Disclaimer: We don't own the Ducks and probably never will because they belong to Disney. Also don't own Mickey's Dining Car, Xcel Energy Center or the Minnesota Wild. However, Emaliar Malfoy does own Bella, Ollie, Seraphina, Alex, and Patrick "Paddy" Ridley. Bobcatwriter owns Annie, Mike, Travon, all the characters at Lakeshore Academy, Baby Hans, Paddy's family, The Lebrie Family, Reese, Mark, Judge Stone, Judge Murray, a few of the other students and teachers from Eden Hall.
A/N: This is the sequel to the other Mighty Ducks story's: "The Way Things Are", "The Way Things Were" and "The Way Things Should be". We recommend you read those three first. However, this can also be read as a stand-alone story. Please read and review.
A/N 2: This is the last chapter of the repost and then on Thursday will be all new material. I would like some reviews by the time I post chapter 13. I am sorry to be posting it so late, I was dealing with a funeral of a friends dad who is like a father to me. This chapter is dedicated to him, may he rest in peace.
Chapter 11
December 11th, 1998
Bella's POV
I was dragged into Judge Stones Chambers. I had lost my hours at Mickey's and was not able to fulfill my part of the deal and be able to work a job, since the hockey season was starting to get going with the amount of games that was going on. Matt said that it wasn't going to work to fulfill the Judge's requirements plus what Eden Hall had required for me to retain my scholarship with them. I couldn't fit the Hawks in with my schedule and turned them over to be coached by one of the parents, who had more time then I had. I felt like I had let Coach Riley down, I could not even make myself go to one of the boy's games, because I could not face Riley. Riley was at every one of the boy's games.
{Flashback November 25th, 1998}
"I am sorry Bella, but this is not going to work out. You work 10 hours a week plus your hockey schedule. I am just going to have to give your shifts to the other waitresses on my staff," Matt said.
"NO MATT! Please there must be a way," I begged him.
"Bella be realistic, I can't accommodate your schedule. Not with you playing 2 to 3 games a week. But I am not firing you from here, the only way we are going to make this work is for you to work vacations and holidays. I am definitely going to need you during the summer," Matt said.
"But Judge Stone, if I don't come up with my end of the deal, I am going to get my independent living situation revoked. Then I am going to go back to my parents and who knows what will happen there," I said.
"I know. But the good news is that you will be working Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and then I will see you on December 19th. And I am going to give you at least 15 hours those two weeks. Since you won't have classes, and would just have to deal with hockey practices. Coach Orion is going to give me an idea of when he's going to schedule practices, during those two weeks. So, I know when I can schedule you to work," Matt said.
"What if I quit playing hockey?" I asked.
"Then your scholarship gets revoked. Then where will you go?" Matt said.
"I never thought of that," I said.
"Stay with the ducks, they need you especially without Adam playing," Matt said.
{end of flashback}
Luckily, I was able to have Coach Bombay, fly out to help me in this.
"So, I see that you are not able to meet the requirements that I have set forth, in your hearing," Judge Stone said to me after Coach, and I sat down in his chambers.
"Yes sir, I am sorry. But there are too many games and practices going on with the hockey season and all happening," I said.
"Well you need to stay with the hockey team to retain your scholarship. Have you looked for work elsewhere?" Judge Stone asked.
"Yes, and at each interview that I have had the manager has said the exact same thing to me, they could not make your demands work with the hockey schedule and their business hours. I have been put on the list of people not to be admitted in Royalty Acres Estate in Edina. So, I can't even babysit for other people that I know. I have failed," I said.
The only family that I know that has a lot of kids is Tom and Genny Moreau. Connie is the one to babysit for them, when they need a sitter. Connie has 6 siblings: Tom Jr, who was 21, William who was 18, Connie who was 15, Gabriella who was 14, Louise who was 12, James who was 11 and Bethany who was 10. Fulton, Charlie, Guy, Portman were all singleton kids. I was the baby in mine and Adam's family along with Goldberg, Ken, Dwayne, Luis, Averman, Russ and Julie. Gunnar told me he had 3 younger siblings. But since they were not here, I could not babysit for the Stahls. Not very many of the teachers had kids that were younger than 11 years old. Dean Buckley told me he had 320 kids. My eyes went wide when he said that number. Then he explained he had 320 9th graders through 12th graders. In other words, the students of Eden Hall, including me were "his kids."
"Yes, you have," Judge Stone said.
"So, I am going back to my parents, now. I suppose," I said.
"Well that is the ironic thing, they have given up their rights to be your parents," Judge Stone said.
"What?" I asked as my mouth dropped open. Coach took two of his fingers and closed my mouth.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Something about how being related to you and Adam was an embarrassment to their reputation or something," Judge Stone said.
"So, what happens now?" I asked Coach.
"This," Coach said as he handed a piece of paper over to Judge Stone.
"I see and you have filed with the clerk and the state of Minnesota?" Judge Stone asked.
"Yes, and Tom and Genny Moreau are here to discuss this with you," Coach said.
"Okay, Bella if you will excuse us. Mr. Bombay if you will bring them into my chambers," Judge Stone said.
"But…" I started to say.
"No Bella don't say anything," Coach said to me.
I was told to sit down on the benches outside of Judge Stone's chambers, While Tom, Genny and Coach talked about my future. I could not help myself, I had to know what was going on. I got up from the bench and walked over to the door and placed my ear to the door and heard a bunch of whispering, but I could not make out what they were saying. Now I wished that I had a cup so I could amplify the voices to hear what was going on.
"Glad that is all settled," I heard Tom say.
"Well Good Luck to you all," Judge Stone said.
"Thank you," Coach, Tom, and Genny all said together. I had to book it back to the spot that I was in and I quickly crossed my legs and began to chew on my fingernails. I always did that, especially when I was nervous.
The 3 of them left Judge Stone's Chambers. "Ready to go, Bella. I thought we would go over to Mickey's to celebrate," Coach said.
"Shouldn't I be going back to school? Finals start on Monday," I said.
"Yeah, but we need to celebrate, my treat," Coach said.
"I would love too, but I need to get back to work, since I have so many gifts and people coming to my house for Christmas," Tom said.
"As do I, that classroom can't teach itself," Genny said. Genny was a teacher and Tom, Senior was a construction manager that was working on the new Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. That was going to be the home of the newly named Minnesota Wild in a couple of years. We could see the cranes building the building from Mickey's parking lot, but that was it. Everyone was talking about it. I bought a few shirts for both Adam and I to go in for whatever games I could get my hands on, with my last full check from Mickey's. I was excited and hoping that they would not leave us in 26 years. Like the North Stars did, they broke my heart when that deal went down.
Genny looked at my fingers and said, "Oh Bella, that's going to be a habit that we are going to have to break."
"Well, if anybody could do it, you can. You broke the girls from that habit," Tom said.
"I am still working on Beth, Thomas," Genny said.
We arrived at Mickey's at 11:45am, "Coach I have already missed the first 4 classes, today because of this appointment," I protested while we walked into Mickeys.
"Yes, you have including your lunch, don't worry I will have you back by the end of your next class," Coach said.
"Fifth period? French Class, Mademoiselle Smith was going to go over what was going to be on the final. Coach, I can't miss French Class. Orion is going to kill me if I let my grades slip more in that class I won't play," I said. I was barely hanging onto an 80 in that class. In fact, all my classes were all B's except for the lone A in American Government. I hope Julie will take good notes, I thought to myself.
We quickly ordered what we wanted, I only hoped that I would get back to Eden Hall before my next class. Then Coach's cell phone rang.
"Gordon Bombay. Hello Michele. Just a minute let me put you on speakerphone. Can you hear us?" Coach asked.
"Yes, I can hear you fine. Hello Bella," Michele said.
"Hi Michele," I said.
"So, what did Judge Stone say?" Michele asked.
"Well it's official now, Bella belongs to the state of Minnesota. And we are her legal guardians," Coach said.
"WHAT?" I asked.
"What do you think, Bella?" Michele asked.
"I'm stunned. What happened?" I asked.
"Well there were some rumors that went around the golf course clubhouse and your mother and father could not take it," Coach said.
"About us?" I asked.
"Yep," Coach said.
"Coach you became something that you are not. You have sunk down to dad's level," I said.
"No, I did not. I started with the truth about Adam. About how he was disowned by Phillip and well the rumors started there. They eventually involved Ollie and you, Bella," Coach said.
"I will be….. Taken out by a bunch of old hags and their rumors," I said.
"Apparently your mother could not take it and decided to give up her rights first and then your father followed," Coach said.
"That tells you how much we were really wanted in the first place," I said.
"Yep," Coach said.
"So, does that mean that I have to move out to California?" I asked.
"No, Genny and Tom Moreau, Senior will be your acting legal guardians while Michele and I are living in California. So, when we move home, you get to move in with us in the house that we will live in," Coach said.
"Speaking of houses Gordon, what are we going to do with the house that we currently own. It's not going to be big enough to have 3 children in it, especially 2 teenagers. I am sure that Adam is not going to want to share a room with a baby," Michele asked.
"Don't worry about it, I already have it listed with the real estate agent. We will be looking at a few homes when we come up for the holidays in a couple of weeks," Coach said.
"So, Connie and I will be sisters?" I asked.
"Oh, admit it Ace, you have always wanted to be a sister to Connie," Coach said.
"Well yeah, but;" I said.
"No buts, it's a done deal. You will be staying at Connie's each vacation and day off from school," Coach said.
I hugged him, I didn't care at that moment if I failed French or not. I was getting a family, a real family.
A/N: So, what do you think? Please be kind leave a review! Thanks!