Wow, guys...This is the second to last chapter...All we have left is an epilogue...I dunno if it's good...but I'm going to have to assume it's good enough. Hope you like it. ::crosses fingers:: And I'm terribly sorry for the wait...school started...lots of Pre-AP classes...general busyness. Not to mention I have some serious Charlie/Connie plot bunnies bouncing around in my brain which distracts me...

Allie- My precious! ::tacklehugs:: It'll be okay. ::pets Allie:: Nothing wrong with angry reviews...and this update is for you, dear, for forcing...errr...persuading me to get my butt in gear. :P Eep! ::is poked:: I'm awake! I'm awake! ::giggles:: You insult my darling OTP. It's a good thing I love you! XD I'll let it slide. ::laughs:: Hee! ::pets Charlie and Julie:: They're precious, too. See? I can still pull off some C/J lovin' too! :P Don't be confused, precious! Read and be enlightened! Precious is my new favorite word...lol...XD

Spunky-hyper-girl- I guess I just have to angst him for as long as possible. ::pets Charlie:: Hee! Evil? Moi? ::innocent smile::...::twitch::...::evil giggle::...::twitch:: I'm a precious angel. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Sarah- ::grins and joins in on the "I love Charlie" dance:: Thanks, glad you liked!

Brnnttebabe12- Sorry for the wait, and I hope you like! :)

Banksiesbabe99- Sorry Sarah! Hee. I had an evil streak...and then I didn't update for awhile...heh...oops? Anyway, hope you find the chapter suitable.

Warrior of the shadow- Thanks for the review, and your ponderings shall be answered! XD

Pyro44- Heh. Sorry for the wait. :P Roofs are nice. ::nods:: And you'll just have to see. Hee hee. ::smiles::

Liz- ::tacklehugs:: Hee hee. Thanks for the bundles of reviews, and I'm glad you like it. ::ewwws at the dead gnat:: Yuck. Well, I reviewed your story, so no worries. And you only have a total of 12 left to review including this one and the last chapter! XD Love ya. :P

DodgerMcClue.aka.Drama-Queen- Glad you liked the chapter, sorry for the wait, and hope you enjoy this one as well :P

Adriana- I'm glad you liked it. Hee. And I'm definitely considering a sequel...CHARLIEFESTSQUEE! ::bounces::...Heh...Charlie's by far my favorite...heh, I've heard that expression, but I'm not sure either. :P You index finger? Owwie. :( Bet that hurt.

Tiff- ::grins:: I'm so glad you liked it! ::beams::

Emmy, My Other Precious- ::tacklehuggles Emmy:: EMMMMMYYYY!!! I miss you somethin' fierce! :( ::giggles:: Those silly llamas, always getting in Emmy's way! ::is giggling insanely, finding all of this amusing due to the late hour of night:: Squee for Emmy's silliness! ::cries with Emmy:: School is eeeevvvviiillll!!!!

Preciousbabyblue- ::giggles:: Yes, the song definitely does apply. I'm honored that you like the story, and I hope you like this chapter as well.

MDSWitter26- Lol...heh...a sequel is definitely a possibility. I'm glad you liked the chapter. And as for Charlie and Julie, yeah, I guess they are. Lol. XD And it was no problem.

Rachel- You bet he does, because he's the JOSH-NESS! XD Eh, sorry for the long wait. Hehe. Aww! ::smiles:: Thanks so much. You're always so sweet. Thanks again!

Nebula- Hehehe...good point. Wow...you feel sorry for him again? SCORE! ::dances and giggles:: So glad you liked it, and I really hope this one was worth the wait too!

Disclaimer- shifty eyes Ask the flying purple bunnies with vinegar crackers...THEY'LL tell you whether or not I own the Mighty Ducks...shifty eyes...

-Chapter 70-

Time was at a standstill as no one dared move. Then only movement was an occasional blink as the quiet seemed to swallow them.

Julie's hand fell limply on to the table as she stared at the door Charlie had left through.

That hadn't just happened...It couldn't have just happened...

With almost a frantic look, she made eye contact with Connie, who was also frowning. It was almost as if Julie was asking with her eyes, 'what happened?'

Everyone stood there awkwardly for a few more seconds before Russ broke the uncomfortable silence with a question.

"Uh, guys...what was that?"

Julie bit her lip and swallowed, looking up at them. "That was your apology. And it's looking like things didn't work out as planned," she said in a softer voice than usual, still sending glances to Connie.

The group grew quiet again as each Duck was lost in his or her own thoughts.

Julie felt her heart drop by the second. She knew how hard it had been for Charlie...Heck, it had been hard for HER and SHE wasn't even the one having to apologize...

"Guys..." she said, causing them to all look at her. Her glance shifted up from the table to them. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked. There wasn't a response as a few looked away. "Why not even an 'it's okay' or 'give me a second to think'? Do you know how hard it was to get him to think you WEREN'T going to do something like this?"

"Hey, we aren't the bad guys, Jules. It just took us by surprise," Portman said, a hint of defensiveness. She saw a scattered nod or two.

She let out a sigh and placed her forehead in her palms, massaging her temples for a second before resting her chin atop her propped up arm. "I know, I know...but still...I can't even begin to think how hard it was for him to apologize, and whether or not you meant to, that was probably the most discouraging thing that you could have done..."

"We didn't mean to...It just was...unexpected. I wasn't exactly expecting it, and I guess I needed time to process. It's a pretty sharp turn from recent events, so it isn't like we knew to prepare for it," Guy said, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "And that's definitely something that needs preparing for."

"You guys do forgive him, right? He's sorry, and he knows he was wrong. He jumped out of the comfort zone to apologize, and likely feels more shot down than if you were to say you didn't forgive him. If not more, than at least pretty close. There's just something unnerving about silence I guess," she said, letting out another sigh. When someone started to speak, she cut him off. "I know you didn't mean to, and I can understand. It was an honest mistake, but that definitely was not how it was supposed to happen...It was supposed to be easy, simple, and painless. Do you know realize difficult it is to convince him of something like that? Coupling stubbornness and insecurity together is not a pretty mix in this case. I should probably go do some damage control..."

"Wait, how did you know he was apologizing?" Goldberg asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked at Julie with confusion. He, for one, had not seen it coming. He thought Charlie was still mad at them for something.

"Because we talked it out, and he told me what happened, and I know that he's sorry. Despite the fact that it looks like it was just plain spite at first, it wasn't that he didn't have reasons for whatever happened. He didn't just wake up one morning and decide that he hated us. I've talked to him about it, and he really is sorry, and he was worried that you guys wouldn't, couldn't, forgive him for it," she said, looking at them. "I don't want to sound like I don't understand why you didn't say anything, because I do, but it might be best if we straighten things out before it gets much worse. I'm sure that you don't hold it against him, right?" she said, taking in a breath and watching them. Some shrugged while others nodded.

Adam had hardly heard what had been said after Charlie stopped talking. He had tried to speak, but nothing seemed to come out. Sure, he had noticed the less-aggressive nature lately...but he hadn't been expecting an apology for anything. He would have more easily expected Charlie randomly acting like nothing ever happened...Charlie NEVER apologized for ANYTHING...at least not without extensive persuasion...

He blinked and suddenly noticed Charlie was gone and Julie was talking. What was she saying? He couldn't tell at the moment.

"Where'd Charlie go?" he asked, and Julie stopped mid-sentence.

"Um...Banksie? Where have you been for the past five minutes?" Russ cut in before the blonde girl could respond.

"Sorry...I was spacing in my bubble of shock. Where'd he go?" Adam said, shaking his head slightly.

"He kind of left when nobody said anything. He didn't look all that happy," Fulton said with a sense of regret. He had been somewhat expecting it, but at the same time hadn't.

Adam nodded. "Why are we just standing here?" he asked. "It isn't like we get apologies every day."

"So you think we should just go to his house and tell him everything's okay and life will magically get better?" Russ asked with skepticism.

Adam shrugged. "Why not? It's worth a try..."

"I think you're delusional, Banksie. I think you're delusional," Russ said, shaking his head.

"Well I think we aren't giving him enough credit. If he's willing to apologize, I think he would be willing to accept an apology right. Right, Julie?" he said, turning to the blonde-haired girl.

She nodded, at least happy that he was making an effort. She knew he wouldn't stay mad for long...Banks rarely held grudges for long amounts of time anyway. "Hopefully. It wouldn't hurt to try. But standing here ARGUING about it doesn't help, ya know...just for the record."

"Really?" Averman asked, the almost ever-present humor in his voice as he feigned shock. "Because I wasn't aware. And to think all this time I thought arguing fixed everything!"

"Yes, I know it comes as a shock to us all. I for one am going to go talk to Charlie, though. Come if you want," Julie said, heading for the door.

They all exchanged glances and shrugged, following her out the door. And to think they thought that they would ACTUALLY get FOOD from the pizza place...

Gordon knocked softly on Charlie's door. He had seen the boy walk in earlier and it was beginning to worry him. The teen looked upset.

When no response was heard, he creaked open the door and saw Charlie lying stretched on his bed, staring into space. No music playing. Not looking at anything in particular. Just lying there.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered a picture lying on the floor, most likely in Charlie's line of vision. He couldn't tell what the picture was of, but that didn't matter.

"Charlie?" he said quietly.

The teenage boy didn't stir.

"Charlie?" he said, a little louder this time.

"Just go away..." Charlie mumbled, rolling over. "I don't want to talk right now..."

Gordon's eyebrows creased and his frown deepened. He sensed a defeated tone, and an acute surge of worry settled in. "Are you okay?" he asked, standing near the bed as Charlie stayed facing the other way.

"I said I don't want to talk about it," Charlie said quietly, not having the energy to be mean about it. It didn't come out quite as convincingly as it was in his head...

Gordon Bombay knew something was wrong, but of course didn't know what this 'something' was. He had seen Charlie leave with Julie awhile earlier...had something happened with her?

"You sure?" Gordon asked, his voice soft. The stillness of the room was disturbing, and 'quiet' was a stranger to Charlie's room.

Charlie only sighed and continued staring forward.

When Gordon was about to walk back out of the room, Charlie spoke up. The man paused in step and turned to the teenage boy.

"You don't hate me, do you?"

Gordon looked at him for a second before responding. "What?"

A few seconds of stillness drifted through the air. "You don't think I'm a terrible person who's destined to be hated for the rest of eternity, do you?" he said, adding a little more volume to his voice. If it had to be a day of rejection and angst, might as well get it all over with.

"Of course not," Gordon said, unsure of the change. He still wasn't used to him being quiet and subdued, as compared to loud and mad all the time. "What makes you think that?"

Charlie gave him a look that said 'yeah right, I'm not stupid,' but Gordon continued. "I don't hate you, and I don't think you're a terrible person, despite common belief. I never hated you; yes, I was frustrated with you, but I don't hate you. I was far more concerned with YOU hating ME than vice versa."

The teen shrugged, a hint of masked embarrassment on his face as he returned his gaze to a blank spot on his wall.

It seemed as if nothing more would be said before Charlie broke the silence.

"I never hated you either."

Gordon let out a light laugh. "You could have fooled me."

Charlie shrugged and folded his arms on the bed, resting his chin on top. "I'm sorry."

The middle-aged man pulled over a desk chair and sat in it. "I know...and it's okay...but what brought this about?"

Staying quiet for a moment, he thought it over. "Just tired of being angry I guess. It's quite draining."

"I know what you mean," Gordon said, smiling. He could have sworn he saw a trace of a smile on the teenager's face. A flush of relief seemed to settle on him. They were having a civilized conversation!

"I am sorry though...I've been a royal pain, and...I don't know. Just sick of being mad all the time. Do you know how much energy it takes to yell and scream and be angry 24/7? It's a lot of work!" Charlie said, quirking a half-smile as he realized at least ONE thing wasn't screwing up. Coach didn't hate him...though he was aware that the man had every reason to.

Gordon Bombay couldn't help but laugh. "I think I have a pretty good idea."

Charlie felt his lips tug into a smile. He had really been expecting a 'yes, I hate you, so get out of my house' after the thing with the Ducks. Good thing they weren't particularly spiteful and malicious...Dang, he would hate to have himself as a friend...

Gordon patted Charlie on the shoulder good-naturedly before standing up.

As the man walked out of the room, Charlie returned to what he had been doing before, this time feeling slightly better.

Charlie was sitting on the edge of his bed, flipping through TV channels lazily when his bedroom door creeked open. He ignored it, thinking that it was probably just Bombay coming in to tell him that if he wanted lunch, then he should go ahead and eat. Besides, pretending like your watching TV so it looks like you aren't insanely bored tends to go over better. He had to admit he had no clue what he was watching, though. He was really more along the lines of looking THROUGH the TV as compared to truly watching it.

"Mind if we come in?" a voice that most definitely was not Bombay said.

He jumped slightly and looked at the door, the remote falling from his grip. He didn't bother picking it back up.

"Sure," he said, unable to stop the skeptical gaze that he slipped across the group. What did they want?

He blinked at them when no one said anything. A soft hum emitting from the TV was the only noise in the room at all.

"Was there something you wanted, or are we just going to sit in silence for awhile? Because you know, I was really trying to concentrate on this desperately important TV program."

"'Cooking with Emeril'?" Russ asked with amusement.

"Hey, you never know when you might need to make that stuff look like it MIGHT be edible!" he said, flipping the TV off and abandoning the remote again.

Upon closer inspection, Charlie realized they had all shown up.

They were back.

Beginning to feel uncomfortable again, he refocused on the black screen of the TV.

Charlie heard someone clear his throat, but he wasn't sure who it was. Not that it mattered...

From a few feet away, Adam dug his hands into the pockets of his khaki shorts, wondering who was going to make the first move. Would it be Charlie? Would it be Julie? Would it be Connie, or Fulton, or Russ, or Goldberg?

Would it be him?

Charlie seemed to have no intention of starting this conversation up. He was probably upset about earlier. He didn't look too mad or unforgiving, so it might be okay.

"Charlie-" Julie started, thought Adam cut her off without noticing.

"We just came to say we're sorry about earlier. I know it just took a minute to process for me."

Charlie turned to look, looking a bit startled; he needed to make sure he was sincere.

He was.

Silence returned.

"So that means..." he started.

"Yeah," Adam said with a smile. "We're cool."

Charlie released a visible sigh of relief, falling back on the bed. "I was really scared there for a minute...that wasn't very nice."

"Ha, it's payback," Adam said, causing Charlie to quirk a half-smile. "We're even."

"I can live with that." The former tension in the room seemed to dissipate. "I can definitely live with that."

Charlie stood up, and Fulton pulled him into a half macho-hug, the room seeming to break into habit.

"But really guys, I feel like a jerk. I really am sorry," Charlie said with a slight frown.

Adam gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder, and Julie wrapped an inconspicuous arm around his waist.

"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie..." Adam said with a smile. "What do you think friends are for?"

Charlie grinned at him, feeling a familiar sense of belonging settle in as he glanced around at the people in his room.

This was his life. This was how it was supposed to be.