"Finally."

A week later, after the post-vacation blues had mostly disappeared, Ali sat down on her couch with her cell phone. She stared at it, ruminating over the possibilities of how the call would go.

It doesn't matter how they react, Allison. It's your relationship. You and James have been at this long enough now, you know where his heart is.

It seemed funny to her now, here in the month of June, that there was a time where she'd been surprised James wanted to even talk to her. Both her and James seemed like a different pair of people now: both more sure of themselves and their relationship, with excitement building in their future, whatever it held. They just fit together in such an oddly perfect way that Ali couldn't imagine not having James in her life like he was now.

It was this thought, and her confidence behind it, that helped her hit the speed dial to her parents' home upstate. In two rings, her father's greeting spilled joyfully over the phone.

"Pumpkin! I nearly thought you'd fallen off the face of the earth" Jeff said, his usual joking tone alive and well. "How's my favorite girl doing?"

"I'm doing really well, Dad." Ali smiled down at her jeans, picturing her father's tall frame and happy face, his waft of dark hair and friendly eyes. It made her wish she could be there in that moment. "Is Mom home, by chance?"

"Sure is. Want me to fetch her?"

"No, no, that's okay...I'll tell you first." She winced, wondering if she should have phrased it like that.

"Tell me what? Is everything okay?"

Ali palmed her face. Dammit. "Yes, everything's fine. I just have some news for you and mom. And it's GOOD news." She listened through the brief silence of her father's hesitation.

"...Okay, shoot...."

Inhaling deeply, Ali set her shoulders. "So...I've been dating this guy..." She waited, hoping to ease into this.

"Okay..." Jeff said with care.

"And you and Mom already sort of know him."

"We do?"

Here we go, she thought, chewing on her bottom lip. "Yeah. You watch him play hockey on tv all the time..." She tensed subconsciously, bracing for whatever reaction came from her father. "...because he's a Pittsburgh Penguin."

Silence.

Ali waited, her breath suspended in her chest somewhere. "Dad?"

"You're going to need to back up" Jeff said, struggling. "Did you say he played hockey?"

"Yes."

"And he plays for the Penguins?"

Ali nodded. "Yes."

More silence.

"And you're dating him?"

"Yes, Dad..."

"Well who is it?" he asked, his voice sounded less confused and more excited.

"James Neal."

"JAMES NEAL?"

Ali didn't know if the outburst was out of excitement or trepidation. "Yes???"

"WELL HOLY SHIT, ALLISON."

"What!?!?!? What, Dad??" Ali was shaking her head, not understanding the reason he was shouting. "What's wrong??"

"Nothing, Pumpkin! My GOD - you're dating a Penguin??? And it's James Neal!"

She heard his voice go muffled as he called for Wendy, and suddenly all the concerns she had about telling her parents who she was dating seemed to fizzle into thin air. A woosh of air escaped, and relief swept over her.

"Hunny, what's all this about the Penguins now?" Wendy asked as she took over the phone. "Your father is spouting some crazy business about--"

"--It's not crazy, Mom" Ali replied with a smile. "Remember when I was home a few weekeneds ago?"

"Yes....."

When it clicked, Ali heard it.

"...oh GOSH, Allison - you mean to tell me that HE was the one who wasn't--"

"--Calling...right, yes..." she said quickly, hoping her mother wouldn't spill the beans on that one to her father just yet. "But we worked that out."

More muffled talk as Wendy and Jeff seemed to be congratulating themselves or Ali, she wasn't sure. She pictured one of their hands over the receiver as they talked and laughed among themselves.

Well...this has gone way better than I thought, she realized with a small smile. So far it has, anyway.

"So hey, Mom? Dad?" Ali tried to interrupt them, or at least get one of them back on the line. "You there?"

"Yes, we're here" Jeff said, the happiness in his tone now tripled that of what it was before. "We're dying to know how this all happened! How long have you been seeing one another?"

"I'll get to all that in a second" Ali replied. "There's still one more thing I want to tell you." This time, instead of a nervous inhale, she was right out with it. "He asked me to move in with him, and I agreed, so we're thinking by the end of July I'll be living with him."

"Moving in with him!?" Jeff repeated. "Wait, wait, wait just a second...."

Ali closed her eyes. And now for the other shoe to drop.

"How long have you been dating him?"

As patiently as she could, Ali started from the top. She recounted the details of how her and James met, how the first few weeks went, how they'd had some ups and downs during the end of the season and the playoffs, and she finished with detailing their vacation in Cape May.

If she would've seen the looks on both Wendy and Jeff's faces as she told them the tale, she would've laughed. It was as if they'd never spoken to Ali before, let alone heard about her and James' relationship as it unfolded from the start. They couldn't believe their ears, but they heard the sincerity and love in their daughter's voice as she talked about her boyfriend to them, and whatever concerns they had had quickly dissipated for the time being.

"So....in a nutshell, I really like him" Ali finished with a laugh. "Seems crazy, but there it is." She listened, but there was nothing but silence on the line. "Are you two okay over there?"

"We're fine" Wendy said, her smile audible over the line. "We're just in a little shock, as you can imagine."

I am too....even now Ali thought. Trust me, Mom.

"If this is what you want..." Jeff said. The way he said it made it sound as though he was trying to convince himself. "...then I'm willing to come down and help you move--"

"--Oh it's okay, Dad" Ali interrupted. "James is going to take care of it. He's already got a moving company in mind."

"Wow. This guy is serious, isn't he?"

He sure is she thought with a humble smile. For as long as it had taken Ali to truly believe James was for real, she realized then that it might take even longer for her parents to believe it.

Take all the time you need she thought with a smile. I don't think James is going anywhere any time soon.

* * *

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

James plopped onto his back on the couch and sighed. "Nothing is wrong with me, Mike. In fact, this is what you do when you meet a girl you actually love."

"Love! He said love!"

James tossed his hat on the coffee table and waited for his brother to stop laughing obnoxiously on the other line. When it went on for about thirty seconds too long, James started to get pissed. "Alright, alright man, I get it. I get it."

"Do you?" Mike chirped. "So, what....You're telling me you got this girlfriend now, and she's moving in with you, and you're okay with that?"

"Okay with that!?" James looked at the ceiling in amazement. "I was the one who asked her to move in me, dumbass."

"And you're going to trade all the tail in the world for one chick?" Mike laughed again. "Who's the dumbass here?"

James had an interesting relationship with his brother Mike, and he was used to the nonstop chirping that occurred between the both of them more often than not. But of all the times to mock James, now was not it. He was serious about Ali, and was trying to show how serious he was to her and the rest of the world.

"So is this the same girl from one of your tweets a couple weeks ago?" Mike asked. "The one with the dark hair and the amazing cleavage on the beach?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"No wonder you want to lock her down."

James rolled his eyes. "It's more than that this time."

"Has it ever been more than that with you?" Mike chided. "This is my brother James, right?"

I suppose I deserve this James thought with exhaustion. And really, what did I expect with Mike anyway?

"You gotta tell me at least this much..."

James came out of his thoughts. "What, Mike? Hurry up with your shit, then you gotta give the phone to Mom, alright?"

"Does she suck dick well? Just tell me that--"

"--Fuck off, asshole" James said, listening as Mike had another hearty round of laughter. "Give the phone to Mom, would you?"

As his brother's voice was replaced with silence on the line, James actually looked forward to telling his parents about Ali. They'd always been good with supporting him throughout his life, and any girl he brought home when he was younger all the way to now, they always had nice things to say about the girls he dated here and there. A part of him thought they never put much vested interest in it, because they knew he'd likely just move on in a few weeks or months.

But now, James wanted them vested in Ali, because he was vested in her. Very much so, and way more than some of the other women loosely dated and bothered telling his parents about.

So as his mother joined him on the line, James went through the same type of description as Ali did with her parents, although the reaction from Deb and Peter were a little different. At first, they were both surprised that James was even telling them he'd been dating a girl for as long as he was, but they were even more surprised to hear she was moving in with him.

"And her feelings for you are genuine?" Peter asked hesitantly.

"They are." James smiled to himself. "She's as real as they get, Dad."

"Because, you know James, some of these women--"

"--I know, trust me" he said, stopping his father before he could get any further. "Ali isn't like them. She's proven that much."

For Peter and Debra, they did their best to absorb their oldest son's oddly cheerful tone of voice as he went about telling them about this girl named Allison. All they could do was be happy for him, and trust that he was making the right decision.

James knew, in time, that they would see how well he and Ali fit together. The whole world was going to have to get used to a little more James and Ali, because to James - he wasn't going anywhere for a while, and with any luck...neither was Ali.

* * *

Canada Day came and went, as did Independence Day in the States.

Both James and Ali were forced to celebrate separately in their respective countries, as James had begun his summer training camp in Ontario. It was the first time that he and Ali were separated for any appreciable length of time during their relationship, but they took it in stride. In fact, Ali was able to get a lot done while James was home in Ontario. Their goal was to get her completely moved out of her condo by the end of August, when she'd planned to have her lease expire.

She'd already begun the moving process with the initial steps: the first of which was informing her property manager and start filing the appropriate paperwork for the move. Once that was done, she set a firm date to be moved out, which was August 21st. James would be back in Pittsburgh by then, as would many of the others on the team. James had already arranged with a company he'd worked with in moving to Pittsburgh to help Ali move, despite her repeated attempts at refusing his offer to pay.

"I asked you to move in, so I'm paying for it" he'd said on the telephone. "I love you, babe. I want to do this."

And so Ali agreed, and signed the very last paper at her lease office at the beginning of August. In the following weeks, as James wrapped up training and prepared to come back to Pittsburgh, Ali started to assemble her belongings. Day by day, she chipped away at her stuff; organizing, sorting, and taping the boxes she filled.

At one point, she stood staring at the small pile of boxes she had begun to accumulate. I wonder who will live here after I leave she wondered, looking around. Even as simple a question as that brought out the nostalgic side to her. There were memories in this condo, many of which she shared with her old college roommate. Once she left not long after they graduated, Ali had considered their condo hers, making it less college-like and more of a real home. She'd spent a few years alone here, which was long enough to make it feel like a home to her.

As the final week before the move finally arrive, Ali found herself becoming more and more sentimental. Up until then, the trickle of items she packed away had been slow. Now, however - she had a deadline. James would be returning from Ontario in just a few days, and then...

And then...I guess the future awaits, she thought with a small smile. It was exciting to think about, but also scary. She knew this was a huge thing her and James were doing, but she liked to think less and feel more. Since day one, it felt right with James. This was something she didn't want to overthink or overjudge.

And so....Ali packed away her picture frames, some of which she had replaced with photos of her and James.

Is this the way life goes?

She stared at a picture of them at the beach, wondering if she was making the right decision.

I guess it's the natural process of change, really. No avoiding the future.

Placing the frame in the box with the others, Ali smiled.

I think the future is going to be good.

She didn't know why, but when she thought of this, something inside her told her it would be. She just had to trust the feelings she'd trusted until now. They hadn't let her down yet, and Ali was certain they wouldn't in the future.

* * *

"5 minutes away! Excited yet?" James heard Ali shriek on the other line. He pulled off the freeway and onto the first of the several neighborhood streets leading to her condo. "Good, because I'm dying to see you."

"Oh god, me too babe. It's been too long and I'm going through withdrawl."

He smirked, positioning the phone between his ear and shoulder as he turned the wheel. "And you say everything's ready to go? That's impressive."

"Impressive and very much true. Wait 'til you see."

James had been waiting nearly half the summer to see her. Since the moment he left Pittsburgh and went home for conditioning, he and Ali did their best to 'see' one another every day via Facetime or Skype, or randomly sending one another sexy pictures, especially late at night. Those had been James' favorites, but he craved hanging out with her more than he ever realized. It confirmed what he already knew, and that was he wanted to be with Ali as much as he could, and asking her to move in was the right decision.

As he pulled up to her condo's parking lot, his felt his nerves come to life. He wondered if there would ever been a time he'd pull into this very parking lot and not be nervous.

From the hotel in Denver to the front door of her condo he thought, wanting to roll his eyes at himself. Guess I'll always be a little nervous when it comes to seeing her.

Playing into his nerves, he checked his reflection in the window of his car, ruffling up his hair to make sure it was extra fluffy for Ali. In just a pair of khaki shorts and a white t-shirt, James was hoping to showcase his body a little more than usual, since he'd gotten more cut over the summer from conditioning. He'd also purposely chosen a plain white t-shirt foranother reason, and he hoped the surprise he was about to give Ali would get the reaction he was dying to see.

As he exited the car, he actually expected Ali to meet him by the door. When he didn't immediately see her waiting, he was thankful she hadn't. It would make the surprise all the better.

Once he knocked, he kept his head down but his smile was ever-present. When Ali opened the door, the first thing she did was gasp.

"Whaaaaaaaaattttt......."

James lifted his left hand and waved. "Hi." He watched as Ali placed her hands over her mouth.

"Omigod...."

She reached out to touch his arm, but James held it back a little. "Easy -- it's still fresh and swollen in some areas."

Ali couldn't believe it. His once-bare forearm was now etched in black; new outlines for future colored ink drawn where bare skin had been. She could tell it was puffy and swollen, but it wasn't too bad.

She looked up at him amazed. "How long ago did you get this done?"

"Yesterday."

"Whoa!" Ali laughed, gently holding his arm in her hands. "Yesterday?" She turned his arm, inspecting the detailed work. "It looks GREAT, babe."

"It's not done, obviously." James watched proudly as Ali admired the addition to his sleeve tattoo. "But a few more weeks and it will be."

With an outburst of excitement, Ali threw her hands around James' neck so they could finally hug. After nearly two months of being away from each other, the hug was long overdue. "Fuck am I glad you're back." Just hugging him, Ali could feel the carved out muscle of his back; that subdued strength she knew him for even more noticeable than before.

"I've been waiting for this too long" James said, pressing himself against her, though he held his freshly-tatted arm out so as not to bump it. Eventually, he took her face in both hands and guided her mouth to his. For the first time in two months, he got a taste of his girl...the girl he would get to kiss every morning from here on out. "Dammit, Ali."

She smiled into their kiss, reveling in how amazing it felt to have him back. "Damn yourself...and your hot body....and your amazing hair....and your perfect mouth..."

James chuckled. "Such a flattering girl."

"And with every reason to be." She took his hand in hers, a new and excited smile appearing. "Come with me...I want to show you all my hard work."

Ali led James inside and showed him around the now almost-empty condo. With the moving crew coming in less than a few days, the only thing left that wasn't put into a box were her main furniture items, clothing, and the very little amount of food left in her fridge.

"Wow, nice job!" James folded his arms over his chest, albeit gingerly, to avoid irritating his tattoo. "You did all of this yourself?"

She nodded, gazing around her bedroom where they stood. Everything had been put into boxes and labeled, minus her bed and a giant plastic tub of various clothing items. "I just have one problem." She looked up at James and smirked. "What do I do with the bed?"

James raised an eyebrow, letting his eyes drift back to the sleigh bed frame that had given him trouble from the start. "I know a few places where this would be a hell of a donation."

Ali giggled. "So you do think I should get rid of it?"

"Did I say that?" He looked at her innocently. "Surely I didn't say that..." With a laugh, he accepted Ali's playful push, right before she wrapped her arms around his midsection.

She pushed her face against him and inhaled happily. "I've missed you."

James cupped her hands in his, feeling her warmth spread over his back. "I've missed this the most."

Ali lifted her face. "Which was?" She let go so she could circle around and see his expression, which didn't let her down. His happy eyes were back - another sight she'd missed while he'd been gone.

"Just us...hanging out...laughing together." James stroked the side of her face lovingly. "I can't wait 'til we can do it every day."

Neither really knew how symbolic that line truly was.

* * *

The couple sent Ali's troublesome bed frame off in style, doing only what was right....and that was to have sex on it one last time.

Ali lay on her back, mouth open and her mind stunned into a lack of thought as her breathing tried to come down. She weakly looked down just as James kissed along her inner thigh up to the soft flesh just below her belly button.

"That was a good one." He looked up and gave her a sly smirk. "Even I could tell that was a good one."

She let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah.....yeah, I'd say that was a good one...."

James smiled and planted another kiss on her stomach. "Maybe this bed isn't so bad after all." He heard Ali's exhausted giggle through her chest near where he drug his nose along her breasts. It made him incredibly happy to be the cause of why she was out of breath and also why she was laughing.

Sliding up to her neck, James gave Ali one final kiss before falling next to her. She wasn't the only one who had to catch their breath. It was the second time he'd gone down on Ali that night, and while he felt like he'd accomplished what he set out to, they still had half the night left.

Ali reached over and ran a hand through James' hair. She felt a tiny bit of sweat that had formed along his hairline. "Someone broke a sweat."

He smiled. "You're worth it."

"When's it my turn to treat you?"

Lazily, he motioned for Ali to slide into him. He kissed her forehead, also damp with sweat. "Just relax...enjoy the moment..."

Ali shook her head. "You're something."

"I know."

They glanced at one another with matching grins.

"Just think...after this, it's nothing but a king size bed from here on out" James teased. "Please tell me I'm not the only one looking forward to it."

"Oh, you're not alone, trust me." Ali listened to James' racing heartbeat in his chest as she lay against it. Even with its accelerated rate, it comforted her and was soothing to hear. "I'll enjoy that extra few feet of space. It's what I've always dreamed of."

The slight sarcasm in her voice made James laugh. "Oh come on. You mean to tell me bigger isn't better?"

Ali looked up at him and made a face. James made one right back.

"I meant what I said. I wasn't joking." Ali took the moment to gently push James back onto the bed, taking the power stance above him. She rolled her hips against his, feeling his hardness pressing against her in all the right places. "All that space just gives me more room to do all the things I like doing to you."

It was almost instinctive to James: reaching up to grab Ali's hips to guide his body into hers, but she laughed and very gently pushed his arm with the fresh tattoo away.

"Careful babe..." She lifted both his arms above his head and held them there. "Can't screw up the ink."

All James could do was match the naughty smirk Ali gave him with his own. With her hands clasping his at the wrists, James willingly followed Ali's lead, loving every second of it. He still had to bend his legs at the knees to keep from kicking the foot board, but it only helped cradle Ali securely in his lap, right where he wanted her. He felt her velvety core spread as she guided his dick inside.

"Shit that feels good" he uttered, closing his eyes.

Above him, Ali was enjoying the scene. She held onto his wrists above his head as she did the work, feeling her body meld with his as it had time and time before. She watched James lick his lips and moan, and the sight only turned her on further. She loved him like this: vulnerable, his sharp jaw softened, his stunning eyes briefly shielded behind lust-heavy lids. Only she could get the hardened hockey player to truly give in, to give himself up to her. It made her smile proudly.

As their breathing became more rhythmic, Ali increased her pace, driving herself down onto every inch that James had to give. With his mouth slightly open and eyes still closed, Ali bit at James' bottom lip and pulled. The round, full eyes she loved opened, his lids still heavy with desire.

I get this to myself...all to myself... James thought, feeling Ali's grip on his wrists tighten as she rode him harder. We get to live like this, together....just us....

Ali saw James smile up at her. Though she didn't know it, she read his thoughts just by seeing his expression of love on his face. Removing her grip from his wrists, she locked her fingers tight in his as they clasped one another's hands. As their bodies moved as one, their clasped hands held on tighter.

With a deep kiss, they surrendered to one another and whatever the future held.

* * * * * * * *

Notes

And that's it!

It just seemed right to leave this portion of their story off right here, and I wasn't going to force any more beyond it.The Games We Play is the heart of their story together, and I will always keep it that way.

Thanks again for reading, and I WILL let you know if I start another story beyond this....Involving Sid/Piper and/or James/Ali.

Love to you all! <3