The Ice Life

"SON OF A CC SABATHIA!"

Everyone's heads whipped upwards in the conference room they were sitting in, Sam raising her eyebrows and turning her eyes from her laptop screen to the closed door. "Did she just use a baseball reference in a hockey arena?"

Kim rolled her eyes as heels could clearly be heard clacking loudly, and quickly, down the concrete floors of the arena towards the door to the conference room. Sam looked at the ceiling and began counting out loud, bracing herself for the moment the doors to the room would burst open and the ranting would begin.

"3, 2, 1-"

"TALBOT TO THE FLYERS?! IS HE MENTAL?!"

Mallory burst into the room, sending the double doors flying in both directions and slamming against the walls heavily making everyone jump. She walked over to the table Kim, Sam, Caitlin, and a couple of the other reporters and crew were sitting at while glaring at her phone, scrolling through various articles with a scowl on her face.

"Thought you would have heard by now." Kim had her head lying on the desk with her eyes closed, monotone voice clarifying the news Mallory had just screamed out. Mallory looked over at her from her standing position next to Sam and narrowed her eyes, Sam looking down to the floor and cringing at Mallory's choice in footwear. "Was it necessary to wear fuck-me heels to work when we don't even have a game or anything today?"

Mallory whipped her head down to glare at the shortest member of the group when she saw someone walk past the door of the room out of the corner of her eye, whipping her attention to them and pointing a finger. "Craig Fucking Adams!"

Craig stopped mid-step in the hallway and turned his head towards the room, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Mallory smiled innocently and walked over to him, crossing her arms and standing almost face to face with him. "Why would you not tell me that Maxime went to Philadelphia?"

Craig crossed his own arms and chewed his lip, looking up at the ceiling. "Well, for one, I didn't want you to verbally wring my neck. And second, I thought you, of all people, would know."

Mallory stared at him as Sam laughed behind them, snorting as she continued to type on her laptop. "Verbally wring your neck. That's a good one-"

"Shut up, shorty." Mallory turned around and smirked, seeing the blonde turn towards her and glare.

"How many times have I told all of you to-"

"We know, we know." Kim groaned loudly as she buried her face deeper in her crossed arms, Mallory rolling her eyes from her position next to Craig. "I told you to take six Advil this morning. That would have made that headache go away."

Kim peeked an eye out from behind her arm and glared. "Wouldn't have helped. The arena's so goddam bright it's like we all died and went to heaven-"

"We all know we're going on the nonstop train straight to hell," Sam looked over at Caitlin and smiled. "Except you because you're the only Saint here."

Caitlin sent an appreciative smile towards Sam and nodded her head. "Thank you."

"Can I go? I've got some things to do." Craig stretched his arms above his head and Mallory sighed, nodding in his direction. "Yeah."

He waved at everyone before turning and heading back down the hallway, leaving Mallory to lean against the door frame to the room. "Anyone actually know why we're here today when there's no-"

"HELLO!"

Mallory jumped and lost her balance on her heels, falling forward with a scream and landing on the floor next to Sam as Ray Shero came into view behind her. He looked down and scrunched his eyebrows together, watching as Mallory glared at him while Sam helped her to her feet.

"Sorry about that, Mallory." Mallory sent one nod toward Ray as she brushed off the front of her jeans, crossing her arms as she stood next to Sam's chair.

"I've got your assignments for today. You all didn't think I had called you in for nothing, did you?" Ray laughed as Kim held the urge to roll her eyes, mumbling to herself. "Actually, that's what we all thought-"

"We're having a bit of a media day with both a couple of our Pittsburgh Penguins and a couple of different athletes from around the different leagues." Ray smiled at the group as everyone stared at him, wondering if they heard him correctly.

"You're not bringing in the criminal league athletes are you?" Mallory raised an eyebrow at Ray as she mumbled under her breath, Kim snorting as Caitlin glared at Mallory for stereotyping football and basketball players. Ray seemed to have not heard her comment and continued.

"They're doing an ad campaign together for various animal shelters." Caitlin ruffled through the papers in her hands and then looked up at Ray with a concerned expression. "I'm sure I'm not the only one that thought this, but, I'm not one to really know that much about any other sports besides hockey and football."

Ray shook his head a few times and smiled at her. "Don't worry about that. The entire event is focused around the animals that need homes, so no outstanding sports knowledge is needed."

Caitlin, Sam, and a few of the other journalists sighed as Kim slowly closed her eyes once again, not even giving the packet one glance through. Mallory, on the other hand, stood off to the side next to Sam and crumpled the paper in her hands, smiling wildly with a dreamy look in her eyes. "Does my mind deceive me, or are two of my favorite sports coming together in harmony like unicorns dancing on rainbows?"

Everyone slowly turned to look at Mallory as Kim's eyes opened and she turned her head to look at her friend, an eyebrow raised. "What the fuck did you eat this morning? Fucking fun flakes?"

Mallory shot her gaze to Kim and placed her hands on her hips. "No, and obviously you didn't either."

Kim glared harshly at the tall brunette as Ray slipped towards the door, waving at everyone before leaving the room before the arguments started up. Caitlin looked at the two who looked as if they would pummel each other at any minute and stood up, walking over to Mallory and grabbing her arm. "Alright, what do you say we go look over what we need to do for the media day today, huh?"

Caitlin didn't wait for an answer as she pulled Mallory from the room, Kim glaring at her the entire way as Sam continued to type away on her laptop, attempting to ignore the negative vibe.

~**~

"She ain't no rock star but she got groupies, she ain't no actress but she make movies, and when she struts that thing around, everybody be breaking they neck like, who dat girl? Who dat girl? Who dat girl?"

Mallory danced around one of the tables set off to the side where food had been placed for the event, Sam shaking her hips as she held a white kitten in her arms.

"She ain’t got riches, but she’s got fashion, she ain’t a model, but camera’s flashing, and when she struts that thing around, everybody be breaking their neck like, who dat girl? Who dat girl? Who dat girl?"

A couple of the Penguins walked into the large, open room and looked around, Kim walking in behind them with a few props for the photo shoot.

"Shake it, Nealer!" Mallory laughed loudly as she danced past James, hitting him in the shoulder with her hand. He smirked and strolled up to her, grabbing her around the waist and spinning them both around. The puppies that had been following Mallory and Sam around barked happily at the two, causing Kim to look back at the two who looked as though they were about to knock over a few of the cameras.

"What the hell are you two doing? Auditioning for Swan Lake?!" James stopped spinning mid step and stared at Kim, causing Mallory to lose her balance and fall forward, slamming her hands into James' chest to help slow the fall. Both fell to the ground with a thud and were immediately bombarded by a few of the puppies.

"You guys look like you're a fun bunch."

A few men stepped through the large doors to the room and everyone turned to look, Mallory lifting herself from the floor and walking towards them. Caitlin stared at the men for a moment before realizing who one of them was, her eyes going wide as she noticed Mallory walking towards him.

"Well, if it isn't Tom fucking Brady. You're real courageous for even stepping foot in this city you son of a-"

"It's so nice to see all of you made it!" Caitlin stepped in front of Mallory, stopping her mid-sentence, and smiling at the bunch, Tom Brady left standing at the front of the group in shock.

"It's an honor to be invited." Hines Ward walked in front of Tom and stuck a hand out, shaking both Mallory's and Caitlin's hands, Derek Jeter stepping forward as well.

"The party is here!"

Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked towards the doors again, a man with a thick beard and another man stepped through, the man with the beard smirking with his arms raised. Mallory crossed her arms and glared. "Who does he think he is?"

"Uh oh, Mallory doesn't like when somebody else steals the thunder." Sam laughed softly as she continued to pet the white kitten in her arms. Kim shook her head in annoyance as the other baseball player walked over to the girls.

"I wouldn't pay any attention to him. He's been acting like a frat boy all morning." He looked over at the bearded man and shook his head, Sam and Caitlin laughing lightly.

"Nice to see they invited a Pirate to this thing. And a Pittsburgh native at that." Mallory walked forward and stuck her hand out towards the man, shaking his hand lightly when he accepted. "Nice to meet you, Neil Walker. I'm Mallory, and these three are Sam, Caitlin, and Kim."

Neil smiled and waved at them. "It's nice to be recognized once in a while. Nice to meet you all-"

"I don't think we've met." Neil was quickly interrupted by the bearded man who strolled forward and shook Mallory's hand vigorously. "I'm Brian Wilson, the greatest man you will ever meet."

Mallory glared at him and pulled her hand swiftly away from his grasp, crossing her arms. "If you weren't making millions of dollars in the major leagues, I'd tell you where to stick that title-"

"Feisty, and it's nice to see that kind of mouth on a girl for once." Brian grinned widely at Mallory as she clenched her jaw, Sam on the verge of full-blown laughter.

"Does he know she's dating a very angry, jealous hockey player?" Caitlin whispered to Kim worriedly as Kim shook her head, rolling her eyes. "I can only pray that that buffoon of a boyfriend comes stomping in here and it turns into WWE in the middle of the room."

Caitlin stared at Kim as she smirked, crossing her arms and watching as Mallory turned her back to the pitcher. There was a large thud coming from the open doors and everyone turned to look, Marc Savard walking through with Steven Stamkos behind him.

"Where's the imbecile?" Caitlin gasped and hit Kim in the arm as Marc chuckled, walking over towards them. "He's-"

"I have arrived, my sweet!" Before Marc could answer Kim, Milan came bounding through the doors with his arms raised, his head darting back and forth. He caught sight of Mallory and then smirked, strolling over to her. "It's been-"

"Who are you?" Brian looked over at Milan as he stopped in front of Mallory, glaring at the pitcher and crossing his arms. "I should be asking you the same thing."

"I'm Brian Wilson and I was just about to ask this pretty girl out to dinner-"

"The fuck you are." Milan snarled at Brian and pushed Mallory gently out of the way, getting in the pitcher's face.

"Look, Kim. You might actually get your wish." Caitlin sighed as she watched the two argue, all of the other athletes standing back and watching awkwardly. Mallory watched the two for a moment and then crossed her arms, rolling her eyes and walking towards Marc.

"How's the concussion been?" Marc looked over at Mallory and shrugged, continuing to watch Milan and Brian face off.

"It's been slow. Better than it was in the beginning." He looked back at her and smiled, Mallory chuckling. "At least Cookie's a changed man now. No more flying Matt Cooke elbows."

Marc laughed lightly and then nodded, opening his mouth to reply when a loud crash echoed through the building. Both Mallory and Marc looked over to where the sound had come from and saw Sam holding two silver trays in her hands, continuing to bang them together as she stood next to Brian and Milan.

"You two are a bunch of spoiled little angry baboons! Stop fighting like you're in high school!" Sam smashed the trays together once more before slamming one into Milan's shoulder and the other into Brian's shoulder. She stood back and then crossed her arms, glaring at the two as they rubbed their shoulders.

"Hey, I'm just putting this guy in his place and telling him not to try and make any moves on my woman-"

"She deserves better than some jealous, testosterone driven hockey moron!" Milan gasped in horror and then glared at the pitcher, walking forward and poking him in the chest. "Listen here, buddy-"

"STOP!"

Everyone froze as Caitlin walked forward and screamed at the two with all of the strength she could muster up, scowling at both of them. "We're here for a photo shoot to benefit the poor animals in shelters and you two have the nerve to bring violence into all of this?!"

Milan and Brian stared at Caitlin as she seethed at them, Kim walking towards her and chuckling. "Okay, time to get you into a room where you can cool down away from all of this chaos."

She grabbed Caitlin around the shoulders and led her into one of the makeup rooms, closing the door behind her. Mallory sighed lightly and turned towards Milan, shooting him a look. "As much as I love violence, blood, and shit blowing up...she's right. You guys need to put whatever it is you two can't agree on-"

"He hit on you!"

"-aside and just work together on this photo shoot." Mallory ignored Milan's outburst and kept her gaze on him, Looch finally sighing loudly and throwing his arms up. "Fine."

Sam stared at everyone and then laughed, looking over to where the other athletes were standing awkwardly.

"Very nice introductions, no?"

~**~

"If you break that damn table because you like to slam things down on it I will make sure you buy a new, more expensive one!"

Mallory's scream echoed through their shared apartment as Sam walked into the kitchen, snorting loudly as she grabbed a bag of Cheeto's out of one of the cabinets. "Calm yourself. My purse isn't even half as big as yours and I'm positive I don't have anything heavy enough to leave a scratch on the table."

Mallory eyed the blonde as she walked down the hallway to her room, grabbing a pair of tennis shoes before walking back into the main room. All of the athletes and personalities were given a two hour break after the first wave of photos. Mallory and Sam had decided to go back to the apartment and grab some food to go.

"Might as well head back. Took an hour and a half to drive back here just so you could have your damn Cheeto's."

Sam glared at her as she munched on more of the cheesy snacks. "The ones from the gas station wouldn't have tasted the same-"

"For goodness sake, yes they would have! And do you know how fattening these are?" Mallory swiped the bag from Sam's surprised form and threw them back in the cabinet, Sam glaring at her as she walked towards the door. "I'm a swimmer in the off season! I burn calories like it's nothing!"

"Good for you, you lucky son of a Tuukka Rask!" Sam rolled her eyes as she heard Mallory start up the car, grabbing the Cheeto's back out of the cabinet and running down towards the car.

"Don't get crumbs all over the interior." Mallory scowled at the thought of having to clean cheese dust out of the carpet as Sam waved her off, clicking her seat belt into place and then shoving a hand into the bag. "Don't be such a worrying Wanda."

"You know, sometimes I wonder how the whole apartment stays spotless when you go around eating in every room like a zoo animal that has nothing to do all day." Mallory glanced at Sam out of the corner of her eye as she drove down the parkway towards the arena, Sam rolling her eyes as she munched on her food.

"It's because you're OCD. You clean pretty much every day-"

"Well, if I didn't clean you'd all be living in a-"

Before the sentence could leave Mallory's mouth, a large SUV careened over the center island dividing the lanes, slamming into the front end of Mallory's Hummer.