*sorry to leave you all hanging but this will be it for awhile as i head to Mexico to escape the winter for a couple weeks! Happy Holidays!

Chapter Thirty Eight

Sid was pumped for the game tonight. The last game of the season and unless Stamkos got ten points tonight, he was guaranteed the scoring title. He knew he shouldn't discount that as an option but ten points would be somewhat of a miracle. Every time he thought that he had a good lead on Stammer, he pulled some crazy shit out of his ass and then Sid had to work harder to keep a gap. It seemed like the chase had gone on all season. The kid had pushed him all year and tonight was going to be the big pay off. It was by far the best year Sid had ever had.

He wasn't about to dwell on it though. They would be in the middle of the playoffs before they knew it and he had to stay focused. There was nothing he wanted more then the cup again.

Having the cup would make this the perfect year. A wife, a baby, a championship. It was everything he ever wanted. He wanted to yell from the arena rooftop. It was almost too much for him to handle without jumping like a freakin' leprechaun. But there were others around and the guys were already mocking him for being ridiculously excited about getting married, never mind the crap he'd get when they knew what the latest ridiculous grin on his face was to be blamed on. Nobody knew about the pregnancy and they wanted to keep it that way for a couple more weeks… or really as long as they could. Of course Nathalie and Mario knew but that was all. They would tell there parents after the party tomorrow night. The doctor said that Amber was about 7 weeks along, which meant she had quite a bit of time before she would start showing and even then it would be minuscule at best. Most people would probably just think she was gaining a bit of weight and would be too polite to say anything to her face. They hoped that they could make it through the playoffs before the spotlight was on them. Sid didn't want the distraction and Amber didn't need the added stress of having the media all over her. They had decided to move the wedding date up to early July, just in case there were problems or as Amber said "so she wasn't the size of a blue whale… just an infant blue whale."

Sid pulled up to the entrance of the arena parking lot and signed his obligatory autographs for the kids standing there. He parked his car and climbed out. Mario was pulling in behind him, so he took a couple quick paces to catch up to him.

"You know, if you don't wipe that stupid smile off your face, people are going to start asking questions…" Mario warned him with a grin.

"I can't help it! Things are pretty perfect right now…" Sid laughed.

"You have worked hard. You deserve this," Mario patted his young protégé on the back. "What do you say we go inside and finish this year off on top and then have one hell of a party?"

"Sounds like the best plan yet!" Sid agreed.

-.-

Amber pulled her car up to the gates at the arena. She was excited about tonight's game. Sid was going to end the season as the scoring leader and was going to break his record for most goals and points in a season. He was trying to downplay the whole night but she knew he was just trying to be modest. She was excited for him and knew, beyond a doubt, that he was going to play big tonight even though he didn't have to. All the doubters that had said that he couldn't handle all the changes this year had to chew on their words. Not only did he handle them, he thrived on them. They made him better and inspired him to work that much harder. The NHL awards were in the bag. Nobody would argue who was best player on Earth now.

Now all they had to concentrate on was the ultimate prize – the Stanley cup. Sid said it was like starting the whole year over again, a whole new season – just that you start this season already tired, sore and beat to shit. But he was ready. He was determined and knew his team had what it took. There would be one day off for rest and revelry and then it was back to work.

The revelry planned tomorrow night, to celebrate the end of the season, was Sid and Amber's engagement party. Nathalie had insisted on throwing them a party but Sid had insisted that it waited until the season was over. It had been tradition to throw a party at the end of the regular season, so they decided to kill two birds with one stone. The party was to be held at the Lemieux's and the guest list was extensive. As the Pens were playing the last scheduled regular season game tonight, a number of players from teams all over the league had been invited and many of them were able to make it, including some people from Amber's work with Team Canada and junior hockey. Mario had arranged flights out of a number of cities to get everyone here to celebrate.

"Where's Tony?" Amber asked while reaching out the car window and passing the unfamiliar security officer her pass.

"Oh, he's at home with a bit of the flu," the young officer replied, examining her security pass and passing it back to her. "I am sorry ma'am but your card isn't on my clearance list. You'll have to park in the visitor's lot."

"Excuse me? I think you should check again. I come here everyday," Amber protested, passing the card back to him.

"It's not on the list, ma'am. I'm sorry… you can look yourself… but those are the rules," the officer shrugged apologetically. "Do you need instructions on how to get to the visitors lot?"

"No! I am not an idiot!" Amber snapped, grabbing the card from officer's hand. "The visitors lot... this is ridiculous!"

Amber put the car into reverse and backed out of the drive way to the arena. She drove around the block to the visitor's parking lot which was packed. She pulled into a spot at the back of the lot, what seemed like a mile away from the entrance. She pulled out her cell phone and quickly sent Sid a text message complaining about her treatment at the front gate. He would certainly have that corrected for the mother of his child.

She opened the car door and stepped into the snow. Her choice of footwear wasn't exactly appropriate for crossing a snow filled parking lot. She wrapped her scarf around her neck and closed the door behind her.

"Looky, looky what we have here…"

Amber turned around to face the voice behind her. A group of men wearing Bruins jerseys were gathered, leaning against the light stand, smoking. Even if the Bruins won tonight, they were too far down in the standings to place for the playoffs.

"… I believe we are face to face with Sid the kid's fiancé…" A big guy in the back hissed, then took a sip from a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag.

"Hey there boys, hope you enjoy the game tonight, it should be a good one…" Amber greeted the guys politely and then started walking away.

"… it will only be good if your girlfriend gets what is coming to her…" one of the guys yelled back at her.

Amber smiled at the group of fanatics and continued to walk away. There was no point in continuing this conversation and their heckling certainly didn't bother her. She had heard quite a bit of it by now. Amber continued walking away from the guys but could hear their voices coming in closer behind her.

"… oh you're a snob are you? Too good to talk to us?"

"I hope our boys take care of Sid the kid… teach him what real men do on the ice…"

"… make the whole team pay for that bullshit they pulled on Savard…"

Amber continued to walk, increasing her speed the best she could, as she cautiously climbed through the snow ruts in the parking lot but the boys seemed to be gaining on her. She could practically feel them on the back of her neck and it seemed like every hair on her body was standing on end, as her nervousness increased with every step. Their heckling also seemed to be getting angrier with each comment, as she tried her best to ignore them.

"Listen guys, we are all here to enjoy hockey," Amber turned around and faced them. She watched one guy take a long drink from a bottle hidden in the brown paper bag then passed it on to his buddy. "It's just a game…"

"Just a game? That's classic…" laughed one of the Bruins fan menacingly.

"Yeah, you think it was just a game to Savard's wife? Watching her husband lie on the ice…"

"Its not easy being a wife of a hockey player… but he's better now, so I think we should all agree to move on…" Amber turned around and began walking away.

"We'll move on when justice has been served… like when a member of the Pens has to watch their significant other lie in a hospital bed…" one of the guys hissed after her, grabbing her arm and pulling it towards him.

"Let go of me!" Amber pushed the big guy away but could hardly budge as he tightened his grasp on his wrist.

"Or what? You'll call Sidney to come help you?" All the guys laughed.

Amber continued to wrestle away from him, until she managed to twist her arm free. She started moving quickly away from the group but they quickly surrounded her, like a pack of hyenas. Another guy reached out and grabbed her arm but she wound up and punched him in defence. In return, one of the other guys, slapped her across the face with the back of his hand and she fell to the ground, into the wet, sloppy snow.

"Please leave me alone…" Amber pleaded as one of the guys grabbed her hair and pulled her to her feet. He held her as another one of the guys hit her again. She felt her legs give out on her, as one of the guys punched her ribs and yet another one slapped her, as her head flew backward. She could taste the blood in her mouth, as she was thrown to the ground. She felt the air escape from her lungs, as a foot contacted her stomach. She curled into a ball, her hands going to her midsection as she gasped for a breath.

"Please no!" she cried, tears mixing with blood as they flowed down her cheeks and into her mouth. "… the baby…I'm pregnant… please…"

"What the fuck! He didn't say anything about her being pregnant…" Amber heard one of the guys hiss to the group.

"She's fucking lying! Everyone would know if Sidney Crosby was going to have a baby… finish the lying whore," one of the guys yelled. He must have been the one that she had hit, as Amber watched as he held his hand over his nose. The group of guys exchanged looks and then Amber passed out as she felt yet another foot contact her stomach.

-.-

Mario jogged down the hall toward the video replay room. He came to a halt at the door, stepping inside and scanning the room. Dan and Tony were standing at the desk, alone in the room, watching tape from the second period, trying to pin point the attack point of the Boston goaltender, who seemed to have plexi-glass around him – nothing was getting through that guy.

"Where's Sid?" he asked, slightly out of breath. He was certainly far from his playing days.

"Um… I think he's prepping some more sticks. He seems to be burning through them tonight," Dan shrugged. "God damn PP unit can't get anything through, he is getting aggressive. He really wants a goal to end the year."

"Well we have a bigger issue…" Mario shook his head. "It's Amber - she's been attacked. They found her in the parking lot…"

Dan and Tony exchanged looks and each swore under their breath.