Forever and Always

Madeline had been home for exactly twenty four hours and they were a nice, wonderful twenty four hours. But now she had to go to a barbecue at Steven Stamkos's in her honor she hated having friends. She really didn't want to go because then she had to face Lauren which she did not want to do. "You ready Mads?" Aaron walked into her room and stopped in his tracks when he saw her. "What do I look repulsive?" She looked down at her navy lace dress she just threw it on, her hair was a mess. She wasn't putting effort into this barbecue all she wanted to do was make an appearance and get the hell out. "No. No. You look amazing." Aaron walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning down and kissing her. The two of them could stand there playing tonsil hockey for hours, they missed each other so much it psychically hurt. "Are you upset about not going back to BC in the fall." In the fall it would mark three years since Madeline joined the Men's team. And in the Fall she would receive her second National Championship Ring in two years. She loved winning back to back championships, it was something out of Friday Night Lights. "It's time to move on, I loved my time at BC but it had an expiration date. Now it's time to go for the real hardware. The cup." Madeline's father could never capture Lord Stanley and her brothers are at work trying to capture it. She couldn't wait to help her brother Tyler out and win the cup together. "Good attitude M. Let's go before our phones start blowing up."
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Morgan sat at a table in Stammer's backyard as he and Michael Del Zotto tried to make steaks, it wasn't going too well. "You are doing it wrong!" Del Z yelled as Steven elbowed him in the stomach. "Back away Del Zaster i've done this before." Morgan shook his head as Lauren brought him a beer and sat on his lap. "So when is the wedding?!" Steven's girlfriend Sandra asked as Michael sat down next to Morgan. "Yeah when is it? And are there going to be any hot single girls?" Morgan laughed. "August 1st. And I think Lauren has a lot of single friends DZ. Don't worry." Michael fist pumped as Sandra laughed. "I am so happy for you two! I just wish Steven would propose already." Sandra and Steven had been together for a very long time, Morgan expected they would be engaged very soon. "He will, don't worry." Michael laughed. "Ew we're only 26." DZ was going to be the new Jagr. Single forever. "Not settling down anytime soon Mikey?" Michael laughed. "It's got to be someone special. Like Mads, if only Mads wasn't with Aaron. She's the kind of girl I am looking for." Oh god. Not this again.
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Madeline walked into Steven's house, Aaron in tow they walked to the back of the house and then into the backyard. "There she is!" Alex Pietrangelo yelled as he ran over to her and hugged her hard. "Hey Piets!" She missed her favorite St. Louis Blue. "Congrats Superstar." She smiled at him. "Thanks Al." She walked over to Steven who was manning the grill. "Who are you my father?" She laughed as she kissed his cheek and walked over to Morgan's table. "Well look who it is. The Markham Family." She hugged Sandra tight. "It's so nice to be back home. Tampa Bay is too sunny." Madeline laughed as she walked over to Michael and sat on his lap. "How's my best frand?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Good, hows my favorite Man Slut?" The whole table laughed. Aaron grabbed a chair and sat next to them. She got up and sat on A's lap. "I am good. Just trying to get used to everyone around me getting so coupley." It was true Michael and Cody Hodgson were the lone single guys. "Well at least you and Cody have each other to keep warm at night!" Michael smirked. "Yeah where is Codylicious?" Cody was notably missing. Alex, Stammer, Michael, her brothers, Morgan, Aaron, Sandra, John Tavares, John's sister and girlfriend and Jeff Skinner were all here but him. "Find out where he is! I miss that Sabre." It felt good to all be in the same place again. Her friends were her family and she didn't know what she would do without them all. "So Lauren how is the wedding prep going?" Madeline didn't care but she had to act like it. "Fine." Lauren replied coldly. "Ice Queen." Michael whispered into Madeline's ear. Seriously.


She smiled sweetly at Lauren she wasn't going to let her win this battle, she wasn't going to let her come into her town, and into her best friend's life and make everyone miserable. "Well I can't wait for the wedding. Aaron and me know how to get down." Aaron smirked as he kissed her neck. "Yeah well I can't for it either. To be Lauren Rielly. It's really a girls dream." She smirked. She could of been Madeline Rielly in a second. But she really liked Madeline Ekblad better. She couldn't wait until her and Aaron got engaged, and married. Having little Aaron and Madeline's running around Florida and Toronto would be the dream. She would retire after winning the cup, be a hockey mom and a hockey wife just like her mom.

"What's up Family!" The sliding door to Steven and Sandra's house opened and closed as Cody came out. "IT'S CODY!" Madeline jumped off Aaron's lap and ran into Cody's arms as he kissed the top of her head. "IT'S MADS!" Cody and Mads were extremely close, they were like siblings. "You never came to Buffalo to see me." She grimaced. "Sorry! When the Leafs play the Sabres this year, I'll take you out to a steak dinner." He agreed. "You never came to Boston this year." She caught him. "And don't even say you couldn't because Aaron did." Cody was the one to grimace this time. "I am sorry Bae. I promise I'll take you to a steak dinner this summer." She laughed. "So Mads your home for good." She looked out onto the party, a beer in her hand. Everyone that mattered was here, her family. Everyone always said blood was thicker then water, but she had a different saying. "Family is what you make it Cods. And this is our family. So let's have a summer we're never going to forget." Cody grabbed a beer and started walking over to their table. He stopped and turned around. "Deal Mads. Deal."

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