Sunshine - Dean Portman - The mighty ducks 2

Part twelve

It has been said 'time heals all wounds' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone
-Rose Kennedy

Irene felt like time had stopped after her dad walked away. She felt tears threaten to drop more than they already had. She was still in shock. Her body felt like it was frozen. She wanted to run but didn't trust her legs in fear they would give out under her.

Irene's hands shook as she tried catching her breath. It was hard to breathe. Her chest hurt as she stumbled leaning against the wall for support.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked softly.

"I need to talk to him."

"Irene." Dean spoke, trying to be gentle.

"I need to talk to him. I need to." She repeated looking the boy in the eyes as she struggled to stand.

Her palms felt sweaty and her breathing was rapid.

Seeing the girl in such a distressed state made Dean worry. He managed to get her away from prying eyes and into the girls bathroom.

He didn't have much experience with panic attacks but still tried to help.

"Molly Bombay..." Irene mumbled.

"Hey, look at me.".

She stared at her shaky hands trapped in her own mind.

He grabbed her hands holding it between his.

"Try to think of something else."

"Like what?" She said barely a wishper.

"Hockey, you played wonderfully.", the boy racked his head for other things to say before continuing, "good things like your friends, family."

She looked at him and began to cry even more.

"Not family. The team think about the team. Just breathe."

He looked at the teen in front of him struggling and it made him do something he never would have done before; the last thing he could think of to distract her.

"Please don't hate me." He grabbed her face and gently pulled her closer. His lips hovered above hers before touching. Dean thought it would be quickly over but surprisingly she kissed back.

It was a slow soft kiss that was soon over.

Irene looked at him and touched her fingers over her mouth speechless.

"I'm sorry." He told her. "It was the only way I could think of to calm you down."

"Thanks." She said as he cleared his throat.

Her eyes flicked back to his mouth but she shook her head pushing it out of her head.

Her dad's words rang through her ears over and over. "Molly Bombay" two simple words yet everything seemed to make sense. To click into place. It explained why Gordon Bombay reminded her of a fatherly figure. Why the military tags she wore had the initials M.B carved into them. Irene needed to talk to him. She needed answers.

Still dizzy, she stood up, "I need.. I need to talk to coach."

Before Dean could stop her Irene started running towards the rink. Even as her head pounded and her heart ached. She needed to know what happened.

Gordon turned around to see a young teen with tears in her eyes walking towards him.

"You knew! You knew and you didn't tell me!" Tears pricked her eyes from the previous events.

"Knew what?"

"Molly Bombay." She said ice filling her voice.

Gordon didn't know what to say. Sure he had his suspicions, the familiarities between the two. Especially her laugh, it sounded just like his sister.

"I had my suspicions." He finally said after a long moment of silence had passed.

"And you didn't think to tell me I had a mom! Or that you are my uncle?" Irene cried out.

"Ire-" The coach tried to say but was interpreted.

"Did the thought ever cross your life that I wanted a family who actually cared?" Her voice said barley under a whisper.

Of course he thought about telling her. Well at least that's what he told himself. He was too wrapped up in winning to realize that Irene was indeed his niece. Sure he had suspicions but never acted on them. Never thought about it for more than a mere second.

The two just stared at each other, Irene out of words to say and Gordon too shocked to know what to do or how to comfort her.

The girl looked disheveled. Her hair was in a messy bun, puffy eyes with snot running down a teary face. As well she was dressed in her team USA jersey, though had normal clothes on underneath.

Irene wanted to go to bed. It was all she could think about. She wanted to lay down and bury herself in piles of blankets. In a soft warm cocoon of comfort.

She didn't even think about the next day all she could think about was sleeping.

The comfort of being able to forget about it for a few hours.

She made her way up to her dorm ignoring looks from people who noticed the puffy red eyed girl with a bruise forming on her face.

Once in bed Irene wrapped herself in a blanket and laid down. Staring up at the ceiling alone with her thoughts.

A hard knock disturbed her wallowing but she chose to ignore it.

"Sunshine." A voice spoke, "are you alright?"

When she didn't answer Dean opened the door with a sigh. He saw the teen wrapped up on her bed staring up.

Irene felt the bed dip as weight was added on. Dean sat next to her looking at the girl who now sat up.

"Get out."

At first he was taken aback by the anger on her face, the harshness of her voice. Her soft features turned harsh. Yet he saw through it.

He knew it was all a act, a wall she put up.

When he looked into her eyes all he saw was sadness.

"Do you want me to get Fulton?"

The young teen shook her head.

"Julie?"

Again she shook her head at his question. She didn't want to worry anymore people than she already had.

"Please don't tell them."

He nodded and pushed some hair out of her face.

"Promise me you won't tell them." She begged looking into his eyes.

"I promise I won't tell them." He said and lightly kissed her forehead yet she didn't mind.

In that moment she no longer hated him. She even found him comforting in a way.

"This doesn't mean anything okay? Tomorrow we to bakx to hating each other."

He rested his hand on hers before speaking.

"I never hated you. I just liked to annoy you."

"Well I did."

He let out a small laugh glad she was back to her joking ways.

At least, he hoped it was a joke.

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Word count: 1129

I actually quite enjoyed writing this chapter, not to mention the kiss.

Do you think it's moving too fast? Should I make it a slower burn? I do enjoy feedback on how to write better.

Have a duckie day.