Full Summary: The Capitals are riding a high coming off the best year of hockey they had ever played. Brooks Laich and Mike Green are married to FBI partners Lauren and Annette and are getting ready to start their families when tragedy strikes the team. One horrific night the team loses one of its veterans and everything falls apart. Leaving behind two orphaned children, the team must come together to pick up the pieces for the kids that their veteran has left behind. Things get worse when they discover the details about what happened that night. Someone is out to get the team and in the worst ways possible. It's up to Lauren and Annette to find and stop the perpetrators before it is too late.

"So a kid and a Stanley Cup all in one year?" said Brooks Laich as he glanced over at his best friend and fellow teammate, Mike Green.

Mike smiled as he thought about his wife and little boy back home. Brooks had invited Mike to come over to his new house for a guy's night while their wives stayed at Mike's place with little Jackson Green.

"It's been a hell of a year," said Mike as he took a sip of his beer, "I seriously don't think life could get any better than this, man. I mean look at us…we're married, we live in gorgeous homes, we brought the Stanley Cup to DC where it belongs and we live five minutes from each other. God, I love my life!"

Brooks laughed at Mike as stood up to get another beer, "I hear you man…I hear you."

Mike just smiled to himself as he took another swig of his beer. His mind was on his wife and young son back at his house. Even though spending time with Brooks was one of his favorite things in the world, he couldn't wait to get back to them.

Just then, Brooks' cell phone rang. He walked back over to the couch where he and Mike had been for the past few hours watching SportsCenter and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

Mike watched the transformation on his best friend's face. Brooks paled and looked like he was going to be sick as he fumbled to sit down on the couch. A few seconds later, the cell phone slipped out of his hand and hit the floor.

"Brooks? What is it?" asked Mike as he gave his best friend a concerned look, "What's going on?"

Brooks gave Mike a stunned look, "Something…something terrible has happened."

"What? What's going on, Brooks? Who was that?" asked Mike, beginning to look a little panicked himself.

"It was…it was Ovie," stammered Brooks, "He…said that…oh God, Knuble…"

"What about Knuble?" asked Mike, his eyes wide with fear and confusion.

"Knuble…Knuble's dead," choked Brooks as he put his head in his hands.

Mike froze in shock as he stared at his best friend, "Wh…what? No…that can't be right. He has to be mistaken. Maybe its someone else. We just saw him yesterday!"

Brooks just shook his head, "No…its him Mike…Knuble is gone…"

…

Two Hours Earlier

"Hun, you about ready?" called Mike Knuble as he finished adjusting his tie.

For the first time in months he and his wife were taking the night off to enjoy a nice, romantic dinner. They had hired a babysitter to watch the twins for the evening while they were gone.

"Ready when you are!" called Knuble's wife, Kim.

Mike Knuble walked out of the bathroom and gaped in surprise when he saw his wife. She was stunning. She wore a floor-length red gown with a low-cut back and her hair had been done up in curls. In that moment he realized exactly how much he loved this woman.

"Baby, you look amazing," he breathed as he hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Kim Knuble laughed as she pulled away from her husband's embrace, "Come on, hun we're going to be late."

Knuble smiled as he took his wife's hand and led her out of their bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen. They said goodbye to the babysitter and their two children, Todd and Ashley, and then headed out to the car…

…

Mike Knuble felt like he was the luckiest man in the world as he reached over for his wife's hand while he drove them into downtown D.C. He felt his heart flutter a little when his wife gave his hand a little squeeze and smiled. This woman could still unnerve him even after all these years.

As they crossed an intersection, Mike stepped on the accelerator just a little to beat the light. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced over to the side. He only had a couple seconds to register what was about to happen. The massive pick up truck slammed into the side of his little Honda Civic and Mike Knuble's world slowly faded to black…

…

"What?" shouted Lauren in surprise as she answered her cell phone, "What the hell do you mean, he's…he's gone?"

Annette looked up sharply from where she was preparing another round of margaritas for her and her best friend.

"This can't be right," said Lauren, shaking her head in bewilderment, "Not Mike Knuble…no way. There has to be a mistake…yeah we'll be right over."

"What was that all about?" asked Annette as Lauren ended the call.

"Mike Knuble's been in a horrible accident," said Lauren as she ran a hand through her dark brown hair, "He's in ICU…his wife didn't make it."

Annette's eyes grew wide with shock, "How the hell?"

"They're saying it was a drunk driver who ran a red light," said Lauren as she started to get her things together, "Mike and Brooks are heading to the hospital now. Come on, let's grab Jackson and meet them over there."

Annette nodded as she helped Lauren wake up her one year old son and get him to the car. The two best friends, although in a state of shock, reacted quickly as they prepared to leave. Working for the FBI had helped them learn how to behave and control their emotions in a crisis situation and right now that training was helping out immensely. They peeled out of the driveway and made their way quickly to the hospital, praying that Knuble's injuries were not terribly serious…

…

"This can't be happening," said Nicklas Backstrom as he paced around in the waiting room.

Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Jason Arnott, and Matt Bradley had all arrived and were waiting to hear an update on Mike Knuble's condition. Mike Green and Brooks Laich burst into the waiting room and ran over to their teammates.

"What's going on? Any word?" asked Mike.

Ovechkin shook his head, "Nothing yet…the doctors are operating on him."

"Damn it," muttered Brooks Laich as he put his hands on his hips and joined Backstrom in pacing back and forth in the waiting room.

Mike Green sank down in a chair next to Ovechkin and Semin and shook his head in disbelief.

A few minutes later, Lauren, Annette and Jackson arrived at the hospital. Mike and Brooks immediately went over to them and hugged their wives.

"Anything?" asked Lauren as Mike took Jackson from her arms.

Mike shook his head, "No…he's still in surgery."

Lauren frowned at that as she followed Mike over to the row of chairs and sat down. She rested her head on his shoulder and prayed silently that Mike Knuble would be okay.

Brooks had his arms wrapped around Annette and held her in a silent embrace while they all waited anxiously for the doctors to give them an update.

A few minutes later, one of the doctors emerged from the back. The look on his face told everyone what had happened.

"Oh God, no," said Nicklas Backstrom as he felt his knees go weak. He sunk to the floor and put his head in his hands as he felt a wave of emotion hit him.

Ovechkin and Semin exchanged horrified and disbelieving looks as they waited for the doctor to speak. Mike reached over and held Lauren's hand while Brooks tightened his grip on Annette.

"I'm…so sorry," said the doctor, "He…he didn't pull through."

Backstrom started sobbing and Jason Arnott sat down on the floor next to the young forward. He put an arm around Nicklas and sat in stunned silence as Nicklas mourned the loss of his friend and mentor.

Lauren felt sick as she clutched Mike's hand and wrapped an arm around her son. Mike felt a lump form in his throat as he tried to swallow back the tears. Brooks Laich cried silently with Annette and Alex Semin sat still as a statue in shock.

In that moment their world had turned upside down…

…