Joshrox116- Charlie DOES need to get everything off his chest. Otherwise he'll 'splode and there'll be a big mess to clean up...it's very sad...heh, anyway...I'm glad you're likin' it.

Schiz- Lol, it's always nice to read your reviews. They always inspire me to go ahead and update. ^_^ This chapter is definitely lacking humor, but the last few have. I'm scaring myself...I've never gone so long without cracking any jokes in my fic. O.o And thank you for the comment about having the Ducks in character...I sometimes wonder if they really act this way or if it's only in my twisted little mind. ^_^ Heh, okay, so I had to get the Linda diss in there...lol...I'm glad everyone liked the Charlie- Orion bonding moment. ^_^ Heh, no one believed Averman when he said he thought it was George. It's good that you caught it though. Not that I didn't make it obvious or anything. I like your description of George. Lol...very on the dot. We get some nice hate-filled father-son bantering in this chapter.

Chels- Lol...*jaw drops* You really think so? You really think my story is hotter than Billy Baldwin in a cop suit with a hat and a whacking stick? Wow...I'm honored! Heh, yeah...Charlie is a bit naïve...but it's all the more fun to make them a few fries short of a happy meal. ^_^ Lol, yeah...he should be the prime suspect but heh, I'm making the people stupid. It's fun to make everyone stupid. Makes for a better realization point. They're a tad slow. ^_^ Bombay gets there, but he won't play a major role for a little while. He will later on, just not now. And yes, Orion is somewhat evil-lookin'. Lol.

Torianne- Thanks! ^_^

Skeet11- Yes, Bombay is back...

Teenage Slayer With Attitude- Thanks! And I have a question? I feel dumb for asking but what does 'KUTGW' mean? Lol...^_^

Kelly- Thanks and yes, George will get what's coming to him...eventually...it'll take awhile, but he'll pay one of these days...I'm glad you like the Charlie-Orion interaction. He does need someone. But I feel bad for what I'm gonna do to Charlie. I have it planned out and yeah. I'm mean to him. But you people have to WAIT to find out the extent of my evilness...thank you. I'm glad you think so.

Nellie- Thank you bunches!

Danielle- Thanks.

Jinx- Thank you! I'm glad I got you hooked. ^_^

Valerina- Wow, thank you. Okay, I'll be sure to keep the updates up.

Liz- Yeah...if it makes you feel any better, I nearly cried when I wrote it...lol...probably not, but that's okay. Thanks again, sis.

Okay, to be perfectly honest, I know NOTHING about this process. So before we start, let me make this crystal clear. I'M MAKING IT ALL UP! There, that's better. And I know, this one is pretty short...but that's okay...I'll try to get the next one up quick! But I have to finish reading "To Kill A Mockingbird" for my Honors Pre-AP English class before school begins and I just got it. I spent all morning reading it and I've only read 96 or 296 pages...I'm exhausted...

Disclaimer- Nope, I don't own the Mighty Ducks...Disney does. I just own my plot.

-Chapter 9-

Charlie sat next to his "father" in the courtroom. He was visibly steaming with anger. Anyone could tell he didn't want to be there.

Coach Orion and the Ducks sat behind him. They had come for support purposes.

Just as the judge was sitting down, the door flung open and an exhausted Gordon Bombay walked in, looking winded.

Charlie, Orion and the Ducks all turned to see what the commotion was.

"COACH BOMBAY!" Charlie yelled almost giddily, grinning ear to ear. He stood up to go talk to his old peewee hockey coach but his father grabbed his arm and sat him back down.

Charlie turned to glare at his father. As he was about to let loose all his frustrations on his dad, the judge called for attention by slamming down her little judge-mallet-thingy.

"Order in the Court! Sir, may I ask what you are doing?" the African- American woman asked Bombay as he finally caught his breath.

"Sorry Your Honor, I just came for the boy's support. I'll be...sitting down now..." he said as he sat down next to Orion.

"Great job." Orion said sarcastically to Gordon as he moved over a little to make room. All the other Ducks moved in a domino-like fashion.

Gordon just rolled his eyes and smiled.

George Conway eyed Bombay suspiciously. He wondered if the man was a threat to his gaining custody of his son.

Everyone stood as the judge finally managed to sit. She had paused before sitting when Gordon Bombay had walked in.

When she told everyone to sit, they did so. She then began.

"I presume you are Mr. Conway?" she said, looking at George.

He nodded and she nodded back. Charlie just rolled his eyes leaned back in his chair. They were very uncomfortable. They had all been allowed a leave from school to attend the trial but to be honest he would much rather be at school then where he was.

The judge saw this and raised her eyebrows. Charlie wasn't paying attention. He just wanted to get out of there. He wondered if he got any say in this. Surely they would ask him. So he would just say he didn't want to live with his dad and he would live in the dorms until he graduated or even live with Coach Bombay. Either one would be better then living with that...man...

While George Conway and Judge Mallerbee discussed legal things, Charlie sighed and stared off into space. He didn't want to live with his dad. He wanted his mom.

Bombay kept a close eye on Charlie. He hadn't heard anything about this. But when he had gone to the school to talk to Orion about Charlie, the people in the office said they were at a trial. He hadn't even had time to unpack before he was driving to the courthouse, hoping he'd make it. He had no idea what was going on and didn't know why they needed a court date for a death. Then he found out once he saw Charlie and the man whom he assumed was Charlie's father. He asked Orion and the other coach confirmed it.

Then Gordon recalled a conversation he had with Charlie four years ago when they had barely met. They were talking about their fathers and Charlie had said his mother and him had left his father. So what was Charlie's dad doing there?

Orion noticed Gordon's confused face and wished he could tell him. But they couldn't talk in the courtroom and it would be rude to walk out halfway.

Just as the judge was confirming the guardianship, Charlie stood up.

"May I help you Charlie?" Judge Mallerbee asked Charlie.

"Yes...I don't want to live with him." Charlie nearly yelled. His fists were shaking.

The judge furrowed her eyebrows. She figured he wouldn't have a problem. He had been so quiet. "May I ask why?"

Charlie froze when he felt his father's heated gaze upon him. He couldn't say it here. And he would have no case. There was no proof and he hadn't even hit Charlie...just his mother. And she was dead.

His eyes filled up with tears at the word dead. His fists balled up into fists as he clenched his eyes closed. He couldn't say it. He would end up with his dad anyway and then he would have to deal with the consequences.

"Charlie?" she asked again when he didn't say anything.

He looked back up at her. "I just don't! I could live a-at the dorms at school! Others do! I wanna live in the dorms! I already have a room with two of my friends!" he shouted, hoping it would be enough.

"That would be up to your father. He's your guardian and if he wishes, you may live in the dorms." She answered.

"But I don't want him to be my guardian!" Charlie shouted, not knowing what he was going to do. It was worth a try.

"Then who?" she asked, just to humor him.

"Maybe Coach Bombay! Or, or SOMEONE!" Charlie said, fishing for names and finding none but his old hockey coach who had almost been his stepfather anyway.

"Hm, that's very nice that you have people that close to you but your father is your legal guardian and next in line." The judge replied, not understanding why the boy didn't want to be with his father.

"You make it sound like I'm some kind of fast food place or hand-me-down! One person comes, gets what they want, dies and then someone else takes over! Or when someone gets tired of me, they just die and leave me with some jerk!" Charlie nearly screamed, starting to get out of control.

Mr. Conway was getting nervous so he reached for Charlie's hand but Charlie swatted it away. "Don't touch me!" he yelled, pulling away.

"Charlie, calm down and don't yell!" George yelled, standing up to a little bit taller than Charlie's nearly six-foot frame

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Charlie yelled back, now completely in rage mode.

"CHARLIE!" George yelled back, now mad too. He was still worried about Charlie telling. Not that they would believe the boy. But still. He needed to maintain control over the boy. He would be tough to handle.

"WHAT? What do you want now?! I don't want to live with you!" Charlie yelled.

"Why not?!" George asked before noticing it was a loaded question.

But instead of taking that opportunity to put the abuse on his mother out in the open, Charlie was blinded by anger and said what rolled off his tongue.

"You were never there! You weren't there when I took my first step, lost my first tooth, shot my first goal! YOU DON'T DESERVE THE TITLE FATHER!!!" Charlie screamed, his eyes an icy blue and his voice full of venom.

George glared. Even with the relief George felt that Charlie didn't say anything about abusing Casey, he still felt that the control was slipping away from him and into the hands of his fourteen-year-old son. George grabbed Charlie's shoulders to try and calm him down when Gordon shot up from his seat.

"Get your hands off Charlie!" Gordon yelled. All the yelling was starting to rub off.

George did so but turned to the shorter man. "Who are you to tell me what to do?!"

"Don't talk that way to Coach Bombay!" Charlie yelled at his dad.

"ALL OF YOU! QUIET!" Judge Mallerbee screamed loudly as everyone shut up.

As Charlie sat down, he was still shaking with anger. He couldn't believe it. This was so not fair!

Gordon and George were still having a stare-down...though it seemed more like a "glare-down"

"I guess this settles it. George, you have full custody. I'm sure Charlie'll warm up to you." Judge Mallerbee said, giving the troubled teen a weary look, not totally sure if he would warm up to his father or not.

Charlie just looked up at the judge and suppressed a glare. It wasn't her fault. So to take out his anger, he took the book he had flipped through when they were waiting and slammed it on the table before storming out of the room.

The Ducks and the two coaches flooded out after him while George Conway stood up, smiling to himself. He had won this one. He finally had his son. It was such a shame Casey had to die for it...

~~~*~~~

Charlie was walking down the hall, pushing past anyone in his way. He couldn't believe it. It was final.

He was stuck with his dad.

The thought made him boil. He hated his father with a passion. He didn't know why, he just did. He hated him for hurting his mom and he hated him for taking her away. He also hated him for thinking he could just come in and Charlie would automatically like him.

Yeah right.

But Charlie had a gut feeling his dad had something to do with his mother's death. He didn't know why and he knew he couldn't prove it. It was just one of those feelings.

Charlie stopped only when he saw a bench by some trees outside the courthouse. He sat down, knowing his dad would be there soon so he should enjoy his last moments before his dad came.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he saw the Ducks pile around him and his two coaches right behind them.

At least he had the Ducks.

"Hey guys." He said, trying to pretend like he was okay, even though they had all seen him lose his cool back there.

"You okay man?" Russ asked as he stepped forward.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. At least I have you guys, right?" Charlie said, trying his best to look on the bright side. Something he never was very good at...

They all nodded. Not very convincing nods though. They all knew what Charlie's dad had done to Mrs. Conway so the idea of Charlie being alone with him in the same house was scary.

Gordon stepped forward and sat by Charlie.

"Hey Charlie." He said. He was finally able to talk to Charlie but wasn't sure what to say. He didn't expect to come here and find THIS problem with Charlie's dad!

"Hey Coach." Charlie said, turning towards his old coach, Gordon Bombay.

Just as Gordon was about to say some inspiring words of wisdom and courage, he was interrupted.

"Charlie, come on. We gotta get home."

Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice and Charlie's face soured.

"You go on, I'll catch up to ya." He said with no intentions of actually doing so.

"No can do, son. You don't even know where we're going to live." George Conway retorted.

'Darn.' Charlie thought as he stood up.

"So?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Just come on." George said with a glare.

Charlie returned the glare before complying.

"Bye guys, see you tomorrow?" Charlie said as he walked off with his dad.

"Yeah. See you then Conway!" Banks answered, still worried for Charlie but refused to show it.

George tugged on Charlie's arm and Charlie roughly pulled away again, walking a considerable two feet away from his father, glaring all the way. He would go along but that didn't mean he had to like it.