Captains Come First

Author's note: I hope that I can bring an ending to this story that will satisfy everyone. Sorry it's took so long to be back I'm aming for 50 chapters. Feedback is always welcome!!!

------- When I'm gone, when I'm gone, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me by my hair, you're gonna miss me everywhere. Oh, you're, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone.
-------

"Tanger I don't think that this is a great idea." Heather said as she put down her skate bag on the bench at soldier field. Kris had insisted that she attend the family skate with him, Catherine and Alexander. "Is a family event really where I should return to the Penguins spotlight." She said looking around at the families happily skating. She had since resigned her position and this was her first time back. She had been living at Kris and Catherine's. Mario went out of his way to find her a work from home position with the team doing data entry. Anything so that she wouldn't have to go back to Canada as he felt strongly that her family was there with them in Pittsburgh. "Maybe making this trip to Chicago was a dumb idea."

"Nonesense." Kris smiled warmly. "Here I'll tie those" he said noticing her fumbling with her laces. "You know we haven't seen Vanessa around for a while." Kris said sheepishly nodding his head towards his captain, who was across the ice being interviewed by a long haired blonde. An all too familiar blonde. "Maybe you two could.." He was stopped by Heather's reaction.

"Oh God no." She said as she stood up freezing in her tracks.

"Alright alright" Kris held his hands up in surrender as he helped her on the ice. "Sorry I suggested it"

"No it's not that." Heather said. "It's her." She said nodding towards the same blonde who was now playfully fixing James' hair in between breaks from the camera.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize she'd be here." Kris said as they gently glided.

"It's ok. I can handle it. Go skate with your family, I'll be fine." Heather said with a smile. Kris raised an eyebrow as he picked up Alexandre. "Go." Heather said with a smile waving him away. He shook his head smiling and skated away. She stood there for a minute at the corner of the ice. Part of her considering storming Melanie and ripping her extensions right out of her head. No, she thought. This wasn't the place for a scene. Instead, she thought her best defence was a good offence. She skated up to the all too familiar broad shouldered captain who was taking a break rink side. "How's that Olympic championship serving you Captain." She said in a low, sultry tone. Sidney paused a moment and turned around. "Heather!" He said with a smile hugging her.

"You're here. It's been too long" he said taking her hand and then looking around to make sure that nobody was around. "I've missed you. So much." He said looking into her eyes. "How about we go somewhere where we can talk." He said quietly. "Away from everyone." Deep inside she knew that this wasn't a Romantic gesture. He knew that he needed to keep their relationship away from prying eyes. But her heart said go.

"Alright." She smiled as they made their way to the makeshift dressingroom. Heather unzipped her coat and unlaced her skates as Sid looked at her sweater that clung to her midsection. There was no use hiding things now. "You're really starting to show." He said.

"How far along now?" He asked

"Twelve weeks tomorrow. I'm due September 14th." She said with a small smile.

"Perfect, just in time for preseason." Sid said awkwardly. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, that nobody could ever mean anything to him. He wanted not to care that she was pregnant. But he knew that he had to hold back. For his image sake. "How is James handling?" "He isn't. We aren't." Heather said with a sigh. "And by the looks of it he and Melanie are."

"You need to know something." Sidney said taking a serious tone as he caught a glance at the penguin charm around her neck. "James has been with Melanie since she returned from Sochi. I don't think it's serious. He's always out partying, looking for the next girl, taking the odd one home. Drink in like a fish. He doesn't deserve what he has in there. Or you" He added

"Stop" Heather said putting a hand out. "No more please. Sid we keep playing this game. You and I both know it will never work. Your pride is too much, your image. He doesn't care at all about his and you care entirely too much about yours!" She said raising her voice.

"Heather you need me." Sidney said

"I don't need either of you." She said turning away from him. "I'll do this myself"

"You can't." Sidney yelled "Don't you dare ever tell me what I cant or can do." Heather said getting within an inch of his face.

"Look, I'm only trying to say that you need somebody for support. A partner in this. If he's not going to step up and be a father than let me!" He touched her cheek softly. "No." Heather said.

"I don't need anybody. That's because..." She stopped "I'm considering adoption." She said looking at the ground.

"What?" Sidney said utterly confused, like she had uttered the most confusing math problem in the universe. "But why would you? James is an NHLer he could support you and the kids. You'd be set for life."

"Because it's not supposed to be this way Sid." She said putting her arms up in frustration. "Look, I've been here before, done that with a dad who wasn't ready to be one. I don't need Andy part two." She said

"Listen Nealer is a bit immature but Andy was just a kid. And look what an awesome dad he is now."

"Yes, but that's not the point." Heather said tears coming down her face. "I always thought....that next time....which is this time I'd be married. In a loving secure relationship. With a home, a husband. Somebody to make a life with together." She collapsed into tears. Sid's arms wrapped around her. "I fucked up Sid." She sobbed

"Shhh. There's plenty of time for that." He said stroking her hair as he held her to his chest. "You're still young. It's ultimately your choice what you do. But please, don't let Nealer's mistakes make you decide on something that's wrong for you." He turned her face up towards his and wiped a stray tear from her eyes. "I have to go back out there. Have dinner with me tonight?"

"Oh Sid I would but I promised Catherine and Kris that I'd watch Alexander so that they could have a night out." She said sounding slightly dissappointed.

"Dinner in? And a movie pay per view?" He suggested. "After Alex goes to bed." He wiped another stray tear from her cheek. "I know I can't enforce captain's rights anymore as you're no longer the specialist." He said with a grin. "Alright." She said with a small smile.

"Just this once. But no staying over and hands to yourself. I'm over emotional right now so I'm weak and vulnerable." She said with a small laugh.

"You? Vulnerable?" Sidney said laughing. "You don't know the meaning of the word." Heather back handed his chest playfully. "So Tanger's room at say 8?"

"Sure." She said. Sidney kissed her hand and walked back out to the ice. Heather bit her lip as he walked away knowing that she'd need all of the restraint she could muster up.

---------

Heather knew that she had something that needed to be done that night before Catherine and Kris went out. She excused herself for a few minutes and walked down the hall. Taking a deep breath she raised her hand and firmly knocked on room 1401. She waited patiently as she could hear someone padding towards the door. The door opened to reveal James standing there soaking wet in a towel. "Hey Babydoll." He was quiet and careful not to speak too loud. He smiled a crooked smile.

"James don't babydoll me." Heather said firmly. "We need to have a serious talk. You and me. I can see that this is a bad time." She could hear a female voice calling from inside the room.

"James where are my louboutins?" The voice asked as she came closer to the door. "James? James!" She shouted until she reached the door opening it wide to see Heather standing there. "Who's this?" She asked. "A fan?"

"Look this really isn't a good time for Autographs, I'll be in the lobby in a half hour maybe you can catch me then." James said. Heather stood there jaw open as Melanie walked away to continue searching for her shoes. "Listen I can't talk now. We'll talk in Pittsburgh." He said shutting the door in her face.

"James wasn't that fan with Sid at the skate?" Melanie asked confused. "Are you sure that you don't know her?"

"Never seen her before in my life." James lied looking at the closed door in front of him. Heather sobbed. She knew not to expect any more from him, but she thought that they had something special. She carefully removed the penguin charm from her neck. Taking the fastened chain she left it hanging on the door handle. James had made her decision for her. She knew that he could never change. What she didn't know was that James found the necklace as he was leaving for dinner with Melanie. Shutting the door behind them he saw it hanging.

"James let's go." Melanie said impatiently. He stared at the hanging charm for a second before he grabbed it and put it in his pocket.

"Coming." He said.

----------------

Heather was staying in a room connecting with Kris and Catherine's. She had just laid Alex down to sleep when she heard a knock on the door. Right on time as always. She thought. She answered the door with a finger to her lips then pointed to Alex as she quietly led Sid to her room almost closing the adjoining door behind her. "He just went to sleep." She smiled

. "See, you're a natural parent." Sidney smiled. "I hope that you don't mind but I pre ordered our dinner. "I remembered how much you love Steak with sautéed mushrooms and cheesecake for dessert." Heather smiled.

"And now I can eat it all without feeling guilty." Heather said smiling with a hand on her belly.

"You always could, you take amazing care of yourself." Sidney said.

"Perhaps physically, not emotionally." Heather said sighing. She wanted to tell him what a tool James had been, but it didn't feel like the right time. The two of them are their dinner comfortably. Laughing and talking like no time had passed. During the movie they sat together on the king bed with his arm around her. It was comfortable, like a glove or an old sweater. At the end of the movie he looked over. Heather had fallen asleep. He laughed at her slight snore as he carefully pulled the covers over her. He contemplated staying or leaving. Would it be wrong to want to wake up with her again? What would tanger say when he got back? He flipped around the channels until he settled on sports highlights. He then heard a knock on the door. Carefully he got up and went to open the door.

"Nealer?" He asked surprised to see him.

"Sid. I should've known." James said lowering his head to look down at the ground. He uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck. "So I guess I'm too late." Sidney looked down and saw the bouquet of tiger Lillie's.

"It wasn't like that. We had dinner and she fell asleep. As friends." Sidney said. "I didn't know you two were communicating since you abandoned her." Sidney said folding his arms across his chest. James paused for a moment with his mouth open realizing that Sidney had no idea about his early encounter with Heather.

"Look...I'll just....Can you"

"No." Sid said firmly. "Look I was your errand boy in Sochi, when I believed that you wanted to genuinely work things out with her. Now I don't think that it's a good idea."

"Come on Sid." James said

"No. Look there's a lot that you two need to talk about. I'll tell her that you need to see her tomorrow. Maybe after breakfast." Sidney said.

"Alright." James sighed. "Breakfast. Night Cap." He said to Sid as he turned to walk away.

"Night Nealer." Sidney said closing the door. He decided to stay. He didn't trust James not to try coming back if he saw Sid leave. Something didn't sit right with him. He turned and looked at Heather sleeping soundly. He crawled into bed holding her deep into the night. Not even the sound of Kris and Catherine returning woke him. Kris opened the adjoining door to see the two curled up in eachother's arms.

"Thataboy Captain." He said under his breath closing the door.

Notes