Life's Full of Little Surprises
Disclaimer: I own absolutely none of the 'Mighty Duck' characters or the rights to the "Mighty Duck" franchise, that honor belongs to Disney. So I would appreciate that I wouldn't get sued over something I don't own.
Summary: Dani's life couldn't be going better. She has finally made it to the Olympics, doing the sport she loves the most. But... after arriving in Minneapolis, Minnesota things change. First she is constantly badgered by her brother, then she falls for one of his friends, and, of course, there is always a stalker!
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PrincessH- Yes, Fulton the little procrastinator. Doesn't he get infuriating sometimes? I'm glad that you aren't really going nuts, and I hope that you enjoy what happens next. And I mean I REALLY hope you enjoy what happens next. But if you don't want to, that's okay. Gotta love free will!
Thank you to MuM YoU'lL bE mY gUaRdIaN aNgEl In ThE sKy WaTcHiNg OvEr Me YoUr PoOnChKa for her review and honesty. Love honesty, it's a good thing. Be honest!
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Friday. A day that is suppose to mean freedom from school and a time to just lounge around. To the Ducks, however, Friday meant getting ready for their game against Blake. But whatever they had on their minds, was nothing compared to Dani.
First of all, there was Scooter's ex-girlfriend and Cole's current girlfriend, Abigail Johanson. Man that bitch pissed Dani off to the nth degree. The thing was that Dani felt Julie quickly becoming her friend, and if you mess with a friend of the hellcat's, be prepared to get scratched. At least that what everyone in Chicago learned. Abigail had actually cornered Julie after hockey practice on Wednesday and said, "I'm only dating Cole until Scooter is ready to join the big leagues again. And then, he'll come running back to me!" Who the fuck did she think she was? Then there was the fact that Dani was alone, more-so then she had been. Her mother had rushed off to Chicago two months early without any kind of warning. Thank god for her Uncle Dante, he told her what was going on, and now Dani was close to losing it. Seriously losing it.
"Oh, look who it is." A mousy, high pitched said as Dani walked down the hall with her CD player in her pocket and her one earphones attached to her shirt while the other was in her ear, blasting Shinedown. "The sister to the Bash Brother and friend to the worthless cat." Did Abigail know who she was talking to?
"Yeah, I am." Dani replied stoically, "So, now that we have cleared that up, will you excuse me, It's muy importante that find my brother." Dani walked forward, but Abigail had put her hand on the wall, blocking Dani's way, "Anything else that I can help you with? Think hard now." Dani said sarcastically.
"How on earth were you and your brother spawned?" Dani raised her eyebrows, "What horrid creature did your mother have to get with, or the only one she could, to have you both." THAT WAS IT! No one, and she meant no one, could say that about her dad!
"You bitch." Dani said quietly before breaking her self-promise to not hit anyone else that she didn't know, but she didn't care. Dani lunged at Abigail with the full weight of her 5 foot 2 inch frame. Her punches to Abigail's face were what one would defiantly not expect if they didn't know her. Hard and fast.
"Dani!" A distant voice called, "Dani get off of her!" Two pairs of hand grasped her arms and pulled her away. The strong hands struggled to keep a hold of Dani's tiny arms. "Dani, calm down." The voice said as the hands lead her through a door.
"Okay, I'm fine." Dani yelled, tense and irritated and jumpy. Dani was always a little confused and jumpy after she lost control, "Get off of me!" She looked to her left and right and saw Charlie and Adam. They had led her into a room where the Ducks were stretching before they went to their locker room. Scooter was there, as were Terry and Jesse.
"Um... Why were you trying to break Abigail Johanson's face?" Adam asked timidly. He had never seen Dani that angry, and he was sure that he didn't want to see it again.
"HA!" Julie laughed, "Too bad it wasn't me!" Dani nodded. She had come up to Julie right after Abigail had confronted her and she had calmed Julie down. Now it was Dani that needed the calming down; funny how things work.
"Because no one says what that bitch did about my dad!" Then she turned back to Julie, "It was very gratifying." Dani replied stoically, "You should try it sometime." Julie smiled while Scooter looked very confused, what was going on that he didn't know? Dani was about to continue, but she was cut off by Fulton coming into the room, dancing what looked like a mix of the Cabbage Patch and a Charlie Brown. "Dude? What are you doing?"
"Success!" He called out, pumping his fists in the air, "I finally asked her out!"
"Thank you!" Dani exclaimed. Most of the Ducks were a little perplexed because only a few of them knew about that current Fulton/Tammy situation that was making Dani go slightly insane. "It's about time!" She rushed over to Fulton and hugged him, but stopped when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Mine." Tammy said simply as she pointed to herself. Dani back away with her hands in the air.
"Dean," Dani said as she turned around, "I have to talk to you after the game tonight."
"Talk to me now."
"I can't." Dean looked baffled, "Just trust me on this. I'll see you after the game." Dani replied as she placed both of her earphones in her ears and hummed along to one of her favorite songs, '45', and left.
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To say that Dean a somewhat confused was in understatement. Not about the game, they were up 9-2, but Dani had been so cryptic; she was never cryptic! He looked out into the crowd and saw her sitting just behind the penalty box, alone. Where was his mom? She had promised that she would come to the Blake game, and she never backed down on promises. Dean turned his attention back to the game just in time to see Adam checked, hard, into the boards. Ow, that had to hurt. "What is he doing?" Dean asked as Adam went after the person that had checked him. "Never mind." Dean laughed. He wasn't completely surprised after Adam engaged in a fight with the kid, considering he had been checking Adam and Connie left and right throughout the entire game.
"Banks?" Orion asked as Adam was sent to the penalty box. It was amazing, cake-eater was actually human and could get sent to the penalty box! Well, the game was 4-on-4 for the moment, but that was about to change, "Wu!" Orion sighed as Kenny was sent to the penalty box as well for a bogus hooking call.
"He dived!" Kenny argued.
"Wu, get into the box!" Orion yelled, thoroughly exasperated. Kenny did as he was told and sat down next to Adam with a huff.
"This is getting ridiculous." Kenny said angrily. Adam nodded in agreement. "Did you see your dad's face when you got sent to the box?" He asked. Adam nodded again, it was priceless. His father was the first person he looked for after the call, and it was really funny. Wide-eyed and gaping mouthed, and Adam was sure that some drool had been making it's way out of the corner of his father's mouth. A knock on the glass brought him out of his thoughts.
"Dani?" Adam asked in a whisper. She placed a small pad of paper to the glass that read:
Ken, Adam,
Ask Max and Dean about Rough and Tumble 25!
"What's Rough and Tumble 25?" Ken asked, looking as confused as Adam felt at the moment. Dani sighed, turned the sheet over, and wrote more on the next sheet. She lifted to the glass again:
JUST ASK!
Ken put his hands up as the time buzzer went off. Adam and Ken made their way from the penalty box, back to the locker room with the rest of their team. When they got to the room, Orion spoke, "I just have to get over the shock of seeing you sent to the penalty box."
"I know, our little cake-eater is getting so violent! First he was in a fight yesterday, and now the box!" Dean said in a mock-parent voice. He put his arm around Fulton's shoulder, "We have taught him so well."
"Here's a question." Adam retorted, "What the hell is Rough and Tumble 25?" Dean and Max stopped dead, their eyes grew, and they started laughing. "What the..."
"I love your sister." Max said to Dean, "How long has it been since I told her that?"
"Two hours, but who's counting?" Dean replied before turning back to a bewildered looking Adam and Kenny. "Rough and Tumble 25 is the name of one of the plays that she came up with." Then he turned to his coach, "It might come in handy."
"Tell all about it." Orion said, his interest genuinely piqued, "I'm open to any and all suggestions." Dean smiled as he took the marker and broad from Orion's hands and began to explain.
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"Alright," Orion said to his team, "Portman, Newmen, Reed, Banks, Moreau. You five are going in, and I think that we should try out our new play." Dean smiled, and it was good that Connie was going in as well. Girls were always gratified in Dani's plays. "Let's go!" Dean and Fulton liked this particular play because they got to hit a lot of people.
Adam took the face off, and captured it. With the tension of the Ducks on his shoulders, he skated towards Blake's goal, but confused the latter team when he began to skate backwards, behind his goal, and passed to Connie. She began to skate towards the other teams goal as Dean and Fulton crashed into opposing team members. Max was right where he was suppose to be, on the other side of the rink, behind her. Praying that her gamble worked, Connie shot the puck towards where Max would end up. He caught it, after flying out of nowhere, skated towards the Blake goal, faked a shot on one side, skated around the goal and got the shot in that side. 11-2. End score when the time buzzer went off about .5 seconds later. Ducks fans were cheering maniacally, while everyone from Blake was confused, what had just happened?
The Ducks went back to their locker room, cheering. After showering and changing and hearing a lecture about the pros and cons of their performance and how their coach expected them to be ready for their practice on Monday, they walked into the hallway to see all of the in-state Ducks parents (minus Max's, thanks god!) and Dean Buckley waiting for them. "Ted, wonderful game. Did you come up with that last play all by yourself?"
"No, Dean." Orion said, "I didn't come up with it at all in fact."
"Then who did?" Dean Buckley asked befuddled.
Orion smiled, "A figure skater."
"Hey! Wait one minute!" Dani voice called from behind the crowd of parents, "Figure skating, hockey, and speed skating. I do all three, but figure skating more so. Obviously."
"Yeah, because your a little freak." Dean said jokingly.
Dani smiled and bowed, "At your service, il mio padrone." (Italian: my master.)
"Master," Dean said conspiratorially, "Lo gradisco." (Italian: I like it.)
"Don't even think about it!" Dani replied.
"Dan, what did you want to talk to me about?" Dean asked.
"Oh," Dani replied, suddenly losing her happy demeanor. "Dean, that's something that we need to talk about in riservato." (Italian: in private.) Dean nodded, "If you guys don't mind, I'm going to steal him for a minute." She added, grabbing the front of Dean's shirt and pulling him away.
Dani pulled him into the room that she and her fellow figure skaters used as a classroom. When she closed the door, she did what Dean didn't expect. She burst into tears. "Dan? Dani-girl? What's the matter?" He asked as Dani hugged him and began to sob into his chest. "Dani?"
She pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes. Through her sobs Dani said, "Mom rushed off to Chicago this morning. I wasn't sure why so I called Uncle Dante and asked him." Dean gave her a look that asked her to go on. Dani stopped for a second, the she said, "Dad got shot." Hello! Ton of bricks! "He's in ICU and they don't know if he's going to make it." Dean felt his throat close and tears well up in his eyes. But he couldn't cry!
"Dan, are you sure."
"Yeah, Leah told me too. It happened when she was in his class yesterday."
"It was at school?" Dean asked incredulously.
"Yup. You remember Jeric Lovelet?" Dean nodded, "Well, it was him. I think that Leah said that he came into the class and pulled out the gun, and that Dad tried to calm him down because he was completely erratic. Then, once it happened, he was panicking because he said that he thought that the bullets were blanks!" Dani began to cough, but regained her composure, "Apparently his dad was put in jail for writing bad checks."
"Dan, it's okay." Dean said, trying to convince himself as well, "You know dad, he's a fighter. No one could have lived with Benita and Louis without going psycho and not be one. But look at what else he's been through. He survived then and he'll survive now." Dani nodded, "Look, Dan, you're really upset. You need to try and get some rest, I'll talk to you in the morning."
Dean and Dani walked to the exit of the building and they went in different directions after giving each other on last hug, "Dude!" Fulton called from the parking lot, "Are you coming or what?"
"I don't think so." Dean responded. Fulton furrowed his eyebrows, "With what Dani just told me, I think that I should stay here tonight. You go to the celebration, I don't really feel like it."
"Woah, what did Dani say that was so horrible?" Fulton asked.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Dean replied, "Look, man. I promise I'll tell you later, but now is not a good time." Fulton agreed and left. Dean sighed as he made his way back to his dorm room.
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Once Dean got to his dorm room, he did the very first thing that he could think of, he pulled out a CD and began to sing along. Considering his mother had made all of her children get voice lessons, he was actually very good. Not that he would disclose that bit of information to the Ducks.
The CD: Leave a Whisper. The Artist: Shinedown. The current song: Lost Inside.
This day could be the worst one yet
I just won't relax I can't catch my breath
Because I'm sick and tired of you'll be fine
Well how do you know, can you read minds
So take while you can so you can meet demands
My insanity is what you thrive on
So rip it from my soul, so everyone will know in the end
We were never friends
Have you ever felt lost inside so unloved within that you almost die
Have you ever stepped out of the light and realized there's a stranger inside
Don't push your ignorance on me
I'm not unrehearsed to your jealousy
And I know you think I don't see the signs
Well how do you know, do I look blind
So take it while you can so you can meet demands
My breakdown is what you thrive on
So rip it from my soul so everyone will know in the end
I'm the break you're the bend
Have you ever felt lost inside so unloved within that you almost die
Have you ever stepped out of the light and realized there's a stranger inside
Stranger inside
Have you ever felt lost inside so unloved within that you almost die
Have you ever stepped out of the light and realized there's a stranger inside
Have you ever felt lost inside
Have you ever stepped out of the light and realized there's a stranger inside
Dean's only problem. He didn't realize that Julie was listening on the other side of the door! She knocked and came in without letting Dean answer, "Julie! What are you doing here?"
"Mrs. Moreau is out of town until tomorrow." Julie replied as she closed the door behind her, "Connie still relishing in the success of Rough and Tumble 25, but I wanted to come back and get some sleep. You sing really well."
"Thanks." Dean responded, "My mom had all of us take voice lessons. She wanted us to be well rounded, or something."
"That's nice." Julie said, "Are you okay? What did Dani have to tell you that would be so terrible?" She asked as she started at Dean's tear streaked face. He would never cry in front of people, but alone, who knew?
"What makes you think it was horrible?"
"You've been crying, Portman." Julie retorted. "Come on, you can tell me."
"Why do you want to know?"
"Look, both you and Dani are my friends. If something is the matter with my friends I like to know. I guess I just want to help if I can." Julie said.
Dean sighed. He had already blown Fulton off, but he kind of wanted to tell someone in a weird way. No one better then Julie, she was a very good listener, "It's just that, my dad got hurt at work." Dean muttered, "He got shot."
"I thought he was a teacher."
"He is."
"Oh." Julie said, "Wow, Portman, I'm really sorry."
"Thanks Cat-lady. Now I see why Dani tried to beat Abigail Johanson into a bloody mess of skank-prep." Dean replied, taking notice that Julie had just turned red and was trying not to hit anything. "Try really fluffy pillows. They don't hurt when you hit them."
"Thanks." Julie said. "I'd love to stay, but I'm really tired." She stood up and walked over to the door, "I'll see you in the morning, Dean."
"Night, Cat-lady." Dean said as he waved.
"What a minute. She just called me Dean."
"Well, it's your name isn't it?"
"She usually just calls me Portman. Huh."
"What?"
"I never noticed how good she looked in those jeans."
"Hold on there, buddy. Rewind and freeze! You, in no way find Julie attractive!"
"Why not?"
"She's Julie! She's dating Scooter. You can not have a crush on Julie. She's a friend, nothing more. And she never will be!"
"I do not have a crush on Julie!"
"Liar."
"I am not a liar. Julie is a very good friend of mine, whom happens to be a girl."
"True. But you want more."
"Oh, shut up!" Dean said out loud.
"Uh?" Julie asked with her head sticking back through the door.
"Nothing!" Dean said. Julie shrugged her shoulders and left again, closing the door behind her. "Oh, boy." Dean mumbled to himself. "This could get very complicated, very quickly." He listened to the silence, broken only by Julie whistling as she unlocked her door, opening it, closing it, and then nothing. "Man, Portman, you are whipped. But it's never going to happen, just go to sleep and then... Oh, God! I'm talking to myself!"