45

I paced back and forth in the foyer, taking deep breaths and checking my watch over and over again. I had to leave in 20 minutes, but I felt like I should get to the stadium early. Alice had told me that she would meet me at the stadium, which was weird, because we usually drove together. She’s probably driving Marc though. After five minutes passed, I grabbed my keys and bag and headed out the door.

I stood in front of my closet, and the three jerseys hanging there taunted me. It was a sandwich, the two red Devils jerseys hanging on either end of the black Penguins jersey. The Penguins had secured the second seed, since the Devils had caught up to them in the back end of the season. Marc limped into my room and hugged me from behind. Over the past few months he had become like my brother, and he chuckled.

« Vous rencontrez des difficultés? » He asked. I nodded.

« Oui, Je ne sais pas lequel je devrais porter. » I sighed. Marc chuckled.

« Qui ne vous aime plus ? » He asked before walking out of the room. I stared at his back, and I knew he had a devilish grin plastered to his face.

« Marc, ce n’est pas juste ! Vous savez que l’amour Sidney ! » I wailed as he hobbled back into his room.

« Je sais, c’est pourquoi je l’ai dit ! » Marc called.

I leaned against the wall, waiting for Alice to romp down the hallway in her usual manner. I heard Marc hobbling down the hall (his brace squeaked a little) and stood up straight. He quickly came into view, but Alice wasn’t behind him.

“Where’s Alice?” I asked.

“No ‘hey Marc, how’s it going?’ I see. Alice is sitting in the parking lot having a battle of conscience. She brought all three of her jerseys, and she’s trying to decide which one she should wear.

“Why did she even bring the Devils jerseys? It’s not like we’re playing them…we’re playing Philadelphia.” I chuckled.

“Yeah, but her team is still in the playoffs. If she wears that Penguins jersey, she’s committing to rooting for us for the entire playoffs.” Marc said. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my cell phone.

“Alice, wear the Penguins jersey. If we play New Jersey, I’ll forgive you for switching colors.” I said as soon as she picked up.

“Is that okay?” She asked. She sounded so confused.

“Alice…it’s okay to have two teams. Think of it as rooting for your friends instead of another team!” I said. I heard her chuckle, and gave Marc a thumbs up.

“Alright…I’ll be there in a few seconds.” She said before hanging up.

“You two are so perfect for each other…too perfect, I think.” Marc smiled.

“Hey, I’m sure you’ll find a girl soon enough.” I said. Max and Annabeth came walking down the hallway, and I couldn’t help but gape. Plump didn’t do her justice. Well duh Sidney, she’s like…six months pregnant. Her entire face was glowing with a happy excitement, and I hugged her as best as I could with her big tummy in the way.

“They, looking a little chubby, eh?” I asked, patting her stomach.

“Sid, you’re a jerk. You ready?” Annabeth asked. I glanced at Max, and then at Marc, and they exchanged a look.

“I guess.” I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

“I know how you get before big games…just try and relax okay? You’re going to do amazingly.” Annabeth said. Her voice was full of confidence, and I felt myself calm down slightly, just like when we were little kids back in Canada.

“Annabeth!” I heard Alice cry happily as she flounced down the hallway. I felt my chest swell with pride when I saw her in my jersey. Yeah, it was a bit egotistical, but I wanted everyone to know she was all mine. The locket I had given her hung from its delicate silver chain around her neck, and I knew she was wearing the bracelets as well. I felt my heart flutter as I saw she was wearing the engagement ring I had given her as well. Even though we had gotten engaged a month ago, I still didn’t believe it unless I saw the ring on her finger. She hugged Annabeth happily, and then turned to me. I grinned half heartedly and she hugged me tightly.

“Sidney, don’t you dare look nervous. You’re going to do fine.” She whispered.

“I wish I felt the same way.” I croaked. My pre game jitters were at an all time high, and Alice looked at me for a minute before taking my hand.

“Come with me.” She said, dragging me down the hallway.

I grunted in surprise as Alice led me into a small maintenance closet, and flung me against the back wall. She shut the door quickly, and then grabbed my tie. My eyes widened. Holy hell, what is going on here? I’ve never seen that look on her face before. She pulled me down and kissed me so roughly it was almost violent. I quickly kissed her back, and our tongues collided. She tugged at my tie, and eventually got it off. She started to unbutton my shirt, and as her hands fluttered to my bare shoulders, my phone rang. I growled irritably, but pulled it out anyway.

One New Message: Marc

Dude, I know you’re probably getting some right now, but the guys are looking for you. Get down here and get dressed for the game you crazy s.o.b. Love ya! ~Flowers

I sighed and stared at Alice for a second before picking up my tie, kissing her one last time, and slipping out of the closet. I buttoned my shirt back up and started to retie my tie as I walked into the locker room. I was immediately greeted by all kinds of wolf whistling and howls, and I felt my face burn.

“Get it Sidney!” Comrie called from his stall. I simply raised my middle finger in salute to the entire locker room and got dressed for the game. As we were lined up waiting to dash onto the ice, I realized something. For the first time in my life, I was completely calm before the game. I grinned widely, and ran onto the ice without a second thought.

“Alice you’re a miracle worker!” Marc cried as he hobbled into the box. I raised my eyebrows.

“Why?” I asked.

“Sid was actually calm for once. It really helps when he’s calm…the rest of the guys just seem to fall into place…maybe you should have sex before every game.” Marc said, muttering the last part into my ear as Trina and Troy stood up to say hello. A young girl, who was practically a female version of Sidney, jumped up as well. I glared at him.

“We didn’t have sex…we just made out a little bit. We haven’t had sex once, fyi.” I growled before walking over to greet Sid’s family. Taylor was a riot, and she screamed every time something good or bad happened. She definitely brought more life into the box, that’s for sure. Some of the other players’ kids loved her, and by the end of the game she had a lot of babysitter potential. We both ran from the box to the locker room, hoping to catch Sidney before the tirade of reporters flooded the locker room. In the past few months, I had discovered that I could just as easily get interviews with all of the guys on the phone, and my interviews were still the best that Pittsburgh could offer. In a way, I was very pleased with myself. My reporting career had taken off flying, and people depended on me for their Penguins news. It was a good feeling, and something that I had wanted for a very long time. Sidney grabbed me and Taylor, and kissed us both on the cheek.

“My favorite girls!” He grinned, wrapping an arm around each of our shoulders.

Sidney remained calm for the rest of the Philadelphia series, and the Penguins moved on to round 2, taking the series 4 games to 2. The next team on their list was the Washington Capitals, and I knew that Sidney was going to be extremely hard to deal with.

“God damn it, where did I put that tape?” He growled, tearing through his box of DVDs. He made sure to get every game he played on tape, and watched the games constantly. He was still sweaty from his workout, and I bit back a sigh, picking the DVD he was looking for up off of the kitchen table.

“Here it is. You left it on the table babe.” I said. He looked up and I could see the frantic look in his eyes.

“Thanks.” He said, snatching the disk from my hand. He popped it in the DVD player, and immediately started mumbling to himself, his eyes following himself on the screen. I walked over and paused the DVD, and he opened his mouth furiously. I simply kissed him gently before sitting beside him on the couch. I ran my hands up and down his back, rubbing it gently. I massaged his shoulders, and after a few minutes he relaxed. I kissed his neck, and his jaw, and then wrapped my arms around his neck. I leaned my head against his and kissed the side of his face.

“Sidney calm down.” I whispered. He took a deep breath, and sighed.

“I’m trying.” He mumbled, leaning back into me. I was sandwiched (comfortably) between him and the couch. We sat there for a long time, and I chuckled quietly to myself when I heard Sidney start to snore. I slipped out from behind him, and laid him down gently on the couch. I covered him with a thin blanket, and then headed into the kitchen to make dinner for the both of us.

AN: Sorrry about all the difficulties with this post...I've been running on empty for the past few days, and it's showing in my posting haha.

44

"Hello?" Alice asked. Her voice was hoarse. Dammit Sid, you woke her up.
"Hey." I said quietly.
"Oh. Hey Sid." She muttered. I could tell she was still upset.
"Can I come over?" I asked her.
"Why?" She asked. Great, she went from pissed, to upset, to pissed again. This is going to be a tough one.
"So I can  talk to you about yesterday." I said.
"What is there to talk about?" She asked. I bit back a growl of irritation.
"Just...let me come over." I said.
"Fine." She said. I opened my mouth to say goodbye, but the line went dead.

When I showed up at her apartment, everything was quiet as usual. Marc was probably still sleeping. He slept a lot ever since the accident. Alice was sitting in the kitchen, arms folded over her chest, in black yoga pants, a loose white teeshirt, and glaring at the doorway.
"So, say what you want to say, and then get out." Alice said. I cringed. She was a lot angrier than I thought she was.
"Alice...I'm sorry about yesterday." I said, walking towards her. She got up and walked to the opposite side of the kitchen. Everything about her body screamed "don't you touch me or I'll roundhouse kick you in the face".
"You should be." She said quietly.
"I know. Look...I get ornery during the playoffs, and I probably should have warned you beforehand." I sighed.
"Or, you could think for five damn seconds before you open your mouth." She said. Her eyes had an angry spark in them I had never seen before.
"I know! That's why I'm trying to say. I'm not trying to make excuses, but I am trying to explain myself here." I said. I tried to keep my voice calm, but I really was getting irritated by this. Everything irritated me during the playoffs, no matter how lighthearted I seemed to people outside of my circle.
"Well, you might want to do a better job." She growled. I clenched my teeth and took a deep breath.
"Alice, I shouldn't have done what I did yesterday. I wasn't thinking, I was pissed about how crappy I played in that last game I was watching, and I am just trying to keep my shit together right now. It's the playoffs Alice...I hardly sleep, I can barely bring myself to eat, I get irritable, and I don't think. Honestly...I am scared shitless. I mean, I'm the captain. If we lose, isn't it my fault? I'm supposed to be the leader on the ice. I have to score these incredible goals against goalies who are playing like their lives depended on it. I never know if I'm good enough to be there, or what's going to happen during the game. I just..." I said, but Alice cut me off towards the end by simply walking over and hugging me tightly.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled into my chest. I hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.
"Don't be. I was a jerk." I said. She looked up and all of the anger was gone from her face. Love had returned to her eyes and I breathed a sigh of relief. That's better.
"I didn't realize how freaked out you were about all of this. I thought..." She started to say.
"You thought that I was Sidney Crosby and that I could handle anything and everything hockey without a second thought." I said. She stared at me.
"Yeah." She said. I smiled, shook my head, and kissed her. I swear, I would have been so screwed if this fight had lasted any longer.

43

I never thought I'd be so bored in my entire life. The house was so empty without Alice in it, and I hated the fact that she was busy covering the Penguins while I was stuck at home. Granted, I did get a few things done that I should have gotten done anway, like my half of the guest list, but I was restless. I turned on the NHL Network, which didn't help, and I had to resist the urge to throw the remote through the TV screen. I tried to play xbox, which was a lot harder with a gunshot wound than I anticipated, so I gave up on that quickly too. There was absolutely nothing to do, and by the time Alice walked in the door I practically jumped on top of her.
"Hey...you look happy to see me." She chuckled, brushing a strand of bright red hair from her face. God damn, she's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen.
"Why wouldn't I be happy to see you?" I asked, before kissing her. She let out a squeak of surprise, but melted into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, carefully avoiding my shoulder, and I grinned against her lips. Our tongues collided and my heart raced. We slowly made our way upstairs, hardly breaking apart to breathe.
"Sid this is definitely not fair." She muttered.
"What's not fair?" I asked before kissing her again. I couldn't help but feel victorious as her knees went weak.
"You are teasing me." She groaned.
"Teasing you?" I asked, surprise making my eyebrows shoot up.
"You know how much I want you right now?" She whispered. I felt my mouth grow dry. She is really going to make me fight this, isn't she?
"Alice...we talked about this. Why do I feel like we're going to do something we said we wouldn't?" I croaked. She grinned sexily and shoved me gently onto the bed. I sat on the edge and she perched on my lap. I put my hands on her hips and absolutely drowned in her kisses. She was delicious, really.
"Sidney, I swear to God when we get married I am going to wreck you." She growled. I groaned inwardly.
"Now who's the tease?" I asked. She chuckled and kissed me again.
"Did you get that wedding list done?" She asked.
"Yeah. Let's stop talking now." I said before kissing her roughly.

For the next two weeks that was the story of my life. My shoulder was healing quickly. The bullet had missed bone, and major veins, so I was healed up in no time. Sore, but cleared to play, I returned to the Penguins on March 5th, and by March 8th I was cleared for contact. Everyone on the team was thrilled, especially with Marc still out. Alice had gone back to their apartment two days after my incident because Marc had been released, and she was babying the hell out of him.
"Sidney, I'm gonna get fat if she keeps it up!" Marc said as I walked into their apartment. Sure enough, Alice had been making him dinner every night, and I laughed.
"The day you get fat is the day I become best friends with Ovechkin." I smirked. Alice kissed me on the cheek, and I returned the kiss with a hug and kiss of my own.
"So, how's the whole walking thing going for you?" I asked Marc.
"Eh, a little rough. Very sore, you know? I have a bad limp, but that's probably because of the brace." Marc shrugged, tapping the black metal brace that kept his shattered knee from bending too far. Most of his injuries from the accident had been cuts and bruises, but he had also been delivered a harsh concussion, several broken ribs, a shattered left knee, and a broken nose. His ribs were healing up nicely, and his knee was getting better every day. His nose didn't even look broken, but he still fretted over it.
"Good to know it's getting there though." I smiled.
"Yeah. So, you guys look like you'll be heading to the playoffs without me." Marc sighed.
"Hey, just heal up alright? Don't worry about the playoffs quite yet. We've still got a lot more games to go, and we're fighting for the first seed." I said, flashing Alice a grin. Her Devils were in first seed, 10 points ahead of us. They were exploding, which wasn't surprising, considering the rebound they had in the second half of last season.
"Keep trying Sid, you're not going to butter me up enough to root for you though." Alice chuckled.

Before we knew it, it was April. My stress level was through the roof, and Alice seemed to be picking up on it.
"Sid, what do you want to eat?" She asked.
"I don't fucking know!" I growled, watching and rewatching films from last night's game.
"Hey, don't talk to me like that. I'm trying to help you out here." Alice said. I paused the film and turned to her, not getting up from my seat.
"Look, I'm going to be like this until the playoffs are over...and trust me, if we lose, I'm going to get a lot worse." I said.
"I understand that, but you still have no right to treat me like that." Alice said.
"I thought you knew what you were getting into with this relationship." I said.
"Sid, I know that hockey is your life, but I'm your fiancee. You don't have to talk to me like that, no matter how stressed you are." She said. Her face was flushed, and I could feel my own irritation growing.
"Well if you can't handle me when I'm stressed, you should probably leave!" I cried. She bit her lip and glared at me.
"Fine. When you're done being Princess Douche, and you're ready to talk to me like a civilized human being, then you can call me. Until then, fuck you." Alice growled, grabbing her purse and storming out of the house.
"Fuck!" I cried, throwing the empty glass that had been sitting on the coffee table against the wall. It shattered and I grimaced, knowing full well how pissed Alice was going to be at me for the next few days. A few hours later I got a phone call from Marc.
"Sid what the hell?" He asked as soon as I picked up.
"What do you mean, what the hell?" I asked.
"Why did you talk to Alice like that? She is trying to help you, and you pull some diva bullshit? She's been crying for over an hour. She's afraid that if she does the wrong thing around you now, you'll break up with her." Marc explained. I groaned.
"Shit...no...Marc...you know how I get around playoffs. I'm the captain, I'm 'Sid the Kid'...everyone is counting on me. It's a lot of pressure, and I get snappy. I'm not going to break up with her." I sighed.
"I know that, but she doesn't. And you say everyone is counting on you...well that includes her Sid. She loves you, and she's trying to be supportive, but if you're going to curse her out when she asks you what you want for dinner, that's going to make her uncomfortable." Marc said. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed again.
"I know. Look...I'll give her some time to recover, and I'll call her in the morning to apologize. Until then, just tell her that I'm sorry and that I love her, okay?" I asked.
"Okay." Marc said before hanging up. I'm a dumbass.

Author's Note

So, if you're wondering why I've changed the rating, it's because of some of my choices of language...and some other stuff. Just thought I'd let you know :D

42

Sid went from as high as a kite to lower than the bottom of the ocean. When he woke up he was in intense pain.
"Why does this suck so bad?" He groaned, throwing his head back. He refused to get up, but I didn't mind that.
"You got shot, do you expect rainbows and sunshine?" I asked. He glared at me.
"Thanks for the support Alice." He said sarcastically.
"What the hell do you want me to say? You're lucky you aren't dead!" I said angrily.
"You could be a little more understanding though!" He growled.
"Understanding?! You set yourself up for this!" I said, folding my arms across my chest.
"That's total bullshit." He said.
"Alright, fine. Next time you have a death threat on you, you'll have learned your lesson." I sighed before walking out of the room. I flopped into a chair at the kitchen table and pulled out my phone.
"Hey Alice. What's up?" Annabeth asked.
"Nothing really. How are you and Maxie doing?" I asked her. I was desperate for a distraction.
"We're doing okay. You and Sid are too, huh?" She asked. I could hear the smile in her voice.
"Yeah, I guess. We just had an argument though." I sighed.
"Oh yeah? Is he being a dumbass? He tends to do that, especially when he's in pain. Max told me about what happened last night." Annabeth said.
"Yeah, pretty much. So, how's the pregnant life treating you?" I asked.
"I'm fat as hell." She laughed.
"Why do I doubt that?" I smiled.
"You haven't seen me in way too long, that's why." She said.
"You're so busy with college though!" I said.
"I know. Thank God my year will be done by the time I have the baby." Annabeth sighed.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" I asked.
"We're not telling anyone." She said.
"Not fair! Are you having a babyshower?" I asked.
"No, I don't really want one. My family pretty much disowned me, and I didn't have many friends before I came here, so yeah." Annabeth said.

I chatted with Annabeth for over an hour, and by the time I hung up the phone Sidney had emerged from the bedroom.
"I'm sorry." He said stiffly.
"You don't sound it." I said. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"Did they prescribe me anything? I hurt like all hell." He grumbled. I nodded, grabbed the orange prescription bottle I had been given for Sidney off of the counter, got a glass of water, and handed Sidney two pills. He threw them into the back of his throat and grabbed the water from my hand. After guzzling the glass, he turned to me.
"Thanks." He said.
"No problem." I said.
"Look...I'm sorry. I really am." Sidney sighed after a few minutes of awkward silence. This time he sounded genuinely sorry.
"It's okay. You just...I was scared. I was really, really, scared." I said. He pulled me into a one armed hug, and I rested my head on his chest.
"I was thinking...we should start planning the wedding." He said. His voice rumbled in his chest and I smiled.
"You were?" I asked.
"Yeah. Besides, what else am I gonna do? I'm hurt again." He laughed. I rolled my eyes.
"I bet the Pens are really hurting without you." I smiled.
"Nah, they've got it covered. We need to get the ball rolling though, or we won't be getting married for another few years." Sidney said.
"Okay...well then we should probably start with the guest list...oh, and where we want to get married." I said.
"Guest list shouldn't be too hard. The team, my family, your family, and various other friends." He said quickly.
"Well we kind of need names. You need to have a definite number of people invited when you book a venue." I said. Sidney groaned.
"This is going to be a lot of work, isn't it?" He asked.
"Who said this kind of thing was easy?" I asked. He kissed my forehead, and then winced.
"My life is never easy, is it?" He asked.
"Nope." I smiled.

41

Mr. Whitacre understood when I explained to him what the situation was, and he sent another reporter to cover the game that night.

“I don’t want you to worry about work when you have Sidney to worry about.” He smiled. That night I paced around the box. Evgeni scored within the first 5 minutes of the first period, but one of the Habs (I was too nervous to know who it was) rallied back with a goal of his own. The second period dragged on, goalless, and by the time the third period was underway, Sidney was looking restless. He kept glancing at the scoreboard, and with 10 minutes left to go the Canadiens scored again. Sidney frowned, and when he got on the ice he immediately stuffed the puck in the net. The game was tied 2-2, and I was starting to get even more anxious. Mario and some of the others in the box tried to get me to calm down, but we all knew that Sidney would score again if the game demanded it. Overtime. There were a few close calls, but nobody scored. Price was good…too good. When the shootout rolled around, I clenched the railing of the box so tightly my knuckles were paper white. The first two shooters for the Penguins scored, and the first of the Canadiens scored as well. Sidney was up third, and if he scored the game would be clinched. If he didn’t score then he gave the Habs a chance to win it. He looked up at the box as he took to the ice. I knew he was looking for me. He gathered some speed, picked up the puck, and raced towards the net. I knew he was going to score.

“Sid, no!” I screamed, but I was drowned out by the roar of the crowd as the red light lit up and the goal horn blared. Mario cursed, and I felt my knees turn to jello. Everyone in the crowd was celebrating, but the team left Sidney standing in front of the goal alone.

“Where are you going?” He cried, but he knew full well where I was going.

The locker room was quiet when I stormed in. The press had been told in advance that no players would be taking interviews tonight. Sidney turned as I slammed open the door and ran over to give me a hug, a smile spreading across his face. I wound up my arm and slapped him as hard as I could. He gaped at me as an angry red mark spread across his cheek.

“Are you fucking insane?!” I cried.

“What-?!” He started.

“Don’t you what me! You have a death threat on you and you still scored? Not only is that the stupidest  thing you could do, but it shows that you don’t trust your teammates either!” I screamed. I was so terrified for him that I was getting hysterical. He paled, except for where I had slapped him. One of the guys let out a low whistle, and another coughed awkwardly.

“Alice…I’ll meet you outside.” Sidney said coldly. I stormed from the locker room without another sound and as I got to the car my phone began to ring. I glanced backward and saw Sidney walking behind me.

“What?” I snarled, picking up the phone.

“I told you not to let him score again.” The man said before hanging up.

“Sid look out!” I screamed. The crack of a gun filled the parking lot and Sidney immediately collapsed to the ground. I ran over to him, and he was groaning and clutching his shoulder.

“Shit! What the hell?!” He said through clenched teeth. Blood pooled out, staining his white shirt red and dripping between his fingers. My heart raced and I looked around for who had shot him. I saw the shadow of a person running away, but I didn’t care. I immediately shoved my hand in his back pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. I checked to make sure it was clean and put it on his shoulder. He grunted as I pushed it into the wound.

“I told you, did I? You’re lucky he was a bad shot!” I said.

“Ow! Why are you doing that?” He asked weakly.

“You always apply direct pressure to a wound. Stop moving and relax.” I said quietly.

“Alice, what happened?!” Evgeni cried, running out of the building.

“Sid got shot. Call an ambulance!” I said. Evgeni let out a stream of Russian curses and whipped out his cell phone.

At the hospital Sidney was taken care of quickly. They cleaned the wound, stitched him up, and sent him on his way.

“I’m surprised that was that easy.” Sidney said in the car. I clenched the steering wheel tightly and sighed.

“You are the biggest idiot in the world.” I said.

“Where are we going?” Sidney asked.

“Your house.” I said.

“We’re not staying at your apartment?” He asked. Oh he is so drugged up right now.

“We’re not. I am.” I said.

“You’re gonna leave me by myself when I’m like this?” He asked, motioning towards the arm that was in a sling. The bullet had avoided bone, but it was just a precaution. I sighed.

“I guess not.” I muttered.

“Good.” He smiled before looking out the window. When we got to his house he flounced to the front door and patted his pockets.

“I can’t find my keys.” He frowned.

“I have them.” I sighed, pulling them out of my purse. I sent him to go change his blood stained shirt, but he called me up a few seconds later.

“I can’t do it with the sling on.” He said. I felt my irritation surge, but when I saw his helpless face I smiled slightly. Yup, definitely drugged up. I unbuttoned his shirt, careful to avoid bumping the large wad of gauze over the bullet wound. He stared at me for a minute before pulling me into him with his good arm.

“It’s still Valentines Day.” He said.

“Yeah I know.” I said.

“So…I’m gonna make out with you now.” He smirked before kissing me. I rolled my eyes and kissed him back.

Even after just being shot, Sidney was an amazing kisser. I placed my hand on his chest and his left hand wound through my hair. It wasn't the first time we'd made out by far, but it was probably at the top of my list. I blame the drugs. After a while Sidney broke away and stared at me lovingly.
"I love you." He muttered before yawning.
"I love you too...but you really should go to bed." I said.
"Only if you'll sleep in here with me." He smirked. I rolled my eyes again and turned to his dresser. After taking a pair of basketball shorts and a teeshirt out, I slipped into the bathroom and got changed. When I walked back into the bedroom, Sidney was struggling with his pajama pants.
"Oh my God you're helpless." I laughed, fixing his pants for him.
"I just got shot, and I'm probably as high as a kite right now, don't make fun of me!" He pouted.
"Shut up and get in that bed." I chuckled, pointing to the large bed.

40

The following night the team was in good spirits. Marc had called each and every team member threatening in various ways the torture they would go through if they lost the game. I was sitting in the team box for once because Sidney had insisted that I sit there. I grudgingly accepted, and had to dress more nicely than my usual game day jeans and jersey. It was the 3^rd period, and the team was up 4-2. Sidney had racked up two of the goals for the Penguins when my phone began to ring. I checked it and saw that it was an unknown number. I slipped out of the box and answered the call.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Hello Alice. I’ve been watching you for quite some time.” A man said on the other end. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

“Who is this?” I asked.

“Never mind who this is…I want you to pass along a little message for me.” The man said. His voice made me shudder slightly. It was dark and gravely, like the bad guys in a horror film.

“What message?” I managed to croak.

“Tell your darling little Sidney that he better not score more than once at the next game.” He said simply.

“What happens if he does?” I squeaked.

“I will kill him.” The man said.

“Please tell me this is some sort of sick prank.” I said.

“No. If he scores more than once Sunday, I will make sure that he dies. You have some sway over him, so I figured you would be the best messenger for me.” The man said.

“Y-you’re sick!” I cried.

“No, I’m not sick. Just make sure Sidney knows. Goodbye Alice.” The man said before hanging up. I ran into the box, and Mario jumped up as soon as he saw me.

“Alice, what’s wrong?” He asked.

As I told Mario what had happened he grew pale.

“This is very bad.” He said quietly.

“You’re telling me!” I said, rubbing my arms. The game was almost over, and Sidney was racing towards the goal on a breakaway. Hats flew as he popped the puck into the net, but for once in my life I didn’t celebrate.

“We’ll have to inform the police, and we’ll have to talk to Sidney. I’ll bring him up here, and you can speak with police in the mean time.” Mario said before pulling out his own phone.

“Are you serious?” Sidney asked. Mario and I both nodded grimly.

“We can’t scratch you, you’re the captain and with Marc hurt we really need you to be there. Just…just don’t score more than one goal.” Mario said quietly.

“There’s no way, this guy is obviously off his rocker. I’m not going to let someone scare me into submission!” Sidney cried. I grabbed his hands and he looked at me.

“Sidney…please…just…just don’t do it. Please.” I squeaked. His eyes were mixed, determination and confusion turned them a muddled swampy brown.

“Alice...I…I can’t promise that I won’t, but unless I absolutely have to, I won’t.” Sidney said after a while. I felt my heart thump, knowing full well that if it came down to it, Sidney would score that second goal.

“Sidney are you insane? You have someone threatening your life and you’re still willing to score a second goal?” Mario asked.

“Like I said, I won’t let a nut job scare me into submission.” Sidney said before walking out of the box. I collapsed into a chair and put my head in my hands. Mario placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“I’ll make sure that he doesn’t have to score that second goal. I’ll talk to the boys. They’ll get the job done.” Mario said before walking out of the box. I swear this week is just one nightmare after another.

The next day I woke up and found roses on my end table. I bolted upright and checked my phone. It was February 14^th.

“Shit!” I hissed, dashing out of the bedroom. Sidney wasn’t in the apartment, which made me raise an eyebrow. There was a note on the table, and I unfolded it.

Alice,

                Went to the morning skate, I’ll be back around 3. I love you.

                Sidney

I let out a sigh of relief and checked the clock. It was 9:30 AM. I dressed quickly, grabbed a bowl of cereal, and hurried out to the mall.

“What the hell am I going to get Sid?” I muttered, looking around. I eventually found myself in front of a small photo shop. I slowly pulled my camera out of my purse, and turned it on. It was teeming with pictures of Sidney and I, from our first date on the beach, to the proposal (I had discovered later that some of the guys had stolen my camera memory card so they could take pictures for me). I smiled at each and every picture. One of my favorites was from right after Christmas. I was sitting in a pile of snow with the touque Sidney had given me for Christmas on, and Sidney had his arms wrapped around me and was smiling broadly. His head was perched on mine, and we both looked incredibly happy. I walked into the shop, bought a large black photo book, and printed all of the pictures. I found a beautifully simple silver picture frame, and bought that as well.

When I got home I took a piece of paper out from my printer.

                Sidney,

                                Every picture in this book is part of our story. I love every single memory you’ve given me, whether it was captured on film or not. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you.

                Alice

I set the paper aside and put every single picture I had printed into the album. When I was finally done, I had filled 250 of the 500 sleeves in the book. Is that weird that with all these pictures, only half of the book is full? I then turned the the pile of doubles I had printed and leaved through them before taking the picture of us on that snowy December day right before his injury and put it in the frame. I wrapped both items carefully before tucking the remaining pictures into a shoebox and hiding all of the objects in my bedroom. I checked the clock. 12:49. I bit my lip and then decided to start making Sidney's usual pre-game meal of chicken and pasta. Oh, I hope he doesn't get mad...he usually makes it himself. By the time I was finished cooking it was already 2. Another hour to go, and I was feeling restless. It was the first Valentines Day in a long time that I had felt nervous, so I fiddled with the ring on my finger to reassure me. I glanced at my outfit and immediately ran into my bedroom. I leafed through my closet quickly before deciding on a pair of skinny jeans, a cute, long sleeved black and gold Penguins shirt, and my black knit Uggs. I artfully curled my hair so that it looked natural, and as I was applying my last touches of gray eyeshadow the door opened.
"Alice?" I heard Sidney asked. I ran out and hugged him tightly.
"Hey! Happy Valentines Day!" I chirped before kissing him lightly. He grinned and kissed me back before picking up a small red bag from the hallway.  
"Did you like the roses?" He asked.
"Yeah! Where did you hide them?!" I asked.
"In Marc's closet...I figured you wouldn't be going in there." He laughed before scooping me up over his shoulder and tossing me onto the couch.
"Sid!" I laughed.
"Why does it smell so good in here?" He asked.
"I made dinner." I smiled.
"Chicken and pasta from the smell of it...my pre-game meal..." He said quietly. I swallowed nervously, but my nerves were calmed as he broke into a wide grin.
"So...wanna open your gift?" I asked.
"No. You open yours first." He demanded, dropping the bag into my lap. I found a gift card to Barnes and Noble, hell yeah!, a box of chocolates, and a long, black, velvet box.
"More jewelry? Sidney Patrick Crosby, you spoil me!" I sighed.
"Just open it!" He ordered. I stuck my tongue out and opened the box. Inside was a bracelet with a gorgeous silver heart. A red maple leaf made of what looked like rubies adorned one side, while I love you was carved on the other. I smiled and put the bracelet on the same wrist as the Penguins bracelet, and Sidney grinned even more widely.
"You like it?" He asked.
"Yeah! Its cute. Now I'll never forget that my heart belongs to Canada." I smiled.
"You mean a Canadian. I won't share you!" Sidney said before kissing my forehead.
"Fine then. Be greedy!" I teased before standing up and running to my room. Sidney waited on the couch and tore open the gifts quickly. He smiled when he opened the picture frame.
"I love this picture." He said, holding it up.
"Me too." I smiled. He opened the photo album next, and when he read the note his face flushed. Slowly he thumbed through each page of the album, and when he got to the end he looked up at me again.
"It's only half full..." He said.
"I know." I shrugged.
"Well, we're just going to have to fill it, aren't we?" He smiled, pulling out his camera. I stuck my tongue out at him and he took the picture, laughing.
"I love you Sidney." I said, kissing him on the cheek. He smiled with his mouth open wide, as cheesy as cheesy could get, and took another picture.
"I love you too Alice." He smiled before kissing me back.