Captains Come First

Brooks looked at Heather silently as she was peacefully sleeping. A nurse said that she would lie to staff saying that he was her husband so that he could stay with her. She lay with a small smile on her face. The letter from Sidney was clutched to her heart with one hand. He felt extreme guilt. Sidney had not written that letter at all. Sid didn't even know what was going on with Heather. Something that both his family and teammates thought best. The letter was written by Brooks recalling several memories that Heather had told him over their time together. His heart broke that he had to do this, but it was for the best. An older nurse quietly entered the room nodding in Brooks direction while she took heather's vitals. "You love her very much." She said patting him on the shoulder. "Are these your first babies?" She asked while puttering around the room.

"Oh I'm.....yeah. I'm really excited." He said with a half smile. "I'm just happy that they're ok." He added quietly.

"All will be fine." The nurse said tapping his hand on the way out. He took her hand and kissed it lightly before placing it on his cheek. He looked at the clock on the wall. Sidney was probably getting up to start his pregame rituals about now. He knew Sid would be angry when he finally found out what had happened. But he couldn't put that kind of pressure on his captain, or that kind of stress on Heather. Brooks had already arranged for her things to be packed and met at the charter flight home. His cellphone buzzed. A message from his wife. She couldn't wait for him to be home, missed him. His head pounded at the thought of his current deception.

"He will find out. So will she." He heard the voice of Paul Martin from the door as he entered putting a hand on Brooks' shoulder. "Be prepared for a backlash. Hell, James may even join forces with Sid to take you out." Paul said with a serious tone in his voice. "She's his girl. Those are James' babies."

"Not the point." Brooks said quietly.

"If she knew Sid didn't know she was here then it would just hurt her more right my now." He placed her hand back down gently.

"Paul she's going home to nothing. I can't do that to her. She deserves more."

"Don't you think that she'll be angry that you made up a story?" Paul asked grabbing a chair sitting beside Brooks.

"You guys don't get it. She's been hurt over and over. She gives her heart and she's betrayed, lied to, hurt." Brooks said staring at her peaceful face in her sleeping state.

"And you're lying to her now." Paul said looking at his teammate. "How does that make you different than any of the other guys?"

"Because I actually love her ok?" Brooks yelled standing up, his chair flying behind him in anger from the sheet force of his legs. Heathers eyes fluttered open, neither men noticed.

"Sid and James do not deserve her. They don't deserve the heart that this woman has. She's beautiful, she has a heart of gold she's..."

"Not your wife." Paul cut him off sternly. "You can't keep her from Sid or James with fake letters." Paul said as Heather moved herself to the side of the bed to get up.

"Paul." Heather smiled. "You came."

"Heather I...I'm sorry." Brooks said shaking his head knowing that she had heard everything.

"Brooks." She started smiling. "I knew."

"How did you?" He asked curiously.

"Sid's a perfectionist. Control issues." She smiled. "He'd never let somebody write a letter for him." Paul gave Brooks a look of satisfaction. Suddenly another knock on the door came. It was becoming like a family reunion.

"I come in?" Asked a thick Russian accent.

"Of course Geno." Heather said reaching her arms forward welcoming his hug. "You've not gone home yet?" She asked.

"No." He said shaking his head and smirking. "I stay here for Lazy." He laughed. "He say I protector of the babies." His smirk spread across his face to a huge grin. "I go home with these two fools." He said giving Paul and Brooks both pats on the back.

"Fools?" Brooks asked with a mock horror. -

--- The plane ride home was a difficult one for Heather. Her heart went to both James and to Sid. A satellite feed of the gold medal game was playing. She saw Sid's family look so proud especially Victoria looking on in wonder and excitement for her 'boyfriend' captain Canada. She wore his Jersey, a team Canada hat, a Canada scarf. She couldn't have looked more like a superfan without sporting a Tshirt saying 'Sidney Crosby's Girlfriend' or 'future Mrs. Sid' on it. It sickened Heather. It didn't help that she was still feeling discomfort with her condition. She closed her eyes and put headphones on to distract from what was going on. Sure, she was happy but at the same time she was in absolute misery. There was no possible way that Sidney could stay with her, he was far too important and clean for that. He had the image of a clean cut, good Canadian boy; a national hero. She was the slut next door. It wouldn't take long for it to get out that she was his whore basically. And then there was James, her babies' father. James, seen as a playboy of sorts. It was only a matter of time before he got a girl pregnant. Why not live up to his image? If Tanger could do it so could he. Heather twirled the penguin charm around her fingers. Her heart belonged to Sid, she knew that. But would being with James be so bad? It was like he loved her in his own way. She drifted off to sleep her thoughts battling back and forth. Sid, James, Sid, James, Brooks? "We'll be landing soon." Brooks said to her stroking her forehead. "In about a half hour." He kissed her forehead softly and rubbed her shoulder.

"Getting a little close there eh Brooksie?" Said the voice of Ryan Kesler not looking up from his poker game with TJ Oshie, jimmy Howard, and Phil Kessel. "I'm all for loving the specialist and all but you're going to get yourself burned.

"Listen Kes, just because yours can't find what's in your pants doesn't mean everyone has the same relationship with theirs." Brooks said gruffly turning away.

"Yeah, especially when they have to explain to their wife that they're going to be a dad. Really Brooks? I'd always pegged you as a protection kind of guy."

"Can't always be right Kesler. I'd always thought of you as a playoff winner." Brooks said with a smirk on his face.

"Hey, I may not have a cup, but you'll need yours when your wife gets to your balls." Brooks opened his mouth to respond when he heard the angry, yet soft voice beside him taking over. "They're not his." Heather said turning to Ryan glaring at him. "They don't belong to anyone who was in Sochi."

"You don't have to give him an explanation." Brooks said quietly looking into her eyes. "It's not important." She gave a knowing look with a hand on his face before she got up and pushed past him

. "They're James Neal's, he actually wants to be a dad unlike somebody around here he actually is excited to be a dad, not worried it'll cramp his style with the ladies. I also have a son with Andrew Raycroft. Anything else you want to know?" She asked crossing her arms as the seatbelt sign popped up alerting that it was time to get back to their seats.

--- James paced the waiting area in arrivals waiting for any sign that her flight had arrived. A sliding door opened...nothing. Creaking of a nearby luggage carousel, still nothing. His hand reached into his pocket, rubbing his thumb over the velvety blue box. 'Is it time?' He asked himself again. 'What will she think?' He asked himself. Suddenly he heard a door slide open again. He was greeted by the faces of Brooks, Paul and Geno. James didn't see her there. Was everything ok? He jogged towards them. "Heather...where is she?" James asked. "What happened to her?"

"She's fine James relax." Brooks said with a flash in his eyes. "She's just with medical staff. She was a bit lightheaded after the flight and needed to see a doctor. Coach is with her."

"Where is she? I should be there." James said downtrodden. "I need to see her."

"Dan said he'd make sure that she got home ok." Paul said trying to console his friend. Which home he didn't say.

"Lazy, cheer up. Geno home." Geno smiled trying to cheer up his friend.

"Yes, that does help." James said giving his friend a hug. "My place for beers guys?"

"Geno never say no to a drink." Geno said wrapping an arm around Paul and James. "You in Brooksie?"

"Nah, you guys go. Wife is waiting." He said with a half smile. Back at James place, the guys recounted their stories. Stories about girls, who drank the most, teams with the craziest athletes., hottest girls in the villages, James listened and laughed heartily at the boys almost wishing that he was there. "Another round boys?" James asked getting up grabbing the empties not noticing the box falling from his pocket. Geno picked up the box and opened it. What he saw was a very expensive looking ring. A pear shaped centre diamond flanked by two emerald cut diamonds encased in a platinum band with intricate scroll work and the word 'babydoll' inscribed on the inside, a design that James had made himself.

"Lazy...what's this?" Geno asked facing the box towards James.

"It's nothing." James said taking the box from Geno's hand and snapping it closed.

"That's a small diamond mine in a box." Paul said curiously. "You...you're going to..."

"Propose." James said looking again at the box. "It's time. If I don't I never will."

"James, you guys are having a baby. That should be enough stress. Adding a fiancé?" Paul said sliding down in his seat. "I love her too, but this is serious man."

"I'm serious." James said to him. "I love her. I know that she loves me. I know that we can be happy together."

"Well man, I'm here for you." Paul said putting a hand on James' shoulder. "We all are." Geno said embracing his friend.

----- Heather's cab pulled up somewhere where she didn't expect to be originally. She had considered Brooks' offer, she knew James would be disappointed that she wasn't with him as well. In then end she took the suggestion of Coach Dan and pick somebody who was not emotionally invested in the situation. She took her suitcase and carefully walked up to the big wooden door. She knocked a bit timidly. "This is for the best." She said to herself and sighed. The door opened, she looked up at the smiling frenchman's face as he pushed his hair back off of his face. "Welcome home Mama." Kris said enveloping her in a hug. "I'm glad you're safe." He said with a smile leading her in to the house.

"Me too Tanger, me too." She smiled and sat down in his livingroom. "You're sure Catherine won't mind?" "

"Nah, she's away for another week with our boy. I called her to let her know. She thinks it's actually very sweet of me to help you out." He said giving her a small kiss on the cheek before settling into a recliner.

"Please thank her for me too." Heather said with a small smile. Catherine was one of the few Wags that actually intimidated her. Her perfect blonde hair, blue eyes, amazing figure, she could've easily been a specialist as well. "I was a bit surprised that coach Dan suggested you." She said with a small smile.

"He knows his guys." Kris said laughing. "He saw me as no threat to you emotionally." He smiled. Suddenly a blonde blue eyed face came on the screen.

"Oh my god...I know her." Heather said trying to place a face to the incident.

"Melanie Collins?" Kris asked a bit skeptically.

"Yes...she looks so familiar....god where have I seen her before?" Heather asked trying to wrack her brain for the answers. 'Could it be online in pictures with James?' Kris asked in his head but couldn't dare to say. He didn't want to hurt her.

"She's always around events and things. You've probably seen her there." He said convincingly.

"Yeah maybe." Heather said quietly sitting back in her chair. Kris changed the channel quickly to NBC's coverage of the closing ceremonies. He didn't want to risk the lightbulb going off in her head. Sidney's face lit up the screen, he was wearing his gold medal and being interviewed during the parade of athletes celebration. He was asked about the support that he had had there for him.

"Oh it's been wonderful, Mom, Dad, family." He said to the reporter who then asked about a special girl. "Yeah, it's been great to have V here." He said with his trademark smile. "She's made things that much easier." Heather's heart sunk as a tear streamed down her face. Kris looked over at her to see her try to hide the sadness

. "Umm I think Big Bang theory is on somewhere." He said quietly trying to avoid the difficult situation.

"It's ok Tanger." She said softly. "I know I've lost him."

Notes

Sorry for the wait on this
chapter! Hope you all enjoy!