Collide

Two weeks away from CiCi was doing more to Sidney than he ever thought possible. His constant desire to be home and taking care of her was weighing on his mind and affecting his game. And it wasn't going unnoticed. What was worse, he couldn't find the right time to call with the time difference, and skyping was completely out of the question.

Three days after CiCi's emergency surgery she got to go home. And to make her feel more at ease, she and Sidney managed to convince her parents to let her stay at their apartment and not drive the couple hours north of the city to their home. Trina had extended her stay until CiCi came home and was comfortable then flew over to Russia on her own.

"She looks really great Sid. She is taking what happened very well too. But how are you doing?" Trina had asked him when she finally arrived in Sochi. They escaped to a nearby cafe to have a little mother-son time. It was rare that he was without his father in the Olympic village and he was ready and willing to be as open and honest with his mother without his father hovering.

"Honestly? I wish I could be there taking care of her. And it's getting into my head and I can't shake the thought of her losing all abilities of carrying a baby of her own." It was starting to show on the ice how he no longer seemed focused on the sport.

"Sweetie, you have no idea how wrong you are about her. I spent the past four days with her and she is surprisingly upbeat. But she told me she dealt with losing her ability to carry children the first time around. She is okay with what had to be done in order to save her life. She could have bled out or something worse. Who knows? Are you okay knowing how untraditional things will be for the two of you?"

"I don't know. I'm going to have to be because I want kids and I want her. And that isn't a package deal and I've known this for a a couple months now."

"Lots of people use surrogates. And you are financially able to afford to do it."

"Yeah I know," Sid looked away from his mother towards the mountain side that led to the village. They were in the midst of the medal race. The brackets were set and his team was prepared to play to the end. But if it wasn't for his teammates, Canada wouldn't be in it at all.

*****
"Mom!" CiCi called from the kitchen. She was reading through some emails and came across one from the fellowship committee. "I got an email from my fellowship! Come in here!"

Diane appeared within seconds and stood behind CiCi as she opened the email. "I can't read it, I'm too nervous." She climbed down from the seat and moved out of the way so that Diane could read it for her.

"I'm sorry sweetie, they didn't choose you," Diane said after a long pause.

"Oh. Ok." She blinked back some tears that her mother didn't see and cleared her throat. "Well, it's probably for the best all things considering. I was just kind of getting excited about it. Sid was on board finally and everything."

"There will be other chances Ci. Apply again, or apply to another fellowship somewhere else. You are too talented to be overlooked."

"Thanks mom. I'll think about it." Just then her phone began to ring. Glancing at the screen she smiled. "Why hello Mr. Semi-finals champion."

"Hey you, how are you feeling?"

"As each day passes I don't feel as if I've been cut into as much."

"Glad you've got your sarcasm back. What do you have planned for today?"

"I have a follow up appointment with Dr. Galloway and another with a hormone specialist."

"Why do you need to see a specialist?" Sid's voice was filled with concern.

"Well I am now missing some vital parts that make me a woman so to keep my youthful vitality in check I need to be on a strict hormone therapy regimen. Which means I'll take a pill the rest of my life so my 26 year old self doesn't feel 66 and that when you wanna play I want to too."

Sid chuckled uncomfortably, "Please tell me your mom isn't sitting right there?"

"No. She is folding laundry. She has been a cleaning machine. You will not recognize this place. Which you'll be back here in three days!"

"Yes I will. With some pretty hardware."

"I would say I want you in our bed with only the medal on, but I can't have sex for another month. So we can delay the celebration."

"Babe, you're okay with everything right?" The sincerity in his voice made CiCi's heart clench.

"Yes, I am. It had to be done. Are you okay with knowing I am damaged goods?"

"You're not damaged--"

"I'm missing some important parts of me."

"You are everything I want and I would rather have you missing those parts than not having you at all."

"Score a goal for me on Sunday?"

"I promise I'll try my best. I love you."

"I love you more." She didn't tell him that he didn't have to worry about her leaving for France. It wasn't something she found entirely important. He needed to concentrate on winning the gold on Sunday.

"You didn't tell him," Diane said when CiCi hung up the phone.

"There's really nothing to tell. I didn't get the fellowship. My summer will be spent here assessing others' work, while he hops flights around the world to train with some of the best in his sport."

"Honey, are you doubting your job?"

"I just feel like I am at a roadblock and I have no way around it. I thought I loved what I do."

"Well, what would you do if you quit? Painting won't pay the bills."

"I know they won't."

"I think you should talk to Sidney. Maybe he can provide you with some insight. And it's not all glamorous what he does. He isn't traveling for pleasure. He works his ass off."

"More like beefs it up."

"It was a metaphor you silly girl. Maybe take a sabbatical? Spend the summer traveling with him? If he wants you to."

"Yeah, I'll talk to him about it. But I'd feel so useless doing that too."

"You'll never know unless you try."

*****

CiCi couldn't contain her excitement and it was obvious as she stood in the empty baggage claim terminal waiting for Sidney's flight to show up and claim their bags. After she managed to convince her mother that she would be okay to go to the airport alone, she left her behind at the apartment and stopped by a flower shop on the way to the airport. Because who doesn't want flowers when they return home after being out of the country for two weeks?

A small crowd started to come towards the luggage carousel and CiCi quickly turned to look for a well hidden head of unruly dark hair. And when she spotted him slowly making his way towards baggage claim, looking at his phone in order to remain someone discreet she took off as quickly as the dissolving stitches would allow her.

His trademark black ball cap was over his head and he was certain to have his collar up enough so half his face was hidden. He wasn't paying attention when he heard someone shout to watch it. He looked up in time to have a petite frame wrap around his waist and his senses were instantly assaulted with the smell of her.

"Welcome home!" CiCi exclaimed. Her face was buried in his chest. His arms pulled her close and he didn't care that a small crowd noticed that Sidney Crosby was embracing his girlfriend in public.

"God, I missed you," he said softly into her hair.

"I got you flowers!" She giggled as she pulled a smashed bouquet of daisies and carnations from behind his back. "They looked better before I saw you and came running."

"You shouldn't be running Ci! You could injure yourself all over again." He smiled through his reprimand because he was thrilled beyond belief that she was here and he could touch her.

"I'm so happy you are home!" She leaned up and was pleased when he willingly kissed her in the middle of the airport during one of the busiest hours of travel.

"I'm happy to be home with you. Where's your mom?" He slung his arm across her shoulders and guided her towards baggage claim.

"She let me come out by myself."

"You daredevil. Should you be driving already?"

"The doctor said as soon as I feel like I can. And I felt like I could. But do you think you can drive back?"

"Yes. Then I am going to sleep for like 24 hours. As long as you are in bed with me."

"Lucky for you I can't go back to work for a few more weeks!"

"Awe that is lucky, I can take care of my baby for a little while."

"Yes, but I am sure I am being scorned or made a fool because I stayed with you, you lying cheating bastard."

"Stop getting on the inter webs. It's dangerous." He caught sight of his suitcase and grabbed it quickly. CiCi realized the luggage wasn't going to be transported easily so she grabbed a luggage cart to use as they got to the car. When she returned to Sid's side she resumed the conversation.

"She's really pretty. But your mother looked uncomfortable and your dad looked downright pissed!"

"My aunt told her to leave. Like leave the country. It was quite funny."

"Did..did you talk to her?"

"Not once. And she may look pretty on the outside, but she is downright ugly on the inside. She mentioned you to my mom and my mom went off. That's why my aunt told her to leave."

Once they had all his bags on the cart, he began pushing towards the parking lot.

"Okay, enough about her. I have some news to share."

"You got the fellowship," Sid said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"No, I didn't."

"Awe baby, come here." Sid threw his free arm around CiCi and kissed her forehead. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay. It would have been cool, but at the same time I completely wasn't ready for the interview as I wasn't planning on going anyways. But," she glanced up at him as they continued walking, "how would you feel if I took the summer off anyways? And came with you while you travel?"

"You'd want to do that? I don't go anywhere extravagant."

"I get to see you every day rather than last summer where I saw you sporadically."

"I do take time off before training you know? It's not an Olympic year. We could go somewhere on vacation first."

"Honey the entire summer will be my vacation! Now on to my other news."

"You're just full of news today and you have yet to ask me about mine."

"I know yours! It's all over the world of sports. I didn't want you to whip that thing out in the airport. We narrowly missed a mob as it is. There's the car," she pointed just ahead then continued, "I applied to be an art teacher at the performing arts school in downtown. And I have an interview Thursday."

"Wait, so you'll quit the gallery if you get this?"

"Yes. So my summers will always be free! Barring that I get the position."

There was huge grin spreading across her face and Sid did the only thing he could think of, he grabbed her in his arms and spun her around. "Careful babe! I'm still healing!"

"Sorry! I'm just so unbelievably happy right now! But how will you break it to the gallery when you get this position?" He finished placing his bags in the back of his SUV and led CiCi to the passenger side and opened her door. She refrained from answering him until he was in and settled in the driver's seat.

"Well, I am on medical leave right now. But when I go back I'll put in a notice and ask to use up my vacation days. They will understand. And I've got money saved that I can use until I start getting another paycheck."

"And what made you do this?"

"Honestly, I just haven't been happy doing that anymore. And all this mess with me and being home it's really come to a head. Then that position opened and I had been headhunted by them years ago, but I didn't like the idea of teaching. But things change and I think I'm going to really enjoy it."

"You gotta do what makes you happy and we could still go to France this summer if you'd like?"

"I want to go somewhere that isn't all touristy though. So maybe, Disney world?"

"You're kidding right? That place is crawling with tourists!"

"I've never been there! Plus we could totally blend in because it will be a bunch of kids with their parents."

"Neither have I to be honest. Well, we have time to figure out where we will go."

"I'm all for Florida. Let's do it. Disney. Universal Studios. All of it."

"Can't I just take you somewhere where I can get you in a bikini and just stare at you all day?" Sid pulled out onto the highway and was zigzagging through the lanes as he drove by some slower moving vehicles.

"I will never wear a bikini in public again." CiCi was shaking her head to emphasize this and looking out the front window, bracing the armrest.

"We can go somewhere that we have a private piece of beach front property and just be reclusive for a week!" She contemplated this before responding.

"Only if you promise to take me to see Mickey Mouse too."

"That's all it is going to take to get you in a two piece?" He glanced over at her briefly then focused back on the road.

"Yep!" A small dimple appeared as she tried to suppress a grin.

"God, I'm glad to be home," he said with a slight chuckle. Then he reached over and twisted their fingers together then brought her hand to his lips for a kiss.

Notes

Eh, so I got slightly annoyed last week and it took me a little longer to get this up than I would have hoped. Anywho, enjoy! Just some silly fluff right now. Hope to hear what you all think!