“I’m in love with an angel who’s afraid of the light
Her halo is broken but there's fight in her eyes”
Angel by Theory of a Deadman

Cam’s POV

It’s been about a month since the Penguins played the Canucks and now they were flying out to Dallas to play the Stars. However, I made the executive decision to finally talk to my brother. I was flying down today, going to their game tomorrow, and fly back the day after. Since the Penguins had a home game three days from now, he got special permission from coach to fly back from Dallas with me in two days instead of flying with the team, he just had to pay for his own tickets and baggage; which was extra because of his hockey equipment. I woke up at 5am for my flight at 9:45. I grabbed my packed bag from the corner of my room and walked into the kitchen to make breakfast even though I knew that I would probably only be able to stomach some Cheerios. Flying always made me nervous.

I heard a knock on the door and went to answer it, still in my sweats and ratty t-shirt.

“James,” I said, surprised that he was actually up this early in the morning.

“Hey. I wanted to see you before you left for the airport. I was actually wondering if I could drive you, ya know, return the favor.”

I smiled, “Sure that’s fine.”

“Great.”

I let him in and closed the door, walking back to the kitchen.

“Where’s Bacardi?” He asked.

“I dropped her off with the dogsitter last night, she wasn’t happy ‘bout that. What do are you gonna do with Nixon now that I can’t watch him?” I asked.

“I’m gonna drop him off at the dogsitter I usually use tonight. Geno sends Jeffrey to the same one so it gives me a little peace of mind knowing G trust the sitter.”

I nod my head in agreement and drop a bowl of oatmeal in front of James.

“Eat up.” I say while munching on my bowl of Cheerios.

“I should be telling you the same thing.”

“I don’t really eat on days I fly, it messes with my stomach.”

He just nodded and continued eating his oatmeal.

We left about 15 minutes later and headed off to the airport. James kept his hand in mine the entire car ride occasionally squeezing it, trying to give me the strength to actually get on the plane. I almost told him to turn the car around multiple times but stopped myself as I realized I was going to have to hear him out sometime. He parked the car in the charge-by-the-hour parking garage and grabbed my bag waiting silently while I gathered the strength to get out of the car. Once I did, he grabbed my hand and threw me a reassuring smile. I smiled back, grateful that I had him by my side.

We stopped at security and I clenched his hand harder knowing that this time, it was me leaving him; not the other way 'round. I wonder how he would react when he saw me walk away, not looking back. I looked up through my dark lashes into his clear, blue eyes. If I couldn’t read his face, I could always rely on his eyes. It was my window into the stoic hockey player he used to be before he started being more open with me. He looked down at me and brought his hand to my cheek, stroking it.

“It’s gonna be ok.” He reassured me.

“How do you know?” My voice cracked, revealing my true emotions.

“I don’t know how, but I just know. Call me if it goes South. If I don’t pick up I’m at practice, but I shouldn’t be.”

I didn’t respond, insteading launching myself at him, hugging him as tight as possible.

“Go, you’re gonna miss your flight, Cam.”

I looked up at him with tears in my eyes, pecked his lips and walked away.

‘I’ll miss you.’ My mind whispered.

********

I landed in Dallas at about 1pm. I told Jamie I’d meet him at a diner at around 3. I caught a cab to Homewood Suites hotel and checking in. I was in room 318 on the third floor. It had one bed and a moderate size bathroom so it was fine for me. After sitting around for awhile, I changed into one of James’s Kelowna Rockets t-shirts and a pair of jean shorts. I slipped on my converse, grabbed a jacket and headed of to Twisted Root Burger Co., where I agreed to meet Jamie.

I arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes later and checked the time on my phone, it was 2:50. I decided I would head in and get a table to wait for Jamie. However, I was surprised that when I walked in he was sitting at a table in the back. He was by himself as I asked specifically not to invite Jordie. I didn’t need an apology from him for Jamie’s behavior. That was on Jamie.

I walked over to the table and sat down across from him. Before he could say anything, the waiter walked over and asked what I wanted to drink. I realized Jamie already had a Strawberry milkshake in front of him.

“Try the milkshakes,” Jamie suggested with a sheepish look.

“Uh, a chocolate milkshake them, please.” I responded.

“Sure,” the waiter said and walked away to get our drinks.

“So…” I said when the waiter was out earshot.

Jamie shot me a nervous look, “I’m sorry I hurt you. I really didn’t mean to. I knew that if I looked into your pleading eyes before I went, I would say I wouldn’t go, I would pass up the chance to play in the NHL if it meant staying in Canada with you. I missed it when we used to skate on the pond in the freezing cold, and you would wake me up in the middle of the night and make me bake you chocolate chip cookies just because you were hungry. I could never say no to my little sister. You were the only reason me and Jordie made it through the crap with our parents. You always had a smile on your face, always looking on the bright side, always cheering us up when we lost hockey games, you were just always there for us, without knowing you were the reason me and Jordie strived in hockey. We wanted you to grow up better than we did, unknowingly making you grow up worse in the process. I’ve spent the last nine years traveling from city to city playing in the NHL and every time we would walk out of the locker room after the game, families were greeting the other players, and I just wished I had taken you with me. I love you, Cameron, I really do. I’m so, so sorry.”

By the end of his speech, I had silent tears streaming down my face. I can’t believe he felt like that.

I walked around the table and hugged him, “I love you too, Jamie. I can’t believe you feel like that.”

“Of course I feel like that, you’re my little sister. I’ve missed you so much, Cammy.”

I laughed a little at the nickname, “Never leave me again.”

He smile, “I don’t plan on it. Now tell me, since when did you know who the Kelowna Rockets are?”

I blushed, “It’s James’s shirt actually-or used to be, I think it’s mine now.”

He gaped at me, “So it’s true. You’re dating James Neal? I thought Jordie was joking with me.”

I smiled, “Nope, it’s true.”

“How long has that been goin’ on?” he asks.

“About two months,” I responded.

“If he hurts you, I’ll break him.”

And just like that, my protective older brother was back. God, I’ve missed this.

********

James had gotten me seats behind the Penguins bench for the game the next day. The first thing he did when he stepped on the ice was look over at me. I had told him I was fine when we talked on the phone yesterday when I told him about me and Jamie’s meeting. After we were done talking about James, we stayed and talked at the restaurant for the next hour. He told me he would like to see me after the game and introduce me to his teammates, but I told him I had to see James first and then I would see if I would be able to come over.

It was a stressful game that eventually led to a shootout which proved the Penguins victorious. I knew that Jamie would be disappointed that he lost to my boyfriend.

I eventually found myself outside the Penguins’ locker room and sat don on one of the benches outside. I only had to wait a couple minutes before my favorite Russian came out.

I jumped up and hugged him, “Evgeni!”

“Cam,” he lifted me off my feet,”James no tell us you were coming.”

I smiled, “I told him not to tell you so I could surprise you.”

He set me down, “I surprised.”

I just smiled back at him before I felt arms around my waist and a kiss on my cheek.

“Hey babe.”

I turned around and jumped on him, “I’m so proud of you, Jay!”

“Thanks babe. I’m proud of me too.”Before I could respond, he smashed his lips onto mine and I smiled and got lost in it.

We stopped when we heard the loud whistles and cat calls from his teammates.

James set me down and I took his hand and tugged on it, “Come on, I told Jamie I’d see him when the game was over.”

Paul Martin overhears this and asks, “Jamie? Jamie Benn?” His questions catch the attention of the entire team as they look at me.

I’m as red as a tomato, “Yeah.” I respond quietly.

“How do you know him?” Matt Cooke asks.
I blushed harder, “He’s my brother.”

Man, after I said that you could hear a pin drop.

Nisky breaks the silence, “Jamie Benn doesn’t have a sister.”

I chuckle, “Yes he does, and I have the baby pictures to prove it.”

James then speaks, “Ok, that’s all you need to know about my girlfriend. Let’s go.”

He leads me to the home locker room where I swear the whole Dallas Stars team is there waiting. Jamie and Jordie are leaning on the wall next to each other. When they see me they immediately sit up and walk towards me. I greet them both with a hug and laugh when I see the expression on their teammates faces.

Jamie made the introductions, “Guys this is my sister Cameron, Cameron, these are my teammates.”

“Hi.” I respond.

Their eyes roam from my face to my hand that’s still connected to James’s and then to James himself.

“She’s dating a Penguin!” At least three of them exclaim at the same time.

I stood up straighter, “Yeah, you guys got a problem with that?”

They all shook their heads quickly, “Good.”

Jordie spoke next, “All right. You guys met her, you can leave now.”

A couple minutes later it was just the four of us.

Jamie cleared his throat, “Oh right, James this is Jamie. Jamie this is James.”

They shook hands with each other, but I could see the scowl that wanted to etch itself onto James’s face.

“You hurt her, I’ll hurt you,” Jamie said.

James lost his smile, “Ditto.”

A tense, awkward silence followed that I broke, “Ok, so James and I are gonna get goin’, I’ll talk to y’all later.” I gave them both a hug before walking out with James by my side.

We caught a ride back to my hotel where he would be spending the night before we flew out the next morning.

As we got in bed and I cuddled up to James I realized something, my life was finally back on track. I had a great boyfriend, great friends, a great Russian, and a great family that included all of them and my real family who I was finally speaking to. I fell asleep with thoughts of future family outings that oddly included some kids running around us, ‘us’ being me and James.

Notes

So I'm gonna be MIA for about four weeks starting Friday so I figure I'd give you a long one. There might be an update before then but don't count on it.

For future reference, we're not there yet- but do you want me to include their revelations on when they fall in love or do you just want them to say it?

Spoiler Alert: They say 'I love you' AT SOME POINT. Kay? Kay.

Thanks for reading.