One Last Time

Chapter 3: Show and Tell

By aznJEDI13

Disclaimer: Disney owns the Mighty Ducks. I own the plot and any original characters in this series.

Notes: This was written as pure fun. I hope that this does not offend anyone and if it does I did not by any means do it on purpose. Sorry I didn't have time to fix the grammar and all that fun stuff!

This takes place ten years after D3. Enjoy!

One Last Time: Show and Tell

'…Time will burn your eyes…'

"Julie!" She screamed, "Oh my gosh! How long has it been?"

"Steph!" Julie exclaimed as she entered the living room. They hugged both smiling happily. She continued, "Too long!"

"Look at you!" Stephanie exclaimed, placing her hand on Julie's tiny bulge. "How'd this get there?" She asked looking directly at Adam.

He feigned innocence; "I have no clue."

Dean slapped him; "You dog."

Adam brushed his shoulder quickly and snapped, "Watch it."

The former bash brother scoffed and poked at Adam's preppy looking tie, "Geez, cake eater."

Next to Julie, Stephanie Portman laughed, "Here he goes again…seems like I have three little boys instead of two."

Next to her, cat lady chuckled slightly, "Speaking of which," She paused, "Where are the little bash brothers?"

Then almost as if on cue, one brunette and one blond hair rambunctious and obviously obnoxious little boys came screaming down twenty flights of stairs and slammed right into the mid section of Adam Banks. All the while screaming "Unkle Adam" and "Cake eatwer" both to their mother's dismay and their father's praise.

Adam staggered back slightly and continued to hug the two twins appropriately named the one on his left, "Reed" and the one on his right, "Greg".

Dean laughed in the background and encouraged his boys' rowdiness, Stephanie on the other hand shook her head and glanced toward Julie and sighed softly and then mumbled, "What you get to look forward to."

"Boys…" She spoke sternly, kneeling down to reach their height, "Get off Uncle Adam." She emphasized the Uncle and glared at Dean, "And say hi to Aunt Julie."

With less enthusiasm the boys left their groaning uncle and when they were just about to welcome Julie the same way they had Adam they stopped almost dead in their tracks.

Questions were asked.

"Mommy when did Aunt Julie get so fat?"

"Mommy why is Aunt Julie's stomach so round?"

Julie laughed slightly, squatting to their height and welcoming them into an embrace which they both gladly and reluctantly took until Reed squealed slightly, "Aunt Julieeee boys aren't suppose to hug!"

Pressing their heads to her shoulder, she smiled triumphantly, "Someday you'll like it." She pulled away from the embrace to look at them, "Either of you seen Auntie Connie?"

"She-" Greg began only to get socked by Reed who in turn received a glare from his mother and a smile from his father.

"She in the throne wroom." Interjected Reed.

"The throne room?" Julie asked.

"Yeah," Reed paused, "The little boys' wroom. That's what daddies calls it."

Julie shook her head shooting an annoyed glance over to Dean, "No really." Greg shot Reed a look and then smiled a huge grin he had obviously inherited from his father, "She twalkin' to Unkle Kennnnnie."

Julie let them go and kissed Greg on the cheek and he proceeded to wipe it off, "Thank you boys."

Adam smile profusely with that 'she's-my-wife' grin on his face and Dean turned back to his sons, "Don't get into trouble." And walked off to get another can of Budlight.

Stephanie frowned glancing in Dean's direction, "Go have fun boys."

"But mommy I wanna know why Aunt Julieee so fat?" One asked.

"What's Daddy dwrinkin' mommy?" The other one chimed.

Ignoring the ever-growing number of questions, she shooed them away and went to look for someone, anyone, but her already embarrassing husband only to have Reed hug her leg.

She sighed as she nudged Reed to rejoin the Greg on the floor and with that the bash brothers were off, again to wreak havoc.

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While Reed and Greg Portman were having an adventure, "fat Aunt Julie" as they would say after a period of silence, was on her own adventure. She found her treasure in the arms of Kenneth Wu, resident figure skater.

She had tears in her eyes and for a split second Julie thought twice about saying hello to Connie, especially in her recent pregnant form, and then shook off the doubt and marched towards Kenneth.

"It wasn't his fault." She heard him say.

"No," She heard Connie whisper, "The fault was mine."

Julie shook her head, now was as good a time as any, "It was nobody's fault Connie. You know that just as well as I do or he does."

Connie launched from Kenneth's arms to meet Julie's eyes, she wiped away a tear, "Julie Banks don't you scare me like that ever again!"

Julie reached to hug her, "I'm sorry Connie."

Connie pulled away and rested her hand on the tiny bulge, "My, well hello there."

Kenneth smiled and clasped a hand on Julie shoulder, "Good to see you Jules."

Julie nodded, "You too Kenneth."

Kenneth chose to make his exit then, nodding to Connie with the excuse he needed a drink of water. Connie's hand hadn't left her pregnant stomach since she made her introduction and announced her presence, "My, my." Connie smirked playfully, "Didn't you just get married…didn't take you long…"

Julie punched her gently, "Stop it, Cons."

Connie didn't stop, "I don't blame you actually," Her voice grew husky, "Adam's just so…fascinating."

"Quiet you." Julie exclaimed, "Look at Guy-" Connie's face fell automatically at the sound of his name vibrating through her eardrums, "Oh my gosh Connie, it just happened. I didn't know what I was saying!"

Connie shook her head and wiped her eyes, "No, no, it's quite all right." She smiled slightly, laughing gently, "I suppose I asked for that one." She bit her lip, "That was such a long time ago."

Julie glanced around trying to change the topic, "Quiet a nice house here." She began glancing at the large room and to the hallways that adjoined other rooms, "How come I haven't been here before?"

It seemed to take Connie's mind off things seeing as she perked up, "Oh my gosh, Jules you haven't been here?" She shook her head, "Then let me give you the grand tour!"

She grabbed her hand dragged Julie towards the upstairs and up to the family wing. It was the upstairs however that made everything sober all over again.

They walked serenely upstairs, the solemn mood having returned.

Connie let go of Julie's hand to brush some dust off the railing. Julie noticed the change in her sudden emotions and tried to pretend. Connie knew her better, "I know you're wondering how I, a lonely teacher in Minnesota, can have such a gigantic and embellished beach house."

Julie teased, "You read my mind."

Connie tensed then relaxed, "The truth is, he and I had it built before…you know." She paused, passing a door that strangely Julie noticed held the most dust on the knob. There were no fingerprints on it, no sign of it ever being opened. Meanwhile, Connie continued, "We decided…well he decided, I was claimed temporarily insane at that time, that we share joint ownership over it."

The cat-lady nodded for to continue, "He uses it most of the time. We schedule to have it every other month, but I don't come. I don't have the money to fly out here, even though he's offered to pay, but just the chance that I might meet up with him again…frankly it scares me."

Julie nodded again and took hold of Connie's hand, "I've used it a few times, but when I schedule on the phone to his agent, I make sure I'm never around when he is."

"You never talk directly to him?"

Connie sadly shook her head, "He so busy…we haven't even had time to file for divorce…"

"Gosh Connie, it's been three years."

"I know…"

Julie glanced at the floor again and noticed an odd package. When she picked up the wrapper, she realized why Connie hadn't bothered to pick it up; it was too much for her to bear. Connie notices and nods, "He holds his parties here, he hosts his guests here. He does everything here." She sniffled, "Sometimes I find her stuff here too."

"I'm so sorry Connie."

Julie motions for her to stop, but she refuses, "And sometimes, I think…how dare he, this is our house…it was suppose to be our home."

They stopped walking at set of tall double doors, you could tell by the marks on the door that at times it had been opened in haste, "This is his room." Connie continued, before sniffling, "The Master bedroom."

The door opened to reveal a fabulous and furnished master bedroom; there was plenty of dressers and a couch and love seat. The TV sat on a stand and underneath it were DVD and VCR players. A stereo system was on one dresser next to a liter of pictures starring Connie and her husband.

It had a modern interior and look. It was built for a king, fashioned for a chancellor, decorated for a knight. Julie knew he loved it here – who wouldn't?

"He sure has a lot of pictures," she mused.

Connie nodded having taken a seat on the large canopy bed, "I doubt he's ever moved any."

Julie nodded and her eyes followed the thick coating of dust on the dresser; Connie was right. "Guess he gets around a lot." She paused, "No house keeper?"

"No need. There's no one around to mess the place unless he has a big party. Even then, I don't think they dust."

Julie coughed, there was just so much of that thick layer of dust and then made her way over to sit on the bed by Connie.

"Bed's nice and comfy." She mused again, trying her best to distract the wandering thoughts of the former Connie Moreau.

In return, she stated simply, "I've never used it."

Julie nodded in understanding, "Show me where you stay."

Connie nodded and left; Julie followed.

They walked the long hall once more, but this time they were returning the way they came. They passed that untouched doorknob and Julie couldn't help but wander. Connie followed her eyes and stopped walking.

"Is that the…?" Her voice trailed off unsure where to began and end.

Connie nodded, "Yes it is." She paused, biting her lip; "He's never opened it. He keeps it closed. It's still the same as before."

"Memories are too much I suppose."

"Yes, I suppose."

"Can I see it, Cons?" She paused, watching her friend's trembling body, "Have you seen it Cons?"

Connie shook her head, coming up to the door and tracing the pattern of the wood. "No, I haven't." she sniffled, "I'm not around much…I suppose or I've never had the courage…"

"Or the company."

"Yes," She smiled slightly, "Or the company to do so."

"Can we?" She asked, almost pleading.

Curiosity must have gotten to Connie also because she nodded her head - yes.

Julie took hold of the dusty doorknob and with one swift movement the door was open and the room was for all to see.

It was beautiful.

You could tell when they had had the house built; the most planning had come into this room. Pink and white decorated the room and embellished the interior, pictures of a family – Connie's family – littered the room as stuff animals slept on the pink comforter. The window let light in as it cast an anguished painful glow on the room.

The bed had never been slept in; the desk never drew on. There were no marks with crayons on the wall and no scratch marks from an angry little child or an irritated elementary student. The walls still looked freshly painted in fact.

The room had never been used and you could tell, the chairs were still neatly laid underneath the table and the toys were still in bins. There were no pictures on the bulletin board, with the exception of one.

The date sent Connie spiraling, but more importantly the drawing, a timeless picture of three people. Awkwardly drawn and rough around the edges stood on green grass and surround a red house. One, the father presumably, who was quite noticeably bigger than the other two people, had bright yellow hair while mother and daughter had identical brown hair. The caption read quite simply: "To Daddy. I love you."

Both were speechless for a second until Connie, in a hushed ton, gasped almost silently incomprehensible words before she collapsed into Julie's arms. Julie heard it clearly as she caught her weeping friend.

"Oh, Guy."

And together, the soon-to-be-mother and divorcee wept.

To Be Continued…

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