Summary: Months after the conclusion of the Jr. Goodwill Games, Julie and Gunnar have a surprise opportunity to see each other again over Christmas. Julie/Gunnar. Multi-chap, Julie's POV. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: No ownership, no profit. No worries.

Author's Note: Today is my birthday, so here's my gift to you readers. Special thanks to Sand Sibling for the review! Hope you all have fun with the excitement of Chapter 2.

Sympathy for the Icelanders: Epilogue

Christmas Surprises – Chapter 2

"Connie!"

"Hey, Julie!" She waved at me from across the school parking lot and hurried over to give me a hug in greeting. "How was your Thanksgiving?"

"It was great – really great. Like, so great I need to talk to you about it as soon as possible – in private."

My friend was only too happy to oblige, and the instant the door to our dorm closed behind us, she gushed, "Did you hear from Gunnar?"

"Not exactly. Guess where I'm going for Christmas?"

She seemed taken aback, almost disappointed, by the apparent change of subject. "Oh, umm, I don't know. Disney World?"

I shook my head. "Even better."

"Hawaii?" she tried again.

"Good guess, but try an even more exotic island."

Connie's brown eyes went wide. "What? No way! That can't be, you're not serious. Oh my gosh, wait, you are serious?"

I nodded, practically beaming now that I could finally share this news with someone, and Connie just gaped.

"But how?" she stammered. "How is that even possible if you didn't talk to him this weekend?"

I finally explained, "His brother Mikael called me at home on Thanksgiving Day, completely out of the blue. Connie – he's offered to pay my way to Iceland so that I can be there as a surprise Christmas present for Gunnar."

At that, my friend's face exploded into just about the hugest smile I'd ever seen; it might have even been bigger than my own at the time. Without warning, she threw her arms around me and squealed with delight right into my ear.

"Oh my gosh, I don't believe it! This is incredible! Julie, you are going to Iceland – to Iceland for…how long?"

"A week."

"For a week! You're going to Iceland for a whole, freaking week to spend your Christmas with Gunnar Stahl. This is so crazy! Are you going to tell the guys now – finally?"

I hesitated. "I don't know, Con, I still think it would be better not to."

"But how long can you really keep this whole thing a secret? We ought to change your name a little to Juliet, complete with your very own Viking Romeo. Come on, Julie, you have to admit it's hardly fair to keep them in the dark like this for so long – especially to Adam. You know he's had a crush on you ever since the Goodwill Games, even if he hasn't been as obvious about it as Portman."

"Yes, yes, I know that." I sighed. "But what am I supposed to do about it? He's never asked me out or told me that he likes me as more than a friend. Am I supposed to just walk up to him at random and say, 'Sorry, Banks, you have to stop liking me from afar because I have this long-distance sort of almost relationship going on with a gorgeous foreigner whose best friend broke your arm less than a year ago'?"

Now it was Connie's turn to sigh as she sat down next to me on my bed. "I'm sorry, Jules, I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. It's just…they're bound to find out about you and Gunnar eventually, aren't they? Especially if this whole trip of yours goes well, which I hope it does. Wouldn't you rather have them find out on your own terms?"

"How about a compromise?" I suggested. "We keep quiet about it for now, but if the trip to Iceland strengthens whatever Gunnar and I have going, then I promise I'll figure out some way to break the news to the rest of the team."

She nodded, satisfied. "It's a deal."

The following month was a whirlwind of nerves, preparations, and conversations with Connie behind closed doors. When the big day finally came, my friend stayed an extra day in the dorms to help me pack before heading home for Christmas herself.

"So you're not going home at all first?" she clarified.

"Nope. Turns out Icelandair flies direct from Minneapolis, so I'm going straight to Iceland tonight. Then I'll come back to Maine via Boston and be home for New Year's."

"And what's the plan again for when you get there?"

"Once I go through customs, all I know is that Gunnar is supposed to be there to meet me."

"But he has no idea you're coming?"

"None. He thinks he's going there to pick up Mikael. We even found me a flight that will arrive in Iceland close to the same time that Mikael's flight would have, if he was going."

"How sneaky you all are. Remember your camera, too! Though I'll be curious to see if you come back with more pictures of Gunnar or all the rest of Iceland. Oh, this is all so exciting! I just can't believe it's actually happening right now."

"How do you think I feel? I'm a nervous wreck! Look at this, Con, my hands are literally shaking."

She grabbed my trembling hands, grounding me. "Calm down, it's all right. You'll be fine, and you're going to have a great time."

"But what if he's not as happy to see me as we thought? I mean, he's not going to be surprised, he's going to be stunned. He thinks he's going to pick up his brother; that's a complete mental and emotional turnaround if all of a sudden he sees me show up out of nowhere."

"Julie, just breathe, take a deep breath. Now, if I may ask, how does Gunnar sign his letters to you?"

"What do you mean? He signs his name, of course."

"No, no, before his name. Does he say 'yours truly' or 'affectionately'? Anything like that?"

I thought about it. "He usually just says 'I miss you'."

"And you're worried he won't be happy to see you?"

"Well, besides that, I've never traveled internationally before. I mean, sure, I went with my family to Canada once, so thankfully I have my passport already. But that's hardly the same as flying to Iceland by myself, going through customs, and all that other stuff."

"You should have asked Mikael about it."

"I did. Apparently he's an experienced traveler, and it did help; but I'm still nervous about it."

She was standing over my suitcase now, sorting through what I'd already packed. "A swimsuit? Seriously, Jules?"

"Mikael said to bring one." I shrugged. "Now I just wish I hadn't eaten so much over Thanksgiving."

"Well, I hope everything else you're bringing is geared for super cold weather; it is Iceland in December, after all. You should bring a couple of turtleneck sweaters. They look good on you, especially when you leave your hair down. And you do realize it's going to be dark almost all day this time of year?"

"Right, there will only be about four hours of daylight; he did mention that."

Connie smiled. "Mikael sounds really thoughtful and sweet. Not that I would know, of course, but just based on what you've told me. It's like he's already looking out for you."

"Kind of, although Lord knows I don't need another older brother. But I'm glad Gunnar has him, otherwise none of this would be happening."

"It's too bad you won't get to meet him and thank him in person."

"Yeah, that would have been nice. Maybe another time, if I'm lucky."

My friend's happy expression wavered a little. "Julie, what I'm honestly worried about is that, if you're there with Gunnar for so long, you're kind of bound to see Sanderson too…don't you think?"

I nodded, steeling my determination in the process. "I'm pretty much counting on it, Con. Can I give him a message for you, if he asks?"

"I would say punch him again for me, but I don't think Gunnar would appreciate that too much."

"Probably not." I indulged in a nervous laugh. "I'll just brace myself for the worst and expect him to be a complete jerk at every given opportunity. Sanderson, that is – not Gunnar."

"Don't worry, there was no chance of confusing the two! So, do you think you're about ready here?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes, I think I've got everything I'll need."

Of all people, it was Scooter Vanderbilt, the Varsity goalie, who flagged me down when he saw my suitcase and offered to give me a ride to the airport. Since I was going to have to bum a ride with someone anyway, I agreed. I got into the car with him and, as always, was struck by how closely he resembled Gunnar. Seriously – if you made Gunnar a little older and gave him shorter, darker hair, you'd have Scooter. I had even told Gunnar about him.

I really had to watch myself with this guy, though. If I relaxed my guard around him, it was almost like I could forget that he actually wasn't Gunnar. He was certainly the most tolerable of all the Varsity team members, and even sitting here with him now felt disturbingly natural and relaxed.

We passed the time with small talk about various classes at school and his family's plans for the holidays; surprisingly, our obvious shared interest of hockey (and goal-tending, in particular) never came up in conversation.

"Where do you need me to drop you off?" he asked when we finally arrived at the airport.

Okay, this was where things could get a little weird. "Umm, I actually need the international terminal please."

"Really?" He sounded impressed as he glanced over my way. "You're going overseas for Christmas?"

"Yeah, this…opportunity came along, and I really couldn't pass it up." I should have known better than to hope the topic would drop there.

"Cool. Where are you going?"

"Europe," I answered evasively. "Northern Europe."

"Well, which airline?"

Shoot. He would need to know that in order to drop me off at the right place. There was no turning back now. "Icelandair."

"Iceland?" If there hadn't been other vehicles moving along on all sides of us, I think Scooter would have stopped the car in his surprise. "What is there in Iceland besides that team you guys barely beat in the Goodwill Games last summer?"

I didn't know what to say; my voice had completely failed me.

"Or is that the whole reason you're going? To visit one of the Icelandic players you met back then?"

Wow. I would never have expected him to connect the dots so quickly on his own. My continued silence must have been all the confirmation he needed.

His fingers drummed against the steering wheel in agitation. "You know, there are plenty of guys here in the U.S. too – guys who don't make a habit of bulldozing your teammates all over the ice for hours at a time."

"Yeah, I know." He was starting to make me feel guilty about the whole thing; but then I thought of Gunnar, and suddenly I felt ashamed of feeling guilty. What an emotional train wreck!

"Is he at least one of their better players? Somebody I might recognize?"

"You would if you followed the Games at all. He was the top scorer in the hockey tournament…and he's the player whose shot I blocked to win us the Championship."

"No way – that guy? Somebody Stahl?"

"Gunnar Stahl, right."

Scooter shook his head. "And let me guess, even though you hardly know him, you can tell he's just wonderful."

Now I felt myself getting a little defensive. "Well, he's…not what my teammates all think he is. I can say that much, at least."

"You mean he doesn't hate you for robbing his team of the gold and probably ruining his entire life?"

"No, as a matter of fact, he doesn't. And you shouldn't say things like that; I've worked hard since then to convince him that his entire life hasn't been ruined. Actually, believe it or not, he looks a lot like you; it's kind of scary."

I think he almost laughed at that. "So, in other words, you and I might have had a chance if he hadn't been there first?"

I blinked. Well, that was unexpected! I'd no idea Scooter had the slightest interest in me; although, in hindsight, I suppose he had always paid more attention to me than to any of my fellow Ducks.

I replied carefully, "In another universe, maybe we could have worked out; although I'm pretty sure your teammates wouldn't have approved."

"And do your teammates approve of this little tryst? Do they even know?"

"No, they don't," I confessed quietly, lowering my eyes. "Only Connie knows. I really don't know what'll happen if and when the rest of the guys find out. Please don't tell them, okay?"

"They won't hear about it from me," he agreed, if only a little reluctantly. "But if you don't come back next semester, at least I'll know where to go look for you. Gaffney, just promise me you'll be safe while you're there – and smart."

His concern sounded so genuine it was almost touching; I couldn't help nodding. "I will. Thanks, Scooter."

I must have dozed off at some point during the overnight plane ride, which was very much a positive thing. There had been a slight weather delay taking off, but with the time difference added in, it was still about seven thirty in the morning on Christmas Eve when we finally landed at Keflavik. I woke up while we were making our descent and my ears started popping. It was too dark to see much as I peered out the window, but I could make out a distant pinpoint of light that might have been a lighthouse.

I tidied up my hair again as best I could without a mirror, struggling not to fret too much over it. Between following the signs and moving along with the crowds, I successfully claimed my bag and navigated my way through customs. Nothing too traumatic happened there, thank goodness. Then it was off to the ground transportation area, where Gunnar was supposedly awaiting Mikael's arrival.

By that time, my stomach was an absolute mess of butterflies and nerves. My heart pounded like a hammer inside my chest, my legs felt weak, and my mouth was dry. What if this all turned out to be a horrible idea? What if I couldn't find him, or if he wasn't there at all? At this rate, I would be lucky if I didn't faint before it was all over. Or throw up.

It was ridiculously easy to spot Gunnar once I reached the appointed place; whether that was because of his unique hair or because I'd been agonizing over this moment in my head for the past month, I really couldn't say. He was facing away from me, no doubt looking toward where he expected to see his brother coming. I approached him from behind, my "catlike" steps quiet enough not to garner his attention.

The first time I opened my mouth to speak, the words stuck, and nothing came out. I very gently cleared my throat, liberating my poor vocal chords. My voice still wasn't strong after that, but it was enough.

"Mikael says hi…"

Gunnar turned around.

"…and Merry Christmas."