Disclaimer - I do not own anything even remotely related to The Mighty Ducks. I only wish I had thought of them first…
Italics indicate character thought.
"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Beeeeaaaaauuuuu! Happy Birthday to you!" It was loud, it was raucous, and it was absolutely heinous. They sat in the middle of the hotel restaurant, finishing up dinner and they boys and Rachel had launched into the song, loving it when Beau's cheeks turned crimson.
Keep it together. She was smiling and laughing with them but it felt like her heart was being ripped apart. She was nineteen today. It was the first time in her life that she could remember that song being sung to her and not haring "Beau and Parker" or "Parker and Beau." She had always equated her birthday as hers and her brother's. It wasn't meant to be just for her. That's how it was with twins. Especially twins like Parker and Beau. Keep it together for a few more minutes.
"Thanks guys!" She grinned manically at Rachel who squinted at her, but was distracted easily. "Don't y'all have to get going for the night snowmobile trail thing?" It was a torch lit trail over the hills and past the frozen lake that was said to be beautiful and something not to be missed. Now Rachel's eyes were wide as the others nodded and stood to bundle up in their scarves, hats, and coats.
"You aren't going?" She mouthed something silent and indiscernible at her friend. "I thought you were going."
Beau touched Rachel's arm, still barely holding it together. "You know, I can't remember the last time I just relaxed. I think I'm going to spend the rest of my birthday curled up with a good book. Relaxing." She leaned in to hug her friend. "You'll be fine, Rach."
Rachel pulled away, holding Beau at arm's length. "I've never snowmobiled."
Fulton grabbed the hood of Rachel's jacket, pulling her away even as he leaned in and gave Beau a quick kiss on the cheek. "I gotcha, chica. Happy birthday, Beau. Let's roll." And he was off, pulling Rachel behind him with the other boys following and Jesse heading off to watch TV in his room. Charlie gave Beau a quick kiss goodnight and another 'happy birthday' before jogging off to follow his friends.
By the time Beau made it to the elevator she was taking deep breaths and blinking furiously to hold back the tears. When she arrived at her door a white card was coving the key hole and hands shaking, she opened the small envelope. It read simply Room 387, with a key card attached. It was Charlie's handwriting and it surprised her enough to completely stop her tears.
Room 387 was on the top floor and faced south towards the lake. When Beau entered she was the only on in the room and she had to stifle a gasp at the expanse, smelling of jasmine (her favorite) and filled with the sounds of Gavin DeGraw. Well, here I go again. Her eyes were filling with tears as she moved to the large picture window and gazed out at the torch flames reflecting off of the ice and the snowmobile lights as they moved slowly in a line across the hills.
She was standing as if she wanted to curl into herself and Charlie couldn't help but stare. Her arms were wrapped around her middle and her fingers rested at her waist. Her jeans were long and straight and hit the top of her stiletto boots in just a suggestion of sexy. She wore a cashmere pale green tank top that begged to be touched and a long pastel striped scarf trailed down her back under her curly chestnut pony tail. She rested her forehead against the cool glass and she didn't turn or even flinch when he spoke.
"You're thinking about your brother, huh?" He moved a step into the room but didn't touch her…yet.
She let out a little gasp, not knowing she could feel so hurt but not feel empty. "You always know exactly what is going on with me." She raised her fingers to her mouth, trying to hold it in, and her voice came out as a pathetic whisper. "I don't know how to do this birthday thing on my own."
He stood close to her now, his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. "It seems to me like you just keep Parker in your thoughts and you try your best to be happy. I think he would want you to be really happy, Beau."
She covered his clasped hands with one of hers and used the other to slowly unwind her scarf, thinking about what he had said. "You always say the right thing."
He kissed her now bare neck. "Are you happy today, Beau?"
She turned, tilting her head back to look at him and smiling as he bent his knees to smile closer to her face. "I am now. This is amazing." She gestured around the room. "I love you, Charlie."
His forehead was against hers, which was cool from the glass of the window. He touched his lips to hers gently. "I love you, too." The kiss was deeper now and as Beau reached up to pull the rubber band from her hair, Charlie leaned back to watch the curls fall down and cover her shoulders.
Surprising him, Beau reached up slightly trembling fingers and began to undo the buttons on his blue dress shirt. He covered her hands, stopping her. "Beau, what are you doing?" He looked around the room. "I didn't do this so that we could do…that."
She smiled shyly. "I know. I trust you." He nodded.
"I know, but you need to trust yourself. You told me that a few months ago." She smiled again, confident now, setting his heart racing. She pulled her hands away, covering her own heart.
"I trust myself, Charlie." She blushed a little before reaching down and pulling the thin tank up and over her head. She grew even more red as Charlie's eyes skimmed up and down her body, her skin heating under his gaze.
He tucked her hair behind her ear and left his palm to rest on her warm cheek. "Are you sure? I need you to be sure."
Her voice was a whisper again, this time husky with desire. "I'm sure."
Rachel was sitting on a massive snowmobile and she didn't like it. Not one bit. "I don't like this. Not one bit. This thing is way to giant for little old me to drive."
Fulton enjoyed her. She was fun, she was cute, and she was super sassy. The best part was that she liked it when he used his dry sense of humor. Most girls didn't even get his sense of humor. Hell, most girls just didn't get him. Period. He rolled his eyes at Rachel, which he though maybe she saw even though his knit hat was pulled down low. He patted the empty seat behind him and dropped his voice an octave. "Quit whining woman and get on."
Now see, why is that cute? Most guys who talked to her that way would get a quick knee to the balls. Of course, Fulton Reed was not most guys. He was quiet and thoughtful and dry and witty. And tall and handsome. Couldn't forget tall and handsome. So instead of the knee, Fulton got her hopping onto the back of his vehicle. She grabbed his head between her hands and pulled him down so he could hear. "Watch it. And don't get to crazy with this thing, huh?"
He only grinned. "Hold on."
With that he gunned it, secretly thrilled when she squeezed her arms tightly around his chest and took off into the night.
Beau was lying on her side, her arm cushioning her head and her hair splayed around her the dark in stark contrast to her olive skin. Charlie thought she might be sleeping, her body warm and soft against his, but he knew there was no way he would sleep any time soon. He was awash in her. He reached out, needing the physical contact, and moved her hair off of her back and tracing his finger along the tattoo that spanned across her back from shoulder blade to shoulder blade. It was feminine script, a simple phrase encased in quotes. As his finger ran over it her voice reading it aloud let him know she wasn't sleeping and knew what he was looking at.
"I falter as the music stops."
He ran his finger across it again. "It's beautiful." He grinned, pressing his lips against the black on her skin. "It's sexy."
She turned over, pulling the sheet up to cover herself and looked him in the eyes. "It's a song lyric." She let her fingers play through his curly hair and smiled. "Charlie, this is all too much. This room, the music, the flowers. Thank you."
He sat up, and reached to a side table, pulling a small wrapped package into his hand. Beau sat up as well, the white sheet bright in the dim room. She looked at him in surprise. "Charlie, you've already done enough."
He shook his head, smiling at her. "Open the present, Beau." She did, ripping into the paper and he thrilled at the fact that she wasn't trying to save the flowery print. It was already in tatters on the floor. When she opened the square box her beam lit up her face.
Beau pulled the silver charm bracelet from the padding and held it up to examine each piece. Her heart filled with love as she touched the tiny symbols of her life that had most definitely been picked especially with her in mind. A tiny hockey puck, a little wolf, the state of North Carolina, a pen, a book, the word love, a tiny pair of headphones, and the Zodiac symbol for Gemini – the twins. "Oh Charlie." She immediately held it out to him, sticking out her arm for it to be fastened on her. When he had hooked the delicate metal she shook it gently, listening to the tinkling of the charms hitting together. "It's perfect." She grabbed his face, kissing him, rising to her knees and letting the sheet fall down.
BellaLou: Thanks again! I'm toying with the idea of a Connie/Guy fic where they are older. Possibly as a follow-up time wise to this one. Not a sequel really, but there might be appearances by Beau, Rachel, etc. What do you think?
Penman: I know. Sadly being from North Carolina I really didn't grow up around hockey so I know very little about it, which makes it hard to write. I wouldn't even attempt it but I figure a story about people playing hockey has to have at least a LITTLE in it. Sorry it's so crappy in those sections! Thanks for the encouragement and the applause! You can count on it going on for a quite a bit more. I know exactly where it's going but I'm starting to think it's going to take me quite some time to get there!
Cc: Glad you're digging Rachel. She is a direct incarnation of my friend of the same name and the real deal is a trip!