Obligated Hockey.

Patting down his suit he paced the large circle trying to ignore the concerned gazes of all his team mates following him. He was grateful they had stayed to support and possibly, as Geno and Staalsy had stated, scare her away. Yet there presence was ominous, if he decided to run they would be witness to his cowardly moment. He didn’t want that. He was their captain he was supposed to be strong and stand up in the face of all challenges.

“She’s here.” Sidney stopped and looked up terrified as they opened the door and let a tall, slender, super model, blonde hair, caramel eyed, and well posed woman. She was stunning, Sidney had to give her that and she held a presence he would want in a WAG: Professional, clean cut, and elegant. In all that beauty, elegance, and pose all he saw was a demon come from the bowels of hell to torment his life and cause the return of his head aches.

“I’m Ellie.” She stated. Holding a perfectly manicured hand out to him she gave a picture perfect smile. They really did know how to pick a fake girlfriend, he had to give them that.

“Why?” Was all he managed as he stared at her hand six or seven feet away from him. She stared startled almost as if she was offended he was questioning her instead of simply accepting her.

“My father thought it’d be best if I helped you when he heard of the idea instead of a total stranger.” She stated simply. Posed, and rehearsed. Sidney knew the cues and the points. She was designed for media and it clicked. She was the daughter of big time tycoon Roger Ellis in town. Ellie Ellis. The perfect little heiress. Always volunteering, never getting in trouble, and never a bad or wrong thing to say. Someone had pulled some big strings for this and he was going to try his damnest to make it pointless.

“So, what is this to you?” He asked a bit roughly. “Sorry, I’m not entirely open to this, I just found out.” He added at her completely offended features. Her smile returned as she nodded slowly and a dainty laugh echoed from her thin lips.

“I think this is helping a friend, and a city hero out.” She stated perfectly. Rehearsed was all his mind screamed and he couldn’t let it go. He didn’t want a rehearsed girlfriend how would that help him out? It was only surely bring the headaches back. “I also think…” She trailed off as a dog bounded in past her, nearly knocking her to the ground. “Milo?” She asked startled. “Why is…Milo,” The dog barked and turned to her as it moved around the room wildly. “Milo return to master.” She stated quickly. The dog simply took interest in Marc-Andre who was more than too eager to pet the small bouncy dog. “Return to master.” She stated a bit rougher.

“I’m sorry.” The softest and sweetest voice Sidney had ever heard ghosted through the room and made him bite his bottom lip. “I couldn’t hold him.” His eyes found the source as it moved towards the door, hand out stretched showing large bleeding cuts. “I want Thor back.” She added sounding sad and broken.

“Monroe!” Ellie gasped grabbing hold of the small, slender, and curvy brunette. She was thee most beautiful woman Sidney had ever laid eyes upon with her long just past her breast dark brown hair, her full plump lips, cute little button nose, her round perky breast hiding under her thin grey sweater, her rounded hips and thigh and long slender legs wrapped up like two pretty presents in her worn looking skinny jeans, yet it was her eyes the fascinated him. They were the most stunning blue he’d ever seen and her pupil was a dull grey as her gaze seemed to focus past him making him. “What happened?” Ellie snapped, sounding irritated.

“I followed like you said,” Monroe stated softly. “And Milo started tugging, I tried to hold on but the leash just dug in and…I lost him.” She added sounding frail though she stood tall looking stronger than Ellie despite being half the size. “He’s still too much of a puppy. I just want Thor back. I can’t use Milo.”

“He’s a service dog!” Marc-Andre pointed out as he shifted the vest.

“This is my sister, Monroe.” Sidney felt his conscious internally kick him. He was interested in his fake girlfriend’s sister. That was going to go over great whether he went through with this whole fake girlfriend thing or not.

The whole team greeted her, clearly a little more happy and interested in Ellie’s sister as well. Sidney couldn’t deny it either.

“Are you training him?” Marc-Andre asked curiously. “Aw you’re so damn cute!!” He yelled scooping the small lab up and hugging him into his chest. He began making sounds to the squirming dog.

“He’s supposed to be trained.” Both girls sighed. Sidney glanced at the clearly untrained puppy.

“I told you he wasn’t.” Monroe stated softly. She curled her hands inward and felt the cuts on them as she looked to the ground.

“Thor wasn’t trained either.” Ellie stated, hands on her hips. Monroe looked up with confused and drawn brows.

“Yes he was. How can a dog not be trained after a year of use?” Monroe’s case sounded a little more sound than Ellie’s did. Though suddenly Sidney’s mind was trying to figure out if he’d ever heard of a Monroe Ellis, he was sure he should have if she was in fact the daughter of big tycoon. Yet his mind couldn’t place an article, or news report, an online post, or any sort of information regarding another daughter besides Ellie. He could recall reports of brothers, three of them, what their names were escaped him but not another daughter.

“Aren’t you supposed to train him to be a service dog?” Sidney asked confused. Both girls looked at him. “Wouldn’t that be the point of having him?” Shrugging he looked between the two women. Ellie gave him a kind smile that looked oddly fake as Monroe gave a soft giggle and actually smiled. He liked her smile, she had cute dimples to go with it.

“No. I’m not training him. I’m using him.” Monroe stated simply. “I’m blind.” The room went cold at those two little words. Sidney swallowed roughly.

“I’m sorry.” He stuttered. “I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to offend.” He added quickly. Monroe giggled a touch more at him and he could feel his neck begin to heat up.

“You didn’t. Don’t worry. It’s not the most obvious thing in the world.” She said kindly. Nodding Sidney glanced around the room at his teammates who looked just as stunned and awkwardly out of place as he felt. He was grateful he wasn’t the only one. “So what friend of yours are we meeting?” Monroe asked directing her attention back to her sister.

“Sidney.” He stopped, mind and body frozen, at Ellie’s simple words as his eyes darted up to her wide and surprised. Monroe seemed to hum in surprise as well. “Right Sid?” Ellie asked. He could hear the tone in her voice telling him to agree or suffer.

The hair on the back of his neck tingled and stood on end in warning. Ellie’s sweet and kind ways were all trained and forced like his media voice and attitude after a hard loss, it wasn’t real and it was to hide the ugly truth under it. The part of him that wanted to throw and yell, and scream, and make an ass out of himself after a hard loss, but no Ellie’s was all day every day to hide something just as bad in her character as his way of taking a loss.

“Right.” He managed to choke out. “I didn’t realize I was meeting someone else…” He trailed off slowly at the slightly hard gaze she sent him. Clearing his throat he stood up tall and worried his bottom lip. Monroe seemed to catch his uncertainty in his voice as she tipped her head slightly at his words. Adjusting his suit he licked his lips, grateful Monroe couldn’t see how uncomfortable and what a mess he looked like at that moment. He wasn’t sure why he felt that way either, sure she was pretty but she was the sister of Satan’s spawn.

Catching himself he took in a deep breath. He had no right to think of Ellie that way, even if the whole fake girlfriend slash real girlfriend thing was not what he wanted in anyway by any mean at the moment with Ellie. Hockey was what he wanted and he could clearly see Ellie changing his routine and rituals before and after every game or practice.

With what he could remember Ellie had a knock for always being in every paper. She was out for the lime light and she’d get more of it attached to his hip. She wasn’t here to help him, she was helping herself.

“Ellie didn’t bring anyone else.” Monroe stated softly, confused. Sidney mentally swore. Ellie had brought her handicapped sister with her to make him feel more obligated to start the lying, and the show for their fake relationship.

Ellie was fucking good.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean it that way.” Sidney stated quickly, trying to sound sincere. “I had to meet someone else earlier. I wasn’t planning on meeting anyone else today but it’s an honor Monroe.” Monroe’s cheeks seemed to flush ever so slightly and it took all he had not to smirk at the sight. He liked making her blush, she was cute when she blushed.

“You figured you’d be used to randomly meeting people.” Ellie stated, sounding proud of herself. Sidney glanced at her for a minute and bit back the glare he was almost hell bent on sending her. He didn’t want to make a total ass of himself or piss of Roger Ellis’s little princess. He knew if he did she’d go home to dad and complain and cry, dad would turn around and give Mario and ear full, and Mario would not only give Sidney an ear full but might just beat the crap out of him if Ellie convinced dear ol’ dad to pull his sponsorship in the team out. Mario would kill him for that.

“Most days, yes. Practice days, such as today, not as much as you’d think.” He responded coolly. Ellie only shifted her weight an eyed him like a prized dog. He was jumping through hoops and parading around like a little well trained dog for her already and she was proud of the fact and he was sick to his stomach due to the fact.

The loud bark made him jump as his muscled locked up. Spinning he looked at Marc-Andre giving a sheepish smile still holding Monroe’s service dog. Slowly setting the animal down at the looks he was getting he let out a soft whistle to try and prove his innocence.

“You scared the crap out of me.” Sidney hushed, hand over his chest.

“It’s not my fault.” Marc-Andre huffed. “I don’t control him!” He added like a child.

“I’m so getting Vero to kick your ass later.” Letang stated simply from next to the now floundering Goalie. Sidney smiled at the two as they began to argue in French about why or why not Vero should be involved in the situation.

“Guys.” Both stopped as the HR’s snap. Both shut their mouths and glanced at Sidney for guidance. Sidney took in a deep breath as he looked at Ellie. She was watching him like a hawk. Suddenly he felt like a piece of meat and she was the predator, or like a toy in the bottom of the claw machine and she was the determined little kid to get it. She’d put as much time in, or as many coins as needed to get or hunt him down and claim him as a meal or a prize. He didn’t much like the feeling of it. “So Ellie,” She gave the man a sharp look shutting him up before she looked back at Sidney with a dark twinkle in her eye and a smirk on her thin lips.

Swallowing he looked at his team for help. Capitan or not, he needed help on this one because he wasn’t sure if saying no, or running like hell, would help him any. He’d just die tongue tied or tired. Her smirk grew as if she could feel his resolve melting away out of pure fear and placed one hand on her hip.

Sidney Patrick Crosby was a dead man, or better yet he was now, by force and lack of will-power, a boyfriend. It sounded more binding than a legal document to him.