Chapter 6 – Injunction
The night before the trial left Ted Orion tenser than he'd ever felt in his life. He tried, for Lucy and Bella's sake, to not let it show. Bella had enough to worry about being eight months pregnant, and her due date was approaching. And Ted didn't want Lucy's head being filled with worries.
So, that night, he tried distracting himself by watching TV with Lucy – he had all the pre-season games for the Dallas Stars recorded and currently had one of them playing off his DVR at Lucy's request; she wanted to watch her "Uncle Mikey" play, and she had her little friends over, Seth Germaine and Sadie Moreau, whom she played on the Ducks with; Connie and Guy had also come by for the playdate, and were currently in the kitchen helping themselves to seconds of Bella's homemade tuna-macaroni casserole while the kids played together – or rather, Seth played by himself, lining up his action figures and stuffed animals in the very specific way he liked them to be, and screamed at anyone who dared knock them over or set them out of order, one of the many traits to his diagnosis; Sadie, on the other hand, was dressing and undressing her Barbies, combing their hair and pushing them along in the toy car. Lucy, who had no patience for dolls, watched the game with Ted. She was truly the definition of a daddy's girl.
"Lucy, don't you wanna play with Sadie?" Connie asked as she came into the living room, crouching down to her sister's level and grabbing a Barbie.
Lucy shook her head. "I hate playing with dolls," she grumbled.
"I'm not playing. I'm accessorizing," Sadie defended.
"I've tried buying her pretty dolls," said Ted, shaking his head. "She ripped the head off a Barbie. The only doll she likes is her Kirsten Larsen doll."
"But you can't play with American Girl dolls," pointed out Connie.
"That's the whole point," Ted grinned. "She likes looking at them. Just don't expect her to play with them."
Connie sighed; while it was nice that her sister and Lucy got along, they had their differences. While Sadie loved her Barbies, she hated her hair being pulled back, while Lucy had no patience for playing with dolls and loved having bows in her hair. They couldn't be more different, yet somehow, those two got along well enough, as hockey was one thing that bound them together. Ted just hoped that District Five would continue to fund the Ducks, and that the Ducks would continue to be sponsored by Jan and other small businesses so that future kids could play on the team, because Ted knew as well as anyone that opportunities for hockey only grew more obscure the older children got – high schools in Minnesota, fortunately, were able to have enough schools to form a league for the high school level, but the opportunities for young girls and people with disabilities to play were just up-in-coming. The University of Minnesota was talking about forming a women's Golden Gophers team, but that wouldn't take effect until another few years.
He was pulled away from the action of the pre-season game by the doorbell ringing, and he got up from the sofa to answer the door, seeing Charlie and Gordon standing on the threshold.
"Hey," Gordon said, "I wanted to prep you for tomorrow."
"I've already got my letter to the judge written," Ted said, beckoning them inside, and Bella wasted no time in plating up tuna casserole for Gordon and Charlie, who took the plates of food appreciatively.
"Good," Gordon said. "But I've gotten word that Weathers was initially chosen for our case; apparently, Tom Riley claims Weathers being involved would be prejudicial to the case, and he requested somebody else."
"What's he got against Weathers?" As far as Ted knew, Judge Weathers was very fair; he'd handled Ted's case with the automobile accident five years ago and made sure the perp was thrown in jail with the key thrown away.
"Apparently, Weathers's son got into a dispute with Tom Riley and the other board members. Weathers's son was hand-picked for the Varsity team and witnessed a lot of the bullying happening on campus. He tried speaking up about it and was hazed in front of the entire school – strung up from the flagpole covered in syrup and feathers and had been stripped to his boxer shorts. Weathers complained about the harassment, but Tom Riley and the others refuted it; Weathers sued and won and got them to pay a hefty fine," Gordon sighed, the frustration evident on his face as he explained the reason why this case was turning into a circus.
"So, who do we have?" Ted demanded, shocked at this revelation – he'd had no idea that something like that had happened.
"Joe Capitano," Gordon said, "'Let Them Go Joe.' So, Huddy's petitioning the court again to change the judge because he says that Capitano is personally connected to Tom Riley – they play golf together at the country club, and Phillip says he heard Tom invited Capitano to go on a cruise with him to Cancun for the Christmas holidays."
"Of course, they do," Ted sneered, nearly laughing, though it wasn't funny at all. "So, which judge are you requesting?"
"Melinda Morrow," Gordon said. "She's very fair. And she has no personal affiliations with the DA, Phillip Banks, or me. So, if she's approved, the time for our case will be pushed back to twelve noon tomorrow."
"Good," Ted sighed.
"And Simon Gibby's been turning up the heat, exposing the board members. When I spoke to Dean Buckley, more and more parents called the school to complain. They're saying if the Ducks aren't reinstated, there won't be a graduating class of 1999."
"Karma's a bitch," Ted smirked. "I'll drink to that."
"I hope after this, justice is served," Charlie said bitterly. "'Cause after what they did to Linda, they all make me sick."
However, without warning, Ted heard a loud, whooping yell outside, and a loud crash accompanied by shattering glass, and he soon heard Lucy, Sadie, and Seth screaming.
"Daddy!" Lucy shrieked as she came rolling into the kitchen; Connie had scooped her sister up into her arms, and Guy had run out into the living room, grabbing Seth as Ted raced out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and to his and Bella's bedroom, where he kept a safe that nobody knew the combination to, but he did – the combination was his old North Stars number, 21, followed by Mike Modano's number 9, followed by Basil McRae's number for the North Stars, 17. The safe unlocked with a click, and nested inside was his shotgun, loaded with birdshot – he found it ironic that he took over coaching the Ducks, yet, he, his father, and his brother took duck hunting trips together whenever they camped out in the summers.
Seizing his shotgun, he barreled downstairs just as he caught a glimpse of a hot, orange flame landing on his front lawn, and he darted outside, the cold October air biting at his skin; he hadn't bothered with a coat. He could see the fumes of a flaming Molotov cocktail, and looking into his living room, he saw a brick was there on the ground . . . if God forbid that brick hit Lucy or the other children in the head . . . no, he didn't want to imagine that happening. But what worried him more was the hooting laughter he recognized from members of the Varsity hockey team, who yelled, "Thanks for the win, Coach!"
Shaking his head in anger and disgust, he grabbed the garden hose and sprayed the fire out, the scent of burning grass filling his nostrils even as he wandered back into his home, where he saw the little ones crying in hysterics; Guy and Connie were each clutching their siblings closely to them, and Bella had her arms wound tightly around Lucy. Gordon had also barred Charlie from going outside, his arm thrown in front of the boy as he stood erect as a brick wall, and Ted noticed how Gordon had gotten Connie and Guy behind him, as though he were shielding them. Ted never thought in a million years that Gordon would like kids. But he also recalled the conversation with Gordon before he took over – these kids were Gordon's family.
Bella, on the other hand, had tears running down her face as she walked over; she looked white as she said, "Ted, in all your time coaching, we've never had this happen before, ever. If this injunction doesn't go through . . ."
"It will," Gordon insisted. "Riley's not gonna get out of this free. If this goes through and he violates the agreement, he's getting fined. And if he doesn't pay the restitution, he'll get jail time. As for what Riley, Cole, and their friends did to Linda Chavez, Huddy plans to try the other boys as adults. And the fact that Tom Riley continued allowing his son to participate in hockey despite that harassment lawsuit from Judge Weathers? Let's just say the penalties will be greater."
"Good," Ted spat. "It's about time. And add this to the list of charges you've got."
"I will." The firm conviction in Gordon's tone was only mildly comforting. Ted knew Gordon would win. The question was, would things get worse before he could?
"Your Honor," Frank Huddy said as he stood before Judge Melinda Morrow, "what Phillip Banks and I's clients demand is for accountability." He pulled out the copy he had of the Ducks' contracts. "These scholarships were an offer, signed by the recipients under the agreement that they would attend Eden Hall on a full academic scholarship as long as they maintain a minimum of a 'C' average to compete for the Junior Varsity hockey team. The Ducks – the ones who signed these contracts – have kept up with their end of the bargain. Julianne Gaffney is an 'A' student. Lester Averman is in advanced classes. Charles Conway's grades have increased significantly. Yet, the Eden Hall board members have decided to withdraw their scholarships simply because they're not 'winning' at hockey. It isn't a just cause to revoke their contracts."
"What about the pranks pulled against the Varsity team?" rounded Tom Riley's personal attorney, Alec Diegel. "It's been reported that the Junior Varsity team released fire ants in the Varsity team's dormitory rooms."
"After the Varsity team bullied them first, Your Honor," Frank argued, his voice filled with pleading. "Please, hear me out. What the Varsity team has done to the Junior Varsity team is far worse than fire ants. The Varsity team has physically assaulted Adam Banks. They pulled a dine-and-dash on the J.V. team and forced them to pay a check to the Minnesota Club that was eight hundred-fifty-seven dollars, knowing they could not afford it, which is fraud. Not to mention the recent charges of sexual assault and a DWI. If Tom Riley is going to keep his son and the rest of the Varsity team at Eden Hall Academy despite the blatant disrespect to the Code of Ethics, then there's no reason why the Ducks should be expelled."
"Your Honor –"
"No, I'm not done here," Frank said. "Tom Riley not only had had a lawsuit against him by Judge Weathers when he refused to do anything about the bullying toward Weathers's son, and he was fined over one thousand dollars in restitution as a result."
"Your Honor, I object; this is preposterous!"
"No, it's not, Your Honor. I'm arguing here that there's an apparent disregard for rules set in place and that Tom Riley and all the other board members are displaying preferential treatment to their children while jeopardizing the futures of the Ducks. He also had no right to terminate Theodore Orion from his coaching position."
"I've heard enough," Judge Morrow said, cutting both Frank and Alec off, and Gordon could see in her eyes that she was fed up. It brought him some relief that this injunction would be approved and that after all this was said and done, and he was looking forward to getting to go to Casey and Charlie and inform them that the Ducks' scholarships were reinstated. He could visualize it so clearly: the smiles on Charlie and Casey's faces as they beamed with happiness, the joy on Ted and Bella's faces when they learned that Ted would get his job back, the relief on Julie's face that she didn't have to leave Connie behind . . . those kids were finally going to get the respect that they deserved. And he knew that he could go back to California knowing that everything was going to be okay; his kids weren't going to be in danger of losing anything, and their futures would be secure.
"Thank you, Mr. Huddy," Judge Morrow continued; she turned her steely gaze over to Tom Riley. "I hereby order Thomas Riley and the rest of the Eden Hall Academy board of trustees to reinstate the Ducks' scholarships, as well as Theodore Orion's coaching position. Should you fail to do so, you will be fined upwards of twenty thousand dollars, and should you fail to pay off that debt, you will be in contempt of the court and face prison time. Do you understand?"
Tom Riley's face turned hot red; he looked infuriated, but nonetheless nodded stonily, looking as though he'd rather go get a root canal than reinstate the Ducks' scholarships. Gordon could see the cogs turning in Tom's head, could tell that the man was very close to losing it, and was surprised that Tom was keeping his temper in check. Still, when Tom nodded, Gordon felt relief flood through him, and he anticipated jumping in his car and racing back to his mother's house so that he could call Casey and Ted and invite them over that night to share the good news; he wanted to burst out and scream it to the world that the Ducks were back. He couldn't recall feeling this happy since the Ducks brought home their very first state championship win – that had been the proudest, happiest day of his life when he watched the boy whom he loved like a son score in overtime. But this came close to that moment, and as he glanced at Phillip, he saw Adam's father look as though he were biting back his smile, trying to disguise how happy he was with these results.
"Yes, Your Honor," gritted out Tom Riley, but he nonetheless shook his head in frustration that he once again lost a case.
"Case closed," Judge Morrow said, banging the gavel down. Gordon had to smile at her – she was no-nonsense; he hoped they got her when they sued the Varsity team for the sexual assault, aggravated assault, and their DWI, along with the fraud charges, because even though Gordon no longer harbored the philosophy of "It's not worth winning you can't win big," anymore, this was an exception – they needed to win. The only difference was that he would make sure that they won fair.
Later that night, he had Ted, Bella, Lucy, Charlie, Casey, and Jan over – after gathering them all up, he ordered several large pizzas from Twin City Slice, along with mussels, house salad, and buffalo wings; Ted, Charlie, and Lucy ate like horses – he'd seen Ted tuck away three whole cheeseburgers at a time and he knew Lucy inherited his appetite in addition to his athletic talent. When the pizza, salad, mussels, and wings arrived, that was when he made his announcement.
"We won," he said.
"What?" Charlie looked floored. A week or so ago, the Ducks couldn't begin to imagine that this injunction hearing would be successful. The kid just blinked at him, his jaw opening and closing several times.
"We won," Gordon repeated, smiling at Charlie. "The board will be reinstating your scholarships, and Ted, you can go back to work starting Wednesday."
Bella looked so happy, as though she might cry, though Gordon attributed that to her pregnancy hormones. "You mean –? Really?"
"Yes," Gordon said firmly. "It was either that or those board members get prison time. When Tom Riley heard that, he wasted no time reinstating the scholarships."
Upon hearing that, Lucy screamed and rolled her way over to him, flinging her arms around his middle, and Gordon chuckled as he embraced his little niece. But Ted was the most speechless out of everyone. He seemed to be blinking tears back, staring at Gordon in awe as Bella hugged and kissed him. Casey, too, looked positively relieved at the knowledge that her son would be able to stay at Eden Hall Academy for the next four years. Without thinking, she walked over to Gordon and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you," she said tightly, her crystalline eyes filling continuously as Charlie rose from his seat at the dining room table, and he hugged Gordon the same way he hugged him back in the hallway at Eden Hall when Gordon encouraged him to "be that man" the Ducks needed.
Gordon sighed, tightly winding his arms around his boy, his son, his captain, his everything, the child who had given him a life when everything had been so empty and dark. He'd been on the verge of losing his way completely – Charlie had been the one to guide him back into being something those around him could be proud of. Now, this was his way of repaying Charlie for all of the good that he'd brought into his life ever since he met him that day out at the pond when the ten-year-old boy dared his friends to climb onto the limo's room and beg for a spin on the ice.
He felt Charlie press his forehead into his shoulder, and he felt wetness there as he brought a hand upward to stroke Charlie's hair lightly; he could feel the silent gratitude Charlie was expressing as they tightened the embrace, suddenly not desiring to relinquish it even though he knew that there was food sitting there on the table growing stone cold – nobody seemed to remember that they had yet to eat dinner; they were just too relieved and happy at the knowledge that the Ducks were back and here to stay and that everything was going to be made right eventually.
Finally, he heard Charlie whisper, "Thank you," in his ear, and Gordon responded by pulling away slightly to press a light kiss to Charlie's forehead, and when he pulled away to cup the boy's face into his hands, he noticed the others had left them to have some privacy.
"You're welcome," Gordon replied. "Keep making me proud. Okay?"
Charlie entered Eden Hall the next day feeling lighter than he'd felt in days. Knowing that he and the Ducks weren't in jeopardy of losing their scholarships anymore was a huge relief. But they still had unfinished business to take care of: the Varsity team. Because now that Coach Orion was back, and the Varsity team was due to be sued for all of the crimes they'd committed, Charlie was up for one last game against them; it would symbolize a new start for this preppy school and have this place play under a new banner, one that Linda Chavez had been fighting so hard for.
Nothing could seem to diminish his good mood, even when he, the Ducks, and Linda entered the mess hall that afternoon for lunch. But before they made their way through the lunch line, Riley, Cole, and the rest of the Varsity team approached them, looking smug.
"Well, congratulations on destroying our school," Riley sneered.
"Hey, it's everyone's school, you stupid jock," Linda declared coldly – somehow, she hadn't lost her bite, though Charlie could see the palpable fear in her eyes as she hid behind him; he barred her with his arm, making sure he stood in front of her protectively. Fulton and Goldberg moved so that they were standing behind Linda, and Connie moved to stand at Linda's other side – no way would they allow the Varsity to lay another hand on her again; they might've been allowed back in under the condition that they leave the Ducks alone until they went to trial, but Charlie didn't trust them to keep true to that.
"No, it will never be your school," Riley smirked. "Don't you get it? You're our own little affirmative action, brought in to entertain us. But you couldn't even do that. Your fancy lawyer kept you in on a technicality, but you'll never belong. You'll never be anything but a bunch of losers on a free ride."
"'Free ride?'" Russ demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Look at you, rich boy! Mommy and Daddy gave you everything, huh?"
"Well, look, Ricky," Charlie sneered back, glaring at him. "We've got unfinished business before your up-in-coming court case. So, why don't we settle this fight on the ice where it belongs?"
"You know we're gonna hurt you," laughed Cole stupidly.
"Well, last time, you had an unfair advantage. You had one of us – Banksy," Charlie declared, throwing an arm across Adam's shoulders.
"Keep him," Riley taunted, and Charlie could see the flash of hurt come across Adam's face – how many times had the Varsity team alienated him over the past couple of weeks? Charlie decided that he really didn't want to know as he tightened his arm around his best friend, silently communicating to him that he didn't need those guys. "He never had the heart of a Warrior anyway."
"Well, after we beat you, the Warriors die, and the Ducks fly!" Russ declared, smirking as Riley and his friends walked off to their table in the lunch room.
"Yeah, Russ, way to make them madder," Averman commented shrewdly.
"Let's just focus on what we need to do," Charlie said to his team, leading the way to the lunch line with fierce determination. "We've gotta get to work now that we're back."
So, the Ducks are back, baby!
I stayed up until past 1:00 in the morning writing this chapter and getting it finished, so I hope you all like it and that it was well worth waiting for. I'm no legal expert, so I did my very best with writing the hearing scene. However, I didn't want to leave this story without the J.V.-Varsity showdown; it just won't be as elaborate as it was in the original film; I want it to kind of mirror the underground scrimmage the Don't Bothers had with the cake-eating Ducks in Game Changers.