Looking Up

-----Steve's POV

That night, Elle and I made the 8 hour drive to the hospital in Pomona to see her Dad. By the time we get there it's around 2:30am, and we can hardly keep our eyes open. The next couple of days, we stay at her parents' house and I visit the hospital with her frequently.

When her father is released from the hospital, she knows I have to return to Oakville for my training for the upcoming season. I feel terrible about parting with Elle during this hard time for her, but she insisted that I leave and I couldn't just skip training because of her- she "simply wasn't going to allow it." We say our goodbyes at the airport and I watch her drive away in the truck with George sticking his head out the window, his tongue drooping out of the side of his mouth.

*****

-----Elle's POV

"I know! I know! I miss you too, it's been a busy few weeks, Steve," I laugh into the phone.

"Well, in a couple days when I'm home for good, you'll want to get rid of me," he replies, and I can feel the smile in his voice.

"I know, it'll be absolute torture," I say with a thick layer of sarcasm. We both laugh and after a few minutes, Steve has to hang up and head back to the gym.

"Elle! Those cupcakes aren't going to make themselves," my uncle chimes as he pops his head into the break room. I laugh and shake my head at the look he gives me and make my way into the mixing room. As I'm decorating some cookies while the cupcakes are baking, Aunt Kate walks in to help, "your Uncle and I have Andy's room cleaned out for you. When are you moving in your stuff?"

"Oh, great. I'm going to start packing tomorrow, so within the next couple of days I should be ready,"

"Alright sounds good honey," she says as she gives me a gentle pat on my back, "this is a good thing you're doing Elle."

"Thanks," I look over and I give her a smile, "I just don't want my parents worrying about helping me pay for the apartment- even though I don't need it, they just worry but, I can't do that to them- not with the state my dad's in," I say trying to hold back a couple of tears.

"I know, I know, did you mention it to Steve yet?"

I slowly shake my head no, "I don't want him to worry- or become a burden."

Aunt Kate sighs and lets out a chuckle, "Elle, he loves you- anyone can see that- you're not going to be a burden and you can't leave him in the dark about this- you've gotta tell him."

"Alright, I will," I smile.

I think she knows how stressed I'm getting with Steve starting hockey season soon- it is definitely going to be an entirely new whirlwind of an experience.

*****

When I get back to my apartment around 10pm, after a long day at the bakery, I start packing up my things as I talk to Steve on the phone. I couldn't bring myself to tell him yet about the whole moving situation, so instead I danced around the topic of what I was up to. When he hangs up the phone to go to bed, I start to watch "When Harry Met Sally" with George on my lap- it feels like a good night to stay up until 2 in the morning.

As the movie gets quiet, I hear my neighbor's door knob start rustling vigorously. I knew Mrs. Greene wasn't supposed to be back for another week so I pause the movie, and listen more closely. I hear what sounds like two men talking to each other right outside my door, "the apartment's dark let's get in there!"

"Okay I'm trying!" I hear a scratchy voice say.

I quickly reach for my phone and call 911 just before I hear Mrs. Greene's door creak open slowly. My heart pounds faster as I hear the men's footsteps and movement close to my walls. I sprint to my bedroom, grab the taser my dad gave me when I first moved into the city, and call Steve.

"h-hello?" Steve groggily answers.

"Hey, there's two guys robbing my neighbor's apartment and I called the cops but I called you because just in case something happens I want you to know that I love you," I whisper as low as I can.

"Elle, what? I love you too, stay in your room, lock all your do-" he starts to say before I interrupt him.

"Hold on, stay on the phone," I say under my breath and I throw my phone down. George jumps off the couch and gives a curious look. I tiptoe over to the front door and stand by it with my taser at the ready. My heart starts to pound in my chest as I hear the two men walk out of Mrs. Greene's and start talking about my door. My breathing hitches as the handle of my door starts to jostle, and I can hear the lock pick wriggling in the keyhole. Just as the lock gives, and the knob starts to twist slowly, I hear the police yell freeze and George starts to bark. My heart beat slows down and I place the taser on the end table next to my door.

After I talk to the police to give them my report, I remember I had left Steve on the phone. Once I start talking, Steve starts firing questions at me in a panic.

-----Steve's POV

No matter how much I begged Elle to leave the apartment, she refused.

"Elle, please leave the apartment and stay at mine- at least for tonight," I plead.

"I'll be fine, trust me, please?" she says sternly but I can hear her voice shaking a bit.

"You're killing me here," I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.

"I'll be okay, George is here with me. You need to get to sleep," she argues.

"That's the thing, I won't be sleeping tonight. I'll be worried about someone breaking in once again, for the fourth time in the past two months is it? You are so god damn stubborn Elle! Why can't you just leave?!" I say loudly, my nerves starting to get to me. Before I can say sorry for yelling at her, she says good night and hangs up. Shit, now I really won't be able to sleep.

I slide my feet to the side of the bed and untangle myself from the sheets. I make my way down the stairs and start to pace around the kitchen. I think about calling my mom but it's too late at night to bother her with my problems. So I call the next person that comes to mind.

"Mase?"

"Hey! G- buddy!"

"What do ya need? Isn't it a little late?" he asks.

"Listen, Elle's neighbor's apartment was robbed earlier tonight and she's okay but her lock was picked and if the cops weren't there in time, I don't know how well everything would've went. Long story short, I kind of yelled at her for not leaving the apartment because I'm so worried about it happening again and I know she's shaken up a lot- she just won't admit it. And I was just wondering if-"

"Just wondering if I would go over there and stay the night?"

"Yes if it's not too much to ask," I sigh.

"Yeah, no problem," he chuckles, "I don't mind- I wouldn't want her to be by herself tonight either."

"Thanks so much G, I really owe you."

"Just get focused and train for this season, eh?"

"Yeah," I laugh softly, "I will."

"Alright, I'll head over there now. Now go to bed, Mase."

"Yeah, see ya," I say and hang up. Before heading back upstairs, I send Elle a text saying how bad I feel about yelling at her and that I'll talk to her in the morning.

-----Elle's POV

Every sound sends me jumping out of my skin, which in turn wakes up George every time he manages to fall asleep. Each time I do wake him up he gives me a are-you-kidding-me-right-now look.

"Come on George give me a break," I murmur and scratch him behind his ears, "you don't think I'm that stubborn do you?" I lean my head against a pillow and sigh. Suddenly I hear footsteps outside my door and feel myself start to panic so I quietly get off the couch and stand by my door holding my taser. George cocks his head to the side and lets out a small groan as if saying, "give it a rest."

The footsteps get closer and a few seconds later there is a loud knocking on my door which makes me gasp loudly. 'Who the hell would be here so late?' I murmur to myself. I slowly peer into the peephole to inspect the figures waiting at my door. I sigh loudly as I quickly recognize the 3 gingers standing outside.

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask with an unintentional trace of annoyance in my voice as I open my door.

Claude and Jakub hold up two plastic bags filled with cartons of ice cream as Sean holds up two bags of chips; all three guys have big smiles on their faces. "Movie night!" Jakub says excitedly.

"I hope you weren't planning to use that on us," Claude says motioning to the taser and they all let out a laugh. I feel my face get red from embarrassment, 'I probably should have put it in my bag before opening up the door' I think to myself. As they shuffle into my apartment, I put the taser on the end table behind a picture frame.

"So I have a ton of movie, just pick one out," I say before turning around and realizing they weren't even in the room, "oh, no," I speed walk over to my bedroom and find them looking at all of the Flyers merchandise I've collected throughout the years.

"I do like this picture of me," Jakub says and copies what he's doing in the poster, "I'm glad they got my good side." As we all laugh, Claude observes an old battered Giroux jersey that's signed.

"I met you before?" he asks me, scanning my face.

"Yep! It was a while ago, when you first started playing with the Flyers- I didn't expect you to recognize me when we actually met," I confess.

Claude's smile grows big and I look down at my feet, since all three guys were now staring at me. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Well I can't just say it out of the blue," I laugh softly, "it's not that big of a deal though." But in actuality, it is a big deal- Claude was my favorite player to watch grow as a hockey player and see him eventually wear the well-deserved 'C' on his jersey.


"By the looks of it I'd say she had a major crush on you G," Jakub says and lets out a loud laugh.

"I wonder what would've happened if I met you before Steve did," Claude gives me a shit eating grin and winks at me. All three guys start laughing at how red my face is from embarrassment.

"Better not tell Steve, eh?" Sean adds as he elbows Jakub.

I throw a pillow from the foot of my bed at Jakub and Sean, "shut up! Are we gonna watch movies or what?" I ask while walking out of my room. The three of them follow me with a chorus of yeahs and we eventually pick out 'Avatar' to watch after 10 minutes of bickering. Before the movie starts, we pop some popcorn and the guys and I have mountains of ice cream dished out for ourselves. Claude and I sit on the couch together, while Sean and Jakub are sitting in recliners on either side of us.

Sean is the first to fall asleep after only an hour and a half and Jakub falls asleep next after the second hour of the movie passes. Nevertheless, I still feel wide awake, still jumpy from the break in and I'm sure Claude's plan is to fall asleep after I do. I shovel a small amount of popcorn into my mouth as my phone buzzes on the coffee table in front of us: it reads "Steve," a text I received an hour or so ago.

"Gonna answer his text?" Claude challenges nonchalantly without taking his eyes off the screen.

I study his face before replying, "Well I figure he's asleep by now and I don't want to wake him up- he's got training in the morning."

"Yeah, but he texted you earlier- it's rude of you to be like that to him. He's just worried about you. Why the hell don't you just leave this place with all the break-ins happening? He was right when he called you out for being stubborn, that's for sure, I'd call you more than just stubborn though," he scoffs, still not breaking eye contact with the TV.

"Are you here just to tell me I'm being stupid- no, actually answer this, why are you here?" I ask starting to get a little defensive; it's strange for him to act like this towards me- maybe I was wrong when I considered him a friend. "I know Steve asked you to babysit me- it doesn't mean you had to, you could've easily said no if this is how you really feel about me," I add and stuff my mouth once again with popcorn. My heart drops when Claude looks at me with hurt eyes, but then quickly looks away at the TV.

"Listen, Elle, contrary to popular belief, I'm not the best at showing and telling people my feelings. I just want you to be safe and it's aggravating when you refuse to move out of this dangerous place," he sighs and looks back at me with caring eyes, "we all want you to be safe," he adds as he motions to Jakub and Sean. "This is what you do for people you care about, Elle, and I would hate to see you get hurt," he blushes and quickly tries to brush it away, "now move out of this damn apartment before you get killed," he huffs and returns his gaze on the TV. I can't help but smile at his attempt at covering up his emotions.

"Aye, aye captain," I say with a smirk and throw a few pieces of popcorn at his face. Claude gives me a playful sneer as he eats the popcorn laying on the couch, "clever, Elle."

After the movie ends, he and I watch some episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, before he begs me to try to fall asleep. I flop my legs on top of him jokingly, but he doesn't mind and just takes the blanket off of the back of the couch and lays it over top of my legs. He looks over to me, "I can tell how tired you are, I'm sure if you just closed your eyes, you'd fall asleep in seconds."

"Fine," I shut my eyes slowly, "but one question, why are you still up with me?" I sleepily ask.

Claude just gently pats my legs and I slowly drift off to sleep still wanting an answer.

Notes

Hey guys, I hope everyone had a really great holiday! I'm sorry I updated so late and I haven't posted a chapter in about 2 weeks- this holiday was super busy for me, anyhow since all the family is done visiting, the next updates shouldn't be so spread apart. I hope you like the relationship between Claude and Elle growing!

The Flyers really were slacking this past road trip and thank goodness G's injury wasn't too serious. Anyways,I hope you guys liked the chapter: comment your thoughts and reactions, I love to get feedback! (Don't forget to subscribe if you like the story either!) Thanks for reading!