Title:  Other Things to Life

Rating:  PG-13 (to be safe)  language, implied sexual situations

Category:  Angst/Romance

Pairings:  Charlie/Linda, Julie/Scooter, hints of Connie/Guy & Julie/Adam

Summary:  The gang discovers there are other things to life as they finish out freshman year in the usual Duck fashion.

Disclaimer:  I do not own the Mighty Ducks – damn it all!  Anyway, they belong to Disney, blah blah blah.  Yeah.  You get the point.

Author's Notes:  I've noticed there just aren't enough Mighty Ducks ficcies out there, so I decided to remedy the problem.  (Don't thank me yet – it might suck.)

Other Things to Life

Adam Banks skated rapid circuits on the ice – burning pent up energy.  He wasn't sure how to explain to his father that he wanted to move into the dorm. 

It all started when he and the other Ducks had talked at length a week ago after their victory against Varsity about their feelings on being at Eden Hall.  They had all agreed that they had been handed the opportunity of a lifetime when they received their scholarships, even though it hadn't been easy for any of them.  But it was made bearable because they'd had one another.

Then they began to apologize again to Adam for how they'd treated him while he was on Varsity.  They hadn't realized how hard it must have been for him to be so isolated. 

When he tried to shrug it off, Charlie Conway – team captain and self-proclaimed morale officer – had graciously changed the subject to his thoughts on moving into the dorms.  He had agreed whole-heartedly that they couldn't survive Eden Hall if they didn't rely on their fellow ducks.  And that's why Charlie decided he wanted to live in the dorms.

Charlie and Adam were the only two Ducks not living on campus.  They both went home to their parents after classes and practice and came to school the next morning.  The other Minnesota based Ducks lived on campus and went home on the weekends, sometimes taking the newer Ducks with them.  Julie Gaffney frequently stayed the weekend with Connie Moreau and her family.  The only female Ducks were easily becoming best friends – sharing a room and bonding over the excess of testosterone on the team.

When Charlie had informed them of his decision the team was thrilled.  Adam felt his stomach knot.  He had briefly wondered if they would have been as excited if he was the one make a similar announcement.

"You with us Banksie?" Charlie had said waving his hand in front of Adam's eyes.  "Looks like you zoned out on us."

"Uh, just thinking.  You're mom's okay with this?"

Charlie shrugged.  "As okay as she's gonna be.  She loves having me at home, but she understands.  And it helped her to know that'd I be home on weekends.  Besides, I think it was kinda a relief since Jake and I don't get along."  The team knew how Charlie felt about his step-dad.

Adam realized Charlie appeared to be studying him.  "Is that what you were thinking about?" he continued.  "How my mom feels about this?"

As he looked at Charlie and the other Ducks he thought they looked hopeful.  Hoping Adam wanted to be on campus too, or that he didn't want to be?  He knew it sounded bitter, even in his own head.

"Well, just wondering how my dad would react if he was in your mom's shoes."

"Are you thinking of staying on campus, too?" Dwayne asked and he looked almost excited.

"Come on, Cake-Eater," Julie implored.  "Just think about it.  We'd all be together, like the ducks we are."  He nearly gave in to her pleading, smiling face.

"It'd be great," Charlie insisted.  "We could even be roommates.  That could be cool!"

Adam rolled his eyes, but couldn't resist the smile that came to his face.  "Yeah, that could be cool."

It was decided.  Adam and Charlie would move into the dorms.

Now all Adam had to do was tell his dad.

Charlie was packing his bags when Adam arrived at his house.

"Well, I told my dad," Adam sighed.

Charlie glanced up at him, clearly worried.  "How'd he react?"

The other boy shrugged.  "He wasn't thrilled at first. But when we discussed it dad was able to accept it.  In fact he decided it could give me even more opportunities.  You know dad."  Adam then sighed and dropped onto Charlie's bed.

"Are you sure about this?"

Adam's eyes snapped over to where Charlie stood at his closet.  Charlie could see the way Adam was studying him and understood that Banks was still unsure about his place amongst the Ducks after the way they treated him when he made Varsity.

"I would understand it you didn't want to stay on campus.  But I gotta say, we'd be disappointed.  Everyone's looking forward to being all together in the dorms.  And I think we're gonna have fun as roomies."

Adam smiled, reassured.  "I'm okay.  Ducks flock together you know."

Charlie chuckled.  "I know."

"Where you want this man?" Portman asked as he easily carried Adam's box of trophies into the room.

Adam looked up from where he was unpacking his clothes.  "Um, just set it on the desk."

Portman just gave a short, satisfied nod and unceremoniously dropped the box onto the surface, causing Adam to flinch.  "Sorry man," he said then went out to retrieve another box.

Charlie entered after Dean was gone, dragging his large suitcase with him.  "God, who knew clothes could be so heavy."

"The season's hardly over and you're already out of shape," Adam teased as he started to pull open drawers one side of the dresser, leaving the other side for the team captain.

"You're a funny one, Cake-Eater."

Fulton and Goldberg came into the room, each with a box of Charlie's belongings.  Without asking they just set them down on the desk next to Adam's trophies and trudged out to help get more of their belongings.

Charlie got up and started rummaging though one box that contained his CDs.  "Dude, I'm glad we're gonna use your stereo," he said with a smirk.  "You're system's better than mine."

"Yeah, yeah," Adam mumbled.  "Everyone likes it.  I had to convince Portman he couldn't just take it.  You know, 'cause it actually belongs to me."  Adam suddenly looked at Charlie, slightly wide-eyed.  "You know, I think I'm gonna go help bring up the last of my stuff."

Charlie laughed as Adam hurried out to check if he still had a stereo.

Ted Orion wasn't surprised to arrive at the rink later that day to see Ducks in jeans and jerseys, skating lazy circles on the ice, absently passing a puck back and forth between them.  He assumed this meant that Charlie and Adam were settled into their room.

With hockey season over, the team seemed at a loss on what to do with themselves.  He sighed, supposing he should offer some guidance.

Orion pulled out the duck call as he approached the ice.  When he sounded the call, everyone's heads snapped up to look at him in confusion.

"I thought I'd find all of you here, now that Conway and Banks are moved into their room.  I have something I wanted to discuss with you."

Charlie looked puzzled as he spoke for his fellow Ducks.  "Uh, sure Coach."

They all trailed off the ice to sit with Orion in the stands, looking confused and worried.

"No need to be worried," he assured them, reading their faces.  "I just wanted to talk with you about your plans for the off season."

Guy shrugged and glanced at the others.  "Skate around together," he said turning back to their coach.  "Find some time on the ice.  The usual for us."

Orion nodded.  "Have you given thought to other sports?  Something to keep you occupied and in shape during the school year."

"Um, Coach," Averman raised his hand and looked disbelieving.  "We're hockey players."

"I know that, but other sports would keep you conditioned in the off season.  And it looks good on college applications," he glanced around at the Ducks, gaze resting longer on Adam and Julie – the two who seemed most serious about school and college.  "Colleges like to find well-rounded individuals.  If you don't want to participate in other sports, try extra-curricular activities.  Volunteer or join a club.  Something to keep you from overloading yourselves.  While we all know you need to concentrate on your studies and keep your grades up, you could use something to give yourselves a creative outlet."

"I think we get what you're saying Coach," Julie said with a smile.  "I'm sure we'll think about it."

"Good.  That's all I ask."  Orion stood and smiled at them.  "Now, I'll let everyone get back to your fun."

They watched their coach leave before getting back on the ice.  By unspoken – and perhaps unconscious – agreement they began slow laps around the rink, discussing their coach's suggestion.

"I think it makes sense," Julie insisted.  "We would kinda be bored without anything to do during the year.  And I'm all for making my college applications look better."

"Jules is right," Adam agreed.  "Especially if we want to aim for scholarships."

"You don't need to worry about scholarships, Cake-Eater" Russ insisted, smiling to take any sting out of the words.  "But I hear ya.  I gotta get a scholarship, or my dad'll kill me."

"The question is," Charlie said before anyone else could comment.  "Do we want to, like, join some team together or something?  Or do we do our own thing?  We may end up with a few of us together."

Goldberg shrugged.  "I think we should do our own thing.  I mean, it's not like we won't be together.  We share rooms and classes.  And of course we all skate wherever we go.  And besides, we might get sick of each other if we're around 24/7.  This is the first time we've all lived together at boarding school, sharing said rooms and classes."

They all looked thoughtful and fell silent for a minute.  Finally Charlie sighed and nodded with a lopsided smile.  "It's a plan then."