There's Something About That Girl

Annie gave a unladylike snort and than couldn't stop the giggle that threatened to escape her lips.

"And what Mr. Crosby ever gave you the idea I was "Mr. Sutters" girl?" Annie asked with a giggle again, even throwing in the air quotes with her fingers.

"Uh what's with the use of the last names?" Sid asked, raising an eyebrow. "And seriously though you could have told me. I mean if you had I wouldn't have wasted my time trying to hit on you. If I had known I would have backed off." Sid finished seriously.

Annie had never been one to be really overly affected by someone's status, especially by an athletes. She knew all athletes were the same, especially hockey players. She grew up in a large family, an extremely large Canadian family. A Candian family that was well known throughout the National Hockey Leauge. All her Uncles were former hockey players, even her own father had played for awhile. Although not to the same level her Uncles had. All of her cousins played. She knew they mostly just wanted to do their job and live as normal of a life as they could.

She had never really fan girled over a player, ok well that was a total lie. But that was only because that particular player was her favorite and he had been at event she was attending and hadn't expected to see him there. She had totally had that one moment lapse in judgement and fan girled. But ever since than it had never ever, and she meant never let it happen again. Especially since Brandon would never let her forget, every time they saw that particular player Brandon would bring it up.

But now that she lived with Brandon and helped him out the glamor of seeing hockey players up close and personal kind of wore out. Although there was one particular player she had, had her eye on for awhile that even Brandon didn't know about.

"Ok again I ask what makes you think I'm with Brandon?" she asked.

"I've seen the way he acts around you and how protective he is of you. I've also seen the way he looks at you," he replied, seriously.

"Oh my god you are hilarious Mr. Crosby. First of all Brandon and I aren't together, I mean we're together, but we're not together the way you think we are," she laughed.

"What does that mean?" he asked confusidely, scrunching his eyebrows together.

"What that means is I take care of things for Brandon. We're together in the way that Brandon doesn't know how to handle anything on his own. Like cleaning or cooking or doing his own laundry," she answered.

"So what are you like his maid or something?" he asked.

"What? No......" she answered.

"Brandon and I are relatives," she went on to explain.

"Oh...... Wait what? Your relatives?" he asked, becoming more confused.

"Yes we're relatives. Brandon is my cousion," she chuckled.

"Oh well I feel stupid than," Sid replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Annie couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her at the look on Sidney Crosby's face at that moment. The moment where he realized how wrong he had been about Annie's and Brandon's relationship. Of course she could see how Sidney could misinterept her and Brandon's relationship. Her and Brandon were close, they were closer than any of their other cousins. Coming from a large family and all of them moving around a lot, especially when they were kids. Brandon and her had formed a close bond and over the years it had only grown stronger.

"Are you laughing at me?" Sidney asked in mock anger, although he had a smile forming on his lips.

"I........ I...... I'm..... I'm sorry," she laughed/gasped trying to catch her breath. "Its just your face. When you realized that Brandon and I weren't romatically involved was hilarious."

"Aha ha ha ha. Yeah yuck it up on my behalf why don't you," he laughed.

"Sorry.... Really I am. I'll stop now," she giggled.

Just listening to her giggle caused Sid to laugh along with her. After a couple minutes they settled down their laughter and just stared at each other.

"So do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

"Nope no boyfriend," Annie replied, shivering from the cold and rubbing her arms.

"Here," he told her, pulling off his suit jacket. Stepping closer to her, wrapping his jacket around her shoulders.

"Thanks," she murmered, pulling the jacket tighter around herself.

She couldn't help inhaling deeply and take in the scent of Sidney surrounding her. It actually comforted her.

"Maybe we should go inside?" Sid suggested, but it came out more of a question.

He really didn't want to go inside. If they went inside that most likely meant he wouldn't be able to talk to Annie anymore. He's teammates and other people inside the party would take up his time. Though he knew he couldn't shuck his duties either. Mario would have his head if he didn't make his rounds and he already suspected they had been hiding outside for a good thirty minutes.

"Annie? Oh there you are, I've been looking everywhere for you," Brandon said, coming outside and standing next to Annie.

"Hey Brand," Annie replied, with a smile.

"What are you doing out here?" Brandon asked her.

"Oh I just needed to get a freash breath of air. Plus it was getting a little clustered inside and I was talking to Sidney," she told him.

"Oh hey Sid," Brandon said, just noticing Sidney standing there with her for the first time.

"Sutter," Sid replied, with a nod of his head.

"Well we should go back in," Brandon said.

"Yeah sure. Well it was nice talking to you Sidney Crosby," Annie said, taking his jacket off her shoulders and handing it back to him.

"Yeah you too, Annie." Sid replied, taking his jacket.

Sid watched as Brandon wrapped an arm around his cousins shoulders and lead her back inside to the party. Brandon shot Sidney a look over his shoulder one last time like he wasn't quiet sure why his cousin had been outside talking with Sid. 'He couldn't think that he would actually take advantage of his cousin outside in the cold could he?' Sid thought to himself. Sid shook his head truth of the matter was Brandon Sutter was probably just being the protective cousin to Annie. Sid didn't know Annie and Annie didn't know Sid. Sid wasn't sure what to think himself for that matter.

Sid knew how hard it was to find a honest person who wanted to get to know 'Sidney Crosby' the person. Not 'Sidney Crosby' the super star. Most women threw themselves at him for his money and status. But Annie didn't seem like that kind of person. He thought she might be a person that could understand his troubles considering the family she was connected to.

Once stepping back inside the Lemieux's house he was bombarded by several of the silent partner's of the Pengiuns organization just like he thought he would be. Several times as he was talking to people his eyes sought out Annie and he would find her across the room watching him as she talked with people that were talking with Brandon. Every now and than he would catch her laughing at something someone had said.
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The party had started to windle down leaving a few stragglers behind that were still trying to catch the attention of Sidney. Annie had been disappointed that the rest of the night she hadn't been able to talk with him again. She had actually enjoyed talking with him outside, even though they hadn't really talked about anything except what Brandon's relationship was with her.

Annie stiffled another yawn trying to escape her.

"You ready to go?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah whenever you are," she replied.

"I think its ok we go. There's not that many people left and most of the guy's have left," Brandon told her.

"Ok," Annie yawned.

"I'll just go get our coats," Brandon chuckled.

"Alright," she replied.

Once Brandon had left she looked around the room again trying to see if Sidney was still there. She had felt him watching her the rest of the night and had caught him staring at her a few times. But had been disappointed she hadn't been able to talk to him again. She found him across the room still talking to a couple that was still there.

"Here ya go Ann," Brandon said, coming back and holding out her coat.

"Thanks Brand," she replied, taking her coat and slipping her arms into it. Her eyes still on Sid the whole time.

"Crosby, eh?" Brandon asked, following where she was looking.

"What?" she asked, blushing slightly that she had been caught staring at Sid.

"Really Annie? Does someone have a wittle crush?" Brandon teased her.

"What? No...... Geez Brandon..... I'm not some little kid anymore," Annie replied, her blush intensifing.

"You know I could probably set something up between the two of you," Brandon said, rubbing his jaw in thought.

"Brandon I'm twenty-three, not two." she huffed.

"I know that. Though seriously if you want to go out with him I heard you have to go through Ray, Mario and his dad though," Brandon said, turning serious.

"Your kidding right?" she asked, in disbelief.

"Yes I'm just teasing you. Though they may check you out first. You know just to make sure you're on the up and up," Brandon told her.

"Oh ha ha haaaa," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Though you know if he wanted to take you out he would have to pass the Sutters test," Brandon said, ruffling her hair.

"Oh my god," Annie replied, blushing more and pushing Brandons hand off her hair.

"Well you ready to go?" Brandon asked, pulling his keys out of his pocket.

"Yeah," she answered, glancing at Sid one last time.

As Annie and Brandon headed for the front door she looked back again to get one last glance at Sidney, but didn't see him anywhere. Sighing she shook her head and turned her head forward again. She knew she would most likely see him again since he was now Brandon's teammate. She felt a hand slip into her's and tug on it slightly, stopping her from going any farther. She turned her head and found Sidney standing there looking at her.

"So I couldn't just let you leave without asking you first if you'd like to go get a coffee with me sometime. I mean I understand if you don't want to. But I just thought...... well what I mean is I enjoyed talking to you earlier. And I thought maybe we could get a coffee or something. I mean if you don't like coffee, maybe we could go and get an ice cream instead," Sid rambled, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

He only rammbled when he was nervous, which wasn't very often. Ok who was he kidding he was nervous his very first NHL game. He was nervous first Olympic game. And hell for some reason this girl made him nervous.

"Ok," Annie replied, smiling at his nervous.

"I mean I thought we were getting along really well outside. But maybe I was mistaken. I just know there's something about you and I want to get to know you better," Sid continued on his ramble.

"Sid I said ok," Annie laughed, interupting him.

"Oh ok than," Sid smiled.

"Ok," she repeated.

"So tomorrow than?" he asked.

"Tomorrow," Annie answered.

"Well than I'll see you tomorrow Annie Sutter," Sid told her, than turned and walked away.

"See you tomorrow," Annie said to his retreating back. Than turned and followed Brandon outside.