Your Eyes Tell Me What I Need to Know

Sitting in the locker room of the visiting team at Wachovia Center, he was one of the few guys left in the room. They should be happy and celebrating that they were in the playoffs, but they weren't. It was the end of their season. The Rangers, his team didn't make it past the Flyers. This was hard to swallow for him. This just wasn't his year, not at all. Standing up, he dropped his spare mask and kicked it across the locker room. When he went home, there wouldn't be anyone he could go to that wouldn't talk about it, that would understand. There was, but he blew the chance he had with her.

“I wouldn't suggest doing that too many times, otherwise you'll need a new one.”

Looking up, Hank saw who spoke. Marc Staal.

“I've fucked up.”

“We should have had more shots on the net, if we had maybe it wouldn't have gone to the shootout.” he said sitting across from Hank.

“With Kitty. I've ruined any chance of being with her.”

“She was hurt pretty bad by you.” Marc told him honestly.

“I still love her, but I doubt that she feels the same,” Hank said. “I wish I could still be friends with her, but I think it would be better for her if I'm not around. She deserves someone who won't keep making the mistakes I do. Someone who won't hurt her.”

“Hank, there's something you should know,” Marc said. Running a hand through his hair, he tugged on it slightly. He knew that he wanted Katrina to tell him, but he knew she wouldn't. She didn't want anything to do with Hank, that was one of the reasons she changed apartments and asked him not to tell Hank, it was the same reason she changed the number on her phone. Sure she still had his number and pictures of him in her phone, but she didn't want him to find her so that she would fall into his trap again. She needed to get on and that was how she wanted it to be. “I shouldn't be the one telling you, but I think you should know.”

Hank looked at him with confusion in his eyes. Marc was avoiding actually saying what he needed to say, he was going through the options of either how to tell him or what might happen if he told him. “Is something wrong with Kitty? Is she okay?”

“Katrina is fine, physically. She's just,” Marc looked at his friend and teammate. “She's pregnant.”

“She's pregnant?” Hank asked, he could feel the tears burning his eyes. That was it. He had no chance with her. She was having someone's baby and he wouldn't ruin the kid's life no matter how much he loved her. His eyes looked down. “From a flightless bird?”

“No,” Marc said shaking his head. “It happened in Vancouver.”

Hank's head shot up and looked at Marc. “Vancouver?”

“Yeah, I guess the two of you knew how to celebrate.”

Hank looked down at his hands, “It was never something we had a problem with.”

“There's something else,” Marc said. “Something that might affect what you might say to her.”

“What could-”

“She knows about your Swedish Princess.”

“Who told her about Madeleine?” Hank asked, looking at Marc for an explanation.

“No one told her,” he said as he stood up. “She found out through some tabloids. That was before she went to Pittsburgh. Don't be screwing with her, Hank, you've crushed her how many times now?”

“More than I should. But if she's having my baby, then maybe there is a chance she'll forgive me.”

“What about your princess?” Marc questioned him.

“She's just a friend.”

“For your sake, I hope Katrina believes you.”

Marc left Hank to think about what he had to do. He knew what he had to do. Knowing and doing something were two separate things though. Hank wanted Kitty to forgive him, for the way he treated her, but something more. All he knew was on the plane ride back to New York he had to come up with a plan to get Kitty to forgive him. From there he could possibly get her to fall in love with him all over again without breaking her heart again.

Nothing seemed to go right with them. Some people would take that as a sign that they weren't meant to be together and give up. But Hank knew the reason they broke up was all on him and now he might be a father. He knew that she might slam the door in his face, but that didn't mean he couldn't try. He had to try there was no reason not to. If he was to be a dad then he was going to be a good one and he would be there for his son or his daughter as well as Kitty.

It hadn't been that long ago when they weren't together and she had thought she was pregnant. That had turned out to be a false alarm and it had brought them closer together, but he went and screwed that up. Sure he was upset about Sweden not even getting a medal in the Vancouver Olympics, but he shouldn't have left Kitty waiting at the arena for him and he really shouldn't have told her they were over the way he had. Running a hand through his hair, he hoped that she would forgive him. He knew the only way things could get any better was if Kitty would forgive him. She probably wouldn't lie to him about being pregnant if he brought it up, but then why didn't she tell him when he saw her at the store before he had left for Philly?

He couldn't help but wonder if she had watched the game. Knowing her, she probably did. She was still friends with Marc and would want to know how he did and if the team had made it into the playoffs. He couldn't help but wonder if she would be nicer to him with the situation since he wasn't in the playoffs. It made him wonder, but he knew that it wouldn't make a difference. Kitty was a straight forward kind of person. That was one of her charms that he admired about her.

Making sure he had everything packed up, Hank left the locker room. He was ready to head back to New York City. Other than talking to Kitty he had no plans. He should have a plan about what he needed to say to her, but even if he tried and write all that down, it would never make any sense to anyone but him. He just needed to clear his head before going to see her. That was what he would do. It was set in his mind, he just hoped that things worked out that way.

The moment he tossed his bag of clothes and hockey equipment into his SUV, he got in and was off. He wasn't going home, no he was going to find Kitty. He hadn't been able to sleep on the plane ride home and all he wanted now was to see her and find out if what Marc had said was true. Marc wouldn't lie to him about this, but he didn't understand why he told him after the game and not when he first found out. There were a million questions going through his mind as he weaved his way through New York traffic. Once he got there, he parked on the street and walked up to the door man who nodded his head and allowed him to enter. The elevator ride was excruciating long, at least to him. He was alone in the elevator as it seemed to go even slower than normal. When it finally got to the level of Kitty's apartment he walked out and ran down the hallway and stopped in front of her door.

He took a deep breath before he brought his hand up to the door and knocked on it. He waited for a bit before knocking again. He knew she was in there, but the door stayed closed. Bringing his hand up to knock again, he could feel himself getting angry that she wouldn't open the door. “Kitty, please open the door. We need to talk about everything.” There was still no response from the other side of the door, but the person across the hall opened their door and looked at him as he locked his door.

“Your talking to an empty place.”

“I know,” Hank sighed. “I just need the door to be opened.”

“It won't do you any good.”

Hank looked at the teenager in front of him. “Why?”

“Ms. Anderson moved out a few weeks after getting back from Vancouver. I miss her, she was a real cool neighbor.”

“Do you know where she moved to?”

“No, but there was a red headed guy that helped her move out along with some others. He was around more than the others. He was also the last one with her before she gave up her keys. There was another woman with him that day too. I think it was someone from her other team. Can't be sure though.”

“And how long after she came back did she leave?”

“Few weeks,” he said. “Mom said that she only waited as long as she did was hoping that someone would show up.”

“Thanks.”

Hank headed back to the elevator and got back inside. He couldn't believe it, Kitty had moved out of her apartment and Marc knew it. He knew and didn't tell him. Since she moved, he didn't know where she was living, but he knew someone that did and that was his next stop. He had to find out where she was living, he had to see her and he needed her to confirm what Marc had told him in the locker room.

As soon as he got to Marc's he knocked loudly on the door. It opened up after less than a minute. Marc was the one to answer the door and he looked surprised to see him there.

“This isn't a good time Hank.”

“You didn't tell me she moved.”

“I forgot you didn't know she moved out of her apartment.”

“And you helped her.”

“She's still my friend and she needed help.”

“I need to talk to her,” Hank said as he walked past Marc who hadn't even invited him inside yet. “I need to know.”

“You don't need to know anything.”

Hank turned around and looked at Sam who was glaring at him. “Hello Sam.”

“Why is he here?” Sam asked looking at Marc as she ignored Hank.

“He wants to know where Katrina's living now.”

“No I need to know.” Hank said butting in.

“We won't tell you.” Sam told him.

“If what you told me is true, then I deserve to know. To hear it from her.”

“You told him, Marc?” the voice asked from the hallway.

All three heads turned and looked at her. Her eyes looked at Marc with hurt in them.

“I can explain,” Marc said. “It slipped out after the loss to Philly. I didn't mean to give away your secret, I promise.”

Katrina lowered her eyes and walked back to the bedroom she had been laying down in for the last hour. She heard someone following her, but she didn't care to see who it was. She just wanted to lay down and get rid of the headache she had. She refused the medicine that Sam and Marc suggested she take, but she wouldn't take anything that could harm her baby. At least not until she went to the doctor and found out. She never thought she would need anything so she hadn't asked before. As she laid down on the bed, she heard the door close.

“We need to talk Kitty.”

She didn't say anything or move to look at him. She heard him walk around and sit in the chair by the desk. Opening her eyes, she watched him pull the chair away from the bed and place it closer to the bed and near her. “Go away. I have nothing to say to you. If you want someone to comfort you after your game, go find your princess.”

“She's just a friend.”

“I don't care. Just leave me alone Henrik.”

“Is what Marc said true?” he continued on. “Are we having a baby?”

“What's this we part?” Katrina asked. “Are you going to carry it and deliver it? Your part is done.”

“Kitty, I know I've messed up, but things with Caitlin are really over now. I know what's more important to me.”

“Somethings come a little too late Henrik.” Katrina said as she rolled over so her back was to him.

“Sometimes its better to be late than never show up. I'm trying here, I really am.”

“How do you even know its yours?” she asked him as she yawned. “Maybe its Letang's.”

“Marc told me that you told him it was mine, so you can stop trying to push me away, I'm not going anywhere Kitty.”

“I'm sure your princess misses you,” Katrina said. “So why don't you go and annoy her and leave me alone?”

“Because I don't know if you'd let me see you again since you moved out of the apartment that you were staying at. Unless you're staying here at Marc's.”

“I'm not living with Marc. Do you see Checkers anywhere around here?”

“Checker could be hiding from something.”

“Just leave me alone,” Katrina told him. “I already have a headache and you aren't helping matters, so please just leave.”

“Why haven't you taken anything?”

“Because I don't know how it would affect the baby and I'm not willing to risk it.” she snapped at him.

“I know that you have every reason to hate me right now and I don't blame you. I was horrible to you especially when Caitlin showed up those times. Please don't make me beg for something that I helped create.”

“I can't trust you,” Katrina said as she sat up and getting off the bed before she reached down and grabbed her shoes and slid them on. “What makes you think I would want you back in my life when I was finally able to move on from you?”

“You aren't a bitch, Kitty. I can show you that I'm not going to change my mind about this. Please give me the chance.”

Grabbing the shopping bags from the floor she heard him walking over to where she was on the other side of the bed. “I can't promise you anything. But you are the father and I just don't know if you are the kind of guy who will be there for me when I need it and not when its convenient for you.”

“Kitty....”

“Think about how a baby changes your life and do you think you can live up to that responsibility? Because I don't have time for stupid games. That part of my life is over and done with. I am going to be someone's mother and they will be depending on me,” Katrina told him. “I'll call you in a week. It'll give you time to think about what you really want and if you can handle having a baby.”

Without giving him a chance to say anything, she walked out of the room and said her good-byes to Sam and Marc before leaving and heading to her car and going home.