they showed up a half an hour later, without food for anyone else. Then Jesse read the tickets wrong (although he tried to blame it on Goldie) and they almost got on the wrong plane.
When they finally got on the plane and found their seats, things weren't much better. Jesse and Goldie were still fighting over who read the tickets wrong. Connie tried to get them to stop fighting, which resulted in both of them yelling at HER. Guy tried to defend Connie, to which she replied by telling him to go to hell because she could defend herself.
Fulton got airsick and spent the majority of the plane ride running back and forth between the little bathroom. Charlie got angry when the stewardess served them nothing but nuts, which he was allergic to. Banks kept laughing hysterically at all of the wrong parts of the move they were showing. On top of that, Averman was listening to his discman, and he had an extremely annoying habit of humming to the music, which wasn't making anyone happy.
Nevertheless, when the plane touched down in New Jersey, the excitement took over, and all was forgiven. The Ducks ran off the plane, collected their luggage, and found the six continental Ducks already there, waiting for them.
Connie squealed and ran over to give Julie a hug, and then Luis. Portman and Fulton hugged and chest-butted each other. The rest of the Ducks tried to catch each other up on what was happening in their lives. They were reunited!
"It's gonna be just Bombay and the Ducks, just like the good old days!" Charlie declared, and everyone cheered.
A few minutes later, Bombay walked into the airport. The Ducks all grinned at each other. With him was a pretty woman, slender and blonde, dressed in a yellow shirt and jean shorts.
"Who's that?" Russ asked.
"Probably the bus driver," Charlie assured him.
When Bombay saw them, he ran over and greeted them all. He gave Charlie a big hug, and then stepped back and put his arm around the woman. "Everyone, this is Ellie. Ellie, meet the Ducks. I wanted to tell you guys this in person . . . we're engaged!"
Ellie grinned and showed them all her ring. "It's so nice to meet all of you. Gordon here has told me so much about you."
The Ducks just looked at one another. Some of them managed to utter a hello to her, but the rest of them were too shocked to talk.
"So much for just Bombay and the Ducks," Jesse muttered under his breath.
Charlie just stood there stunned. Bombay was getting married?
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A/N: Sorry if that was a little long and boring. I apologize! But now they're in NJ, things will be heating up!!!