Chapter One: Comin' In a Mess

Disclaimer: The Duck and any reference to the past movies are property of Stephen Brill and Disney. Alex and any new characters are property of me! Any songs I use are credited, and this obviously never took place. Read, Enjoy, and Review!

Comin' in a mess

Going out in style

I ain't good looking

But I'm someone's child

No one can give me the air

That's mine to breathe.

-- Oasis, "Do You Know What I Mean"

Winter in Minnesota was never really fun. Sure, sledding was pretty much guaranteed as were any other winter sports, but travel was, well, a bitch. Which was why Fulton felt especially bad for the girl currently unloading boxes out of a pricey SUV by herself.

'Great another richy.' Fulton thought to himself as he watched her through his dorm window. He was bored, and looking for anything to distract himself. His roommate, Dean Portman, had yet to return from Christmas Break, and most of the Ducks were still settling into their rooms. This new girl intrigued him; from the looks of it, she was heading towards his dorm building. He wondered who she was….in an odd way, she was sort of cute. The flashy car didn't reflect her style at all. Torn, dark, slightly baggy jeans. A black band tee-shirt peeking from underneath a gray zip up hoodie. Deep red hair. Black eye liner. Bracelets and other black and silver jewelry adorning her wrists, fingers, and neck. He watched as she struggled to open the door without putting her luggage down.

'I could offer to help.' He thought, figuring that if he did he could figure out who this strange girl was and where exactly she was living. Fulton pulled a bandana off his dresser and tied back his shaggy black hair. Deciding he was decent enough, he reached for the door handle as he pulled a sweatshirt out of his closet. The door flew open, and in fell Portman, carrying about four duffel bags, his hockey bag, and an assortment of other things.

"Ever hear of taking more than one trip, dude?" Fulton teased, punching Portman on the arm.

"Multiple trips are for wussies!" Portman yelled back. "Happy late New Year, Bro!"

Fulton laughed as Portman dropped everything in his arms onto the floor and dive bombed on to his bed. He really did have the best roommate in the world.

"Dude, where are the tunes!" Portman complained. "Our room cannot be quiet. That's like….telling us not to check people on the ice right?"

"True, dude, true." Fulton agreed, turning up his computer speakers so that the music could be heard by anyone walking in the hallway. Portman smiled and closed his eyes, rocking out in his own little world. Fulton's eyes shifted back to the window. The girl had just gone outside. It was starting to snow. No time like the present.

Portman barely even registered that his roommate left the room. That was the best part about rooming with a guy like Portman; sure, he was your best friend, but he didn't have to be attached to your hip 24/7.

"WATCH OUT!" Goldberg, the teams' goalie screamed as Fulton exited his room. Instinctively, Fulton flattened himself against the door in time to see a puck go flying bye at eye level. Russ Tyler laughed as the shot deflected off Goldberg's shoulder.

"Lucky save!"

"You wish. I've got reflexes like a cougar."

"You mean cat."

"No." Goldberg insisted. "Julie's the cat. If I want my position back, I can't be stealing her name."

"So, you're going to be 'Goldberg the Cougar'!"

Apparently, Goldberg and Russ had settled in enough to get in some practice time in the hallway. Fulton was tempted to make bets about how long this would last; the hall monitors were like Nazis around Eden Hall…especially on the JV hockey teams' floor. The team had a reputation for causing trouble.

As soon as he got outside, Fulton realized that grabbing a jacket might have been a good idea. January in Minnesota meant hockey, snow, ice, and frostbite. The girl was walking back towards the building, carrying more then her arms could carry. As she came up the steps, a small box slipped off the pile in her arms.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, trying to bend down and pick it back up, but failing.

Fulton walked slowly down the steps. "Need a hand?" He asked her.

The girl looked up. "Sure." She replied with a small, grateful smile. Fulton picked up the box. "My brother should be the one helping me, but he's fucking lazy. And my mom's probably off sucking up to the Dean or my counselor."

"It's alright. Here, let me take some of the shit for you."

The girl laughed. "Hey! This isn't shit! This I my own personal collection of items deemed worthy enough to be trapped in a dorm room until June."

Fulton laughed and opened up the door to the dorm for her. "What floor you on?'

"Second." Alex replied, kicking the door shut with her foot.

Fulton thought for a second. The second floor was his floor. "Wait, the second floor? That's my floor. It's for the JV hockey team only."

"I know." She said. "I'm on the hockey team. I just transferred here this semester. Man, you guys have a tough couch. I had to like, beg to be on the team. What position do you play?

"Left defense. You play hockey?" He asked in amazement. Sure, there were girls on his team but somehow this girl seemed like she would be more of a guitar player or rockstar then a hockey player.

"Yeah. I play wherever. I like defense best, but it doesn't really matter where they put me as long as I'm allowed to check people, I'm happy. I've been playing hockey with my brother since we were four…he's about twice my size but I can't still kick his ass."

"Will you shut up and just finish unpacking!" Portman complained, coming out of his room. "I can hear you're voice with my tunes on!" Fulton stared at him, surprised that he would be so blatantly rude to this girl.

"This is the last of what's left in the car, no thanks to you." She replied in a snotty voice.

"Wait," Fulton interrupted, seriously confused at this point. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah, unfortunately." They both replied at once. Portman shot the girl a nasty look. "Fulton, meet Alex. My twin sister."