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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Lilmonkey1507- I forgive you for not reviewing, I'm glad that you are still reading. I hope that I'm not boring anybody. Yup, it's upsetting that Adam and Dani split up, life just sucks that way sometimes. I have never thought that I was good with suspense, so I am happy that you think so, it gives me a big confidence boost and warm feelings... Moving on, I hope that you aren't disappointed with the rest of the story!
Thank you PrincessH!
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Shaking and crying, for what seemed like the millionth time in about two month period, Dani pulled a tiny box towards her that she had been avoiding like the plague for the last two days. She thought that her strength to stop playing into her secret admirer's hands was getting better... obviously not. She unclasped the box and clamped her eyes shut as she opened it, telling herself that she would close the box and then open her eyes... that didn't work to well.
She opened her eyes before shutting the box and saw a two carat diamond engagement ring gleaming in the sunlight. Dani swallowed and let the tears of anger and fright exit her eyes. She closed the box, pulled her arm back, and threw the box in a random direction. A crash caught her attention and she looked towards her dresser. The box had crashed into a picture that she had of her parent's wedding day and knocked it off of her dresser, shattering the glass.
"Mom, dad." She whispered as she picked up the frame and pieces of glass. A knock came on the door and Dani quickened her pace, "Come in." She called as she threw all the glass into the garbage can. "Oh." She said as Dean came into the room.
He chuckled, "Rock star moment?" He asked. Dani sat on her bed, "I heard a crash, that's why I asked."
"FYI: I knocked into my dresser and mom and dad's wedding picture feel." She lied, "What do you want?"
Dean sighed at her angry tone, "Dani, I want to talk."
"I don't." She replied.
"Then listen." Dani sighed and reclined against her pillow, waiting for Dean to talk, "I truly don't know what I did to make you so pissed and with the way that this is going, I doubt that I ever will." Dani scoffed, "I wanted to give you this, call it an extremely late birthday present." He pulled a wrapped box out of his jacket pocket and gave it to her.
Dani furrowed her eyebrows and pulled off the wrapping paper, "You got me and iPod?" Dean nodded, "How much?"
"About $250, and I already put some songs that I knew you liked on it."
"So around the same as I payed for that jacket." Dani replied, "Thank you, but I'm still mad at you."
"And I will never know why." Dean said, "All I know is that you started hating me after I saw you and Adam out on your date."
"Which date?" Dani asked, she silently laughed at the expression on Dean's face as she asked this, daring her to be serious, "I'm not joking, which date?"
"You went out on more then one?"
Dani sighed, "Dean, Adam and I didn't just go out on a date." Dean wondered whether he really wanted to hear this, "We were dating. You know, boyfriend/girlfriend, holding hands, kissing..."
"Stop now." Dean said, "I can't have that image in my head."
Dani took her chance to make him suffer, "He's actually very good at it..."
"Ahhhh! Stop, please."
"If you even think about hurting him now, I will hurt you." Dani said, "Besides, after you saw us, he told me that you found out and then he broke up with me. Thanks bro." She said sarcastically.
Dean looked somewhat remorseful, "I'm sorry Dani. I guess I will never forget how to be your knight in shining armor."
"We're not kids anymore, Dean." Dani said, "I can take care a myself a little now."
Dean stood up, "Now that that is out of the way and I feel kinda bad, what was it that I heard from Charlie about a French guy carrying you?"
Dani laughed, "Mathieu Cartier. He's Joey's little brother." Dean shrugged confused, "Joey. My Coaches girlfriend." Dean nodded understandingly, "I fainted on the ice that Dani and Coach made me go to the hospital. Adam and Charlie were there, so Tammy asked Mathieu to carry me to the car so that Adam would get jealous." Dean grimaced, "I don't know if it worked or not."
"I wouldn't doubt it." Dean said hesitantly, "Are you okay, no problems from the fainting?"
"Stress." Dani replied, "That's what the doctor said. I was stressed."
"Oh. That's good, that's easy to fix." It was obvious that he felt guilty, "So... there is no chance that you would get together with this Mathieu guy?"
Dani scoffed, "I knew you would ask that."
"Sorry."
She shrugged, "No, me and Mathieu would never happen. He's 21 and he has a girlfriend."
"Okay, good."
"Yup, she's from the Bronx."
"Ah, Dad's old living area."
"Yes, New York."
Dean shifted, "Did I ever tell you that I got a call from Aunt Mickie?" Dani sat up quickly, "Yeah, it was over the summer."
"And you tell me now?" Dani asked indignantly.
Dean sighed, "She wanted me to tell Dad that she had moved to Philly and that if we were ever in town that she wanted to see him and us. I told her that she shouldn't be scared to tell him herself, or come and see us, but she hung up."
"Dean, do you remember what happened between dad and Aunt Mickie?" Dani asked as if she didn't believe her ears, "She told him that she hated him and that he never cared about her if he was going to leave her with the 'Demon parents', I think that was what she called them. Of course she was scared to call her, scared that he was mad at her."
"I know, but you gotta hope that she would."
"I know." Dani said as she thought hard. What else did she know? Then it hit her, "Where did you say that she moved to?"
"Philadelphia." Dani smiled, "What?"
"I have a show in Philadelphia in March."
"Don't tell Goldberg." Dean warned.
"Why?"
"He's originally from there. Tell him and he will latch himself about your waist and beg you to take him with you, and then I will have to kill him."
"Well we wouldn't want that, now would we?" Dani said as she smiled.
"Now that's all I wanted to see." Dean said as he reached out and tapped Dani on the nose. Dani reached over and tapped him in the same way, "Hey, everyone is going out for ice cream, wanna come?"
Dani smiled, "Oh, ice cream."
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Dani smiled as she entered the coffee shop that Dean had brought her to. She hated being made at Dean, but sometimes he made it hard to not be. "Hi guys." She said as she sat down at the table that the Ducks and Tammy were sharing.
"Are you speaking to him again?" Tammy asked as she nodded towards Dean, who was getting ice cream for himself and Dani.
"Yes, I am." Dani said. Adam gave a small smile and lowered his head. Dani knew that he would be uncomfortable around her, especially with the whole deal with Mathieu, but she still was glad that she came, "Oh." She added as Dean stuck her orange treat in front of her face. "Yummy." She said as she took a bite.
"Pig." Dean mumbled. Dani smiled sarcastically and stuck her tongue out at Dean, causing him to recoil at the sight of the melting orange in her mouth, "Ew."
"Girl." Dani shot back, causing the Ducks to laugh. Dani took that as a chance to look around. The shop was almost empty, save two elderly ladies and one elderly man in the corner and the three band geeks (Tarah, Lucille, and Art) that she had heard talking about the Ducks and the crush that one of them had on Goldberg. "Luis?"
"Yes?"
"Your not still dating Mindy are you?"
"Hell no."
"Good, so you would mind if I said 'the slutty bitch from the underworld approaches'?" Dani nodded towards the door, and there was Mindy and her cheerleader and dance team posse.
"Damn it." Luis sighed.
Mindy caught sight of them and walked over with a snide smile on her face, "Oh look, it's the Quackers."
"Oh my god, guys." A voice said from behind the girls in cheer and dance outfits, "Mindy you look so great in the outfit." Tarah and her friends had walked over, "I could never work cheerleading attire."
Dani decided to play a game once she noticed that Tarah had an orange ice cream as well and she hoped that Tarah would catch on, "I agree." Dean raised his eyebrows, "What? Red. Warrior colors work on her." Dani said, "I bet it works with any color."
Tarah smiled, "Yeah, like green."
"Or blue."
"Purple."
"Orange." Dani continued.
Mindy cringed, "Ew, stop there." She sighed, "Orange is a horrible color to begin with, but together with red? That's just... EW!"
Dani and Tarah looked at each other, "Really?" Tarah asked. Mindy nodded and Dani and Tarah smiled and thrust their ice creams on her and mushed them around her stomach and chest.
"Looks good to me." Dani said as she turned to laughing Ducks, "I hate to leave so soon, but I just remembered that I have to meet Mathieu for a shopping trip."
"Why?" Dean asked.
"He's looking for a present for his and Trina's anniversary."
Dean nodded, "Trina is the girlfriend from New York I would presume?" Dani nodded, "Cool, I'll see you later."
Tammy stood, "I'm going with. Mathieu said that Trina had red hair and liked things to go with it. Knowing you two, whatever you pick would totally clash. I am your model, use me."
"Isn't that his job?" Dani asked in Fulton's direction, making him turn red. Tammy walked passed Dani and smacked her on the shoulder, "Ow." She protested as the duo walked away.
Dean sighed, "Ah, firecrackers. You gotta love them." Fulton felt the red leave his cheeks and nodded in agreement. Neither of them noticed the agreeing look in Adam's eyes as he watched Dani walk away.