Northern Lights

Ava couldn't believe it, but she found herself crying when she watched The Blues' playoff run come to an end. She was watching from her hotel room in Calgary, Adam Burish perched on the other bed in her room.

"Turn it off," she instructed him once the post-game started. If she had to watch TJ give an interview her heart would just break even more for him. Adam obliged and flipped to the next channel which happened to be another sports station doing a special on the Playoffs. Adam fumbled with the remote a bit before putting it on The Food Network, figuring he was safe there.

"You okay Ava?" Adam asked, pushing himself off of the bed to sit next to her.

"Yeah," she nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I just feel so bad," she shook her head, looking down at her hands in her lap. "I know how much he wanted that."

Adam didn't even have to ask to know who Ava was talking about. The news of TJ and Ava spread quickly around the locker room after the Hawks played the Blues for the first time. Everyone was well aware of what was going on, and now even knew about what had happened when she went back to North Dakota. Ava was frustrated and embarrassed at first to have the entire team know her business, but she soon got over it when she realized they only had her best interest at heart.

"It sucks," Adam agreed. He wasn't about to sugarcoat it for Ava. He didn't want to lie- especially because she would know he was. Ava was well aware about how badly everyone wanted that Cup. "But you know, after a while I'm sure he'll get over it and start to focus on next year."

"You guys better not lose this round too," Ava laughed lightly. "I don't think I'll be able to deal with it," she said as she wiped the rest of her tears away.

"I will single handedly make sure of that," Adam smiled his mega-watt smile, lifting Ava's dampered sprits.

Ava woke up the next morning nervous about the game that night. If the boys pulled off a win that night they would be only one more win away from winning the series. She ate breakfast with Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook, and Jonathan.

"The Blues lost last night," Brent said in casual conversation.

"So if we win we'll be playing the Canucks," Patrick said, seemingly thinking out loud. Ava looked down at her plate, Jonathan noticing her change in mood. He placed his hand on her shoulder and when she looked up he was smiling sweetly.

"He'll be fine," Jonathan said. "Osh always bounces back," he assured her.

"Yeah," Ava nodded. "He'll be fine."

A few days later and the Blackhawks had advanced, TJ had called Jonathan letting him know he was taking the loss well and that sort of put Ava's mind to ease. That is, until she realized the Hawks would be playing the Canucks in the next round of the playoffs.

"I really don't like this team," Ava frowned as she used a machine to massage Nikolai Khabibulin's back. A few other plays hung around the room, waiting for their turn to get massages before the game. "And I like everyone," she pointed out.

"That's ‘cause they're dirty," Duncan Keith pointed out. "I got my hair pulled like I was fighting with a little girl for Christ's sakes!" Everyone laughed at the memory of Duncs getting his hair pulled; they all remembered the line brawl between the two teams well.

"It all started with Kevin Bieksa hitting on me," she made a sour face. "He was so weird."

"Even after I tried to tell him you were my girl he still hit on you," Kris Versteeg said with a shake of his head. "Scumbag,"

"I beat him up real good for you Ava, don't worry," Ben Eager smiled widely. Ava pouted slightly as she smiled at all of her friends, so happy with the lengths they were willing to go to make her feel happy and safe.

"You did Benny," she smiled, putting down the massager and helping Nikolai up from the table he was laying on. Ben got up and walked over to the table next, laying down on it and smiling up at Ava. "Thank you for that," she said, placing a small kiss on the top of his shaved head before she got to massaging his legs.

When she had finished with everyone who was waiting, she walked back into the locker room to find Jonathan Toews grinning at her. She smiled back at him apprehensively and strolled over to him slowly, wary as to why he was smiling in such a way at her.

"Yes?" She asked him.

"I have a surprise for you," he told her.

"Oh?"

"You'll see what it is once we're back in Chicago."

"Should I be nervous?" She asked him cautiously.

"Not at all," Jonathan beamed. Ava crossed her arms over her chest and gave him an odd look before strolling towards Adam Burish's stall.

Jonathan had invited TJ to stay with him in Chicago for as long as it took Ava to forgive him. With Ava's track record with things of that sort though, Jonathan didn't expect TJ to be there long. In fact, he fully expected them to be back to TJ's home town as soon as the Hawks' season was over.

He had got TJ a box for the game and his ideal plan would be for Ava to go watch the game with him, but because of her job she had to stand on the bench with the rest of the team. But once the game was over he would find a way to get them together, he didn't get TJ all the way to Chicago for nothing.

And after their two games in Vancouver he couldn't wait for his matchmaking to get to work.