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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Tinkerbell821- Cruel and unusual punishment? Yeah, I kind of thought so. Are you really demanding this chapter that much? You have no idea how much that means to me and how happy it makes me. I'm glad that you can't wait to read what happens next.

Bad Best Friend- I thought that people would not be able to believe that I ended the last chapter the way that I did. Aren't I an evil little creature? At the very least you think it's thrilling, so I guess that that makes up for it a little bit... Possibly, maybe... Kind of... Not really... But whatever! You'll figure out who the madman is soon, so don't worry about that. As for Greg and Tarah... They really are cute, aren't they? I'm glad that you think so.

Thank you PrincessH and nilber!

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Sitting against the wall in the Emergency Room, Dani pulled the blanket that she had been given tighter over her shoulders. Her coach had been immediately taken to surgery while she had her wrist taken care of. She had been given what looked like a wrist pad that someone would wear while roller skating, but it helped, so she wasn't going to complain.

Looking up, Dani saw the first police officer that had arrived after she had called, "Here." He said, handing her a steaming Styrofoam cup of tea, "How are you?"

Dani laughed to herself and took a sip of the tea, "Fantastic." She replied sarcastically, "Really hunky dory, Officer Diller."

"Just Henry, you don't need to be so formal." He replied, "Your probably no older then my sister anyway, so don't worry about it." Dani nodded and took another drink of the tea, "I have to ask you, do you know the man that attacked you and Mr. Orion tonight."

"Yup." Dani replied.

"What is his name?" Henry asked.

Dani sighed, this was harder then she thought it would be, "His name is J-J-Jam-James. James Tobas. He knew my mother when they were teenagers." Dani bit her lip, "And I have no idea what he wants with me, I've never personally met him in my life."

"I see." Henry replied, "Do you want to give your statement how, or would you prefer later."

Dani sighed, "Tomorrow. I really just want to go home and sleep right now."

"Of course." He said, "Is there anyone that I can have called for you?"

She shook her head, "No, I can manage." Henry nodded and walked away. Dani sighed and pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number, "Pick up, please." She muttered.

"Hello?"

"Gala!" Dani said excitedly, "It's Dani, I was wondering if I could ask you a big favor."

"Of course." Gala replied.

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Dean slept silently, not knowing anything that was occurring. Because of Mrs. Reed's attack, he and Fulton had been spending their nights at Eden Hall until she recovered enough to go home. Dean wasn't quite sure what he was dreaming at the moment, but what he did know was that the large mass on his stomach was painful, "What the hell?" He screamed as he shot up and scowled at the sight of Caleb on the floor, laughing, "You."

"Watch your language, young man." A deep voice said.

"Dad?" Dean asked as he looked around the room, "Wha..." For once in his life, Dean Portman was absolutely lost for words and confused as hell. His father was leaning against the door, Alec and Cami were smiling from the closet, Caleb was still on the floor, and his mother was holding Felix on her hip while standing at the end of Fulton's bed, "Wait a minute... The last Dani and I heard, you were in the hospital."

Dean saw how his mother squirmed slightly, "Alec, could you take your brothers for a few minutes?" She asked. Alec nodded and took Felix from his mother and Cami pulled Caleb to his feet, herding him out the door behind Alec and Felix.

"You two heard about that?" His father asked guiltily.

Dean sighed and threw the covers off of his bed and stood, "Dad, Dani and I are in Minnesota, not under a rock of stupidity." He replied, not rudely, but upset, "Dani called Uncle Dante after you left, mom, and Leah called, of course. How did you two think that we wouldn't find out?" He took a quick breath and continued, "And even if we hadn't, sending Jeannette would have been a major red flag."

"We know, we thought that it would be best if you two didn't have to worry about it."

"Mom," Dean replied, "We were worried before we knew what was happening. You running off that fast and not telling us what was going on made us worry."

His father sighed, "Now that I think about it, Dante was acting pretty weird after I woke up."

"I have to agree."

Dean pulled out clothes, "I think the one that you should talk to know is Dani, she was practically hysterical." Both of his parents nodded, "Although, you'll have to wait to find out where she is. Lately, even Tammy and Gia have a hard time knowing where she is."

"We should get back to the hotel." Alyssa said, "We'll see you later." She added hopefully.

Dean nodded, "Everyone is meeting up at Julie's mother's place, she lives in Edina, at 4:30. Pick me up here and I'll show you the way." Once again, they nodded and then left. Dean couldn't believe what he had just seen, his father was perfectly okay and acting as if he had just been out for midday stroll or something. He brought his clothes into the bathroom and threw them on the floor. Feeling as is head would explode, Dean leaned over the sink as stinging tears dripped down his face. Not realizing what he was doing, Dean lifted his left hand, clenched it into a fist and rammed it into the tile wall.

"Shit." He mumbled to himself. Pulling his clothes on, Dean momentarily wondered where Fulton had gone, but then remembered that he always went to see his mother. Looking back at his hand, Dean had no idea what he was going to do. "Coming." He called to a distant knock on the door. Not bothering to cover the blood and bruising on his hand, Dean walked to the door and opened it, "Hey, Julie. What are you doing here?"

"I distinctly heard what sounded like tile cracking." She replied, "So I came to check and make sure that you weren't having a rock star moment." He couldn't help but laugh, "And by the look of your hand, I see that I might be a little late." She pushed herself into the room and raced into the bathroom, pulling peroxide, a washcloth, athletic tape, and bandages out of the cabinets.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Do you want your hand get infected or something?" She asked as she came out of the bathroom and sat on his bed, "Sit."

'Holy shit, Julie is on my bed...' Dean couldn't help but think to himself. "Uh... Thanks Julie."

"Not a problem." She replied as he sat down and she poured the peroxide on the washcloth and gently pressed it over his bleeding knuckles. "What happened?"

Dean knew that she was talking about his hand, but he had to ask himself if he wanted to tell her. He came to the same conclusion that he had come to when she asked him about his father, "My family showed up. My dorky little brother jumped on me to wake me up and when I looked around, they were there. Even my dad." Julie's eyes widened in shock, "He's perfectly fine."

"Oh, God." Julie replied, "They never called to tell you or Dani anything?"

Dean shook his head, "Apparently they didn't know that we knew. If you believe that kind of bullshit."

"Jeez, that's just..." Julie stopped, trying to think of a word, "I have no idea what that is." She carefully taped a large bandage over his wound and wrapped an ace bandage around it as well.

Dean smiled, "Thanks Jules. But do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Not at all." Julie replied.

Dean sighed, "Now, you have every right to tell me that I need to mind my own business, but is anything wrong with you a Scooter?" The look on her face told him that she hadn't expected that, "Like I said, tell me to shut up if you want to, but I've just been noticing that you two are together a lot less and every time I see Piper and him in the same room, she has that I'm-going-to-kill-that-little-bastard look on her face."

"It's nothing." Julie said, "Just Piper being Piper."

Dean chuckled, "Yes, I remember Piper being Piper well." Julie raised her eyebrows, "It involved me carrying her over the threshold of the gym."

"Please don't make me remember that." Julie said as she joined Dean in laughing about Piper being Piper.

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Julie walked to the bus stop and waited for Scooter. He had called her several hours earlier and had asked her to meet him there, because he had something important to tell her. Looking up, Julie noticed that the sky was becoming a dark gray. "If I get rained on, I swear I will never forgive him." She mumbled to herself.

"Julie!"

"Scooter." Julie replied as he joined her inside the bus stop, "So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Scooter smiled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope that looked as if it had been ripped open with hyperactive enthusiasm. Julie, while slightly surprised and confused, took the envelope, "The University of Florida?" She asked. Scooter nodded as Julie pulled out the letter, "Oh my God, you got accepted... Not that I'm all that surprised, but congratulations." She quickly pulled him into a hug and gave him a kiss, but he didn't return it, "What?" She asked suspiciously.

Scooter sighed, making Julie more nervous then she already was, "Look, Julie. I really care about you a lot, you know that."

"Yes, and I feel the same way." Julie replied, "What is it that you are so scared to tell me."

He took her hands in his and sighed again, "Jules, you know that Florida was my first choice." She nodded, "I don't think that we'll work if I'm so far away."

"What?" Julie asked as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Scooter could see the tears welling up in her eyes, "Julie, if I'm in Florida and you're back here in Minnesota, how can it work?" The tears that had been welling up in Julie's eyes now dripped down her cheeks. Scooter sighed sadly and wiped them away with his thumb, "Even in summer. I'll be here and you'll be back in Maine."

"But we could visit each other." Julie replied, "I mean, summer, long weekends, school holidays. We could see each other then."

"I'm sorry, Julie." Scooter said, "But I don't want you to be tied down."

Julie laughed in a cynical and non believing way, "You don't want me to be tied down?" Scooter nodded, "Or you don't want to be tied down to me?"

"Baby, it's nothing like that." He said as he stroked her cheek, "I do care about you, more then I ever have anyone else."

"Then why can't we work this out?" Julie managed to choke out.

"I'm sorry, but it's over." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "I'll see you around." He said hopefully.

Julie sniffled with a sad and pained smile on her face. She couldn't believe that he was doing this to her, after the hell she put up with from his former teammates and the fear of betrayal that she thought that Ducks would feel when she and Scooter started dating, "Only if the swelling goes down." She said.

"What?" Scooter asked confused. His question was quickly answered as Julie's clenched fist made contact with his eye.

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Julie sighed as she tried to cover her puffy, red eyes with her mother's concealer in Piper's bathroom, "Honey, do you want to talk about it?" Her mother asked from the doorway. Piper nodded in agreement from the bath tub.

She sighed, but figured that she need to tell someone, "Scooter broke up with me because he got his acceptance letter from the U of Florida."

"I'm going to kill him!" Piper exclaimed.

"No!" Julie and Jada said at the same time. The doorbell rang and Piper left her sister and mother to open the door, "Honey, it'll be okay."

"I guess." Julie replied as she decided that she had done that best that she could and went downstairs to join her teammates and their parents. "Hi guys." She said as she entered the living room. The doorbell rang again and Piper raced to open it. Julie looked around and saw that the only one that hadn't arrived was Dean, so she knew what was coming, "Portman, if you pick my sister up I will start hurling knives at you." She called.

Dean jumped into the large doorway, "Sorry, Pi, but I believe her." He said. Piper rolled her eyes and sat down next to her mother. Dean walked in as his family stood in the doorway, "Guys, sit." He said, "For those of you who don't know, this is my family. Mom. Dad. Computer nerd, older brother, Alec." Alec shot him an evil look, "Lunatic 10 year old, Caleb." Caleb rolled his eyes, "And the one holding the vase is Felix."

Alyssa's eyes showed panic as she pulled an ornate vase out of her 2 year old son's hand, "Felix, honey." She placed it back on the table as Felix's eye began to swell with tears.

Jada laughed, "It's okay, it's plastic. I hate that thing anyways."

"Pretty good looking plastic." Caleb remarked as he looked at the rainbow colored, waterfall looking vase.

Dean sighed, "Off the subject of plastic, Julie you really have a bad tendency of losing your cellphone." He said, remembering Piper having to bring Julie her cellphone at the mall, "Scooter's called about 50 times in the past hour." He added as he pulled her cellphone out of his jacket pocket, "I kind of wanted to pick up and make some kind of snarky remark, but I figured that you would beat me to death if I did, so here."

Julie shook her head, "I don't want to talk to him. If he calls again, make something up. Tell him that we're making out or something."

Dean shook his head confused, "Did I just hear that correctly?" Julie nodded, but everyone in the room seemed to be asking the same question. The phone began to ring and Dean looked back to Julie who nodded her head, "Hello?" He asked.

"Portman?" Scooter's voice said, "Is Julie there?" He asked.

"Yup." Dean replied simply.

"Can I talk to her?" He asked, getting a little annoyed.

"Nope." Dean said.

"Why not?"

"We're busy."

"We're?" Scooter asked in a panic, "Doing what?"

Dean shrugged, "Oh, a little of this, a little of that." He said innocently, knowing that Scooter was probably dying now, "Well, bye." Dean hung up and couldn't believe that he had just done that, but it felt really good. As if nothing could make him feel better, Julie smiled and mouthed 'Thank you' when he placed the phone on the table. From in the kitchen, everyone heard Adriaan switch on the television so that he wouldn't miss the news.

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Dani paced around the kitchen of her dorm room as she watched the television that she, Tammy, and Gia had been set up.

"Last night, a large blow was dealt to the World of Sports." The reporter said, "For the story, here's Rayna Tennyson"

"Thanks Bridgette." Rayna said, "At approximately 11:45 pm, World Class Figure Skater and United States Olympic Coach, Eric Orion and United States Women's Olympic Figure Skater, Danielle Portman, were attacked by a man wielding a knife. The man is said to be former World Class Pairs Figure Skater, James Tobas." Rayna took a breath and continued, "Danielle Portman is said to have minimal injuries and was released early this morning. Eric Orion was nearly fatally wounded and remains in the hospital under the watchful eye of his doctors."

Dani scoffed at the television, but jumped when it turned off, "That was getting depressing." A voice said.

"Thanks, Gunnar." Dani replied as she turned around, "I never got to thank Gala for coming to get me, where did she run off to so quickly?"

Gunnar shrugged, "She has been doing that a lot lately."

"Something that she doesn't want big brother to know?" Dani teased, knowing that it would get under Gunnar's skin if Gala didn't want him to know something, he told her everything, after all.

"Of course not." He snapped.

"No need to get huffy." Dani replied, "I was just joking."

"'Huffy'?"

"Upset." Dani clarified.

"Oh." Gunnar replied.

Dani smiled as a knock came at the door. She wondered if she should answer it, but remembered that James Tobas was in the hospital under lock and key practically, "Who is it?" She called.

"Who do you think?" A voice replied.

Dani smiled and squealed as the door opened, "Leah!"

"Yup. I have arrived." The duo hugged each other and jumped around until Dani tried to pull away.

"Leah. Leah. Le!" She called, "My wrist, wrist."

Leah pulled away, "Oh my god, what happened?"

"I fell." Dani said, being slightly truthful.

"Oh, there are some cops coming this way." Leah said as an after thought.

Dani sighed, "Oh, god, I forgot." She leaned against the island in the center of the kitchen, "The police need my statement."

"Statement?" Leah asked, appalled, "What don't I know?"

Dani shook her head, "I'll fill you in later." She didn't want Leah in the room when she talked to the police. Nor did she want Gunnar in the room... Wait. Of course, "Leah, this is Gunnar Stahl." Dani said, pulling Gunnar next to her, "Gunnar this is my best friend, Leah Tracy. Could you two entertain yourselves in another room while I talk to the police?"

Gunnar and Leah looked at each other with weird looks in their eyes that Dani didn't even want to attempt to place, "Sure." They said in unison.