Chapter IV: Friends Reunited

A/N: This chapter was difficult and came in fits and starts. It just shows the friends interacting with each other. The season records of the Icehogs and the Rivermen are my own. Do not own the song It's Raining Men. Russian is courtesy of Google translate. Hope you like what there is. SSD

Felix smiled as he got off the phone with Sabrina. She'd managed to wrangle a three day weekend out of the hospital. Miracle of miracles, Connor had called him earlier letting him know that he'd pulled off the same feat of daring.

"So they can both come to the Icehogs/Rivermen game?" Jailyn asked.

"Yes they can. From what I've heard, these two needed the break. Gaffney's been as busy as hell," Felix said before asking, "Where are they playing?"

"In Peoria at Carver Arena. The Rivermen have been awful this season, so they should be an easy win for the team."

"Looking forward to seeing Roly again. Wonder what he'll think of the other three?" Felix knew that his friends could be a bit much when taken in all at once.

"He should be able to handle them. Have you given Lucas, Connor, and Sabrina directions?"

"Yes. They don't get lost too easily."

It had been too long since she'd driven to Peoria Illinois. An easy 3 hour drive with multiple routes to get there. At least once Sabrina got out of the Chicago area.

She turned on her playlist:

"Humidity is rising uh rising, barometer's getting low oh low, girl
According to all sources what sources now, the street's the place to go we better hurry up
Cause tonight for the first time first time
Just about half-past ten half past ten
For the first time in history
It's gonna start raining men start raining men

It's raining men, hallelujah, it's raining men, amen
I'm gonna go out to run and let myself get
Absolutely soaking wet
It's raining men, hallelujah
It's raining men, every specimen
Tall, blonde, dark and lean
Rough and tough and strong and mean!"

Muttering "sukin syn", Sabrina changed it to Bohemian Rhapsody. While she loved both Candyman and It's Raining Men, she needed to take them off her playlist for surgeries.

Shock roiled through his gut, as Lucas realized that he was the first one to arrive in his 2015 Ford Mustang at Carver Arena in Peoria.

Usually it was one of the other three, in particular one of the two speed demons, more commonly known as Connor Rhodes and Sabrina Byrne.

He fiddled with his phone for a bit (he'd made some modifications to it) for about 15 minutes before he saw Felix's 1966 Mustang roll into the lot. Lucas's car was the only one with an automatic transmission, as he could not drive a stick shift.

"You got here first?" Felix queried.

"Yep where are Connor and Sabrina? Why aren't our speed demons here?" Lucas answered.

"Heard from them both about 10-15 minutes ago. They're stopping at the hotel to drop off their bags," Felix replied.

"$20 says when they get here they'll be bickering," Lucas grinned.

"I'll take that bet, I don't think they will be. Both should be in good mood from getting time off from the hospital," his closest friend of the four said.

"Is this a habit of yours, betting on the two of them? Do they know about it?" Jailyn asked with narrowed eyes.

"In order of your questions, yes we do, and they know about some of the bets but not all of them," the two men replied in stereo.

Before Jailyn could answer, Felix heard two very familiar sounding engines.

Leave it to the two them to have the German and Italian sports cars!

"I guess the need for speed is shared by the whole of the quartet?" Jailyn said as she took in the two cars.

"Their need for speed is considerably more high octane than ours," Felix said with a smile as two of his closest friends walked up. They were talking excitedly, and not bickering.

Lucas groaned as he handed Felix the 20.

Since Jailyn's brother had reserved them good seats, all of them got an excellent view of the game. Sabrina had observed Jailyn and talked with her; she also seemed okay with her presence around Felix.

Then again, she'd never had any problems with any of Felix's girlfriends. They had always sensed that it was a purely sibling relationship. Heck, Sabrina still talked to some of his exes, especially Heidi who was a model and a clothing designer.

Lucas's hadn't been too bad, but there still had been the occasional issue that needed soothing. Which was taken care of posthaste.

She chanced a glance at her closest friend whilst Connor watched the game. Dealing with his girlfriends had been an ever loving nightmare. Except for Joanna, but that was a story for another day.

Several had even given him he "Sabrina or me" ultimatum. None of them had ever liked his answer.

Sabrina was just about to leave the locker room after tango class when she heard a familiar shrill voice: "What kind of move was that? Your "friend" was wrapped around you!" It was Regina, Connor's current girlfriend, who didn't like Sabrina much. The feeling was mutual.

"We were practicing for our final. Nothing happened, we were in public and supervised by Professor Murrieta to make sure we didn't hurt ourselves!" Connor growled back.

Admittedly, the move would look bad to anyone, much less a jealous girlfriend. Sabrina was pretty much wrapped around Connor's entire front, and relying on him for balance.

"You know I've heard what some of your exes say about your creepily close relationship with her. It's time for you to choose, Sabrina or me? Get the picture?"

Sabrina could hear the smirk in her friend's voice "S-A-B-R-I-N-A. Get the picture?"

The now ex let out a screech and heard a slap.

As Sabrina came level with him, Connor asked "How much did you hear?"

"Enough, sorry about her," she replied.

"I know you well enough to know when you are lying. Don't blame you though," Connor said before asking, "Why can't there be more girls like you?"

"There are no girls like me, only me!" Sabrina replied paraphrasing one of her favorite lines from a book.

Jailyn was surprised that there wasn't more betting on Connor and Sabrina than there already was. Thankfully both had seemed to like her.

She knew married couples who weren't that in sync with each other.

"Haven't you tried just telling them," she asked her fiancé.

"Nope. We're still holding out a narrow hope that they'll figure it out on their own eventually..." Roland scored his third goal of the night as the clock ran out.

After a few minutes of getting their stuff together, Jailyn noticed that Sabrina was wearing Connor's leather jacket.

And these two are among the best of the best in the state?

A/N 2: I know this is short, but I couldn't get it any further while still liking it. Next chapter a certain female character gets her first pov scene...

Looking forward to seeing what you all think! SSD