I groan as my phone blares and buzzes on the bedside table. Drowsy, I feel around the table for the most annoying iPhone on earth.

"Hey asshole, why did you wake me up so early?", I grumble to whoever decided to wake the monster. The idiot on the other end of this phone call chuckles at my anger.

"Don't 'Hey asshole' me and Jess, it's noon", Carey's deep voice jolts me awake. I really think that I'm starting to fall for him, not good.

"Jeez man, you should've called me earlier you idiot!", I scramble out of bed with the phone pressed to my ear. I pull on a pair of skinny jeans and a hoodie. I prepacked my stuff last night, so I could get up and go quickly.

"Didn't want to disturb your beauty sleep princess and the boys wanted to say hi to you", he laughs and I hear voices in the background.

"Oh jeez", I roll my eyes as I pull shoes on my feet.

"HI JESSE WELCOME TO MONTREAL!", about twenty guys yell into the phone at the same time, making me crack up while wheeling my two suitcases and carrying my hockey bag out the door of the apartment.

"Hi guys, I can't wait to get to Montreal and meet all of you!", I say as loudly as I can into the phone. A chorus of chuckles erupt from the phone.

"They are really excited too, we all are", he says happily. I flag down a cab, being a former Bruin has its perks.

"I'm excited too, the cab is here. I'll call you when I touch down in Montreal", I load my crap into the cab and tell him to go to the airport.

"Bye Jess", he says and ends the call.

---

Fifteen dollars for a cab ride to Logan Airport? Ridiculous! I'm about to get into the line for the check in when a security guard places a hand on my shoulder, making me drop my bags. Jesus Christ people, stop scaring me!

"Ma'am, this way please", he says in a gruff voice, starting down an unmarked hallway. Clearly having no choice, I follow him through a large metal door and hold my hand over my eyes to block out the glare of the sun. March in Boston is usually sunny. While I'm looking like an idiot, someone approaches me.

"Hello Jesse, I'm Marc Bergevin", a man in a grey suit extends his hand in greeting. I smile and shake his hand. See folks, that's a good GM!

"Nice to meet you Marc, I'm so happy that you guys are giving me a chance", I sorta ditch the formalities, oops. Marc gives a hearty laugh.

"Well Jesse, we play Anaheim tonight so we have to get going", he gestures towards the commercial jet behind him. We walk to the small plane, where I lug my bags up the stairs and toss them in a few seats. I guess I'm really being informal, but I'm overexcited about getting to Montreal.

---

A quick two hour plane ride is unfortunate because I wanted to sleep some more, but WE'VE LANDED IN MONTREAL! It's about two in the afternoon and I'm heading straight to the Bell Centre for the second half of the Habs practice. I admit, I'm nervous as hell for a Habs practice. I mean, I have insane respect for this team and I'm 99% sure that if I suck, Carey will never let me hear the end of it.

"Hey princess, glad to see you finally made it", the voice belonging to my favorite Hab says from behind me, the owner of that voice leaning against the locker room door.

"Carey!", my eyes light up and I squeak, dropping my gear bag and leaping into Carey's arms. Okay, I'm a little too excited. Ever since the incident in Boston, I've spent almost all of my free time talking on the phone or facetiming Anabel and Carey. So yeah, as you can imagine, we've gotten pretty close. Pretty close is an understatement.

"Jess, as much as I'd love to go sit and talk with you, practice is in ten minutes", he mumbles into my shoulder. Reluctantly, he puts my feet back on the ground, but not after I give him one last squeeze.

"Lead the way", I pick my gear bag and follow Carey into the locker room, which is filled with an entire hockey team of half naked guys. Fantastic.

"Guys, this is Jesse", Carey announces my presence to the locker room, causing everyone to pause mid change. For some unknown reason, I laugh.

"I'll be here for the rest of the season boys, you can stare later", I say as I plop my bag down in front of the empty stall. Gales of laughter erupt from about the locker room as guys continue to get their gear on. As I unzip my bag, I hear a snicker from a short kid next to me and I turn red in realization that all my pads are in Boston colors and so is my mask.

"Oh c'mon Gally, leave the former enemy alone!", Boston's least favorite player in the league walks by, whacks Gally AKA Brendan Gallagher with a towel and winks at me. Oh PK Subban, you never cease to amaze me.

"We share a common enemy now", a heavily accented voice pitches in from the other end of the locker room. I'm guessing Russian accent. I'm pretty sure that's Alex Galchenyuk.

"Jeez guys, ice now", the captain Brian Gionta, all business. He notices me and smiles, so mostly business. I quickly pull my mask over my head and have my second realization of the day. The Bruins equipment staff didn't send my sticks with me, fuck. After standing in the hallway to the ice for a minute or two, mentally kicking myself over my stupidity, Carey comes barreling into the hallway.

"Let me guess, no stick?", he says, pulling up his mask. I pull mine up and nod. He grabs one of his sticks from the stick rack and holds it out to me.

"Use one of mine, I know it's a bit big but you can deal for one practice. Before the game tonight, we can go gear shopping", he says with a laugh at the thought of gear shopping. Pulling my mask down, I take his stick and skate out onto the ice.

"Ah welcome Jesse, care to lead us in stretching?", the coach, Michel Therrien, says with the entire team congregated at center ice.

"Be happy to!", I smile and skate to the center of the circle. Michel laughs.

"See boys, we need more of this attitude!", he shakes his finger at the team, drawing out laughs from everyone.

---

"I was promised gear shopping", I thwack an unsuspecting Carey with my hoodie. He kindly flips me off.

"Fine, I'll pay for your stuff", he gets up from the couch at the Habs hangout room and walks towards the door with myself following him to the parking lot.

"No, I'll pay. I have a few thousand to my name, don't act like I'm broke and need a Prince Charming to pay for my hockey gear", I say as I slide into the passenger seat of Carey's truck. Great minds own the same cars, amen to that. He snorts at my remark.

"Ah yes but you do need a friend to drive you places", he points out, making me fake pout.

"Meanie.", I pretend to be mad, only to have both of us erupt in laughter as we pull into the store's parking lot. As we enter the store, Carey puts his sunglasses on and his hoodie hood up over his head. I roll my eyes at his attempts to disguise his identity. Walking over to the rack of goalie sticks, I try out three sticks and finally find a Bauer stick that I love and that has three other sticks in the height I need. So in total, I get four Bauer sticks, which costs me about $350 dollars. Yikes! Carey sighs uneasily as I pull out my credit card and pay for the entire purchase. What, a girl can pay for her own gear!

"I could've payed for that, y'know", he mutter as I toss my sticks into the bed of the truck and hop into the cab. I laugh and punch him lightly in the shoulder.

"C'mon! Let me have some dignity and pay for my own stuff!", I exclaim, pulling out my buzzing phone. Caller ID says Tuukka. Oh, he finally calls.

"One sec, I gotta take this", I hold up a finger to pause Carey and his talking and answer the phone.

"Hello? This is Jesse."

"Jess! I'm so glad that you answered!"

"What do you want Tuukka?"

"Oh I just wanted to talk to you, to hear your voice. I got your voicemail."

"You left me at the house with no indication that the cops were coming. Tuukka, as much as I miss you and the boys and I miss hearing your voice. But you left me."

"I know it was a shitty move by me. I'm so sorry Jess, I miss you. I want you to come back to Boston, please."

"I can't do that. I just can't. I'm so sorry."

"Jess, I love you."

That sentence made me pause. This is the first time he'd told me that he loves me. I want to curl up and cry because both of us are going to end up with our hearts torn out.

"I'm so sorry." I end the call with that sentence. With shaking hands, I put my phone down in the center console and bury my head in my hands.

"You okay?", Carey glances over at my curled up body in the seat. Warm tears drip down my cheeks and onto the leather seat.

"Okay so since you don't have an apartment, we're going to my place and you'll stay there for a few days, okay?", he says, rubbing my back with his free hand, trying to comfort me. I'm emotionally and mentally a wreck at the moment, but the fact that he's trying to help me makes the emotional overload a little easier to handle. He pulls into the driveway of a house, his I guess, and cuts the engine. He grabs my sticks out of the bed of the truck and opens my door, I'm half asleep but I drowsily lean against him and walk into the house. Somewhere deep in my mind, a little voice reminds me of the game at 8 and that it's 3 now. Enough time for a nap.

After propping my sticks up against the wall, he picks me up and carries me into one of the guest rooms on the first floor. Gently, he lays me on the bed and pulls off my shoes for me, tucking me into the cozy bed. I'm practically asleep already.

"I'll wake you up at six", he whispers and plants a kiss on my forehead before walking out of the room and shutting the door.

---

I groan as someone shakes my shoulder.

"Jess, it's six. We need to leave for the Bell Centre", Carey says, fixing his tie. I moan and slowly pull the covers back and sit up, rubbing my eyes. He nods towards the corner of the room and I see that he'd brought in my bags for me.

"Shoo so I can change!", I shoo him out of the room while he laughs. Grey dress it is against, ugh. The fantastic outfit I have is my only dress with black heels woot woot. I emerge from my room not looking like a raccoon, which is surprising. He lets out a low whistle at my appearance and I whack him over the head.

"Damn you clean up nice", I say, fixing his collar.

"Likewise, now let's go! I know that you want to see someone special there", he grabs the keys from the counter and we both exit the house, getting in his car and driving to the Bell Centre.

---

"JEERRRRMMMM!", I scream as I skate as quickly as I can across the ice to my little brother, who is also racing towards me. I drop my stick, blocker, and glove and whip off my mask in time to wrap Jeremie up a big hug. Both teams laugh at our giant hug, hey I haven't seen this kid for 3 months.

"Es! I've missed you!", he says into my shoulder. Although he's 6'2, he doesn't have to bend down to hug me, I'm such a good sister that way.

"You starting tonight?", I ask, picking up my tossed equipment.

"Yep, you?", he picks his stick up from the ice. Everyone in the locker room's surprise, I'm starting.

"I'm starting, surprisingly", I say. Jerm laughs, leaning against the boards.

"I'll make sure to tell the guys to shoot extra hard", he says cockily. Younger brothers, what can I say?

"And my team will still kick your ass Jerm, good luck", I pat him on the back and skate towards the home bench.

"Brother or boyfriend?", B Gally hands me a water bottle and asks politely. Poor kid, he doesn't even realize that he stands no chance with moi. Especially with my nutty brother around!

"Favorite brother, y'all better kick his ass!", the bench laughs at my comment.

"Don't worry, we will!", someone at the other end of the bench yells back. This team is great, I feel like I'm part of a family.

"Let's go boys, game time!", Michel yells from behind the players as I begin to skate towards my net. Someone taps me on the back with their stick and I turn to see Carey giving me a warm smile. I return the gesture and get warmed up in my crease. Let's go kick some ass.

---

"And Montreal wins against Anaheim 4-1!", the announcer's voice booms around the Bell Centre in French. The only way I know what they're saying is Carey whispering the French to English translations in my ear as the team gives me pats on the head and words of praise in the win. Exhilarated, we march down the hallway and dance out way into the locker room, full of joy that we just beat one of the top teams in the league. God I can't wait to rub this in Jeremie's face, hallelujah!

"Dude, you're the first star, go skate on the ice for a bit", the backup backup goalie Dustin Tokarski nudges me towards the ice. I'm honestly flattered that I'm the first star.

"Jesse Jesse!", the crowd chants as I do a quick spin in the center of the ice and go back into the locker took to strip off my sweaty gear.

"You did great", Carey says as he tosses me a hoodie, a pair of sweats, and sneakers. There is no way in hell that I would put that dress on again.

"Awww thanks Pricey", I get up and give him a big sweaty hug, to which he protests.

"EWWW you're all gross and sweaty! I just showered!", he pokes me in the stomach and throws a thing of deodorant at me.

"You're friends with me, so you're friends with my sweat. Deal with it buddy", I laugh and pull on the clean, dry clothes.

"Finally, you ready to go? I'm exhausted!", he asks.

"You're exhausted from warming the bench? Jeez man, you gotta step it up!", I joke around with him as I put my phone in my pocket and walk to the opposing locker room. I knock on the door cautiously.

"Yes?", someone on the other side says.

I hear Jerm say "Dude that's Jess, let her in Ryan!"

"Guys, I just have to say bye to my Jerm", I attempt to reason with the unmovable force behind the door AKA Ryan Getzlaf. Lovely guy. Finally the door opens up and I get suffocated in Jerm's arms because he's hugging me ridiculously tight.

"Can't. Breathe.", I croak into his shoulder and he releases me from his hold.

"Sorry Jess, I'm gonna miss you", I says with sad puppy dog eyes. I frown as well.

"Jerm, you know I love you and we can talk over the phone any time, okay?", I say, pulling him in for one last hug.

"Love you Es."

"I love you my Jerm."

And with that, he disappears into the opposing locker room and Carey and I drive home. I fall asleep in the car yet again, so Carey carries me into my new room and tucks me in.

"Sweet dreams princess", he plants a soft kiss on my forehead and shuts the door, leaving me in total darkness.

Notes

So I actually made my cousin cry because if feels with this fic ahaha I feel accomplished! Thanks for reading, I hope this actually doesn't suck and I'm starting to ramble now so bye!