Captains Come First

-----
I'm a bitch, I'm a lover
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell, I'm your dream I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
-----

Heather knew she shouldn't have come to practice that day. The team was taking pictures with their moms for the trip and doing a special mom/son video presentation. Coach Bylsma had told her to be there but she really wished that she stayed home. Number one, Heather didn't need to be reminded of her relationship with her mother, or lack thereof; and two there were two mothers there that she knew she needed to speak to. One to apologize for walking out of a funeral, and another to save face as a girlfriend. Heather was still not talking to James, or Sidney for that matter. She watched James fix Flower's cowlick with a Gatorade bottle of water for the photo. That reminded her, she needed to have a heart to heart with Flower for spilling the beans. She got up grabbing her bags for the trip. As she got to the players lounge she heard a video going in the dressing room. The guys were thanking their moms for what they did for them. She slipped in unnoticed as the room was abnormally full. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sid and Trina, he talked about the damage to the house and thanking her and telling he loved her. Trina was brought to tears leaning into her son as he looked down at her and smiled a loving, doting smile. A smile that doesn't come out often. 'He's smiled at me like that before.' She thought watching the two. It was almost painful to watch. Coach Bylsma had invited her to bring her to ask her mother to come but Heather politely declined. What was she going to do on the trip? Show her mom how she whores around with the guys? Yeah, that would go over well. He spotted her standing by the door.

"Some of you know this girl who helps your sons a lot, especially on the road." Coach Bylsma said with his hand in my direction 'oh God no' was all she could think. "Our sort of...team mom Heather Gardiner." He said as everyone turned to look at her as she gave a nervous wave. "She's the one who makes sure your boys behave and are taken care of." He said choosing his words wisely. "And we have a surprise for her. If her surprise could come out." He said a little louder.

"Surprise Bunny." She heard Andrew say from behind her.

"Hi Mom." The deepened voice of her son Avery said as she turned around gasping in surprise hugging them both. She let Dan continue as they went into the lounge to talk.

"How did you guys...but I'm going to see you in a week!" Heather said her face brightening.

"It was James. He reached out to us and got the approval to invite us." He said to her. "And he told me something that you didn't missy." He said in a teasing tone.

"We'll talk later." She said not wanting to discuss this in front of Avery. "Aves you've gotten so tall! Let me look at you." She said.

"Dad measured me, I'm 5'8" now." He said to her.

"Wow! You'll be as tall as your dad I think." She said smiling. She was just so happy to have her little family together again. The meeting was breaking up in the other room. The guys invited Avery to suit up for a shoot around. Andrew was invited too but he politely declined as he had a shoulder injury. Heather and Andy went to sit in the stands and watch.

"So James huh?" Andy asked taking Heather's hand and holding it in his own. "I have to say I'm kind of surprised."

"How come?" She asked curiously.

"Well I thought after years of chasing the bad boys you'd settle for somebody a little more...serious, calm. Focused." He said to her.

"So not you?" She said laughing. "I don't know, James really seems to want to make this work. He did screw up recently but I'm trying to let that go." She said
"I heard." Andrew said. "He told me."

"Oh." Heather said looking down. She looked up and saw Vanessa walk in down by the bench and wave to Sid. "That's Sid's new lady." She nodded over to her.

"Oh wow. She's a smokeshow alright." He said watching as Vanessa went to sit with Trina embracing her.

"Yeah." Heather said noncommital. "It was supposed to be a fake relationship. For the press, but it sure looks real to me." She said frowning.

"Hey, look at me." Andrew said grabbing her cheek turning it towards him. "The right one will be there. You'll know when you know." He smiled patting her cheek brushing a small tear away.

"Yeah." She lightly whispered looking into his eyes. "Andy, why didn't we work?" She asked him.

"Well," he started "you were busy trying to make things work with Spezz." He said to her. "And you fell out of love with me, so I found Erin." He said.

"I never fell out of love with you." She said shaking her head. "I just believed Spezz that we'd be together."

"I seem to do a great job attracting married men." Heather joked self deprecating. "You, Spezz, Mario, and now Brooks." She smiled as he skated over to where they were. "Andy, meet Brooksie." She smiled as the two shook hands greeting eachother.

"She talking about me again?" He asked as he winked at Heather.

"Yeah, just telling me how she's hopelessly in love with you." Andy joked as Heather rolled her eyes.

"She's like my other wife." Brooks said smiling. "She takes care of me on the road, and at home sometimes." He winked again.

"We should compair notes." Andy joked laughing.

"I just like to make her smile." Brooks said looking at Heather lovingly. "She's a good girl, more than she knows."

---

The plane was crowded more so than usual. The moms almost doubled the team size as some were missing. Avery joined in the PSP game sitting opposite Sid and Flower beside Kris. "Tanger best behaviour." Heather said shaking a finger in his face. "I don't want to hear about the things that you taught my son." She said jokingly.

"I'll be a saint." He said taking her hand and kissing it wiggling his eyebrows.

"Heather can we talk?" James asked stopping her on her way to her seat. She looked back and forth from James and Andrew as Andy gave her a nod to go ahead.

"Sure." She said as Andrew went to take a seat while she sat beside James who's mother was sitting with one of the other moms.

"I'm sorry I hurt you." He said to her. "There's no excuse."

"James I don't need to hear I'm sorry again. What I do need is to know it won't happen again. I believe in one free pass and I guess this was yours." She said shrugging her shoulders.

"So you forgive me?" He asked her.

"Not quite yet, but I'm working on it." She said to him. "I'm sill furious but it'll get better with time." She said. "I can't thank you enough for inviting Andy and Aves." She said to him. "I just am not sure if I'm ready to tell Aves about us." She said.

"I'm leaving that up to you." He said to her. "It's not like I'm going to go and just play stepdad, or introduce my mom to her potential grandchild." He said joking.

"Don't say that word please...we are a while away from that." Heather said raising her eyebrows. "Just be nice to Andy." She said to him. "He means a lot to me."

"I can tell." He said looking into her eyes. "He's a lucky bastard to have your love like he does." There was that word, love. It was like his eyes brightened when he said it. She so wanted to hear that word coming from his lips about how he felt about her.

"Maybe someday you'll see what it's like." Heather smirked. "If you behave." She added.

"I heard what Sid did to you. I'm really sorry." He said.

"No you're not. If anything you're happy." She smiled calling him out on his bs.

"Well I mean, I'm not sorry that you're mad at him, that part is true. I am sorry he embarrassed you like that in front of his family." He said genuinely.

"It's ok." She shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe Vanessa is here to stay." She said sadly.

"Are you still going to Sochi?" James asked.

"For now." She said. "Brooks invited me to hang with the Americans. I may do that just to get back at Sid." She joked.

"You bitch." James said laughing.

"That's me." She smiled. "What's that song from the 90's? I'm a bitch I'm a lover I'm a child I'm a mother..." She said singing.

"That's you alright." He laughed. "You know being with you is almost like being with a female version of myself." He said to her.

"That's scary." Heather said her eyes going wide. "Because on the best of days I'm not always my own biggest fan." She said smiling.

"Heather, don't" James started upset at what she said.

"Why James, it's just honesty." She said. He looked deep into her eyes

"Because Heather I love you."

Notes