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!
T-------T
PrincessH- Why thank you, I tried to make that a happy/sweet chapter. Glad it worked. Fulton and Tammy's date couldn't go that well because, well, they are Tammy and Fulton. Polar opposites that have the world against them, trying to pry them apart. Lets hope that they don't let that minor detail get them down.
mdgirl18- Adam and Dani did have a nice date, I do hope it was as affective as I had hoped for it to be. In the summary, yes, I did mention a stalker; that will come into play soon. As for Julie, Dean, and Goldberg, they have not been forgotten either, it just may take some time, I picked three rather stubborn Ducks to work with.
daydreamrose- You love me? That's nice to know. I would normally respond 'I love you, too', but that would seem a little weird, so just thank you. I guess I will have to keep your birthday in mind. As for Julie and Dean, I haven't exactly decided whether I will make their relationship go farther then a crush. Gia and Dean? I don't think that would work, as Gia is 28 and engaged; plus it wouldn't go with what I have planned for her later in the story. But thanks for the honest input.
nilber- First of all, thanks for the review. I have said it before and I will say it again, I love new reviewers. I'm glad that you like all of the pairings and that you can't wait for the next chapter. I am also happy that Adam and Dani are your favorite.
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The Ducks sat at their normal table in the cafeteria for lunch, chatting about nothing in particular, until Averman spoke up, "Luis, have you noticed that Mindy has been sending you death glares for the past half hour?"
Luis groaned and glanced over at the table that the cheerleaders and dance squad, both of which Mindy was captain of, sat at, "She'll get over it." He muttered, "See, look. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." At one he pointed to Mindy as a tall, burly, blond haired boy with muddy brown eyes pulled her from her seat by her by the wrist, smashed her into his chest, and slapped her on the backside. Luis sighed, shaking his head, and turned back to face his food.
"Who in holy hell is that?" Fulton asked, his eyebrows crashing together to form one.
"Kip Dickerson." Luis replied dryly. He brought his milk to his mouth and harshly whispered, "Probably been sleeping together for months now."
"Whoa, Luis. That's a little harsh, don't ya think?" Dwayne asked, "I know Mindy isn't the easiest person to live with, but would she do something like that?"
"Cowboy," Luis retorted, "she blamed me for cheating on her because I was talking on the phone with another girl. A girl that happened to be my older sister. Trust me, she would."
"Excuse me." A small voice timidly cut through, "Luis?" Luis turned around and saw Tarah standing behind him, holding his Creative Writing notes that he had loaned her, "I just wanted to return these and say thanks." She held out the notebook in her hands and he thanked her. She smiled and looked around the group before turning bright red and hurriedly running back to her table with the other members of the band.
"Are all band geeks that weird?" Russ asked as he watched Tarah's retreating back. Dean laughed lightly and shook his head. "What?"
"Say that around Dani and she will do one of two things depending on her mood. A) Kick your ass, or B) Say thank you." Dean looked around at his confused friends. "Dani has been 'Band Geek of the Year' since we were in the 6th grade."
"Dani is in band?" Adam asked.
"Yeah." Dean replied, "Marching and concert."
"What does she play?" Connie asked.
"Oboe, flute, and piccolo." Dean responded, "Oboe is her concert instrument, and her baby as she calls it. The flute and piccolo are for marching, although she plays the wailing annoyance more then the flute because rarely anyone else will play it."
"Wailing annoyance?" Guy asked as he raised his blond eyebrows.
"Have you ever heard a piccolo?" Guy shook his head no, "Trust me on this."
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After hockey practice, Dean wandered off on his own, consumed by his thoughts. He truly wanted to tell the team about his dad and why he had been so distant lately, but it was easier said then done. Not all of them were Julie, after all, she was just so much easier to talk to then most people. Not to mention she was sweet and funny and gorgeous and... 'Shut up, brain.' Dean commanded.
Without thinking, Dean opened a random door that he had come too and walked in. What looked like the back of Julie was in front of him, but it was wearing large, black pants with chains on them, Piper. She was listening to an iPod and singing along to the song she was listening to; a song Dean knew rather well.
"What a lot of fun, you guys have been real... swell." She snapped her fingers, "And there's not a one who can say this," Two snaps, "ended well. All those secrets you've been concealing, say you're happy now..."
Dean snapped his fingers once, getting Piper's attention, "Once more with feeling." Piper raised her eyebrows as Dean continued, "Now I gotta run. See you all... in HE-E-E-E-E-E-E-L-L-L-L-L-L!"
Piper pulled her earphones out of her ears, "You've seen 'Once More With Feeling'?"
Dean smiled, "My family owns the 7-season-box set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And all five seasons of Angel, and all of Firefly, even the unaired episodes."
"That's it." Piper sighed, "I'm going to marry you."
Dean laughed, knowing that she was joking, but played along, "Sure." He shrugged, "Just don't let cat-lady hear you saying that, she might kill us both."
Piper mockingly gaped open her mouth, "Why? You guys aren't attached are you?" She placed her hand on her chin and bit her lip. Dean laughed again, this girl was weird, she reminded him of a blond Dani. Wait, blond Dani! Bad, bad, bad; she would never dye her hair.
"Ha ha, no." Dean replied. He secretly thought his disappointment. Piper nodded and looked at her watch, "What?" Dean asked noticing the blood rush from her face.
"It's nothing really." Piper replied calmly, "I just remembered that my mom and dad are going to be coming today." She sighed, "To see how I'm adjusting and stuff. Even though they asked me millions of questions over the weekend. Parents are strange."
"Yes they are. Also, I guess you had better be going then." Dean said, "Where are you going to be meeting them?"
"Gym."
"Oh." Dean hesitated, "That would involve passing the ex-Varsity weekly basketball game on the outside court... I'll walk you." Piper gave him a questioning look, "I don't want you to die of fright or choking on your own puke. They play shirts and skins and I am positive that you don't want to see that." Piper scrunched up her face and tensed her hands before reaching to her throat.
"Them. Shirts and skins. Eww, eww, ewwwwwwwwww!" She shuttered, "Thanks, I appreciate it."
"Not a problem." Dean said. He opened the door for her and they walked towards the gym. Dean knew that most people would be surprised if they saw him open a door for a girl, but he was a gentleman when he wanted to be. He just preferred not to disclose every detail about himself to others. "Where did you move from, anyways?"
"Illinois. Well, originally Maine, obviously, but I moved with my mom to Peoria, Illinois after that."
"No kiddin'." Dean replied as he stopped suddenly, "I'm from Chi Town."
Piper gasped and smiled, "I absolutely love Chicago!" It was obvious that she was mentally kicking herself. After a second Piper mumbled, "Damn it, if you were my type..." She scowled for a moment and continued walk. Dean finally got movement back in his legs and raced back to her.
"Um, what is your type... exactly?"
Piper sighed and stopped, "Promise you won't make fun of me?" Dean nodded and held up his right hand like a boy scout, "Were you ever a scout?" Dean shook his head no, "Whatever. Well... nerds."
"Nerds? In what sense of the word?"
"The literal sense, I guess. There's just something about a big brain and glasses that..."
"Enough over share!" Dean spout out, cutting her off, "By any chance, you don't have a deep, abiding love of red hair do you?"
Piper furrowed her eyebrows, confused, "Um, I don't really have much of a preference when it comes to hair color or anything of that sort."
Dean shuttered and patted Piper on the shoulder, "Well be extremely careful then." Okay, what the hell was he talking about? Wait a minute... glasses, nerd, red hair... that seemed familiar. Wait a second, WHAT?
Piper reached over and slapped Dean on the back of the head, "Dean!" She exclaimed, "I highly, and I mean HIGHLY, doubt I will ever go out with anyone that is my sister's teammate... for fear of their lives. So don't freak yourself out with thoughts of me and Averman." Dean shuttered and stayed silent, "Wait, what's that?" Piper asked as they walked past a gravel lot painted like a football field.
"The band." Dean replied, pointing to the mass of students assembled on the gravel lot.
"Not bad."
"Yeah." Dean said, "Except that the whole alto line is sharp, the trumpets are playing out way too much, and the biggest surprise, the percussion aren't playing out at all... you can barely hear them."
"And how did you become a band know-it-all?" Piper asked.
"Sister." Dean responded simply, "Dani has been in band since the 6th grade, so I have been around a lot of band in my life time."
"Full of surprises."
"You got it, babe."
"Wait!" Piper called as the duo reached the gym door and Dean went to open it for them. She looked through the glass and saw that the Ducks and Scooter were inside... perfect! "Dean... pick me up!"
"What?" Dean asked, confused at her request.
"Pick me up like you are going to carry me over the threshold. I want to freak out Julie." Dean smiled, this was creative and Julie's reaction would be priceless. He dipped down and placed his arms behind Piper's legs and behind her back as she wrapped her arms around his neck to allow him to open the door.
"Damn, did you put these chains in a freezer or something?"
"Oh, stop being such a whiny little bitch."
"Sailor."
"Why thank you." Piper retorted, smiling. Dean pulled open the door and walked in. The thing was that that particular door was so squeaky that Dean was quite sure he had heard in in Chicago a few times. It was sure to get the attention of everyone in the room. And it did.
"Hi guys." Dean said as he grinned from ear to ear.
"Piper... Portman... What the hell?" Julie asked, shell shocked. She flicked her eyes from one to the other whilst Scooter looked ready to grab a hold of her if she started shaking uncontrollably.
"Jules..." Piper said, "I think that you've met my future husband, right?"
The blood rushed from Julie's face, "NO! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Portman put her down... right now!" Well this was certainly entertaining, for anyone that wasn't Julie or Scooter at the moment.
"Yeah, I'm afraid so." Piper said in a semi-mocking tone, "I mean, how could I say no to a guy that has all seven seasons of 'Buffy' on DVD, not to mention all of Angel and Firefly."
"Oh, now that injured me." Dean added, playing along, "Here I thought you wanted me for my manly body and charming demeanor."
Piper placed her hand on her chin and continued, "Well, yes you have a nice demeanor, but if we are to be married then you, my dear sir, will have to thin out. I have always envisioned my husband to be lean not a psychopathic-gym-rat."
Dean gasped indignantly, "Dean Portman leans down for nobody! Dean Portman is a one of a kind, an individual. So sorry shortness, take it or leave it."
"Oh please stop." Julie begged.
"We should be nice, shouldn't we?" Piper asked, looking at Dean. He nodded, "I thank you, kind sir, for the ride, but please let me down." Dean obliged and they both dramatically bowed. "Julie, come with me. I want you to see something." Piper said as she grabbed a hold of Julie's arm and pulled her along. Only Dean knew that she was taking Julie to see the mother that she hadn't seen since she was a little child, and he was glad to know something that other's didn't for once.
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Adam had been walking alone for a what seemed like 2300 hours, but it was more like 1½. All of the other Ducks were either doing homework, procrastinating their homework, cuddling (in the case of Guy and Connie, shutter at the thought), or with Piper as Julie was. Adam didn't need any of the Ducks loud antics to keep him occupied right now, his thoughts were doing a rather good job of that in and of themselves. Well, to a certain point.
Adam wasn't comprehending were he was at the moment, but was brought back to life were a hand grasped his upper arm, turning him around, and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. As the lips pulled away, Adam smiled, "Nice to see you too." He whispered, "You really know who to get a guy attention."
"Only those special ones." Dani replied. When she was happy, she smiled and bit her lip, and Adam had no objections to her doing it now. "How was your day?"
"Good." Adam said, "Although I think it just got better." Dani smiled, that was such a sweet thing to say, and did he know exactly how well that polo shirt fit him? Well, if not, then it's best to leave things as they are.
"Thanks." Dani managed to get out, "Look, Adam, I had a really great time on Saturday."
"I did too."
"And I would love to go out again..."
"You would?"
"Yes, you seem surprised." Dani said, somewhat confused. Did he not want to go out with her again?
"No, it's not that. It's just that I would too."
Dani smiled again, but the smile drooped and she lowered her gaze, "But, I can't right now." Adam asked why, "It's Tammy. She's been so miserable lately and I want to be there for her. It's a thing with me, if a friend it miserable then I can't be Princess Mary Sunshine."
"Well, first of all, I couldn't see you being Princess Mary Sunshine anyways." Dani laughed, it was true, "And secondly, I completely understand. But one question, why is Tammy miserable? She's in the Olympics for goodness sakes."
"The Olympics has nothing to do with it." Dani replied, shaking her head, "She'll probably kill me for saying this, but she and Fulton went on a date shortly before we did and it tanked."
"Why? They like each other, don't they?"
"Oh yeah!" Dani said, "But it still went bad. I mean first there was the milkshake, then there was her mother badmouthing hockey, the Ducks, me..." Adam's eyes grew, "Ah, I don't listen to anything she says, that's what I have my mom for. But I digress, apparently she talked about 'suitable' men for Tammy, right in front of Fulton and a lot of other crap."
"Wow, poor Tammy." Adam muttered sympathetically. "Poor Fulton, Tammy was one of the first to welcome him to the D-5 Ducks from what I hear, no wonder they like each other. Their date really went that bad?"
"Yeah, now I have to think of a way to get them talking to each other again. Tammy thinks that Fulton never wants to go out with her again and I have no doubt that Fulton feels the same way."
A light bulb went off in Adam's head, "I think I can help you with that."
"Really?" Dani asked as she smiled conspiratorially, "Well, then by all means, do tell."