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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RIP MuM i love you so much- Thanks, I'm glad that you liked what happened. I thought that the interaction between Piper and Dean would be a funny add-in that people would like, glad you did.
PrincessH- Getting Tammy and Fulton to talk to each other will be the most awkward part of the whole plan, trust me on that. I'm glad that you thought that the last chapter was great, I tried to do well.
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Dani watched Tammy do a double Lutz across the ice. Adam had given her a wonderful idea the Monday before, and she had the perfect amount of time to figure out how to execute it. It was the Saturday before Eden Hall's fall break, so Dani had a week before Fulton would be back in the general vicinity. Adam's plan involved getting the two in the same room, alone, and forcing them to talk; and a locked closet door if either Tammy or Fulton were feeling uncooperative.
Dani skated over to her coach as he called all three of them over to him and the three envelopes he held in his hands. She, as well as the others, were eying them curiously because he seemed oddly protective of them. "Thank you, Ladies. You have been doing wonderfully. Therefore, I am giving you the rest of the day off."
Dani raised her eyebrows, "Coach, are you out of your mind? It isn't even one yet." She glanced down at her watch that read, 12:34 pm.
"Yeah," Tammy agreed, "Did you eat something that was bad for you?" Her tone was that of mock mother-worry.
"I don't see why you two are complaining." Gia said, laughing, "So, what's with the envelopes?"
He nodded, "These are for you. For all of your hard work." All three grabbed at the white parcels in his hands, but he jumped back to that they couldn't get them, "Anxious, aren't we?" They all nodded, "Well, here you go." He passed one to each of them and braced himself for the next sound.
"Oh my God!" Tammy squealed, "Spa day passes?" Gia stared blankly at her pass, wondering if it was real or if she was dreaming. Dani stared with her mouth dropped open.
"Enjoy ladies."
Dani finally spoke again, but this time she was accusing, "This has nothing to do with the fact that it's Joey's birthday today is it?"
"You don't care for my kindness?"
"Oh, she cares!" Gia and Tammy called out, "She really cares." Tammy hit Dani in the small of the back.
"It was a simple question." Dani snapped back, knowing that she was at least a little bit on the right path, and her coach knew it.
He sighed, "Look, I have been wanting to give you three something to show my appreciation for all of your hard work over the past few months, I've had a lot of adjusting to do, and you helped me." He said seriously, before comically adding, "And the fact that it's Joey's birthday only makes the pot sweeter for me." Dani shook her head, Tammy laughed lightly, and Gia swatted him on the shoulder (as she was the closest to his age).
"Now, I don't know about you guys," Dani stated, "but I could really use a facial and a pedicure."
"I am right their with you, babe." Tammy said as she stepped off of the ice and began to unlace her skates. Gia nodded and followed her lead, skating and sitting next to her. "Oh yeah, guys. Tommy is having dinner with my parents, so we won't see him."
Gia nodded and Dani replied, "Cool." She glanced at her coach, "So, you go and get your girl for whatever romantic mush fest you have planned." He gave her a sarcastic look and was turning around until he heard Gia speak in a low whisper.
"Just don't do anything that her brother would do."
"And just what is that? Not many restrictions there." Tammy said back.
"Exactly. Ow!" Gia rubbed her upper arm where Dani had hit her as she had been walking passed.
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"Wow." Dani said as she walked into the large and ornately decorated spa that her coach had sent her to. "Talk about swag. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jessica Simpson or someone here."
A stuffy chuckle made Dani jump and her teammates turn, "Well, our clientèle doesn't reach that far up on the social hierarchy, but some rather formidable and well know locals enjoy our services. I'm Cecilia Blake, I'll be assisting you today." She held out her hand, which each girl took. Dani took in Cecilia's appearance. She had long, blond hair (dying and extensions, obviously), a voluptuous body (liposuction, implants, tummy tuck), and a her face would have been prettier had she not had the nose job and cheek implants. "So, if you will follow me..."
Gia followed while Tammy and Dani lagged behind, "Damn, she's almost worse then my mom." Tammy whispered. It was common knowledge that Mrs. Duncan had had numerous plastic surgeries. Dani didn't think that surgically enhancing ones appearance was a bad thing if it was for the right reason, but it just wasn't for her.
"So, ladies, I think it would be good to start here." They heard Cecilia's voice say. Dani and Tammy looked around at the hair salon that surrounded them.
"Oh, crap." Dani sighed, hair. She hadn't cut hers since she was 10, so about 6 years or so. Gia and Tammy giggled slightly, knowing how attached to her ever-growing, naturally curly-yet-at-the-moment-flat ironed hair Dani was. "Oh, shut up why don't you."
"So, ladies, when you are done here, I will show you the mud room and the spa pools." Cecilia said as she left the room, "Ta ta."
Dani sighed, "Oh, 'spa pools'. They're freaking hot tubs." An exasperated voice spoke, causing Dani to turn quickly. Standing in the doorway opposite the one that Cecilia walked out of was a small girl with short, curly black hair, "I'm Kassandra, I'll be doing your hair."
"Hi, I'm Dani." She replied, "Look, if I bite off your hand, please don't take it personally." Tammy and Gia sighed and shook their heads, knowing that Dani was being somewhat serious.
"Attached?" Kassandra asked, eying Dani's hair length.
"That obvious?"
"Um, yeah." Kassandra responded before turning to Gia and Tammy, "Gia, right?" Gia nodded, "Dominica will be your stylist today. I think her exact words were 'y'all white girls can't do black hair, stay away from her'. She'll be down in a moment, this is her chair." She indicated the seat she was standing next to. "So that leaves you, Tammy." Tammy smiled and shook her head excitedly, "Lacie will work with you, she just has to finish with her other costumer, it will only take two seconds. Actually, your standing in front of her chair, so feel free to sit."
Kassandra indicated her chair and motioned for Dani to sit down, "I have a feeling that you should be cutting off a good amount of length." Dani nodded sadly, causing her teammates to smirk, "How much?"
"Well..." Dani began hesitantly, "For a while I've been thinking about giving to Locks of Love, and the minimum requirement is 10 inches."
"Honey, you have more then enough." Kassandra said.
"Great." Dani replied monotonously, "That's great."
"Good, so lets get started." Kassandra chirped as she pulled out a simple black hair tie and placed Dani's hair into a ponytail. Dani groaned, "Calm down, you won't die if I cut it off."
"You can't guarantee that." Dani shot back as she placed her hands over her eyes, "Just get it over with, quick." Kassandra obliged and began cutting the thick rope of hair that was attached to Dani's head. Dani felt the tugging all the while, until it finally stopped and her head felt much lighter. She opened her eyes and looked into the mirror, "Oh my God!" She sighed over the excited squeals of her friends and teammates.
"Now, I think that about an inch under the shoulder would be good for you. You could still pull it up and style it." Kassandra started as she began to pull back Dani's hair for a better look. She nodded as a voice spoke on the other side of the door that Kassandra had entered on.
"It was lovely to see you again, Corrine. I'm so glad we got this chance to talk. Adam it was wonderful to see you as well. You haven't been here in forever."
Dani and Tammy laughed out of their noses, "Corrine?" Dani said, "That's Mrs. Banks."
"Adam!" Tammy exclaimed, "Oh heavens." They both watched and Mrs. Banks and another women came in, chatting happily, while Adam seemed to be ready to jump out a window. "Hi Adam."
Adam stopped dead and looked around the room. His face reddened with embarrassment and his eyes widened in astonishment when he saw the first stages of Dani's haircut. "I'm not here, you never saw me." He mumbled, rushing towards the way out.
"Simmer down, hockey star." Dani retorted as she grabbed a hold of his arm to stop him from moving, "It's not like we're going to tell anyone. Not unless you give us any incentive to." She had a mischievous gleam in her eye that made Adam want to pull her into a deep kiss, but he thought better of it, as they were in a room full of people, one of whom was his mother.
"Lacie." Kassandra broke in, "You do have a job to do." She pointed to Tammy and Lacie nodded in agreement, quickly bidding the mother and son pair good day and walking over to her station.
Dani snickered and whispered, "Youngest working here, yet the most mature and job-minded?"
"How could you guess?" Kassandra whispered back.
"That's kind of my situation." Dani replied, "I'm not the youngest, but I have one older brother, a twin brother, and two younger brothers." Kassandra cringed, "Yeah, I get them all out of jams, except for the youngest, but that's only because he's two. I will be soon enough."
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The spa day that Eric Orion had bought his team was absolutely fantastic for all of them, and his day had gone great as well. He had taken Joey on a tour of the city and then on a picnic at the park that his parents had gotten married in. All in all, it was a fabulous day.
He had just arrived to the building that he shared with the girls and Tommy, his hand just about to brush the doorknob, when he turned, hearing the sound of Gia's Mercedes. All three jumped out with expressions that said they had a great time, but he was shocked when he saw Dani's hair, now only an inch to 1½ inches below her shoulder. "Holy crap!" He called out, causing Dani to smile half way.
"Thanks Coach, it was getting a little heavy, if I do say so my self." Dani retorted cheekily. To Gia's and Tammy's surprise, Dani had excepted her new hair head on, after all the fighting, she took to it rather quickly.
"I see." Eric said, "How was everything?"
"It was great, thanks Coach." Dani said.
"Fantastic." Tammy added.
"Yeah, mind doing it again?" Gia asked, her hair newly in dreadlocks that suited her to a 'T'. Eric laughed, but didn't respond as he moved to open the door. The only problem, it wasn't locked as it had been, nor was it fully closed.
"Um, Coach?" Dani piped up as she looked past him, into the kitchen. The stainless steel that had been spotless before, was now covered in flour, eggs, paint, and food coloring; it looked like a scene out of a stalker/slasher flick.
Eric turned around, now gazing into the kitchen, "Oh God." He whispered, "You three stay out here, I'll call Dean Buckley and the cops."
"Coach, you stay too." Tammy said, "Just use your cell phone to call them." She was truly freaked out, not having seen anything like that in her life. Gia had lived in a middle-class suburban-like neighborhood in Chickasaw, Alabama, but she'd seen break-ins before. Dani, having lived where she had before the age of 5, she remembered things that most people would never believe, she just hadn't seen them in awhile.
"It's okay, Tammy." Dani said, placing her arm around Tammy's shoulder, reliving what her brothers had done for her as a child. "Coach, look, I think someone already called." She pointed to the flashing police lights.
The police stopped just outside the building and rushed around, trying to cuff random people that they saw as threats, until Dean Buckley came rushing up, "No! They're staying here. They are the victims." One of the cops let go of Eric and apologized.
Dani choked when she saw Dean Buckley in the light, and she was sure that Tammy and Gia did as well. He was wearing a maroon pajama set and a pair of shiny, black dress shoes. His pajama top was too tight on his chest and the pants were too baggy, held up with a shiny black belt that wasn't doing it's job to the best of it's ability. "Are you ladies alright?" He asked.
"We're fine." Tammy replied as all three of them attempted to not look at the elderly man in front of them.
"Did anyone see anything?" He asked. Everyone shook their heads no.
"We've all been gone all day. We just got back and this was already here." Gia added.
"Gentlemen, these girls... young ladies," He changed his sentence, remembering their preferred titles, "have had a long day. Could we possibly conduct the search without them, so that they may get some sleep?"
"Where would they go?" One of the leading officers asked.
"I'm going to visit my fiancée, so if y'all don't mind, I have to get running." Gia began to walk back in the direction of her car, but didn't make it all the way.
"Gia, hold on a sec." Dani called, "I know were Tammy and I can stay, could you meet us by the hockey dorms and drive us there?"
"Sure." Gia replied.
"The hockey dorms?" Dean Buckley asked in a fitting baffled manner.
"Why yes." Dani replied sickeningly sweet, "That isn't a problem, is it?" She smiled and Dean Buckley shook his head no. "That's good to know. Well be outside in five minutes." Gia nodded and proceeded to head to her car whilst Dani pulled Tammy along to the dorms.
"Dani?" Tammy asked as Dani stopped in front of the door the lead into the room that Dean and Fulton shared. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Being a Portman." Dani replied, confusing Tammy even more then she was. Dani pulled a hairpin out of her newly cut, non-flat ironed hair that now waved around in naturally tight spirals. She placed the pin in the keyhole of the door and opened it. "Tammy, if you want, you can go outside and wait; it's not that dark yet." Dani added, noticing how increasingly uncomfortable Tammy was becoming. She nodded and left just as the door clicked.
"Now, where do you keep it, dear brother?" She muttered as she started to rummage through the possessions that she knew were Dean's. After a while, Dani found what she was looking for; a black leather bound book that Dean kept his information in.
"Ah, ha." Dani said triumphantly as she opened the book and looked for the address that she needed. She found it and pulled out her cell phone and a pin. She wrote the address on her hand, and dialed the number on her phone. "Come on, come on, please be the one to pick up!"
"Hello?" A female voice said.
"Yes!" Dani sighed, "Oh, sorry. Mrs. Reed? It's Dani. I was wondering if you could do me a favor."
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Dani had told Mrs. Reed as much of the situation as she cared to let on and she and Tammy had been invited to stay the night. Dani gladly took up the offer, but she hadn't told Tammy where they were going. Gia stopped in front of the apartment complex that Fulton and his mother lived at and Dani got out, still dogging Tammy's questions.
"You'll see." Dani replied in an irritated voice. She walked up the stairs on the outside of the building with Tammy following her. Looking down at her hand, Dani reread the apartment number; she found the apartment and knocked.
"Tammy, Dani, it's good to see you both again." Bethany Reed said as she stood in the doorway.
"Mrs. Reed?" Tammy asked, "It's good to see you too." She added, not wanting to seem rude. She was shocked, how could Dani do this? She was suppose to stay in the same house with a sleeping, more then likely half-naked Fulton Reed for the night? Fulton; what did he wear to sleep? No! Not what needs to be thought about at the moment.
"Come in, girls." Mrs. Reed said as she made way for them to walk in. The apartment was clean and tidy, with a few pieces of strange and cool looking art on the walls. Upon closer inspection, Tammy and Dani noticed that Mrs. Reed had done most of them herself.
"Cool!" Dani exclaimed in a whisper as she looked at a piece that depicted Marie Antoinette being placed in a guillotine. "Marie Antoinette? I love the French Revolution."
"Yeah," Tammy joked, "because you're a psycho." Dani smacked Tammy on the arm and went back to looking around. The dishwasher was running in the kitchen, softly humming, and the whole of the house smelled like Fulton and whatever he wore that made Tammy purr.
"Thanks again, Mrs. Reed." Dani said as, "We really appreciate this."
"It's not a problem girls, the bathroom is down the hall, last door on the left. The couches are actually not bad to sleep on, so that should be fine." Both of them nodded, "Help yourselves to anything that you need, but try to be quiet, the boys crashed about an hour ago."
"Dean crashed this early on a Saturday?" Dani asked sceptically. Mrs. Reed nodded, "That's odd."
"I know, it was strange. Well, good night, girls."
"Good night, Mrs. Reed." Tammy and Dani replied in unison. The waved as she left to go to her room. "Dani!" Tammy said, "I can't believe you!"
"We were graciously invited into a home, because our place was broke into. Tammy, get real. It isn't like you have to elope with him or something." Dani plopped down on one of the two couches in the room, "So, just chill a little."
Tammy did the same and turned so that her face was against the back of the couch. Whatever Fulton wore was heavenly to her, and the couch seemed to be drenched in to. She was exhausted and with one deep sniff, she was off to the land of roses and gumdrops. Dani shook her head and leaned back on the couch she was sitting on and left her thoughts drift until she, too, was asleep.