Maybe Someday

Life with Sidney Crosby, Ellen found, was never dull. Whether doing something hockey related like a photo shoot, interview, or practice or something like the new couple being out just enjoying each other's company, it seemed his fans followed. Ellen was used to it; in fact there really hadn't been much to get used to when she had expected it. Questions had arisen around the city as to who their captain's new lady was, but of course, Ellen wasn't his new lady. She was sure there would be even more talk if word got out Ellen had been in Sidney's life since childhood.

Pictures had surfaced of the two of them out around Pittsburgh together on the internet. That, Ellen also expected, though she hadn't expected there to be articles on news sites and stories on the local news shows about her, as well. Sidney wasn't amused with all the attention his relationship with Ellen was getting, but she wasn't about to let that stop her from forcing him to take her out. He needed to get out, anyway, with or without her.

Sidney Crosby having a girlfriend was a big deal, apparently. However, wanting to keep his private life just that, refused to even acknowledge any question that came his way about the blue-eyed, blond girl on his arm. And there were indeed a lot of questions.

Sidney, who had always been nice to reporters and interviewers, was getting frustrated. “I thought we were going to talk about hockey,” he'd tell them, making Ellen laugh at his sudden attitude change, only to be nothing but pleasant again as the questions did, in fact, go back to hockey.

“Maybe,” Ellen hesitated, as they watched coverage of that day's morning skate on FSN Pittsburgh, “you should just confirm it that I am your girlfriend. You don't have to go into detail, obviously, but maybe if you just humored them a little, the hysteria would die down.”

“Hysteria is right,” he mumbled, turning off the television. “There are clearly more important things going on, and yet, me and you are a news story.”

Ellen laughed, her head falling against Sidney's muscular shoulder as they sat in their living room. “It's up to you,” she told him. “Whatever you think is best.”

“I think me and you should order some food,” he laughed, kissing her temple.

The weeks after Ellen had ended her relationship with Pierre and she and Sidney had started their new one had flown by, reinforcing the saying that 'time flies when you're having fun.' Ellen and Sidney were certainly having fun together, getting reacquainted with each other in the way they had been when they were teenagers. The season was officially opening in a couple days, making Ellen realize how much she had missed hockey while she and Sidney had been separated.

After the two of them had argued over what to order (and had finally decided on ordering from the Italian restaurant down the street from their building) Sidney had chosen to take a quick shower while they waited, and Ellen, needing something to do while waiting, started some loads of laundry and set the table.

Picking up the land line phone as it rang, Ellen gave permission to the security guard to let the delivery boy up to their condo. Opening the door and waiting for him as he made his way up, Ellen sent him a friendly smile as he approached their door, hearing Sidney coming from the bedroom as she took the food from the young kid. She felt Sidney come up behind her as she handed the teenager the money she owed him and a tip, laughing as the boy's mouth fell open and his eyes went wide.

“You're Sidney Crosby,” he let out, making the Penguin laugh and nod.

“I am,” Sidney told him, sticking his hand out for the kid to shake, as Ellen noticed the his Penguins shirt. Taking the food, she made her way into the kitchen, smiling as she heard the boy find his voice, engaging in a small conversation with one of his favorite hockey players.

When her boyfriend finally walked toward the table, she had their food divided and set up for them. Kissing her cheek as he sat down, Sidney couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. “I love stuff like that,” he laughed. “Mario used to do that to people when we'd order food. The delivery guys would almost pee their pants when they realized Mario Lemieux had answered the door.”

Ellen laughed as she sat down and dug into her food as Sidney did the same. “Is it weird for you?” he asked, making Ellen look up from her food.

“What?”

“Having people recognize you already from just going out with me a few times...”

“It comes with the territory, babe,” she told him, smiling. “It's really just an amplified version of when we were dating before. You were already a celebrity when you were playing in Rimouski, Sid. People started recognizing me then, too.”

“I guess so,” he mumbled, stabbing his fork into his lasagna. “I just don't want you to feel weird about it.”

“What do you think I'm going to do?” she asked with a laugh. “Say 'forget you' and run back to Paris?” When she received no answer from Sid, Ellen put her fork down and folding her arms on the table, giving him a stern look. “I'm not going to do that, Sid.”

“I know,” he started to say.

“No, you clearly don't,” she frowned. “I know what is going to come with being your girlfriend, and this is just the start of it. I'm ready and prepared for it because it's a small price to pay for being with you again.”

“Small?” he laughed, watching as she smiled lightly.

“Yes, small,” she repeated, picking her fork back up, glad their dinner was keeping a light mood instead of an argument breaking out.

“Okay,” he said, giving her sarcastically stern look. “Now that you've said that, you're stuck in this relationship. I'm not letting you go again, okay?”

Ellen grinned, “I wouldn't expect anything less.”

- - -

“I've never been to a Penguins game, you know,” Ellen commented as she and Jordan Staal's girlfriend, Emily, took their seats at Mellon Arena.

“Oh shit,” Emily cursed, laughing. “People are going to think you're a newbie.”

“Believe me, Em, as Sidney Crosby's best friend since we were in diapers, I know more about hockey than I ever thought I would, including like, exactly how sticks and pucks work and all that lame stuff.”

“Yikes,” Emily laughed, running a hand through her shoulder length brown hair. “I like that Jordan doesn't even try to explain anything to me. One, he knows I'm not going to fully comprehend it, and two, that's because I don't really care.”

Ellen laughed as fans took their seats around the two of them. “How come you don't sit in the box with the other girlfriends?”

“Most of them annoy me, honestly,” she responded, making Ellen laugh even harder, “and I think this is more fun.”

Ellen and Emily fell into conversation as the arena filled up and the pre-game videos began to play on the screen. The arena was buzzing with excitement as the fans eagerly awaited the raising of the Stanley Cup banner before the season opener against the Rangers.

“Isn't that the girl that was seen with Sidney?” Ellen heard from behind her. Giving a glance to Emily, who only shrugged, and she decided to ignore it whatever she heard. “She has to be. She's sitting with Staal's girlfriend,” she heard, laughing as Emily rolled her eyes and made a face.

A half an hour later, and only a few more comments made about them, Ellen and Emily stood up with the rest of the Penguins fans as the banner raising ceremony began. Ellen kept her eyes on Sidney as he laughed and smiled along with his teammates, the huge banner beginning to raise up the rafters of Mellon Arena. Of course, it would be moved into the new arena just the next season, and that honestly made the fans even more emotional as the last season at the oldest arena in the NHL began.

Smiling widely and feeling a wave of emotion come over her as the fans around them cheered on their championship winning team, Ellen dabbed the sleeve of her jersey at her eyes, stopping the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She was thrown back into her childhood and her memories of telling Sidney he would one day get the exact moment the two of them were experiencing. The Stanley Cup had seemed so far off as a kid, but Ellen always knew he'd get his championship. She believed in him, and in time, he started to believe in himself too.

Ellen felt envy rip through her as she glanced at Emily, who no doubt had her eyes locked on Jordan like Ellen did with Sidney. The difference, however, was that Emily had been there when her boyfriend had won his first Stanley Cup, and Ellen had not. Nothing pained her more than knowing she had missed out on the biggest moment of Sidney's life, and that she had been given an opportunity to be there, but had tuned it down. Part of her wished she could go back to when Trina Crosby called her after the Penguins had won the Eastern Conference, not only inviting her but almost begging Sidney's childhood friend to come to Pittsburgh to be there for Sid.

Her decision that it wouldn't be good idea after just recently getting engaged was easily the stupidest mistake she had ever made. She wished she had known how things would turn out; she would have been on the first flight to Pittsburgh. Wiping the mix of happy and sad tears from under her eyes, as the boys filed off the ice and the banner was officially raised, Ellen again took her seat next to Emily.

She was happy that the game had started rather quickly and the action was a distraction from the negative thoughts floating in her head. She couldn't be negative and she couldn't be regretful. She was back with Sidney, and she wasn't going to miss anything else, and that was all that mattered.