A/N: Please R/R First chapter started off slowly

Disclaimer: I do not own the Ducks. I do however own Nickelle, Lacie, Lee, Ray and his family. Although I aint getting paid for anything.

Nickelle grinned as she walked into the familiar house. It had been years since she had been here. The last time she was in the apartment was four years ago. She was 12. It was a week before the Ducks found out they were going to the Jr. Goodwill Games. A fancy lawyer had called and said they had found her dad and she had to move in with him. That day she tearfully said good-bye to Charlie and his mom. The people she had lived with for 12 years. She said good-bye to Adam, whom she had dated for two. Good-bye to her friends which she had known since she was in first grade. Connie, Guy, Jesse, Terry, Peter, Dave and Averman. Her other friends she had known since she was 10. Goldburg, Fulton, Tammy and Tommy. Then she left. She kept in touch with them for a month or two and then had lost contact.

She loved her dad, but their had always been that longing for the Ducks and Gordon, their coach. She moved to Oklahoma. Oklahoma was a completely different world then Minnesota. A completely different world. She went from playing hockey daily, to riding horses and going to football games. She never became a preppy cheerleader or anything but she tried to get along with everybody. She made good friends and attended a wonderful church. She found a best friend and fell in love.

She remembered the day she got the call. She was at lunch. She was at the ROTC building with her best friend just goofing off. They were planning the weekend. Nickelle and Ray were going to the movies and then Ray's mom was going to drop Nickelle off and Lacie's. Then Lacie and Nickelle were going to ride horses and just have a good time. Well Nick's cell rang. "Hello?"

"Is this Nickelle Amy Conway?"

"Yes it is, who is this?"

"Mrs. Conway. This is Dr. Killindeer. I'm sorry to interrupt you at school."

"That's okay. I'm at lunch right now."

"O.k. Your father has been in a terrible accident. And it's crucial you come to the hospital soon. If you cannot get out of school or you need a ride call me back. Do you need me to talk to your principal?"

"No. No. If I need anything I'll let you know." She turned the phone off and looked at Lacie. Call Ray after school and let him know. I'm going to the hospital. My dad was in a terrible accident."

She signed out of school and went to the hospital. She stayed their for three hours and held his hand as he died. The courts told her she could finish the year out at school and then would be moved back to Minnesota. She agreed to that. At first she was excited to go back. And then the closer the end of school started to come, she got scared. She didn't want to leave. She called her Aunt Casey and told her that she was just going to stay and Ray's mom was going to get temporary custody over her. Her Aunt Casey said okay and said she hadn't said anything to Charlie because she didn't want to upset him, because she figured Nickelle would stay.

A week into her junior year, Nickelle had come home and had seen her "mom" as she called her sitting on the porch with her face all bruised. Her husband had done that. She started crying. She knew what that meant. She had to go back to Minnesota. She packed her bags and went to Ray's granny's for the wekend. She promised she loved him and woudn't forget him. They kissed and hugged as she left on the plane.

Now here she was. At the apartment where she had spent most of her life. Casey opened the door and smiled. She pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad you came Nick."

Nickelle just sighed and hugged her back. "Ya, me too." Casey noticed her nieces down face. "Nickelle, aren't you glad to be home? What's wrong?"

"Aunt Casey. Ya, I missed everyone and ya I'm glad to be back. It's just that, well, I miss Ray and everyone a lot too. Ya, me and Adam dated for two years, but there is a difference between two years and 10 years old and a year at 15."

"How long have you and Ray been going out?"

"One year, one month and two weeks."

"That's a long time."

"Ya it is." There was a knock on the door and she opened it. It was her old Coach.

"Hey Nickelle." She threw her arms around him.

"Hey Coach."

"Are you still up to play hockey?"

"Ya, I guess. I'm probably rusty, since I've been gone for four years. But I have practiced. Hockey just aint a big sport in Oklahoma. It's football."

"Well, sign here and we'll take you to meet the Dean and the new coach."

"New Coach?"

"Ya, Coach O'rion. You'll love him. The Ducks finally warmed up to him. You'll also meet the other Ducks that joined after you left."

"Sounds fun." She looked down at the floor and went to her room to put her things up. She knew it was going to be awkward. She knew she had changed and she was sure the others had. Plus, new Ducks? What if they didn't like her? What if the old Ducks had started to hate her?

She walked into Charlie's room real fast to look at his pictures on her wall. She seen the picture from pee-wees. There was the original Ducks. She glanced across the picture and seen her and Adam. Her heart skipped a beat. Her first boyfriend. It was really going to be hard to see him again. Really awkward. She sighed. She left the room. And headed off to Eden Hall Academy. Headed to a prep school and probably to her worst year.