In Your Eyes

"So you talked your pilot into taking you here…." Piper traced the outline of Sid's bellybutton, noticing how he no longer flinched in this area at her touch. Her eyes shifted upwards. "You've been practicing, haven't you?"

He rubbed her head and smiled. "I have incredible self control."

Piper laughed out loud. "Oh is THAT SO?" She sat up and ruffled his already-unkempt curls. "Lying isn't good for you, you know."

"Lying isn't…but small fibs are just fine."

He wrapped an arm around Piper in a loose headlock, bringing her back to the flat, wide pane of his abs. She settled down there gladly. Lightly, she ran the tips of her nails over each ripple of muscle. He's a work of art, and that art is all mine. Piper smiled against his skin, settling in further.

Sid was totally relaxed. In fact, he hadn't slept as well as he did in Piper's bed in a long time. He very slowly caressed her head, playing with the softness of her hair as it ran through his fingers.

"So you talking your pilot into taking you here" Piper continued. "And you'll sail back or fly back?"

"I'd like to try out this ferry thing, so I'll sail." Sid smiled down at her. "I want to know what it's like every time you're on it."

"But who will pick you up in Yarmouth?"

Sid had thought about that, and the most likely course he could take would be to have his sister pick him up. It'd be the only way it could work, and….she could keep a secret.

"I'll just have my sister pick me up tomorrow morning" he answered. With the flat of his hand, Sid wiped back Piper's bangs, exposing her forehead. He kissed her there, garnering a wide smile. "But enough about that. Where are we going today?"

Piper had been one step ahead of him. Even as she drifted to sleep in his arms last night, she was dreaming of where she'd be driving him. It seemed like a no brainer to take him to Acadia, but she had a different, more secluded place in mind.

"Ever hear of Southwest Harbor?" she asked him. Rolling onto her stomach, she faced Sid head-on, her arms still draped about his torso. She rested her chin on his stomach, feeling the hardness beneath.

"Nope." Sid was excited because Piper had that look in her eye; the look that she held the knowledge to something he didn't, and couldn't wait to share. "Is it far?"

"Not really, but it's a great drive. And!" She sat up a little more, scooting up to his chest. "There will be less people. It's the National Park's best kept secret, since all the tourists keep to Bar Harbor and never venture to Southwest Harbor."

"So many harbors" Sid teased. "I'm down for wherever you want to take me, but…do you have to teach any classes today?"

Piper waved her hand. "I'll call and make sure one of the other girls can cover. If not, we have other choices."

She was so accommodating to him that Sid felt a little guilty. Here he just randomly shows up, interrupting her weekend and assuming she'd be okay with it - and yet she went above and beyond his expectations.

"I'm pretty excited, you know." He brushed the pad of his thumb across her cheek. "I like when you take the reins."

"Well giddy up, baby" Piper said, hopping off the bed. "Because we've got some ground to cover and I'm just as excited as you."

*

Sid was in the bathroom when Piper made a quick call to Danika. In two rings, her friend picked up.

"Where have you BEEN all weekend? Didn't you get my texts?"

Piper leaned into the telephone. "You're never going to believe this, but Sidney's here."

There was a pause, and Piper knew Dani was digesting the news.

"….are you joking? Tell me, Lake!"

"I'm NOT joking" Piper replied, trying not to giggle. "He's in the restroom as we speak, so I have to make this fast. Can you cover my classes today? I'll pay you time and a half. Pleeeaaasse?"

"He's ACTUALLY there, isn't he!?!" Dani exclaimed. The sound of disbelief was still very present in her tone. "You haveso much explaining to do--"

"--I will, and in due time, but can you cover? Please? I swear, I'll make this up to you."

"Oh I know!" Dani joked. "And you know I'll cover for you. No worries there. But you seriously owe me every damn detail of this, okay?"

"Yes, we'll get together as soon as he leaves." Piper heard the door to the bathroom open down the hall. "Okay, gotta run. THANK YOU."

She didn't wait to hear whatever tease Dani had for her before hanging up. Just as she set her phone down, Sid came into the sunny little kitchen. He looked as good as ever in a dark blue polo shirt, chino shorts, and flip flops.

"Nice mandals" she said sassily.

Sid looked down. "Mandals?"

"Man sandals." With her finger, Piper pointed at his flip flops. "I like them."

"Well if you like these, you should see my Crocs." Sid folded his arms over his chest, which only emphasized his pectoral muscles. Piper was momentarily distracted by his bodily perfection when he asked her if she wanted to know why.

"Why?" she asked, her eyes lifting back up to his face.

"Because they're yellow."

Piper snorted out a laugh. "Yellow??"

"Yellow Crocs." Of all things, Sid looked as proud as ever. "They match our uniforms. You know - black and--"

"--Yeah, yeah, yellow. I get it." She studied his adorable smile and his eyes that never ceased to look at her in a way that made her weak. If he wasn't so goddamn cute…

"Still want to date me?" he asked taking a couple steps forward.

"Yes." She stood on her toes to give him a quick peck on the lips. "But don't you dare wear those around me ever…." She gave him one more peck. "….Unless I get to wear a pair, too."

*

They packed a lunch and filled several Nalgene bottles with lemon water for the both of them. Upon opening Piper's refrigerator, he noticed the amount of healthy food that was inside. Both his eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.

"Are you a rabbit?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

Piper smirked. "I'm not." She opened the door wider to look inside with him. "Most of the green stuff is for smoothie-making."

Sid chuckled. "You're such a hippie."

"I am not!!" Piper smacked him in the shoulder and laughed. "Damn you! You just wait, Crosby. I'll make you one of my world famous green smoothies and your attitude will change."

"Hey now, I think it's great." He lifted a hand to the contents of the fridge. "Honestly. No wonder you have an amazing figure."

Butterflies. Stop it. Go away. Piper grinned. "Thank you."

Sid pinched her waist. "But you better hold up your end of this - I want one of your smoothies."

"Fair enough." She closed the door. "Now let's go, Captain Sassypants."

They headed out into the new day, still chilly but with the promise of warmth just around the corner. As the stratus deck thinned and allowed more of the sun to shine through, it made for the perfect coastal morning.

The couple set their lunch items and water bottles in Piper's backseat of her VW Jetta, then took their places in the front. Sid immediately had to readjust the passenger seat, thanks to his height and size. Piper couldn't help but giggle when she saw how big Sidney was in her car. She watched Sid struggle to adjust the seat to fit him, shaking her head even as she pulled out of her driveway.

Piper took routes that were famous for their sights. It was slow-goings for a while, thanks to the amount of tourists already out enjoying their Saturday morning in Acadia National Park. Rocky cliffs met swirling, angry waves while towering pines provided another color contrast. With the sun out, the landscaped appeared as though it was purposely on display. It knew it was beautiful and it wasn't afraid to show it.

"You're lucky" Piper said, turning onto a new road. "You could've been here during a really foggy or rainy weekend and you wouldn't see shit."

"I came for you anyways" Sid replied with a small smile. He reached across the middle console to clasp her hands in his. "All of this is just a bonus."

Piper bit her lip. "Damn you and your smooth lines."

"Me? Smooth?" Sid felt anything but that most of the time. "Thanks."

"Thank YOU." When she looked over, his eyes were crinkled at the corners; it matched the slightly-embarrassed but flattered look in his grin.

They drove on, rounding corners left and right along the curvy highway. Cars were dotted here and there, parked off to the side as tourists tried to take pictures of the ocean and the uniquely dramatic cliffs that Maine boasted.

It was Sid's turn to gawk; he found the area which Piper called home to be incredibly beautiful. The fact that she went to college and came back 'home' was endearing to him. It was something he wished he could do one day.

"Whaddya think?"

Sid glanced over. "It's great."

"Where I'm taking you is even better" Piper said confidently. Both hands were on her steering wheel at 10 and 2, her bright pink nail polish a compliment to the pink in her cheeks. She turned the wheel, taking them off the main highway and onto a much quieter road.

"Only a few more miles and then your mind is going to officially be BLOWN." Piper reached for Sid's hand again, and their fingers locked together comfortably. She hoped against hope that he'd think the Flats would be as cool as she thought they were; it was her favorite spot in the area, and one where most tourists never bothered to go. She truly hoped Sid would appreciate it as much as she had in Nova Scotia.

When she came to the area called the Flats, she pulled off to the side along an open, sandy area off the main road.

"Okay, prepare your mind" she said, undoing her seatbelt. "And grab the lunch."

Sid looked around. All he could see was the road, and a giant cliff near where they parked. It didn't look like they'd come to any special spot at all. "Is it nearby?" he asked.

"Yes, just follow me!"

Piper grabbed their drinks and trotted across the highway, not caring much about traffic since there didn't seem to be any. Sid hurried and grabbed the pack that contained their lunches and then hurried across the street, making sure no cars were coming first.

Waving her hand, Piper hurried down a tiny trail that wasn't immediately visible from the road, so Sid followed. When he caught up to her, Piper grabbed for his hand, leading him along happily as they wound their way down the sandy path.

When Piper knew they were close, she halted and faced Sid. "It's just around the corner, so you should go first."

Sid was incredibly curious as to what this big reveal was going to be. He was also quite smitten by the fact that Piper was so excited to show him; he even felt a little nervous.

Handing the small pack to Piper, Sid stepped in front and went first. When he came around the corner, the breadth of the area Piper wanted to show him came into full view.

"Whoa." Sid stopped. His eyes scanned the incredible landscape around him in awe.

Piper wound the backpack around her shoulders, then came up to Sid from behind and wrapped her arms about his boxy waist. "Seeeee?" She peeked around his shoulder, smiling wildly. "Isn't it cool?"

It was cool. Sid had never seen anything like this before. Before them were beige colored ocean stone, polished flat from hundreds of years of waves pounding against them in just the right manner. The water carved the rocks to look like flat panels; some had a hint of striation, but mostly they appeared as flat, polished, smooth shelves.

Sid looked at Piper. "This is insane."

"I know." She leaned into his side as Sid wrapped an arm around her waist now. "And there is never anyone here, either. It's always this quiet."

Knowing how private Sidney was, Piper figured this was the best place to take him. Sure, there were other places in the area worth seeing, but they'd have to share it with hundreds of people. Here - it was just them, the way she wanted it and the way Sid preferred.

"Come on, let's eat."

Sid followed after her as she trotted without fear of slipping across the specially-formed stone flats. After a few feet, Sid realized it was dry and safe to walk along without fear, so he, too, went about as freely as Piper. The salty air blew at his hair, reminding him of childhood vacations to the coast with his family. Now, instead of his mother and father, he saw an incredibly vivacious woman who was very quickly stealing his heart.

Piper was standing with her arms open, her head tilted towards the sky to allow the sun to bathe her. "I LOVE IT HERE" she shouted, as carefree as ever. The breeze played at her hair, lifting it off her back as it danced in the wind. When she opened her eyes again, Sidney was standing there with her. "Don't you just love it?"

With one hand on the back of her neck, Sid pulled Piper into him so that their lips could connect. "I do" he murmured softly. Kissing her again, he felt Piper open her mouth to him. He tasted just a hint of salt on her lips, and it made him happy.

Piper led him over to a dry flat rock close to the water and they spread out their lunch and drinks, which consisted of simple sandwiches and veggies with hummus. They watched the waves and listened to the gentle lapping of water about them, which added a rhythmic chorus of sounds to the peaceful setting.

"So are we gonna keep doing it like this?" Piper asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Like what?" Sid made sure to swallow before he spoke this time, lest he get another verbal spanking.

"Traveling back and forth. You showing up here…whenever…." Piper looked out at the water. "Me…sailing to you every weekend or so…"

The sound of the splashing water drowned out the sound of Sid's heavy sigh. He took a bite of his sandwich and evaluated how he felt and how Piper might be feeling. When he looked over, so did she - and they both smiled.

"I guess so" he replied. "How do you want to do it?"

"I'd like it if you called me after this weekend."

The green of her eyes flashed in that moment, and Sid picked up on it. Despite everything, she was still irked that he'd gone silent during his trip in Vail. He would have to change that.

"But I will understand if you're busy--" She started to say more, but Sid cut her off.

"No no…." He set his food down and wiped his hands on his shorts, then turned to face Piper. "I'll do my very best. I will. But…and I hate to say this, because it's not my choice, really…but you're dating a high profile guy, who wants a low profile life."

Piper nodded, feeling nerves welling up inside. She swallowed, hoping to push them back down before they crept up and out in the form of angry words.

"So I'll do everything I can, but there are a few things I can't do." Sid waited, wanting to analyze Piper's expression, but it was difficult to do at that moment. She wasn't looking at him, but looked out at a sailboat out to sea. Of all things, she took a bite of her sandwich and chewed silently.

"Okay."

Sid frowned. "Okay?"

She swallowed and turned towards him. "Yes. Okay."

Nervously, Sid let out a little laugh. "I'm gonna need more than that--"

"--Okay, I'm all in."

She smiled. It was small and simple, but a smile nonetheless. Sid considered that better than nothing.

"Meaning..." Piper continued, "That I'm all in on the high profile-ness of you. All of you. From your gorgeous high profile eyes to your incredibly sexy high profile abs to your amazing high profile dick…"

Sid rolled his eyes, feeling his cheeks turning red even as she snuggled closer to him. He looked down beneath her bangs which fluttered in the breeze. Piper had a mischievous look on her face, and her hand slid over his thigh that was closest to her.

"Soooo, Mr. High Profile…I'm all in, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay."

"And whatever privacy you want, I'll try and give you" she added. "Although I'm not sure how to do this, but I'm willing to learn."

"I know." Sid smirked at this, and he felt Piper's hand slap his thigh.

"Not so fast, Mister." She lifted a finger in front of both their faces. "You have to promise me the same. I'm not high profile, but I'm a girl who's falling head over heels for you. And fast. And we don't live in the same town, and while I'm not as busy as you, I still--"

Sid leaned in and kissed her. Piper blinked, shocked at the bold move, but more than willing to accept the advance. His soft lips literally pulled her in to feel the heat and the force in his strong mouth, and she lost herself all over again at their touch.

"I promise, Piper." Sid leaned his forehead against hers. "I'll change what I can for you. Because guess what?"

"What?" She looked at him with concern, but he was smiling.

"I like you."

Piper laughed and slapped the meat of his shoulder. "Oh JEEZE, Crosby. So smooth."

He laughed along with her, his sideways grin as bright as the reflection of the sun on the water. "Told you I wasn't smooth."

* * *

After eating and hanging out some more on the rocks, talking about this and that, still learning things about one another….the pair decided to go for a hike. Since they were both very athletic and craved a workout every day, Piper threw out some suggestions to Sid for places they could go. They narrowed the choices of trails down to one, and then hit the road. The road Piper took them on was was curvy and scenic as the last few roads they were on, and Sid was still as wide-eyed as ever. As they drove, Piper pointed out several places of interest to her from her past: places her and her family loved to camp, places she and her high school friends would go to party, places she still went to get a rest from civilization.

Sid looked beside him at the bubbly girl who told him story after story. Her stories were always so lively, and she talked with her hands and changed her voice to immitate whoever she spoke of in her story. He found himself laughing quite a bit, reliving these tales as if they were his own. What he also saw was how open Piper was to him. It made him realize how closed-off he had been so far. He took Piper's words to heart, and while this was all pretty new, he'd really try to be a little more open for her.

They arrived at the trail head to find only one other car parked there. From there, according to Piper, the trail was a steady incline upwards for at least a mile, and then it evened out into flat or gently rolling terrain. She said the key to this trail were the vistas - and that the mile-long ascent would be worth the views towards the end.

It was the first time the two of them did something physical together besides having sex, and it was fun. Piper kept up with Sid surprisingly well, which he was elated to discover. Because Piper was shorter and very nimble on her feet, Sid felt like a tank next to her. Her lithe body, so agile and completely in control of her movements, made him feel less graceful despite how he could handle himself.

But for all their differences in body types, the couple challenged one another. The trail they chose wasn't immensely difficult, but it was a doozy to start just as Piper had said. Giant round boulders dotted the trail, making it extra difficult. What would be annoying to some seemed to energize the two of them as they climbed up and down and around and then up again…tackling the trail in ways they probably didn't need to, but did anyways just for the challenge. At one point, Sid ran up behind Piper and grabbed around her waist. She laughed out loud, her voice filling the dense forest about them. As far as they knew, they were the only two on the trail. Even if they weren't, they acted like they were the only two people within a 50 mile radius.

Sid then bent so that Piper could hop onto his back. She gladly accepted, and was lifted up with ease. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders just as his arms held her legs snugly about his waist.

And then of all things, Sid started to jog.

"You crazy man! What are you doing!?!?" Piper yelled, bouncing on his back.

"Getting a workout in! What are you doing?" His breath was hardly even ragged.

Piper was stunned. She also held on tighter, worrying her bouncing body was too much for him to carry. "Are you sure about this!?!? And most importantly - are you sure you're sane!?!?"

Sidney laughed, very gently readjusting her around his waist. "This is nothing, babe."

She rolled her eyes, looking up at the canopy of trees above them. "Oh sure, 'this is nothing' he says…"

Sid knew he was impressing her, and he knew she was loving it. Piper made no motion to want to be let down; instead, Sid heard in her voice what he was yearning for, and that was approval. After a while, he stopped and dropped her to the ground.

"Okay, my turn."

"What!?" Piper laughed. "Me carry you?"

"Yeah!" Sid wiped his head of a very tiny amount of sweat that lined his forehead. "Let's go."

Piper pursed her lips and stared at him with a look of challenge on her face. "Fine. Let's do this."

Sid's mouth opened. "Yeah? You sure?"

"You're a shrimp. Let's go." Piper rubbed her hands together and bent over, ready for Sid to get on her back. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing, but all she knew was that she loved a good challenge. "C'mon Crosby! Get that bubble butt over here."

So he did. Sid continued to laugh even as he shrugged and threw up his white flag, walking over to Piper. She was bent and ready, and when Sid went to hop onto her back, she thought she really had it. She grabbed his legs and felt his sturdy weight....

....and then they both fell backwards.

"Ohmigod!" Piper was laughing hysterically as she landed back onto Sid's stomach. She continued to laugh even as she rolled over onto the worn dirt trail. "Are you okay!?"

Sid had his hands clapped over his mouth, trying to stifle the laughter that just kept coming and coming. "You are something ELSE, you know that!?!?"

"I really thought I had that." She looked over at Sid and began to giggle. "Honestly."

"You're awesome, Piper." Sid sat up and brushed himself off. "Really, really, really fucking awesome."

"Why thank you!" She sat up as well, and Sid reached over to pull a leaf from her hair. They looked at the leaf and started to laugh all over again.

* * *

They grabbed dinner to-go on their way back to Piper's, stopping at the lobster roll place where Sid just had to have a second helping from. He could hardly wait to dive into it before they even got back to the house, so Piper let him have a taste in the car. Once there, they never bothered going inside; they simply took up the two Adirondack chairs on Piper's front porch, listening to birds chirp in the warm evening air as they munched.

Following this, Piper went inside and grabbed a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass. With their feet propped up on the wooden banister of the porch, the pair looked as if they'd been a couple for years instead of just a few weeks.

"Not a bad way to live, eh?" Sid asked, a tipsy smile on his face.

Piper watched as the crookedness of his smile became even more one-sided. "You're drunk."

"Am not."

"Are too." Her eyes focused on him as she lifted the glass to her lips. Sid watched her as though he'd never watched someone drink before.

"Your mouth is so sexy."

"Mine?" Piper let her head fall back against the wood of the chair. "Ahhhhh Crosby, you have so much to learn."

"Why?" he asked incredulously, a drunken sparkle in his eye. "What could I possibly have to learn?"

"First - it's your mouth that's the sexy one." She took a drink and stared at his lips, her body remembering every turn they'd taken the night before all over her body. It sent a shiver down her spine just thinking about it. "And I'll teach you the rest later."

"Oh?" Sid liked the idea of that.

Piper nodded. "And we'll leave it at that for now." She poured herself another glass and then topped off Sid's. "So tell me...."

"Hmm?"

"How'd you meet Allison? Was it through James?" Piper readjusted her feet on the railing while keeping her comfortable position. "Because I can't imagine what that was like. Have you known her long?"

Where to begin. Sid looked down into the deep burgundy color within his glass, swirling it around and around as if to mimic his spiraling thoughts. "I did meet her through James, although I remember seeing her the night they first met."

"In Colorado, right?"

"Yeah, after an Avs game at our hotel." Sid still remembered the look on James' face when they went back to their hallway of reserved rooms. It was like James had changed in some way within seconds. To this day, he still couldn't describe it.

"So you really met Ali later?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, maybe a couple months went by before he finally let us in on the fact they'd been seeing one another. I guess it was a well-kept secret on their part...or else I was just clueless."

She giggled. "Seems like you know a lot about everything though, stud." She winked one of her pretty eyes at him. "I'm sure it wasn't you being clueless."

"Well thanks." Sid looked down humbly. "I guess from there it's pretty self explanatory how things worked out, eh?"

She nodded and took a long sip, letting her mind flash back to her friend's wedding. "So you two are friends?" she asked abruptly.

"Who? Ali and I?"

"No, silly - you and James."

Sid gave her a weak smile. "Yeah, we've had our ups and downs, but Nealer's a good guy, really. I think Ali's straightened him out a little....with many thanks from the rest of us on the team." He chuckled a little, but when he looked at Piper, she seemed to have a far off look about her. He could tell her mind was elsewhere even though she was looking at him.

"Piper?"

She blinked. "Yeah?"

"Where'd you go?" Sid nudged her in the arm from across the arm of his chair. "You spaced out."

"I know."

And just like that, she closed up to him. Her whole posture changed, and Sid began to worry he'd said something. He immediately sat up straight so he could get a better look at her. Her smaller frame closed in on itself, her arms folding over her chest as she looked down at her glass.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

Piper shook her head, her blondish-brown waves moving subtly. "No, not in the grand scheme of things." She laughed a little, feeling silly and reluctant to tell him what was on her mind. "It's just my imagination."

"What were you imagining?" Sid sat forward now and set his glass on the railing. "You can tell me, you know."

She looked at him, her green eyes no longer bright but cautious. "I'm trusting you, Crosby."

"I'm trustworthy, Lake" he teased back.

Piper smiled. "I was imagining what it would be like to go to one of your games. You know....to support you. To really be involved in your life." She shrugged. "I want to get to know these guys and learn about your sport and see this wicked crazy talent you have."

Her smile calmed Sid quite a bit, but he could clearly see what was eating at her. Ali knew all the guys, and they all knew her. Sid was friends will all of them. It was like a weird Pittsburgh clique in a way...and she felt on the outside. Sid felt for her and he was flattered all at the same time. It wasn't often a girl with genuine feelings for him wanted to be so involved in his crazy life.

"Want to come to Pittsburgh with me sometime?" he blurted out.

Her gaze became more alert. "What?"

Sid thought more about his question, making sure he wanted to repeat it. He did. "Do you want to come to Pittsburgh with me?"

"When?"

"Whenever you want. Maybe during the season?" Or you could just stay and never leave?

Piper rolled her eyes. "But you know how busy you are. You said it yourself! You couldn't even call me--"

"--I apologized for not calling, and I told you I would try harder."

His jaw was set and his eyes were dark. Beneath the bill of his hat, his stare seemed sinister, but it was just Focused-Sidney…it's just that Piper wasn't used to seeing it. He seemed bigger somehow, if that was possible. Piper couldn't stop looking at him; he was a whole new man. Intense, set on a goal, convicted in word and deed.

"I'm….I'm sorry…." she stuttered, not sure how to approach the conversation.

"Not your fault" Sid said simply. "It's mine. All mine. Look at all you've opened up to me. You've told me stories about your life, you've shared insight into your time living here as a kid, and then again as the beautiful, beautiful woman I see now."

Piper's eyes started to cloud with water. She inhaled deeply, initiating a breathing technique from her practice in yoga. The tears quickly lifted.

"And what have I done?" He shook his head and looked down. "I've told you so little, and shared so little. You deserve more."

"Oh, Sid." Piper set her glass on the rail and took a seat on his lap whether he wanted her to or not. The way his arms cradled her, she knew he didn't mind. "There's time for that, right?"

"When the puck drops, you only get 60 minutes." His expression was bashful but endearing as he shrugged in her arms. "It's not as long as you think."

"Well guess what, Crosby." Piper lifted his black Reebok hat off his head and placed it on hers. She sat proudly as she looked into his stunning eyes. "We're only two minutes into the first period and going strong."

"Are we in possession?" he asked with a grin.

"You bet your big ass we are."

They leaned into one another and their lips met, and Sid promised to never forget that moment with her on the porch.

* * *

Notes

I wasn't going to post this chapter until tomorrow (Saturday)….but since it's Valentine's Day - why not have a little Sid/Piper love? :)