Disclaimer: We don't own the Ducks and probably never will because they belong to Disney. Nor do we owe Wisconsin or University of Wisconsin at Madison. 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, Judges Stone, 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.
Chapter 32
June 13th, 1999
Bella's POV
Paddy and I were on our way to Wisconsin for our sports camps that were being held this week. Grandma dropped me off at the base gate just before she went to church this morning. I was given a ride up to Paddy's house by one of the guards. We had to be in Madison to check into Paddy's camp by 2:30 and hockey check in was from 3:00 to 4:00. As I walked into Paddy's yard I heard "Good morning, Bella" from the Colonel.
"Good morning, Colonel," I said. Just then Paddy came outside holding his duffel bag and looking extremely hot in his Ducks t-shirt and track shorts
"Hey Cadet Ridley, you've got everything that you're going to need this week?" The colonel asked.
Paddy rolled his eyes before he said, "Yeah Dad I have everything that I need."
The Colonel sipped on his coffee and said "Good. Also are you going to get a haircut this summer?"
Paddy scoffed before he said, "Dad I'm on vacation."
"Oh, get a haircut," the Colonel said in a sing song voice and then he walked into the house.
"Don't worry about it, Paddy I love your curls," I said as I put my hand in his hair.
"You and my mother," Paddy said.
Paddy's curls came from his mother. She had a lighter honey brown hair color. I wasn't sure about the Colonel because he had salt and pepper hair. Although from the pictures I saw of Paddy's family. Paddy's father had the same color of hair that Paddy has now. In fact, all three of the boys had the same color of hair that their father had. It was that Paddy was blessed with the curls. I was disappointed when Paddy came to school the Monday after prom with his hair cut off. Fulton's mom gave Paddy a haircut. It looked nice but I liked the curls better. The hair was almost as long, as it was when I first laid eyes on him. He told me that he had Sarah Reed take about an inch off. Just to make his dad happy.
"Here I will get your bag loaded up in the vehicle. Once Mom gets off the phone with Chelsea, we will say goodbye and be on our way," Paddy said.
"Ok, how is Chelsea doing?" I asked. I spoke to her once to introduce myself, she told me that she could not wait for William to get leave so she could meet me.
"Well 5 days to go with the first child and no parents to help out. It doesn't help that William is out on maneuvers this week. Mom is trying to get flights out to Japan so she can be with Chelsea," Paddy said.
"I see," I said as Paddy, and I walked into the house.
"Chelsea wanted to say Hello," Paddy's Mom said handing the phone over to Paddy and me.
"Hello Paddy," Chelsea said.
"Hey Chels, how's it going?" Paddy said.
"I'm tired and pregnant, still. I hate your brother. You tell me," Chelsea said.
I took the phone from Paddy.
"Hey!" Paddy said.
"Hey Chels, it's Bella," I said.
"Hi Bella," Chelsea said.
"Look I know that you are slightly depressed, but I am going to tell you something," I said.
"What's that?" Chelsea asked.
"You are a beautiful, wonderful, superwoman and you are going to be a beautiful, wonderful, super mom. No matter what we sisters need to stick together," I said.
Chelsea was crying, "Are you okay, Chels?" I asked.
"Yeah, I am just extremely hormonal. Thank you, Bella," Chelsea said.
"Your welcome, Chelsea," I said.
Chelsea yawned before she said, "This super mom to be needs to lay down. Thanks for making me feel better. Tell Paddy that he has a wonderful girlfriend."
"Ok Chelsea. Have a good night's sleep and I think that Paddy already knows about the wonderful part," I said. Paddy smiled at me.
"Goodnight, Bella," Chelsea said.
"Goodnight, super mom," I said, and we hung up the phone.
Paddy and I said goodbye to the Colonel and Mrs. Ridley, and we were on our way to Wisconsin. Once we crossed over the Wisconsin border Paddy asked, "So what do I already know about you?"
"What are you talking about Paddy?" I asked.
"What Chelsea said earlier," Paddy said.
"Oh, Chelsea said that you have a wonderful girlfriend, which I think that you already know that part," I said.
"Yep, and she's right," Paddy said.
"You want to know something else?" I asked.
"What's that?" Paddy asked.
"I have a pretty terrific boyfriend," I said.
"Oh Bella, I love you," Paddy said as he kissed my knuckles and placed his hand on my thigh. I must admit that was turning me on.
When we got to Wisconsin University we had to separate into our separate dorms for the week. I was saddened that I wasn't going to see much of Paddy, except for maybe meals and at night. But that would give me an idea of what college was going to truly be like. I was in Leopold Hall and Paddy was in Sullivan Hall, which was on the other end of the block. I was hoping that we would get to see each other for a few minutes each day.
June 17th, 1999
Bella's POV
Paddy and I would run into each other from time to time. Usually, it was one of us coming and one of us going. We did have a strength and conditioning session together.
{Flashback June 16th, 1999}
"Well, well, well. Look at this; fellas girl hockey players," said one cross country camper to the others.
"Oh, look out I might break a nail," said another camper.
The rest of the campers expect Paddy laughed at us. Paddy rolled his eyes.
"You know, I bet they can't lift double their body weight," said the first camper.
"I will take that bet," I said.
"Ooooh," most of the campers said together.
"Done, what do you weigh sweetie one thirty, one forty?" the first camper said.
"150 pounds," I said.
"150 pounds? Girl, you need to lose some weight," said another camper.
"Ooooooohhhh," The girls from the hockey camp said.
"Ha, ha. My weight is perfectly fine for my height," I said.
"Let's see at 150 pounds that would be uh...uh," said a third camper that seemed a little stupid.
"300 pound's is double my weight," I said.
"Done, should we put a small wager say like 50 bucks?" the first camper said.
"You better put your money where your mouth is," I said.
"Ok, you get to choose the lift," the first camper said.
"Ok, then I choose the squat lifts from the floor over the head," I said.
"Back or front," the first camper said.
"Pfff… Back you idiot," I said.
"Fine, get ready to lift," the first camper said.
I grabbed the weightlifting belt and put it on correctly, to help keep my back straight. Then I started to stretch out and warm up. The next thing I know Paddy pulled me to the side and said, "Bella don't do this. You could get hurt."
"What are you Ridley, with us or with them?" the second camper asked.
Paddy stared at them. "Oh, I get it. Your boyfriend and girlfriend. You know you should teach your girlfriend how to keep her mouth shut," The 1st camper said.
"I hope you know what you are doing," Paddy said.
"Relax it helps to have Phillip train me and the lifting we did during PE helped a lot from last year," I said as. Phillip would have Adam and I work out with weights 2 to 3 times per week during hockey season and 4 to 5 times per week during non-hockey season since we were 10 years old. Granted we didn't lift more than 50 to 60 pounds before we went through puberty. After we went through puberty it was mandatory, we lifted anywhere from 90-130 pounds. At least that was what it was when we were working out with dad. When we were not well that changed, I lowered my weight down to 70 to 90 pounds. Adam didn't lift much weight. Dad caught him one time and told him he needed to quit the phantom lifting because that didn't build the muscles.
Once I was all stretched out, I took my position at the bar. The weight was on the floor per my instructions. It was a 7-foot bar, so I knew it weighed about forty-five pounds. The guys slapped on 2 50-pound weights, a 20-pound weight, a 5-pound weight and a 2.5-pound weight on each side of the bar. For a grand total of three hundred pounds.
"Bella please be careful," Paddy said.
"I will be. Now get out of my way," I said.
I had pulled the bar up to my knees and then my hips. My God that thing was heavy.
"I knew she couldn't do it," said the first camper and then he laughed followed by the rest of his camper team mates.
"Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella," chanted my camper team mates.
I breathed in and pulled the bar up to my shoulders. I then made sure I had a tight grip on the bar before I lifted it above my head. Then I squatted down and back up, holding the bar above my head. Then I dropped the bar onto the floor.
"Damn talk about a she man," said the first camper.
"Alright where's my 50 bucks?" I asked.
"I will have to get it to you," the first camper said who admitted defeat.
"Let's go, boys. Film room," said a coach that was now walking into the weight room. Once the boys were gone, the girls all squealed and said that they could not believe that I was able to do that. Paddy told me later that the boys said that he better, look out because, I could probably beat him up.
Later that evening as Paddy and I were hanging out the first camper came up to us and said, "There you go, fifty bucks. You won it fair and square."
I checked to make sure I was holding the Fifty bucks, there was indeed two twenties and a 10-dollar bill.
"Thank you, I hope you learned something from this," I said.
"Yeah, never doubt a woman again," the first camper said.
{End of Flashback}
Paddy had a final Cross Country run that morning at the end of camp. I had attended to watch him run; I was proud of him when he crossed the line first. In return he came to my last game at my camp. The Cross-Country Coaches at Wisconsin was ready to offer Paddy a scholarship to attend school. I was a little jealous of Paddy but when I was pulled into the head coach, Julie Sasner's office. I was told that I will be offered a scholarship, it's just they are putting all the pieces together in place for it.
"You, okay? You've been quiet," Paddy said to me in the car on the way home to Minneapolis.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said as I grabbed his hand.
"Okay Good, I didn't know if you would be jealous over my scholarship offer," Paddy said.
"No, I am not. Wisconsin is still working on my scholarship. What are you going to tell your dad?" I asked.
"I have no idea, but it's going to break him. He's hell bent on me following my brothers to the Academy. I don't think that I want to do it," Paddy said. Paddy and I grabbed our applications for Wisconsin while we were there, he had plans to visit Dean Buckley at school the next week to see if he would write a recommendation letter for Paddy. Coach Orion and Dr. English said that they would be happy to send a recommendation letter for me.
Once we reached the base gate the guards waved us through. We had pulled up to Paddy's house. We saw that Paddy's dad was outside getting the grill started. "Hey Dad," Paddy said.
"Hey kids, how was camp?" The Colonel asked.
"Good," Paddy and I said together.
"I am glad you kids are home. It's been really quiet in the house for the last few days," The Colonel said.
"How come?" Paddy asked.
"Because your mother is in Japan. Chelsea had her baby on Wednesday morning. So, you're an uncle and didn't even know it," The Colonel said.
"Congratulations Grandpa," I said.
"Thank you, although I think that I would prefer Papa. I am too young to be a Grandfather," The Colonel said.
"When did mom leave?" Paddy asked.
"Monday morning, I have felt like a bachelor the last few days. I was just getting ready to put steaks on the grill, Bella are you staying for dinner?" The Colonel asked.
"Yeah, if that's okay, I have to call Connie's to tell them," I said.
"Go on into the house and call them. I need to talk to my son," The Colonel said.
"Okay," I said and then I kissed Paddy's check and went inside to call Connie's.
Paddy's POV
After Bella was inside calling Dad said, "Oh by the way that hoodlum that Bella calls a teammate has been asking about you."
"Which one?" I asked.
"That Dean Portman. I don't know what Bella could possibly see in that gang banger," Dad said.
"Dad, he is just a teammate, it's not a big deal. I will go and talk to Dean tomorrow at Fulton's," I said.
"Good and when are you going to get a haircut?" Dad asked. Dad always hated my hair being long, even though my hair was truly not that bad. He was in the barbershop getting his hair trimmed once a month like clockwork.
"I will see if Mrs. Reed will trim my hair," I said.
"Good and make sure she cuts more than an inch off of your hair," Dad said.
"Yes, Sir," I said.
A/N: So, what do you think? Please leave a review! Thanks!