James and Geno came off their shift and sat on the bench, sliding down with the others to make more room. It was the third period and it was a tied game, and James was exhausted. The Leafs were playing well, or the Pens were playing horribly – he couldn’t tell. He never had enough time to think on the ice, just react and do what he could to get in position for Geno. He had sixteen shots on goal, and none of them went in, and he was frustrated beyond measure.

Out on the ice, Orpik had a massive hit on one of the Leafs against the boards. A resounding holler of ‘boos’ came from the crowd, but James was smiling at the hit.

The next shift was off and the first line replaced them. James slid down the bench, wiping his face with his towel and trying to catch his breath. One hand on the ledge in front of him, he watched the back-and-forth of the game that was ensuing. It went on and on, no icing calls, no fouls, no off-sides; nothing. It kept going, and the crowd was loving it. James watched it finally come to a climax when Crosby was tripped on his way to the net by Phil Kessel, and interference was called.

When Crosby stood up, Kessel came towards him before the ref could catch him. They exchanged some heated words, then Crosby shoved him.

“No way” Geno uttered next to him.

Everyone on the bench watched as Kessel shoved Crosby back, and while Sid made it look like he was just going to skate away from it, he turned back and pushed Kessel with the shaft of his stick, knocking Kessel on his ass.

James, Geno, and the rest of the bench stood up when they saw Kessel lose his gloves.

“Holy shit.” James was stunned. Geno looked at him, his mouth hanging open in surprise. Neither of them thought Sid would fight; he didn’t lose his composure as quickly as the rest of them.

Crosby was inches from Kessel’s face, but Phil never took a swing. They were separated by two refs that finally made it over to them. Crosby was still giving Kessel hell when his shoulder was pushed away by one of the refs.

“Neal! Geno! Let’s go!” Bylsma shouted from behind them.

James and Geno hopped over the ledge and skated out for the power play. Skating near Crosby, James gave him a gentle push on his shoulder, signaling his approval of the fight. To his surprise, Crosby shoved him back hard.

“What the hell?” James shouted at him, mouth guard giving him a slight lisp. Crosby shook his head and bent over to take the face off.

The last thing James needed was to get any angrier than he already was in this game. All thoughts disappeared as he got into position, waiting for the puck to drop. Sid won the face-off, passing the puck to Geno, who sprinted to center ice and set up the play. Crosby went right, James went left, with a few scattered Maple Leafs in between. They struggled to keep up with the Pens passing the puck. When James had possession, he looked for an opening, but sent the puck back to Geno.

Seeing a chance while Geno passed to Sid and all the Leafs surrounded him, James made for the net, wide open. The beauty of having guys like Crosby and Malkin on your team was that every other team spent their energy circling them, forgetting everyone else.

Crosby passed to Geno, who saw James was open. He skated forward as if he was going to take the shot, but sent the puck backwards to Sid, who drove it right to James. One easy turn, and James sent the puck straight into the net.

“FUCK YEAH.” James pumped his fist once in victory as the rest of his teammates circled around him in a group hug. Letang tapped him on his helmet, as did Geno and Scuderi.

As the group headed back towards the bench, Crosby patted James on the shoulder. “Nice shot, Nealer.”

James didn’t have time to respond as they formed a line and skated past their bench for the team fist-bumps. Those on the power play line took a seat at the bench, shoving down as the third line headed onto the ice.

James took a drink and looked up at the monitor to see his shot. He watched it play out, happy with how it looked. For you, Als, he said in his mind, then took another drink.

Crosby was sitting on the other side of him, removing his gloves and taking a drink as well. James thought about saying something to him. Something in him told him not to, but feeling as good as he did about his goal, he felt invincible.

“So what was the shove for?” James asked, leaning into Sid.

Sid shrugged, keeping his eyes on the ice. “No shove.”

“Yes, shove.” James pointed in the direction of where it occurred. “I was supporting you in that fight.”

Laughing, Sid shook his head and looked at the ground. “There was no shove, Nealer. Don’t try and start shit right now.”

“Start shit?” James took his glove off and leaned closer into Sid.

They continued to discuss irately together, and from where Ali was sitting in bed, she could easily see it whenever the camera panned by. She was chewing on one of her fingernails, her eyes finding James and Sid on the bench every time the puck crossed by them and the camera followed. It was obvious they were not happy, especially after a power play goal. James eyebrows were sharp and creased in the middle of his forehead, and his body language echoed his frustration. Sid seemed to be avoiding whatever James was saying, but Sid was always more focused on the game than anything else.

The game went to commercial and Ali lay back down. Shit like this made her nervous. Maybe she was paranoid, but every time Sid and James had a negative reaction, she worried. She wasn’t immediately thinking it had anything to do with her; she wasn’t that self-centered. But she knew how James got. He chewed on things in his head, over and over and over. And if those two talked about whatever-it-was that they talked about regarding Sid texting her, she felt somewhat responsible.

The game came back from commercial and Sid’s line was on the ice, and James remained seated next to Geno and Martin on the bench. Whatever it was, it was over, and Ali enjoyed the final ten minutes of the game without further worry. In the end, James’ goal was the last that the Pens scored, and gave them the 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs.

Though Ali was fighting against sleep, she stayed up long enough to catch James’ post-game interview. It was always a bit weird for her, even after all these months, to watch James on the other side of a tv screen. He was so serious during his interviews, but cracked the occasional smile and allowed a laugh every now and then. She couldn’t help but think how this was the same man who, just that morning, had brought her body to orgasm. The blue eyes that moved from reporter to report were the same eyes that gazed at her with love when they parted ways. The deep, tired voice talking about penalty kills and teamwork was the same voice that moaned against her neck as he came inside her. She felt like she was cheating the world, knowing the things she knew about the man who was speaking on the tv right now.

After the broadcast was finished, Ali kept her phone nearby, anticipating James’ call as she watched The Late Show to keep her entertained enough to stay awake. Finally, she felt it vibrate against her pillow.

“So, so hot” she said, and smiled against the phone when she heard James laugh.

“Took me all game, but I got you one!”

“AND I even got to see an interview…those are my favs.”

“I wondered if you were watching.”

“Of course I was, though I’m so tired…so so so tired.” She twirled the silk ribbon waist tie of her sleep shorts. “How are you holding up? You must feel just as tired.”

“I am, but it’s all worth it. Wish I could be with you tonight.”

“Aw, me too.”

“Describe what the scene is at home, so I can fall asleep to it.”

This brought butterflies to Ali’s stomach. “Well….I’m in bed right now, and most of the lights are off expect for the tv….ummm….My hair is down and basically a mess…” She heard James very softly laugh. “I have my dorky little plaid sleep shorts on…”

“Noooo, not the plaid shorts” he joked.

“It’s cold out!” She heard James laugh again. “Anywayssss…just a light blue cami on, no bra...“

“Please tell me no underwear.”

“Well you’re not here, so what good would that be?”

“Ahhh, good thinking.”

She smiled even though he couldn’t see it. “That’s basically the scene here. Where are you?”

“Cramped inside a bus next to Fleury, and we’re both wearing underwear.”

Ali thought she heard Fleury say something about ‘speak for yourself’, but his accent was hard to make out over the line. It made her giggle anyway.

“I should go” James said. “Sorry to keep you up so late.”

“You know I want to.”

“Love ya for it, Ali. Sleep well.”

“You too, James.”

It wasn’t thirty seconds after Ali hung up that she fell asleep.


* * *


She knew it the minute she woke up. Her head felt ten pounds heavier and her eyes felt like they were the size of golf balls. When Ali stood up, she felt light headed, and it didn’t fade quickly as she made her way to the bathroom.

A shower seemed to help a little, but the mucous packing her sinuses filled back in as soon as she was dressed and ready for work. She popped two Sudafeds, made some hot tea to go, and made her way to the airport. When she got there, John noticed right away something was up.

“Oh dear.”

Ali came out from the back room fully dressed in her skirt, blazer, and heels, a box of tissues in hand. She smiled at John as she took up her position at the adjacent computer.

“Cold?” he asked, concern on his face.

Ali blew her nose. “Fucking airplanes. Nothing but petri dishes, I swear.”

“I hope you didn’t have this on your trip?”

She shook her head and signed into her computer. “No, thank god. I just woke up with it this morning.”

“Well that’s good” John replied. “Did you have fun? What’s it like up there?”

“We had a blast. It was cold and a little snowy, but it was perfect. Whitby is super cute, too.”

John clapped. “Fantastic! And it went well with the family and all?”

“Indeed it did.” Ali pinned her hair up into a loose bun with a pen that was on the desk. She was starting to feel super warm now that she was in her uniform. “Do we have the heat cranked in here or something?”

“No, I actually thought it was kind of chilly” John answered. “Every time that door opens, I cringe.”

“Dammit.” Slowly but surely, Ali was realizing that she was full-fledged sick. She was extremely relieved it happened now that she was back in Pittsburgh, but it was a given that the trip likely caused it.

She muscled through the rest of her eight hours at the desk, taking multiple breaks to go blow her nose in the bathroom so as not to gross John out. As the hours passed, she didn’t feel any better or any worse, so she supposed that was a good thing.

At the end of her shift, John’s look of concern turned to one of pity. “I love you, girl…but you look terrible.”

She laughed as she gathered up her belongings. “Wow, how do I ever thank you for your support?”

“It’s free for the taking” he said. “You should really take tomorrow off.”

“But I just got back!” Ali exclaimed. “I can’t keep taking off all these days.”

“Let me call Becky in for tomorrow. She’s hoping for more hours anyways, so she likely wouldn’t mind.” John was insistent, and he gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze. “Just get some rest and get better. I’ll cover your shift tomorrow, and call me if you need another filled after that.”

There was no way Ali was going to get out of this one, and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Okaaaaay, but just tomorrow!” she said, pointing at him. “No more than that!”

“Whatever you say! Just feel better, okay?”

Ali took the pen out of her hair and then slipped into her coat. “Thank you, John. Really. And thank Becky for me, too.”

“No need for thanks, just drink your fluids. It’s your only job.” John smiled. “That, and rest. It’s what the doctor ordered.”

She would have hugged John if she wasn’t worried about infecting him. She was actually pretty relieved she didn’t have to come back the next day, and could just focus on resting. Once Ali was inside her car and was waiting for it to warm up a little, she called James, hoping he was available.

You have reached the voicemail inbox of……James Neal……Please leave a message after the tone.

“Hey babe. Guess you’re on your flight home, so no worries. If you can’t tell from the sound of my voice…….. I have a cold. If you get home and I’m still sleeping, please wake me! See ya then.”

After the call, Ali headed home, wading through afternoon traffic and blowing her nose the whole way. It never felt better to take her work clothes off than it did once she got home, and in no time she was back in bed and asleep.


* * *


When James got off the plane and listened to Ali’s voice mail, he was afraid to call her incase she was sleeping. Instead, he simply texted her that he made it back, then grabbed his luggage and walked with Paulie to the car. The two grabbed lunch on the way back, and an hour later, James was home. He left his coat and luggage in the foyer and went upstairs as quietly as he could. Since he came home to a still house, he assumed Ali was sleeping upstairs as she hinted in her voicemail.

The door to his bedroom was closed, so he opened that quietly as well. Ali asleep on her stomach, arms wrapped around the pillow, and was snoring. Upon seeing her, James had second thoughts on waking her up. He wrestled with the decision to let her alone and just go downstairs, but she asked him to wake her…so he would, if that’s what she wanted.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, James rubbed her back gently with his hand. She wore what looked like an old white v-neck t-shirt, but the rest of her was under the sheets. “Ali….”

“Hmm.” She pressed her head into the pillow and coughed.

James felt horrible. “I just got home…you said to wake you.” He petted the back of her head, straightening some of her hair that was spread across her back.

Ali rolled onto her side so she could see him. “Hey, ba—“ She coughed again, reaching weakly for the box of Kleenex beside the bed.

James handed it to her, frowning as she did a half-cough, half-sneeze into the tissue. “You gonna make it?” It came out sounding a little like a joke, but the concern actually was there.

She nodded, wiping her nose. “Sorry I’m so sexy right now…”

James laughed and took the dirty tissue from her. “When did this come on?”

“This morning when I woke up.”

“Damn. I’m sorry.” He watched her close her eyes again. “Did you take anything?”

“Earlier.”

“How much earlier?”

“At work.”

James immediately went into the bathroom. He rummaged through whatever he could find that might do the trick for her, successfully locating a box of Tylenol Sinus. He went downstairs and pulled out two lime flavored Gatorades and headed back to the bedroom.

“Here, babe.” He sat down next to her, pulling gently on her arm so she would roll back towards him. “Take three of these.”

She took the pills and the Gatorade he handed her. “What is it? I took Sudafed earlier.”

“It’s Tylenol this time then.” He watched her as she swallowed. “Clearly Sudafed’s not doing the trick.” When she finished, he placed the drinks on the table.

“Lime’s my favorite…thank you” Ali said.

James pulled the blanket up to cover her more, watching as she slipped back into an uneasy sleep. He wondered how much of this cold he’d catch, but he pushed it from his mind. Hockey went on with or without a cold, so he didn’t care much if he caught it.

Loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt, he climbed up next to Ali, staying on top of the covers. He undid his belt and tossed it on the floor, trying his best to get comfortable next to her. He managed to catch a nap on the plane so he wasn’t very tired, but he vowed to stay with Ali until he was.

He grabbed the remote and turned the tv on, keeping it on mute. Every now and then, Ali would shift next to him, her nose making little squeaky noises when she tried to breath. It amused James, even though he wished there was more he could do for her.

After a while, he got up and headed downstairs to see about food. Staring into the refrigerator, he wondered when the last time was that Ali ate. Sure, it was 8 o’clock at night, but he was hungry…and she needed something. Even just something little.

He checked the cupboards, searching for something that would be easy on her stomach. You’re kidding me, we don’t have any soup? Checking the pantry closet wasn’t any help either. James realized then just how little either of them were in the house lately, if their bare shelves meant anything.

A few long strides and he was upstairs again, standing over Ali. “Hey…Ali, baby….wake up a sec….”

She rolled over when she felt his hand gently rubbing her shoulder. “Oh…Hi James…”

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Ugh…isn’t it obvious?” She tried to laugh but it only came out as a phlegmy cough. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Just a couple hours…I’m gonna run out for a second, okay? I won’t be gone long.”

“Why? Where are you going?”

James felt bad; she sounded so frail…a total change from just 24 hours ago. “I’ll show you in a bit. I promise it’ll be good. Just keep resting; I’ll be back in ten minutes.” He bent and kissed her forehead.

“Love you” she mumbled, but James was already out the door and down the stairs.


* * *


A solid fifteen minutes later, James was feeling pretty proud of himself. Not only did he enjoy picking up the soup mixes, but he found it somewhat therapeutic to make it, too.

He laughed. It’s soup, for fucks sake. Two white bowls were already laid out, so James filled each (his a little more) and grabbed two spoons. He headed upstairs and knocked on the door before he walked in. To his surprise, Ali was already awake.

“Hey! You’re up!”

Ali looked at him and wiped back some stray hairs that were sticking up near her face. “Hi, yeah….I had to piss. What’s that?”

James handed her a bowl, then a spoon. “I went out and got us dinner.”

“James!”

“I even made it from scratch” he said, sitting down next to her. “Even if the only directions were to ‘add two cups of water and bring to a boil’.”

Ali laughed, which once again made her cough. She tried to hold the bowl steady so she wouldn’t spill any, and James put his hand under it to help. “Ugh…Sorry” she said. “I feel pretty special right now, I have to say. Thanks for making the effort for me.”

The funny part was, James felt special hearing her say that. He leaned over and kissed her temple. “I figured you would get hungry and some point, and we [i]literally[/i] have zero food.”

“Ooh. That’s not good. I’ll get some stuff tomorrow.”

“Ali.” James stared at her when her brown eyes shifted his direction. “Listen to yourself. I don’t think you’re going anywhere tomorrow.”

“Aaahhhhh I can’t stay in bed all day!” she said, scooping up some of the broth in her bowl. “I wish I could smell this.”

“Let’s worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.” James watched as she took her first taste of the soup, which was followed by a smile.

“Tasty!”

James exhaled happily. “Good. Now don’t stop until it’s all gone. I don’t know if I’ll have as much luck if I have to make another batch.” He glanced over and caught Ali smiling. “No joke.”

“Oh, trust me…I know you’re not joking.”

He scratched the top of her head, messing up her already messy hair.

* * *