A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

By Alex Lyons3

Disclaimer: I do not own Mighty Ducks or anything attached to the great Animated show. Enjoy the enjoyable fanfic that is here merely for your enjoyment.

Chapter 7.

Duke had explained to the others that he and Thea needed to work some stuff out before they told the others why Thea had decided to hit him hard enough to send him sprawling onto his backside. So, now they were in Duke's room. Thea gazed at the tiger lilies thoughtfully from behind her sunglasses.

"I never expected to see you again." Duke said quietly, his eyes on the floor as he sat on the edge of the bed his hands dangling from his knees.

"When I got here I thought you were still on Puckworld." Thea answered stroking on of the petals with a gloved finger, her face showing her regret at not being able to feel the soft, velvety, coolness of the flower.

Duke looked up at her, his eyes took in her form. She was here with him, yet so far away. "You know, goddess, it'd work better if you took your gloves off." He stood to go to her, but stopped in mid-stride when she turned a face of utter loathing on him.

"I can't! No matter what! I can't take my gloves off in this horrid climate!" She spat at him.

Duke blinked a couple of times, but didn't push the issue. Instead, deciding on what he deemed a safer topic. "I don't understand why you were so insistent that day you left with your team. You had never been that pig headed with me. What were you trying to prove? That you were just as good as the rest of us?"

"What?"Thea asked looking at Duke, her face showing her confusion, "I didn't want to go out on that mission. I told Canard that it didn't feel right. He didn't listen. He told me that it was now or never and that I was the only one who could pull it off." Thea said, her gravely voice choking on the tears she dared not let out. "I thought he loved me! I was wrong!"

Duke soon had his arms wrapped around her small frame. One hand buried in her hair and the other holding her tightly to him. "Shh. It's alright. Everything is fine. Your safe and I'm here. I'm here." He said as he gently rocked her as she cried into his jumpsuit.

It had been along time since she had been held like this and she really didn't want it to end, but she knew that it had to. She pushed away from Duke a bit and he let her go. Reluctantly.

"You know Duke, I could never understand you." Thea said, deciding to change the topic of discussion slightly.

"What do you mean, babe?" Duke asked, curiously.

Thea snorted at him. "You know perfectly well what I mean." She snapped, "Was it worth it to you, to loose everything we meant to each other over a successful heist?"

"No, Thea, it wasn't." He whispered, solemnly. "After that night you left. I just never could pull off a good heist with the same emotions and adrenaline running through my head. It wasn't any fun anymore."

She snorted at him again. "Of course. Always thinking of yourself Duke, never about anybody else. Why did you bring me down here anyway?"

Duke looked sheepishly at the floor. "I'm sorry, Thea. I wanted to run after you, but I knew too that you'd never trust me again..."

"It wasn't as though you cheated on me or anything like that." She whispered.

"Maybe," He shrugged, "but what right did I have dragging you down into the murk with me?" She looked at him, "None, Thea. I had no right and I knew that it would take more than you leaving me to get me to leave The Brotherhood. Though, I must admit a few of the other members tried to get me to go after you. Some, like Skylark, told me that if I wanted to quit to go after you, then they wouldn't blame me. After all, you were one heck of a catch."

Thea smirked, "Skylark always did know what to say. Still does as a matter of fact."

"How's he doing anyway?" Duke asked, curiously.

"Better. The Brotherhood has been dissolved here recently. Mainly because of a lot of the members turning against Dragaunus. It isn't us against them anymore. It's us and them against Dragaunus." Thea said quietly. "He's like me, a cop now."

"You're a cop?" Duke asked incredulously.

Thea nodded, "In an odd way, I was looking for you. Kinda a good thing I got picked up in that swirling vortex. I'd be looking along time if I were still on Puckworld. Oh don't look so smug, L'Orange!" She snapped as he started to smirk.

"Sorry, babe, but I never knew I was that irresistible to you." Duke said proudly.

"Oh please." She snarled, "I would think that our current meeting would still be fresh on your mind."

Duke frowned, "Is that why you've been looking for me? To knock the shit outta me?"

Something like that." She said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaned up against the chest of draws. She sighed, "Why didn't I mean enough to you?"

"I..." Duke stuttered looking at her nervously, "I don't know. You meant the world to me, but I guess even that wasn't enough." Duke shook his head sadly. "You can have my room, by the way. I know you'll like it a heck of a lot better than the other guys' rooms. And those are for you." He said pointing to the large vase of tiger lilies.

"Where will you sleep?" Thea asked bewildered as he started to walk out of the room.

"On the couch. It won't kill me, you know." He said teasingly, since on their honeymoon she had thrown him out on the couch their first night, mainly because she still felt self-conscience about having being married.

"I suppose not." Thea said a little hesitantly.

Suddenly, just before Duke made it to his door, it whooshed open and Nosedive and Mallory stood there. "Okay, Duke, you've had her for long enough." Nosedive quipped, "We're taking her to the mall."

Duke looked at the two like they'd grown a second head each or just announce that they were engaged.

"Yeah, we've got to get her some nicer clothes than the ones she's wearing right now." Mallory said, smiling.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Thea said testily. She liked her leather jacket and wasn't about to change it for anyone.

"Nothing," Mallory said hastily, "but it's just not right for this climate."

"I'm fine." Thea said blandly. "Not even warm."

"Come on, we want to show you around." Dive said.

"No, thank you!" Thea said sitting on the bed with her arms crossed.

"She's made up her mind guys. Let's leave her be, I'm sure she's tired anyway. Right, sweetheart?" Duke said looking at Thea out of the corner of his eye. Thea nodded a bit too eagerly.

Both Dive and Mallory frowned, but nodded, they knew too how tiring coming through a warp hole could be, so they agreed that rest should be her first priority.

"Well, Wing said she can use his room." Dive started, but was cut off by a withering glare sent by Duke.

"I already offered mine." Duke said a bit defensively.

Mallory raised a brow and muttered under her breath.

"I'm going to be sleeping on the couch until we find out where to put her, Mallory." Duke said, his synthetic eye glowing slightly.

"Come on, Mal." Dive said realizing that what ever Mallory had said had officially ticked off Duke. "Let's go see if Wing or Tawny needs us to do anything for them, eh?" Dive then grabbed Mallory's arm and dragged her off as quickly as he could.

"What did she say?" Thea asked once they were out of the room and the doors had closed with a whoosh.

"That I was a perv." Duke snarled slightly.

Thea sighed, "Where would she get that idea?"

Duke shrugged, "Don't know. Guess it might be my charm and the fact I seem to act like a womanizer. Though, while I call a lot of women sweetheart I don't mean anything by it." Duke shrugged again. "Now, I'm going to let you rest."

To Daniella L'Orange: Thanks! I'm glad you like my story. Also, thanks for returning the favor.

To TallieCat: Thanks, I hope this chapter meets the expectations of my public.

To Spellcaster Hikaru: Thea seems a bit Mary Sue-ish though, but I like her too, she's got guts, something you don't see a whole lot of in Mary Sue-ish characters. LOL! Updating! Updating!