Chapter 41

On Christmas Eve, the team had their party for the guys and their families. Karen had gotten a babysitter for the twins so she wouldn't have to worry about them being around all those people. Since she had been using the breat pump, it was getting easier to start the transition of being away from the twins for a few hours at a time. Sidney could still tell that Karen would miss them by looking around for them only to be told they were at home and fine. He might have had a few laughs watching Karen go through it, but he didn't want to admit he hated being away from them as well.

Karen had gone to the bathroom and was coming out when she saw Jordan waiting for her.

"Hey" he said quietly.

"Hey yourself" Karen said offering a smile.

"I was hoping to have a minute alone with you to give you this" Jordan said pulling a box out of his pocket.

"Jordan, you didn't need to get me anything."

"Well, it is Christmas and I guess it's also a peace offering."

"Its been more than a month Jordan, we're all over about what happened."

"I know but I still feel like I owe you a lot more for making you feel fear being around me."

"Well I don't have those feeling anymore."

"Good, now will open your present?"

Karen smiled and opened the box to reveal a small jewelry box. She opened the top to see the mother/child pendant and it was appropriate that it had the mother and two children "Jordan, it's beautiful. Thank you."

"Your welcome. You know, Brit and I had a long talk after what happened and I told her everything. She's helping me get over my feelings of more than friendship for you and when I told her I got this for you, she said for me to find a time for us to be alone and give it to you."

"I'm proud of you Jordy. After everything, I hated not having one of my best friends with me during the holidays."

"We set a date" he said smiling.

"Really? When?"

"During the Olympic break" he said seeing Karen's face fall. "I know you would want to be there, but I feel we need to get married alone then have the actual wedding after the playoffs. I want her to know that I do love her Karen."

"And that'll do it. Where are you guys going?"

"I was thinking Aruba or the Bahamas. Just a quiet beach wedding that's just us."

"I'm happy for you Jordan."

"Thanks" he said as they hugged each other.

"What's going on here?" Coach Dan said seeing the two embrace.

"It's not what you think coach. Just giving my friend her Christmas present" Jordan said walking away.

"You ok?"

"Yeah and please don't look anything into this. Jordan's over his feelings for me and I'm not scared to be around him."

"I don't know Karen."

"Dan, please. He gave me a present and we talked about him getting married to my sister. Everything's fine now."

"Ok, if you say so." He left her alone and she looked at the necklace again smiling before heading back to find Sidney.

They stayed for another hour then left to head home to their babies. Sidney paid the babysitter and Karen went to check on the twins before going to go change into more comfortable clothes. She came back down and Sidney was sitting in the living room getting the fire going in the fireplace.

"Twins ok?"

"Yeah, their sleeping like little angels."

"I saw you and Jordan talking by the bathrooms."

"He gave me a present."

"What was it?" Sidney asked waiting to see it.

"This" she said showing him the neckalce.

"It's beautiful."

"Yes it is. He also told me him and Brit were going to get married in the Carribean during the Olympic break."

"Really? But how will you be with me if they're getting married during the same time?"

"I'm not going to the wedding, actually no one is. Its just going to be them then have a bigger one after the playoffs are over."

"Are you happy about that?"

"Yes. Sid, I couldn't be happier that they're together and happy. He told her everything that happened that day with me and she still wants to be with him. It shows how much she loves him and how much he loves her by getting over me to concentrate fully on their life together."

"I know Jordan's our friend and I want to see him happy, but something still lingers that being married to Britnie might keep him too close to you."

"I think its finally over Sid. I saw the old Jordan tonight, I saw my best friend back."

Sidney smiled and pushed a strand of hair off her face "I could tell the way you two were talking. I didn't see any tension between you two. I guess this means I don't have to worry about you anymore."

"You always better worry about me."

"Don't worry, I always will" he said leaning in to let their lips meet for a slow, passion filled kiss. Karen broke the kiss and snuggled up to Sidney's chest letting the fire warm them.

After sitting there quietly for awhile, Sidney noticed Karen had fallen asleep. He was going to pick her up and take her upstairs, but the baby monitor had a little fussing coming through. Sidney slowly moved and helped lie Karen down on the couch, covering her with a blanket before going upstairs and seeing what was wrong.

"Hey little buddy" he said seeing Sidney moving around and on the verge of tears, picking him up "I think you need a new diaper huh? Well let me take care of that for you since your mom is taking her own little nap downstairs." Sidney got the diaper off "whoa buddy, what have you been doing, saving it all up?" he said seeing Sidney put his fingers in his mouth and coo at his father.

Karen had come to and heard voices looking at the monitor and hearing Sidney talking. She picked it up and turned up the volume to listen.

Sidney wiped his son's butt and put on the powder only to get a smile out of him "you like that part huh? The cool sensations of the powder hitting your little butt."

"Let's hope it stays that way" Karen said to herself smiling.

Sidney got the new diaper on and stood him up "and your mom thought it would take months for me to master this. Let me tell you a little secret buddy, she may always think she's right, but I only let her win arguments to let her think she's won. She usually realizes that I'm the one who's always right but plays it off. She doesn't think I know her game, but I do. Have to keep them happy son. If I give you any piece of advice worth remembering, it's that...keep the woman in your life happy. I guess that means you'll be letting your sister win a lot of the times until you're old enough for a girlfriend."

Karen shook her head at what Sidney was telling their son but loved how he was with him. She always knew he's be a great father but this surpassed all her expectations.

Sidney took a bottle out of the fridge and sat down with his son. They put the small refigerator in the nursery so when Sidney wanted to feed them, he didn't have to go down to the kitchen to get it. The fridge wasn't as cold as the main one so he didn't need to warm it since it wasn't too cold. He tested it on his arm like Karen showed him before putting it near Sidney's mouth to see if he was hungry.

"I know it's not your mother's breast, but it's the next best thing." Sidney watched as he closed his eyes and wiggled his mouth to get the breast milk out of the bottle, making a small suckling sound. "And here I thought watching you feed off your mom was amazing. This really brings life into perspective baby boy. Since we have some time, let me tell you about your dear old dad incase no one has filled you in yet. I was born in Nova Scotia, that's in Canada if your wondering, to two wonderful parents that gave me pretty much everything I asked for. When I was about three or four, I was on my first pair of skates and loved being on the ice. You couldn't get me off of it once I mastered it. Even your mom will tell you it takes a lot to get me off the ice at the arena. If I didn't have her nagging at me, we'd be living at the arena."

"Dream on Siddo" Karen said into the monitor.

"Anyway, I enjoyed playing hockey so much that I lived out my dream going to Shattuck's as a teen, which you and your sister will be going whether your mom likes it or not. Then to either a college with a kick ass hockey program or maybe a Junior team before you two run rampant in the NHL."

"I guess I don't have any say" she said laughing.

"After playing there, I went back to Canada to play in the Quebec Junior league and I was pretty good. Ok, I was phenominal. Everyone thought so, I'm not just saying it because I want you to see me as a hockey god or anything. From putting up some big numbers, I became eligible for the NHL draft in 2005. Well, the year before, the NHL was on strike and they didn't play the year before I was drafted. The league had to have a drawing to see which team would get me and let me tell you son, I was so happy when it was Pittsburgh. Back then, the idea of getting to play with Mario Lemieux was what I had dreamt of the most. Well fast forward a couple years later when I met this beautiful woman who lived here in Pittsburgh. Yep, I'm talking about your mom. When I first saw her, I was hooked. Hockey could have been a distant memory but she likes watching me play...I think it's the uniform."

Karen got up and quietly walked upstairs, She wanted to hear Sidney finish the story to their son and as she got closer, she turned the volume down so it wouldn't echo and tell him she was listening. She sat down against the wall in the hallway and listened.

"I fell in love with her quicker than you can say daddy" Sidney said looking at him "no, nothing yet. Alright, I can wait. Anyway, I worked up enough courage to ak your mom out. Yeah, I'm not as smooth as I let her think. I was nervous and shy thinking she was going to turn me down. I was so head over skates in love with her I had to be with her. So, I asked her out and we had a ton of fun together. We dated for a little while before I asked her to marry me and I have never regretted that decision. Some people thought it was too soon but I had a feeling if I didn't marry her then, we might not be where we are today...with two of the most beautiful children in the world." Sidney looked down to see him staring up at him "any questions or comments? No, that's ok. It's pretty much an open and closed case when it comes to your mom and I. She is an amazing woman, which I'm sure you and your sister have figured that out already. When she told me she was pregnant I didn't think I could love her any more, but when you and your sister arrived I found so much more love for her. And I believe that love made you two fight to stay with us. You and Nicki complete this family Sidney. You guys are what we were brought together in this world for." Sidney saw the bottle was empty and took it out of his mouth. He brought him up to his shoulder and rubbed his back until he burped a couple times. Sidney didn't want to lie him back down just yet and craddled him in his arms.

Karen didn't hear anymore talking and got up, going into the room "are you going to have the same talk with your daughter when you have the same moment with her?"

"Maybe, you never know. Of course, her talk will be about the danger of boys and how to stay away from them until she's 28."

"And how do you propose that?"

"Make sure she has a wicked slap shot."

Karen laughed and walked over to check on Nicki who was lying there staring straight up at her mom "apparently she heard you and has a rebuttle" she said picking her daughter up.

"So if you're up here did you hear what I said?"

"I heard it all. I woke up to you talking and kept listening through the monitor. Apparently you have their lives all mapped out."

"Just the hockey part."

"What if they come to you and tell you they'd rather be a doctor or lawyer and not play hockey, then what?"

"Then I cry and maybe guilt them into it" he said seeing Karen roll her eyes at him "I don't know but I can't lie and say I won't be disappointed."

Karen laid Nicki down on the changing table and began to change her diaper "Sid, you can be disappointed but you can't guilt them into liking something they might not want anything to do with. Not all kids of hockey greats play the game when they grow up. Maybe in PeeWee or AA, but a lot don't strive to get to the NHL level."

"But they're Crosbys, baby. They'll have it in their blood no matter what."

"I thought you just said you let me win a lot of our arguments?"

"He doesn't understand all I told him, for all I know I never said that" he said smiling at her.

"You're insane. Come get your daughter so you can feed her and I'll go deprogam your son." Karen took Sidney from his arms as he picked up Nicki and sat down with her. Karen reached for a bottle and handed it to him as Karen took Sidney for a little walk downstairs.