"Piper, pleeeaaaase? It will be fun, the ticket is free, Pete is driving so you can drink and did I mention I'd owe you one? Please say you'll come with us?"

Piper sighed into the receiver, Polly had been going round in circles for the past ten minutes about her plans for this evening, trying to convince Piper to join her. After the constant nagging from her best friend and the fact Piper didn't have any other plans for the evening, which she knew Polly would know about, she relented.

"Polly, do you have any idea how many times you have said 'I'll owe you one?' recently? When I call all these in…" Piper sighed into the phone.

"Does that mean you'll come?" Polly's voice lifted in excitement, in fact Piper swore she nearly heard her friend squeal on the other end of the line.

"I suppose - but I know nothing about ice hockey and Larry needs to know this is definitely not a double date. You and Pete need to know this is not a double date."

"It's Ice Hockey – what do you need to know Piper? The team who scores the most wins...and, well, its fast enough you wont need to bother with rules Pipes, just cheer for Pete's cousin when she scores!" Polly pauses for a moment and Piper knows exactly what is going to come next. "But what I don't understand is why you won't go out with Larry, he's a good guy…"

"I know Pol, but that's just it...I want excitement and danger. I want fire and ice - not just good. Larry - well, he's a sweet guy-"

" So you do like him!"

"Polly, no! I mean – he seems a decent guy, but I don't plan on hopping into bed with him after this evening if that's what you're thinking Pol. So don't be getting ideas in your head about setting me up, or playing fuckin' cupid tonight. I'm quite capable of finding my own dates thank you very much."

"Not recently you haven't - how long has it been?"

"Polly, leave it - otherwise I'm staying at home this evening"

"Fine. I'll leave you to sort your own pathetic love life out yourself. I'm only trying to be a good friend and help you out you know."

" I know and I appreciate the thought Polly, but I'm good."

"You'll still come with us tonight though?"

"Yeah - but it is not a date. You need to let Pete and Larry know that. I'm just, making up numbers since you had a free ticket and all."

"I really do owe you Pipes"

"You owe me a lot Pol, don't forget that"

"I won't! See you later - love you!"

"Whatever Pol"

Piper sighed as the telephone call ended, turning and walking to her bedroom, wondering what the hell you wore to an ice hockey match, that wasn't a double date either.

Piper was sat wedged in between Pete and Larry in the stalls at the rink, a few rows back from the plexi-glass, Pete attempting to explain the rules, Larry attempting to put his arm around her, which she was managing to shrug off each time, but damn the curly-haired guy was persistent.

Piper turned towards Pete, keeping her back to Larry, attempting to focus on what he was trying to explain. "OK, so you've got 6 on the ice at any one time. There's the goaltender and the others are forwards and defence, they can change the players on the ice as often as…Piper - are you listening to me?"

"Sorry Pete - I was watching the people on the pitch"

"Rink"

"What?"

"It's a rink Piper…"

"Oh. OK. So - which one is your cousin?"

"Oh - Stacey? She is….right there - number 27"

Piper looked to the rink, trying to follow the direction in which Pete had pointed, watching the women on the ice gliding easily as they went through their warm up drills, the crack of hockey sticks against the hard plastic of the pucks ringing around the stadium. She focused on Pete's cousin, seeking out the jersey number as the players weaved amongst one another.

"She's quick on the ice" Piper commented - her gaze not moving from the figures now creating a hypnotic figure of eight in front of her.

"Yeah - she's loved skating since she was about five and got some inline skates for her birthday. Just seemed to really take to it – and when she tried ice skating she was a natural. Plus she has a bit of a mean streak, so roughing people up on the ice is the best way to let her 'vent'!"

Pete looked to Piper with a grin on his face, which dropped quickly as he noticed the other team coming onto the ice.

"Shit - didn't realise she was playing the Lions this evening…"

"The who now?" Piper looked to the rink again, watching as another team took to the ice, a lot of noise coming from the goalie as she skated over to her net, quickly followed by a tall woman, her long dark hair pulled into a pony tail that stuck out under her helmet, who swung her stick at the goalie, catching her square on the pads she wore on her legs.

"The Litchfield Lions! Only the toughest team in the division! The goalie, Nichols is fierce - barely let's a puck past that goal line, and the captain - Vause? Well - she's played every game, makes some serious hits and has nearly beaten the record for goals scored in a season…" Larry chimed in, clearly excited about the appearance of the other team on the ice.

Piper looked back to the players, picking out the captain of the Lions easily, she was easily the tallest out there, moving effortlessly on the ice, even more so than Pete's cousin Stacey, who Piper could see was eyeing Vause cautiously from the other end of the rink.

There was something about the Lions captain that captured Pipers attention, something about her posture as she skated, her movements as the team ran their own drills on the ice, that exuded confidence, a slight cockiness that intrigued her.

"You know we are meant to be supporting my cousin tonight Larry?" Pete's laughter brought Pipers focus back to her friends.

"Yeah - sure…why?"

"Sounds like you have a bit of a crush on the Lions captain there champ!"

"I don't…umm…I mean she's good…" Larry stood quickly, attempting to hide his embarrassment, coughing as he looked around, pointing over his shoulder, "Look, I'm gonna grab a drink - you guys - umm, want anything?"

"No - I'm good mate…" Pete waved a hand towards Larry, dismissing the question.

"Piper? You want to come with me?" The look on Larry's face was pleading, attempting to gain some level of composure.

"No thanks Larry, I'm good here."

Piper and Pete watched Larry shuffle along the row, quickly bounding down the steps before they fell about laughing.

"I think you have some competition Piper! Larry seems pretty impressed with the captain of the Lions team!" Pete snorted, earning a sneer from Polly.

"Pete - leave Larry alone - he's meant to be your friend"

"Yeah - well he's a dumbass. The Lions captain, she plays for a different team…"

"Well of course she does Pete - she's playing against your cousin…"

"Jeez Polly, I thought you were smart…yeah - she plays for a different team - but also 'a different team'…"

"Oh. Oh!" Polly's eyes went wide, before a smile edged onto her face "Well. Larry will be disappointed!"

The three of them sat in silence for a moment before the laughter started again, but Piper couldn't help but seek out the Lions captain on the ice, her eyes tracking her movements on the ice, watching as she moved towards the players bench, pulling her helmet off as she slowed to a controlled stop before the barrier.

Piper felt her breath hitch as she caught a good look at the captain, the jet black hair falling out of the ponytail as the helmet was pulled off, offset against the pale white of her skin; the way her face seemed to light up as she laughed at something one of her team said as she hopped over the barrier with an ease that surprised Piper.

All of a sudden - Piper found she couldn't wait for the game to start, and see this intriguing woman out on the ice, in her element.

"Think I might just enjoy ice hockey more than I thought." Piper whispered to herself – a smile crossing her lips as she focused on the captain on the Lions.

A/N OK - so yes - I'm on holiday at the moment - but I had this idea, and whilst sitting on a greyhound bus from New York to Philadelphia, I typed this up.

Let me know what you think / whether I should continue with it...