And I Thought I Loved You Then

"I have a confession to make," Autumn blurted out, as she stopped several feet before the rear exit of the practice arena and abruptly released her grip on Sid's hand.

Momentum carried him a few paces before he finally halted himself and turned to look at her, perplexion on his face. "Okay..." he said warily.

"A couple of them actually," she admitted, biting her bottom lip nervously. "Nothing life altering or anything like that. In fact, one of this is rather quite amusing and the other...well that one might just piss you off a little bit."

"You're talking riddles here, Autumn. Can't we talk about this when we get to your place?"

"We can't go to my place," she said. "Well, I mean, we can in one sense but we can't in another. And I..."

"Babe..." he gave an exasperated sigh. "As adorable as your whole rambling thing is, you're starting to confuse me here."

"There's reporters practically camped out on my front lawn," she lamented. "One of my neighbours, the mom of the two kids that Ryan is friends with and walks to school with? She left me a message to tell me that there's all kinds of journalists and what not hanging out around my place. And that they're going around to other peoples' houses to ask questions about me. Dig up dirt, I guess."

"How'd they even find out where you live?" Sid asked.

"They know everything about me. They know where I work, they know all of my phone numbers, they know what school Ryan goes to. She said that she called there and the principal told her that they hadn't had anyone coming in looking to talk to him and that there's no one hanging out around the play ground or anything..."

"But who'd tell them all that? When I got here a couple of them were waiting for me and started asking about the girl I was with yesterday. Guess they caught wind of the whole restaurant thing and they wanted to find out what was going on. All I told them was that I had no comment and I wasn't going to give on until I sorted some things out. So how..."

"You guys heading out?" Moose asked, as poked his head out of the security office at the sound of their voice. "If you are, just to warn ya, there's a shit load of vultures out there. They've been shoving their cameras and tape recorders in everyone’s face that's gone out that way. Asking about what was going on with Sidney Crosby and this new girlfriend of his. Tanger and TK even got nasty with a couple of them. Told them to take their sideshow somewhere else. To just leave you guys alone."

"Wonderful..." Autumn muttered. "We're trapped in a freaking hockey arena."

"There's always the front entrance but that's a long ass trek back to the parking lot," Moose said. "I don't mind going out there and telling them to piss off."

"How long they been out there now?" Sid asked.

"Two hours about," the guard replied. "I know, I know..." he held up his hands in self defence when his friend rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "But this is big news, ya know? You having a girl and all has them just salivating. And has them fan girls' panties in bunch. That crazy girl stopped by, wanted me to let her in. You know, the one that's friends with Tanger's old lady."

"Meghan..." Sid sighed again and shook his head.

"That girl is a few bricks short a load I'll tell you that much. She was in a right state. Bawling like a baby, make up just pouring down her face, begging and pleading with me to let her in 'cause she needed to see you. Told me that she can't lose you to some and I quote, 'nasty ass bitch that claims she has her claws in you'. I told her to go and take a hike. Last I saw of her she was standing at your SUV writing ya some kind of letter. Tucked it under one of the wipers. Didn't go out and read it."

"Fantastic..." Sid muttered.

"If I was you? I'd get a restraining order on that one," Moose suggested. "She's nothing but a nutter. The ones that seem harmless? They're usually the axe murderers."

"I think I may know why she came here," Autumn spoke up. "We sort of...I sort of...got into it with her over the phone."

"Okay...hang on..." Sid pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "How'd you get to talk to her in the first place? Was she waiting in the parking lot 'cause she read about you in the paper or something? The only person I told that you were coming here was Kris. And if he told Michelle, I wouldn't put it past her to wag her mouth off to Meghan."

"It's just a tad more scandalous then that," Autumn reluctantly admitted.

"This should be good," Moose said, as he rubbed his hands together expectantly. "What?" he asked, when Sid stared at him pointedly.

"Do you mind?" Autumn asked politely. "This is kind of...private."

"I don't mind at all," he joked. Then held his hands up in surrender when Sid glared at him. "I'll be inside...you two need an escort outside, give me a shout. Although with the crowd that's out there? You may need the national guard."

"We'll be fine," Sid assured him. "Thanks..."

"Just commenting," the security guard said, as he backed up towards his office.

"This is just a total nightmare," Autumn muttered, as she looked towards the securely shut exit door. "Leave it to Doctor Douches Bag to fuck things up royally. He's like one of those ex boyfriends that doesn't want you but doesn't want anyone else having you either. I bet you're just kicking yourself in the ass for getting mixed up with me."

"That was actually the last thing I thought," he admitted. "All good things are worth a little aggravation right?"

"I guess...." she sighed.

"So this thing with Meghan..." he gently pressed.

"Your phone kept ringing. And ringing. And ringing. I just couldn't take it anymore so...I checked the number and I called it back. And I may or may not have been a little...nasty...with her."

"A little nasty or a whole lot of nasty?"

"Well..." Autumn tipped her head to one side, then the other as she contemplated her answer. "...I guess it's leaning towards the whole lot of nasty. I just put her in her place. You'd told me she was crazy and stalking you practically so I just...I guess I got all possessive, jealous girlfriend and I told her off. Told her not to come shitting in my backyard. You know...I've marked my territory and now she needs to piss off."

An amused grin tugged at Sid's lips. "What did she say?"

"What could she say? I think I shocked her. And that she might be a little terrified of me, actually. Not that I care. She seems like a right trifling bitch if you ask me."

"She is. And as much as I could kiss you right now for having the balls to tell her to take a hike like that..."

"Kissing is nice," she chirped, giving a hopeful smile. "It's always good."

"You can't just..." he chose his words carefully. "This is going to make me sound like such a total prick..."

"I can't just go around saying whatever I want, whenever I want to whoever I want," Autumn finished for him. "Because how I act, what I wear, what I do is all a reflection on you and I can't be some public relations nightmare."

"Well I wouldn't EXACTLY put it that way...but yeah...that's pretty much it."

"I have to think before I speak," she continued, sounding genuinely hurt. "Which has never been my strong suit. I basically have to turn myself into some little Stepford Wife."

"You don't have to turn yourself into anything Autumn. I don't want you being anything but you. You just need to...you just need to not do things like that. There's going to be tons of girls like Meghan out there. You're going to hear all kinds of shit from them. Nasty ass things that are going to hurt like hell at first and then you're going to just learn to let it go in one ear and out the other. You'll hear rumours that I'm off fooling around on you when I'm on the road. Someone will take a picture of me with my arm around a female fan and they'll be telling you I'm screwing around. But you can't just go off on every single one of them. As much as you're going to want to and as much as I'm going to want you to. It's better to just ignore them. They're just jealous, nasty little bitches."

"And Meghan?" she asked. "Seeing as she honestly thinks there's something going on between you?"

"I'll deal with Meghan, alright? And as far as the press goes...."

"Just say no comment and keep walking," she concluded.

"For now," Sid agreed. "But that's only going to work for so long. Nathalie will be able to help you out with how to deal with them. Or I can talk to the public relations people here and see if they can walk you through things. They've got this whole 'media sensitivity' training they do. If you want to do it. I'm not going to say or demand that you have to."

She sighed heavily and crossing her arms over her chest, considered her options. "I'm not the type to back down from people," she said. "And I'd rather stick up for myself and answer things in a proper way. I mean, I guess it all comes down to what I'm willing to do for this relationship, right? The whole making some sacrifices and concessions is starting to kick in already."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to Autumn."

"I want to do it," she responded. "I don't...I don't want to screw this up before it ever gets the chance to really start."

"I'll talk to Mario. See if he can make some calls, okay?"

She nodded.

Reaching out, he laid a hand along the side of her face and kissed her softly.

"I do that a lot you know," she said, after he'd pulled away slightly; the tips of their noses touching.

"Do what? Sneak your tongue into guys' mouths like you just did with me?" he teased.

"No!" she explained, and playfully pushed him away. "I meant that I screw things up a lot."

"Well I guess the good thing for you, us actually, is that I'm probably the most stubborn bastard on the face of the earth. I don't give up easily. And I love a challenge. So you can bring your A game, baby. I'm ready for it."

"Is that a challenge?" she asked.

"Why? You like that kind of thing?"

"Maybe....you seem to be into kinky little games," she chided, then laughed when he flushed bright red. "And I think this belongs to you..." reaching into her purse, she pulled out the BlackBerry. "Tell your other girlfriends that I'd appreciate it if they'd stop calling you. Unless they want me to go all medieval on their asses."

"Ving Rhames, Pulp Fiction," Sid said, and taking the BlackBerry, slipped it into his pocket.

"Damn you!" she pouted dramatically. "You just know what too much pop culture shit."

"He just knows a lot of shit in general," a heavy French Canadian accent announced from behind them.

"This coming from a guy that needs to carry a shovel with him 'cause he every time he opens his mouth that's all that comes out," Sid retorted.

"Mama fungole," came the reply, as goalie Marc Andre Fleury curled an arm around his friend's neck and pulled him into a sloppy kiss to the cheek.

"That's Italian," Sid informed him. "You bustin' out the Italian now, froggie?"

"Just when there's pretty ladies around," his friend responded.

"Flower, Autumn. Autumn, Flower," Sid introduced.

"Pleasure," the goalie drawled, as he shook her hand. "You can call me Marc if Flower's too weird for you. You're right Sid..." he nudged his friend playfully with his elbow. "You do owe Staalsy you're first born for not wanting to go to the hospital that day."

Sid blushed furiously.

"And a new truck!" Marc added. "Can't forget that part. So what's going on? Why you two standing here coolin' your heels?"

"The vultures are outside," Sid told him. "A shit load."

"Ahh...the press, huh?" his friend nodded in understanding. Then burst out singing, "I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me. Papa-papa-razzi!"

Autumn couldn't hold back the giggles.

"Baby there's no other superstar you'll know that I'll be," Marc continued. "Promise I'll be kind, I won't stop until that boy is mine...."

"You are disturbed," Sid informed him.

"You're just jealous that I'm the better singer. I know the whole dance routine too," he said, addressing Autumn. "We've got one of those dance mat games at home. My girlfriend and I play it all the time."

"Flower's the shit when it comes to that game," Sid added.

"The shizz-nit," the goalie laughed. "You guys should come over sometime. Hang out. We can play that. Vero loves entertaining people. And she's been after Sid to meet a girl for ages. A decent girl though. Not some cracked out little bitch like..."

"Meghan?" Autumn offered.

"How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," she said with a shrug. "And yeah...that would be fun..."

"Your son can come too," Marc told her. "I've got enough toys to keep any kid happy."

"Doubt a seven year old is into sex toys, Flower," Sid retorted.

"Funny..." the goalie reached out and used the back of his hand to smack the hat off his friend's head. "We can't just stand here forever," he said, as Sid bent down to scoop his ball cap of the ground and slipped it on backwards.

"No one is stopping you from leaving," Sid told him.

"All for one, one for all," Marc declared. "We go, we all go together. No man gets left behind!"

"Autumn goes out there and all hell is going to break loose," Sid argued. "She's not ready to deal with all of that yet. If we wait long enough, they'll all just go away."

"You'll be here until next week!" Marc exclaimed. "I got an idea! Here...." removing his own baseball cap, he grabbed a hold of Autumn's pony tail with one hand and twisted it gently. Then tucked it up under the hat as he placed it onto her head. "There..." he pulled the brim down low over her eyes. "Now...you're my cousin visiting from Montreal, okay? Your name is....Therese....and if anyone tries to talk to you? Pretend that you don't know English, alright?"

"Oui," Autumn answered.

"They're dumb enough to fall for it," Marc said. "Just keep your head down..."

"Je ne sais quoi?" she asked.

"Perfect"! he enthused. "Ready?"

"I trust you with this Flower," Sid said. "With her."

"I got it under control," his friend declared, then laid a hand on the back of Autumn's neck and led the way to the door. "Just be grateful I'm not Max and running off with her!" he said with a wink, then used his free hand to shove the exit door open. Filling the dim back hallway with brilliant sunlight.

Sid briefly heard the throng of reporters shouting questions at the young goaltender as he stepped outside, his 'cousin' in tow. All anyone wanted to know was if Flower knew anything about Sidney Crosby's new found girlfriend. Do you know her? How serious is it? How long have they been together.

"No comment!" Marc answered repeatedly.

The noise faded as the door swung shut.

Sid sighed heavily, then took a deep breath and released it slowly as he approached the exit.

Show time, he thought. And pushed his way outside.