Chapter 37

- June 2009 -

Sid sat on the sideboards of the rink in the Lemieux's backyard. It had been a long time since he first played at this rink and a lot had happened since then - both on and off the ice. He could barely believe where he was, what he had done, what he had accomplished. All the awards, honours, accolades; never mind the bruises, busted teeth, broken bones - they had all been worth it. He was playing in his second Stanley Cup Finals in as many years… how many other teams could say that? Except the entire Detroit Red Wings.

'Bastards,' Sid swore to himself. It was just like last year but it wasn't last year. Last year there was no game seven. This year there was. Sid knew all the stats, all the odds, were against him. Only two teams had ever won the Stanley Cup, in a game seven, on the road. It didn't matter. This was their turn. Last year, he had watched the Red Wings celebrate on HIS ice, in HIS arena. He wanted to return the favour. He WAS NOT going to come home empty handed.

After all, how would he face her if he did? His entire plan to get Avery back rested on winning the Stanley Cup tomorrow night in Detroit. Well, he didn't exactly have a plan but he knew winning would help.

That was another huge difference between this year and last. Sure, she was with another guy last year but at least last year she was there, cheering him on. He could feel her in the arena, feel her energy. This year she hadn't come to a single game, hadn't been around for a single post-game celebration. With what seemed like at least a thousand people around him, at all times, Sid never thought he would be as lonely as he was.

"AUSTIN!" Sid spun around on the fence and saw Avery approaching the rink. She stopped in her path as soon as she saw Sid sitting there.

"Oh, hey… I was just looking for… have you seen Austin? He has to finish packing…" Avery stuttered, as her eyes landed on Sid's.

"Nope, haven't seen him," Sid shook his head.

"Okay… thanks," Avery replied before turning and heading back to the house. Sid watched as she began heading back to the house. He had spent a lot of time with her back to him. He watched when she walked down the hall or sat in the family room reading. He watched as she played with Alexi in the backyard or shot pucks with Austin in this very rink. Watching her was the only thing that could take his mind off hockey, give him a break from the inside of his own head.

"Please come!" Sid attempted to call after her but it came out like more of a squeak, as his voice cracked.

"Pardon?" Avery turned back and looked at him quizzically.

"Please come… to Detroit…" Sid swung his legs out of the rink and hopped down from the sideboards, facing her.

Avery shook her head slowly. "I can't. Mario and Nathalie made it clear."

Sid wanted to argue that she was an adult and could make her own decisions. He wanted to offer to arrange a private flight just for her, so he could have her there but he knew that he couldn't push it. He would have to settle for second best. "Will you at least watch the game?"

"I might… I dunno…" Avery shrugged in a non-committed way.

"I need to know that you will watch!" Sid shook as he tried to suppress his emotion. 'How could she be so blasé about something so important!' He thought to himself. 'She knows how important this is to me!'

"I have to go find Austin…" Avery offered apologetically as she started backing away.

"Just tell me you'll watch!" Sid begged, following after her, as she walked towards the house. "I need to know that you will watch -"

"And what will that do?" Avery hissed and spun around to face him. Sid came to a halt a few steps away from her. "How is that going to help anything? You need to be thinking about the game… not me! For fuck sakes, Sidney! Forget about me!"

"I… I can't… you know that!" Sid cried. He glanced up above him, as two familiar heads, Lauren and Stephanie's, appeared out of the second story window above where they were standing. Sid glared at them and watched as Stephanie pulled her sister back inside but the window didn't close.

"Please Avery… please…" Sid pleaded again, this time much quieter. He knew the girls were still listening and would probably be reporting to their mother what they heard but he didn't care. What would they do to him? Kick him out? Already done. "I don't want to fight with you… I don't want to cause you any more pain… I just want to know that you are going to watch the game tomorrow…"

"I'll try…" Avery offered barely above a whisper.

"Okay," Sid conceded. "Try hard okay? I'm going to win."

He watched as a small smile spread across Avery's lips. "How do you know?"

"Because I know," Sid declared confidently, taking a step in closer to her. "I want you to watch me win."

"Eye on the prize, Sidney," Avery repeated the words that she had heard his dad had use on several occasions.

"They are," Sid smiled, starring into the crystal blue eyes in which he was certain he could see his future. Avery stood in front of him for a couple of seconds before spinning around and heading into the house to continue her search for the missing Lemieux. Sid stood, his heart racing as she disappeared behind the large doors, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was just a matter of time before he had her back. With that little matter out of the way, now it was time to win himself a Stanley Cup and get his life back on track.

-.-

"Where are you going?" Stephanie called after her sister, as she practically darted out of room.

""Duh! To tell mom what we just saw!" Lauren hissed back at her sister.

"Why? What will that do?" Stephanie questioned her older sister. They had just watched Sid and Avery have yet another fight, a common situation around the house when the two were under the same roof. Stephanie always tried to stay out of it but secretly crossed her fingers that everything would work out for the two of them. Steph really believed that Sid was the perfect guy for Avery and that she deserved some happiness. Taylor and her had sat up many nights talking about what their wedding would be like, how cute their kids would be. Lauren, on the other hand, seemed to have it out for Avery the last couple of years and it was becoming more and more evident to her sister.

"Avery isn't allowed to talk to him! She knows that and she still does it!" Lauren snapped.

"So you are going to rat her out? You don't even know what happened between them… it sounded a lot to me like Sid is trying to fix things…You should just stay out of it Lauren!" Stephanie tried to rationalize but knew it was probably an effort lost.

"Why? So Avery can continue to think she is better then everyone? NO! I am tired of her thinking that she is above the rules!"

"I don't think that she thinks she is better then anyone… I think that is part of the problem…" Stephanie shrugged. Her mom was constantly worrying about Avery, trying to figure out how they could help her. Growing up abandoned by her father, just to end up with him after her mother died and still knowing that he didn't want her must weigh heavily on a girl's self image. Steph knew she could never know how Avery felt but she wanted to help any way she could. Avery had been more of a sister to her then her own nasty sister.

"Oh pulleeze! She always has! You are just so naïve!" Lauren rolled her eyes and turned back to the door.

"I'm naïve?" Stephanie fumed and bit her tongue. She didn't want to go to the one place she knew would stop her sister in her tracks - but it didn't seem like she had much of an option. "You think that you stand a chance with Sid! That's why you are really doing this! Everyone can see through your scheming! It's sad really…"

"Fuck you!" Lauren turned back to her sister and clenched her fist.

"I probably stand a better chance with Sidney then you do! He thinks you're annoying…and a snob…" Stephanie just rubbed some salt in the wound.

"At least I'm not as fat as you…" Lauren replied angrily but with a little knowing smirk.

"I'm not fat!" Stephanie yelled. She was bigger then her sister but it was all muscle from working out and playing hockey. She was still sensitive to it and Lauren knew it.

"Fatty…"

"You really are a bitch…" Stephanie snarled, pushing past her sister to leave the room.

"Fatty, fatty, fatty…" Lauren continued to tease, as Steph walked down the hall to the stairs to get away from her.

"At least I'm not delusional," Stephanie laughed, turning around to face her sister, trying to brush off her heckling. "No, I'm sorry. You're probably right. I'm sure Sid is secretly pinning away for you! Maybe I'll just run outside and tell him you return the feelings…"

"You wouldn't dare!" Lauren grabbed her sisters arm and pushed her into the wall.

"I would… and I would embarrass you every chance I got!" Stephanie threatened, knowing that for once her larger size would play to her advantage if Lauren continued to push her physically. "Unless you promise to leave Avery and Sid alone…"

Lauren grit her teeth and continued to squeeze Steph's arm, glaring at her sister. Stephanie just stood her ground.

"Lauren! Stephanie! Vien ici! I need your help!" The girls both heard their mother call up the stairs. Lauren quickly dropped her sister' arm, as Nathalie began to take a couple steps up the staircase.

"We'll be right down mom," Lauren called to her and then watched as their mother's shadow disappeared again.

"So, I trust mom will hear nothing about this?" Stephanie asked her sister sweetly, heading towards the stairs. Lauren crossed her arms across her chest and glared at her sister. Lauren had never been more excited about her sister leaving to go away for school next summer.

Stephanie however was worried about Avery and began to debate whether or not she should warn her about Lauren's current mindset.