Manhattan

I stared at the dishes that where pilled up in front of me, unable to move my hands because I could hear the scraping of the children's tiny rocking chairs across the hardwood floor. I would hear the soft padding of their feet and then the knock of the end of the chairs, over and over again. This same pattern of sounds had been going on for about an hour now and I found myself not able to contain my temper as I thought about why the children had set up camp in front of the large bay window in the living room.

That son of a bitch.

I slammed the dish towel down on the counter top before I rubbed my hands together and tried to bring a nicer glare onto my face before I stomped my way into the living room. I came up behind the kids and glanced over them. Maeva had placed Lola in her swing seat and I watched in awe as the tiny baby sucked on her fingers and watched the man that I had slammed the door on an few hours ago pace back and forth.

I let out a frustrated groan as I twisted my way in between the kids seats and knocked on the window. This caught the kids and the man's attention. He stopped pacing and turned towards the window. Our eyes connected and we shared a similar look of pure annoyance.

"Knock it off and go home." I mouthed to him as my eyes narrowed on his well structured face. I couldn't help it that every time I looked at this strange, creepy ass man that I found something new and attractive about him. Just thirty minuets ago I was wondering to myself what it would be like to twirl the wisps of chocolate brown hair that fell from his ball cap around my finger tips. I bet they where soft.

"How long do you think he is going to stay out there?" I asked the kids, snapping myself out of my own trans. I turned my back to the window, placing myself against the cool winter chilled glass. I then bit my lip, feeling the temperature, knowing that it was going to drop even lower than it already was.

"What day is it?" Maeva questioned me as she allowed Zoe to come from her seat to sit on her lap. Zoe stared up at me and then looked at something or rather someone behind me.

"It's Thursday." I told her with caution.

"Game day tomorrow!" Kody shouted as he pumped his fist into the air. My heart lept at not only Kody's cute action but at the sound of a rather manly sounding giggle. It took all of my will power to not turn around and throw the creepy man a soft smile.

"Uncle Sid isn't going anywhere for a while, he always visits us the night before a game day. He brings us gifts to make sure we are good for the nanny while Papa is gone." Maeva explained, her eyes drawn to the man behind me. I didn't want to turn around because I was afraid of what I might see but I found myself losing the inner battle with myself as I peaked over my shoulder to find the mustached stranger looking down at the kids, selling the most pitiful look I've ever seen, worst then those dogs on the ASPCA commercials, and those dogs where pretty damn sad looking.

"Fine." I grumbled out as the kids hollered with joy. I pushed myself away from the window shill angrily before I stomped over to the door. As I walked through the hall I looked at the time and was completely panic stricken to find out that it was now nearing eleven o'clock. These kids where supposed to be in bed hours ago and Pascal was supposed to be back by eight and yet neither had happened.

With a sigh I whipped open the door but threw my hand up in protest as the gorgeous man tried to step through the door. I heard him let out a low grunt before I looked behind me, stepped outside and closed the door gently.

"Where is Mr. Dupuis?" I asked him. I made the mistake of looking into his eyes. They where a beautiful hazel color, almost gold underneath the outdoor lighting. They board back into mine, completely annoyed and angry at the fact that I still had yet to invite him into the house.

"Let me in first, you've had me standing out here for hours." He complained.

"Look, who are you? And why should I let you near those kids? I could lose my job." I snapped at him as I placed my tiny hand on his well built chest and gave him a little shove, just to show him how pissed off I was.

"Do you really not know who I am?" He questioned me in astonishment. I glanced at his face again, eyes running over his smooth features. I had seen them somewhere before, but I must have only seen this amazing features once because I couldn't put a name to the face. I gave him a short shake of my head.

I watched as his shoulders fell and a somewhat look of comfort washed over his once flaming eyes. He gave me a soft smile before he stuck out his large hand. I took it in my fairly smaller one and was surprised to find that they where rather rough and that the feeling of his skin rubbing against mine sent a fire up my arm and to my heart.

"Sidney, Sidney Crosby." He introduced himself properly.

"Jenner Akerland." I breathed out. I could see puff rise off of the words I spoke and I let out a soft moan.

"What?" Sidney questioned me quickly.

"Now I feel like a total bitch, I had you out here for hours and its freezing cold." I told him with an apologetic look. For some reason my words, mixed with my eyes running over his face caused Sidney Crosby to giggle and blush. I had never found that attractive on a man before but as we stood in the freezing Pittsburgh air I found myself blushing at the innocent, child like sound of his soft, airy laughter.

"It's fine, I would've done the same thing. I shouldn't have expected to barge in. I was just used to previous nannies knowing who I was and just letting me come right on in." He told me with a small smile and shrug of his broad shoulders. I shook my head and pushed my wavy hair behind me ear before I looked down at the ground, I had to distract myself from his face.

"So Mr. Dupuis? How do you know him?" I questioned quietly.

"I work with him." He was short with me now. I glanced at him and he gave me a tight lipped smile. Bi-polar much?

"Do you know where he is because he told me he would be here by eight and it is almost eleven now and I have to get these kids into bed and then I've got to walk home and then study and-" I was interrupted by Sidney's glorious giggling again. I gave him a mystified look as I wondered what I had said that was even remotely funny.

"There where a lot of and's in that sentence." He told me simply with a bright smile. Oh, so he wasn't giving me the tight lipped, half-assed one anymore?

"And..." I mentally slapped my forehead at that one.

"And you just need to calm down and relax. Because-" He didn't get to finish. The front door was whipped open by Maeve, Kody and Zoe who screamed Sidney's name.

"Uncle Sid's here." Kody screamed once again.

"Yeah, you don't have to worry because Uncle Sid's here." He whispered to me before giving me a wink. He walked past me, bumping my shoulder with his before he walked to pick up the three kids in one, great big bear hug. That sly bastard.



I sat on the living room couch with my arms folded. A war going on in my head as I analyzed every word and movement Sidney had made while he was in my presence. I had been placed on this couch forty-five minuets ago by Mister Spectacular himself and was told not to move. I was quick to argue back but he gave me the stern, straight to the point, cut the bullshit type of look and I shut up and sat down.

Who did he think he was? Superman? Coming in here and taking over my job. I knew I was being mean by picking at anything and everything about Sidney but I couldn't help that I wasn't doing my job properly now that he was here, giving out baths and reading bedtime stories and wiping down counter tops and babies bottoms. That was my job.

"Yeah, my job." I chanted to myself, finally finding the courage to get up off of the couch. I dusted off the invisible lent from my tights and rolled my shoulders back before I stomped my way to the kitchen where I found Sidney washing the dishes. I raised my hand and opened my mouth and-

"I thought I told you to go sit down." He told me without even turning around.

"Who is the nanny here, me or you?' I asked him as I waltzed around the counter top. He tossed me a towel as I came to stand right next to him.

"I'll wash and you'll dry." He told me as he continued to focus on the many pots and pans in front of him. I bit the inside of my cheek, mentally grumbling to myself as I snatched the towel from his hands and began to dry off the clean dishes he had placed in to the side already.

"I'm ninety-five percent sure I know where Pascal is. It's rare for him to do this but he has done it before with Carole-Lyn gone now." I wanted so badly to ask where she was and why he did this and just what the hell was really going on with this family but I knew that would be over stepping that professional boundary. I mean I'm pretty sure I had crossed it already with Super Nanny over here doing my work but still, that was enough for one night.

"Okay." I muttered out. Not another word was spoken between us as he washed and dried. Minuets seemed to tick by slowly as our pile of dishes seemed to diminish quickly.

"It's about twelve now. So I think that I should go and get him." Sidney voiced. His voice was a little bit rougher now and cleared his throat before letting a soft pink blush color his cheeks.

"I wanna go." I suddenly blurted out.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea." he told me with a shake of his head.

"Why?" I questioned him, folding my arms across my chest.

"Because what if one of the kids wake up and we are both gone?" He asked me.

"I-I just wanna know what's going on. I just started working for this man and his son is asking if I am his new mommy and Maeva is telling me that she has to show that she is not hurting and now Pascal has gone missing. Sorry if I seemed a little freaked the fuck out right now. I just wanna know what the hell is going on." By the end of my little rant I was speaking through my gritted teeth, looking up at Sidney with narrowed eyes, something I found myself doing a lot today.

"No. I can't let you come." And with that he waltzed out of the kitchen. I followed him quickly, hot on his trail though, questioning him with every step.

"Why can't I just go?" I finally snapped at him.

"Because I don't trust you. I have no idea who you are. For all I know you could be some cheap gold digger, looking for a broken family to break up even more in order to get what you need. You could just be pretending that you don't know who Pascal and I are. And right now, you're not helping yourself." His tone was even and controlled and emotionless. I looked at him and took a few steps back, blown away by his words.

"Okay, go." I shouldn't be this hurt. I barely knew him. Hell, I barely knew Pascal and his family.

That was always like me. I was always doing something stupid like this. I would meet someone and feel a certain sense of comfort with them and find myself genuinely trusting them for some god awful reason and then I would become attached, like a leech. It was very easy for me to become attached to something, thinking that there was something there when there really wasn't. That's why I kept to myself. I had stupid problems like this. People with problems like mine get eaten alive in this world and it is best for me to just back up and stay out of the way.

I stood in complete silence as I watched Sidney grab his coat and bag. he slipped on his shoes quietly and exited the house by gently closing the door behind him. I stood in the hallway for a few seconds more before I made my way into the living room. I fell onto the couch and curled up, closing my eyes. I just wanted to stop thinking for a while.



"Manhattan...Manhattan." I felt my shoulders being rocked back and forth. I murmured out something before I rolled over and groaned once the light it my face. It seemed like every bone in body felt stiff and made out of cement. I looked up into the light to find and black spot that seemed to be getting closer. I rubbed my eyes tiredly before I blinked a couple of time. It was Pascal Dupuis who hovered over me.

I said nothing as I squinted my eyes, still trying to wake up and adjust to the light. He kept throwing me apologetic glances as I sat up and grabbed the back of my head. I tried to raise my other hand but found it to be trapped. Nestled between myself and the couch was Maeva who was still sleeping soundly. She must have climbed onto the couch with me last night. I gave the sleeping girl a soft smile before I turned back to her father.

"Grab your coat. I'll take you home." I nodded my head at him as I quickly but gently moved myself away from Maeva who continued to sleep soundly once I removed myself. I petted her soft brown hair once before I looked up to find Pascal giving me a fleeting smile. I didn't return it as I walked away from the couch and to the coat closet. I quickly slipped on my shoes and my heavy cream colored coat. I grabbed my purse from the knob and turned to face Pascal who was waiting with his car keys.

"I can walk to the bus station from here. I mean that's how I got here, then that is how I should go back." I told him with an amused look.

"No, no, it's okay. I'd rather drive. I've got some explaining to do anyway." I looked at him for a second longer before I let out a sigh and shook my head. He gave me a soft smile before turned and led the way to the door that went into the garage. As we walked through the hallway we just so happened to past the kitchen where I found Sidney leaning against the counter, reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee. As we passed by he glanced up. We locked eyes and he gave me dirty look, he shook his head and looked down. That just added more reasons for my decision I had made the previous night.

"Bye Sid." Pascal said over his shoulder.

"Ya, bye Sid." I couldn't help but let the sarcasm leak into my voice. He was expecting a gold digging, home wrecking girl, then I was going to give him a gold digging, home wrecking girl.

I slammed the garage door behind me and followed Pascal to his SUV. I got into the front seat and watched on awkwardly as he started the car. He let up the garage door, back out and let the door back down. It was quite as we drove through his small neighborhood. It was now or never.

"I'm really sorry about last night." He began.

"Don't worry about it because I quit. So, problem solved."

"What?" Pascal questioned, completely taken back by my statement. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Look Mr. Dupuis, you have a sweet family, you really do but it has been pointed out to me that there is something going on and I just don't want to get in the middle of that and I think its best that I just quit now." I told him, looking through the windshield with my arms crossed against my chest.

"Look, I'm sorry about last night, that really is out of the normal for me. I promise but I really need you." He pleaded with me. I took my bottom lip in between lip and said nothing as I continued to look ahead.

"I mean it, really. Because this is the first time since I started hiring nannies that Maeva hasn't called me crying or Kody isn't screaming for me in the background while Maeva and Zoe cried. This is the first time that I know that someone isn't using me to get to my teammates." Pascal said with an exasperated sigh.

"What is it that you exactly do...like job wise?" I questioned him breaking my moment of silence.

"I play for the Pittsburgh Penguins." The ice hockey team. Realization started to hit me. I remember a couple of nights before when that piece of paper hit me in the face, practically giving me a sign.

"Oh, okay."

"So you'll stay?" He questioned, his tone desperate. I weighed my options. This job did pay well and even before the drama I was enjoying myself with kids. This job was already beating my old job at the bar by a mile, what could I lose?

"Okay." I'd just have to stay far, far away from Sidney Crosby or should I say Sidney Crosby should stay far, far way from me.