It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

“Wait, let me get this straight,” the lisped voice on the other end of the phone seemed to have no interest in the conversation until it involved him. “You were in Chicago and the idea of calling me to grab a drink at the Pony never crossed your mind?”

Frustrated, Bristol rubbed her tired eyes, trying to keep her cool. “You haven’t been listening to anything I’ve said, have you?”

“No, not really. You’re relationship problems with Carcillo don’t interest me much.” She could hear Patrick Kane yawn in to the phone. After his admittance to not paying attention, she no longer felt bad for keeping him up past the eight o’clock bedtime his mom set for him. “I’m flattered you came to me for advice and not Jonathan.”

“I figured you’d be the expert on cheating boyfriends.”

“Ha, ha, Bristol made a funny. Alright, here’s what you can expect: if he just wants to have dinner and there’s nothing physical between you i.e, no hand-holding, kissing, hugging; he’s trying to dump you. Now, here’s the important thing, if he tries to force you into bed, all he wants you for sex and if he doesn’t push it when things do get physical, he’s in for the long haul.” Bristol never second guessed Patrick’s warnings. He had done it plenty of times. You would think if Patrick Kane told you someone isn’t good for you, you wouldn’t listen, but the man did have a sixth sense when it came to relationships and dating. Like Kris, Bristol only went to Pat during desperate times.

“And, if I were you, I would stay with Carcillo. Briere maybe a nice dude and all, but he’s… old.”

Bristol rolled her eyes, finally having enough of Patrick. There was only so much a person could take. “Goodbye, Patrick.”

Hanging up the hotel phone, Bristol brought her legs in to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees. The French doors were open and the sound of waves was soothing. Jeff had let her take the room with the ocean view; she owed him big time when they got back to Philly. The guys had left a little more than two hours ago to hit the populated bars. Bristol would have gone, but she wasn’t in the mood for partying. She was too tired and for some reason whenever she did go out with any of the guys, Bristol always felt the need to keep up with the amount of booze they took in. Cabo was meant to peaceful and relaxing; sitting out by the pool and drinking frozen drinks with paper umbrellas and exotic fruit. The idea of nursing a hangover and hanging her head in the toilet while she puked didn’t sound like a good time. Tomorrow, while Jeff, Mike and Dan were suffering in bed, Bristol would be laughing as she lounged in her black bikini and read from her book. A hot, sun-kissed pool boy would serve her drinks and rub tanning oil on her back when called for.

Swinging her legs off the bed, she walked out on to the balcony with just a few steps. Over head the sky was the clearest Bristol had ever seen it, and the waves reminded her of Chicago. The Lake Shore Drive apartment she had called home for eighteen months with Kris faced the Lake. After a tough loss, she and Kris would open the large front room window and watch the waves roll off the shore.

If it wouldn’t have been for Dan warning her several times before he left that she shouldn’t explore the foreign ground alone, she would have headed down and walked along the beach. Feeling the wet sand between her toes, the salty ocean air filling her lungs with every breath and a light breeze flowing through her hair. The only thing that would be missing was Dan’s fingers laced with hers.

Wrapping her fingers around the wrought-iron railing, Bristol dropped her head, telling herself to keep the tears in. This was supposed to be a vacation where she could forget about all the bull shit that had accumulated in Philadelphia and treat herself to some me-time. Instead, heavy thoughts of Danny and the boys weighed heavily in her mind. When she got back, there was possibility of breaking their hearts in two ways, not one.

In July she was heading back to The City to spend time with her youngest brother. Since the passing of Nick, her mother had informed Bristol of Sean’s sudden rebellion. He skipped class, missed curfew and stopped caring all together. It seemed her entire life began slipping through her fingers since she moved out to Philly. Maybe the move hadn’t been the best of ideas. Bristol knew she couldn’t say that. Without Kris’ trade, it would have never leaded her to Dan. So, with her missing half their summer, the last thing she wanted to tell Caelan, Carson and Cameron was she was moving back in with Dan. And, with July first only four weeks away, she would rather die than tell them she was packing up and moving out of Pennsylvania. Unless the Penguins picked Dan, and she knew that probably wasn’t a remote possibility.

In her dream world, Dan would sign with the Blackhawks. The chance to go home and—hopefully—finally have the chance to start a life with the man she loves.

---
Managing to balance three coffees, Bristol used her foot to knock on the door. Several seconds went by with no answer. It was noon; there was no way they could still be sleeping. Knocking again, Mike finally appeared in his boxers and his hair a mess. He looked like he had a long night. The tequila didn’t help him much. The glazed over look in his eyes made it clear his head was pounding and his stomach was churning.

“I come baring coffee.”

Taking a paper cup from her hand, Mike removed the lid, moving aside to let Bristol in. Lying on the sofa with the remote in his hand was Dan. He didn’t look as bad as Mike, but he was hung over, no doubt. Holding out a cup, Dan took it and sat up. Just looking at them reassured Bristol and her decision to stay home. It was day wasted; all they would do was lay around the hotel room, swallowing multiple Advil’s and avoiding certain foods and bright lights. She’d text them from the pool, send picture messages of girls lying out on the beach with their tops untied to avoid those stubborn tan lines.

She was already in her suit, noon had struck fifteen minutes ago and already she had been out in the sun for a couple of hours. “Did you just wake up?”

“Nope,” Dan mixed a few sugar packets. “I didn’t drink as much as Mike and Jeff. With Richie’s bum shoulder I was stuck carrying the princess you’re staying with back to the room. You were sound asleep by the time we got back last night.”

Hearing the sound of Mike snoring, Bristol and Dan looked over their shoulders. Sure enough, he had fallen asleep at the small, round table in the kitchenette. His head resting in the crease of his out-stretched arm. “Give me a minute to chance into my trunks and I’ll head to the pool with you.”

Bristol took the opportunity to lay down when Dan headed in to the bedroom. She was still tired and had fallen asleep out by the pool already that morning. If it hadn’t been for the fact her book covered her face, there was great chance it would have burned. Emerging several moments later with two beach towels draped over his shoulder, Dan grabbed his sunglasses from the table. Bristol placed a thin blanket over Mike’s shoulders, playfully kissing his cheek as she headed out.

“What do you say we head down to the beach?” Dan reached out for Bristol’s fingers with his own, tightly lacing them together. The feeling of their hands slipped in one another was one Dan had been longing since she left. They fit perfectly together, as if it were meant to be.

“I like that idea. Only, I can’t swim.” The highlight of the vacation was supposed to be the late night dips in the cold salt water.

They were able to find an open spot high enough up so the high-tide wouldn’t seep their towels away. Dan helped Bristol straighten hers; every time she’d fix one corner, the wind would fold it over again. Her frustration and curses to the wind were quite comical. When he finished rubbing her back with sunscreen, Bristol turned around and pressed her lips to the tattoo on his left peck. Even under the heat of the sun, she could feel him shutter.

Lying down on her stomach, Bristol rested her head on her hands. Dan did the same, but reached over to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear as the wind blew it in her eyes. She smiled and laughed, playfully tangling her legs with his.

“Have you given any more thought as to whether or not you’re moving back in?” Dan supported his weight with his elbows which were buried in the hot sand. The waves were loud and shadows of people walking past occasionally blocked out the sun.

“I have,” the look on his face read desperate. But that wasn’t the reason she had chosen the answer she did. “I’m going to stay with Kris…until July and the free-agent market opens. That way, we’re not forcing ourselves back into a hostile environment and hate each other.”

Staying with Kris until the news of a new city come to was for Bristol’s own sanity. Getting of Philly before they committed themselves 100% was the best thing Bristol could probably ever do for herself. At least then, Danny’s house would be just a short drive away. She’d actually have to grow up, deal with the regular relationship problems regular couples have.

“I’m really sorry, for everything, Bristol. What I did was wrong and by no means forgettable. But the fact you forgave me feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have never been so devastated in my life until I came home and saw you had packed your bags and left. I will never, ever put you through that experience again.”

The fact she had decided to move back in, and was still wearing the Tiffany earring he had given her several weeks ago, gave Dan a pang of hope that they would actually make it. At twenty-six, he was tired of living the high-speed life. The days of random hook-ups and pregnancy scares were getting old. He was a successful professional athlete—proving all his coaches wrong—and really had nothing to show for it. Dan wanted someone to come home to and not have to listen to bitching about the lengthy road trips. Bristol was the woman. He knew she’d never complain about games and she was the perfect girl to bring home so his mother would get off his back about marriage and grandchildren.

“And I am sorry for being a raging bitch and punching a giant hole in the wall.” Bristol laughed.

“Hey, I must admit it turned me more than when you talk dirty.” He embarrassed her. Blood quickly rose to the surface of Bristol’s cheeks, turning them rosy. Wrapping her fingers around the silver chair hanging from Dan’s neck, he laughed as she aggressively tugged; placing a delicious, sweet kiss on his lips.