Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize. They all belong to their original writers of Mighty Ducks.

It was ten years since the break-up of the Ducks. Sure, they had mostly kept in touch with one another, but it was hard when all of them were spread all over the country. Then one day, some ten years later, they had all gotten invitations in the mail to meet in L.A. and have a sort of reunion. They were all looking forward to seeing Coach Bombay and his wife, Michele, and of course, each other as well. But one of them was looking forward to the reunion for more reasons than to just see old friends again.

Julie "The Cat" Gaffney, slipped a gold earring into her earlobe and stepped back. In the mirror, she saw a pretty, blonde twenty-three year old, with straight hair, pulled up in some sort of way so that it was away from her face. The dress she had picked was maroon and hugged her curves nicely, showing that she was no longer the little girl she had been when she was with the Ducks.

With a sigh, she brushed on a light coat of lipstick before grabbing her purse and heading out of her hotel room. She clutched the bag, her heels clicking on the floor. She took a deep breath as the elevator doors closed and started taking her to the lobby. She had been waiting most of her life to do this...and it had been even more necissary after two years ago. She just couldn't keep ignoring her feelings for her own Bash Brother, Dean Portman. The last time she'd seen him was at her and Connie's 21st birthday (they were born a week apart) and he had shown up at the party in Minnesota. It had been like old times, although this time they were all drinking. When Dean had pulled Julie aside when just about all of them were passed out all over the room, she hadn't been drunk. She hadn't even had a drink all night except half a beer when she'd first gotten there. She knew that he was too drunk to remember, but she still did. She closed her eyes, remembering the way his lips had fit over hers, almost not hearing the elevator ding and the doors slide open. She shook her head and walked through the lobby to a taxi that was waiting in front of the hotel.

Up yet another elevator at yet another hotel that the reunion was supposed to be, Julie checked her apearence once more in her compact before the doors opened and she walked briskly down the hall and into the entertainment room where the reunion was. She walked through the doors and was greeted by the rest of the Ducks that were there. Fulton had brought his girlfriend, as well as just about everyone besides Goldburg, who just brought his apatite, and Guy, who had just brought Connie. Julie searched around the room for Dean, but didn't see him.

"Julie!" Gordon's voice broke her from her search. She turned towards him and smiled, only to be enveloped in a short hug. "How've you been? You look great."

She smiled up at her old coach. "Thanks, Coach. I've been fine, just keeping busy with work and all that."

He nodded. "Good, good." Just then Michele came up and started to pull on his arm.

"Charlie wants to talk to you," she said, before smiling at Julie. "Hi, Julie. You're looking great."

"Thanks," was all the goalie could say before the Bombay's walked away.

She stood where she was, clutching her purse and biting her lip. Would he even show up? What would she do if he didn't? She was so caught up in her thoughts that she barely remembered Connie pulling her over to the food table to get some snacks. The rest of the first hour went by in a blur and now she was certain he wasn't going to come.

Just as she had given up hope, she heard Dwayne's voice say, "Hey, lookit here, ya'll. Look who finally showed up!" And in walked Dean Portman. He was just as she remembered from two years earlier, although it looked like he had been working out more. Julie smiled and started walking towards him, only to have her blood turn cold. He had brought a girl, his girlfriend maybe, and she was attached to his arm. She had choppy black hair, her face was covered in piercings and five tattoos were visible due to the skimpyness of her dress.

"Hey! Jules," he said, seeing her.

Julie swallowed and forced a smile. "Hey. How-How've you been?"

He shrugged, and she couldn't help but let her eyes wander to his abs, which showed through his white dress shirt when he moved. "Alright. I haven't seen you since your 21st."

She nodded stiffly. "Yeah. Is this your girlfriend?"

He nodded and pulled the girl closer, if that was even possible. "Yeah. Yvonne, meet Julie."

Yvonne held out her hand, which Julie had to shake, just to be polite. "Nice to meet you," she managed to say.

"Yeah, of course. Its always nice to meet some of Dean's old friends," his girl said a little to cheerfully.

Julie couldn't say anything. She had been the only girl he had ever let call him Dean. Everyone else was Portman. What was so different about this girl?

"Hey, Jules. Where's Fulton?" Dean suddenly said.

"Talking to Averman," she mumbled. He flashed a smile at her before walking towards his old buddy. Julie watched them go, staring at his arm that was snaked around Yvonne's waist so low that he might have been fingering her. She bit her lip, her vision starting to blur from tears. She pushed her way passed Charlie and Jesse and rushed into the bathroom. Once inside, she put her hands on the cold counter top and leaned over the sink. A moment later, she let out a sob and then the tears started falling.

How could she have been so stupid? She had never thought that he'd bring a date! And what was she...just one of his 'old friends'? He didn't have the slightest interest in her and she knew it. She had been kidding herself this whole time and that one kiss at the party years ago had just been because he was drunk; that was it.

"Julie?" Connie's soft voice brought back to the present and Julie felt her friend's hand on her back. "Are you alright?"

Julie sniffed, standing up straight and wiping the tears off her cheeks before looking in the mirror. Her mascara had run and it left dark lines down her cheeks. Great. "No, Connie, I'm not alright."

Connie gave a light sigh and leaned up against the counter. "Is it Portman?"

Julie nodded.

"It's because he brought that girl with him, right?"

Another nod.

"Well look, Julie, it's his choice to be with that slut. Now that he's seen what you look like now...he knows how stupid he is and exactly why you're too good for him."

"But I don't want to be too good for him! I want him to like me...even just a little bit. Do you know how embarressed I'd been if I told him that I love him and he didn't even like me the slightest bit?"

Connie sighed and put an arm around the other girl's shoulders. "I know how you feel. But how do you know he doesn't like you?"

"How do I not know?" Julie shot back, turning around and starting to fish through her bag for her mascara.

"It wouldn't hurt to try," Connie protested.

"Yes it would, okay? Do you know how humiliated I'd be if he said something like, 'Oh Jules, that's sweet and all, but I just like you as a friend'. I mean, if he said something like that, I would just want to curl up and die." She washed off her cheeks lightly and started to apply the make-up, her hand steady even though she was angry and sad and very confused.

Connie sighed. "Look, just give it a try. What's life without some risks?"

Julie looked over at her. Connie was right. What did she have to loose? She lived in Maine and he lived in Illinois...If things didn't go well, she would never have to see him again in her whole life. She turned back to the mirror and finished fixing up her mascara. "Fine. I'll tell him."

"There's my girl!"

Julie smiled. "Thanks, Connie." After she hugged her friend, Julie walked back into the room. She saw Dean and Yvonne standing there and talking with Fulton and his girl, Sarah, and she walked in their direction. Once she got close, she walked by Dean so close that their bodies touched. She continued walking towards the exit, while he had stopped talking and was watching her go. Once Julie was out of the room, he looked down at Yvonne.

"Hey, I gotta go for a minute," he said, pulling his arm away from her waist and pushing her arm off of him. "I'll be right back." Not waiting for her to answer, he jogged out of the room just in time to see Julie walk into the elevator. "Hey!" he called, but when he got there, the door was closed. A long string of curses was released from his mouth and he ran over to the stairwell, yanked the door open and jogged down them. Once he got to the lobby, he looked around for Julie, but there were so many fancy dressed people in there that he couldn't find her right away. When he finally did, he saw her walking out the front doors. Muttering "Get Outta My Way"s, he pushed through the crowed and reached the doors. He pulled one open and the chilly night air hit him. He looked around the courtyard and saw her sitting on the lip of the big fountain in the middle of the courtyard. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked briskly over to her.

"Hey," he said, sitting down next to her.

She turned her head to look at him. "Hi."

"What're you doin' out here?"

"Just needed some fresh air, I guess," she said with a shrug.

"Oh my god, you're freezing," he exclaimed, seeing the goosebumps on her arms. "Here." He pulled off his jacket and put her over her shoulders.

Julie closed her eyes and looked down, feeling the warmth of the jacket only on her skin; she still couldn't get that picture of his arm around Yvonne. "Do you love her?" she asked suddenly.

"Who? Yvonne?" He scoffed. "Hell no. I just saw her at a bar here yesterday and asked her to come along."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "'Cause I knew that everyone else would bring dates and I didn't want to be the sore loser." He paused. "Speaking of, where's your guy?"

"I didn't bring one. I guess that makes me the sore loser, huh?" she asked, looking over at him, her eyes glossy with tears.

There was a pause where he just looked into her eyes, remembering, contemplating...she didn't know. "You're not the sore loser, Julie. At least every one else brought along people they love."

"Even Goldburg. We all know he loves his apatite," she said with a short laugh.

He smiled and looked down. "Yeah, true."

They were silent for a while, Dean staring at the ground in front of him and Julie just watching him. Finally, he sighed and looked over at her, shocked at her intense stare.

"Jules?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you bring a date?"

She took a shaky breath and let it out. "Well...I came here in the hopes of telling one of my old friends something."

"Oh yeah? And what old friend is that?"

"You."

He stared at her for a minute, completely silent. Finally he found his voice. "Me?" She nodded. "What did you want to tell me?"

She opened her mouth to just blurt it out but her mind got ahold of itself and came up with something else. "Do you remember that kiss, at the party back in Minnesota two years ago?"

He nodded and smiled. "How could I forget? I figured you were too drunk to remember though..."

He thought she was too drunk? The thought took a moment to sink in before a smile broke out on her face and leaned towards him and kissed him. He was shocked at first, but put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Julie broke off the kiss just as suddenly as she had started it.

"What was that for?"

"I love you, Dean, okay? I've been trying to tell you for the past five years and I haven't been able to but...I love you." She held her breath as she watched emotions flicker through his eyes.

"You love me?" he clarified.

"Yes." Oh God, please don't let him laugh.

But he did. He broke into a smile and chuckled. "And I thought I was crazy."

"What?" What was he talking about?

"I've been trying to forget about you with girls ever since...I don't know when but it's been for a while."

"So you like me?" she asked quietly.

"Hell I might even love you, Jules."

A smile slowly broke over her face and she laughed. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that, Dean Portman."

"Well I always know what to say, right, Julie Gaffney?" He raised his eyebrows and smiled before kissing her.

Lost in their own passions, they let go of the hands that were holding them up and stopping them from falling and both fell back into the fountain. Dean cursed and sputtered and Julie ended up coughing and laughing. Dean soon joined in and stood up, holding a hand down to help her up. She took it and they stepped out of the fountain, wet from head to toe. Still laughing and not caring what the other people around them thought, they made their way inside and back to the reunion room. Of course, that was after they had kissed some more in the elevator.

Once they turned the corner into the entertainment hall, everyone inside stopped talking and turned their way. They just stood there, Dean's arm around her waist and Julie's around his. Finally, Gordon Bombay took a few steps into the middle of room and looked at his Ducks, now older but still his Ducks.

"Do we want to know what happened?" he asked, a slight smile on his lips.

Julie glanced up at Dean, who smiled at her, then back at her old coach. "No, I don't think you do."

A/N: just a little fluffy thing I thought of after I watched Mighty Ducks 2 the other night. And if you didn't guess, Bombay's wife is Miss McKay the Ducks' old tutor.