Olli's P.O.V.

Nicole and I were sitting at her kitchen table eating breakfast the morning after our 3-0 win over the Sabers. We talked about the game and ate our hash browns Nicole had cooked up.

Her phone went off and she took it out of her pocket.

"It's Sid." She said looking confused and walking to her room, to talk in private.

I didn't think much of it it was probably just captain wondering if her mom was coming on the moms trip.

I didn't think much until she came out in tears.

"Nic what's wrong?" I hopped up and asked.

"It's Tanger." She sobbed, "he had a stroke. Catherine found him on the floor, and his mom and oh god and Alex." She rambled.

"Nic, Nic look at me. Go call Catherine and I'll go home if you want me to. I know you and Kris were friends."

"Ok. Ya I'll be ok if you leave, I'm gonna call Catherine." She told me.

"Ok. I love you." I told her as we hugged.

"I love you too." She said as I walked out the door and down to my car.

I couldn't help but think of Kris. He had helped me this year, both as a defenseman and as the new kid.

How could her have a stroke? It's rhetorical, I know but he was healthy. He was in great shape I mean he was a hockey player for fucks sake. I thought about his girlfriend and his adorable little kid, and his mom I couldn't imagine that.

I made my way back to my apartment and Beau, Borts and Jay were sitting in the living room talking.

I walked in and they all looked at me.

"You guys hear?" I asked somberly.

"About Tanger? Ya." Borts said.

"How's Nic taking it? I know they're friends." Beau said.

"Not so well. She's gonna call Catherine and then maybe go see him." I said as I made my way to my room.

Nicole's P.O.V.

I called Catherine and asked if she needed anything. She asked if I could come over and maybe watch Alex. Kris didn't want Alex to see him the way he was, my heart broke at the statement. I put on some jeans and my new team Canada jacket, and made my over to the Letang residence.

I rang the door bell and waited anxiously until Catherine opened the door, her face red from crying but she still had a smile.

"I'm so happy to see you." She smiled as she ushered me into their home and hugged me tightly.

"Do you need me to do anything?" I asked placing my bag on the kitchen table.

"Umm. Can you stay here and wait for Alex to wake up?" She said grabbing her purse, "I'm going to go see Kris."

"Ok. That I can do."

"I'm sorry if I seem so ungrateful, I'm just kinda stressed, you really don't know how much I appreciate this." She hugged me again.

"No, you don't have to apologize. And you know you have a whole team behind you." I told her.

"Ya. Thank you again." She said as she walked out the door and to her car.

I went up stairs to check on Alex and just as I was half way up the stairs I heard him start to yell for his mom.

"Hey little man." I said taking him out of his crib and checking his diaper. It was clean, thank god!

"Where's mama?" He asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"She went to go see your dad." I said taking him down stairs.

"Ok." I was so happy he didn't ask anymore questions, because I didn't really know what to tell him.

"You hungry?" I asked as he sat in his chair.

"Ya, I want Cheerios." He said.

"Ok, do you know where they are?" I asked looking through some cupboards.

"Above the toaster." He said as I looked in the cupboard, above the toaster.

I put some Cheerios in a bowl and gave them to him as I got on my phone and checked all the social medias. I hung out with the mini Tanger all day, watching a movie, playing with his toys and watching a high school hockey game I found on TV, until he fell asleep in my lap. He was so adorable, it made me want kids someday, maybe with Olli. Our kids would have the bluest eyes, hopefully have his smile.

I was snapped out of my day dream when Catherine came in through the front door and I lifted Alex of my lap and carried him over to his mom.

"Hey, how is he?" I whispered as not to wake Alex.

"He's doing ok. Not 100% but better." She smiled sadly, taking Alex out of my arms.

"Ok good. Can I go see him?" I asked.

"Ya." She said walking up the stairs with Alex, "Thank you for watching Alex. It means a lot. Have a nice evening Nicole."

"You're welcome and you too." I told her grabbing by bag, going to my car and driving to the hospital.

I arrived at the hospital and went to the floor Catherine said he was on. Then I asked a nurse where he was, she told me room 305 and I walked down the eerie hallway. For all the time I spent in them with sports injuries I hated hospitals.

I got to the room and lightly knocked on the wall, as there was no door only a curtain.

"Come in." He said weakly.

"Hey stranger." I smiled as I saw him lying on the bed.

"Hey. What's up?" He asked.

"Not much. How are you doing?"

"Good." He replied emotionless.

"Kris. I know you're lying and you know you're lying. How are you really doing?" I asked sitting down next to him.

"I'm scared." He admitted, "I have Catherine and Alex to take care of, and my career. But I feel like I can't admit I'm terrified, I'm Kris Letang, big tough guy."

"Well, I suck at comforting people so I'll just be honest. It's ok to be scared, you're not just a hockey player, you're a dad, and boyfriend." I paused and took his hand in mine, "What happened sucked. But you're going to be ok. I'm not a doctor so I don't wanna give you false hope, but I think you're gonna be fine."

He smiled, "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Any time." I smiled just as a couple other guys knocked.

"I'll go. Get well soon." I smiled, "oh and your hair looks great."

He just laughed and I made my way back home.

***

The moms arrived and came to our practice. The other guys who's mom weren't coming had valid excuses, like Beau wasn't playing so his mom didn't come. And Evgeni and Olli were gonna wait and see their moms at the Olympics.

We were in the locker room, watching the 'thank you mom' videos and those made me extra happy that my mom didn't come. I didn't have anything to thank her for, besides giving birth to me and paying partially for hockey, she didn't take part in my life growing up.

I was staying up late the night before we last for L.A. packing. I was always a procrastinator when it came to things like that.

"Okay, I got jeans, running shorts, bras, and my bathing suit." I was said talking to myself, going through my mental checklist.

"You know you pack light for a girl." I heard behind me.

"Holy shit!" I turned around, "Olli don't scare me like that!" I shouted at him.

He walked over and sat down on my bed next to my bag. He started looking through the pile of clothes that sat on my bed.

He picked up the new bra I bought and gave me a skeptical look.

"How come I've never seen this before?" He questioned.

"I just bought it. I don't have any sexy bras and I wanted to surprise you with it." I said, snatching it out of his hand and walking into my closet to put it away.

"I was hoping you could show it off for me know." He smirked at me.

"Umm. No." I smiled back, "I have to finish packing."

He sat there and watch me walk back and forth between my room, my bathroom and my closet making sure I had everything in, of course, nothing but a sports bra and sweatpants.

"Hey, I got you something." He smiled as I was packing my toiletries.

"Oooo, what'd ya get me?" I smiled back.

"Let me go get it. I left it by the front door." He said, standing up and running to grab the gift.

He came back a couple seconds later and told me to close my eyes.

He placed something that felt like a cloth in my hands.

"Ok, open." He said.

I looked down and in my hands was a team Finland T-shirt.

I have him a confused look.

"Turn it over." He smiled.

On the back it read: Määttä 3.

"I was thinking you could wear it under your hoodie when we play. Like you said."

I just smiled down at the shirt in my arms.

"I'm sorry. I get if you don't wanna wear it, you're not Finnish and you prob-" I cut him off and kissed him deeply.

"I love it." I smiled into the kiss.

"Yay." He smiled back.

We separated and I walked over to my closet and hung up my new shirt.

"And you know what?"

"What?" He smirked.

"When the Olympics are over, I can wear it as a sleep shirt." I smiled.

"I like that idea."

We sat in my room and talked for hours until it was about midnight and Olli figured he better go home. I wished him a good night and then I fell asleep.

I woke up to my FOB alarm and quick put on my black slacks and button up shirt before grabbing my bag and heading down to my car, then to the airport.

All the guys and their moms boarded the plane and I made my way to the back, taking my seat next to Beau. Him I sat together because the first road trip we took we sat together and we won. I put in my headphones and fell asleep shortly after that.

We arrived in L.A. and I made my way to the hotel room to change out of my uncomfortable ass outfit before we went to a team dinner.

The game against the Kings went damn near perfect. We won 4-1 and it was great for the moms, especially Zatkoffs mom. He started and only allowed one goal past the whole game ultimately giving us the win.

And I scored my first NHL goal of the game. How it happened was simple, Geno passed it up to Olli and he slid me a smooth pass which I launched towards the net with a slap shot, and past Quick.

The red light went off and I felt like I was on cloud 9 as I was swarmed by team mates. James grabbed the puck and gave it to me as we made our way to the bench.

The rest of the game smoothed by and I ended up with the game winning goal.

The moms and their offspring went to celebrate after the game but I opted to stay back at the hotel with Olli. And of course we had congratulatory, you scored your first NHL goal sex. It was arguably the best night ever.

How ever Arizona was different, not only did I almost die of heat stroke when I went for my morning run. It was like 5 in the morning and 100 degrees out. I don't know how people live there.

But we also lost the game 3-1. We only got one goal past a shitty team (AN: not bashing the Coyotes!)

The plane ride back wasn't as quite as it normally is after a loss due to the amount of people traveling with us. But it sure was bitter sweet all the moms were sad to leave but I was just happy we had our last big road trip before the Olympics.

I couldn't wait to get away from all the drama and publicity of being the only girl, I wanted to go and be on a whole squad of ponytails for the first time, I just wanted to land is Sochi.

Notes

I saw The Fault in Our Stars this weekend and it ruined me. (Augustus Waters is my spirit animal) Anyway... Keep up the feedback! It's amazbeans!