Broken Heart

It was the day before the final game, they were playing Finland for the gold. Maddie was excited, Alex was depressed, she was leaving afterwards, and Robbie, he was nervous. Not just game play nervous, older brother nervous, Maddie was engaged; he was offered a basement until he found his own place and Maddie hadn't even noticed. So he thought. She had noticed, his nervousness wasn't exactly hidden which is what led her to his room that afternoon. She knocked on the door, Jack was gone, she knew he was, he had gone to get his knee checked and Maddie took advantage of her brother being alone. She waited for him to get the door but he just hollered for her to come in. Maddie pushed on the unlocked door and lay down beside Robbie on his bed, staring at the ceiling with him too.

"What's the matter?" She asked, almost whispering.

"I just wish it would slow down."

"What?" Maddie questioned.

"My life. I mean, seven months, it's just gone faster than you can say stop." Robbie answered.

"Is this about me moving?" Maddie asked.

"No, but I just wish mom and dad were here."

"Why, what have they ever done?" Maddie asked angrily. "Besides disown us?"

"There was a point when they loved us more than anything, that's what I want, I want it back. I want to be loved by parents, not just by you."

"You know, so I suck at everything you're good at, besides hockey, but even if they were here, it would be all different and stuff. You're also better with emotion filled speeches, I'm not." Maddie stated.

"It's true, you suck at them." Robbie laughed.

"So, you feeling any better now that you've picked on Maddie?"

"Not yet." Robbie grinned.

Maddie smacked him in the arm and scowled. She smiled as she got up and left, stopping once more in the doorway, waving.

"Where you going?"

"I got a date with Aerosmith." Maddie replied.

"Have fun." Robbie grinned.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Maddie stepped onto the ice, Aerosmith playing in the background. She started skating laps but eventually she just randomly skated around. She tried at jumps, but failed to land them, well she landed them but sat on her butt when landed. Maddie winced every time she went for the landing, knowing it would hurt.

"STUPID GRAVITY!" She yelled and it echoed back.

She watched as another shadow emerged from the rink entrance. It stepped onto the ice and joined her in admiring the echoing wall.

"I knew you were weird but talking to walls." Buzz remarked.

"No, I wasn't talking, I was yelling at them." Maddie replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, okay. So, what are you doing here anyways?"

"Knitting. What does it look like to you?"

"Cranky?" Buzz asked with a smirk.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Maddie asked.

"Trying to get my mind off your cousin." Buzz answered.

"Why?"

"She's leaving like tomorrow."

"So?" Maddie asked.

"I love her." Buzz threw out and Maddie fell backwards.

She glared at him as she stood up; he just looked back, waiting for anything. She couldn't stay mad at him, not for loving someone, but somehow she knew that Alex's past played a big part.

"Really?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah. But I don't know what to do, I mean I'm getting signed and I can't really…"

"You got signed?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah."

"Well then, you talk to her and tell her everything you want her to hear and if that doesn't work, just follow her until she listens. Trust me, it always works with her because she doesn't like to get rid of people or drive them away but if she says I love you, I don't know what that means but it must be true for her 'cause I've never heard it from her, ever. Well, except to her family but that's different."

"Did you want to get a cookie?"

"Yes."

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Maddie wandered down the strip with Buzz, munching on a chocolate chip cookie. Her had a pecan one and Maddie listened to it crunch. They walked in silence for a while but soon got into a conversation about family and what each of them didn't have. Turned out Buzz was an only child after his little brother ran away and never showed up or had anything to do with the family, although he was still alive. Maddie explained her whole no parents situation and the two just had to laugh at how their lives turned out.

"You know, this has really been an interesting seven months." Buzz remarked.

"Yeah, I'm really going to miss it." Maddie replied.

"Me too, it's the best thing I've got going for me. Plus meeting you was interesting."

"Sure was." Maddie laughed.

"I think we should head back before anyone notices we're gone."

"You mean like Robbie and Jack right?" Maddie teased.

"Can you read minds too?"

Maddie laughed as they walked silently down the strip, admiring all the odd stores. Most were closed but there were a few open late signs. Maddie leaned into Buzz and he set his arm on her shoulder, like friends. She looked ahead and occasionally she glanced at Buzz. He was cute and Alex was lucky to have him, even if it was just for a few months. The walk back was silent and as the two parted to go separate ways, Maddie hugged him.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Maddie snuck into her room and quickly threw on her 'jammies' then pulled the covers back and hopped in. She had her head beside the pillow and her arms on the pillow, she was quite comfortable as she closed her eyes and drifted into dreamland.

Alex wasn't quite asleep as she watched Maddie snore quietly. She had tried earlier to talk to Buzz but he was gone and coincidentally, so was Maddie, meaning to Alex that Maddie knew something she should.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

The next morning, everything was quiet; the game was in the evening, which meant that after practice, the players had some time to kill. So after practice, Maddie and Alex waited outside the change room. Alex slumped against the wall and Maddie hovering over her, pacing back and forth.

"So, where'd you go last night?" Alex asked through a yawn.

"To the rink." Maddie answered.

"Did you happen to see Buzz?"

"Yes I did." Maddie stated.

"Did he happen to talk about me?"

"I'll never tell." Maddie grinned.

"Did he say anything about missing me?"

"Maybe." Maddie stopped grinning.

"God, you are so annoying." Alex remarked.

"Tell me something I don't know." Maddie giggled.

"Well then little miss perfect, keep your secrets and I'll keep mine."

"Deal." Maddie extended her hand for a handshake but Alex grabbed a hold and lifted herself up.

Maddie picked her up and the two stood and watched Mark Johnson, first out, stop in front of them. He nodded and they waved then he continued on his way, with his gear. Next out was Buzz and Alex walked off with him, leaving Maddie alone. Robbie soon walked out after Rizzo, Jimmy and Rammer and Maddie waited with him until Jack walked out, last, after talking to the Coach.

"What's on the agenda for today?" He asked.

"I was thinking we could go spy on Alex and Buzz." Maddie suggested.

"Or not." Robbie retorted.

"Or not." Maddie corrected herself.

"I was thinking more like out for lunch then hang out in the dorms playing cards and stuff." Robbie suggested.

"Sounds good." Jack voiced.

"But I don't want-"

"Want to what?" Robbie challenged her.

"I don't want to miss that fun." She lied.

"Then what did you want to do?" Jack asked.

"I think I've got another date with Aerosmith." Maddie answered.

"Just you and Aerosmith or can anyone come?"

"Just you, me and Aerosmith." Maddie smiled.

"See you later." Robbie voiced.

"Bye."

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Maddie went at it again, trying to land one of the jumps she had learned years before. She flew through the air but landed and stumbled into the boards. Jack skated over towards her as she stood up, getting ready to do it again. Jack stood in front of her, staring her down.

"Please?" She begged.

"What are you doing any ways?"

"Trying to jump, you?"

"Restraining you from killing yourself." Jack smirked.

"I'm not going to kill myself, I'm just trying to jump."

"Why don't you stop for a minute and skate with me?"

Maddie looked around at the ice and noted her failing attempts. She gave into her failures and took his outstretched hand, pushing on the ice to follow him. He pulled her as he skated backwards. He let her go halfway around the rink and she attempted her jump, succeeding in not falling on her butt but not a perfect landing either.

"See." Jack stated.

"Yes." Maddie smiled as she maintained her balance and skated back over to him.

"Trust me?"

"Yes Mister I-think-I-know-everything-about-my-fiancé, what's my favourite colour?" Maddie asked.

"I'll tell you when you can tell me mine." Jack replied casually.

"Blue." Maddie retorted confidently.

"But-how'd you know?"

"I guessed, now you tell me what my favourite colour is." Maddie smiled deviously.

"Orange?" He asked.

"I hate you." She smiled.

"Mac told me." Jack smirked.

Maddie rolled her eyes. She pushed herself off and around the ice, skating fast and gaining speed with every push. Jack whipped past her and skated backwards in front of her, she flipped around and attempted at backwards but stumbled. Jack wrapped his hands around her waist and the two skated backwards. Aerosmith was now playing 'I don't want to miss a thing'.

"I would stay awake, just to hear you breathing." He whispered.

"Watch you smile while you are sleeping." Maddie whispered back.

"How lame are we?" Jack joked.

"Pretty lame."

"I don't want to close my eyes, I don't want to fall asleep 'cause I miss you baby and I don't want to miss a thing." Maddie whispered again.

"What does it mean when everything in this song is true?" Jack asked.

"You either really lame, or really in love." Maddie replied.

"I'll take b."

"Or you're a stalker." Maddie added.

"You're the one who does that." He teased her.

"One more game." Maddie changed the subject.

"Then no more us, wait…I proposed."

"No more team." Maddie corrected him. "How can you just let that go?"

"Easy, I have to, I can't really do anything about that."

"So why'd you propose?"

"Why does anyone propose? I couldn't even think about losing you, long distance relationships don't work out, I mean people try at them but it just doesn't happen. The team I can live without but you, as much as I would try, I would never forget you." Jack whispered, still skating backwards.

"It's 'cause I'm gorgeous right?" Maddie asked.

"That, and you're different, really different."

Maddie tripped on her own feet and slid down and met the ice with her butt. She grunted then burst into hysterical laughter, laying down on the cold, wet ice. Jack continued to skate around backwards until he made it all the way around and back to Maddie. She attempted at getting up but only fell down again. She crawled over to the bench and pulled herself up on the boards. Heaving herself up, she sat on the boards, Jack skating towards her. He stopped, spraying frost at her then skating up against the boards. Maddie leaned forward and put her arms around his neck. He had his arms around her waist again, and the two kissed. Maddie slipped and nearly fell backwards but she caught herself and just floated to meet the bench. She landed on the floor underneath the bench and pushed herself up, sitting on the bench. She flipped her hair back and sat, quite contently, on the bench. Jack heaved himself over the boards, more gracefully than Maddie, and sat beside her. Sitting there, listening to Aerosmith, the two just looked out at the ice, wondering where it was going to go from there, afterwards, what would happen? Neither knew.