"Finally."

The semifinals came, and Ali made it to every one of James' home games. She wore his jersey proudly, and cheered harder and louder than most others seated around her. James made sure to get her whatever seats she wanted, ensuring his girl was happy while he played.

And play he did. He and his teammates did well for the first two games against the Rangers, beating them both at home and away. Ali could feel their energy from behind the glass: the smiles, the hugs, the pats on the helmets of those who scored, the congratulations they gave Fleury whenever he had a huge save. It seemed like they were unstoppable.

But even after their two strong wins, they fell one game on the road, making it 2-1 going into the fourth game. Ali sat in the seats of the Consol Energy Center nervously as she watched the team get in fight after fight, which caused penalty after penalty, and led to a nail-biting loss on home ice...making it an even match-up at 2-2.

Later that same night following interviews with media, a long-deserved shower, and a change back into his suit, James was on a plane bound for New York. It was the middle of the night, and he was exhausted, but his mind wouldn't allow him to sleep. The flight wouldn't be a long one, but he didn't feel he deserved to sleep...not after that game. With the standings now 2-2, the next game was crucial. It would transfer momentum to whichever team won, giving them the upper hand and potentially another win thereafter.

He sat debating his and his team's odds as he stared out the window. Below, the lights of Pittsburgh faded as they climbed in elevation. Little yellow and white lights flickered against the water of the three rivers that surrounded the city, its iconic bridges and buildings becoming tinier and tinier. As the plane ascended further, what little light could be seen was drowned out in clouds, giving way to nothing but stars above him.

As he stared upwards, James remembered his last night before the semifinals where he and Ali sat in the hot tub together, sipping wine and gazing up at the stars, talking like they hadn't a care in the world.

Whatever happens this week, I'll be there for you. Nothing like before, okay?

That's what she had said that night. At the time, those words had comforted him. Now though, James' confidence felt weakened by the team's loss. After a life of hockey and countless losses, he knew how this went. He had the focus and the determination to see these next couple of games through. But if they lost?

James sighed and shifted in his seat. He reclined back to give himself more leg room, glancing down at his gray suit and navy blue shirt. His legs were tired, and he could feel a dull ache somewhere near his right shoulder from a hit he'd taken late in the third period.

He ignored all this, opting instead to rest his head back and close his eyes, relaxing his weary mind. He was thankful that the others were as quiet as he was; the usual post-game chatter had all but ceased long before they even boarded the plane. It allowed the hum of the engines and the vibration of the plane to put his mind into a bit of a temporary lull. For a while, James enjoyed the peace of the silence about him. No screaming fans, no whistles, no goal horns, no chirps from the other team. Nothing but beautiful silence.

* * *

The Pens had one day off before the next game, but it didn't matter much. James' worries came to fruition as he and the team fell to the Rangers, giving New York the upper hand with a 3-2 game lead. One more loss, and the Penguins would be knocked out of the playoffs.

Fortunately for the Pens (if one could call it that), the final loss happened on home ice. Ali watched it live as it happened, never taking her eyes off the ice for a moment during those excruciating 60 minutes. When the final horn sounded, every member of the New York Rangers flung themselves onto Penguin's ice to celebrate their victory.

When the Rangers had finally exited, Pittsburgh fans remained with their home team, who, despite their very apparent dejection in the results, had raised their sticks in appreciation to the ones who had stuck with them.

With her number 18 jersey proudly worn, Ali stood and cheered with the rest of Pittsburgh around her, though tears welled heavily in her eyes. Somehow, the proud black and gold colors of the men on the ice appeared less prominent; the players' faces drawn in disappointment and regret. This would not be the year they would advance to the finals, and Ali would not get to see her new boyfriend lift the Stanley Cup.

*

The next few hours were the most painful. Waiting for James to emerge from the hoard of reporters within the locker room, Ali remained pacing outside in parking garage. The warmth of the evening seemed such a tease from the icy air inside the arena and the coldness that swallowed the team she'd just watch play their final game of the season.

After waiting for nearly an hour, Ali received a text from James:

J: Might as well go home. This will take a while.

It was hours later by the time the couple finally met, once the dust had settled and all was said and done. James appeared at Ali's doorstep as he had countless times before, only this time, things were much different. The loss was heavy on him, and Ali could see it on his face and in the way he carried himself. It didn't look like the same James Neal she had known for the past four months; it wasn't the same James Neal. His shoulders no longer held themselves proudly. His jaw was tense and his eyes were sad and hurt.

They lay quietly together in Ali's bed, neither saying much or moving much. For as tired and spiritless as James was, sleep wouldn't take him. He didn't want to sleep. He didn't know what he wanted, really. His mind was blank.

Lying next to him, Ali remained silent as well. She didn't know what to say, nor did she know what to do. This was entirely new to her, and she could only guess at the emotions James was dealing with. She hoped that she could be a presence for him, someone he could lean on or talk to, if he wanted. Maybe all she could do was be there for him, and no more.

To let him know she was there and willing to support him, Ali snuggled close and held James' hand. The familiar strength in his grip was there, squeezing her gently, letting her know the gesture was appreciated.

They fell asleep without saying a word, though they never left one another's embrace.

*

The next morning, James stood in front of Ali's bathroom mirror. In his right hand he held his electric razor; he'd packed it just in case, and it was the first thing he brought out of his overnight bag when he'd woken.

He stared at his reflection with regret.

Maybe next year he thought, and clicked the on button.

Ali stood nearby, watching as clumps of his auburn hair fell into the sink. With every pass of the razor over his strongly set jaw, his playoff beard diminished. In less than a few minutes, it was all but history.

James rubbed his now clean-shaved face, feeling his chin for the first time in months. He looked at Ali and gave a tired smile. "Ah well. Just hair, eh?"

She nodded and squeezed his arm. "Just hair, babe."

*

They went out for breakfast, and Ali treated James to whatever he wanted. He tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. She even treated him to a brand new Mom and Pop restaurant he'd never even knew existed, which he thanked her for. At least there, no one would ask questions, no one would recognize him, and no one would extend their sympathy on the team's loss. He wanted left alone, and Ali knew it. She did her best to ensure it.

They ordered and talked lightly about this and that, avoiding the topic on both their minds. James ate furiously and Ali watched lovingly as he devoured six slices of french toast, three scrambled eggs, and a bagel. She wondered if he still ate the same in the off season. She hoped she'd be able to find out.

As Ali finished her omelette, James sat back and contemplated what he should do next. Up until this particular season, he'd never had someone to share the "loss" with. Drawing his eyes from his mug of coffee to Ali, he wondered if there was some way he could take the attention off the heaviness of another season gone. He knew later that afternoon he'd spend most of his time accumulating his stuff from the locker room with the rest of the guys. He'd pack up his belongings and hand over what items he could for storage until next season. He'd say goodbye to some of those he wouldn't see until next season, and then that was it.

The thought of having to deal with that caused him to sigh. He brought his focus back down to his coffee and kept it there, despite Ali having honed in on his sigh.

"Is that the sigh of someone who ate too much?"

James chuckled, eyes still focused on his coffee. "You know the answer to that." He lifted his gaze and smirked at her.

Ali smirked back. "I can see your smile better now" she teased. "Without the beard."

"Yeah...guess so..." He subconsciously rubbed at his bare chin. "Feels weird."

"You'll get used to it." When James didn't respond, Ali wondered if he meant his beard...or his season. "Babe?"

"Hmm?" He didn't look up.

Ali leaned over the table. "I know I don't know how this works..." Her voice was full of understanding as she tried to find her words. "But, I'm willing to do whatever I can to make you smile. And not just because I can see it now without all that ginger goodness covering it."

James cracked a smile. When he looked at Ali, all he saw was kindness and patience in her brown eyes. Her usual bright smile was more subdued, letting him know she meant what she said.

Beneath the table, she gave his ankle a little rub with her foot. "Besides...Maybe now you'll have time to buy groceries and live a little."

She meant it to be light-hearted, but James felt a crashing wave of love for Ali in that moment. She sat across from him in her simple white t-shirt and long dark hair, a pair of cutoff jean shorts and all of her perfection, but James thought she might be the most amazing woman he'd ever been with. It occurred to him then that while the loss last night against the Rangers had hit him hard...he had gained so much more from this particular season than ever before.

Knowing that he'd been caught thinking while staring at her, James gave Ali a wink. "Should we get the check?"

"So soon?" she questioned.

"Sure." He rubbed her ankle the way she'd rubbed his. "We have groceries to buy."

Across the table, Ali stared at him suspiciously. "You lyin' to me, Neal?" When she saw him shake his head 'no' seriously, her suspicion turned to surprise. "Well shit...where's the waitress? We better do this before you lose your nerve."

She made an exaggerated attempt at looking for their server while James laughed, feeling better than he had all day.

* * *

The locker room was abuzz with closing statements from all the players, organized and performed by the usual Pittsburgh media members. The players' reactions in their interviews were mixed: many accepted the fate of their playoff run, others remained somber, others were indifferent...at least to the cameras.

After his own interviews, James lined up his sticks neatly by his locker room stall. He set out the rest of his equipment alongside Malkin, who seemed more somber than James expected. Farther down the line stood Crosby, one arm crossed over his chest, his hand resting on his elbow. He finished his exit interview with a forced smile, but James knew how Sid felt. And, despite it being the last interview of the season for Crosby, it wouldn't be the last interview he gave before the next season. For Crosby, hockey season never ended.

This was the focus of Sid's question that he later asked James, once the media had finally left him alone.

"So where are you headed next? Back home?"

Sid played with the cap of his water bottle, turning the cap on, then off. James noticed the nervousness in his captain, wondering if Sid felt empty from their loss. He tried to pretend he didn't notice. "Yeah, probably. I don't know."

Sidney nodded thoughtfully. "I'll probably go back to Halifax for a while. Let it calm down a bit before I hit the ice again." He gave a shrug. "Not much else to do here in town now, huh?"

"Yeah..." James looked down at the pads he was organizing, wondering if he really would go back home.

"Any talk about what you and Ali will do?" Sid asked.

James could only shake his head. Whitby was where he usually went following any given hockey season, but he usually didn't have Ali to think about. His job may have ended for the next few months, but hers didn't.

Setting a hand on his waist, he looked at Sid honestly. "You know, I haven't actually thought about it?" He scratched at his hair, feeling guilty. "Guess I should figure that out."

Sid's sideways smile appeared. "You have time. No sense in rushing it." He gave James a tap on the shoulder with his bottle. "You two oughtta go somewhere. Just get out of town for a while. Might be nice."

"Yeah..." James thought about this a little longer, his smile growing as he looked at Sid. "Yeah, actually...that's not half bad, Crosby."

He gave a humble nod. "You can thank me later" he joked, and extended his hand. "Great playing with you this season, Nealer. Stay in touch, alright?"

"You got it." James shook Sid's hand firmly. "Always great playing alongside you."

Sid moved on to talk to Geno and James watched as he extended his goodbyes to the tall center. As they conversed, James' mind was already running with the idea that Crosby had given him.

Just get out of town for a while.
Might be nice.

Might be fucking awesome, James thought. It was the first excited feeling he had since before the playoffs started, and it was a welcomed sensation.

It stayed on his mind the whole drive back to his house, when normally he should have been contemplative about the season, the playoffs, his status on the team, and his life in general. Typically, that's what he would do. But he was realizing, little by little, every aspect of his life had been positively influenced in one way or another by Allison Diserelli.

As James made it back to his house, he formulated a plan. It was spontaneous, maybe a little reckless, but his heart made the decision long before his head did. Putting his plan into motion, he drug out his suitcase from his closet, the one he'd normally pack for road trips with the team, and packed it with at least a week's worth of clothes and necessities. Once finished, he made sure Paulie was clued in on the plan so he could watch the house for him while gone.

Choosing the Mercedes over the Ferrari, James drove over to Ali's condo. By now, the route had become so familiar to him, he could navigate the traffic and side streets to make shortcuts to get there. His excitement only grew the closer he got to her side of the city, knowing she'd be home and settled in for the night and would most likely agree to his idea. The only thing standing in his way was her work schedule, but he'd tackle that when it came time.

When he got to the condo, he parked in the usual spot and left his suitcase in the trunk. Ali must have seen him, because by the time he reached the door, she'd already opened it.

"Hey you!"

James took her face in his hands and kissed her. "Let's go to the ocean." He kissed her again before she had time to respond. "Let's just drink and lay on the beach and not do anything but hang by the ocean."

"The...ocean?" Ali mumbled between kisses.

He was smiling as he looked at her. "Nowhere far...I know you have to work and all."

"Where did you have in mind, though?" she asked, wonder in her eyes.

"How about Jersey?"

She laughed. "James..."

"I know, it's not much" he said with a humble grin. "But it's just to get out of here for a while."

Speechless, Ali stared at him "Did I miss something? Because...just this morning, you were kind of depres--"

"--Shh, don't think so much." James put a finger over her lips. "Say you'll come with me. We can stay as long or as short as we can, whatever your schedule will allow."

He's serious, Ali thought as she gazed up into the brilliant blue of his eyes. They were round and full of life; the assurance she adored about him totally restored in his demeanor.

James smirked. "If you have to call work first, I can wait for the answer."

"Oh, well thank you, Mr. Patience" Ali teased. She gently pulled on the cotton of his t-shirt so he would come inside. "Come check with me...I may have off, I don't know."

They went into her living room so Ali could retrieve her phone, where she kept her most up-to-date work schedule. She clicked her calender app open, eyes scanning the week ahead of her and what shifts she'd have to try and get out of. When she saw there were only two shifts towards the end of the week, she gasped happily.

"What?? Is that a good gasp?" James asked.

She nodded excitedly and threw her arms around his neck. "Only two shifts, babe!"

"Two!?" He held Ali out to look at her. "So that's easy, right?"

Ali was already dialing her manager, Stephanie, hoping she would pick up. She bit her lip as she watched James' entire disposition change. A whole new brightness was visible in his expression as he waited, arms crossed, one hand's fingers crossed as they both her Stefanie's greeting on Ali's cell.

"Hey! Steph, it's Allison...sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could request off this Tuesday and Thursday?" She bit her nail and stared at James while her manager dug her schedule book out and took a look at who could cover.

Across from her, James gave her a questionable thumbs-up, wondering if it sounded hopeful. Ali shrugged.

"Yeah, still here" she said, listening more. "Really? Oh my god, that's perfect, yes! That will work for me. Thank you so much."

James knew by the smile and tonal change in Ali's voice that it was a go. He clapped in victory, knowing now that for the next week he would be spending nothing but downtime with his girlfriend at the beach.

When Ali thanked her manager again and hung up, she threw herself into James' arms and kissed him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you for asking me!"

"Asking you?" He had to laugh, because he wished he would have said it to her first. "Thank YOU for taking off work to go and do this!"

Ali grabbed both his hands and pulled him as she walked backwards. "Thank you, thank me, thank everyone - who cares! We're going! And now I've gotta pack, so come help me pick out which bikinis I'm bringing, would ya?"

She turned and headed up to her bedroom, and James paused a moment to watch her as she trotted up the stairs. He smiled to himself, then headed up right behind her.

*

They took James' car the next morning, with him in the driver's seat to start. By 8 am, the couple had their windows rolled down partway, letting the humid morning air trickle in. It felt good, but not as good as the rising sun along the eastern horizon ahead of them. By 10 am, as they merged onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike, it was blazing hot. Both James and Ali slid their sunglasses on, smiling at one another as the excitement of the day continued to build.

As they got closer to the city of Harrisburg, Ali started researching places to stay on her phone.

"Bed and Breakfast, or private cottage?" she asked, thumbing through various websites.

James readjusted his hat as he pondered the question. "I'm good with either." He glanced over, watching as Ali stared down at her phone. "Whatever you want, babe."

She smiled as she scrolled. "Cop out."

"But it's the truth."

They looked at one another and smiled.

"I kind of like the idea of a Bed and Breakfast" Ali said, eyes lowering to her phone. The ones she was looking at seemed stereotypically perfect: quaint oceanfront locations with roomy suites, some with jacuzzis, others with beachfront views.

She scrolled to another website, looking through potential cottage rentals, also falling in love with what she saw available there as well. "But these private cottages though..." She whistled, clicking on one of the more impressive ones. "Might be pretty bad ass."

"I like that idea" James added with a nod. "Seems romantic."

Ali felt his hand tap her bare thigh, which he matched with a closed-lip grin. It was warm and comforting, as was his hand, which she wanted back on her thigh. Instead, he draped it back over the steering wheel and kept his eyes on the road.

From her spot, Ali couldn't help but let her eyes linger on the easygoing look James had as he sat in the driver's seat. He wore plaid light blue and gray board shorts that barely touched his knees, and a gray t-shirt that hugged his chest enough to show the separation of his pecs. Ali could hardly wait to see how he looked with his skin kissed by the sun, turning more tan than he currently was. She imagined he would be even more handsome, if that was even a possibility.

"Whatever you decide - you've got under two hours to make the call" James joked. He pointed a finger at the mileage sign outside the window as they zipped by: Philadelphia - 49 miles, Cape May - 141 miles.

With a roll of her eyes, Ali groaned. "Ugh. Philly."

James smiled. "I know."

They glanced at one another beneath their shades, both making a distasteful expression. It's what you did, whether you were on the Pittsburgh Penguins or not. Perhaps even more so if you weren't.

Ali went back to looking at her phone, scrolling and clicking and reading. She knew she was probably being too picky, but she hadn't been to the Shore since college and she'd never been to Cape May before. They'd decided the night before they would go somewhere quieter; somewhere along the shore that was absent of the loud crowds of people and boardwalks full of teenagers fresh out of school for the summer. They wanted exclusivity, or as much of it as they could get. Cape May was their choice.

Ali set her phone on her lap with a content sigh. "I think I know what I want."

"Yeah?" James' half grin appeared. "Let's have it."

"I want the cottage."

James nodded solidly. "Then the cottage it is."

"This one, if we can get it...." She held her phone out to him so he could see.

He popped his sunglasses up so he could see the screen, his eyes flicking between the road and the picture. Ali saw approval in his look before his eyes disappeared behind the dark lenses once more.

"Looks cozy." He reached across the middle console so that he and Ali's fingers could entwine. "And very romantic."

"Should I make the call?" she asked, though she knew the answer.

"Dial 'em up!"

Eagerly, Ali called the agency in charge of renting out the particular cottage, hoping against hope it was available. It seemed like the perfect spot for her and James, and the cottage itself spoke to her immediately upon seeing it online. The pictures showed a charming, two-bedroom cottage painted in buttercup yellow. Its whitewash wrap-around deck faced the ocean, overlooking grassy dunes that led down to the beach. She wanted that deck. She wanted to look over those dunes. She wanted her and James on that beach.

These drifting thoughts nearly caused Ali to miss the greeting of the rental agent on the other line. Quickly, she summed up her and James' plans for the week, asking if it was possible to rent it for that long.

When the woman told her that it was available, Ali nearly squealed.

"It's ours" she exclaimed to James, holding her phone against her chest. "It's available, and it's ours!"

* * *

They stepped inside the cottage and they both dropped their suitcases with a dumbfounded thump.

"Holy balls" Ali said, her voice kind of hushed. She looked at James, who was still staring at the rooms before them.

"Damn." He eyed the living room that was to their immediate right, seeing the floor-to-ceiling windows that gave them every view of the ocean it possibly could. The kitchen was to his left, part of the open floorplan but seperated by a small bar with tall kitchen stools. "I'd say you chose well."

"I didn't think it'd be this nice, though." Ali walked forward, examining the the kitchen. It was small compared to James' kitchen, but had a breakfast nook and a white ceiling fan that matched the white wood detailing of the cabinets. It looked clean and tidy and perfectly sized for two. "I'm not sure I'm going to want to leave after a week here" she said, glancing back at him as he walked past.

"If the front of the house is this nice, I gotta see this bedroom."

They went down the short hall to the master bedroom, which was also small but well decorated in calming hues of teal and blue. The bed itself was a queen, which made James smirk.

"I might need to snuggle you all night with a bed that small."

"That small?" Ali giggled and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Stupid tall."

"Stupid bed." James bent his head so his lips could meet Ali's, getting a taste of her for the first time since they woke up that morning. "Let's check out the beach before I throw you on this thing and we never make it out of here."

Pulling themselves from one another, Ali and James went outside and walked down a small sandy path just beyond their front deck. It led down to the main beach area, passing by mounds of wispy dune grass, their tall rods waving in the breeze. It felt cool even though the sun was hot, and the smell of salt in the air was refreshing.

They emerged onto the sand, and both went far enough so their bare feet touched the lapping waves running up the shore. For the first time, they felt the tickle of the ocean between their toes.

James flipped his hat around so that the bill was facing backwards, giving himself more of the sun and the salty air he loved. "Fuck this is nice, isn't it?"

Ali inhaled deep. "Damn right it is."

They stood there quietly, inhaling and exhaling, getting their initial fill of the beauty of their surroundings. James had told Ali before how much he loved the water and how alive he felt whenever summer came and he was able to get off the ice for a while and enjoy it. With a week of freedom and no responsibilities ahead of him, he felt on top of the world - especially now that he finally got to share it with a girl worth sharing it with.

He smiled at her. "Ali?"

"Hmm?" She looked in his direction, the wind gently whipping her dark hair about her face.

"I'm glad we're here" he said. "I don't want to be anywhere else, with anyone else."

Pulling a piece of her hair away from her smiling mouth, Ali felt her connection with James grow even more. He seemed happy, truly happy, and it was a sight Ali wanted to see for as long as she could. She wanted to make him happy; to forget whatever stressed him out or depressed him or caused him to be any other way than how he was there in that very moment.

"I really do love you, you know that?" Ali said. "This week is ours, babe."

"Ours" he repeated contentedly. "Together."

* * *

Notes

Only two chapters left after this!

I know.
I know…..

….but they weren't together for very long before The Games We Play takes place, so keep that in mind. :)

Thanks for all the comments and messages I've been receiving from you all! You really do make this fun for me. :)