Chapter Twenty Three

"How are we suppose to take this creep down? We can't find him and this place is huge!" Tyler said and I sighed and nodded my head.

"I don't know man, but he's freaking booby trapped this arena," I said after running into a few trip wires.

The one wire that I had set off was an air compressor gun that had a dart in it. It was stuck in my arm and I cursed loudly as I pulled it out. I had put Fedotenko in front after that, because he seemed to be able to see where these damn wires were, I didn't know how, and to be honest I didn't really want to.

"NOOOO!!!" we heard someone yell and looked to see that it was Josh.

"Josh!" I yelled and then ran forward, tripping on another wire and falling on my face.

There was a smoke screen and everyone was coughing and racing to get out of it. I felt someone grab the back of my shirt and practically carry me out. When we were out I turned around and saw my old friend Max Talbot, even though he played for the Flyers, he was still a friend.

"You all right, man?"

"Yeah. I'm gunna murder this guy when I get my hands on him," I growled and Max nodded his head.

"Who's Josh?" Max asked and I sighed.

"My girlfriend's son," I said and he nodded his head.

-Julie-

I was speeding on the highway heading North back to Pittsburgh. Andy was in the passenger seat clinging to her seat scared that we were going to get into an accident, but I was a mother on a mission.

I was driving for almost three hours, I was about an hour away from Pittsburgh and my phone rang. I answered it, "Hello?"

"Julie!"

"Sidney?"

"We got him, Julie! Josh is all right," Sidney yelled into the phone and I let out a sigh of relief that I didn't know that I had been holding.

"Thank you, Sidney! I'll be there within the hour!"

"Drive carefully- Oh wait, the little man wants to talk to you!"

"All right."

"Mommy!"

"Hi baby! Mommy's on her way!" I said and Andy looked over towards me and then smiled and I nodded my head.

"Hurry up Mommy!"

"I'm coming!" I said and then said goodbye to my son and then hit the gas pedal and swerving through traffic.

By the time I got to the arena, I saw that the parking lot was empty and I saw where all the police and ambulance cars were. I drove over towards there and ran out of the car. I climbed under the police tape and was stopped but I ignored them and ran for my son.

"JOSH!!!"

"MOMMY!!!" he yelled and then ran over towards me.

I fell to my knees and engulfed my son in a hug and started to cry, "Mommy, why are you crying?"

"I'm so happy that you're all right," I said as I pulled away and held my son's face. He smiled and then kissed my cheek and wiped my tears away.

"I'm all right, Sidney saved me!" he said and I laughed out a cry and then hugged him again and looked up to see Sidney.

I turned around and called Andy over and she knelt down next to me, "Baby, this is your Aunt Andy, she's my sister, why don't you talk to her while I thank Sidney."

"All right," he said and I kissed his head and then stood up and walked over towards Sidney.

I stood in front of him and looked at all of the damages. His face had cuts and bruising on it, his arm was bandaged and I could see blood coming through it. I bit my lip and tried to hide the tears but I couldn't. I looked at the ground and shook my head and I felt Sidney put his hand under my chin and make me look at him.

"Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine," he said and I leaned into his hand and grabbed his arm.

"You're hurt," I said and he shook his head, "Yes you are, this is all my fault."

"It's not your fault," he said and then held my face, "It's not your fault."

"I can't thank you enough, Sidney. Nothing I can do could ever thank you for saving my son," I said and he smiled and then pressed his lips against mine.

I grabbed onto his shirt and pulled myself closer towards him and then felt his arms wrap around my waist. When he pulled away, he laid his forehead on mine and smiled, "There's a start," he whispered and I smiled.

"Where are the guys? I want to thank them too!" I said and he nudged his head over towards the ambulance where I saw that there were a lot of guys there.

"The Flyers' team helped us out," Sidney whispered in my ear and I looked at him, "My buddy Max over there is the one that save Josh."

I looked over towards the man who was sitting shirtless on the stretcher being taken care of by the EMTs, he arm and side were being bandaged and I nodded my head and walked over towards him.

"Thank you."

He looked up towards me and flashed his pearly whites, "So you're Crosby's girl? He's got himself a looker, and a handful," I smiled towards him and felt him grab my hand, "Happy to help out a friend."

"But you're hurt."

"Naw, it's just a flesh wound, I'll be back on the ice before you know it," he said and I nodded my head, "Besides, any guy that kidnaps a child deserves to have his ass handed to him."

"You and the guys went through so much for me. I can't thank you enough," I said and he smiled.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him gently because I didn't want to hurt him.

"You're welcome," he said and then I walked back over towards Sidney and he smiled towards me.

"You feel better now?" he asked and I nodded my head.

I turned around to see that Andy had taken Josh over towards the guys and they were all talking. I looked around the scene and saw that a lot of the players were hurt, but it was just cuts and bruises, nothing that would hold them back from playing hockey.

"Where is he?" I asked and Sidney pointed over towards one of the police cars and I looked over and saw that Kyle was sitting in the backseat glaring at me, "I hope he rots in prison!"

"You and the rest of the guys," Sidney said and I nodded my head.

"Sidney, I'm sorry I left, I-"

"It's not your fault you were just trying to find your son," he said and then placed his hands on my shoulders and I sighed and nodded my head.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that you're sorry! There's nothing for you to apologize for!" he said and I looked up towards him and then wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his chest, "It's all going to be all right now, Julie."

"I hope you're right," I said and then saw a car pull up.

"Tyler!"

"Allie's here," Sidney whispered and I watched as she ran over towards Tyler and jumped into his arms. Veronique followed behind Allie and ran to Marc. I sighed, because it was my fault for leaving that they had to wait to see their loved one, "Stop blaming yourself, Julie."

"I can't help it. It is all my fault."

"No it's not," he said and then walked me over towards the guys.

"Julie!" Allie said and then hugged me, "I'm so happy that you're all right!"

"I'm sorry you had to chase after me."

"It's all right, as long as you're all right," she said and I nodded my head.

I hugged all the guys that were still here, because most of them went home with their families. I could never be able to thank them enough for helping me.

"He's going to go away for a long time, Ms. McHale," an officer said while walking over towards us.

"Yeah, well make sure the asshole stays gone," Geno said and I smiled and then leaned against Sidney.

Day Sixty of living in Pittsburgh, and after a long and tough few days, it's finally looking better again.