Five Minutes For Fighting (Completed)

Caroline Thomas sat in front of her closet in Minnesota. Looking for one thing that was black in her closet. Tears ran down her face as she kept crying, she wasn't stopping, she didn't know how to stop crying. "Care?" Jake Gardiner said as he heard her muffled cries from Brendan's room. Instead of answering she cried some more. "Michael is with the guys getting our suits from the cleaners, he asked me if you needed anything? Are you ok?" More cries. "Caroline." Jake said gently coming into Caroline's closet as she cried even more on the floor. "It's going to be ok." He said dropping down next to her as he wrapped his arm around her, she leaning into him as she soaked his button down. "It wasn't supposed..to...happen...he...he was my friend." Caroline sobbed. The only other person she knew who died, was her great grand mother and Judy "Bubby" Thomas was already very old at 90. Derek,he was young, and amazing. He had a smile that could light up your life, and a punch that protected any teammate insight. Why did he have to die? Why didn't they see this? She blamed herself for his death, she could of helped him. "I know Care, but you couldn't of done anything, he didn't mean to kill himself, it was an accident. He wouldn't want you to be like this." Jake said combing his hands through her soft Brown hair. "I don't have anything black." She said whining and crying all at the same time. "Yeah yeah you do."

He got up combing through her clothes and landing on a short Blackish BCBG Max Azaria dress that she wore to her sweet 16, a party Derek Boogaard was at. "Fine. I can pair it with a black cardigan." She said getting off the floor and brushing the tears away with her hand. She grabbed the dress out of Jake's hands as he left the room to let her change. She took off Derek's Ranger shirt that she had stolen from him earlier that season and threw it onto the ground picking it up carefully and crying all over again. She tucked it into the closet kissing it. Looking up at the ceiling."I love you boogeyman. I love you so much." She put on the dress smoothing it out, putting on the cardigan next and a pair of gold Lilly Pulitzer sandals. She put her hair into a braid and grabbed her phone and huge Sunglasses. She was getting texts from most of her teammates asking her where the funeral is, they were all meeting at the Thomas's house. She walked downstairs to where Michael, Brendan her godfathers Marc, Brandon and Ryan and her dad Marcus throwing back vodka shots. Michael's eyes were as red as hers. Brendan's even redder. Marc, Brandon, and Ryan's faces looking bloodshot from staying up all night. "Could I have a shot?" She said sitting down at the island. They all nodded as Brandon poured Vodka into a shot glass and gave it to her. She grabbed it from his hands and threw it back. Her throat stinged but she didn't cringe like she always did when she had Alcohol. She just put the shot glass down and asked for another. She was numb to it all.

"The Whole Minnesota Wild and the Rangers will be there among half the NHL." Marcus Thomas said as his kids nodded. He felt like someone had punched him in the gut. He looked at all their faces and he just wanted to take all the pain away. They didn't deserve this, Derek's family didn't deserve this, Derek didn't deserve this. Caroline's phone pinged but she didn't move. She just sat there with the boys shooting back shots. She wanted to be numb so she wouldn't cry at the Funeral. But after three shots, Michael cut her off. "Are we ready to go?" Cari Thomas said coming into the kitchen in Black Pants, A Black Tank Top, a Black cardigan and matching Black strappy shoes. Big Dior sunglasses hiding her eyes. "Yeah." They all answered. Marc, Ryan and Jake you'll go with Me. Marcus, Michael, Brendan and Caroline will go together and the team is ready to go outside to follow us. Lauren and Brady are with the group of penguins who came, you know Sid and Jordan and Tucker is with Taylor, Patrick and Jonathan. Let's go." Caroline admired her mother for keeping it all together for the team. They needed her. As everyone got into their respective cars, Michael made a joke. "Remember that time Derek hip checked me because he wanted to feel like Ovi." They all laughed. She remembered.

"Derek was our boy, and we love you so much." The Boogaard's said together as the funeral ended hours later. "Can we go eat somewhere? I am starving?" Jake said as Brady nudged him. They were all starving. All Caroline had today was 3 vodka shots. They all said their goodbyes as the Rangers and Wild stayed behind. They all mingled as Caroline went over to Marian Gaborik who played with Derek many years in Minny before he came to the Rangers. "He was my best friend." He said to her both of them numb. He slipped his arm around her shoulder as she leaned into him, he felt warm. "We will never forget him. Coach said we will have 94's on our helmet's next year." Caroline mumbled. Marian nodded. "Come on guys." Michael said wrapping his arms around them. For once Michael was the grown up, Marian the rookie. The Rangers said their goodbyes to the Wild as they all headed back to their cars. "How am I supposed to get married this summer if boogey won't be there." Ryan Callahan said tearing up. "He will be there Uncle Ryan, in spirit." Caroline said practically running into the arms of her second father. She needed one of his piggy back rides, like the ones he used to give when she was 8. "I love you." He said giving her a kiss on her head. "You're my first daughter." Caroline knew that but Ryan saying it in such an emotional moment gave her hope that everything was going to be okay. "Come on guys. We'll go to the diner on Putnam street." Marcus said coming up from behind of Ryan and Caroline his arms around his fourth son and his only daughter.

"Everything will be ok." Torts said. Everyone knew everything was going to be okay. But Caroline didn't know when the ache in her heart and the tears in her eyes were going to go away.

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