After coming back from the beach yesterday, we, as in the rest of the team, didn't see Charlie, Guy, Luis, Ken, Fulton, or Dean at dinner or breakfast today. It was very odd.

What was even odder was that there was a necklace in my bag, in the front pocket of my jean shorts. Connie, Jules, and I had decided to open it in our room to see what it was. Connie and Jules almost passed out when they saw it was a necklace with my nickname. The box wasn't wrapped but had a green bow on it. The green like our old jerseys. The Ducks specialty green. On the inside of the lid, there was a poem written for me.

"Wear this for me,

Close to your heart

I will always be there for thee."

I knew it was from one of the guys cause Gunnar and Olaf aren't the types to write poems. We didn't really have much to go off of but Julie and Connie pinned down two suspects, Dean and Adam. I told them it wasn't Adam because we were only friends, but they didn't think I was thinking straight.

I decided to wear the necklace with my Team USA jersey, some dark wash capris, my high top black Converse, and my lucky hockey bracelet Charlie got me for my birthday. Then I took the bow from the box and wrapped it in the back of my hair with my ponytail.

When we all got breakfast, Jules and Connie were walking shoulder to shoulder with me in the middle, taking our food to our table. Miss McKay also decided to join us at the wood circular table.

"Good morning ladies." She smiled, setting her bowl of oatmeal down, before sitting in the matching wood chair.

"Morning Miss McKay." The three of us said in unison, smiling at the blonde.

Miss McKay admired my new necklace, hanging from my neck, "That's a new necklace."

"Oh! Yeah!" I chuckled, looking down and playing with the chain. "I found it in with my things yesterday when we were all at the beach."

"Ya, her "secret admirer" got it for her." Connie teased, playfully elbowing my arm before I playfully hit her back.

"It definitely suits you." She smiled.

The four of us ate our breakfast and talked about our time at the beach. Jules even asked Miss McKay if she's seen Charlie, Luis, Ken, and Guy this morning. My stomach sank when she said no.

On occasion, I would catch Adam staring at me. I looked up from my scrambled eggs to see Adam staring at me again which made Connie and Julie look too. When we all looked away, we giggle like schoolgirls and go back to our breakfast.

After breakfast, we went to go and train. Our top priorities were to get back to the old ways of training which was to have fun, get fit, and teach Luis how to stop.

We all went to the exercise room. Treadmills, weights, rowing machines, elliptical machines, bikes, everything you could possibly think of in an exercise room was there. We took all of the treadmills there were in the room for ourselves. Connie, Jules, and I were all next to each other, running at the same pace talking and giggling.

"Nice work girls!" Coach complemented from behind us. "You especially Vicki! Keep it up!"

"Thanks, Coach!" We said in unison, smiles spread across our faces as we kept on running.

Coach came around in the front and saw Goldberg struggling to keep up, so he hopped on the back and decided to give him a boost, "How ya doing Goldberg?"

"Lean and mean, Coach!" He briefly looked back and smiled. "Lean and mean!"

Then the three of us girls decided to do some yoga together on some mats we found.

When I saw what happened to Dean, Fulton, Charlie, and Guy, I stormed over to Charlie, gripping his chin, making him turn his head so I could see all his bruises and cuts, "The hell happened to you?!" When I let go, Charlie rubbed his chin.

"Vicki, Ken has worse injuries than us." Guy tried to change the subject.

"Charlie Conway, what happened?" I placed my hands on my hips, clenching my jaw, and tapping my foot on the ground.

"We were playing frisbee and we all accidentally tripped and fell on some rocks, no big deal," Dean replied, his one eye was black and blue and half-closed.

"No, I don't believe that, your lying."

"Well, we can show ya the spot where we fell." Guy nodded his head.

I looked at each one of them to try and find a sign of them lying but I couldn't, so I walked away. Dean, Fulton, Charlie, Adam, Guy, and Goldberg decided that if we could do yoga then they could too, so they join the three of us girls.

"Ok! Downward dog!" I smiled and moved my body into the downward dog position with ease, same with Connie and Jules, but the boys all groaned out in pain as they tried the position.

Goldberg ended up tipping over and flopping on his back, out of breath, "How do ya girls do that so easily?" He said while huffing on his back.

"See females have more flexible muscles and bodies then men do," I started, rolling my back from the downward dog position to the cobra pose. "So we can do things like that."

Fulton then tried to do the same but something in his body cracked loudly, "Aw ew!" He then got up quickly before we all teased him. "That's nasty man!"

"Here try child's pose, Fulton. It's the easiest," I then went into child's pose to show him. He then copied the same things I did to achieve the pose. "See! Great job!" Then all the boys decided to do the same. "What I like to do is to sit on my feet and reach all the way out, rolling my back out with the help of my legs to give me that extra crack and stretch." I showed everyone what I was talking about, my lower back started crackling as my butt was slightly lifted in the air. Connie and Jules did the same thing and their backs started crackling, which grossed out the boys slightly.

After we finished in the exercise room, Coach had the team start from the beginning again, "You have to crawl to learn how to walk!" He encouraged everyone as they crawled on the ice with their gear on and their sticks in their hands.

I decided to throw on some bulky hockey gear myself and grabbed a stick from the rack in the benches except I kept my shoes on and didn't put skates on.

Leading the team in the front I shouted words of encouragement, "Come on team! Let's go! Let's go!" Sweat poured down my face and soaked the practice jersey. Thankfully, I changed out of my clothes and I had brought spare clothes with me when I went to practice. My necklace and my whistle occasionally clinked together on my neck while crawling, dragging my legs behind me.

Coach was skating around, slapping his stick on the ice, while examining our progress, "Come on! Move that big butt!" He yelled which made me start laughing.

Then we all did slap shot practice, like at the beginning of the Ducks, Goldberg was tied to the net while everyone took their shots, this time Goldberg was actually defending the shots and doing his very best. Julie stood off to the side with her helmet, glove, and stick in her hands as she cheered Goldberg on for his efforts. Even though I don't skate, I decided to take a few shots with the team too, Goldberg did have lots of pucks to catch but he never caught any of mine since they all flew right past him in really tricky places.

"Nice shot Vicki!" He smiled through his helmet, still defending the goal.

"Thanks, Goldberg! Your not doing bad yourself! Keep it up!" I gave him a brief thumbs-up before I heard Dean speak up.

"I thought Coach said you couldn't skate?"

I turned to him while still doing my shots, "Just because I don't skate, don't mean I can't practice." Then I slapped a shot into the net, almost like Fulton's but just at a bit slower speed.

"Yeah! Nice one sis!" Fulton cheered while still hitting some pucks.

I turned to face him down the row before giving him a thumbs-up, "Thanks, bro!"

Then Jules got switched out with Goldberg and she was doing even better, very few pucks went into the goal which was mainly mostly mine since I shot them in tricky spots.

Coach bent down and counted all the pucks in the net when everyone ran out, "Ok so why are there this many pucks in the net?" He looked at everyone in confusion, we all stared at each other in silence.

Then I raised my hand in the air flipping my stick upside down, leaning against it slightly, "That would be my fault, Coach," He just laughed and shook his head before a puck over. "Go blast another, I wanna see this for myself." Coach then stepped out of the way, same with the team, they gave me more than enough room for me to shoot.

I chuckled before flipping my stick over, playing with the puck, "Don't go easy on my Jules."

"I won't Vicki." She nodded, holding her glove up, waiting for my shot.

I thought about my shot before I took a deep inhale and exhale before I blasted it towards Jules, who moved her glove downwards in a snap. She had caught the puck. When she went to go set it back down, nothing came out of her glove, she then looked at it and shook her glove before turning around to find my puck sitting in the goal.

Someone whistled from behind me, "Damn." Guy had come up behind me, patting my shoulder, along with the rest of the team.

"Well, now we know that we have another Reed shot," Goldberg said for behind me.

Everyone started at the net and the puck, same with Jules, she was completely baffled by how it got past her.

Coach Bombay broke the silence by clapping his hands together, making the team look at him, "K team, go get your gear off, showered, and go have fun with the rest of your day."

We all cheered and dashed for the locker room showers. When I was grabbing all my things I needed for my shower, I didn't realize I had forgotten about my shampoo and conditioner, but Connie and Jules kindly let me borrow theirs. I took all my jewelry off me, except my earrings and my new necklace from my "secret admirer". The boys all showered together while the three of us girls all had our own individual showers which was nice because the boys let us have them.

While singing Come Back For Me by Jaymes Young, I was clutching on to my necklace that was still hanging on my neck and thinking about the poem that came with it. I came to the conclusion that I was certain it was Adam. It shocked me when I finally put the facts together but my heart started beating rapidly and I could feel the butterflies flapping around in my stomach.

When the three of us girls got out, I had a towel wrapped around me with a rubber band helping the towel stay in the same spot. Connie had offered me and Jules if we wanted our hair in French braids, of course, we accepted and I was the first to get mine done because Jules was trying to brush out the knots in her dirty blonde hair while looking in one of the mirrors over the sink. Then I slipped on a cream jumper that had short sleeves and pants. A matching fabric belt tied in the front of the jumper at my waist while two big pockets were above my chest. I looked like one of those safari guides except without the weird hat. I then paired it with my white Hendrix Lacoste sneakers I wore.

Jules and Connie had already finished and left the showers, same with the boys because I couldn't hear their loud mouths going in the shower room. I was doing last-minute fixes on my jumper, unzipping the zipper just a bit so you could see my necklace and not my cleavage.

"Hey, Banks! Come on!" I heard Dean hell from in the locker room.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Adam replied which made me creep out into the locker room which was a complete mess. It was like hurricane Catrina went through.

Adam was sitting on his stool near his hockey gear cubby wearing a bright red-orange Polo shirt with jeans and sneakers. His hair was all wet and combed out to one side with that swoop or wave in the front that made him look so hot.

He then looked around to see if anyone was watching him but thankfully I wasn't spotted. He then took out some wrap and slowly unrolled it, wrapping his wrist.

Then I slowly came up behind him, "Just think of how you would play with two good wrists." Adam snapped his head around, his face turning red.

"Vicki!" He then shot up from his stool.

"Adam, you didn't have to lie to me." I walked over and lightly touched his wrist which made him flinch.

"I didn't li-" Adam started but I shushed him.

"You did. Your not playing like yourself." I then pulled up a stool next to him and made him sit own.

"I'm fine, I swear." Adam protested but I continued to examine and touch his wrist.

"Vicki is right, Adam." Coach Bombay then came into the locker room, also pulling up a stool to sit in front of us.

"Coach, I'm fine," Adam repeated himself as Coach sat down.

"Ok, then let's find out." Coach got back up again and grabbed a stick, holding it out to Adam. Adam got up and threw his tape in his bag before going to grab it with his left hand.

"Adam, the other one." He stopped to look at me in disappointment before grabbing the stick from Coach with his bad hand.

Coach then gently let go, "Now rotate it," He said calmly. Adam stared at Coach, embarrassment, and disappointment washed over his face as he dropped the stick, not even trying to move his wrist. Coach shook his head, "I'm gonna have to bench you-"

"No! Coach! You can't do that!" Adam retorted.

"Adam, you could injure yourself permanently." I looked at him with worried sympathetic eyes.

"You can't bench me," He groaned. "I gotta play. All the scouts are here watching me, this is my shot!"

"Your young, you'll have plenty of shots, trust me." Coach replied Adam was still being stubborn as ever when it came to his hockey career like usual.

"But my dads counting on me."

I let out a sigh, placing my hands on my hips, looking to the ground. The three of us sat down in our stools, "My dad worked a lot when I was a kid," Coach started. "So when he made it to a game, I wanted so badly to score 100 goals for him. I spent half the game a nervous wreck, my stomach in knots." I then placed my hand over Adam's to try and make him feel better as he stared at Coach.

Adam nodded his head, speaking softly, "That's how I feel." When I pictured Phil not seeing his son play on TV, I felt heartbroken.

He looked so disappointed and upset. Then I pictured his older brother in his college dorm, bragging about his little brother and then not seeing him play. My heart completely dropped because of Banksie's situation.

"Before he died, my dad told me, that his happiest times were watching me skate on this pond we had behind our house," My head perked up at Coach's story which made my throat became hot. "He didn't need me to score 100 goals for him. He was proud of me 'cause I was his son and I did my best," when I turned to look at Adam, he was crying.

Tears rolling down his cheeks as he rapidly blinked his lashes, trying to make himself stop crying. I'd never seen Adam cry, it was so unusual but so sad. He looked so crushed and heartbroken

"I'm sure that's how your dad feels. I know it is." Coach finished.

"Same here Banksie." He then turned to face me briefly before looking at Coach.

"Thanks, Coach." He tried to compose himself, but it was failing. His voice was lower and a bit shaky.

Coach then stood up from the stool, putting it back in the spot he found it in, "All right, let's go get that wrist X-rayed."

"Ya, just gimme a minute." Adam nodded, dropping his head.

Coach then left the locker room, leaving the two of us next to each other, my hand was still on top of his, my thumb gently rubbed his hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I lied to you Vicki," Adam said with his head still dropped, staring at the floor. "I know I've never been the best man," He huffed and lifted his head, turning to face me. "Or friend for you but your love for me remains true and pure and bright and warm." He then placed his other hand on top of mine, tears were still running down his face.

"I don't care, I care about you, Adam," I mumbled just loud enough for him to hear, we then pressed our foreheads together, our noses lightly brushing against each other.

"I've loved you ever since I saw you at our first game against each other. The time we were in the alley and you defended your team. When you came to see me at my game and you gave me that stare, that look, before Fulton helped you up, my blood boiled. When you were the only one who was still in the locker room and you gave me another try, another chance, I wanted to kiss you so badly. Right then and there." He mumbled.

I made the bold decision to sit on his lap with my legs on one side, I stared down at him and wiped his tears away with the side of my finger before connecting our foreheads together again, "Yeah?" I chuckled, before closing my eyes.

"Yeah," I felt his face wrinkle from his laughter and smile wiped across his face. "When I asked you to dinner, God, I spent all night thinking about it, I was gonna get sick from asking you afterward. Then at the North Stars game, I heard that you threw your drink on McGill and Larson, for me, after what they did to me."

"Mmhm." I nodded my head slowly, biting my lip while my eyes were still closed.

"Then I found out about those sketches you did. God, I wanted to tell ya so badly, I wanted to see them. When I got hurt and you ran out to me, your face was so beautiful. When I woke up, I saw a white glowing light around your face, like an angel, a beautiful angel."

"What about the dinner at your house?" I mumbled.

"When I saw you in that dress, God, I really wanted to kiss you then too in front of my parents. Your lips looked so soft and perfect. I could go on forever and forever about the things you did." I could feel him smiling.

"Same here, but my favorites were the time you called me princess," I then felt Adam's smile grew wider. "And when you grabbed my waist at brunch at your house in front of everyone. How you walked me home to my house. The way you brushed my cheek, I was held up in my room the whole night because of that Banksie. I was thinking, God, what is he doing to me? When we went shopping together. When I see you practice all the time and see you happy. When you got your wrist smashed by Sanderson. When we were at Venice beach, I knew you were staring at me, Banksie," We then broke apart, I then clutched my necklace in my hands. "Then when this necklace came into my hands, and I just now in the showers realized it was you. It was always you Adam Phillip Banks. It was always you." I noticed that a few strands of his hair fell out of place, so I swiped then back into their spot.

"God, I wanna kiss ya so badly." He mumbled while staring at me with his piercing orbs.

"Then do it, Cake-Eater," I mumbled before the two of us locked our lips together.

His lips were soft and plump like I always thought they were. His hands then found their way to my waist and mine wrapped around his head. When we broke apart for air, our noses touched again. We then looked at each other briefly before smashing our lips together. My lips lightly sucked on his top lip before he brought his hand to my face and brushed my cheek with his thumb. Then he slowly started to stand up, so I stood up with him, not breaking our connection. Then he slowly backed me against a wall, I would assume it was the pillar near us. Then he started to take over and kiss and lightly suck on my lower lip. My hands slowly snaked their way up his shirt, taking some of it with me, making it bunch up. Our lips violently moved together as Adam then removed his shirt which took me by surprise. Making me open my eyes slightly and look to see his defined chest, flat stomach, and his somewhat muscular arms.

"Guys come on! We don't have all day!" Coach Bombay yelled from outside the locker room which made us break away slightly, our lips lightly brushing against each other.

"I think you should put your shirt back on Banksie," I mumbled, my bottom lip dragging against his.

"Yeah, that's a good idea, Vicki." He mumbled back before we stepped away.

I ran my fingers through my hair, watching Adam pull his shirt over his head and over his chest. Then we went to the hospital to get his wrist x-rayed.

Most of the time, I had the necklace in my mouth because of anxiety but on occasion, Adam would grab my hand and rub it.

Thankfully his wrist was only fractured and he would need a sling. That put my mind at ease for a while. The doctor gave Adam some pain medication and some other medication to help keep the swelling down. While held up his wrist gently, the doctor wrapped his arm in bandages before sending his nurse to get him a sling. Adam was just staring at me the entire time while I looked down at his wrist and the doctor wrapping it. Coach Bombay decided to call home to Minnesota and tell Phil and Juliet about their son's injury.

"I'm sorry I spoiled the rest of your free day," Adam said softly.

"It's ok Banksie," I smiled and hopped up on to the bed, sitting next to him, then leaning my head on his shoulder. "I don't mind." The nurse then came back with Adam's prescription and his arm sling, which she helped him into.

Adam slowly slipped his arm into the sling before the nurse adjusted the strap as needed.

When Coach Bombay came into the room, he told Adam his parents were devastated about his injury but their glad he was ok. Then we left to go to the nearest pharmacy to pick up his medications.

The two of us sat in the back seat of the van while Coach Bombay drove to the pharmacy. My head leaned against his shoulder and his leaned on the top of mine. Our fingers were intertwined while resting on his leg. My hand was gently holding his injured one. Adam placed a kiss on my head and Coach caught a quick glimpse of it, looking in the rearview mirror of the van.

"My Cake-Eater," I whispered.

"My princess." He replied, then placing a kiss on the side of my cheek towards my ear.