A/N: To my reviewers: [antiIRONY]: Leon's three years older than Maurae,
so about 15, almost 16.
[banks'_gurl_99]: Well, here's what's next. ;)
[preciousbabyblue]: It's supposed to be a surprise. Also, remember that right now, she's only 12, even if she is an old 12. You'll see, eventually. But I will aim to confuse you for a while.
Since I haven't done it yet, even though I meant to, here it is, the standard disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Mighty Ducks. Yes, I borrowed them, and roughed them up a little, but I had them back before anyone noticed, I'm sure. Disney is the owner. Neither do I own the JGG, or any of the other characters that Disney created. I own Maurae because she is an extension of myself, and basically all the unfamiliar characters you'll come across (especially those in the first "chapter". Of course, if you want to use them for your fic, by all means, go ahead. Just credit me. ( Other than that, don't sue me. I have no money, and I'm not making money off these fics.
I hope that's enough. ;)
"Skating As One and Eating Cake"
Tied together. Maurae had never been more mortified, or more confused, in her life. Despite the fact that someone's roving hands kept touching her in awkward places, she was slightly amused at the difficulties the whole team was having. Tied together, they had to move together, or risk tumbling down like dominoes, only to have to get themselves up. Which would have been difficult enough in street clothes and shoes, but was made even more difficult by their bulky pads and skates.
And the fact that Fulton and Portman kept getting into power struggles. 'They'll either end up killing each other, or the best of friends,' she thought as she steadied herself just before she fell and dragged them all down on top of her. Julie grinned over at her as she hooked her other arm through Maurae's. Maurae returned the smile and turned her attention to pushing a little more with her skates so she wasn't relying on the skaters behind her to push her forward.
Bombay gazed approvingly at the team. He clapped his hands. "Good! You've got it. That's it! Move together, CHARGE! Okay, right turn!" Obediently, the team turned as one, grinning like fools the whole time. It had taken them nearly three hours to learn how to read each other's movements enough to skate as one. Maurae bit back a sharp reprimand when another hand found her rear. It was immediately withdrawn and she realized that it was an accident, not deliberate, as Dean's and Luis's "feelies" had been.
Finally satisfied for the time, Bombay untied them. Freed, Maurae soared around the rink, followed by the team. Luis was the only one who could keep up with her, but at his fastest, he couldn't stop. So she grabbed his arm and the two spun in circles until they slowed. Then she went to one knee, extremely dizzy and short of breath suddenly. Thinking she was resting, the rest of the team stopped and either dropped to their knees or stood around. Adam noticed her heaving shoulders, but said nothing, only watched her, concerned. When she flopped onto her back, breathing slowing, he smiled. She grinned back, her eyes anxious. But Bombay intruded then.
"I'm proud of you, team. You worked hard today. But hockey...should also be fun." He smirked. "Rancher Dwayne," he drawled, causing the cowboy to turn.
"Yes, sir?" he asked timidly.
"Round me up some stray cattle, ere," Bombay said, handing him a lasso. Dwayne's eyes lit up and he turned them on his teammates.
"Yes, sir!"
"Ooooh!" they exclaimed as they all scrambled to their feet and scattered, Maurae a bit behind the others. She was grinning equally as giddily, but her eyes were subdued. She'd just finished fighting off an asthma attack, and she didn't need to drop again so soon. To be safe, she skated over to the bench where Bombay was watching the game, amused. He didn't look over until she opened the door and stepped into the box.
"You aren't out yet," he said.
"No, I'm not. I need to get something."
"Get back out there and have fun."
"Coach, you DO know I'm an asthmatic, don't you?" Then he turned his whole attention on her, eyes wide. "I'll assume that means no. I am, and I need my inhaler before I play. Sometimes it does this. Normally, it's only allergy activated. And occasionally, exercise induced. I just need a few seconds, and I'll be fine." She dug the white tube from a pocket in her water bottle's holder and he turned back to the round-up, letting her have a moment of privacy.
A few seconds later, she vaulted over the wall and skated in, her smile as big as ever. One by one, Dwayne caught them, and Bombay brought them to the bench. Finally, only Adam, Maurae and Dwayne were left. The two center forwards were dancing an intricate pattern around the cowboy, who had his eyes constantly fixed on Adam.
Dwayne swung, aiming behind Maurae and the lasso flew. Adam ducked instinctively, and the lasso settled around his shoulders. A sharp whistle blast, a groan of disappointment from the benched Ducks, and only Maurae was left.
"Think you can catch me, cowboy?" she teased. He grinned.
"I kept you for last, little filly," he teased right back. "I'll catch you. I always catch what I'm aimin' for."
"Let's see it, then, Dwayne," she retorted, and spun out of his reach. He went after her, only to have her turn suddenly and skate straight at him. Surprised, he only realized that she'd tied the lasso around HIM when he heard the stunned silence reverberating through the rink. "Looks like I roped myself a cowboy," she said, pulling him to his feet and untying the hasty knot she'd managed, freeing his arms. He bowed gallantly and whooped a laugh, causing her to giggle. The rest of the team laughed and several of them patted her on the back. Adam slung an arm over her shoulder.
"You okay?" he murmured.
She shot him a look. "I won, didn't I?" she shot back. He removed his arm and nodded, skating away backwards. She heaved an inner sigh. She put it out of her mind and turned back to Dwayne, who was having his back slapped in sympathy by Luis and Charlie.
"I'm proud of you team. That was a great practice," Bombay said then. "Now get out of here and have a fun afternoon!" A resounding cheer went up and the team skated off to gather their stuff from the bench and return to the locker room. Maurae showered with the girls first and changed after the guys had gone into the showers, chatting gaily with her two female teammates as the boys started to slowly trickle out of the showers, wrapped in their towels. They kept up their chatter as an excuse not to let their eyes wander, but none of the three really wanted to leave. So the boys pretended to ignore them as much as they were pretending to ignore the boys. Shortly after Adam had started changing at his locker next to hers, Maurae started to flush, from her shoulders, up her neck to the rest of her face. Connie went next, after seeing Guy in his towel. Julie was last, when she happened to meet Dean's eyes. Swallowing so hard she might have swallowed her voice box, Maurae picked up her bag and bolted, trailing her two friends, much to the amusement of several of those boys actually paying attention to the female presence.
"I have a feeling that they'll be keeping us modest," Dean muttered as the door swung shut behind Julie. "But how about peeking? Banksie, your locker's closest to the shower. What did you see?"
Adam blushed crimson. "I'd NEVER look at a girl in the shower! He shouted. "That's an invasion of privacy!"
"You're more of a priss than I thought," Dean sneered.
"He's just got manners, Portman," Charlie said coldly, stepping forward to stand with his friend. Jesse took the other side.
"Adam's a gentleman, Dean," he snarled. "Unlike you, he's smart enough to know not to mess with hockey girls." Both boys would defend Adam to the death, just as he would for them. Of course, to a twelve year-old, the world was much more dramatic that it had to be.
Someone cleared their throat and the tension dissipated. Then they turned to look. Maurae was standing in the door, one hand on her hip, the other on the door. "Adam, your father's here to pick us up," she said quietly, eyes fixed firmly on his flushed face, her eyes wide in her pale face, sparkling. Then she left as he picked up his bag and left, shooting one last glare at Dean before going.
Maurae was already situated in the front seat, staring straight ahead. Philip waited next to the trunk for his younger son and loaded his bag into the trunk. "She told me what she walked in on."
"Oh."
"I'm proud of you. I've seen that Portman kid. It was brave of you to stand up to him."
"Oh." Adam wondered suddenly what Maurae had told his father. He climbed into the backseat and endured the ride in silence. Maurae was out first, leaving her bag in the trunk for practice tomorrow. She danced up the path to the front door and let herself in, kicking off her sandals before running up the stairs to the guest room. Adam waved goodbye to his father who had come to get them during his lunch break, and followed her into the house. "Maurae?"
"Up here!" she called back down the stairs. He trudged up them and stopped outside her door. She was sprawled in the windowseat, situating herself around a reading book. "What's up?"
"I'm sorry. For today, I mean."
"I know I'm still just a girl to you and the guys, Adam," she said calmly. Before he could protest, she went on. "And I know you and the oldies have close bonds that I probably won't ever share. But none of us can change that we're teammates now. I do appreciate your giving us privacy for our showers, though," she teased at the end. He smiled.
"You're welcome. But you're wrong. You're not just a girl. Connie adores you. She's given you a nickname, too, calling you 'Aurora,' just like Coach did yesterday. She and Julie love you. And Averman can't tell us enough how much he loves that you actually get his jokes on the first telling. I could give you the opinions of the others, but they're all the same. Everybody thinks you're great, 'Aurora.' And that means you're in. And with this crew, once you're in, you're in for life. Trust me, I know from experience." He proceeded to tell her of his adventures the year previous with the Ducks and the Hawks.
"So they avenged me, I guess you could say, and went on to win their first state championship, over the Hawks, the longest running state champs in the country." She grinned.
"Charlie and Jesse would certainly do anything for you. I saw that much already." She squeezed his arm. "Thanks for telling me." She lowered her head for a second. "I suppose you want to know what happened today at practice?"
"Yes, please."
"Honestly, you'd make a great parent, Adam. It's honestly nothing to be concerned over. I'm an asthmatic, with allergy and occasionally exercise triggers. Today, I exerted myself a bit too much and had to rest a while, and take medicine. It rarely happens, and I truly am all right."
"Oh, that's all? Daniel's an asthmatic, too. One of the reasons he quit hockey, actually. Now he takes martial arts, which is easier on his respiratory system." He smirked at her. "And I learned all those big words from the doctor." She laughed. "So don't worry about the others, Ro," he added, shortening her new nickname even further. She smiled.
"I don't worry, Adam. At least not anymore." She raised one eyebrow. "Ro, huh? I kind of like it."
"Good, because nicknames tend to stick to you with this bunch." He made a face. "I know. They still call me 'Cake-eater.'" She giggled hysterically and Adam chucked a pillow at her, grinning himself.
[banks'_gurl_99]: Well, here's what's next. ;)
[preciousbabyblue]: It's supposed to be a surprise. Also, remember that right now, she's only 12, even if she is an old 12. You'll see, eventually. But I will aim to confuse you for a while.
Since I haven't done it yet, even though I meant to, here it is, the standard disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Mighty Ducks. Yes, I borrowed them, and roughed them up a little, but I had them back before anyone noticed, I'm sure. Disney is the owner. Neither do I own the JGG, or any of the other characters that Disney created. I own Maurae because she is an extension of myself, and basically all the unfamiliar characters you'll come across (especially those in the first "chapter". Of course, if you want to use them for your fic, by all means, go ahead. Just credit me. ( Other than that, don't sue me. I have no money, and I'm not making money off these fics.
I hope that's enough. ;)
"Skating As One and Eating Cake"
Tied together. Maurae had never been more mortified, or more confused, in her life. Despite the fact that someone's roving hands kept touching her in awkward places, she was slightly amused at the difficulties the whole team was having. Tied together, they had to move together, or risk tumbling down like dominoes, only to have to get themselves up. Which would have been difficult enough in street clothes and shoes, but was made even more difficult by their bulky pads and skates.
And the fact that Fulton and Portman kept getting into power struggles. 'They'll either end up killing each other, or the best of friends,' she thought as she steadied herself just before she fell and dragged them all down on top of her. Julie grinned over at her as she hooked her other arm through Maurae's. Maurae returned the smile and turned her attention to pushing a little more with her skates so she wasn't relying on the skaters behind her to push her forward.
Bombay gazed approvingly at the team. He clapped his hands. "Good! You've got it. That's it! Move together, CHARGE! Okay, right turn!" Obediently, the team turned as one, grinning like fools the whole time. It had taken them nearly three hours to learn how to read each other's movements enough to skate as one. Maurae bit back a sharp reprimand when another hand found her rear. It was immediately withdrawn and she realized that it was an accident, not deliberate, as Dean's and Luis's "feelies" had been.
Finally satisfied for the time, Bombay untied them. Freed, Maurae soared around the rink, followed by the team. Luis was the only one who could keep up with her, but at his fastest, he couldn't stop. So she grabbed his arm and the two spun in circles until they slowed. Then she went to one knee, extremely dizzy and short of breath suddenly. Thinking she was resting, the rest of the team stopped and either dropped to their knees or stood around. Adam noticed her heaving shoulders, but said nothing, only watched her, concerned. When she flopped onto her back, breathing slowing, he smiled. She grinned back, her eyes anxious. But Bombay intruded then.
"I'm proud of you, team. You worked hard today. But hockey...should also be fun." He smirked. "Rancher Dwayne," he drawled, causing the cowboy to turn.
"Yes, sir?" he asked timidly.
"Round me up some stray cattle, ere," Bombay said, handing him a lasso. Dwayne's eyes lit up and he turned them on his teammates.
"Yes, sir!"
"Ooooh!" they exclaimed as they all scrambled to their feet and scattered, Maurae a bit behind the others. She was grinning equally as giddily, but her eyes were subdued. She'd just finished fighting off an asthma attack, and she didn't need to drop again so soon. To be safe, she skated over to the bench where Bombay was watching the game, amused. He didn't look over until she opened the door and stepped into the box.
"You aren't out yet," he said.
"No, I'm not. I need to get something."
"Get back out there and have fun."
"Coach, you DO know I'm an asthmatic, don't you?" Then he turned his whole attention on her, eyes wide. "I'll assume that means no. I am, and I need my inhaler before I play. Sometimes it does this. Normally, it's only allergy activated. And occasionally, exercise induced. I just need a few seconds, and I'll be fine." She dug the white tube from a pocket in her water bottle's holder and he turned back to the round-up, letting her have a moment of privacy.
A few seconds later, she vaulted over the wall and skated in, her smile as big as ever. One by one, Dwayne caught them, and Bombay brought them to the bench. Finally, only Adam, Maurae and Dwayne were left. The two center forwards were dancing an intricate pattern around the cowboy, who had his eyes constantly fixed on Adam.
Dwayne swung, aiming behind Maurae and the lasso flew. Adam ducked instinctively, and the lasso settled around his shoulders. A sharp whistle blast, a groan of disappointment from the benched Ducks, and only Maurae was left.
"Think you can catch me, cowboy?" she teased. He grinned.
"I kept you for last, little filly," he teased right back. "I'll catch you. I always catch what I'm aimin' for."
"Let's see it, then, Dwayne," she retorted, and spun out of his reach. He went after her, only to have her turn suddenly and skate straight at him. Surprised, he only realized that she'd tied the lasso around HIM when he heard the stunned silence reverberating through the rink. "Looks like I roped myself a cowboy," she said, pulling him to his feet and untying the hasty knot she'd managed, freeing his arms. He bowed gallantly and whooped a laugh, causing her to giggle. The rest of the team laughed and several of them patted her on the back. Adam slung an arm over her shoulder.
"You okay?" he murmured.
She shot him a look. "I won, didn't I?" she shot back. He removed his arm and nodded, skating away backwards. She heaved an inner sigh. She put it out of her mind and turned back to Dwayne, who was having his back slapped in sympathy by Luis and Charlie.
"I'm proud of you team. That was a great practice," Bombay said then. "Now get out of here and have a fun afternoon!" A resounding cheer went up and the team skated off to gather their stuff from the bench and return to the locker room. Maurae showered with the girls first and changed after the guys had gone into the showers, chatting gaily with her two female teammates as the boys started to slowly trickle out of the showers, wrapped in their towels. They kept up their chatter as an excuse not to let their eyes wander, but none of the three really wanted to leave. So the boys pretended to ignore them as much as they were pretending to ignore the boys. Shortly after Adam had started changing at his locker next to hers, Maurae started to flush, from her shoulders, up her neck to the rest of her face. Connie went next, after seeing Guy in his towel. Julie was last, when she happened to meet Dean's eyes. Swallowing so hard she might have swallowed her voice box, Maurae picked up her bag and bolted, trailing her two friends, much to the amusement of several of those boys actually paying attention to the female presence.
"I have a feeling that they'll be keeping us modest," Dean muttered as the door swung shut behind Julie. "But how about peeking? Banksie, your locker's closest to the shower. What did you see?"
Adam blushed crimson. "I'd NEVER look at a girl in the shower! He shouted. "That's an invasion of privacy!"
"You're more of a priss than I thought," Dean sneered.
"He's just got manners, Portman," Charlie said coldly, stepping forward to stand with his friend. Jesse took the other side.
"Adam's a gentleman, Dean," he snarled. "Unlike you, he's smart enough to know not to mess with hockey girls." Both boys would defend Adam to the death, just as he would for them. Of course, to a twelve year-old, the world was much more dramatic that it had to be.
Someone cleared their throat and the tension dissipated. Then they turned to look. Maurae was standing in the door, one hand on her hip, the other on the door. "Adam, your father's here to pick us up," she said quietly, eyes fixed firmly on his flushed face, her eyes wide in her pale face, sparkling. Then she left as he picked up his bag and left, shooting one last glare at Dean before going.
Maurae was already situated in the front seat, staring straight ahead. Philip waited next to the trunk for his younger son and loaded his bag into the trunk. "She told me what she walked in on."
"Oh."
"I'm proud of you. I've seen that Portman kid. It was brave of you to stand up to him."
"Oh." Adam wondered suddenly what Maurae had told his father. He climbed into the backseat and endured the ride in silence. Maurae was out first, leaving her bag in the trunk for practice tomorrow. She danced up the path to the front door and let herself in, kicking off her sandals before running up the stairs to the guest room. Adam waved goodbye to his father who had come to get them during his lunch break, and followed her into the house. "Maurae?"
"Up here!" she called back down the stairs. He trudged up them and stopped outside her door. She was sprawled in the windowseat, situating herself around a reading book. "What's up?"
"I'm sorry. For today, I mean."
"I know I'm still just a girl to you and the guys, Adam," she said calmly. Before he could protest, she went on. "And I know you and the oldies have close bonds that I probably won't ever share. But none of us can change that we're teammates now. I do appreciate your giving us privacy for our showers, though," she teased at the end. He smiled.
"You're welcome. But you're wrong. You're not just a girl. Connie adores you. She's given you a nickname, too, calling you 'Aurora,' just like Coach did yesterday. She and Julie love you. And Averman can't tell us enough how much he loves that you actually get his jokes on the first telling. I could give you the opinions of the others, but they're all the same. Everybody thinks you're great, 'Aurora.' And that means you're in. And with this crew, once you're in, you're in for life. Trust me, I know from experience." He proceeded to tell her of his adventures the year previous with the Ducks and the Hawks.
"So they avenged me, I guess you could say, and went on to win their first state championship, over the Hawks, the longest running state champs in the country." She grinned.
"Charlie and Jesse would certainly do anything for you. I saw that much already." She squeezed his arm. "Thanks for telling me." She lowered her head for a second. "I suppose you want to know what happened today at practice?"
"Yes, please."
"Honestly, you'd make a great parent, Adam. It's honestly nothing to be concerned over. I'm an asthmatic, with allergy and occasionally exercise triggers. Today, I exerted myself a bit too much and had to rest a while, and take medicine. It rarely happens, and I truly am all right."
"Oh, that's all? Daniel's an asthmatic, too. One of the reasons he quit hockey, actually. Now he takes martial arts, which is easier on his respiratory system." He smirked at her. "And I learned all those big words from the doctor." She laughed. "So don't worry about the others, Ro," he added, shortening her new nickname even further. She smiled.
"I don't worry, Adam. At least not anymore." She raised one eyebrow. "Ro, huh? I kind of like it."
"Good, because nicknames tend to stick to you with this bunch." He made a face. "I know. They still call me 'Cake-eater.'" She giggled hysterically and Adam chucked a pillow at her, grinning himself.