Rescue Me (Sidney Crosby)

Chapter Seventy Nine

-Julie-

"What's going on Kris?!" I panicked because Kris stormed into the house with Josh thrown over his shoulder, "Kris!"

"Shush Julie!" he said and placed Josh on the ground and ran over towards the kitchen, "Come 'ere."

I grabbed Josh's hand and followed Kris into the kitchen to see him opening the pantry and turning the light on. I wanted to ask what he was doing, but I didn't want to get shushed again. Kris placed his hand on something and a door behind the pantry opened. I stared at it shocked, never knowing that it was there.

"The guy that use to own the house use to think that we were gunna get bombed so he made all of these panic rooms and shit around the house," Kris said, answering my question before I asked it, "You'll be safe in here."

"Safe? From who? What's going on?" I asked, my hand on Kris' arm trying to show him that I wasn't going to give up without an answer.

"Boris est de retour," (Boris is bac) he said and I gasped and shook my head. Kris sighed and then ran his fingers through his hair, "Ils sont après vous, Julie. J'ai besoin de vous et Josh cacher." (They're after you, Julie. I need to hide you and Josh)

I nodded my head and allowed Kris to shove Josh and I into this small space, he was about to close the door and walk away, but I grabbed his arm. There was a noise outside the house and I shoved him into the pantry. He growled and then turned off the light, and closed both doors, squeezing himself in. Josh stood behind me, if they found us, I was going to protect him. I practically had my whole body pressed up against Kris'.

'...Someone's in the house...' I thought as I heard movement around the house. Josh started to tug at me shirt and I looked back towards him. It was pitch black, I couldn't see him, but I knew he was there.

"Mommy, what about Sasha?" Josh whispered, but I still covered his face. I didn't want to take the chance that they'll hear him.

Kris sat on the ground and pulled me onto his lap, we wanted to keep low and stay hidden as we heard the tearing the house apart. I held Josh close, my hand over his mouth and was rubbing his back. Kris' phone buzzed, he had a text.

We heard Sasha barking, she must have sensed that there people in our home were bad. Kris showed me the text, it was from Sidney, he had called the police, we were going to be helped. Sasha was growling, I could hear voices, but it was muffled by the walls. A gunshot was heard, followed by a cry out for help. I gasped and pulled Josh closer to me and pressed my hand tighter around his mouth, muffling his scream for his dog.

'...Why? Why can't I just live a happy normal life? Why does this keep happening? Why can't my son enjoy something? What have I done for my son and I to deserve this?...'

I could feel Josh's tears running down my hand, his body was shaking, I was even biting back some tears. Kris' hand was rubbing my back, we were doing pretty well at stay quiet, and I had to thank the crazy man that lived in this house before Sidney. I don't think Kris and I would have been able to stay safe during our time of hiding.

I leaned my head on Kris' shoulder and waited for them to leave, hoping that they would just give up. Sasha's barking and growling stopped, I figured they killed her. I heard footsteps going up the stairs, I sighed and then heard Kris' phone buzz again.

Something was busted open and Kris and I jumped, we didn't know what was going on, but there was a lot of stomping going around. When the yelling started, I held Josh tighter and waited for something more to happen.

-Sidney-

"But they didn't get Boris!" I growled as I watched as the police handcuffed three of Boris' men and shoved them into the police cars.

"It's a start Sid," Tyler said and then patted my shoulder.

"But where are Julie, Josh and Kris?" I asked worried.

"I don't know, I hope they're all right," he said and I nodded my head.

A police officer walked over towards us, not allowing us to go into the house, "We searched that house, there's no sign of them," he said and I ran a finger through my hair, "Do you have a golden retriever?"

"Yeah! Sasha!" I said and then officer sighed.

"I'm sorry, they- they got to her, but she's a fighter," he said and I sighed and rubbed my face and then nodded my head, "Would you like someone to take her to the vet?"

"Please," I said and the officer nodded his head.

'...Poor Josh...' when the house was cleared, Tyler and I walked in to see the small dog on the ground with a white bandage around her shoulder, she tried to stand when she saw me, but she didn't get very far, "Sasha," I smiled and bent down, placing my hand under head and rubbing her neck.

An officer picked Sasha up and took her out of the house. I looked around the house to see the mess that the people had made. I felt disgusted, '...Need to move after this...'

"Where are they?" Tyler asked and I tried texting them again.

"Pantry," I read from Kris' text and ran into the kitchen with Tyler behind me.

"Julie!" I yelled and pulled the pantry door opened to see Kris, Julie and Josh sitting on the ground on top of each other and wincing from the bright light, "Jewels!"

I bent down and pulled her and Josh into a hug and then pressed my lips onto hers. I helped her stand and Tyler helped Kris up, I hugged him and thanked him for keeping them safe. I picked Josh up he hugged my tightly, Julie placed her hand on my arm and I looked at her, she mouthed 'Sasha' to me.

"I don't know, they took her to the vet," I said and Julie nodded her head.

"She's alive," Julie said and I nodded my head, "Thank god."

"I wanna see Sasha," Josh said and I nodded my head.

"Come on little dude, Uncle Kris and I will take you," Tyler said as I handed Josh to him and they disappeared.

"What's going on Sid? Why's Boris back? Where's Allie?"

"Calm down, it's all right," I said and then wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my chest. I pulled her over towards the table and sat her down, sitting in front of her and sighing, "Boris is here for you, he's men want you."

"Why me?"

"I don't know, I tried to pay him off, say I would give him any amount, but he doesn't want money, Julie. I even told him that if we made it to the Stanley I would lose just so he would stay away from you. He doesn't want it."

"Sid, the wedding's in less than a month! What are we going to do?"

"I'll figure something out," I said and then pressed my lips against hers and held her head, "I'll figure something out," I repeated and heard her start to cry.

-Julie-

"Thanks for letting us stay with you, Vero," I smiled sadly and Vero wrapped her arms around me and hugged me.

"Oh sweetie, anytime, I'm so sorry," she said and I nodded my head.

It's been a day since Boris came back into the picture and we were going to be staying at Marc and Vero's place. The boys had practice today, and then right after some of them were going over to Sidney's house to help him salvage what was left, because the men had done a lot of damage.

"Sidney said that he's going to look for a new house," Vero said and I nodded my head, "How's Sasha?"

"The doctor says that she'll make a full recovery, it'll just take time," I said and Vero nodded her head and squeezed my hand, "I just don't get why every time I get happy, something has to happen!"

"It always gets worse before it gets better," Vero said and I sighed.

"This is too much for him, I'm too much baggage," I said and then stood up from my seat.

"Julie? What are you saying?"

"I can't marry him, Vero! I love him, but I can't, I'm putting him in danger, everything that's happened is all because of me! This is my-" Vero slapped me across the face and I looked at her shocked.

"Now you sit down, shut up and listen to me, Julie! Don't you DARE think that this is your fault! This is not your fault, not in the slightest!"

"I should have never come to Pittsburgh, this would have never happened to him, to any of you-"

"Julie!"

"No! Geno, Matt and James almost died in a fire trying to save my sister, you and Allie were tied up, Kyle not only put all of the Penguins, but the Flyers in danger when he was at the arena. Allie would have never gone to Boris, so this whole mess would have never happened! The Penguins could have made it to the playoffs last year if they didn't purposely lose to save everyone," I listed, "Don't you see Vero! This is my fault! I've ruined all of your lives-"

"All right, you're right," Vero said and I looked at her, "It is your fault, fine. If you never came to Pittsburgh, you and Josh would still be running from Kyle, you would have never met Mildred, Harold, Allie and Conner, never would have gone into the coffee shop and met Sidney, never would have made friends, never would have been taken to Canada, on a cruise, you probably wouldn't be in contact with your family because you would be still running," she said and then sighed and shook her head, "You never would have found a good man who takes care of you and Josh and loves you both dearly. Julie, the good always outweighs the bad, even though sometimes it seems like it doesn't."

"But someone's going to get seriously hurt," I said and Vero patted my hand, "They're hockey players, not superheroes, I can't ask them to protect me like this."

"You're dating their Captain, they respect Sid a lot, so they'll do whatever Sid says, sometimes he doesn't even have to say it," she said and I rubbed my face, "Hold in there a little bit longer before you give up on us."