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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NikChic- It's okay that you haven't reviewed as of late. I can understand being on holiday and not being able to read anything while you are gone. At least you are reviewing now! I'm sorry, but Dani broke up with Adam. But, you are right, he is very sweet and cute. Dani has her reasons, but they aren't going to be revealed until the sequel... That is, if anyone wants a sequel. Thanks!
AznIntegra- Why did Dani do that? What am I hiding? Those are excellent questions. I will explain in due time what is going on through that little head of Dani's. Yes, Myrka became Dani-like because Dani's Dani-ness rubbed off on her from them being friends. Yeah, Gordon will have a lot to deal with if his little girl turns into a mini-Dani. But we will have to see. Thank you so much!
A big thanks to Mrs. St. John Allerdyce!
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Julie couldn't believe her ever-crappy luck! She had just gotten back home in Maine and now she had to leave again because she was her father and his business partner, Martin Graham, had to go do something in Chicago. Why did she have to go? Because her stepmother and grandfather were going with him and nobody other then her grandfather trusted her alone for more the 2 seconds.
Sitting in her room, Julie stared at her unpacked suitcases and decided that she wasn't even going to unpack and repack, something that would send Marianne to her last nerve. To most people it would seem like the logical thing to do, but to Marianne it showed laziness and bad hygiene. Julie threw her suitcase with shorts and short sleeve shirts onto the floor to remind her that was the one she needed and she laughed when her kitten, Angelique, jumped and started batting at the suitcase with her tiny paw. Angelique was the youngest kitten of Julie's first cat, Rio, who had died when Marianne 'accidentally' ran him over, and she looked and acted exactly like her father.
"What are you doing, baby girl?" Julie asked Angelique sweetly as she picked the tiny kitten up and kissed her on the nose. Angelique meowed and crawled onto Julie's shoulder and licked Julie's cheek with her sandpaper tongue. Julie laughed, but was interrupted by a knock on the door, "Come in." Julie called.
The door opened and in walked George Gaffney, Julie's grandfather, "How's my beautiful granddaughter?" He asked.
"Hi Grandpa." Julie replied, "I'm fine."
"That doesn't sound to convincing." George replied, walking over to his granddaughter, "What's wrong, Julie?"
Julie sighed and placed Angelique on her lap, "If I tell you, will you promise to not tell anyone, particularly dad and Marianne?" George nodded, "When I was in Minnesota, Mom and Piper moved there." George raised his eyebrows, "And being able to see them was fantastic, but I feel guilty about it. Plus if Dad ever found out he'd pull my scholarship to Eden Hall so that I couldn't see them again. I just wish that I could see them without having to worry about anything. Not to mention it was a little weird hearing Piper call Mom's fiancée 'Dad'."
"Jada is getting married?" George asked.
Julie nodded, "Yeah. He's a really nice guy. His name is Adriaan, A-D-R-I-A-A-N, and he came from the Netherlands. I think Piper said that they had been dating since about a year after the divorce, which is a reason that she would call him Dad, but it's weird... I never thought of anyone but dad as dad."
"You like Adriaan, right?"
"Yeah, he's a great guy." Julie replied.
"Then don't worry about it." George said, "He doesn't have to be 'dad' to you, but he's all that Piper has had ever since your father cut off all communication with her and your mother." Julie nodded, "Ready to go? We have to be at the train station in 30 minutes."
"I'm ready." Julie said, lifting Angelique off of her lap and into a small kitten carrier.
"You're bringing Angelique?" George asked.
"I told dad that if I couldn't bring her then I wasn't going." Julie explained, "No one but you will trust me on my own so he caved."
"That's my girl." George replied, picking up Julie's suitcase. Julie smiled and picked up the kitten carrier, "Ready to go?" Julie nodded, "Then onward my fair lady. You know what they say, ladies first."
"Thank you, my good knight." Julie replied, causing her grandfather to laugh. They always joked around with each other and that was one of the only things that kept Julie sane. The two linked arms and walked out of Julie's room and down to the front hallway of her house, "I'm ready." Julie said, getting her dad and stepmother's attention.
Marianne sighed, "Julietta, did you unpack and then repack?"
Julie took a deep breath, "No, I didn't because I cleaned all of my clothes before I got back home, so I didn't need too. And please don't call me Julietta, I prefer Julie."
"It's not your proper name, Julietta." Marianne replied. Julie bit hard on her tongue so that she wouldn't get in trouble with her father for yelling at Marianne. Julie never wanted anyone but her mother to call her Julietta, and even Jada called her Julie.
"Whatever." Julie said, "Can we go?"
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From Bangor to Chicago on a train wasn't exactly the way that Julie would have traveled. The group that she was traveling with (her father, stepmother, grandfather, Martin Graham, and his daughter, Rachael) had been given a first class car all to themselves. Sharing a car with Rachael was very awkward because she and Julie had once been best friends, but Rachael turned snobby and bitchy, while Julie became a part of the Ducks. Besides that, Rachael had recently become somewhat jealous of Julie because of Julie's natural blonde hair. Why she was jealous, Julie didn't know. She actually preferred brown on Rachael.
Julie linked with her grandfather and they dawdled behind while Rachael and the other adults ran ahead, "Can someone shoot me now?" Julie whispered.
"Oh, shush, Julie." George replied, "I don't want to be here any more then you do, but maybe I will get a chance to steal you away for myself."
"Why?" Julie asked.
George smiled, "It has come to my attention that your grandmother is lives here in Chicago." Julie raised her eyebrows, her grandmother had died when she was little, "Oh, not that grandmother. I mean Catherine."
"Grams?" Julie asked in a whisper, "But she stayed in British Columbia when mom moved down to Bangor..."
"I know, I know." George replied, "But you know that Catherine was born here in Chicago." Julie nodded, "Well, about a year after Piper was born, she moved back because she missed the states so much. After the divorce was finalized your mother and Piper moved to Peoria because they wanted to be close to her. I think that if Catherine had stayed in Canada, then your mother would have moved them up there, but I digress. The point is is that that women has been calling me and wondering when I would get you away from your father long enough for her to see you and I figured that this would be the best time."
Julie smiled and squealed, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Come along, you two!" Marianne called, "Quit standing there or you will be left behind!"
"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her." Julie whispered, "Why did dad marry her?"
"Because he's a gullible fool." George replied, "He takes after my father and grandfather."
"But you got skipped?" Julie asked.
"Exactly." George said, "But we had better go." Julie nodded and the grandfather/granddaughter duo walked quickly to catch up with the group that had left them.
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Maybe the trip to Chicago wasn't so bad. Sure, the weather was like a sauna, but Julie had been excited to find out that the man that her father and Martin Graham were 'studying' was the father of Eve Wilton, Dani's good friend. Eve had given Julie a few moment's of sanity when she had to entertain her and Rachael, who acted like a complete snob the whole time.
Eve had told Julie that Catherine Prince was, in fact, a very knowable face and name in Chicago. She was a big name in women's and children's rights and she fought very hard to help the people in the poor crime and drug infested areas of the city and had worked hard to fund places where kids could go away from the drugs and violence.
After a week, Rachael and Martin Graham left and Julie and George took that time to get some alone time to see Catherine, "So, how do you know where Grams lives?"
"Internet." George stated simply.
"Of course." Julie replied, "Why didn't I think of that?"
"I don't know, Julie." George said. Julie smacked him lightly on the arm and giggled as George rechecked the address again, "Oh, good. Here we are." Julie looked up in amazement at the houses on the street. They were all large and well taken care of and were obviously the homes of rich people like Adam or herself. Sure, they weren't like her farm in Bangor, but for city houses, they defiantly fit the profile for rich housing. Catherine's house was stone and the door, porch, and windowpanes were white and green curtains embroidered with gold thread hung in the windows.
"Wow." Julie whispered
"That's Catherine." George said, walking onto the porch and ringing the doorbell. Moments later, the sound of soft footsteps reached the door, "Hello Jada." George said.
"George." Jada replied in shock, "Julie." Julie stepped forward and hugged her daughter, "Wow. I didn't expect this."
George nodded, "Your mother has been dying to see Julie and we were in town, so I figured that this would be the best opportunity." Julie pulled away and nodded.
"That's wonderful." Jada said, "Please, come in." She stepped out of the way and allowed Julie and George inside.
George laughed, "I see that your mother's neatness has not decreased in the years that I have not seen her." He said, looking around.
Jada shook her head, "No, mom is still as much a neat freak as she ever was." Julie nodded as she looked around. Everything had a place in this house and it seemed that everything was in that place. She and her grandfather followed Jada into the back yard where Catherine was sitting with Piper.
When they entered the back deck, Catherine was sipping on iced tea and talking to Piper about something that Julie didn't catch, "Honey, I was thinking that perhaps you could..."
"Mom." Jada interrupted.
"Not now, dear." Catherine said.
"Hi Grams." Julie said, causing her grandmother to stop dead, "Piper!" Piper stood up and the sisters hugged, "It's been a while." She said, jokingly.
"Yeah." Piper joked, "These past two weeks without you have been the longest." The sisters laughed and separated. Piper smiled and hugged George, "Grandpa."
"Hi Grams."
"Julie?" Catherine asked, "My goodness." She smiled now that the shock was gone and she hugged Julie, "You've grown so much."
"I should hope so." Julie replied.
"You have your mother's sarcasm." Catherine said with a hint of a sigh in her voice, "You two came at just the time when I was going to take everyone on a walk around the neighborhood. I was hoping to get out on a walk today... You all should have called."
"Mom." Jada said, "Does anyone ever call?"
"Unfortunately not."
"Then why would you expect it?" Piper and Julie giggled and Catherine sighed, "Besides, I'm sure that George and Julie wouldn't mind seeing the neighborhood. Neither of them have been to Chicago... At least not to my knowledge."
"Nope." Julie said, "Grandpa?"
"Never." George replied, "And I should get out. I'm not twenty anymore and the bones are starting to show it."
"George, you are not out of shape." Jada said.
"Um, mom?" Julie asked, "Where's Adriaan?"
"He had to work." Jada said, "So he couldn't come." Julie nodded, "So are we going?" Everyone said something in acknowledgment and they walked back through the house and onto the street, "So, George, how have you been? I haven't seen you since I moved from Bangor."
"I've been well." George replied, "I had to have Julie make sure that I didn't strangle my son on several occasions, but other then that it has been very good."
"That's nice to know." Catherine said, "And I hear that Richard has a wife."
"Yes." George replied, "Marianne St. Clair. She and Richard met on a business trip... I really prefer to forget the rest."
"At least you have something to forget, Grandpa." Julie said, "If you remember correctly, I didn't even know anything about her until after the wedding."
"Count your blessings, Julie." George responded with bitterness in his voice. Piper and Julie giggled for a moment.
"So, Jules." Piper said, "What is Marianne like?"
"A certified bitch." Julie replied. Much to no one's surprise, Jada cleared her throat at the badmouthing of another adult, "Mom, trust me, she deserves the title. Besides, she insists on calling me Julietta... Only you can call me Julietta." Jada smiled and half shrugged and half nodded, "Marianne's evil! She ran over Rio!" Piper gasped and Jada stopped dead, "She claimed that it was an accident, but I know that she hated him."
"Animal abuser." Piper whispered. Julie nodded but something else caught her attention, "What?"
"Now that is what I call a house." Julie said, staring at the house behind across the street. It was a corner house that was made entirely of brick and it had a white wrap around veranda. The house was only about two blocks away from Catherine's and Piper wondered how she had failed to notice it before.
"I concur." Piper said, staring along with her sister.
Catherine looked at the house for a moment, "Oh, yes. That house." She said, "That house belongs to the Portman family."
"Portman?" Julie asked, astonished.
"Yes." Catherine replied, "Kal and Alyssa. They are wonderful people. He's a teacher and she co-owns an ice rink/skate-park just about a mile from here. All that and 5 kids..."
"Alec, Dean, Danielle, Caleb, and Felix?" Julie asked.
"Yes." Catherine said, "How did you know?"
"Oh my God." Julie whispered.
"Dean Portman?" George asked, "The one that did the striptease in the penalty box?"
"That's the one, Grandpa." Julie said, "He's as much of a cake-eater as Adam."
"Wait a minute, this means that we have blackmail." Piper said, "We can threaten to tell everyone that he's a cake-eater."
"A what?" The three adults asked.
"It's a term for a rich person that the District 5 Ducks made up. That was before I joined, when it was a Pee-Wee team." Julie explained, "Adam was on another team with a lot of bullies and when he got switched over to the Ducks, they started calling him that. Now it's more of a term of endearment though." Julie knew that they were confused out of their minds, but she was glad that they didn't ask for more of an explanation.
"Hey, Julie." Piper said, "Look." Julie turned around to see that the door was opening. Quick as a flash a large St. Bernard bounded out of the opened door and hopped around the veranda; the leash on his neck showed that he was excited for a walk, "Aw... He's cute."
"I agree." Julie replied. They both watched as the St. Bernard's owner walked out onto the veranda, "Dani!" Dani looked over at who had called her name and gaped in surprise. She grabbed a hold of the St. Bernard's leash and quickly ran across the street, hugging Julie and Piper when she got there, "This is a surprise."
"Yeah, it kinda is." Dani said, "Hello Ms. Prince." She said to Jada, "Hello Mrs... Wait a minute." Dani thought for a second, "I'm just getting that... That's quite a interesting find."
"What? That you've been living about two blocks away from our grandmother your entire life?" Piper asked.
"Only since I was five." Dani corrected.
"Dani," Julie said, "This is our grandfather, George Gaffney."
Dani smiled and was about to put her hand up to shake his when her dog jumped on him, "Bama." Dani said, pulling the dog back, "You don't jump on people." The large dog pleaded with his eyes and Dani cracked, "Oh... I hate it when you do that."
"When he gets you to feel like you have no control?" Julie asked.
"Yup."
"Anyway, it's nice to meet you Mr. Gaffney." Dani said.
"Oh, it's just George." George replied, "Mr. Gaffney is my son."
"Isn't it suppose to be the other way around?" Dani asked. George nodded, "Doesn't that get confusing?" George shook his head, "How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?"
George thought for a second, "I've never thought about it."
"That's was just my way of trying to make you say something." Dani replied. George laughed, "I'll take that as a compliment." Dani's watch beeped and she sighed as she stopped it, "Where is he?"
"Who?" Piper asked.
"Dean." She clarified, "He was the one who wanted me to wait for him."
"For why?" Julie asked.
Dani shrugged, "I don't know." She said, "He said that he wanted me to wait for him so that we could walk Bama and Nikita together."
"Nikita?" Piper asked.
"Yes." Dani replied, "Nikita is Dean's Pug... She's a sweetheart."
Julie nearly choked on her laugh, "Dean Portman, the Bash Brother, owns a tiny little Pug?"
"Yup. She's his baby." Dani said, "He spoils her." Piper and Julie looked at each other, trying to figure out how that worked, "Dean is a softy if you get to know him." Dani turned, "And speak of the devil." She said as the door opened and a tiny face of a pug poked out of the door. Dean saw that she didn't want to go, so he picked her up and closed the door before setting her down on the porch.
"Aw..." Julie said, "She's so cute."
"Yup, she is." Piper said. She and Dani looked over at one another and knew that they had the same thought in mind, 'That's not the only thing that she thinks is cute.'
"Dean!" Dani called, gaining her brother's attention. He looked over and stiffened once he saw who was with her, "Get your butt over here." Dean sighed and walked across the street.
"Hey, Dean." Julie said.
"Jules, Piper." Dean said, "What are you doing here?" Dani, Piper, and Julie raised their eyebrows at him. He looked at the group of surrounding adults and he seemed to get the message, "Oh."
"So you're a cake-eater." Julie said, "Amazing what one will learn."
Dean sighed, "Jules, Piper... Could we keep this to ourselves? I kinda have a reputation to maintain."
Julie and Piper looked to one another and shrugged their shoulders. Before anyone could do anything, they raised their fists and punched him in his shoulders, "Sure Portman." Julie said, "Consider your reputation maintained."
Dean held onto his shoulders, "Thanks." He replied in a strained voice.
Julie, Dani, and Piper laughed, but the fun was cut short when Julie's cell phone began ringing, "Hello?" She asked. Rolling her eyes, Julie tried to put on a cheery demeanor, "Hi Dad. Hi Marianne." Julie listened for a second, "I'm with Grandpa like I said I would be." She listened again, but this time her jaw dropped, "That's not fair! But... You said that... Dad! Fine." Julie hung up the phone, "I hate her!"
"What's wrong Julie?" Jada asked.
"I have to go back to the hotel because Marianne convinced Dad that it's not safe for a girl like me to be running around Chicago." Julie said, "Even with Grandpa... And it's not like I'm in a dangerous part of the city." George placed his arm around Julie's shoulder, "I'll see everyone later, I guess."
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Even thought Julie knew that it wouldn't help, she had managed to sneak out of her hotel just as the sun was setting and ran to the top of a building that she had no idea whether or not she was allowed to be on. She was crying and could barely see, but that wasn't important, all she needed to do was get away from her stepmother.
"Are you allowed to be up here?" A voice asked, causing Julie to turn quickly, "Calm down, Jules. That was just a joke."
"Dean?" Julie asked.
"That would be correct." Dean replied, jumping off the side of the building and walking over to her, "I see that you found my spot."
"Your spot?" She asked.
"My spot." Dean repeated, "This is where I go when I need to think about stuff. This building is my mom's business, so I'm allowed up here."
"Really?" Julie asked, "That's interesting. And ironic."
"It is." Dean said, "So, what's wrong Jules?" Julie furrowed her eyebrows, "You weren't crying for nothing."
"It's nothing." Julie replied.
"That's bullshit and you know it, Julie." Dean said, "Seriously, what's wrong? Is it your stepmonster again?" Julie sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I figured. She seems like a bitch."
"You don't even know her."
"I've heard things about her from you and that's all I need to know." Dean replied. Julie sniffled and tried to stop herself from crying again, "Calm down, Jules. It's okay." It was obvious that Julie was tensing up and it wasn't helping her, so Dean took it upon himself to help. He rested his hands gently on her shoulders and began to gently massage them, "It's okay, Julie. I'm here for you." He said, feeling her loosen up, "Don't worry about her, she's not your problem. Besides, you only have a couple of months before you go back to Eden Hall and then you won't have to deal with her."
"That's too long." Julie replied. "She's going to break me."
"Not if you don't let her." Dean said, "We have next year at Eden Hall, then the year after that and then you're home free." He added, "You only have to deal with her a little longer and then you're out of there."
"What if I can't deal with her, even just for a little while longer?" Julie asked.
"You're stronger then her, Julie." Dean said, "Just remember that and she can't get to you. She'll make you angry, but she's lower then you."
Julie turned and Dean let his hands slide off of her shoulders, "Thanks Dean." She said.
"No problem." Dean replied. To his surprise, Julie leaned forward and hugged him, "Um... Thanks." Julie smile and swept her hair behind her ears. Dean could help but notice how kissable her neck looked as she did this. Julie looked up at him and got lost in his eyes. She had never noticed that they got lighter the closer they got to his pupil, "Julie?"
"Oh, sorry." Julie said, "I've just never noticed that you have nice eyes." Wait a minute, did she just say that?
"Thanks." It was at that moment that Dean noticed how close Julie still was to him. Not able to help himself, Dean leaned forward and kissed Julie on the lips. Julie was shocked, but she decided to go with it, much to Dean's amazement. Julie's lips were soft and addictive to Dean and his were the same to Julie. She ran her hands up his arms and shoulders, resting them on neck. Dean, on the other hand, cupped her cheeks in his hands and pulled back, "Wow." He whispered.
"Right back at ya." Julie said, lowering her hands. Dean smiled and ran his hands down Julie's arms, "But don't get cocky."
"Not cocky. Confident." Dean replied.
"Really?" Julie asked, "And what are you confident about now?"
Dean chuckled, "That you're going to kiss me again."
Julie shrugged, "Sometimes it pays to be confident." She said, resting her hands on Dean's arms and pulling him towards her, their lips meeting in a soft and gentle kiss.
One more chapter everyone! I can't believe that it's almost over! Who wants me to write a sequel? Or should I just end it after the next chapter? I want to know what you want!