Status: Uh....story kinda died. You can blame it on Bettman :P
While You Were Away
XLIV
I was looking at the Kings jerseys set up for sale inside the Staples Center as I waited for game time to get closer. I was looking at a Johnson jersey when I felt something hit my leg.
My eyebrows pulled together as I looked down and saw a small stuffed lion with a Kings jersey on it. I chuckled, picking it up as I turned to see Emily standing there, grinning as she held Junior in her arms.
"Gimme!" I rushed over, arms out as I waited to hold my nephew I hadn't seen in about a month. Emily chuckled and handed him over. I held up his lion and he reached for it, a smile making its way to his face.
"So you're pretty much completely healed?" Emily asked, looking me over and I nodded, looking up from messing with Junior. "Good."
"Yep. So, ready for your team to get their asses handed to them tonight?" I said with a smirk and she shook her head.
"Watch it, you might jinx them."
"Jinx the WIngs? Noooo.. Is dad going to be here?" I asked, glancing around at the nearly barron concourse.
"No, he's in Indiana for business."
"What the hell is in Indiana? Other than James Dean's hometown.."
"You would still know random stuff about him.. But I don't know. So how'd you celebrate the birthday?" Our birthday had been eleven days prior to the game. We had talked but not for long.
"Val took me out to dinner before the game. We got home and I guess Darren and Abby had set up a surprise party for me," I said and Emily laughed.
"Aww, they're so good to you," She said and I nodded, looking down at Junior again.
"What about you? Do anything special?"
"Not really. Jack made dinner so I could just relax, but other than that, we just stayed home with this little guy," She said, smiling as her son grabbed onto her finger.
"He's so big," I said, shifting his weight a little.
"Want me to take him back?"
"No," I said, turning slightly so she couldn't get him. She let out a laugh as she reached out to readjust the pacifier in his mouth.
-
Emily and I sat in our seats, watching the clock tick down the final seconds of overtime. Both teams had scored three goals and it was looking like the guys were going to have to go into a shoot out. I groaned.
"Come ON!" I complained and Emily laughed, watching as Jack too a shot that Jimmy caught in his glove and tossed it over to Hank. I watched as he set up Val to take it to the Kings territory but the clock ran down before he had time to take a shot.
"Who do you think Babcock is going to send out for the shoot out?" Emily asked, looking over at me as the teams left the ice so the zamboni could clear it for the SO. I shrugged, glancing at the bench.
"Tuzzi for sure. Maybe Hank. I don't know who else," I said, hoping that he would send Todd out so he could use one of his trademark moves and help us win the game.
-
I watched as Kopitar skated out to center ice, waiting until he could take his shot. Once he was given the okay, he built up speed quickly before releasing the shot. It hit Jimmy square in the chest as he followed Kopi's movements. Half the crowd groaned and half cheered. I bit my lip as I watched Abby approach center ice. Same thing happened, Quick followed Justin's movements easily and caught the puck before it even had a chance to get near the net.
My eyes moved to the Kings bench as Emily and I watched Jack make his way to center ice to get ready for his shot.
"Wasn't expecting him to go," I mumbled, watching as he approached Jimmy cooly, sending a shot right next to his head. This time, the Kings fans cheered loudly while the Wings fans all groaned. I glanced at Emily to see a smirk on her face as she cheered along. I shook my head as I watched Val make his way to center ice.
"Hm. Wonder if Babs did that on purpose," Emily mused and I laughed, watching as Val skated towards Quick, handling the puck smoothly before shooting it straight into the five hole. I gasped and cheered upon seeing he had tied it up.
"...who's next?" I asked quietly, not seeing anyone making a move for the Kings next shot.
"Drew." Emily stated, watching as he left the bench. I held my breath as he sped towards Jimmy. He took a shot but it hit the goalpost, bouncing back with a loud clank and I felt excitement bubble up inside me.
"If we get this...we win," I said quietly as I looked over at Emily. She glanced at me before giving me a shove, both of us laughing as we watched Todd get ready to take his shot.
Everyone watched with baited breath as he lazily skated towards Quick, going as far to the left as he could before making his way in front of Quick. He quickly passed the puck between his legs to himself before lifting it so he went sailing past Quicks glove. I stared for a minute before just shaking my head.
"Remind me to kick his ass later," Emily said as I cheered along with the rest of the crowd, laughing at my sister. "You guys are stopping by later, right?"
"Of course. We're going to get a cab tomorrow night so we can get to Anahiem in time to get to the hotel and then there's practice the next morning."
My eyebrows pulled together as I looked down and saw a small stuffed lion with a Kings jersey on it. I chuckled, picking it up as I turned to see Emily standing there, grinning as she held Junior in her arms.
"Gimme!" I rushed over, arms out as I waited to hold my nephew I hadn't seen in about a month. Emily chuckled and handed him over. I held up his lion and he reached for it, a smile making its way to his face.
"So you're pretty much completely healed?" Emily asked, looking me over and I nodded, looking up from messing with Junior. "Good."
"Yep. So, ready for your team to get their asses handed to them tonight?" I said with a smirk and she shook her head.
"Watch it, you might jinx them."
"Jinx the WIngs? Noooo.. Is dad going to be here?" I asked, glancing around at the nearly barron concourse.
"No, he's in Indiana for business."
"What the hell is in Indiana? Other than James Dean's hometown.."
"You would still know random stuff about him.. But I don't know. So how'd you celebrate the birthday?" Our birthday had been eleven days prior to the game. We had talked but not for long.
"Val took me out to dinner before the game. We got home and I guess Darren and Abby had set up a surprise party for me," I said and Emily laughed.
"Aww, they're so good to you," She said and I nodded, looking down at Junior again.
"What about you? Do anything special?"
"Not really. Jack made dinner so I could just relax, but other than that, we just stayed home with this little guy," She said, smiling as her son grabbed onto her finger.
"He's so big," I said, shifting his weight a little.
"Want me to take him back?"
"No," I said, turning slightly so she couldn't get him. She let out a laugh as she reached out to readjust the pacifier in his mouth.
-
Emily and I sat in our seats, watching the clock tick down the final seconds of overtime. Both teams had scored three goals and it was looking like the guys were going to have to go into a shoot out. I groaned.
"Come ON!" I complained and Emily laughed, watching as Jack too a shot that Jimmy caught in his glove and tossed it over to Hank. I watched as he set up Val to take it to the Kings territory but the clock ran down before he had time to take a shot.
"Who do you think Babcock is going to send out for the shoot out?" Emily asked, looking over at me as the teams left the ice so the zamboni could clear it for the SO. I shrugged, glancing at the bench.
"Tuzzi for sure. Maybe Hank. I don't know who else," I said, hoping that he would send Todd out so he could use one of his trademark moves and help us win the game.
-
I watched as Kopitar skated out to center ice, waiting until he could take his shot. Once he was given the okay, he built up speed quickly before releasing the shot. It hit Jimmy square in the chest as he followed Kopi's movements. Half the crowd groaned and half cheered. I bit my lip as I watched Abby approach center ice. Same thing happened, Quick followed Justin's movements easily and caught the puck before it even had a chance to get near the net.
My eyes moved to the Kings bench as Emily and I watched Jack make his way to center ice to get ready for his shot.
"Wasn't expecting him to go," I mumbled, watching as he approached Jimmy cooly, sending a shot right next to his head. This time, the Kings fans cheered loudly while the Wings fans all groaned. I glanced at Emily to see a smirk on her face as she cheered along. I shook my head as I watched Val make his way to center ice.
"Hm. Wonder if Babs did that on purpose," Emily mused and I laughed, watching as Val skated towards Quick, handling the puck smoothly before shooting it straight into the five hole. I gasped and cheered upon seeing he had tied it up.
"...who's next?" I asked quietly, not seeing anyone making a move for the Kings next shot.
"Drew." Emily stated, watching as he left the bench. I held my breath as he sped towards Jimmy. He took a shot but it hit the goalpost, bouncing back with a loud clank and I felt excitement bubble up inside me.
"If we get this...we win," I said quietly as I looked over at Emily. She glanced at me before giving me a shove, both of us laughing as we watched Todd get ready to take his shot.
Everyone watched with baited breath as he lazily skated towards Quick, going as far to the left as he could before making his way in front of Quick. He quickly passed the puck between his legs to himself before lifting it so he went sailing past Quicks glove. I stared for a minute before just shaking my head.
"Remind me to kick his ass later," Emily said as I cheered along with the rest of the crowd, laughing at my sister. "You guys are stopping by later, right?"
"Of course. We're going to get a cab tomorrow night so we can get to Anahiem in time to get to the hotel and then there's practice the next morning."