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- I've never known anyone that had the baby picture at dinner showing before, but I suppose you are right. It must be a mother thing. They love looking back on their children's most embarrassing moments. I'm glad that you loved the Tammy/Fulton-ness again. Like I said before, I do try to do relationships justice, and I am glad that you are approving so far. Thanks!

nilber- I'm so sorry, but I can't tell you whether or not Dani and Adam will get back together. It would just ruin the surprise for everyone, and we wouldn't want that, now would we? I am glad that you liked them together and want them to get back together, but everyone will have to wait and see what will happen. Thanks for reviewing!

mdgirl18- Well, I hope your summer was enjoyable. I'm actually very surprised that you say that all you could think about all summer was this story. Are you being truthful with that statement? Because if you are, I would probably cry. I'm glad that you liked all of the chapters when you finally got a chance to read them. Thank you!

A capitalized THANK YOU to Bad Best Friend!

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Sitting by the window, watching the snow fall, Charlie sighed. He could really use someone to talk to at the moment. His mother's divorce to his stepfather was really starting to get ugly. Not only was Jake denying the baby, he had also promised that if he was indeed shown to be it's father, he would do everything in his power to get sole custody of him or her. Charlie knew that Jake was the baby's father, as did his mother, so basically Casey Conway was an emotional wreak. She knew that, with his lawyer, Jake could very well do what he was planning on doing, meaning taking away the baby that was growing inside her.

Charlie couldn't talk to one of, or all of, the Ducks about this problem. He wasn't sure why, but it was almost as if he couldn't say anything or it would actually happen. As if he kept quiet then it wouldn't happen. However, he knew that that wasn't what was going to happen. Lately he had gotten very withdrawn and the Ducks were starting to notice.

"Charlie?" Adam said as he exited the bathroom after taking a shower, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Charlie asked, "Oh, yeah. Why do you ask?"

Adam pulled on his white t-shirt and said, "Well, you have been staring out the window for about 45 minutes and you keep sighing." Charlie shrugged, "Everyone is noticing that you have been a little distant lately. Linda stopped Ken, Dwayne, and Averman after Art 2 asking what was wrong with you. So, care to share?"

"There's nothing to share, Banksie." Charlie replied, "There isn't anything wrong with me."

"Of course there isn't." Adam responded, unconvinced, "You know that you can talk to us. If there is something on your mind then we can help. Ducks fly together, remember?"

"Adam, this really isn't anything."

"But it is, undeniably, something." Adam said.

"Where the hell did you come up with that?" Charlie asked. Really, what was happening to his best friend? However, something he had said did make sense. Ducks fly together, "It's nothing, man."

"Whatever." Adam sighed exasperatedly. He picked his jacket off of the floor and put it on, "If you finally want to get whatever it is that you have on your chest off of it, then you know where to find me; and everyone else. We're all here for you."

"Thanks." Charlie said, "Have fun ogling Dani from not-so-afar." He joked, knowing that Adam, as well as the other Ducks, were going to the old pond for a game. Dani and Tammy were going as well, hence the teasing.

"Ha." Was Adam's simple reply as he walked out the door.

"Cake-eater." Charlie whispered to himself as soon as Adam was out the door, with said door closed firmly behind him. Looking out the window again, Charlie thought about the saying 'Ducks Fly Together'. It had been a promise between the old ducks and the new ducks that had someway found itself come full circle with the return of Tammy and Tommy. But there was also a Duck that had always been there, if for only a while. A Duck that everyone could talk to and vent on. With that thought planted firmly in his head, Charlie picked up the phone and dialed.

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The smell of pasta sauce lingered from dinner as Gordon Bombay looked over his cases for work. However, certain distractions kept his mind occupied about half the time. Julian was swaying to and fro on the couch as he hummed a song that he had been taught in class to help him remember simple multiplication, while Myrka was rocking back and forth in the rocking chair that his mother had given him and reading The Count Of Monte Cristo.

"Dad?"

"Yes, honey?" Gordon asked, looking up as his daughter.

"When are we going to meet grandma?" She asked, "She wasn't in Minnesota when we were there last, so I was wondering when we where going to meet her."

Gordon thought for a second, "Spring Break." He said.

"Promise?" Julian asked as he stopped swaying.

"Promise." Gordon replied. Myrka smiled and went back to her book while Julian started swaying again. The clock rang 10:00 and Gordon looked over at the children expectantly. They immediately stood up and went to prepare for bed, "I'll be in in a minute to check on you." He said.

"Night, Daddy." Myrka said as she walked down the hall towards the bathroom.

"Good night, daddy." Julian added as he left the room.

Gordon chuckled as the children left. They were good kids and very independent. He knew that they would go directly to bed at ten even if they weren't told and even if everyone said he should be sending Julian to bed much earlier then Myrka because of their age difference. This thoughts were interrupted, however, by the phone ringing. He picked it up and held it to his ear with his shoulder, "Gordon Bombay."

"Coach?" Charlie's voice asked, "It's about time. I've been calling you for that past 4 hours at least." Gordon was shocked, why would Charlie try to call him for four hours? This had to be serious or Charlie would joke around; he didn't sound in a joking mood, "Coach?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Gordon replied, "What can I do for you, Charlie?"

"I need to vent or I am going to go insane and I don't want to tell any of the Ducks what I have to say."

"Then, by all means, start talking." Gordon said, "I would be happy to listen to you."

"Thanks." Charlie said, "That's what I was hoping to hear." Taking a deep breath, Charlie went into his story, "Did I ever mention that Jake was divorcing mom?"

Gordon felt his jaw drop, "No, you failed to mention that." He said. How on Earth could a man divorce the women that was carrying his child? He knew that Casey had very good taste, so how did she end up with this guy?

Charlie sighed, "Yeah, well, he is." He said, "His doesn't think that the baby is his."

"What?" Gordon asked, seeing red. Casey was one of the most loyal and faithful women that he had met in his life, how and who on Earth could accuse her of something like what she was being accused of?

"That's not all."

"It isn't?" Gordon asked exasperatedly. What what going on?

"No, it isn't." Charlie replied, "Jake promised mom that if he was shown to be the baby's father then he would do anything in his power to take him or her away from mom by gaining sole custody." Gordon dropped the phone, "Coach? Coach?"

"Huh?" Gordon asked, once he got the phone back in his hand, "I mean, he really said that."

"Well, what I said was much less profane then his actual wording." Charlie scathed, "He has this really hyped up lawyer that has a 'unbeatable record' or something. Mom is too close to a break down to ask for help and I have no idea what I can do to help."

Gordon sighed, trying to keep his anger to a minimum, "What's this lawyers name?" He asked.

"Um..." Charlie said, "If I remember correctly it was Duncan Haywood. Yeah, that was it. I remember because when Jake told us about him, he was holding a Dunkin' Doughnuts coffee." Charlie sighed, "Have you ever heard of him?"

Gordon laughed sourly, "Yeah, I have. He's a royal pain in the ass if I remember correctly, and I do. I had a few cases against him and barely scrapped by if I even won at all."

"Gee, thanks." Charlie said monotonously.

"I'm sorry, Charlie." Gordon apologized, "I wish I could help..." Just at that moment, a light bulb went off in his head, "Charlie, you and Casey aren't going to lose the baby."

"I wish I had your optimism." Charlie replied, "I have to go. I think Adam is about to break down the door if I don't let him in."

"Good night, Charlie."

"Night." Charlie hung up the phone as Gordon did the same. His brilliant idea would piss off a lot of people, but, in all honesty, he didn't really care at all; he would go to great lengths for Casey and Charlie Conway. After a moments consideration, Gordon picked up his telephone again and dialed.

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It wasn't too late, only 10:20 at night. However, Philip Banks wanted desperately to leave the office and go home to his wife. He had had to work late on a big case that involved some high end clients that, frankly, he didn't like. They were rude, pompous, and reminded him of his father and himself. Self loathing had been something that Philip had dwindled into ever since he had seen that Corrine had had an appointment with Jen. He knew that the appointment had to have been about him; Corrine didn't trust anyone else with advice about him.

Whatever Corrine didn't think that she could tell him was starting to weigh on Philip's shoulders. He had always been open and honest with her, even when it got him the couch, as had she with him; so, why couldn't she tell him what it was that she so obviously wanted to. It couldn't be that something had happened to her, could it? If that was the case then she knew that he would do everything in his power to help her.

Philip jumped as the voice of his secretary, Karen Dayle, spoke to him via speaker, "Mr. Banks?"

"Uh... Yes, Karen?"

"You have a call on line one."

"Thank you, Karen." Philip said, "You should get home." Karen stumbled over what she had intended to say and managed a 'thank you'. Philip picked up the phone and pressed the button for line one, "Philip Banks."

"Hello Philip."

"Gordon Bombay." Philip replied, he would never forget that voice, particularly after being quacked at by it when he tried to get Adam back on the Hawks, "What can I do for you?"

"First off, I have a question." Gordon said, "What would you do if I said the name 'Duncan Haywood'." As soon as Gordon said the name, Philip took the pen he was holding and slammed it onto his desk, creating a large bang in the large and empty office. Not intentionally, he just hated Duncan Haywood with a fiery passion, "That's what I thought."

"Why do you ask?" Philip asked, trying to keep his cool, though it was harder then it would look to someone.

"Well, it's a long story." Gordon replied.

"Then you had better start the storytelling now." Philip said.

Gordon sighed, "Did you know that Casey was issued divorce papers?"

"Yes, it was a while ago." Philip replied, "Corrine told me after she talked to Casey in October."

"October?" Gordon asked, "And I just found out about this tonight?" He sighed, "Anyway, did you also know that Jake was denying the baby and that he was going to have a paternity test once he or she was born and if he was shown to be the father he would do anything in his power to gain sole custody?"

"No, I didn't, but let me guess, Duncan Haywood is his attorney."

"That would be correct."

"I knew that Haywood was low, but this is pathetic." Philip sighed, "You know the Conway's. They are the most independent family that you will ever meet. They take everything with a grain of salt, but this isn't one of the cases that that will work."

"The only reason I know is that Charlie called, needing to tell somebody." Gordon replied, "He didn't want to tell any of the Ducks for who knows what reason."

"Adam would have most certainly told me if he had known." Philip said.

"I think Charlie locked him out of their room so that he could call me without interruption so that no one found out."

"Thank you for calling." Philip said, "I think I have an idea."

"And that would be...?" Gordon asked.

"A surprise." Philip replied, "Good night." With that, Philip hung up the phone and pulled out his address book. Inside he found a business card of one Maxwell August Munroe, better known as M. August Munroe, Divorce attorney. Philip had known Maxwell for about a year, after one of Munroe's clients went to him after her divorce got violent. He and Munroe had worked together to get her every bit of protection that she needed from her ex, as well as taking the man to the cleaners after years of him taking from her. Philip knew that the Conway's deserved better then what Jake was planning on doing to them, so he planned on giving them a team that worked efficiently and would take one Jakob 'Jake' Talbot to the cleaners... Only if necessary, of course.