A STEP BACK INTO THE PAST
Hey y'all! 'Nother story for ya'. Thanks to Ty who gave me the idea. Hope you enjoy it.
Also, most of my other stories have already been written, I'm just looking over them and seeing if I should rewrite anything. This just… seemed good so… here ya go…
***
The Mighty Duck's belong to Disney. So… That means they don't belong to me… and that I'm just borrowing them. J
***
"NOSEDIVE!!!"
"WHAT?"
"WHERE'D YOU PUT MY JERSEY?"
"I'M WEARING IT!" Wildwing stuck his head out of his room.
"WHAT? WHY?" he yelled down the stairs.
"CAUSE IT'S CLEAN." Came the child's reply. A grin could be heard in his voice, causing Wildwing to sigh.
"MOM!!!" he bellowed, coming out of his room. He had a goalie mask in one hand and a hockey stick in the other.
"NOSEDIVE, GIVE YOUR BROTHER BACK HIS JERSEY!" came a calm feminine voice.
"AW! BUT I LIKE IT!" came Nosedive's muffled voice. Wildwing came down the stairs and glared at the eight-year-old who held it out to him.
"You better not have gotten it dirty." He growled. Nosedive frowned at him then made a face and turned away to the living room where an older male duck with gray feathers and short black hair sat watching a cartoon. Nosedive merely ran up to him and leapt into his lap, giggling as the older mallard tickled his sides, causing him to slide down onto the floor. Wildwing frowned and slipped the shirt on, looking at the front for any food that could have been on it. It was spotless. A grown female duck with tan feathers and strawberry colored hair smiled at him as she handed him a fruit bar.
"Good luck with your game today Wildwing." She said softly. He nodded and looked back in the living room where Nosedive was now talking away to the one who held him in his lap. She noticed the look and frowned. "Is it so bad that your brother is getting attached?" she asked. He frowned at her.
"Depends." He said shortly.
"On what?"
"On how long it is before you folks decide you don't want us either." Wildwing said curtly, giving her a dark look and then heading out the door. Nosedive looked up at the woman in confusion.
"What's wrong with Wildwing?" he asked.
"Nothing." She said, giving him a weak smile, and then her husband an icy glare. "I didn't hear you helping any." She told him, hands on her hips. He shrugged.
"Nosedive was just trying to give his brother good luck." He stated with a smirk. At the look his wife gave him he sighed. "Linda, I promise I had nothing to do with it." He said.
"Oh is that right Ray? Then how'd he get Wildwing's shirt?" she asked.
"I took it out of his drawer!" Nosedive exclaimed happily. "I figured since Wing said I was really good a hockey, then if I wore his shirt for a while he'd win the game!" He grinned up at Linda happily as if this made perfect sense. Linda shook her head and ruffled his hair lovingly.
"Well, how about you go get dressed and we'll see if your theory was correct." She grinned. Nosedive let out a whoop of joy and leapt from Ray's lap. He ran at full speed up the stairs to his room.
"He's a regular bundle of energy isn't he?" Ray asked, standing and stretching. Linda smiled.
"He's a beautiful child." She told him as he gave her a hug. She frowned. "I just wish his brother gave us more trust." She said softly. Ray smirked and pulled away from her.
"I don't know if I was hearing things, but I believe the boy called you Mom this morning, and he left Nosedive with us without a fight this time." He grinned. She smiled softly.
"Finally." She said quietly. She looked over as Nosedive made a flying leap down the stairs landing perfectly on his feet, then grinned up at them wearing one of Wildwing's old jersey's.
"Let's go!" he exclaimed. Ray walked over and lifted him up with a loud and exaggerated grunt, placing the child on his shoulders and causing the boy to squeal and giggle as he was tickled again.
"Well come along big guy!" he grinned.
"I gotta get my skates!" Nosedive exclaimed.
"I'll get them." Linda told him, turning away.
"So who's gonna win today? The GoldWings or the Red Thrashers?" she heard her husband ask. Nosedive tisked in exasperation, putting his hands on his hips.
"You know it's going to be the Red Thrashers. That's Wing's team. He's the bestest goalie in the world!" Nosedive exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air.
"Better than Drake DuCaine?"
"WAY better!" Linda had to grin at that. This child idolized his brother, and it was great to watch and hear.
"Let's go guys. I've got the skates!"
"YEA!!!!"
"Hockey game! Hockey game!" Ray chanted, causing Nosedive to chant with him. Linda merely laughed at them both.
*-*
Wildwing leapt off the ice in a cheer as his team won four to one. He cried out as he was clobbered by a few teammates, and nearly sent onto the ice. The crowed cheered as the other team hung their heads in sorrow. The two teams had always been rivals as the years had progressed, and even now their coaches gave curt nods before the coach of the GoldWings leapt onto the ice, cheering with his 'boys'. It was great; they'd won… against an unbeatable team. He grinned as he looked at the bleachers and saw his brother cheering… along with their foster parents. He started. They came to his game? Usually they had something else to do. None of the others had ever bothered to come. He was startled out of his reverie by someone slapping him on the back in congratulations. He nodded to them and congratulated them back, then looked up in time to catch his little brother, who'd raced onto the rink and leapt onto him. Now he fell to the ice, laughing while his brother sat atop him cheering, his teammates high-fiving the boy and laughing at him.
"Nosedive finally toppled him over!" one of his teammates laughed, giving Nosedive a hearty slap on the back, causing Nosedive to cheer, hands in the air.
"Oh yeah?" Wildwing snickered. "PAYBACK!!!" he tickled his little brother, causing Nosedive to cry out in laughter.
"AAHH! I'm am being attack-a-did!" he exclaimed. The coach and the team merely laughed at them.
"Good job guys!" their coach exclaimed after the group calmed. "It's been a great season." He grinned. Whoops of joy and agreement followed his statement, along with a child's triumphant yell, which gained many snickers. "I'm hoping I'll see all of you tomorrow at my place. We are going to have a party to celebrate this win. It's not everyday we beat a straight win team at the last game!" Cheers followed and Wildwing was helped up, only to be knocked over again by happy and excited teammates. "Hey! Don't hurt the goalie! We need him for next year!" the coach called. Wildwing put up a hand.
"I'm okay!" he called. Then he 'oofed' as Nosedive leapt onto his stomach.
"You won't be for long if your brother has any say in it." A teammate grinned. Laughter followed as Wildwing nuggied Nosedive, then pushed him off him and stood. Linda and Ray caught his attention and he waved at them with a smirk, then turned and helped tackle the team captain… and then of course the coach.
*_*
"Nosedive passes the puck to number thirty-seven, then gets the puck back, avoids an oncoming player, pulls back, hits the puck, GOAL!!! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!!!" Wildwing snickered as he skated over to his little brother, who at the moment had a hockey stick over his head in 'victory', as he skated around in front of their house. They lived at the end of a dead end street, making it safe for the eight-year-old to play without worry of getting run over by an automobile of any kind. Not many puckworlders drove in the city, seeing as how everything was right there and they could skate to it, but there were other areas in which a vehicle was needed.
"Nice shot baby bro." Wildwing grinned, causing the child to open his eyes and shut his beak really fast. A grin appeared a moment later.
"Hey Wildwing! Are you gonna' play hockey with me?" Nosedive asked excitedly. Wildwing shook his head.
"Not today baby bro. I gotta do something for school."
"Aww…" Wildwing gave a weak smile at his brother's reaction.
"Maybe when I get done we can go downtown and play with some other kids. Always more fun when you have more people." He shrugged. Nosedive gave him a very animated nod, letting him know that this was okay. "See you later then." Wildwing nodded, then skated away.
"Wildwing?" he stopped and turned, looking at Nosedive. Nosedive was looking at him, then stick at his side now. "You're coming back, right?" he asked. Wildwing gave him an odd look.
"Course I am. If I didn't, how could I take you downtown to play hockey?" he asked. Nosedive gave a weak smile and a shrug. Wildwing smiled back, skated over and lifted Nosedive up and into a hug. "You take care today, okay baby bro?" he asked as Nosedive hugged him back tightly.
"Okay." He let Nosedive down and smiled, then reached out and ruffled the boy's blonde hair.
"See you later." He grinned. Then he skated off again. Nosedive watched him go, then lifted a hand into the air.
"BYE WING!!" he yelled. Wildwing turned, skating backwards, and waved back, then turned back around again. Nosedive watched him go, then got back to playing, less enthusiastically. After a while he sighed and tossed the stick into the barrel he was using as a hockey net, pulling it off the street and up to the garage on his house. When he turned back around, a large truck was turning into one of the larger houses down the street. He watched curiously from the porch as Linda McDrake walked out the front door.
"Hunh. Someone's moving into the old Lightfeather house." She stated. Nosedive looked up at her.
"House? That place looks like a giant ghost hotel!" he exclaimed. Linda gave him a frown and ushered him inside.
"Come on Nosedive. Your lunch is ready." She told him. He complained but did as he was told, Linda watching the van a while as he went in, then following.
*-*
Wildwing frowned as a duck his age with golden feathers sat near him in his biology class. Canard Thunderbeak was his name, his father one of the higher-ranking generals in the military, next to McMallard that is. As Canard looked over at him, he looked away, opening his book. Military brats were annoying people and he didn't want anything to do with this new one. Besides, he'd probably be moving soon anyway. No family kept him and his brother for long. Class began, the teacher standing and passing out some papers to everyone.
"Class, today we're going to be getting together in groups of two. Your partners have been picked out for you, their names are on the top of your papers…" the rest went in one ear and out the other as Wildwing spotted the name on his paper. Canard. Humph. He would be stuck with the new guy… then again; he was pretty new as well. People began moving around and he frowned as Canard walked over and took a seat next to him.
"You're a McDrake?" Canard asked suddenly. Wildwing looked up at him funny.
"Yeah. Why? He asked. Canard shrugged.
"A Ray McDrake came by with his wife last night around ten or something to help my parents get some of our stuff set up. You don't look like your parents." He stated, opening his book and then looking at the first problem they had to do. Wildwing frowned, looking down at the paper as well.
"They aren't my real parents." He muttered. Canard looked at him.
"They your and aunt and uncle or something?" he asked. Wildwing suddenly glared at him.
"Look. Why are you prying into my private life? We've got more important things to do. Okay?" he asked. Canard sat back, a surprised look on his face as he blinked at the teen before him.
"Okay! Geez, I'm sorry. I was just curious." He stated. Wildwing grunted something and Canard quieted. It wasn't going to be easy to make friends with this guy at all. He frowned. And knowing his mother he'd be seeing a lot of this guy in the coming weeks…
It was later that evening that Canard found himself sitting on the curb as he watched Wildwing goof off with some kid as their parents sat inside talking after the dinner they'd all shared. Canard frowned. The kid was incredibly annoying, all through dinner the little squirt was saying something goofy and joking. It was weird, usually dinner was spent in silence at his house. Wildwing hadn't even fussed when Nosedive had reached over and stole a biscuit off his plate with an insane little grin, which disappeared when Wildwing calmly reached over and took a piece of meat from Nosedive's plate. Now Canard watched as the two wrestled on the ice, Nosedive leaping over his brother who caught his leg and pulled him down. How they managed to keep from cutting each other with their skates was beyond him.
"Hey Canard! Come play!" Nosedive called as Wildwing laughed at him. He was now standing on his head. Canard frowned.
"No. That's okay." He called back. "It's more entertaining to watch you two." He said sarcastically. The tone was missed by the brothers who merely shrugged and got back to goofing off again. They'd played hockey earlier, before dinner, but it had bothered Canard that Nosedive had been allowed to play as well.
"Canard. Time to go." Came a deep voice that demanded attention. Canard stood quickly and faced his father and mother with a nod.
"Yes sir." He stated. His mother turned and waved to the McDrake's.
"This was a nice evening. We should do again some time!" she called. Linda smiled.
"Sure! We'd love that!" she called back. Mrs. Thunderbeak merely nodded and smiled, then skated at a walk with her husband and son back to their house. Wildwing watched them go, then looked down at Nosedive who looked back up at him.
"Nice people." Nosedive quipped.
"Very uptight." Wildwing added. They both nodded solemnly, then snickered and headed back to the house.
"Who wants ice cream?" Linda asked.
"I DO! I DO!" shouted Nosedive, leaping up the stairs, then reverting his skates to shoes as an after thought. Wildwing followed him with a grin, his skates turning back to shoes once they hit the stairs.
"Me too." He grinned. Ray smiled.
"Homemade peach ice cream?" he asked. Nosedive's cheer and Wildwing's nod made him smile wider.
"Peach it is! Come on boys! Mom's got some waiting for us in the kitchen." He grinned as he put an arm around Wildwing and a hand on Nosedive, following his wife inside.
"PEACH!!" Nosedive cheered as Wildwing grinned, then joined in.
"PEACH!!" the exclaimed as one, heads back and arms up and open. Ray and Linda merely laughed at them as they closed the door. A few houses down, Canard stood on his porch watching. That family was weird…
*-*
Wildwing watched as Nosedive kicked a can beside the road. Another end of the school year, and another summer… in which Nosedive would complain about not getting any taller. It was rather concerning that Nosedive hadn't even grown an inch since he was six, causing him to look like he was some kind of miniaturized duck. There were ducks like that, but it was hard for them as they went about growing up and getting around. Not because they had any trouble keeping up with the crowd… Heck no. Some of them were the best hockey players since the days of Drake DuCaine, Nosedive's favorite mythological character. It was just that some people were cruel about their height, and Nosedive was one that the kids his age loved to pick at. Even Canard had made jokes about Nosedive's height. Wildwing frowned. Canard. The guy was seriously stuck up, one of the worst military brats ever as far as Wildwing was concerned… and on his last nerve at that.
"Wildwing, Canard's coming." Nosedive said suddenly, and softly. Wildwing turned to see Canard and Krystal Thunderbeak, his mother, skating towards them. Krystal smiled at them, flinging blonde hair over her shoulder.
"Hey boys. Enjoying your first day of summer break?" she asked. Nosedive gave her a quiet nod as Wildwing shrugged.
"It's okay." He said as Nosedive walked over to his brother and hid behind him, suddenly shy for some reason. Krystal Thunderbeak had taken a liking to him and it made him extremely nervous. Wildwing didn't blame him. Most people that had taken an interest in Nosedive had ended up hurting him sooner or later. The boy had been nervous around the McDrake's too for a while till he got used to them. But Krystal wasn't there all the time and it bothered him. That and Canard didn't like him…
"Is your mother around?" Krystal asked, waving at Nosedive who shrunk behind his brother.
"She's out right now." Wildwing stated. "But she should be back soon." He added quickly. Krystal nodded and looked at Canard, then Wildwing.
"Well then, would you and your brother mind if I kicked Canard out so he'll actually try to get to know you?" she asked, giving her son a hard look. Canard frowned, then nodded as Wildwing shook his head.
"Not at all." He stated coolly. Krystal smiled at that and turned with a wave, causing the three to look at each other.
"Hockey anyone?" Canard asked. The game was actually quite fun, Canard not fussing when Nosedive asked to play. But as the game continued, Canard started cracking cruel jokes at Nosedive and frowning at him every now and then. The final straw came when he started making fun of the boy's height again when they'd taken a break. It was then Wildwing finally lost his temper, and it was a few minutes later that Linda McDrake arrived home.
*-*
"A black eye, a busted lip, and two cracked ribs?! Wildwing, what has gotten into you?" Ray asked, standing over the teen who sat on the couch in the living room.
"He was saying cruel things to Nosedive." He stated. Ray frowned, crossing his arms.
"So that gives you a good reason to hit him? Wildwing, you could have just asked him to stop." He stated. Wildwing glared at him.
"I already have, several times." He told the older mallard. Ray shook his head and sighed.
"Wildwing, what you did was uncalled for." He frowned. "Why didn't you tell us? We're your parents, we could have done something…" at this Wildwing stood.
"YOU ARE NOT MY PARENTS!" he shouted. "YOU NEVER WILL BE!"
"Wildwing…"
"No. You're just some people who are taking care of us till you see fit to send us back to that stupid orphanage!" Wildwing interrupted loudly, his voice cracking.
"I am not sending you back to an orphanage." Ray said, his arms at his sides angrily. "I am not just taking care of you, you are my son! And I expect things of you."
"Oh really…"
"Yes, like not betting the tar out of one of the neighbors kids and hospitalizing him for a couple of words! They were just words Wildwing, there were several other ways that you could have dealt with this!" Wildwing glared at him.
"Like how?" he growled. Ray frowned at him.
"Like telling me or your mother for one." He said. Wildwing merely glared at him, a frown deepening on his face.
"But since I didn't, what are you going to do about it?" he asked snidely. Ray's frown grew and the anger in his eyes intensified as he glared at his adopted son. He raised a shaking hand, pointing at the stairs.
"Your room." He stated softly. "Go."
"What?" Wildwing asked in surprise.
"GO!" Ray shouted, startling the teen out of his anger. "You're grounded for the rest of the summer break do you understand?" he stated.
"Grounded? But…"
"No buts. Get to your room NOW!" Ray said angrily. Wildwing looked at him for a moment, then nodded quietly and walked away. Ray refused to turn and watch as he went up the stairs, but he sighed when he heard a door slam and then finally turned to see Nosedive in the doorway. He was wearing a large shirt, another of Wildwing's hockey shirts, and a pair of white boxers. He was staring at Ray, his eyes wide.
"Why were you two yelling?" he asked softly. Ray looked at him.
"Nosedive, what are you doing out of bed?" he asked softly, walking over. He stopped when Nosedive backed away.
"Are you going to send us away?" he asked suddenly. Ray looked down at the boy in shock, then kneeled, shaking his head.
"No, I'm not sending either of you away. I'm just disappointed in your brother right now." He admitted. Nosedive inched closer to him warily.
"Why? Because he hit Canard?" he asked. Ray nodded.
"Yes, and because he hurt Canard. He didn't tell us anything was wrong… and families don't do that." He said softly. "And we're a family now, so we need to tell each other when something's wrong, or when someone or something is bothering us. That's what families do." He explained. Nosedive looked at him.
"Me and Wing do that all the time." He said softly.
"Yes, but you two need to talk with me and Linda too Nosedive. We're family now too, and we're never going to send you back to the orphanage. I promise." Ray told him. Nosedive merely looked at him, his eyes searching the man before him. Then with a strangled cry he leapt into the mallards arms.
"I don't want you and Wing to fight!" he sobbed, his arms around Ray's neck. Ray was startled for a moment, then slowly hugged the crying eight-year-old, trying to comfort him.
"It's okay Nosedive." He said softly. "I'm sorry. Everything's going to be okay. Wing and I won't fight anymore. I promise." He quieted as Nosedive's sobs became louder and he merely held the boy, not noticing that Wildwing was watching from the top of the stairs, crying as well.
*-*
"Nosedive McDrake, get your tail feathers back in here this instant!" Linda yelled. Nosedive peeked around the corner of the stairs.
"No way!" he called as he spotted Canard and Wildwing. The two had made up and surprisingly become good friends.
"Aw come on Nosedive!" called Wildwing good-naturedly. "Dad's letting me out without supervision for the first time in two months! Come on! It'll be fun!" he exclaimed. Nosedive sighed and muttered something, then walked out wearing some of Wildwing's old clothes, which surprisingly fit him now. He was now as tall, if not taller, then most of the nine-year-olds his age, his birthday having come over the summer break.
"Guess I can't call you midget any more, huh?" asked Canard. Nosedive gave him a weak grin.
"Nope." He stated.
"Come on guys, I want to see the first major league game of the season before my 90th birthday." Wildwing quipped, pushing the two out the door.
"You three be careful!" Linda called.
"We will!" Nosedive called, then cried out as he about fell over. Canard caught him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back up.
"As long as Nosedive keeps his balance that is." Wildwing grinned. Nosedive made a face.
"You do know that DuCaine was a klutz at my age, right?" he asked with a mischievous grin. Canard snorted and Wildwing shook his head as he snickered.
"Yeah right." He stated.
"No really! He was!" Nosedive exclaimed as they left the neighborhood and entered shopping area of the city. "I read it… in a book…"
"You actually read?" Canard asked.
"Yeah. Comic books." Wildwing grinned at his brother. Nosedive made a face.
"Whatever." He stated, slightly miffed. Then he grinned. "Race you two slow pokes to the rink." He grinned.
"You're on." Wildwing grinned back. The three looked at each other, then took off at full speed. Upon reaching the base of the statue of Drake DuCaine, Nosedive stopped and turned to the other two a short ways behind him.
"I win. Entrance to the rink, over there." He said, pointing.
"Why'd you stop then?" Canard asked.
"Not allowed to go so fast around lots a people." Nosedive stated. Wildwing merely ruffled the boy's hair.
"It was fun anyways." He stated. Then he nodded at the two. "Come on. If we hurry we can get good seats." He told them, not noticing the silent glares between Nosedive and Canard. They nodded as one and followed him in. Neither willing to admit to Wildwing that they couldn't stand the other.
Maybe one day they would come to terms, but that my friends is another story…
END