Down the steps she ran. She had to get out of there.

Fast.

At the bottom of the steps stood Troy and Trina. Concern on their faces. Caroline could barely give them a second glance.

"I have to go," she choked out, rushing past them.

"You'll come back?" Trina asked, her voice pleading.

Caroline didn't answer, she had to leave, before she fell completely apart.

She hurried to her car, her hand digging into her bag, her fingers frantically searching for the keys.

She found them. Got in the car. Pulled out of the driveway and onto the quiet road. She made a few turns until she came to the familiar clearing. The small park, rarely used up in the hills of Sewickley. It had been her retreat. And she welcomed the desolation.

With trembling hands she put the car in park.

And just in time too. The tears came fast and they came hard. Her body shook as the waves of anguish had her gulping for air.

Her hands gripped the steering wheel and she cried until her ribs hurt and her lungs burned. Moans of anguish filled the car, sounds of the loss and pain that had resurfaced.

So easily.

The taste of his mouth on her lips. The imprint of his touch still hot on her skin. And the devastation of it all thundering through her body.

She cried until there were no more tears left. Then she caught her breath, wiped her eyes. And then she drove.

She drove around for a few hours. Aimlessly. Nowhere to go. She wanted to clear her head, but that was impossible.

She drove until the gas indicator lit up. A few miles later she turned into a gas station. She pulled out her wallet and got out the car, feeling zombie like. Out in the cold, as she swiped her card and opened the gas cap, her face felt raw and her nose was still runny. The wind whipped her dark hair around and she watched the numbers go up as the car refueled. She noticed a man staring at her. He was also pumping gas, he wore a blue jumpsuit and the sign on his van said plumbing and heating repairs. She looked away when they made eye contact. She wasn't in the best neighborhood. She hadn't really paid much attention to where she was going, but now she thought she should have been a little more concerned about her safety.

"Hey," the man called.

Caroline looked at the man. He gave a creepy smile.

"How are you, sweetie?" he asked.

Caroline should have just ignored him, but she didn't want to alienate the gray haired gentleman.

"Fine, thank you." she replied, turning her attention back to the gas pump and hoping the man moved along.

He didn't.

He returned the hose to the gas pump and walked towards her.

Caroline pulled her hose out at as well. She wasn't sure how much she'd put in but it was enough to get her home at least.

Fumbling with the hose, she watched as he came closer.

"We're worried, you know."

Caroline wasn't sure what the man meant.

"I'm sorry?"

"Sid. Everyone is worried about him."

Ah.

"Let him know that the whole city's pulling for him, 'kay?"

The man wasn't creepy. Well maybe a little, but he recognized who she was. It was a long time since that had happened.

She smiled tentatively. "Oh, um thanks."

He thumbed towards his truck and Caroline saw the Penguins sticker on the back of the van. "Tell him Sal from Sal's Plumbing and Heating is praying for him and you too..and your family."

Family. He heart pinged at what he said. Creepy or not, she appreciated his words.

"Thank you. We appreciate it." She said kindly, feeling the familiar pull of her public persona come to the surface.

The man nodded his head and turned back towards his van.

Caroline got back in her car. Quickly she found the freeway, she turned onto the on ramp, she followed the signs and headed in the direction of downtown. As she drove she saw the sign for the airport come into view. It was like a beacon of freedom from all the noise inside her head. But instead she stayed to the right and headed towards downtown.

The sign for the airport came into view and Caroline was growing more curious.

"Boston?" she asked.

Sid smiled and shook his head. She quirked her mouth to the side as she tried to think of possible destinations for their special Christmas vacation. In addition to Boston, Sid had also shook his head at Montreal, Toronto, New York City and Florida. His face had scrunched up at the thought of Florida. "For Christmas?" he'd said in disgust. "No, there will be snow where we are going. Believe me, I checked."

Caroline looked out the window at the landscape that rushed past. It was early morning on Christmas Eve. Sid had given them a hard six a.m. deadline for getting out the door. She didn't know where they were going, he wouldn't say and his eyes were lit with delight at the whole thing. They only had a couple of days for the trip, so she assumed they weren't traveling far, like Vail or Vancouver. She wondered how he was even awake. He'd crawled into bed after one a.m. coming in late from an away game in Ottawa. And she'd heard him up and moving before five o'clock. He'd had to drag her out of bed at 5:30 and the shower she'd taken barely had woken her up. Her husband on the other hand was moving steadily through the house collecting their luggage, setting timers for the lights and making sure that the automatic feeder for the cat was filled and set. Caroline blearily got dressed and barely had time to run a comb through her wet hair and pull on her boots before Sid was tapping at his watch. They were so different in that way. He moved around ticking off tasks with focus and precision, while she moved slowly, often with her head in the clouds and distracted at what exactly needed to be done. He was responsible. And disciplined. He was reliable and thorough. He wasn't forgetful or easily distracted. His focus was mind boggling and she was very grateful to reap the rewards of all his good qualities.

They were all important qualities of a partner.

They were also really great qualities of a dad.

And yesterday afternoon, after spending the morning with her arms wrapped around the toilet, she'd gone to the drug store and bought three pregnancy tests, just to be sure.

She hadn't taken them yet. She'd stared at them all afternoon. Her mind going in a thousand directions, then exhausted she'd taken a 2 ½ hour nap. When she'd woken, she'd chatted with Sid over the phone. Then began to pack. After some deliberating, she'd put the drug store bag into her suitcase and tried not to obsess over the unknown truth.

Now in the car, as the airport exit came into view and Sid turned off the freeway and towards the entrance, Caroline turned her attention back to the mystery trip. And what adventure lay before them.

It was less than a hour later that they were buckled in and preparing for takeoff on the chartered plane, when Sid handed Caroline a brochure of where they were going. He had a small stack of them actually. He'd signed up online through the tourist department website to receive some information about their destination. To be honest, he hadn't thought there would be much. But surprisingly there were a few interesting sites in the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Traveling that far in such a short amount of time would be exhausting, but he'd remembered on one of their first dates, Caroline said she'd always wanted to go there. And Kuni, who'd grown up in that area gave him a tip on a beautiful lake house, just 45 minutes out of town, that was available to rent, Sid had figured it was meant to be. It wasn't the most glamorous place to spend Christmas, plus he was exhausted and only had a few days of rest before the next game, but for Caroline he'd do it. For Caroline, he'd do anything.

Her eyes got wide when she looked at the brochure and realized where they were going. A giant grin spread across her face and she looked at Sid with excitement.

"Saskatoon!"

He smiled, her reaction making this totally worth it.

He nodded.

She said it again, "Saskatoon."

He laughed, "Yeah, I know."

Caroline began looking through the brochure. "I've always wanted to go there," she said in amazement.

"I know, I remembered. We talked about it -"

"- at your apartment." Caroline finished in wonder. "Last year, when we made dinner. You remembered that?"

"Of course," he said with a smile. "I remember everything." He looked at her intently, hoping she realized how much he loved her.

Her face was soft and she was looking at him the way he loved. Then she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his.

"The best Christmas present, from the best husband." She said dreamily, her lips lingering, her warm breath sweet on his lips.

"The only husband I hope," he joked awkwardly.

She grinned, a bright pink staining her cheeks.

They settled into the take off and a few moments later he was sound asleep. The events of the last few days finally catching up with him.

He woke to her light jostling. The attendant had let them know they were only a few minutes from landing.

"Sorry," he said squirming a bit in his seat, "I didn't mean to sleep the whole way."

Caroline smiled at him with kind eyes, "It's okay, I read my book." She lifted the paperback on her lap. "Plus you needed the rest. And look, you were right," she pointed to the window, "There's snow."

He looked out the window at the white landscape below them. The ground was coming closer and closer as they made their descent.

In no time, they were on the ground. With the time change and their early departure, it wasn't even noon. There was a car waiting for them at their private terminal and snow was falling in big light flakes, swirling around them, a dance almost, welcoming them to the province of Saskatchewan.

The drive to the house was relatively simple, the long road to the cabin was snowy, but the Tahoe Sid had rented navigated the slick roads with ease.

The lake house came into view and Caroline gave a small gasp. Among the pines and in front of a small but glistening lake sat a small cabin. It was stone and wood, log cabin style. It was like something out of a cheesy Thomas Kincaid painting, but it was cozy and beautiful.

Inside was even more quaint. Wood accents, framed black and white photos of the lake the cabin sat on, a soft looking charcoal gray couch with a fuzzy rug. A giant moose head over the fireplace and decorations of Christmas all around. The kitchen was small but modern, a marble island in the center. A big box sat on the island and Sid made a sound of appreciation when he saw it.

"Oh good," he said, dropping their bags and walking towards the island. Caroline followed.

There was a note from the owners, welcoming them. Not only welcoming them, but notifying them that the fridge and pantry had been stocked with all the items Sid had requested. Caroline opened the fridge to see the shelves filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, prepared foods like scalloped sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese. There was also a large roast that they would cook for tomorrow. On the counter were bottles of wine and a large platter of homemade Christmas cookies. It was like they had walked right into a Christmas card.

He watched as she took it all in. He was really pleased with how it all turned out the. The house was decorated for Christmas and in the corner of the living room, space had been cleared and a tree skirt and stand sat waiting to be used.

"I thought we could go out and get a Christmas tree this afternoon," he said. He pointed to the box. "Open this."

She looked at him, then the box. Grabbing a knife nearby, she sawed through the box and opened it.

He watched as she peered in and took in all the small wrapped packages.

"So, my mom got in touch with your mom and they collected some of our childhood ornaments and had them sent here, so that we could decorate our first tree together." He felt a heat creep up on his cheeks.

Caroline stood staring at the contents, then he watched as big tears pooled in her eyes then with a blink fell quickly down her cheeks.

"Care," he said worried.

She waved him away. "No, I'm okay. I love this, I just…" a small sob fell from her lips. "I'm just super emotional...and this is just. It's really wonderful." She smiled at him with wet eyes. Then she dashed over to her luggage and unzipped it, digging deep into the corner of the bag. She pull out a box and brought to him. "I got this for you...or I guess for us really."

He tore through the paper and opened the box. It was a gold frame in the shape of an ornament. The picture was of the two of them from one evening on the beach in Spain. Engraved on the ornament was, "Our First Christmas, S & C 2013." Sid held the ornament by it's red velvet ribbon.

He smiled, "I love it."

"I thought we'd end up hanging it from a houseplant or something, but a tree is so much better." She wiped her tears away and leaned towards him to capture his mouth in a kiss.

The plans were then made. They would drive into town, get their tree, have lunch and explore Saskatoon. Then the evening would be spent making dinner and decorating the tree. There was wood to build a fire and even a hot tub on the back deck. Although Caroline made a weird face about the hot tub.

The freshened up, unpacked a bit and then headed back into town.

Sid was afraid that Caroline would be a little let down by the city of Saskatoon once she saw it. It was a pleasant place, it just wasn't Vancouver or Montreal, and he'd wondered what she imagined when she'd thought of the place.

But he was completely wrong. She seemed to really love it. She commented on everything she saw with a genuine enthusiasm that made Sid look at the city in a whole new light. They found a lot selling trees and while the pickings were slim, they found a nice sized tree although missing a bunch of branches on one side. "We'll put that side in the corner." Caroline reasoned and the tree was bounded and put on top of the SUV. Sid gave the tree guy a tip and an autograph, there was no anonymity when he went up north.

The only restaurant they could find open was a small Chinese place designed mostly for take out. But there was a small table in the corner and they happily dined on beef and broccoli and orange chicken while not a single customer came in.

The rest of the afternoon was spent driving around, Caroline looked through the brochures and pointing out some notable landmarks.

By late afternoon the sun was setting. They drove around looking at the Christmas lights and then made their way back to the cabin.

Sid made a fire and set up the tree, while Caroline turned on some Christmas music and began unwrapping the ornaments sent by their mothers. She groaned at one in particular, a cardboard tree cut out with her 2nd grade school picture in the center. A mass of frizzy curls engulfed her head and she wore a wide toothless grin. Sid peered over her shoulder and looked at the photo. "Wow that hair is…" he stopped himself, as she pulled a similar type ornament of him, no older than eight or nine. He was wearing a tie and his smile showed off a very large overbite.

"I wouldn't finish that sentence, bucky," she warned amusedly.

They decided to cook the roast that evening. A large Christmas Eve meal for two and then they could snack on leftovers the next day.

With the snow falling, the cabin warm with Christmas lights and a roaring fire, they set the table and dined on their little Christmas feast. It was their own little world. In a life surrounded by people, all the time. This night, just the two of them, was a Christmas they wouldn't forget.

As they ate, Sid poured the wine and Caroline waved it off. "It will just make me sleepy," she said. "And I don't want this day to end."

For the remainder of the evening they watched Christmas movies snuggled on the couch. Caroline gazed at the Christmas tree covered in twinkling lights and the ornaments hanging from the branches, chronicling their lives all the way up to today.

Just as her eyes began to droop and she felt a yawn coming on, she felt his fingers brushing away the hair at her nape and the sweet tickle of his lips on the slope of her neck. One by one the kisses warmed her skin while sending a shiver up her spine. Her back pressed up against his front, she shifted allowing him better access.

His palms came around her waist and moved up and under her sweater, palming her warm bare skin.

"You're so soft," he whispered into her ear. She gasped and arched when his palms covered her breast, his thumbs caressing her nipples that hardened instantly under his touch.

She wiggled her bottom against his hardness that had sprung to life. And she was rewarded with a groan that fell from his lips.

Caroline turned her head to meet his lips and they kissed long and slow, savoring the taste of one another. The fire inside them both was ignited and soon they both needed more than just fiery kisses and wandering hands.

Sid pulled her down the hall and into the master bedroom. The large bed with the wood posts was waiting for them. They pawed at each other, pulling their clothes free and needing skin on skin as quickly as possible.

Onto the bed they fell, his body blanketing hers, as his fingers sought the heat between her legs. His tongue battled hers as his fingers entered her, steadily moving in and out of his wet and wanting wife. His thumb flicked at her clit as he mouth moved and took her nipple into his mouth. Just as his tongue swirled around the pebbled flesh, she bucked against him, her orgasm clenching her slick walls around his fingers and she shrieked into the quiet of the room. He held onto her as she rode out the pleasure and he was a bit surprised at how quickly she'd found her release. He looked up at her with wonder and amusement.

She looked bashful, her cheeks pink and her brow sweaty, "I, uh, they um." She was having trouble forming words. "I guess, um...my breasts are kind of sensitive."

He smiled, his lips touching a freckle on the side of her right breast.

"Sid," her voice was now husky. She pushed lightly at his shoulders and he fell onto his back.

With a predatory smile, she climbed on top of him, her body just a shadowed silhouette above him. She slid herself down his torso, the remnants of her release, coating his skin, making him slick with her scent and essence. She moved until she sat straddled on his thighs. Looking at him with a mixture of lust and mischief, she took his hard and proud erection in her hands. He fought to keep his eyes open as she ran her fingers up and down his length. A few moments later, her lips replaced her fingers as she began to take the length of him into her mouth. It took all he had not to buck his hips against her face. In and out her mouth moved over him, each time taking a little more of his solid flesh. She was eager and her enthusiasm nearly made his come right then and there. He gripped the sheets as her fingers played with his tight testicles. He watched as her head bobbed and he couldn't hold it back anymore. His hand closed around her hair and she suckled him hard, her cheeks hollowed waiting for his release. It came quickly and his hips lifted and filled mouth, which she swallowed eagerly. His chest heaved and his hand loosened around her hair. She kept his softening cock in her mouth for a little bit longer, then came up for air.

Her lips were swollen, red and ripe. Her hair a wild mess. She grinned at him, her eyes full of love and pride.

"That was…" he tried to speak, but it sounded more like a croak.

She nodded, and her hand moved over his penis bringing it back to life. She sat up, her body pink and glowing and for the first time he noticed her breasts seemed a little bit...larger.

"Sidney," he voice throaty. She so rarely called him that. "Sidney, I need you to fuck me." Along with her hand and her words, he felt his cock hardening quickly, despite his recent release.

"I'm so wet for you," she continued, her eyes hooded as she moved her hand up and down the growing erection.

He liked this Caroline. A lot. He wasn't sure what to say, so instead, he moved quickly and turned them over, she lay beneath him, staring up at him with wide eyes, anticipating his next move. He was silent as he spread her legs. Then took her hands in his and guided them to the headboard, her fingers wrapped around the wood posts. "Hang on ok?" He used a cautionary voice, "Because I'm going to fuck you. Really hard."

He watch as her eyes got really big and she swallowed noticeably. Her legs twitched with anticipation.

He kissed her. His hands covering hers. His body a mass of tight muscle poised over her.

Caroline spread her legs wider and she whispered to him, her face so close to his. "Please, now."

She needn't say more. He surged into her. The hot lava walls of his body welcoming him, pulling him into her. He watched her accept the length of him, then he began to piston in and out of her. Caroline bounced beneath him as his rhythm picked up speed. His muscles worked to allowed him to surge and retreat over and over and he felt his hips snap into hers as her body took his entire length and the head of his cock pushed directly on the spot that made her see stars. With the leverage of the headboard he was able to push and pull, in and out, hitting that spot over and over, Caroline unable to contain her moans and gasps, soon turned to shrieks and squeals as she met his thrusts, her hips rising to meet his. The sounds of their bodies, slamming into one another and the grunts that they couldn't contain, brought them to a primal level. And while there was love and tenderness in who they were together. There was also this need. This innate desire that pulled them together, magnetized and desperate for each other.

But as they moved in sync, they both felt the crest of completion building to a dizzying degree. As much as Sid wanted to savor this and Caroline didn't want this to end, their bodies were screaming for release. In a few more strokes, Caroline's eyes shut and her chin lifted, the impact of her orgasm plowed into her. Moments later, Sid's own release took hold and deep inside of her he poured himself into her.

Sweaty and shaky, his grip over her fingers loosened. Her fingers were red and raw and he worried he had held on too hard. She seemed to sense that and her hand came up to cup his cheek. "I'm fine," she smiled. "I'm better than fine. That was amazing, you are amazing."

He fought to catch is breath, his chest hard against hers, their heartbeats fast against one another.

"You're pretty amazing yourself," he replied. His body untangling from hers. And he pulled her close. She snuggled into him, their bodies slick against each other, but too tired for a shower.

His eyes were heavy and his lips kissed the crown of her head.

"I love you," he whispered again her hair.

"I love you too," she sighed into his chest and let the pull of sleep take her to a place that could never be better than where she was right now.

It was early morning when she woke. It was still dark out and Sid laid sprawled next to her, his head buried in his pillow.

Caroline pulled herself out of bed and crept towards the luggage that sat on a wooden bench. She dug through and pulled out the drug store bag. Quietly, she went into the bathroom and closed the door.

She followed the directions for the first test. Then the next one. And finally the third.

She sat on the edge of the bathtub and waited, gnawing at her thumbnail. Then it was time. She got up and peered down at the tests on the bathroom sink.

She stared at the results.

And smiled.

***Author's note: Thanks for reading as always! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and more coming soon! So happy Sid is ok and hoping for a Penguins win tomorrow! Go Pens!***