One Single Step - Chapter 6: Mother Courage.

Disclaimer - Not mine.

Notes - Thank you all for your reviews, I hope this chapter turns out well. Shout outs at the end. Oh yeah, and don't review to me and be all like "they would so not get into that college…" I only picked it because it is a school that I definitely know has a girls and a guys hockey team.

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"Fulton, what's going on, who is that?" Beck asked as the Duck's all stared in shock towards the back of the Auditorium. Beck, who was half hidden behind a few other graduates, stood on her toes to try and see who it was.

"Its coach Bombay" Fulton replied. Beck smiled and nodded. She had heard great stories from all of them about Bombay. How he had taken a bunch of loser kids that no one wanted and turned them into hockey players, and then how he had turned them into international medal winners, and then, how he had 'dumped' them at Eden Hall.

Beck also knew that Fulton held a special place in his heart for Bombay, who was like his mentor. Not many people knew, but he had told her that Bombay was one of the only reasons why he was the man that he was today. Bombay had taken him off the streets, Bombay had taught him how to skate, how to play, how to win, and most importantly, Bombay taught him the real meaning of family. Without Bombay, and his persisting that Fult join the ducks, then he never would have had a close relationship with any of his friends, and he never would have met Dean, and most importantly, he never would have had the opportunity to meet and fall in love with Rebecca.

The graduates were dismissed from the stage, and at once, the Duck's all made their way to the back of the auditorium, past their family and friends that were waiting patiently. Gordon Bombay stood, his back against the wall, and watched as his team, his Ducks, the hockey players that he had not seen in years, made their way to him.

"Hi Ducks"

"Bombay" Russ made his way to his side and rested a hand on his old coaches shoulder "You didn't write, you didn't call, we were worried sick about you…"

Gordon smiled and shrugged Russ's arm off of him. "I am sorry I have not been around much in the last few years, but things have been amazingly hectic with work and all. But I knew that you would never forgive me if I didn't come to see you graduate…"

Adam grinned and waved a dismissive hand at him. "We would have forgiven you"

Goldberg smiled sarcastically at Bombay. "Yeah, it is not like you are some majorly important person in our life or anything."

"Not any more since you got your big fancy new job" Russ added "You grew up and forgot all about us"

"How could I ever forget you Ducks" Bombay laughed at the dramatics that the boys were using. Still the same old Ducks, that was for sure. "And besides, just because you didn't see me didn't mean that I was not here for all the important things over the last few years"

Luis smirked. "Oh really"

"Yes really…" Bombay replied, then smiled evilly at the group that was before him. " 'Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo' ring any bells?"

"Shit, you were here for that?" Dean asked. It seemed that every one in the universe knew about that damn play, and everyone all had a comment about it. He was sick to death of hearing about that damn play, unless, of course, if it was a compliment, then he was all ears.

"Of course I was." Bombay smiled. When Orion had called him to tell him that his team would be involved in the play, Gordon immediately cleared his busy schedule for the night to come and see them, but, as with all the other events that he had seen over the last few years, he stuck to the shadows, not necessarily wanting anyone to know that he was there. "An, interesting interpretation of the text, if I do say so myself."

Julie laughed. "Well, you try presenting it with no director."

"Meredith, Right?" Gordon smiled A few others looked at him.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I went to school with her oldest brother" Gordon replied. "She was a sweet kid"

Goldberg laughed to himself and then sang. "Ooooh, some one has a crush on Meredith"

Gordon sighed. He had a feeling he was never going to hear the end of this. "Guys, she was 5 when I was 15, that is so terribly, terribly wrong…"

"But she is not five years old now, is she?" Adam replied. Gordon looked at him in shock, when had the sweet little cake eater had the guts to say something like that. The times really were changing.

Gordon feared that there would be no way to make the Ducks shut up, so when the opportunity arose, he did the first thing that came into his head. He offered them a bribe. "Ok, shut up or else I wont give you your graduation presents"

That made the Ducks shut up, quickly. Gordon chuckled to himself as he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a pile of envelopes, each individually addressed to each member of to the team.

"What are these?" Charlie asked as he took his envelope from Bombay, who was smiling broadly.

"Open them up, come on"

Dwayne was the first to have his open, and read. He looked up in confusion. "Acceptance letters?"

"I am sorry that I could not get you all into the same school. No one had the resources for a whole team, and I understand that it is not needed for a few of you because…"

Goldberg cut him off. "You got us into college?"

"Colleges with Hockey teams" Gordon replied. "I pulled a few strings, and got you all academic and athletic scholarships, like what you had here at Eden Hall. And like it was here at Eden Hall, it is completely up to you if you wish to accept the scholarship or not." "I understand that a few of you have already had replies from colleges, and others have decided to forgo college all together, but I just thought that I would…"

Julie opened hers and read it quickly. She smiled brightly, turned to Dean and whispered. "Yale"

"What?" Dean asked. He was still staring at his acceptance letter, which was still secured in the envelope. He had never really expected to be accepted, so now, he was just amazed. He was going to college.

"Dean, Bombay got me a scholarship to Yale" Julie clarified. Dean smiled and stared at her. He knew that Yale had been on the list of colleges that he had applied to but was yet to hear back from. "Where is yours to?"

Dean smiled, opened his letter, and scanned it quickly. For the first time in years he felt like crying as he read. "Yale"

"Oh my god, we are going to college together, can you believe it?" Julie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and hugging him. Dean hugged her back briefly, but something on the other side of the room had caught his attention. Julie pulled away and looked into his eyes. There was some unexplainable emotion there. "You don't seem to excited."

"I am, its just…" Dean paused and indicated to the other side of the room where Fulton was sitting, just staring at the envelope in his hands. "Fulton hasn't opened his envelope yet…I think he is worried that it will be a rejection, like from the university of technology."

Julie smiled, understanding. "He shouldn't be worried, from what I can see, all of the letters were acceptance letters"

"Jules…what if" Dean paused, almost as though he did not want to finish the thought, and then he took it up again, realizing that it was something that needed to be said. "What if Fulton gets sent to a different school then us?"

Julie paused to. She had not even thought of the fact that the ducks were going to be split up now. And she had not thought of the fact that Fulton and Dean would have to be split up. Obviously Dean was scared about it happening. Not that Julie blamed him really. It was possible that by going to college, they would be split up. Julie was sad to, it was going to be strange if Fult did get sent some where else. She had lived the last 5 years being around him almost every day. "Would Bombay really split up the bash brothers?"

Dean sighed. "I doubt it, but the colleges might"

One the other side of the room, Beck was not necessarily listening to her mother as she congratulated her on graduating, and also on getting into college. Beck was staring across the room to where Fulton was sitting, just staring at the envelope that Coach Bombay had given him. Dismissing herself from the painful conversation that she was having with her mother, Beck made her way over to him, sitting on his knee as she usually did. One of Fulton's arms came around her to support her, but he was yet to look at her.

"Hey Fult" She smiled. "That is a mighty fine envelope you have there"

Fulton didn't say anything. Beck decided to try again. "What's in the envelope babe?"

"An acceptance letter to a college" Fulton replied. Beck's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god, why haven't you opened it?" she asked him. Fulton shrugged.

"Scared I guess" he replied honestly. Beck sighed and ran her hand through his hair lovingly. "What if the college is in, like, Alaska, or Hawaii or something, and it is so far away from New York and You…"

"Fulton, as much as it hurts like hell to say it, we will have to get over it. I love you, and I want you to succeed. So even if that means that I am in the big apple, and you are attending a college in bloody Sweden, we are going to have to just live with it…we will be fine" Beck reminded him. Fulton sighed and looked at the letter again.

"Ok" he whispered, handing her the letter. Beck smiled. "You read it"

"Sure" Beck ripped open the letter and pulled it from the envelope. "Dear Mr. Reed, blah, blah, blah, you are a really good looking guy, blah, blah, blah, you should kiss your girlfriend more often…"

Fulton smiled. "It doesn't say that"

"Sure it does" Beck whispered, kissing the corner of his mouth carefully before continuing on. "And you know, you should do as it says, these college people are smart"

"Beck" Fulton sighed. She smiled.

"Fine" Beck turned back to the piece of paper and read it. "Blah, blah, blah…Yale" she almost dropped the letter in shock. Fulton had been accepted to Yale. "Shit Fult, Yale…"

Fulton snatched the letter back off of her and read it for himself. "There must be some mistake, what would Yale want with me"

"Well, when they saw your athletic record combine with your amazing test scores, it was not that hard to get you in." Gordon interrupted. Fult and Beck both looked up at him. "Hi Fulton"

"Coach"

Gordon smiled at Beck and then turned back to Fulton. "Aren't you going to introduce me to…"

"Right, sure" Fulton blushed a little, standing, and lifting Beck to her feet in front of her. "Coach Bombay, this is my girlfriend Rebecca Roman, Rebecca, this is Coach Bombay."

Rebecca smiled and held out her hand, which Gordon took and shook "Nice to meet you Coach"

"Girlfriend" Gordon smiled and then punched Fulton lightly on the shoulder. Fulton blushed and Beck giggled a little. "Wow, it is hard to believe how well you lot have grown up. Dating and moving on with life…" Gordon smiled, and then looked over his shoulder to the other side of the room, to the other bash brother, who was holding hands with the goalie. "And since when has Julie been dating Portman?"

Fulton grinned. "A little while now"

"They will both be attending Yale with you next year." Gordon explained to Fulton as Portman and Julie approached the three of them. "Yourself and Julie were easily accepted, Dean on the other hand…"

"Hey, I am standing within hearing distance" Dean replied. Fulton laughed. "If they didn't want me, how did you get me in."

"I refused to break up the bash brothers." He explained. "So they accepted the two of you"

Julie still looked as though she was in shock. "And we can study anything we want there"

Beck laughed and elbowed Dean playfully in the stomach. "Sorry Portman, Yale doesn't teach advanced sitting around"

Dean laughed and reached out to tickle her. Beck moved and hit behind Fulton, and then stuck her tongue out at Dean. He laughed. "Bite me Roman"

Gordon, who had ignored Dean and Rebecca, went on with his conversation with Julie. "Anything you want, as long as you play hockey for them"

"Biology?" Julie smiled to herself. "I can study biology?"

"Sure" Gordon replied. He then turned to Fulton. "And Fulton, they have an architectural programme. I spoke to the head of department, and got some information for you about it…"

Fulton looked at him, confused. How on earth did he find out what he wanted to do with his life. "How did you know that I wanted to be an architect?"

"I have my ways" Gordon replied cryptically. "Yale has an excellent architecture programme."

Fulton was so happy. He may not have known much, but Yale was a good college, he was sure of it. And it had a good Architecture programme. It was like everything was falling into place. All except one. He looked from Beck, to Gordon, and then back to Beck. "Where is Yale anyway?"

Beck smiled brightly. "Connecticut"

"Connecticut." Fulton repeated. He quickly tried to remember his geography class, which he had one really started attending in the last half of the last year. (Well, he attended it, but he was there in body, not in sprit) "Which is right beside New York, Right?"

"Yeah" Beck grinned. Fulton laughed and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her into the air and spinning her around.

Gordon looked confused. He turned to Dean and asked. "Care to explain?"

"Beck got accepted to a school in New York, and since then, Fulton has been stressing that the two of them would be separated" Dean replied, looking away from his friends to talk to his old coach. "Connecticut is not really that far away, so I assume that is the way they react to good news."

Julie, Dean and Gordon stood for a second longer watching the couple celebrate until they were interrupted by "Ahem"

Fulton dropped Beck to her feet and they both took a few seconds to catch their breath. It took a few seconds, but then they turned to the person who had interrupted them. When they did, Beck immediately went quite and began to pale. "Oh, Hello mother"

"Rebecca, what is the meaning of this?" Miss Angela Roman asked her daughter. She asked in such a tone that every one around, even Gordon, was scared to reply to her. If this was Rebecca's mother, then she would have had a very strict upbringing. Beck didn't reply, and Angela looked around the small group. "Are you not going to introduce me to your friends, I do believe that I raised you better then that Rebecca."

"Sorry mother" Rebecca began. She seemed to sink back into herself, it was scary. "This is coach Bombay, and these are my friends, Julie and Dean, and my boyfriend Fulton"

"Boyfriend" Angela asked tersely, staring at Fulton as though he was a bug. A bug to be squashed.

Beck seemed a little more confident after that had been said. She straightened and looked directly at her mother. "Yes Mother, Boyfriend"

Then there was silence.

Dean looked between the older and the younger Roman's, and then stuttered. "Well, I think that…bye"

"I should go after him." Julie said as he walked off quickly. She turned back to Rebecca's mother and smiled. "It was very nice meeting you Mrs. Roman." She then turned and politely walked away from the group. As she did, she called after her boyfriend. "Dean, that was rude."

"Yes, it was nice to meet you Mrs. Roman, Miss Roman." Gordon began, taking his leave from the others and wanting to get the hell out of there. He then turned to the enforcer and held out his hand, which Fulton shook. "If you ever need anything Fulton"

"Thank you coach" Fulton said softly. Gordon smiled and then left.

Angela watched as Gordon left, and then, turned back to her daughter the boy that she had said was her boyfriend. "Now, let us get to the bottom of this" Angela smiled. "Futon, was it"

"Fulton, Ma'am" Fulton corrected, ignoring the fact that Rebecca's mother hand mixed up his name quite deliberately.

Angela let out a strange little laugh. "What type of name is Fulton anyway?"

Beck took her mother harshly by the upper arm and pulled her away from Fulton. If there was one thing that she did not want him seeing, it was the fight that was about to break out between herself and her mother. Fulton had never seen her loose her temper and it was something that she did not necessarily want him to see. "Mother, that was rude"

"Oh, and you not informing me of you involvement with this…boy, is the height of good manners, is it?" Angela hissed, staring over Rebecca's shoulder to where Fulton was standing. She was sure that he could still hear them, so her daughters plan that the distance would shut him out had not worked at all.

"I am sorry that I did not tell you mother." Beck began, trying to keep her voice low so that no one could hear what she was saying to her mother. "But, well, I am telling you now"

"That is not good enough Rebecca." Angela replied firmly. "How much do you know about this boy"

"Mom"

Angela was shocked. If there was one thing in the world that she hated, it was being called Mom. She detested that word. "Please, don't use that tone with me. How long has this been going on Rebecca?"

"A few months." Beck sighed. She could tell that Angela did not like that reply, so she answered more specifically. "Maybe four months"

"Four months" Angela repeated, somewhat outraged. "And you are satisfied with being his girlfriend are you?"

"What does that mean?" Beck asked.

Angela now took her daughter by the upper arm so that she could hold her still. "From day one Rebecca, I have told you that you could have anything you have ever wanted. Why on earth would you want him"

"Mother" she exclaimed. "Please, I love Fulton"

Angela laughed. This time a full laugh as though Rebecca had said the funniest thing in the world. "Love. You do not know the meaning of the word"

"Mother, Please" Rebecca replied, staring at her mother, wondering what she could say or do to just get her to go away and leave her and Fulton alone. "Are you trying to tell me that you do not approve of my relationship with Fulton."

"Yes"

Rebecca smiled, suddenly very brave. She had always told herself that there would be a time when she would be strong enough to stand up to her mother, and now, it seemed, that this day had come. If her mother did not approve of Fulton, then that was just to bad. "Then tough shit"

"Rebecca." Angela whispered hoarsely. "Where did you learn that type of language. I assume that 'hanging out' with this sort of Riff Raff…"

"Riff Raff?" Beck repeated.

Angela ignored the interruption and went on. "…has taught you that that sort of language is acceptable for a young lady with your future."

"My future?"

"Yes, you are attending Julliard, you are going to be a famous musician. You will…" Angela began. Beck cut her off by raising her hand to stop her from continuing her rant.

"Yes mother, I will." Beck agreed "But I am doing it because I want to, not because you want it for me"

Angela looked at Fulton. "And what does he want of you, to have you in his kitchen, cooking, cleaning, some sort of sex slave that is only there to satisfy his needs and give him children."

"Mother you know nothing about Fulton, so please, don't say things like that." Beck replied. If there was one thing that she hated about her mother it was when she would talk about people like they were not there. It was something the her mother used to do to her father all the time, and Beck found it degrading and demeaning. "Fulton is not like that"

Angela shook her head at her daughter bitterly. "Men are all the same. All they want is one thing, and you will soon realize that your prince over there is no different"

"Mom…"

"And once they get it, then they will leave you Rebecca." Angela continued. "I thought I raised you to realize that your gift, your music is so much more special then any man and his false promises. I thought I made you realize that you don't need a man. Men are scum. Worse then scum"

"You are wrong mother" Beck whispered firmly. "Fulton is not like that at all"

"Rebecca" Angela began.

"Mrs. Roman, if I can interrupt here." Fulton began. Angela looked at him as though she had forgotten that he was even there. It was possible that he had forgotten that she was there. But she let him continue with what he wished to say. "I want you to know that I love your daughter, and I will support her every step of the way. I would put my career, my dreams, on the line, just so that Beck could succeed."

"Beck. Beck" Angela stared angrily at her daughter. Almost as much as she detested being called mom, she hated it when people would butcher their names. "You have shortened your name again. If I wished for you to be called 'Beck' I would have named you Beck. You are Rebecca. Rebecca Lyn Roman."

"Yes mother, I know my own name" Beck replied.

"Do you?" Angela asked her, and Beck rolled her eyes. "Do you know it. Do you understand what it means, really means."

"Mother, with all due respect, fuck off" Beck replied, and her mother gasped. Beck realized she was laying everything on the line here, but really, her mothers attitude was appalling, and Fulton meant that much to her. That was kind of scary. Fulton meant this much to her that she would actually speak like this to her own mother. "I will not have you ship me off to some school, and then dictate to me that I have lived my life wrong. When I came here, I made my own decisions. I want to play the music I like, I want to wear the clothing that I want to wear, I want to hang out with the people I want to hang out with, I want to be called what I wished the be called, and I want to, and I will, date who ever the fuck I want to date. I love Fulton, and there is nothing you can do to stop me"

"Nothing?" she asked, an evil glint taking home in her eyes. Beck took a small step back and collided with Fulton. It was good to know he was there, comforting her, because that evil look in her mothers eye was never followed by good things. "Try attending Julliard with no one to pay your tuition fees young lady."

"You wouldn't…" Beck whispered. Truthfully, she knew that her mother would, but it was a scary thought, to think that something that she had worked so hard for could be taken away, just because her mother was a bitch.

She was comforted by a gentle hand against her lower back. "I will pay her way"

Angela laughed out loud. "You?"

Fulton stood his ground and did not let the bitter old woman intimidate him. "I may not have a lot of money, Mrs. Roman, but I love Beck, and even if I have to quit college and work three jobs, I would make sure that she attends Julliard"

"If you think that you can get through life on hope and a prayer like that young man, then I will have you know that you ate sorely mistaken. You will crash and burn, and I for one will not have you taking my daughter with you." Angela told him, and then she turned to her daughter. "Come Rebecca, Our flight to your aunts leaves in 3 hours, we must go"

"What?" Beck exclaimed. "I was told that we were not leaving till Sunday"

"Where on earth did you get that preposterous idea?"

"Father told me" Beck replied. Beck loved her father so much, and there was no question in her mind that her Dad would love Fulton. But, her dad was also sick, and he couldn't travel, so he had been unable to come to see her graduate.

"Your father. Ha, that blithering idiot" Angela laughed lightly, and Beck wanted nothing more then to slap her. "We leave today"

Beck looked up at Fulton, who was in shock, and then back to her mother. This was horrible, she was leaving today. So much had to be done. She was going to brunch with the Ducks on Sunday, she was going out with Fulton on Saturday, she was going shopping with Jules. She had to do something. Say something to get her mother to change her mind about leaving. "But, I have not even started packing my things yet."

"Then hurry and do so, or it will all be left behind" Angela ordered, and then turned her towards the door, pushing her. "Go, we do not have all day"

"Fulton, stay" Angela told him as Fulton took a few steps in her direction. He had planned to go and spend as much time as possible with her since she was leaving him. But it seemed that her mother wanted a heart to heart with him. Yeah, right, more like a chance to threaten him. "Now, I don't know what promises you have made to my daughter about the future of your relationship, and frankly, I do not want to know, because, as of this moment, they no longer exist. I see that you have been accepted into Yale." She paused, and Fulton nodded, his hand instinctively patting his pocket where he had put his acceptance letter. "Good for you, and good for me also, because this means, that you will be in a different state to my daughter. And this relationship will not continue, do I make myself clear?"

Fulton took a deep breath, an attempt to curb his anger. "Nothing you could say or do would keep me away from Beck, Mrs. Roman, I love her." And then he turned to leave the room.

"Oh Fulton." She called after him sweetly. Fulton paused, turned back to her to listen to what it was that she had to say. "I have friends on Yale's board of directors."

"You don't scare me" Fulton informed her.

"Do as I say Fulton" Angela replied, glaring daggers into him. "or you will live to regret it"

Fulton shrugged nonchalantly, and smiled at her. "Excuse me, Mrs. Roman. But I have to go help my girlfriend pack"

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Bloody Raine - Hey. I think you will realise that I watch a lot of simpsons. And thus, I am making the characters watch a lot of simpsons, so a few of them quote characters all the time. But I love that episode where he gets fat, and then he has the drinking bird ("Its drinking the water…its going back for more!") to hit the keyboard.

Pure - Pen - Katie. Hey girl. Thank you so much for everything you had to say. I hope you continue to read and review this. And I have to go read the end of don't speak and then the sequel. Yay.

Squidslilpyro - There you go, I updated, I hope you like it.

Cake Eaters girly 99 - Oh my god, I hope you didn't get into any trouble because of me. That is horrible. I am so sorry. I guess that will teach you not to read in class huh. Oh, I feel bad about that now.

Ashcake - Hi. To answer your questions. I am not sure how long it will be. It goes on to college, and yes, there will be a lot more Dean and Julie stuff in coming chapters. I hope to take this fic in a few directions, but I just have to see how it works out.