Survivor

A new hockey season was just at the finger tips of fanatics all over the map. The beginning of fall also meant Daniel Briere sending away his eldest son to college. Much to the athlete's pleasure, Caelan had chosen to stay relatively close to home. He was a very smart boy and Temple University added excellence to their student body. Olivia heard the front door shutting gently and the sound of sneakers being tossed in the entry way closet. She dried off her hands on a dish towel and left the kitchen to greet her husband.

Danny tossed his keys on the hook beside the door before pulling his wife into a kiss. "Hey you." She breathed out as he pulled away.

"Hey." He smiled. His hand slid from her lower back to the small mound that replaced her normally flat stomach. The feeling of where his fourth child was growing caused Danny's smile to grow wider.

Before getting the chance to say anything else, Carson and Cameron, walked through the front door in a sullen mood; The three amigos had just lost their head amigo. Carson gave a curt nod to his father and step-mother and stood by the stairs waiting for his brother. Seeing his step-mother's baby bump caused Cameron to light up. Ever since he found out, the fourteen year old had been over the moon with excitement to have an addition to the family. There was a rude throat cleaning from the top of the stairs which caused the three Briere's by the door to turn and look up.

Cameron gave Olivia a sad smile before rushing up the stairs to be with his brother. Olivia sighed heavily and rested her head on Danny's chest, "It's been four years and they still hate me."

Danny placed a reassuring hand on the small of his wife's back, "They don't hate you, mon amour." He tilted his head down slightly and placed a gentle kiss upon Olivia's temple, "They're just having a hard time with everything still. When they meet their baby sister things will change, I promise."

Olivia sighed and decided not to push the topic any further. She gave her husband one last kiss before returning to the kitchen to finish putting away the dishes. Ever since Danny brought Olivia home to meet his three children, the eldest two had been completely opposed to the idea of their father dating again. Growing up with divorced parents, the New Jersey native knew not to take their harsh attitude personally.

Stowing the last dish away in the cabinet, Olivia grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and made herself comfortable on her favorite beige reclining chair in the living room. She flipped through one of the pregnancy magazines one of the fellow wives had loaned to her. Danny finished his workout in the basement gym and jumped in the shower quickly before wandering around the house looking for his wife. The hockey player soon found her fast asleep, snoring softly. He took a moment to appreciate her pregnant form and let out a heavy sigh as he retrieved a blanket from the back of the couch and lay it over her.

Danny leaned down to kiss Olivia's forehead as she slept soundly. He ran a hand over her stomach before picking up the magazine and putting it back in the pile beside the chair. As he went to leave the room, two bodies went flying past. Cameron and Carson planted themselves on the love seat and bickered over power of the remote control for the television which hung on the wall at the opposite side of the room. Carson was able to forcefully pull the remote out of his younger brother's grasp and immediately tuned in to football game.

"Car, can you turn that down a little bit? Olivia's trying to sleep." Danny asked softly motioning to the boys's step-mother.

Carson rolled his eyes and decided to ignore his father's request. Happily taking any chance he could get to upset the women who he saw as a threat, Carson held his thumb over the volume button and smirked. The commentary of the Steelers versus Giants game only grew louder much to Danny's disliking. The hockey player opened his mouth to scold his son when all three boys looked in the direction of the reclining chair clicking back into its upright position.

Danny rushed over to his wife's side to help her out of the seat which only caused Olivia to swat his hand away. "I'm sorry for waking you up." Cameron piped up.

Carson shot his brother a dirty look and elbowed him right in the ribs. Danny frowned and pointed a stern finger at his son, "I want you to turn this off and go upstairs."

Olivia bit her lip and rest a hand on Danny's arm to get his attention, "Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have dozed off in here; I'm going to go upstairs and take a little nap before I make dinner, alright?"

She stepped away from her husband and made her way upstairs into the master bedroom. The feeling of the plush blanket and memory foam mattress instantly put the pregnant woman to sleep. Back down in the living room, Danny stared Carson down with disappointment. "What's your problem, huh? You hear me ask you to turn it down so you do the opposite!"

"She's the problem! Ever since you and Olivia got married, all you do is care about her. I'm sick of hearing about the stupid baby; I don't care! As far as I'm concerned, I'm not related to that thing." Carson crossed his arms and challenged his father.

Danny shook his head and made his way out of the room. He stopped just before stepping out and spoke to his son, but couldn't bare to turn around and look Carson in the eyes, "I expect an apology from you or you can pack up and move out." Call it tough love, but Danny couldn't stand the thought of his own son, his flesh and blood, being so hateful. The Briere's were known for their hospitality and kindness; hearing his child so outspoken towards his own blood left a disgusting taste in the hockey player's mouth.

Cameron looked at his brother in shock and gave him a hard kick to the shin before rushing out of the room leaving Carson alone. The seventeen year old threw his body back onto the couch and huffed. He missed having Caelan home; at least that way someone was on his side about the situation. When Sylvie left, it was always Danny and the boys. Then it became Danny, Olivia, and the boys. Now is Danny, Olivia, baby girl Briere, and the boys. Being the middle child was hard enough, but now that there was going to be a new Briere- a girl at that, Carson's angst was only amplified.

The house was silent for the next few passing hours. Danny locked himself away in his office asking himself the question of where he went wrong to cause such an outburst from his son. Cameron took the dogs outside and ran out around with them while Carson just sat in the living room, hardly paying any attention to the riveting football game going on before him. Checking his watch to see it was already half past six, Danny decided to give Olivia a night off from cooking and order Chinese food. He sent Cameron upstairs to find out what Olivia wanted while he searched for the phone number of the restaurant.

As Danny began dialing the number, Cameron began to frantically call out for his father from the bedroom upstairs. The hockey player tossed down the phone and menu to sprint up to his son. Never in his thirty-eight years had time seemed to move so slowly. He felt like he wouldn't get to his son in time and something terrible would happen. However, when Danny finally reached Cameron, he saw something he could never prepare himself for.



The sound of beeping machines eventually woke Olivia from her drug endured slumber. She rubbed her eyes gently before examining her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was making herself comfortable in her bed and falling asleep. Bars on the sides of her bed and small table covered with flowers were a dead giveaway that Olivia was no longer at home. An ID bracelet and IV's stuck in her arms were a sign of being in a hospital. However, the reason for being admitted into the hospital was unknown to the groggy patient until she rested her hand over her stomach which was sore and no longer protruding from her body due to the pregnancy.

Time stopped and Olivia was sure that people all the way in Australian could hear the sound of her heart shattering. Olivia wasn't strong enough to hold in any emotions at that point. Her chest heaved as she let out a wailing sob and furiously clicked the bed side button to call in a nurse. As she waited for a nurse to arrive, Olivia realized that her room was empty. However, there was an extra couch in her room which had a pile of blankets covering it.

Soon, a young blonde nurse burst through the door with a look of shock on her face. Immediately behind her were Danny, Cameron, and surprisingly Carson. The athlete rushed over to his wife's side and held her hand as if he may never get the chance to again. His eyes were bloodshot and beneath lay heavy dark bags. A million and five thoughts were running through everyone's minds. The room was silent as the nurse excused herself to fetch the overseeing doctor. The boys sat on the couch while Danny occupied the chair beside the bed.

"I'm sorry." Olivia finally choked out, pulling her hand away from her husbands.

Danny's eyes nearly fell out of his skull at the sound of her words, "You have nothing to be sorry about. The doctor said it was a freak accident, when you're fully recovered we can try again."

Olivia shook her head which felt like an arrow to Danny's heart. She wiped away a few tears and rested a hand on her husband's cheek, lovingly, "I failed you." She whispered, "I lost the baby, our baby. I don't even want to think about being pregnant again… not for a long time." She couldn't bear to look at Danny's face.

There was a thick silence and discomfort that hung over the room. Olivia refused to look at her husband; the second she did, it would all be over. She could just picture the anguish on his face as she refused to try another go at pregnancy. She heard him Danny sigh and felt the bed start to shift. Cameron and Carson took the hint to leave the room saying a quick good-bye. Danny put a finger under Olivia's chin and raised it. Like expected, Olivia snapped her eyes shut.

"Darling, look at me… please."

Olivia could hear the desperation in her husband's voice. Slowly but surely, she opened her eyes to see Danny staring at her with a soft expression, "I'm so sor-"

The athlete shook his head, "Don't finish that sentence. This isn't anyones fault. I love you whether you give me a child or not. I will always love you. Not right now, but maybe some day we can try again, but not until you feel ready. We've got all the time in the world. I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you." Olivia whispered before closing her eyes and resting her head on his chest.

Those three words were all Danny needed to hear to know that despite what was to come for them in the future, they would be okay.