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.

39

"Sid...babe, wake up." Alice said, rocking me gently. I groaned and my back cracked as I sat up straight. I had fallen asleep on the couch, and my eyes felt like sandpaper.
"What's up?" I mumbled, running a hand through my tangled hair.
"I just got a call from Max. He went to go see Marc this afternoon." Alice said quietly. I felt my heart skip a beat and I took a deep, shuddering breath.
"And?" I asked.
"He's been asking for you. He said a visit from his 'petit chou chou' would make him feel a hell of a lot better." Alice smiled.
"Wait, he called me his 'petit chou chou'?" I asked.
"Yep." She said, her smile widening.
"Then he can't be brain damaged...shit, what am I doing?! I'll jump in the shower and then we can go see him. It's only...4 o'clock. Visiting hours are until 8, right?" I asked, leaping off of the couch.
"Yeah. He got moved from the ICU this morning, so 8 would be correct." Alice said. The shower helped my aching back feel a bit better, and I relaxed slightly as I scrubbed myself clean. Once I got out of the shower I slipped on my dirty clothes and walked into Alice's room. Ordinarily wearing my grungy yesterday clothes would bother me, but I didn't give a damn right now. Alice was on her bed, brushing her hair idly. I crawled up behind her and kissed her exposed neck lightly.
"Are you wearing your nasty ass clothes from yesterday?" She asked, turning to look at me.
"What do you want me to wear?" I asked. She chuckled and opened her closet before tossing a black Penguins tee at me.
"Hey, isn't this mine?" I asked, holding it up.
"Yeah. I kind of stole it a while ago." She said, smiling wryly.
"Figures." I smirked before peeling off my shirt and slipping the black tee over my head.
"Alright, I can't do much about the pants..." She said. I thought about it for a minute before walking into Marc's room. I rummaged through his drawers and eventually pulled out a pair of black sweatpants.
"Did you seriously steal Marc's sweatpants?" Alice laughed.
"Well there is no way his jeans would fit me." I said.
"True, your ass would destroy them." She smirked.
"HE'S TALLER THAN ME TOO YOU KNOW! DON'T MAKE EVERYTHING ABOUT MY ASS, GOD!" I cried, faking anger. She laughed and then kissed my cheek.
"Let's go visit him. I think just knowing that he's okay makes you feel better." She smiled.
"You've got that right." I sighed.
__________________________________________________________________________________

"MON PETIT CHOU CHOU!" Marc cried as we walked into the room. He still looked as shitty as he did the night before, but his eyes were a little less swollen.
"Flower! Mon amour!" Sidney said, running over to the bed and hugging Marc as best he could.
"You came to see me! I was afraid you wouldn't!" Marc said. Sidney rolled his eyes.
"What makes you think you could keep me away?" Sidney asked.
"I don't know, I was afraid that my ugly face was keeping you away." Marc smiled, revealing a missing tooth.
"Marc-Andre Fleury, you will always be beautiful in my eyes." Sidney said. I began to crack up.
"You guys...have the most obscene bromance ever. Where is Geno when you need him?" I chuckled.
"Yeah, where is my DLR?" Marc asked.
"DLR?" I asked.
"Dear little Russian." They said in unison.
"You guys are weirdos." I said, shaking my head.
"We know." Sidney grinned.
"That's why you love us!" Marc chimed in.

Sidney was in a much better mood when we returned to the apartment. He immediately flounced into the kitchen and grabbed some food, which was a good sign. At least Marc is healthy...now Sidney can relax. 
"Alice, you know I wouldn't have gone to see him if it weren't for you, right?" Sidney asked.
"Why not?" I asked.
"I wouldn't have had the courage. I was so afraid to see him...but when I finally did I realized that even though he's banged up, he's still him and he's gonna be okay." Sidney said happily.
"I told you." I said.
"I know, and that's exactly why I said it." Sidney grinned before pulling me towards him. He rested his hands on my hips and stared at me lovingly.
"What?" I asked.
"Do you want kids?" He asked. I felt the color drain from my face.
"What?" I asked.
"When we're married...do you want kids? I was just thinking of how awesome it would be to have our kids call Marc Uncle Flower...I mean, I don't have a brother." Sidney smiled. I felt my eyes widen in surprise.
"Um...I guess...I mean, we're not even married yet...we haven't even picked a date...and you...I..." I sputtered.
"Too soon?" He asked, his smile fading slightly.
"It's not too soon...I was just caught off guard. I mean, you were depressed like 8 hours ago and now you want kids. It's just surprising..." I said quietly.
"Yeah, I figured. You know I love you though, right?" He asked.
"Yes. I love you too." I said, kissing him on the cheek.

38

Sidney slept well into the afternoon the next day. The team had a day off luckily, so I insisted that Sidney stay with me. Unlike Sidney, I didn't sleep off things that made me upset, so I woke up around 5 AM. At 6 I got a call from Mr. Whitacre.
"Alice, please tell me this report is a joke." He said quietly.
"It's not...I wouldn't joke about something this serious Mr. Whitacre." I sighed.
"I...I'm very sorry. I know he's a personal friend of yours." He said.
"Thank you." I said quietly before hanging up. For the next few hours I paced the eerily empty apartment, stopping every so often to check on Sidney. He slept fitfully, tossing and turning. His face was scrunched up as if he was having a nightmare, and I allowed tears to flow freely as I watched him sleep. Marc and Evgeni were his best friends, and he couldn't stand to see anyone hurt. Around 11:30 I forced myself to make pancakes, hoping that Sidney would eat them. When he woke up around 2, he had trouble choking them down.
"I don't want to eat." He croaked, staring down at the plate in front of him. A surge of sadness tugged at my stomach, but I forced myself to remain strong and looked him in the eyes. Oh my God...his eyes. His eyes were still bloodshot; it was obvious that he had been crying in his sleep. The usually bright hazel was muddled with something dark and frightening.
"Sidney...you have to eat." I said. He simply stared at me.
"But I'm not hungry." He muttered.
"Sidney, Marc is alive so stop acting like he died, and eat. Please. As horrible as it sounds, you need to stop thinking about it before you get any more upset." I said, probably a little more harshly than originally intended. He cringed slightly before taking a bite. He was only able to eat 3, but 3 was better than none. Once he stopped eating I grabbed his hands and pulled him over to the couch. He moved with no emotion, like a robot. I suppressed a shudder and made him sit down.
"Alice..." He said quietly.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"You said I need to stop thinking about it for a while, right?" He asked. His voice was raw with tears, but they weren't flowing yet.
"Yes." I said. My voice was beginning to catch in my throat. It was unbearable to see him so upset.
"Distract me." He croaked. I felt my stomach hit the floor, but for once it wasn't a good feeling. I slid onto the couch next to him and kissed him, putting as much love into the kiss as I possibly could. I struggled to stem my own tears as I felt his hit my face, hot and wet. His lips trembled as he wrapped his arms tightly around me. He pulled me into his chest, placed his head on my shoulder, and began to sob. I lost it, no longer able to fight my own tears. I cradled him in my arms and let him cry, crying silently myself.

We sat like that for hours, even after Sidney wasn't able to cry any more. It was scary to see him cry. He was always so strong, but now he couldn't control himself.
"Alice, can I have a drink?" He asked.
"Yeah, what do you want?" I asked.
"Water...please." He croaked, rubbing his eyes. He looked so lost, and extremely afraid. Once I handed him a glass of water he guzzled it and I cupped his face in my hands.
"Why do I feel like there is something you're not telling me?" I asked quietly.
"Because there is." He said.
"What?" I asked.
"The...the last time I had a friend get in a car accident...they said he was gonna live...but three days later he died...I...I can't have that happen again Alice. I just can't." Sidney choked out. I immediately hugged him as tightly as I could.
"Sid...he's going to be okay. I promise." I said, beginning to rock him once more.
"I hope so." Sidney muttered, hugging me back. This is the worst feeling I've ever had...please God, let him be okay...Sidney needs him to be okay...and so do I.

37

The next few days were chaotic, with calls, emails, and letters flooding my office. Of course, I had written the only "official" Crosby engagement report, but people were starting to harass me just as much as they harassed him. One night after work I crossed off another box on my calendar and let out a curse. February 10th. Shit! Valentines Day is in four days! What the hell am I going to get Sidney?!
"Hey." I heard Sidney say, tapping the edge of my cubicle doorway.
"Sid! What are you doing here?" I cried happily, shoving my chair away from my desk. He collected me in his arms and kissed my hair lightly.
"I wanted to pick you up." He muttered, burying his face in my hair. There was something strange in his voice. I froze immediately.
"Sid...is something wrong?" I asked. He sniffed quietly.
"There's...there's been an accident." He choked out.
"What? Sid, what happened?!" I asked, looking up. His eyes were bloodshot, and I knew immediately that he had been crying. Tear tracks ran down his cheeks.
"I-i-it's Flowers. H-he was driving home from p-practice...and...someone was drunk and ran the red light..." Sidney croaked, beginning to tremble. I hugged him tightly.
"Is he okay?" I asked, a dark feeling blooming in my chest.
"T-th-they don't know if he's gonna make it. He lost a lot of blood...and they don't have enough of his type." Sidney whimpered.
"What blood type is he?" I asked.
"I have no idea..." Sidney croaked. I grabbed my purse off of my desk and pulled out my keys.
"Babe, let's go." I said, grabbing his hand.
"Where are we going?" Sidney asked.
"The hospital. Get out your phone and tell the entire team to meet us there." I said quickly, whisking him out of the office.
"What's that gonna do?" Sidney asked.
"There's gotta be at least one guy on the team with the same blood type. We aren't going to let Marc die. I promise." I said.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Sidney wasn't the only one who was crying. When I spoke with the doctor and told him why we were all there, we were all quickly taken to a small lab within the hospital. They took small samples of all of our blood and within twenty minutes they had whisked several of the team members, Sidney, and I, into another room. They took blood from all of us, gave us water, juice, and crackers, and then left quickly.
"What just happened?" Sidney asked, slightly pale from blood loss.
"We just gave Marc our blood. They'll test it for STDs or whatever, and then if it's clean he'll get what he needs." I explained.
"H-how did you know to do that?" He asked.
"You can give someone your kidneys, your bone marrow...your anything almost." I said quietly. When we returned to the waiting room, Sidney pulled me onto his lap and rested his head on my shoulder. I stroked his hair until he dozed off. I eventually fell asleep myself, and it wasn't until one of the doctors came in that most of us remained asleep.
"Are you all here for Mr. Fleury?" The doctor asked. I bolted up and nodded.
"Yes, we're here for Marc. Any news?" I asked.
"He's going to live, but he's in for the long haul. If you hadn't all given blood, he probably wouldn't be alive right now." The doctor said grimly. Several of us let out happy cheers.
"Sid, wake up!" I said, shoving Sidney roughly. He started and looked at me groggily.
"What's going on?" He asked, his words slurred.
"Flowers is gonna be okay!" I smiled. He smiled widely and pulled me back into his lap, kissing me. I smiled and kissed his forehead gently.

"Miss Parker?" A nurse asked, tapping me on the shoulder gently. I groaned and cracked my back. Hospital waiting room chairs were not ideal for sleeping.
"Yes?" I yawned.
"Mr. Fleury is awake...he's been asking for you. We're having a bit of a communication problem with him right now." She said quietly.
"Oh...okay." I said, standing. I looked at Sidney, who was sleeping fitfully, and followed her down a series of long hallways. I had to bite back a wave of nausea as I walked into the room and saw Marc laying on a bed. His face was torn up, with stitches streaking large sections of it. He was donning several casts, he had a breathing mask on, and IV tubes ran all over him. Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Alice." He said quietly. His eyes could hardly open, they were badly bruised.
"Marc...ca va?" I asked, walking to the side of his bed.
"Mal...tres mal. Je me suis blesse." He croaked. I felt a tear roll down my face.
"Vous serez d'accord...Je vous promets." I said before turning to the nurse.
"What did he say?" She asked quietly.
"He said that he's bad and that he hurts." I said.
"Does he want medication?" She asked.
"You didn't give him anything?!" I hissed angrily.
"Yes, we did. Does he need more?" She asked, correcting herself.
"Voulez-vous tout médicament contre la douleur?" I asked him. He nodded stiffly.
"Oui. Si vous plait." He mumbled.
"He wants it." I said to her. She immediately left the room.
"Où est Sidney?" He asked.
"Sidney dort dans la salle d'attente." I said.
"Okay. Merci pour votre aide. Allez dormir en peu." He mumbled.
"Okay...a bientot." I said before gently kissing his battered cheek and walking out. I curled up in the hallway and let my body quake with silent sobs for a long time before I walked back out into the waiting room. Several of the guys swarmed me.
"How is he?" Max asked.
"Bad...he looks like he's been to hell and back." I croaked.
"Why did he want to see you?" Comrie asked, almost angry.
"Because he can't speak English right now." I mumbled.
"What did he say?" Sidney asked.
"That he was in pain, wanted some meds, and then he asked where you were, and then told me to get some sleep." I said.
"He always thinks of other people first." Sidney said sadly before hugging me tightly. I started shaking, and Sidney hugged me even more tightly.

36

When I woke up, it wasn't to the scream of an alarm clock. I yawned and stretched luxuriously, my left hand landing squarely on Sidney's chest.
"Good morning sleepy head." He smiled, taking my hand and kissing it.
"Good morning." I smiled before rolling over and kissing him. He smiled and pulled me on top of him. I broke away and simply rested my head on his bare chest. His heart rumbled happily and the rise and fall of his chest with every breath he took almost lulled me back to sleep.
"No going to sleep again!" He said, lifting his head to look at me. I pouted.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because you have to stay awake. I dreamed about you, but I want the real thing now." He said. I blushed.
"You dreamed about me?" I asked.
"Yeah...I do a lot actually." He said matter-of-factly.
"That's kind of cute." I smiled.
"You're kind of cute." He smiled back.
"Sidney you're not trying to get any, are you?" I laughed.
"No, I'm being genuinely nice right now. I promise." He said before pulling me up and sitting up. I snuggled into his lap and placed my arms around his shoulders.
"Good, because I'm too sleepy to be sexy." I said before nuzzling his neck. That and he's going to have to work for it if he wants it. I smiled evilly into his neck and he sighed happily.
"So...breakfast?" He asked.
"What about it?" I asked.
"Are we having it?" He laughed.
"I guess." I sighed.

"These are the best damn pancakes I've ever had. I swear." He said before wolfing down another one.
"I guess that's why Marc makes me make them all the time." I smiled, taking a bite of my own pancake.
"YOU MADE FLOWERS BREAKFAST BEFORE ME!?" Sidney wailed.
"I live with him..." I said slowly, raising my eyebrows.
"...We're going to have to fix that." Sidney said.
"What?" I said.
"You can't live with Marc when you're my fiancee. I won't allow it!" Sidney said, putting a snobby spin on his voice. I chuckled.
"Well, try telling Marc to find another room mate. I just signed an agreement to live there for a year. I can't exactly bail on him now. Besides, they say you're not supposed to live with your significant other until you're married." I said. Sidney raised his eyebrows.
"Where'd you hear that?" He asked.
"Some study. Apparently people who live together before they're married get divorced more often." I sighed.
"That sucks." He frowned.
"Totally." I agreed.
"Well then, let's not do that." He said before taking another bite of pancake.
________________________________________________________________________________

I went numb when there was a knock on Sidney's front door. He had said that there would be some people here to meet me today, but at first it didn't register. When it finally did register, I knew. The time had come for me to meet Trina and Troy Crosby.
"Hi." I said, opening the door meekly. I was immediately pulled into a tight hug by his mother.
"It is so nice to finally meet you Alice! Sidney has told us so much about you and we couldn't wait to meet you!" She beamed.
"Thanks, it's nice to meet you too!" I said, smiling. Sidney's father, Troy, simply shook my hand but the smile on his face reflected the same enthusiasm.
"Finally got a nice young woman to help you out, huh Sid?" He asked, turning to his son.
"I don't know about helping me out, but yeah." Sidney laughed.
"Alice, would you be a dear and help me with the bags?" Trina asked. I nodded and walked outside to where there was a black SUV parked in the driveway behind Sidney's 'Stang and my Saturn.
"So...if Sid's told you anything bad, it's lies. I promise." I said, trying to relax.
"Trust me, he's said nothing bad. You're just as pretty as he described though! His sister wanted to come, but with school we couldn't let her." Trina explained.
"Yeah, he told me about her. I want to meet her one day." I said with a light smile. Sidney was extremely proud of his little sister.
"You will, I'm sure. She's determined to get down here for a game." Trina laughed, hauling a suitcase out of the trunk. I grabbed the other suitcase and she shut the trunk.
"Oh, I believe it." I smiled.

35

The locker room was never as loud as it was when I walked back in. Okay, scratch that. The only time it was louder was when we won the Stanley Cup though.
"DAMMIT YEAH SID!" Evgeni cried, flinging his arms around me. Everyone followed suit, hugging me, slapping me on the back, rubbing my head, and causing a ruckus. Alice had returned to her seat so that I could "concentrate on the game". Like I'm going to be able to concentrate right now. Honestly, I don't even care if we win or lose tonight. I'm the happiest man on earth. I hurriedly wiped a happy tear off of my cheek and cleared my throat.
"Alright guys, let's get our asses in gear and win this game!" I said over the riot that was taking place around me.
"Let's get it done!" I heard one of the guys yell.

We rallied until the last second of the game. I scored the goal that tied the game with 23 seconds to go in regulation. For some reason, my game was better than it had been before the second intermission. Overtime went scoreless, with Flowers and Marty both tearing up the crease like the machines that they were. It was a shootout now, and I felt the usual jitters as I took center ice to shoot...for the second time (both goalies were on their A game tonight, so this shootout was taking FOREVER). The crowd booed as usual, and I was sure that Alice was joining in, with that adorably mischievous smile that she got when she teased me. Thinking of Alice made my heart surge. Holy shit, we're going to get married one day! Dammit Sid, pay attention to the game! The ref blew his whistle and I skated to get the puck. It hit my stick, and I took off, rocketing towards Marty. His sharp blue eyes followed my every movement, and he didn't skate out to confront me. He was way too good, knowing full well what I was planning on doing. I pulled the puck so that it was on the back of my stick, snapped it back to the front, and flipped it up. It rocketed off the post with a clang, and dropped behind Marty. He immediately snow-angeled, but it wasn't enough. The red light lit up behind him. I heard the guys on the bench yelling, and I was immediately bum rushed. Damn, did we really win this one? I guess so. I wonder if Alice is happy or pissed off. As the guys got off of me, and hand reached out to help me up. I took it without second thought, and then started as I realized that the sleeve was red.
"Congrats on the engagement Sidney." Marty said, smiling at me. I felt my face burst into a huge grin.
"Thanks Marty." I said.
"I'm glad she's got good taste in hockey players." He chuckled.
"What?...Oh! The jersey! Yeah, she's fiercely devoted to the Devils. You know that." I laughed.
"Yeah, well I can't be caught fraternizing with the enemy...I'll text you later." Marty said before skating off. He's such a great guy. I'm really going to miss playing for Team Canada with him. OH HELL. CANADA. MY PARENTS.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Sidney ignored every reporter in the locker room, which was unusual, and made a beeline straight for me. He scooped me up into his arms and kissed me. It was such a loving kiss that I blushed, feeling his smile against my lips.
"So you need to meet my parents." He whispered into my ear as he put me down and hugged me.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Isn't it kind of weird that we're engaged now and I've never met them?" I asked.
"Not necessarily. We live in Pittsburgh, they live in Canada. Kind of far, yeah?" Sidney said.
"True." I smiled. Reporters were barking questions at us, and shoving all kinds of things into our faces.
"I'm sorry, but I will not be taking any questions tonight." Sidney said, holding up his hands before whisking me off down the hallway. A few reporters stared at us, completely dumbfounded. I shrugged, wrapped my arm around his waist, and let the biggest smile I've ever had spread across my face.

"So Mom, I've got some good news. You heard already, eh? No, no. I talked to Dad about it a few weeks ago. He sent me grandma's ring and everything. Yes...yeah, that's fine. Yeah. I have room. Mmhmm. No, I don't think that'll be a problem. Alright. Love you too. 'Bye." Sidney said before hanging up the phone.
"Your mom is excited, isn't she?" I asked.
"You have no idea." Sidney laughed.
"Did I hear you say that this was your grandma's ring?" I asked, staring at the ring on my finger. It was simple, and yet it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was a thin silver band with a round diamond about as big as a pencil eraser. Sidney blushed.
"Yeah...she gave it to my dad with the intention that I would give it to the woman I loved. It's really special to me." Sidney said, running his hand through his hair. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him for a very long time. I poured all of my love into the kiss, and for once it didn't turn into a make out session.
"I love you." I whispered. He kissed the tip of my nose.
"I love you too." He smiled. His phone went off though, and he frowned.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"It's Marc...hello? Yeah, thanks man. No, I don't think so. Uh huh. Yeah. Oh shut up. Yeah, you know I will. Alright. Alright. 'Bye." He said.
"What was that about?" I asked.
"He wants to know if you're going home tonight or not. I kind of decided that you're not." Sidney smirked.
"Woah, woah. Why don't I get to decide?" I asked, smiling a bit.
"Because we have a date to go on. Duh." He laughed before opening the car door for me.
"Oh jeeze...because that proposal wasn't romantic enough?" I asked.
"I don't know...but we are going out to celebrate." Sidney smiled before closing the door behind me. This is amazing.