Disclaimer: I don't own the Ducks, I only own a few of the people in this story!

Storyline: Picks up slightly after Golden Mask, ended (yes you should read that before this one to understand the relationships and crazy people I mention!) Julie returns to college for her senior and last year with the Ducks. Her new found status causes some problems, and so do some things from her past. Oh yeah plus there's this guy in her life, what's his name? Oh yes, Dean! :o)

Hope this story can somewhat live up to the previous, no clue what will happen (hum help please?) I just thought I'd write up a chapter and post it, see what ideas float up. I'll hush now, on to it!

The sun rose and slowly illuminated the room, despite the drapes making their best effort to stop it. Julie rolled over having long since been awake. She turned her head and smiled at the sun.

"Finally." She smiled then leaped from bed.

Quick to shower and dress, she walked over and flung open the drapes to gaze outside. The morning dew made the trees and grass shimmer, matching her mood. She smiled seeing the horses and riders making their way to the track for a little exercise. After taking in the morning she jogged down the stairs, turning the corner and halting to not slam into her mother.

"Happy are we?" Her mother asked.

"Yes I am." Julie beamed and walked on towards the kitchen.

"Morning Miss Julie." One of the new maids greeted her as they passed.

"And a good morning to you." Julie smiled, then pulled open the door and walked into the kitchen.

"Gezz is the sun up or is just that million watt smile of yours?" Daniel asked smiling.

"I'll bet on her smile." Her grandfather nodded as she hugged him.

"Can't wait to get out of here can you?" Meg winked, "Perhaps that has to do with someone?"

"It's not that I'm wanting to leave you all it's just I'm finally going to be able to focus on hockey this year without all the money worries and everything else!" Julie shrugged picking up her coffee. She paused then added, "And maybe seeing someone is the other half of my happiness." She smirked.

"I knew you and Latin boy had a thing going." Daniel taunted.

"Please don't tell Dean, he'd be crushed!" Julie laughed.

"More like he'd crush Luis." Meg laughed.

"I like that kid." Her grandfather chipped in.

"Glad he meets approval." Julie giggled.

"He made it threw the summer from hell around here, I think he can get threw anything in life now." Meg shook her head.

It had been two months since Mitchell was arrested. He was now awaiting transport to a higher security prison, after being convicted of a long list of crimes. Some that even they weren't aware of till weeks after his arrest. Alex had for the most part steered clear of everyone; he was currently in Japan. Her mother was a different story she stayed in Maine at the house once she returned from Florida. She'd strangely stayed out of Julie's way for the most part.

"So how do you think you guys will do this season?" Daniel asked.

"Pretty well I'd say. It's our last year together so maybe we can have that Ducks magic all season long." Julie smiled.

"Just have to come see you play more this year." Her grandfather smiled.

"Well the jet is yours whenever you want it!" Julie smiled.

"The goalie with her own private jet, a bit scary." Daniel grinned.

"I promise no temper tantrums on the plane ok?" She laughed.

"Good girl." He nodded.

They ate breakfast and enjoyed themselves. Long after Julie found herself walking around the grounds taking it all in before she left it again. She walked threw the gardens smiling at a certain bench, then past a lake, finally ended up at the stables. She patted the horses then watched a few jog around the track. She walked back to the house and up to her room where she found Daniel waiting.

"Hey I need to talk to you about something." He said rather hesitantly.

Julie gave him a strange look then answered, "Ok go ahead."

"I've done something." He stated then continued after she gave him a stare as if to say, "And."

"I don't think you're going to be very happy with me Jules." He said with a slight laugh.

"Oh man what now?" She asked sitting down.

"Well no arguments over this but, I've rented you an apartment close to school." He finished while she just stared at him.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I want you safe, this place has multiple guards on duty at all times, the doors are always locked any guests will be announced before being allowed upstairs." He said handing her a small booklet.

"So this is the place huh?" She said flipping threw it.

"Yes, nice isn't it?" He asked standing next to her.

"Actually it is. Very Italian in design, I like that." She mused.

"So I'm not going to get beat down for this?" He asked with a smile.

"No, not yet anyway. To be honest I've been on edge a bit more then normal. You'd think I'd be worry free by now." She sighed.

"You've been so full of worry for so long Jules, it will take time." He said putting his arm around her.

"I suppose so." She said looking at the booklet. "So how big is this place, details and so on?" She asked looking up at him.

"Well your place is two bedrooms, full kitchen, two baths, large living room and your own personal roof." He smiled.

"A roof? My place is the top one?" She asked with a laugh.

"Yes it is, the penthouse sort of. The roof is something, looks like an Italian garden lots of trees, plants seating areas and even your own small pool and hot tub." He nodded then added, "So who's the best big brother in the world?"

"Gee that's hard, let me think about it." She laughed loudly at the warning look on his face then hugged him. "You are of course. Only brother I have." She smiled pulling back to look up at him.

"Got that right." He smiled pinching her on the nose. "I'm coming with you today show you around get you all settled in."

"Ok." She smiled, "Meg too right?"

"You know it, she wants to design your place. She's really obsessed you know." He shook his head.

"I'm not obsessed just hyper." Meg said walking in. "So Jules about your place."

"Go Italian." Julie laughed. "It's that style anyway just make me feel like I'm in Tuscany!"

"Right, good call." Meg nodded.

"You have now given power to a designing monster." Daniel shook his head.

"I think she would make a come back to you but she's too far gone to Tuscany to answer." Julie laughed watching Meg flip threw her lap top designs.

"Whatever makes you two happy." Daniel smiled at both of the girls, who both paused to smile back.

"You trained him well." Julie said standing behind Meg's chair looking over her shoulder at the computer.

"Yes thank you, it was touch and go there for awhile. But I think he's finally gotten the idea." Meg giggled at the glare they both were receiving from Daniel.

"I'm leaving now, before I do or say something you two will never let me forget." Daniel laughed kissing his wife, then patting his sister on the head.

"He's the greatest." Julie smiled.

"And he adores you, as do I sis." Meg smiled up at her, a smile that Julie returned fully.

"Wait go back!" Julie yelled pointing at the screen. "That bed." She continued once Meg returned to the previous picture. "I want that bed! And that mantel over the fireplace and that sofa in the background! That is my bedroom!"

"You want the wine red curtains too?" Meg asked laughing.

"Yes all that, the roman columns, the overly dramatic curtains everything." Julie smiled.

"Yes mam!" Meg laughed picking up her cell to begin ordering.

"Thanks Meg." Julie smiled, while Meg winked and nodded as she talked on the phone.

Julie glanced around her room a bit more then headed down the stairs, leaving designing Meg to her task. She heard a familiar humming coming from the library and entered seeing her grandfather smiling looking threw a book.

"What's that?" She asked walking over to him.

"You." He smiled glancing up at her.

"Me? That's scary." She laughed sitting down beside him.

"Look at that mane of curly golden hair you have there missy." He laughed looking at the expression on her face.

"Thank goodness for things to straighten this hair. I fear what everyone would say if they saw my mess of curls." Julie laughed.

"I'm sure they'd love them." Her grandfather paused then added with a sparkling gleam in his eyes, "I'm sure some more then others, Especially a certain young man."

"Grampie!" Julie laughed and blushed slightly.

"It's so wonderful to see you smile again." He stated looking at her. "You look so different now."

"How so?" She asked.

"Grown up, but still you have that innocent wonder about you. A perfect lady, like your grandmother was." He patted her hand.

"That is the greatest compliment anyone has ever paid me, thank you." Julie smiled tears stinging her eyes.

"You are most welcome." He smiled as they hugged.

"You ready to go now Jules?" Daniel asked walking in.

"Of course she is! She's ready to get back on the ice and give them hell!" Her grandfather laughed loudly.

"That's right I am! This year will be the best ever!" Julie smiled standing up.

"I'm looking forward to it." Her grandfather said standing and hugging her one last time before she left.

"Love you grampie." Julie smiled.

"And I love you." He replied.

"Be careful will you?" She asked looking up at him, an all too familiar worry filling up inside her.

"I always am, I'm a tuff old cuss I'll be fine." He nodded then patted Daniel on the back. "I have this young man to help me if I need it."

"He's the perfect man for the job." Julie smiled at Daniel, who shook his head smiling as well.

"Hey, here's a crazy thought." Daniel added, "Why don't you come with us grandfather? See where she's going to live at least, up for it?"

"Well, I suppose I could take it." He nodded.

"Great then let's go!" Julie cheered starting for the door.

"What do you think is the real reason she's so anxious to leave here for, hockey or Dean?" Daniel asked quietly.

"I'm betting on that young man, heaven forbid it's only been a month since she's seen him. Phone calls don't satisfy her obviously." Her grandfather laughed softly.

"I heard that!" Julie yelled over her shoulder as she walked out the door with a smile, with the two men following her laughing.

Meg was waiting in the car for them and soon they were on the jet and heading quickly towards their destination. Julie normally hated being on the plane, they made her sick but today she was all smiles. Meg was too; having since gotten the bedroom Julie wanted and was now in a state of utopia designing the living room. Daniel and her Grandfather spent their trip picking on the girls and playing chess.

"Up for a game Jules?" Daniel asked after loosing to her grandfather yet again.

"Sure why not, it might last long enough to amuse me till we land." Julie said sitting down beside her grandfather as Daniel moved to a chair and shuffled the board over in front of her.

"We land in forty-five minutes Jules. It won't take me that long to beat you." He winked.

"Oh we'll see about that." Julie said with that cat lady attitude taking over.

True to her words, she beat Daniel with ten minutes to spare till landing. She made sure to smirk at him the entire time they descended and even after they'd deplaned and sat riding in the limo to her new home. They pulled to a gentle stop outside the impressive complex and one by one stepped from the car.

"Wow." Meg said looking at the building.

"Wow indeed." Julie shook her head, "Is this the right place?" She asked.

"Sure is." Daniel smiled.

"We going to stand here or go inside?" Her grandfather asked laughing at the three younger kids.

"Oh yeah sure." Daniel laughed leading them forward.

An hour later Julie was standing on the roof looking out at the view that spread all around her. She could see the school from there, the entire small downtown area and even part of the huge lake. She was off dreaming when she heard her name called.

"Julie get down here!" Meg's voice rang out.

"Coming!" She called and quickly returned to the stairs then threw the patio and into the kitchen door.

"Phone." Meg smirked.

"It's working already? And who's calling?" She asked walking forward to take the phone.

"Gee I have no idea." Meg laughed then left her alone in the kitchen.

"Hello?" Julie said softly.

"Like the place cat lady?" A deep-amused voice greeted her.

"Dean!" She laughed, "It's perfect! I so love it, wait!" She paused. "How do you have this number, how did you know about this place I just found out this morning!"

"Well, " Dean began but was cut off quickly.

"Daniel." Julie stated, "Were you in on this with him?"

"Guilty." Dean laughed. "He asked me about you living in a dorm or in a normal apartment, we both agreed we'd have problems with that. And since I could tell he wasn't too wild about the idea of you living with me and my roomies, I mentioned this place I'd heard stories about and he looked into it. And there you are."

"You two just can't stop with the protective thing can you?" She asked amused.

"Protect the ones we love miss, that is our creed to live by." He stated with mock seriousness.

"Good lord, you're not going to go all Luis on me here are you?" She giggled.

"Don't you even start with me about him! He's already called me twice today asking when you are coming back." Dean muttered.

"And you told him?" She asked.

"I might have said something about next week when classes start?" Dean said softly.

"Dean!" Julie yelled then giggled. "You're bad."

"Yes I am, and you love me for it. So I told a little white lie, can't I have a few days without him hanging all over you? He will be all season you know." Dean stated in defense.

"Yes dear, whatever makes you happy. Where are you by the way?" She asked.

"Why?"

"Just wondering." She answered.

"Miss me do you?" He gloated and she rolled her eyes.

"Maybe I do." She replied. "So where are you?"

"Well, you might want to try checking your living room sometime sweetie." He laughed.

"What?" Julie said her eyes getting a slight bit wide.

"You heard me you know a living room, the place where you find sofas and chairs, oh and sometimes boyfriends?" He replied the laughing no longer being held in.

Julie (thankful for a portable phone) walked threw the kitchen down the tiny hallway and into the living room. There she was greeted with three smiles and a moron with a cell phone waving at her.

"Hello lady." He said into the phone as she glared.

"I don't like you." She muttered hanging up the phone.

"Ouch." Dean said pulling the phone back from his ear and looking at it. "Can you believe she hung up on me?"

"Brutal." Daniel said shaking his head, with Meg and grampie smirking.

"You will all pay, oh yes you will." Julie said walking over and into Dean's waiting arms.

"Help?" Dean said over her head towards the rest of them.

"They can't save you now." Julie muttered then pulled back only enough to catch his eyes for a moment.

"I have a feeling this will be a very long season." Dean shook his head and smiled hugging Julie tighter, while everyone joined in their laughter.

Note: Ok I have no idea when the next chapter will happen (since it's not even written) but perhaps I'll get a bright idea at some point. So take this as a teaser / one time shot at trying to get a story out somehow chapter!