The Greatness You Are

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING (except Grace and the occasional outside character).

Author's Note: Ok so I looked over all my reviews from the first chapter and I was really excited so I tried to update really soon. I still don't know who I'm going to have as the main guy in this story, but it won't be revealed until later, so I'll just see how it goes. In this chapter you'll find out who the mystery man from the first chapter is. It's longer than my first and kind of clears a few things up. Enjoy!

Thanks so much to all of my reviewers!
Kalibelle: Thanks so much for your review! I know what you mean. The Minnesotan guys always lose their girls to a Boston boy. I love them all but I think it's time for one of the Minnesotan guys to end up with the girl. I hope you update your Miracle fan fiction soon!
Meadow567: Thanks! You'll find out who the mystery guy is in this chapter! Oh, and I loved your story with Marie and Silky! I hope you write another one soon! Keep reviewing!
TJ6: I'm so glad you're anxious for more! Hmm…the main guy is still undecided for the story, so thanks for your suggestion. I hope you update Miracle Men soon! Thanks for reviewing!

My baby got sauce
Your baby ain't sweet like mine
My baby's got sauce
Your baby ain't sweet like mine
She got sauce... 1

By the time the car creaked up into the Brooks' family driveway, it was considerably less sunny and had grown colder. As Grace ran up the steps to the house she pulled her light sweater more closely around her in order to keep the cold from coming in. After picking up Mike Ramsey, her best friend from the hockey rink, they had stayed together the entire afternoon, laughing and talking through both lunch and dinner. Now she was just getting back to her uncle and aunt's house hopefully in time for their planned costume party for the evening.

Looking up at the house quickly, she was suddenly laden with memories of when she first came to Minnesota, at the request of her father. He had wanted her to attend his Alma Mater and had pushed her out of the house to live with his brother Herb her sophomore year of high school. She missed both her parents, as well as New York, the place she continued to call home even though she had been living in the Nordic region for well over three years. Even now she could still remember the events of the night her father asked if she would stay with the Brooks' two years before college…

"Hey Gracie honey, can you come talk with your mother and I for a second in the study?" Her father had sweetened his voice considerably, much different from his tone during the day when he mingled with business clients, and talked with her.

Walking into the study, she found the fireplace lit, the embers slowly crackling and her father sitting in his favorite leather chair, her mother perched lightly on the piece of furniture's arm. Her father had a piece of paper in his fingers, which was being passed from one hand to the other. Grace gave both parents a questioning look before her father began to speak.

"Well sweetie as you already know, in two years, after you graduate we've already made plans on you going to UM for college." At Grace's slight and unenthusiastic nod her father continued with his speech. "Anyways, we were thinking Gracie, that you could go there this year."

Grace looked started for a minute, which soon changed to confusion. "Dad, what are you talking about? I'm only fifteen how am I going to college?"

Her father looked puzzled, then as realization dawned on his face he let out a light chuckle, her mother also taking part. "Honey, I don't mean go to college this year. What I meant, is that since you'll be going there I think you should start to get a feel for the place early so it won't be as nerve wracking when you attend the U after senior year. Your Aunt Patti and Uncle Herb already agreed to take you in. It'll give you a chance to make friends, try…"

He was cut off as Grace suddenly stormed out of the room. She knew this was a non-negotiable subject and wasn't going to even bother arguing. Her father had always gotten his way around the house, his business, everything. He was so obsessed with her going to UM he didn't even care about her feelings. He wanted this for himself, and she could see right through his false façade of pretending to care. Her father had been worried from day one that she may not be able to get into the U and had done everything to try to make her look more appealing to the college since she was practically in diapers. This was probably just another step in his plan, meaning for her "suck ass time".

Over the next month, Grace found herself saying good bye to friends and within the few short weeks she was packed and ready to meet her aunt and uncle, along with her two cousins in Minnesota. Arriving at the airport exactly a month later from when her father had first told her of his plans, she met her Minnesotan family, and slowly began to pick up the pieces of her lost life.

Of course when she moved to Minnesota, it wasn't exactly the end of her life. She continued to see her family on holidays and flew up some weekends to visit them. When she thought about it, the Brooks' seemed to be more her family then her parents. Her visits to her old house were strained and restless, and as the years drew on they became less frequent. She was now almost ready to begin her sophomore year in college, making her stay in Minnesota three years. Although she still called her parent's pent house in New York City her home, Minnesota had always been more of a home to her. Grace's best friends were here, her life was here.

Pushing her memories aside, Grace hurriedly walked up the rest of the driveway and onto the porch.

--

Slightly opening the door and seeing no costume-clad partiers she strode confidently into the house, the light ambiance of the light picking up the rosy tint in her cheeks that only comes from being out in the cold. As she was about to walk upstairs, she heard someone call her name and turned to see that it was her Aunt Patti, trailed by a perturbed looking Herb Brooks.

"Gracie, honey after you finish getting ready for tonight can you come back down here and help me set up some of the hors d'oeuvres? I really can't wait to see you in your costume." Her aunt winked at her, managing to conceal the small gesture from Herb who would no doubt be in his study for most of the party. Grace had gone out to the mall the week before and picked out a risqué flapper's outfit from the '20s. If Herb had seen the outfit, he would have surely not approved. Glancing at her, he had visibly cringed at the word "costume" and Grace gave a slight laugh before replying to her aunt.

"Sure Aunt Patti. I really hope you know who likes my costume as much as you do." Still unable to wipe the smirk off her face, her aunt gave a satisfied nod and turned on her heel walking away, leaving a very flustered Herb standing in the middle of the hallway, looking lost. As Grace walked up the stairs, she struggled to suppress a chuckle, fighting a losing battle all the way up until she reached her room.

--

After changing into the outfit, Grace turned around and surveyed herself in her full length mirror. She examined her hair, which was wild as usual, large curls everywhere. It would not stay any way she put it, and was the focus of many of her pissed off moods. Her body was slim and curvy at the same time, and could have maybe been passed off as being a model if it was not for her height of 5'5. Her skin looked somewhat pale in the light of the room, but her cheeks were rosy with enthusiasm. Her lips, curved into a slight smile were a little too full for her liking, but she wouldn't be herself without them. All in all, she was pretty average looking, except for her eyes. They would hold your attention and not let go. At the moment, they shone brightly their stormy blue color hiding infinite ranges of emotions.

Still checking out her outfit, she heard someone call her downstairs and knew instantly that it was her aunt, no doubt needing help with the catering piece of her party. Arriving downstairs, she easily found her aunt, who bubbled with eagerness in anticipation for the night to come. As she walked up to Grace she looked at her from head to toe, and gave her an approving smile.

"Hmm, darling I must say, you manage to pull off that flapper look all too well." Patti smiled at her comment looking expectantly at Grace for her response.

"And you, Aunt Patti, pull off the hot mom look quite well." Gracie listened as her aunt tried to shrug off the remark, but she could see her blushing as she turned around to hide her face from her niece's eyes.

Grace took that as a sign to stop talking but she couldn't help from letting a wicked grin grace her features. Her aunt gazed around the kitchen expectantly, and Grace knew exactly what it was she was searching for. Herb. He had never been a party-goer, or thrower and usually made himself scarce when Patti held these types of things in their home. Her aunt was accustomed to it by now, but every so often she let her eyes drift around hoping that her husband would attempt to come downstairs and mingle for a while.

--

Less than an hour later, Grace found herself in the middle of a crowded room talking with her aunt and uncle's friends. Danny and Kelly were lucky, she thought to herself. They never had to attend these things because they were adult-only. Unfortunately that meant her. She was envious.

With nothing better to do, Grace set the tray on a table and ducked out of the dining room, running upstairs into Herb's office and shutting the door loudly. She could see a figure sitting but not facing her in a chair, and she knew immediately that it was her uncle. Resting her head against the wall as Herb slowly got up from the chair and turned towards her, a satisfied yet tight smile on his face, her head made contact with something hard. Looking up she could see it was a picture of one of the hockey teams her uncle had coached. He was a proud man and loved nothing more than hockey. Although in the picture he looked dull and uninviting she knew just how intense he could be.

A voice interrupted her dazed thoughts and she turned her full attention toward it.

"…So I thought that since I got the job, you could maybe…" Herb never even got the chance to finish his sentence. In a heart beat he was enveloped in a hug from Grace and his ears were ringing from her loud shrieks of excitedness. He began to feel dizzy as she bounced up and down hardly able to sit still. She was always too full of energy. Herb tried to cover his ears and at the same time grasped Grace's shoulders trying to firmly make her stop bouncing up and down so he could finish what he was saying.

"As I was saying", he started up again, "I thought that maybe you could take the year off from school to do this…" He was unable to finish once again, as Grace's screams drowned out the party downstairs and all other noise around the house. After she finished screeching, Herb winced and looked around the room, convinced that she had broken the sound barrier.

Grace let out a final shriek and hugged her uncle tightly. He knew that she would have said yes to his offer to help with the team. He had previously discussed it with her after he had gone in for his interview with Walter Brooks and she had seemed quite enthusiastic about the idea of being team manager. He also suspected that she was delighted with the idea of spending the whole nine months hanging out with twenty young men rather than attending school.

Although she joked about doing it to meet new boys, Herb knew that she would really be in it for the hockey. She loved it almost as much as he did, and he remembered how she used to stay up late with him on week nights and they would watch the college and NHL games together. By now she was like a daughter to him, and he was pleased with the fact that she would agree so readily to the position of team manager. He knew he would be able to bounce his ideas off her and she would always give him her honest opinion.

A hand waving in front of his face brought Herb out of his deep thoughts as he looked down at his niece sincerely. He knew she would be with him all the way on this. She was always with him season after season for his coaching at the U, and he knew this would be no different. The next two months before try-outs were going to go by fast.

1. Baby's Got Sauce by G.Love & Special Sauce

A/N: Ok well this was the second chapter. I hope you liked it. I guess I was able to update sooner than I thought, mostly because I got so excited about all of the reviews I was getting. I don't know if Grace is going to end up with her best friend or another one of the guys. Tell me what you think!The nedt chapter will have more scenes with Grace and some of the Minnesotan hockey boysI know you all love! The next update will hopefully be soon. Keep reviewing!