Stay With Me

"Look at you!" Eric Staal yelled as he saw his soon-to-be sister-in-law walk up the driveway of his house in Raleigh. "You're huge!"

"I'm only four months, jerk!" Ellie laughed, hitting his shoulder. "I just look like I put on weight!"

"In your uterus?" Eric laughed, hugging her tightly but being extra careful of her belly. Ellie had come to realize that all the Staal boys were weird around pregnant women. They were all very careful and gentle , almost afraid of their own strength.

Ellie pinched Eric's rock hard belly, as if it would do something to him, as she hugged him. Jordan walked up behind them, carrying a few overnight bags. Jordan was so strict about Ellie not doing anything like carrying things. When she got groceries he was there with her to carry everything.

"Thanks for letting us stay here tonight, E," Jordan nodded, putting both overnight bags in his one hand so he could hug his brother.

"No problem," Eric smiled, leading them inside. "You guys can stay as long as you need."

"At the most it will be two nights," Jordan stated, putting the bags down on the floor by his feet while he took off his shoes. "The contractors have been really quick with the house."

"Have you seen it?" Eric asked Ellie, keeping his hand out to catch her if she toppled over while taking her shoes off.

"Not yet," Ellie smiled, placing her shoes by the front door. She stood up straight and rubbed her small belly. "But I have seen pictures and it looks amazing. I am so excited to finally be there and make it a home!"

"Hopefully with pastries," Jordan mumbled, rubbing her back. Ellie laughed and bumped her hip against his.

After the Pens lost in the playoffs Jordan had agreed to the trade to Carolina. He was ready to no longer deal with Pittsburgh. He loved the city with all his heart, and he would be forever grateful for the support he received from the fans, the team and everyone else. But the drama with Sid and Tess was too much for him and he didn't want to put Ellie through that again, especially while pregnant.

Jordan had talked to Sid, letting him know before anyone else knew that he was leaving with Ellie to North Carolina to join the Hurricanes with his brother. Jordan was concerned about taking Ellie away from her mother and her friends during this pivotal moment in her life, but she had assured him that she was fine and that she had Tanya.

"Hi!" Tanya smiled, coming down the stairs. "Sorry! I would have been down earlier, but I was putting the baby down for a nap."

Tanya took Ellie in her arms, hugging her tightly before rubbing her small belly when they pulled apart. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good!" Ellie smiled. "I'm pretty much over the morning sickness now. Thankfully."

"That was brutal," Jordan stated."It was all the time and at random times. She got sick in the grocery store once."

"I got sick at a game once," Tanya laughed. "Threw up into my empty bag of popcorn."

"I remember that!" Eric laughed loudly. "You were so mad at me when I came home that night."

"Are you guys hungry at all?" Tanya asked, leading them into the kitchen.

"Not after that story," Jordan mumbled, looking at Eric. Eric laughed and nodded at his younger brother.

"Well, I could definitely eat," Ellie smiled at Tanya, rubbing her hands together. Jordan laughed and kissed her forehead before heading out and sitting on the back deck with Eric for a little bit.

"How are things?" Eric asked as they sat on the deck and stared out at his vast backyard.

"Things are good," Jordan stated with a nod. "Things feel so much better now that we are out of Pittsburgh and away from the whole Tess and Sid drama. It's better for us both to be here. It all feels lighter, even."

"She's happy?"

"She is," Jordan nodded. "It's so great to see her so happy and at ease. The move, the baby, the engagement it's now all coming together and she's happy, man. And I can see it on her face."

"That's good," Eric nodded. "I know you guys loved it in Pittsburgh, I mean that's like her hometown, but it wasn't good for you two to be there any longer. Especially with a baby on the way. Speaking of, do we know what it is yet?"

"We have an appointment with a doctor here in about three days and we are going to find out what the baby is," Jordan smiled. "We wanted to wait until we were here and somewhat settled in."

"What do you want it to be?" Eric asked, settling into his chair.

"I want it to like me," Jordan laughed. "If I'm being honest. I'm just scared the kid won't like me."

"I think every dad has that fear, you know?" Eric replied. "We're all scared our kids are king to like their moms better. I mean, how could they not? But I think especially with us playing hockey, there could be that fear that they feel like we're abandoning them."

"That's what I don't want," Jordan sighed. "I'm so scared I'll just get into my own head and forget about the baby, you know? Sometimes I did that with Ellie I'd just get so caught up in everything I was doing the tI would forget to call her."

"You will never forget your kid," Eric smiled. "Trust me. Once you have a kid it's like the world makes sense. You realize that your life has lead to this moment. Remember that feeling of winning the Cup? It's better than that."

"I don't know, man," Jordan laughed, joking.

"The first moment you hold your kid it's like everything just connects," Eric smiled. "Nothing is the same after."

"I kind of want a boy," Jordan stated. "I know that might sound weird because I grew up with you guys, but I do want a boy. I just don't think I'm ready to have a little girl."

"That's understandable," Eric replied. "Just remember that you can be the same dad to a girl as you can to a boy. You don't have to change yourself to accommodate how you think a girl should be."

"If it's a girl Ellie wants to name her Perrie- not like Katy Perry, Madison or Grace," Jordan smiled softly. "I think I like them both, to be honest."

"And if it's a boy?"

"Either Jack, Ashton or Cameron," Jordan replied. "I like Jack and Cameron. I think either one would be good. Obviously his middle name would be Henry."

"Naturally," Eric laughed. "Well congrats either way, little brother. You're finally a big kid."

"He's going to be a big kid with a little kid," Ellie smiled behind them, putting her hands on Jordan's shoulders from behind the chair.

"Hey, mama," Jordan smiled, standing up to offer her his seat.

"I just wanted to know what you guys wanted for dinner," Ellie smiled. "Tanya told me to ask."

"She's being bossy again, eh?" Eric smirked, looking at his wife in the kitchen window.

"Whatever you girls want," Jordan smiled, his hand on her belly. "Whatever you two feel like eating."

"You're making me sick," Eric laughed, getting out of his seat and walking back in the house to see his own wife.

"Guess we're just too cute," Ellie smiled, looking up at Jordan. "Thank you, Jordan."

"For what?" Jordan asked as he absentmindedly rubbed her belly as he continued to look out at the yard.

"For this!" Ellie smiled. "For getting us out of Pittsburgh. I know it's not easy to leave a place that was so good to you, but I think we did the right thing by us and by Baby Staal."

"Baby Staal," Jordan smiled. "We finally get to find out what Baby Staal is. I'm way too excited for this."

"Me, too!" Ellie nodded, resting herself back against.

"Does your back hurt?" Jordan asked, rubbing her lower back.

"It does," Ellie nodded. "Would you rub it for me?"

Jordan nodded and lead her upstairs to their temporary bedroom for the next few days. He got her shirt off and sat her on the bed before he began to rub her shoulders and back, eliciting a few content moans from her. Jordan smiled and felt himself getting a little excited at the sound. He was always sexually active and almost always ready for sex, but for some reason having a pregnant fiancé was his kryptonite. It was what did him in. Everything she did made him crazy, it was a struggle to leave her alone during the season.

"We should just skip dinner," Jordan smiled. "Stay in here all night."

"Your brother will never leave you alone," Ellie laughed. "And besides Parker is almost awake and you know you have to play the role of Uncle Jordan."

"But you're up here," Jordan sighed.

"And I'm going to be up here," Ellie smiled. "But just think that soon we will be moving into our own house here in Raleigh and we have to christen every room."

"And that's why I'm marrying you," Jordan smiled, kissing her head before heading downstairs to help with dinner.

Ellie sighed with relief. They were finally free from the clutches of Tess. Obviously Tess knew where they were, but it was harder for her to find them and bring them down with her drama. Ellie hoped that this was it, that no longer would they have that stress on their relationship.