Sidney knocked on the large door that donned the frosted glass name placard that read Mario Lemieux in large block letters. He waited, going through his emotions as if he was approaching the line at center ice. Just another face off, just another game. Just another meeting with Mario.

The door opened to reveal the man Sid had come to love like a father; someone he trusted, looked up to, emulated, and respected. His navy blue pinstriped suit with gray button down beneath made Mario seem a lot more serious than Sid knew him to be. No matter how many times he saw him outside the rink, Mario in a suit never looked as right as Mario in a uniform.

"Sid! How are you?"

"Have a sec?" he asked. "Your door was closed - so I wasn't sure you were even here."

Mario's friendly smile appeared. "Always have time for you. What brings you up here?"

He opened the door wider so Sid could enter. His fourth story studio office near the private clubs at the Consol was as plush as one would think. Only Ray Shero had a larger office, but no less comfortable than Mario's. Sid went over to the large wall-length windows that looked over Pittsbugh's city center, Pointe State Park, and the confluence of the three rivers the city was nicknamed after.

"Practices and conditioning going well?" Mario asked, coming around the side of his desk. It was miticulously clean for someone with as much invested in the team as he was.

"Oh yeah, definitely." Sid shoved his hands in his pockets. "Everyone's looking really sharp already. Just a few with some rust still around the edges, but you know how that goes."

"I do at that." Mario clasped his hands together. "So I see that look on your face...the one you still think you can hide from me."

Sid smiled. "I'm sure you can see it. It's why I'm here, I guess..." He watched Mario, clean cut and polished from head to toe, as he took on a concerned expression.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just, uh...." He exhaled. Just say it and it'll be over with. "I thought I should tell you that...that I have a girlfriend. I thought you should know, for HR purposes." He waited, half expecting Mario to mimick the frightening individual who sat motionless in his dream dressed in all red.

Mario simply smiled, his mouth opening ever-so-slightly in surprise. "That's great, Sid! Congrats!"

"....Congrats?" he repeated.

"What, you think I want you to be single as much as your female fans do?" Mario gave a soft laugh. "And don't worry about the Front Office stuff. I'll take care of it."

Holy shit, that's it? Sid thought. His heart almost leapt in joy. "Thanks, Mario. I just figured you may want to know--"

"--I do have to ask" Mario said, interrupting him gently. "Is she aware of what she's getting in to?"

That fucking question again. Sid tried to keep every ounce of his patience in play. "Yes, she does."

Mario nodded. "And does any media or news outlets know about her?"

"Not yet."

"Do you want them to?"

He hesitated. Mario waited calmly, neither pushing Sid to answer or making any gesture he even had to answer right away. That wasn't how Sid worked though. If Mario asked you something, you answered him.

"I guess I do."

"You guess?" He chuckled again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Aaaah, but Sid, its either you do or you don't. If we don't do this your way, then it'll be done their way, and no one wants that. They will find out sooner or later - so do you want them to find out sooner and on your terms.....or not?"

Mario's French accent made the request sound a little less aggressive than Sid knew it actually was. It was a well known fact that he wouldn't be able to keep Piper a secret for long. He wasn't even sure he wanted to keep her a secret at all.

He also knew that if they went public and did it on his terms as Mario suggested, if there was ever a breakup....it would be all they talked about. Sid didn't care about that; he'd handle it as he handled anything else. But Piper? She could be followed by news reporters; she'd receive threats from crazy fans and have horrible things said about her by any number of women who were jealous or angry with her.

He didn't want that for her. Not now. Not ever.

"Will she be at tomorrow night's scrimmage game?" Mario asked him.

"Yes."

"Will she be alone?"

"No, she'll be with Allison Neal, and likely some others. Her and Allison were roomates in college." Sid smiled happily. "It's how I met her. At James' wedding."

"Ahhhh....the pieces come together, yes...." Mario gave a slow nod. "Well I am absolutely happy for you. I know you wouldn't be doing this if she wasn't important to you."

Sid agreed whole heartedly. But the fact was: he cared about Piper so much that he didn't want to put her through what could happen to her just because she was dating him.

"Piper is a strong girl" Sid mentioned. "That's her name: Piper Lake. She's from Maine, but is staying here for the week to catch our first two pre-season games."

"Lovely name." Mario smiled.

"It is. And a lovely girl" Sid replied. "And she can certainly hold her own, so whatever happens from here on out, if we go public with this, I'm trusting that she can handle it."

"Trust is good, but you had better know for sure."

He glanced down at the ground. "I know."

"You have my blessing, if that's why you came to me" Mario added with a smile. "And I'd like to meet your girl sometime."

Sid looked up quickly. "You do? That....that would be great."

"How about after the scrimmage? I'll be up in the suite if you want to bring her up after interviews?"

"Yeah" Sid said, cheer in his tone. Yeah, I think I will." Somewhere inside, he felt every tense muscle finally relax. "Thanks, Mario."

"Anytime."

"See ya then?"

"You got it."

Sid walked towards the door feeling as if he was floating on air. He was so overjoyed that the reaction hadn't been as he feared or as he had dreamt.

"Oh, and Sidney?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Be smart, alright?"

Mario's face had turned serious now, his grin faded and replaced by a keen stare.

"And make sure that not only Piper knows, but that you know what you're getting yourself into. It won't be easy."

Sid nodded. "I know."

"It's going to be extremely hard for you to have both hockey and a girlfriend."

His heart jumped into his throat. "You can't have both." Sid kept every inch of his face from showing his fear at that moment. It coursed through him in a flash, like the dream had come alive there in the office.

"Understand?" Mario asked firmly.

WIth a single nod, Sid confirmed that he did. Without another word, he turned and quietly exited the office.

* * *

The next night, Ali went over to Sidney's house to pick up Piper and then head to the arena. Since the scrimmage game was free entry and you could sit anywhere you wanted, it was first come, first serve. Knowing how rabid Pittsburgh fans were for some hockey after a very long summer, she wanted to be extremely early to make sure PIper had a good seat. She'd be skipping the club suite for the night, saving that experience for another time. This being her friend's first time in the arena - she needed to see it this way first: as a true fan.

Upon entering, Ali saw Piper dressed in her normal every day attire. Her easy, relaxed, and somewhat hippie-chic style had not an ounce of black or yellow involved.

"Where's your jersey?"

Piper looked down at her nice outfit, then looked up at Ali's, which consisted of a white Neal jersey and jeans. "Oh......"

"Did Sid leave you one?"

"Was he supposed to?"

Ali sighed. "Oh for shit's sake, Sidney. What is he doing?" She walked further into the house, taking a look around to try and figure out where SId may store them. "Well I know he's gotta have some here. Why the hell wouldn't he give you a jersey?"

Piper began to feel a little nervous. "Can't I just wear this? I don't know the dress code--"

"--The dress code is Pens, Pens, and more Pens...especially jerseys." She looked in one of the foyer closets, but found nothing. She looked in a hallway closet, but found nothing. "Would you mind looking in his closet upstairs for one?"

"Honestly, I don't need to wear one, Ali." Piper grabbed her messenger bag and slung it over one shoulder. "I'll ask him next time and will wear it to a real game, okay?"

Ali thought something was a little fishy with this and she blamed Sid. The very first thing James ever did was give her a jersey of his to wear to games. He'd given her two, one in black and one in white. Sidney, on the other hand, hadn't even mentioned jerseys let alone given Piper one.

Difficult, difficult, difficult.

She placed her hands on her hips, giving a waist to the dress-like jersey hanging over her small frame. "Okay, okay, sorry. I guess I was just trying to make sure you didn't feel left out."

"Oh pffft to feeling left out! I don't feel left out. If anything, I feel very, very much in! For the first time, really."

Ali smiled. "Well then good. That's what matters, right?" She lifted her car keys from her pocket with a jingle. "All set then?"

"Let's go!"

They got in the car and Piper just had to laugh. The commute to the arena was as she remembered afternoon traffic in Pittsburgh to be. Exhaust fumes, crowded streets, people in suits walking everywhere, crossing streets even when they weren't allowed since traffic was at a standstill.

"Well. This hasn't changed, that's for sure" she remarked, looking out the window. The tall office buildings that made up the city's famous skyline made her feel dwarfed as they towered above.

Since the arena was literally in the middle of downtown, the giant buildings were what you had to weave through to get there. Piper had taken a job her sophomore year of college not far from where they were driving, and from what she could tell, the hustle and bustle outside Ali's car was exactly the same as it was several years ago.

When they rolled up to the arena, Ali turned onto an unmarked alley that Piper didn't recognize. She spun the wheel and soon enough they were pulling into the entrance of a nondescript parking garage.

Ali rolled her window down and handed the elderly man at the gate a large square pass that hung from a yellow lanyard.

"Hey, Harold! Long time no see, my friend!

"Ahhh, Miss Diserelli! Or...should I say: Mrs. Neal?" He gave an exaggerated wink at her, his friendly face wrinkling as he smiled. "How was your summer, hun?"

"Amazing! But I missed you."

Harold handed Ali back the pass. "I missed you and alllll the others, that's for sure." He leaned his head down to get a better look at Piper. "Who's this pretty girl sitting next to you? I don't recognize her?"

Ali leaned back just as Piper leaned forward. "This is my friend from college, Piper. Piper - this is Harold, the only man I look forward to seeing after each summer."

Piper waved, thinking to herself how cute her and Harold's innocent flirting was. "So nice to meet you, Harold!"

"Welcome to the home of the Penguins, Miss Piper. You ladies have fun tonight, okay?"

"We will! See you in a few days." Ali rolled the window up and handed Piper the pass. "He's a doll. He's literally been working the Pens' parking garage for decades."

"Awww! That's so cute." She looked down at the pass, which had Ali's picture on it. A metallic strip with the Penguins logo shimmered as she moved it, the name ALLISON E. NEAL spread across the width of the pass. LOT 4 SEC 7 STALL 15 read beneath her name, along with a barcode.

"So faaancy" Piper noted, waving the badge.

"You'll be getting one soon" Ali said, smiling. "All in due time!"

They parked and headed inside, laughing and talking out of excitement. Ali was excited just to be back in a place she considered as close to her as home did; Piper was excited because everything she looked at was brand new.

Waves and waves of fans passed them, and Piper got her first look at how Pittsburgh treated its home team. She got her first look at just how many hundreds of people that she passed wore "CROSBY" across the backs of their jerseys.

"My God, he was right" she uttered to herself. Her eyes remained wide as she followed Ali down a flight of stairs, entering a totally different level.

Piper had to stop her when she saw a mural on the wall in the hallway. "Holy shit."

Ali spun around on one foot. "What? Ohhhhh.......Oh that....."

Piper stared at the 2009 Stanley Cup photo that had somehow been screened onto the cement wall so that it was as smooth as a painting. She reached out and touched Sid's smiling face, his scruff of a beard, and the giant cup he held with the rest of his teammates. "This is so crazy."

Standing back a ways, Ali watched Piper admire the mural with her boyfriend pictured on it. "Isn't it something?"

"I guess I didn't realize..."

"Oh babe, there's more where that came from." She waved a hand, then opened the large gray door. "Come with me, I'll show you."

Boy, did Ali ever.

Piper stood dumbfounded as she saw picture after picture, cardboard cutouts, huge posters, ads for various sports names....everywhere she looked, there Sidney was.

He didn't even make it sound like this she thought in pure shock. I never expected this. I didn't know just how BIG he actually is.

And then, when Ali took her down to where they planned to sit, it was almost too much for Piper.

"This is fucking incredible." She looked up at the giant jumbotron, the loud music playing, the voices of thousands of excited fans filing into the aisles about them.

And then there was the ice: so much more than when she'd joined Sid at a morning skate in Halifax. It was so, so much more.

Ali was as bouncy and happy as ever. "See that bench there? That's them. If it's a home game, they'll always sit there." She pointed up at the ceiling. "There's the banners, they're famous. That's the screen when your man's face will be almost the entire night--"

"--You lie" Piper said aghast. "Really?"

"Not shitting ya, girl. You wait and see."

They talked some more and Ali filled her in on details of this and that, getting her accostomed to the arena as a whole.

But when the voice on the speakers yelled out for the first time since May, the fans went apeshit.

"PLEASE WELCOME, FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON......YOUR....PITTSBURGHHHH PENNNGGUIIINNSSS."

Ali stood up and began cheering and clapping, elation sweeping over her face. Piper stood but remained somewhat quiet, too intrigued by what she was witnessing.

Out stepped the goalie, then James, then the rest of the team. Next to her, Ali was cheering for her husband, and Piper realized this was the first game for her as a woman married to one of the players.

"There he is, there he is!" Ali yelled, grabbing Piper's arm.

Piper looked over, and sure enough - there came the 87 she knew and adored so much. She got to see him in his full uniform, black on gold with giant white letters; his hair shoved under a black helmut and with a few curls sticking out the back. His face was intense and his eyes focused as he skated.

The same face that stares at me when we're intimate Piper thought.

He took her breath away.

The way he shot, the efficiency of his skating, the pure testoterone in his eyes when he sized up the puck.

And this is only the warm-up. Shit, I'm screwed.

She had chills, and it wasn't from the ice. She knew as much the second Sid skated around the corner of the rink, passed by where her and Ali sat, and his eyes darted up in their direction. The faintest of smiles appeared on his face before he was gone and skating off in the other direction.

"Fucking hottie, isn't he?" Ali said to her, her grin huge and proud. "And he's all yours, baby!"

Piper smiled, hardly able to contain her own pride. All mine.

*

The game was as fun as Ali had told her. Piper could tell they were serious on the ice, but they were all very clearly enjoying themselves. The shoves into the boards weren't as hard as usual and were almost always followed by laughter.

Shots at the goalies were pointed and were followed by plenty of shit talk when the puck went in.

The crowd responded well, and the players smiles increased.

Piper was starting to get the hang of it, and was having a really fun time. Ali went and got them a couple beers and soon enough, Piper was cheering as loud as any of the other fans for Sid, only she had one thing they didn't - she had the knowledge she'd be going home with him that night.

During one of the intermissions, the giant screen that hung above the middle of the ice showed various fans and their outfits or costumes, showed people kissing on a kiss cam, showed people dancing to whatever songs came on....

...and then they showed some of the signs fans brought.

Piper watched happy fans held up their signs, hoping the camera would spot them. Some were pretty damn funny, many were clever and witty as hell, but then there were the others.

SID: CAN MY HEADBOARD GIVE YOU A CONCUSSION?

MARRY ME SIDNEY!!

I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LOWER BODY INJURY, CROSBY

LET ME HOLD YOUR STICK TONIGHT, SIDNEY??

They were everywhere.

Two girls next to the glass each held a half of a giant pink heart, with one side saying SIDNEY WE LOVE YOU while the other said TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE.

Piper felt angry heat rising within her. She tried to find other signs: signs that said the shit the Sid posters said for other players, but she only spotted one other, and it was for James.

"How the fuck do you put up with this?" Piper asked, her face falling in disgust.

"With what?" Ali looked over her cup of beer as she drank.

"That!" She pointed at a white poster across the ice that read, YOU MARRIED THE WRONG ONE NEAL! PICK ME!

"Oh THAT?" Ali waved a limp hand in the direction of the sign. "Bitches be crazy."

"That doesn't bother you at all?" Piper's eyes went back to the two-piece heart poster held by the women.

"I just remember his dick slides into my pussy every night Ali replied, totally relaxed. "But it took some work to get over it early on. Now I just find them funny. People put a lot of time into those damn things!"

Piper felt her excitement for the evendeflating. Sure, Sid was hers, but there wasn't a ring on her finger. Any one of these girls would throw themselves at him if he gave them the chance.

He wouldn't do that though.

She thought about away games. "Are these signs at every place they play?"

Ali nodded. "Yuuup."

Well fuck. Piper sighed unhappily. She glanced up at the jumbotron at another sign as the entire crowd cheered: I'LL PUCK YOU ALL NIGHT LONG CROSBY.

She groaned.

*

As the game went on, Piper slowly forgot about signs because the third period of the game was hilarious. The score was a close one, 3-2 Black Jerseys, which was the side Sidney was on.

Piper was cheering along with everyone now, thoroughly enjoying herself. James did really well, and truth be told, she had no idea of how he played. She heard he was decent, but when she saw his speed and the force of his shot, she was beyond impressed.

The game finished where it stood for most of the third: 3-2, with the Black Jerseys taking the win. Every player on the team congratulated one another, then to the fans that came out to watch - they turned and raised their sticks in honor of everyone that came to support them.

When Piper and Ali filed out of the aisles and went down to the locker room area, Piper's level of surprise continued to go up. It was the first time she'd been down in an area she would've never guessed she'd ever be standing.

"BABE!"

Ali ran forward and practically jumped into James' arms when he emerged from the locker room. He was dressed in a gray suit and blue button down with a skinny, navy blue tie. His hair was immaculately done; messy, spikey, perfectly finished. A far cry from the sweaty mess Piper saw during the game.

"Heyyyy, there's my girl!" His voice was laden with affection for her. "How was it?"

"Sorry you didn't win" Ali teased. "But I definitely missed watching you score."

"Oh?" James lifted an eyebrow. "So all those times all summer between you and I.....?"

Ali slapped his shoulder. "Hush, you. You know what I mean."

James looked over and his face completely lifted. "Piper! Tell me you're impressed now. Tell me or we can't be friends."

Piper walked forward laughing. "I'm hella impressed, actually!" She hugged James, getting a whiff of his cologne. "You guys are way more fun out there than I expected."

"Oh don't worry, it gets way more serious as we go. You'll see with every game."

Piper saw a few more guys walk out of the locker room, each saying hi to Ali and throwing smack talk in James' direction. He threw it right back, with much laughter occurring betwen all of them.

Standing quietly next to the couple, she wondered when Sid would appear. If what they said was true, he'd have a dozen interviews and reports to give, and wouldn't be out until the very end.

Much to her surprise, Sid walked out of the locker room only 10 minutes after when James did. Even he and Ali looked surprised to see him.

Carrying his suit coat over one arm, Sid was all crooked-grin and happy eyes as he came towards them. Piper couldn't help but let her hungry eyes wander over his muscular body barely contained beneath the blue suit he wore. The fabric was so dark it almost looked black, but against his flawless complexion that was only the slightest bit pink from his exertion, it made him look even more powerful.

"Hey guys" he said to Ali and James. When his eyes met Piper's, they lit up even further. "Hi beautiful."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek, and Piper felt her heartbeat double. "Great job out there." She rubbed his arm lovingly. "Not only are you amazing, but I didn't know it was possible to be turned on by you with you so far away from me."

"Yeah?" Sid smiled bashfully. "Thanks. Glad we won, too - that was my promise to you."

She cocked her head. "For me? You know you don't have to win to impress me."

"I know, but it doesn't hurt."

When he smiled at her then, Piper felt closer to Sid. Somehow, the way he said it and the matching look in his eyes spoke to her. He went out there focused as always, but he went out there with her in mind as well.

It meant more to her than Sid knew.

"I have a surprise for you" Sid said, lowering his voice a bit. "I'd like you to meet someone very important to me."

Piper's eyes widened.

"Is that okay?" Sid asked quickly.

"Of course it is!" she replied. "Who is it?"

"You'll see. With you come with me? We should go now."

He took her hand in his, clasping gently but firmly. He gave Piper a squeeze to let her know it was okay.

"Am I dressed for it?" Piper started to laugh. "I mean, tell me Sid, if I'm not--"

"--You're gorgeous. Perfect." Sid leaned in and his lips met hers. "As always."

Behind, Ali and James were staring at them like they'd seen a ghost walk out of the locker room and appear in the hallway. Both of them blinked when Sid looked their direction.

"Care if I steal your friend for a bit?"

"Uhh..." Ali shifted her eyes over to Piper, who was nodding happily. "Sure! We'll catch up with you later, okay?"

"You know where we're going out to, right Sid?" James asked.

"Yep, got it. We'll meet you and the others there in a bit."

Ali watched Piper and Sid walk away from them in the opposite direction. Piper turned her head to glance back, smiling at Ali excitedly as the pair disappeared around the corner.

* * *

"You know the name Mario Lemieux, right?" Sid asked as they rode the elevator up to the top floor of the Consol.

"My parents have mentioned him, yes. He's a Penguins legend, right?"

Sid smiled. "Yes, and it's who we're going to meet."

The elevator dinged, and the door slid open to reveal a carpeted hallway with rich wooden walls, polished and heavy.

Piper stepped out and was immediately putting into action her calm breathing techniques.

"He's my mentor" Sid continued, walking comfortably beside her with her hand still in his. "And he knows you're my girlfriend, so he wants to meet you."

She smiled. "He knows?"

Sid nodded.

"When did you tell him?" Piper was getting more excited now.

"Yesterday."

Looking at him, Piper still had trouble focusing. And now that Sidney Crosby was in a suit? It was even more of a challenge. His large thighs moved beneath the fabric, his collar was opened just enough to show the glint of his gold chain, his hair washed and gelled and yet...still fluffy enough to make her want to slide her hands into it right there in the hallway.

When they came to the door with Mario's name on it, it was already open. Sid turned to her and took both her hands in his.

"Just remember, he's a player like me, and I learned from him. He's a friend. Disregard the suit and the slicked back hair. He's one of us."

Piper nodded, feeling a little more nervous but trying to heed her boyfriend's words.

Sid knocked, then stuck his head in. "Hey! I have someone I want you to meet...."

"Bring her in!"

Piper felt butterflies in her stomach as she took a step into the room.

Sid was right: he was tall, incredibly handsome, and looked powerful. His smile though, put it all to rest and made her incredibly relaxed. There was something permanently friendly about his face, and she liked that.

"Mario Lemieux" he said, extending his hand.

"Piper Lake. Pleasure to meet you, I've heard so many good things." She gave him her best smile. "I heard you played hockey?"

Mario and Sid chuckled when they looked at one another.

Sweet. My joke worked. Piper thought.

"Some would say I was pretty good" Mario replied, his grin becoming larger. "Until this kid came along."

Sid lowered his eyes humbly. Piper thought it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

"He tells me you're the one who won his heart?" Mario asked.

"With hopes of keeping it" she answered. With her eyes meeting Sid's, she was the one who squeezed his hand now. "I'll try and keep up with him, just as long as I'm keeping him happy too."

Mario nodded, rather impressed.

"She makes me very happy." Sid smiled at Piper, and Mario was even more impressed. It never left his mind that Sidney was an intensely private person, and the fact he was even standing in his office made Mario wonder if there really was something to this relationship after all.

"It looks like she does." Mario leaned back against his desk casually. "What do you do Piper? Are you in Pittsburgh long?"

She adjusted her stance. Sid looked at her with such pride as she told Mario about her yoga business, her connection with Ali, and how she used to attend U of Pitt.

Sidney was happier now than ever that he told Mario about her. For the first time in his and Piper's entire relationship, he felt love for her. He could see himself with her....for a very long time.

"Congratulations on such a great busiuness venture" Mario said. "Have you thought about starting a studio here in the city?"

Piper hesitated. "Well...." Her brain moved quickly. "It certainly isn't out of the question."

Mario gave a long, single nod. Piper felt his keen eyes staring past her superficial answer. She knew what he was really asking, so she hoped she was disguising what her real answer was, which was: I don't know. We're not that far yet.

Sid came to her rescue. "She's mentioned it before, but you know how much research goes into moving a business to a new state." He glanced over at Piper, seeing her shoulders relax.

"If you ever open it, let me know." Mario's smile returned. "My wife has been on me to find a respectable yoga studio in this city for years."

Piper noticed the genuine tone to his voice, and took it as a very large compliment. "I'll definitely do that, Sir."

"Mario" he corrected her. "Never Sid - always Mario. Especially if you've won the heart of someone I consider a son of my own." He looked at Sid and gave him a quick wink. "Are you two headed out with the others?"

"I think so, but there's no rush" Sidney replied.

"Well I don't want to keep you. I'm sure you'll be hearing from Duper or Neal if you're late."

Sid laughed. "You know, you're probably right."

"It was so good to meet you, Piper."

"I hope we talk again, when we have more time" Piper said, shaking Mario's hand.

"I'd love to." He shook Sid's hand next. "See you tomorrow?"

"Bright and early" Sid replied. He rested his hand on the small of Piper's back as they turned to leave, and Mario closed the door behind them.

When Piper and Sid rounded the corner and were out of eyeshot of Mario's office, she pressed him hard against the wall and her lips pressed just as firmly against his pillowy lips.

"Thank you" she said breathily. She kissed him again, slower...longer...deeper this time. "Thank you, thank you."

* * *

Notes