Captains Come First

"You didn't say anything to him?" Andy said laying on the hotel bed watching Heather pace back and forth. "Ouch."

"I...I didn't know what to say!" She said continuing her pacing. The guys had an afternoon skate and Avery went with them. Heather opted to stay back and talk to Andy. "He just blurted it out like he was afraid of it. And after he cheated. Fucking cheated." She said.

"Heather calm down. I thought you said he got one free pass." Andy said standing up and grabbing her shoulders steadying her.

"Yeah but, he loves me?" She said like it was foreign.

"Hon," he started "I've cheated on you, hell I'm married to somebody else." He said. He was now remembering the emotional roller coaster that was Heather. "You still love me." He said holding his arms out for a hug.

"Yeah but..."

"You're scared." He said to her.

"I'm careful."

"Heather you've been pregnant by two NHLers, you're hardly careful." He said to her with a laugh. She smiled at this.

"Fuck you." She laughed grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him.

"Take your pants off and I will." He winked at her throwing the pillow back at her. She smiled at him embracing him again.

"Andy I've missed you more than you know." She said to him into his chest. He smelled so good. So damn good. "What would I do without you." She smiled.

"Heather I have a confession to make." Andy said to her as he went to sit on the bed. He patted the spot beside her. "Erin and I are on a trial separation." He said looking down at his left hand.

"Is it...is it me?" She asked him "Partially." He said to her.

"She wants me to figure out my feelings for you before we continue." He said to her. "That's partially why we came. I wanted to see you in your element here. To see if I could deal seeing you with somebody else. Someone not Spezz." He added to her.

"Oh Andy I'm sorry." She said rubbing his back. "I had no idea." She added.

"Nobody does, not even Avery." He said to her. "He knows we fight but nothing more." He added.

"Maybe I should keep my distance." She said. "I have enough man trouble as it is." She laughed self depricatingly. She leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"You'll get through this." She smiled. As they sat and looked into each other's eyes for a moment she heard a knock on the door

. "James." She said as she opened the door. "Practice done already?" She asked.

"Yeah." He said softly looking into the room seeing Andrew. "Hey man." He said giving a small wave.

"Hey." Andrew smiled back.

"Walk?" He asked Heather as she nodded at him.

"Where's Deb?" She asked as they walked outside the hotel. It was a warm sunny day in LA, a lot different than the cold, snowy night they got together.

"Shopping on Rodeo with the other moms." He smiled. "She's so excited it's adorable." He smiled. "I umm. I wanted to talk about earlier. That wasn't how I wanted to do it." He said to her looking down at his shoes as he walked.

"Yeah." She said to him. "I get that. Jame, why is everything we do so awkward?" She asked. "From sex, to you and Sid now telling me you love me." She said unsure what to say. "Nothing is easy for us." She said. They found a bench and sat down.

"That just makes me want to work even harder." James said shrugging. "The right person is worth the work." He shrugged.

"I guess I just always expected a fairy tale." Heather said looking at her hands.

"Just call me Prince Gingerbeard." He grabbed her hand and kissed it as she smiled. "Are we okay now?" He asked her searching out her eyes.

"We will be. I just need to know that you meant it." He got down on one knee in front of her taking her hand.

"Miss Heather Violetta Gardiner.." He started.

"Violetta?" She asked laughing.

"Ok missy, what is your middle name?" He asked her.

"Isabelle." She said smiling. "Violetta." She said laughing again.

"Can I finish declaring my love for you here?" He said rolling his eyes.

"Yes," Heather said as she finished laughing. "Continue."

"Heather Isabelle Gardiner, I love you. I...I love you like a love song baby, and I keep hitting repeat...peat peat peat peat peat." He said as Heather burst out again in laughter.

"Oh my God you're ridiculous James." She said as she helped him up. "Come on we should head back." She said to him through laughter as the two walked down the street. She wondered if he realized that she hadn't said it back to him.

-------

"Oh what a shot!" Heather said after James shot missed on the LA net. "Geno scores!" She said smiling and cheering. She turned and hugged Avery who was having the time of his life. She turned around to hug Deborah Neal. "They wouldn't have scored without your boy's shot." Heather smiled.

"He's your boy now." She gave a smile. "I'm so glad you two are working things out." Heather walked into the box to get a glass of wine with Deborah. "I think he really cares for you."

"He's very sweet." Heather nodded. "You know for our first date that we ever had, he sang to me. "

"He did?" Deborah smiled and giggled as Heather nodded.

"Yep, a personalized Toby Keith song." Heather laughed. "That was umm...actually the same night I first met you." Heather said covering her face laughing.

"Well perhaps if there's ever a wedding someday we'll have a funny story to tell." Deborah said covering Heather's hand with her own. It made Heather feel awkward that his mother was mentioning marriage and she hadn't even said those three little words to him yet.

"Mom can I get a drink?" Avery asked interrupting the two women.

"Sure Aves." She said. "Deborah, I'd like you to meet my son Avery." Heather said with her arm around her son who now stood a full head taller than her. "Aves this is James Neal's mom Deborah."

"Nice to meet you Avery." She said to the boy. She opened her purse and gave the boy a $10 bill. "Here, drink's on me." She smiled. "Your mom looks after my son on the road so maybe I should look after hers." Deborah smiled at Heather. She didn't want to say anything about them dating. She didn't know what the kid knew.

"Thanks Mrs. Neal." He smiled at her.

---

After the game everyone was heading back to the hotel after the game. James was walking Heather to her room. "So how was the game?" James asked her.

"Good, but I think that your mom is already trying to play Grandma." Heather laughed.

"What?" James asked completely deadpanned.

"Mmmhmmm, she gave Avery money go buy a drink." Heather laughed. "It was sweet. Like she wanted to do something but didn't know how far to take it you know?" Heather laughed as they stopped in front of her door. James stopped and brushed hair out of Heather's face before she opened the door to her room. He was looking into her eyes with his baby blues saying everything without saying anything at all.

"I love you Heather Gardiner. Heather Isabelle Gardiner I love you so much." He said before kissing her lips in a long, passionate kiss. His tongue swirled with hers exploring her mouth as if it was new territory. Her toes curled and she could feel a tingling sensation in between her legs developing. Things were heating up and fast. Just as he was about to suggest that they take the party into the room they heard a slam of the door across the hall. They broke apart to see the steely eyes of Sidney Crosby. He stood there looking at the two for a moment before walking away. Once again, Heather was saved by the bell not having to express her emotions towards James.

The group of them, moms and sons decided to go out and have a bit of fun. They decided on Karaoke night at a nearby bar. "This had to be your mom's idea." Heather said to James as the two of them sat at a table alone. Andrew opted to stay behind with Avery to let the two have date night. "I told her about our first date and the song." She laughed

. "Oh man, good thing Avery isn't here." He said to her as Heather gave a confused look. "She'd get up on stage and start singing Hey I just met you, and this is crazy. So here's ten dollars. Call me Nana!"

"Aww! Nana Neal! That's adorable!" Heather said laughing perhaps a little too loud. She saw Sid glaring over at her. A few of the moms had just finished singing their version of Natural Woman, Heather watched as Sid got up on stage with Geno and Nisky. Sid's mom had stayed back and thankfully so. Sid was drunk, stumbling, sloppy drunk. He had enlisted the help of his buddies.

"This is for somebody who we All know and love on the team." Sid said. "Some of us more than others...Sup Nealer." He said trying to make his point. The three of them drunkenly stumbled through Taylor Swift's famous breakup song.

"I remember when we broke up the first time
Saying, "This is it, I've had enough,"
cause like We hadn't seen each other in a month
When you said you needed space. (What?)
Then you come around again and say "Baby, I miss you and I swear I'm gonna change, trust me."
Remember how that lasted for a day? I say, "I hate you," we break up, you call me, "I love you."
Ooh, we called it off again last night
But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you
We are never ever ever getting back together,
We are never ever ever getting back together,
You go talk to Nealer talk to Orpik, talk to me
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together. Like ever."

By the end of the song Heather's face was red with rage. The rest of the team and the bar ate it up. The guys were stars. Heather sat sipping her beer plotting her revenge. "You know, I used to like that song." James said.

"I'll kill him." James said getting up.

"Nuh uh." She said pushing him down lightly. "This one's my fight." She got up to request her song and went on stage. "That was beautiful Sid." Heather said faking a sweet tone. "But I've got a few words for you too." She said as the opening strains of Hot and Cold by Katy Perry played.

"You change your mind Like a girl changes clothes.
Yeah, you, PMS Like a bitch I would know
And you over think Always speak Critically
i should know That you're no good for me
Sid you're hot then you're cold
You're yes then you're no
You're in then you're out
You're up then you're down
You're wrong when it's right It's black and it's white
We fight, we break up We kiss, we make up
You don't really wanna stay, no
But you don't really wanna go-o
You're hot then you're cold You're yes then you're no
You're in then you're out You're up then you're down."

She even dared to take the portable mic off stage to sing right to Sid at his table while he sat and sulked. James watched his girl give the performance of her life. At the end of the song she dropped the mic in his lap, grabbed her purse than left with James on her heels.

-------
The rest of the trip had gone fairly smoothly. Heather and Sid avoided each other after their epic karaoke battle, Avery and Andy flew home eager for Heather to join them soon, and James was more in love with his girl than ever. The team were dropped off at the arena after arriving home on Sunday afternoon. Heather was going to go to James' but suddenly wasn't feeling so well. She decided just to go home and get some rest. She was in the parking lot fishing out her keys when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "

"Hey Angel." She stopped dead in her tracks. Only one person called her Angel. The same person she had told at Christmas that she couldn't see anymore. She slowly turned around to see Jason standing there as his teammates were getting off the bus to go and practice.

"Jason." She smiled. "Hey, I almost forgot you guys were coming." She said cordially. Her brain was telling her to run, to runaway fast; however her feet remained glued in place.

"I umm...wow you look great." He said to her.

"Thanks." She said almost shyly. "You too."

"Jenn came back last week." He said looking at the ground.

"Oh?" Heather said quietly. "That's good."

"But I miss you." He said taking a step closer to her looking into her eyes. What was the deal with her and blue eyes that made her legs turn into jello? "Think we could maybe do coffee or dinner tonight?" She looked around for somebody, anybody to come to her rescue. James had already left, he was probably half way home by now. Only two cars remained in the parking lot. Hers and...

"Hey Heather, we should get going." She heard Sid's voice from behind her as he came and wrapped an arm around her. "Our dinner reservation is for 6 and I need to go home and change first." He said before nodding his head "Spezz." He said politely as Jason nodded hello. "Come on." Sid turned her around as Heather waved goodbye silently. They walked towards Sid's car together.

"You didn't have to do that. I could've handled him myself." She said quietly not even looking at him.

"Who are you kidding." Sid said with a sarcastic laugh. "He would've had you for breakfast. You were a puddle in your shoes." He said to her as he stopped at his car.

"Well...thank you anyways Sid." She said to him.

"Don't mention it." He said as his phone rang. "It's Vanessa. I'll see you tomorrow." He said to her as he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek goodbye. He pulled out of the lot as tears began to stream down her face.

Notes