Author's Note : I'm going to be starting a companion piece to this called 'What we didn't miss". You'll see

Bombay leaned back in his lounge chair as the cool breeze from the Pacific Ocean brushed against his skin. He watched the ocean as the golden California sun descended, with waves crashing onto the shoreline.

Bombay had settled into his new life in California with relative ease. The beaches with palm trees swaying gently in the breeze starkly contrasted Minnesota's icy winters. Yet, despite the golden sunsets and his dream job, Bombay's heart ached with a quiet, persistent longing.

It wasn't that he was unhappy. On the contrary, his professional success filled his days. But at times like these, when it was just him, his thoughts invariably drifted back to his former life in Minnesota.

He missed the crunch of fresh snow beneath his boots and the smells of Jan's Hasenpfeffer, but most of all, he missed the camaraderie and sense of belonging he had found with his team, the Ducks.

The distance between California and Minnesota was only two thousand miles, but at times like this, it seemed insurmountable. Bombay's mind was filled with vivid memories—not only of the wins on the ice but also off the ice, from pizza parties to campfires to his one-on-one private conversation with Charlie. Those were the memories he cherished the most.

A shrill ring of his phone broke the trance he was under. With a sigh, Bombay reached for it, glancing at the caller ID.

It was a familiar number from Minnesota. It was the Conway's number.

He had thought of reaching out so many times in the past months that it was almost a constant thought. The only thing that stopped him was Orion's insistence that he step aside and not interfere, or, as Orion put it, 'cut the cord.'

"Hello?"

There was a silence at first, followed by what he thought was a whimper.

"Gordon, it's Casey," came a familiar yet strained

voice.

"Casey, what's wrong?" Bombay asked, a knot forming in his stomach. He knew Casey wouldn't call unless she absolutely had to. They had ended things years ago, but while the split was amicable, there was still underlying tension between the two of them.

"It's Hans... He passed away," Casey said, her voice breaking.

The words hit Bombay like a punch to the gut. Hans had been more than a mentor; he had been like a father to him. Hans took Bombay under his wing when his dad died, gave him a home, and believed in him when no one else did.

"I'm so sorry," Bombay managed to say, his voice thick with emotion. "When?"

He could hear Casey sniffle on the other end of the line. She had been crying. No doubt about that.

"Last night, I think," Casey said, her voice cracking.

Neither one of them said anything. Usually, there would be an awkward silence between them, but it was like Casey understood what this meant for Bombay. He had just lost his mentor, one of his closest friends.

"There's something else, Gordon," Casey continued a note of sadness in her voice. "It's Charlie. He's really been struggling since you left."

"Okay, Casey. I'll be on the next flight out,"

Bombay said, determination replacing his sorrow.

He knew he had to go back, not just for Charlie, but for himself.

After he hung up the call with Casey, Bombay took a few minutes to grieve before calling the airline to book a flight back.

Hans had been a part of Bombay's life for so long. Sure, there were a few years, namely during university and shortly thereafter, when Bombay did not keep in touch, but other than that, Hans had been a constant in his life.

The flight to Minnesota was a blur of memories and emotions. Bombay recalled the times that Hans had sat with him on the front porch after his father had died, knowing exactly what to say.

He remembered Han's laughter echoing through the store and how his eyes would light up whenever he thought he could trick him, usually by making Bombay believe that he hurt himself sharpening skates.

Bombay even remembered the time Hans still showed up to his graduation at Eden Hall even after Bombay had yelled at him when Hans told him that he thought he was starting to drink too much.

When Bombay arrived in Minnesota, the chill in the air was a stark contrast to the warmth he had grown accustomed to in California. Jan was there to meet him, his eyes red-rimmed from crying.

"Thank you for coming," he said, embracing him tightly.

Bombay nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. "Where's Charlie?"

"He's at home with his mother. He hasn't been handling this well, Gordon. He needs you," Jan said softly.

The drive to the shop was filled with silence. Bombay felt a pang of nostalgia as they parked and went inside. The place was the same, yet it felt different without Hans' presence.

Inside, Bombay found Orion sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the wall. He looked up as Bombay entered, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and something Bombay couldn't quite place.

Orion remained solemn. "I'm sorry."

Bombay nodded as to say 'thanks' and took a seat next to Orion. "I heard things have been rough."

Orion rubbed the back of his neck. "That's one way to put it. We lost five to one to the Cardinals last night."

Bombay frowned. He knew, at least on paper, that his team should be favourites to win the state JV title. "Jan told me you also tied the Blake Bears two weeks ago."

"I've lost the team, Gordon. They're not responding," Orion surmised. "He quit, you know."

Bombay's expression grew more serious. "Charlie quit?"

It was Orion's turn to frown. "And Fulton. Although Fulton came back after the Cardinals game."

Bombay didn't say anything. He knew it was bad but had no idea Charlie had quit.

"He called me a washed-up pro," Orion told Bombay, visibly upset.

"He had no right to say that," Bombay said quietly, not knowing what to think.

Orion sighed deeply. He wanted to prove that he could do this on his own, but the team was in shambles. "I don't know what to do."

Bombay leaned back, reflecting for a moment. "When I first took over the Ducks, I had no idea what I was doing. I made plenty of mistakes." He paused for a moment. "I even tried to pressure Charlie into cheating by having him fake an injury to get a powerplay."

Orion eyes widened with disbelief. But Bombay insisted. "He quit on the spot. And I had to go hat in hand and apologize to him."

Orion raised an eyebrow. "So what happened?"

"Ended up getting invited for supper," Bombay chuckled briefly before turning serious.

"That was after talking to Hans, of course, who showed me what a complete ass I was being."

"I'm going to miss him," Orion said sadly. "I asked him what to do about the team, and you know what he said?"

"That you need to let your guard down?" Bombay said. "You need to stop shutting people out and let someone in. I understand why you don't trust me, but I hoped that you'd be able to find someone to let in."

Orion made a face. "Hans said the same thing."

"He is...was a wise man," Bombay said glumly, remembering why he was there in the first place.

The two men, one current and the one former, sat in silence, neither knowing what to say.

"I'm tired of being angry," Orion confessed. "At you. At the guy who side-swiped me." Orion stopped and then, almost at a whisper. "I'm tired of being angry at myself."

Bombay looked at Orion with compassion. "I understand," Bombay said as he reached over and touched Orion's shoulder. "It's okay to be human in all of this."

Orion closed his eyes. "I can't lose this job. Andrea and I are finally in a good place. "

"And you won't," Bombay promised.

"Thanks," Orion smiled briefly for the first time in weeks. Then he hesitated. "I need your help."

"Name it," Bombay stated.

Orion let out a laugh as if he were remembering something. Given the circumstances, he knew it was inappropriate, but he couldn't help it.

Bombay frowned. "What's so funny?"

"The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" Orion smirked. "He really does take after you. Just as cocky."

Bombay chose to ignore that comment. He knew Orion was right. Charlie had started to walk down the same path he had when he was his age.

"I still say that you could learn something from each other," Bombay insisted. When Bombay saw that Orion was still unconvinced, Bombay simply said, "Hans would say the same thing."

Orion looked over at Bombay, and their eyes met. There was an unspoken understanding. "I need to talk to Charlie anyway about something else," Bombay sighed. He wasn't ready to hear it before, but it's time."

Orion made a face. "Time for what?"

Bombay yawned. It had been a long day, and he needed to get some sleep, but he had to know the answer. "If I get him to apologize for everything, will you take him back?"

Orion thought for a moment. Conway's comments had hurt, but even Orion could see that Charlie was the heart of the team. He saw the potential, and if he looked hard enough, Orion could see what Bombay was talking about when he called Charlie the 'Minnesota Miracle Man.'

Orion was tired of fighting. He was tired of putting up defences to protect himself.

'Hans was right,' Orion reasoned with himself. If he was going to be successful, it was time to stop being angry with the world, and it started by forgiving Charlie and letting go.

"Yeah. I'll take him back."