Determination

*PRACTICE*

Kris's POV

You could feel the tension in practice that was building. Sidney wouldn't pass to James, James wouldn't pass to Sidney, and one person was able to score on Marc Andre. Well two. March and Staalzy. Marc Andre would hug March whenever she scored. T was easy to see that Flowers went easy on March.

"Save the fucking puck!" Kunitz yelled at him.

He took his mask off and swore back at Kuni.

I shook my head. A few days ago it was fine, and now this is just really out of hand. Dan finally sighed in frustration and screamed, "What is WRONG with you guys? I didn't think I'd have to do this, but we're going to have 4 different groups, two will be doing scoring drills. The first group will be led by Evgeni, the second group will be led by Tanger and the third group will be led by Staalsy, and the forth will be led by March. Sidney, you're in Geno's group, Nealer, you're in Kris's group, Marc Andre you're going to be part of the scoring drills groups, which will be Staalzy's group. And Vokoun will be in March's group." Dan assigned the rest of the players to a group, I was part of an offensive drills group, while Geno's group, the other non-scoring group did defensive drills, even though there weren't a lot of defensemen in that group. Coach Dan obviously has other things on his mind, so we exchanged the defensive players for the offensive players, actually having even groups in the end, even though Evgeni still headed his group.

Coach Dan headed into the Locker room, leaving us unattended, and all hell broke loose between James and Sidney. Jordan did a good job of skating over to March and distracting her, telling her her hockey stick looked to be bent, and instructed she go get a new one from the locker room.

"Look Nealer," Sidney sneered, "She kissed ME, not YOU. She said yes to ME, not to YOU. So get over yourself and stop acting like an asshole. You're SUCH an asshole!"

The whole team was shocked, you could just tell. March kissed Sidney? Then again, Sidney could easily have made up that information, but March would clear up any confusion right away, and even SID is smart enough to realize this. You saw the same though process go through Neal's head, and he knew Sid the Kid wasn't lying, although he said shakily, "No. She did not kiss you. She wouldn't. No." He got his voice back and yelled, "You're such a fucking liar! That's not true!"

Gloves dropped, and Jordan and I broke it up. "C'mon James, get off him, it won't end well for you Nealer. Please." I finally pulled him off Sidney, just March skated back onto the ice wordlessly. The whole team except Crosby and Neal noticed, and they kept swearing at each other.

"What the hell?" She whispered to Pascal Dupuis, one of her good friends on the team.

Pascal replied, "Trust me Wilson, you DO NOT want to know." He's James's best friend, I really hope he doesn't team up with him to try and get March to like him. Nah, not Duper, he and March are good friends, and as much as he and Nealer are friends, he wouldn't help James out with that. At least I don't think he will anyway.

"Sid, go sit down and cool off." Simon Despres said, and Sidney opened his mouth to protest, but closed it and skated over to the bench and took a seat. Wow, I didn't expect Sid to listen to Simon.

Jordan added, "You too Nealer. On the OPPOSITE bench."

James nodded and said something to Sidney on his way over to the bench, and the gloves dropped and Sid was off te bench taking his fists and getting rialed up with him again. Except it wasn't a play fight. There was a real, scary fire filling both men's eyes, and the punches aren't soft, both boys will feel it in the morning.

"They just blowin' off some steam?" Dustin Jeffery asked, even though he knew the answer.

It was Jordan and I getting in the way of both Sidney and James's flying punches as we broke them apart.

"Stop!" Jordan yelled angrily, and his blue eyes blazed with cold fire. "You're being assholes and destroying the team! Fucking stop actung like children! Cut it out!"

Sidney replied with just as much anger, "You don't understand what it's like! You're never been in actual love! You've never had an actual crush! You've never been on an actual date! You've only had ACTUAL one night stands!"

It was an uncalled for jab, and the four of us all knew it too. "Whoa Sidney, that's really mean." I said, with lack of anything else to say. I looked at Jordan, and he looked frozen. For a second I was a little worried.

But then the most surprising thing happened. It surprised Sidney for sure, but it was a shocker for James and I as well. Jordy's gloves hit the ice, and he started at it and Sidney.

I didn't let that continue, but when I tried to break them apart on my own, one of Sid's punches accidentally hit me in the nose.

I fell to the ice, I could feel blood dripping down, and I could smell it, my face right near the ice. Duper, March, Despres, Geno and Flower were at my side in a minute. "Towel." I said loudly, and someone skated off to get me one.

March came back with one within a few seconds, and instructed me to stand up which I did, pressing the cold towel to my nose. I looked down at the ice whic is currently stained crimson.

I walked into the locker room alone.

MARCHS POV

I don't know what happened while I got my hockey stick checked out, but when I came back, Sidney was trying to knock James's block off, and Kris Letang and Staalzy were trying to pry them apart.

Sid sat down on the bench to calm down and get himself together, and Neal must have said somethibg that set him off because he dropped the gloves right away and was back in James's face. Jordan and Kris were breaking the fight apart again.

I don't know what Sidney said, but it earned him a fight with Jordan, and Kris was trying to get them off each other by himself, James let it go. And Kris got socked in the lip. But as he fell to the ground, already gushing blood, I knew it was his nose.

I skated over and grabbed him a towel when he asked. He looked really hurt, and we were all skating around aimlessly waiting for the verdict on Kris's nose.

I played with the puck on my tape, sending the puck up onto the glass a few times.

What am I supposed to do? It doesn't take a detective to find out I'm the cause of the problem. Maybe Coach would get me traded. I felt a pit in my stomach when I thought of that. I love these damn guys more than my own damn life, I don't, I CAN'T leave!

I didn't want to cry. They were all so good to each other, and now I'm here, and I've ruined everything and I know it well and so does everyone else in this rink.
************ ************ **********
Practice was called early, still no news on Letang. I could'm get rid of the bad feeling in my stomach.

Evgeni and I were the only two people left in the locker room. "Wait March!" He called to me as I was retreating.

I turned around. "Oh hey."

He said with perfect English grammar, "You have destroyed the team's unity. That's why I don't like you. It was inevitable and now the team is in a divide and it's all your fault."

I swallowed back the tears. I had destroyed this team. I tore it to shreds and now a player is seriously injured because two players ON HIS TEAM were fighting over me. It's my fault. I nodded, and my voice broke when I said, "Thanks Evgeni, I know. Believe me, I know that this team's unity was destroyed because of me. I'm sorry for ruining your team. I'm really REALLY sorry." I Said sadly, leaving the locker room.

I sat in my car. Well, where do I go? I can't go home, not to James and Sidney and no Kris. Impossible. Maybe I'll just check back into the hotel.

So I did. And I added at the end, "Oh, some people might come to see me, can I tell you who isn't allowed to know my room number?" I asked at the woman at the desk nodded. "Alright. Sidney Crosby and James Neal are not allowed to see me. Siney spelled S I D N E Y by the way." I said. I got my key, and when I got back to the room I had already stayed in before, I layed on the bed and broke down.

MARC ANDRE'S POV

James stormed up the stairs right after practice, and I hawn't seen him since. Sidney hasn't even been back. Jordan's in here somewhere, and March hasn't been back either. One thing's for sure though, March and Sidney - wherever they are- aren't together. No way.

I couldn't believe March kissed Sidney. In fact, I doubt that it's true. In the moment, Sid was angry and spit out the lies.

James came down the stairs with three huge suitcases. "Nealer, where are you going?" I asked.

"I will not live here one more minute. I'm moving in with Kuni and Sutter and Duper.

I rolled my eyes, "Suuuure you will. See you back here on Thursday." I know James is dead serious, but if I act like I don't give a crap, maybe it will make him stay. But unfortunalty for me, my tactics didn't appear to work.

"Yes, see you Thursday at practice."

And he just left. Bags and everything. I can't even imagine living here with out James Neal. It's like having cereal without milk (unless you're into that, I mean, if it's your thing, well, go for it. I can't tell you how to eat your cereal.) I truthfully was bewildered by the fact that Nealer would leave.
***************
When I saw Jordan again, he asked, "Hey, where did Nealer go?"

"He moved." I said quietly. I like James an awful lot, I didn't plan on Sidney and I's liking for March destroy our friendship.

Then it hit me. He doesn't know I like March! He's still friends with me! He hates Sidney, imagine if he found out I like March a lot more than I should too? I would get killed.

Jordan shook his head, "Eh, he'll be back by sundown."

I shook my head, "He had all his stuff. I went up to his bedroom, you can look. James Neal will not be moving back here Jordan. He's GONE. Can you believe this?"

Jordan was quiet for a second, letting James's departure sink in. "Wow," He finally said, "Just... Just wow. This house without James? It's like bacon without eggs." I couldn't help but notice his breakfast analogy.

I nodded, "I hate that ball of hair and shit, but I'll miss him a lot here Jordy."

Jordan nodded, "But I bet you March is at her hotel."

I looked up at Jordan, my big brown eyes locking with his blue orbs. "No, not March too. What's happening to us?"

Jordan shook his head. "I don't even know anymore. I think we should pay ol' March Wilson a visit though."
********************* *********************
we drove to the hotel, and found Sidney in the lobby arguing with the woman at the register.

"I'm sorry sir, but she said that under no circumstances are you allowed to see her." The woman said.

Sidney begged, "Can you call her? Can I talk to her?"

The woman shook her head, "Listen sir, maybe you should come back in a few hours when you are all calmed down."

I intervened, "Hello, my name is Marc Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, and this is my team mate Jordan Staal. Can I go up to March Wilson's room?" I asked, and Sidney gave me a death stare which I didn't bother to return.

The woman picked up the phone and probably dialed March's room. "Yeah, there are three hockey players here from the Pittsburgh Penguins here to see you. Marc Andre Fleury and Jordan Staal and Sidney Crosby. Can I send them up? Okay, I'll tell them."

She hung up the phone, "Okay boys, that was March Wilson. Sidney, you've been instructed to leave, by HER. Marc Andre, you can go up, and Jordan she says it's nothing personal she just really needs to talk to Marc Andre alone."

Jordan nodded, "O K. See you later man." He gave me a slap in the back and left the hotel, and we both left Sidney standing there in the lobby of March's hotel in utter disbelief and probably some fury.

I opened the door, and March was crying.

I don't know what brought all the tears on, but once she gathered herself, she told me.

"It was Malkin. And he's right! I destroyed the Pittsburgh Penguins unity!" No one can argue that that's not true. Because it is. It was her, but we- or at least I wouldn't trade her for the world.

Tears ran down her face. "I can't belive James and Sidney would do that. And Jordan taking a swing at Sidney resulted in Kris breaking his nose..." She broke off to cry some more.

"Wait, you got info from Kris and the doctors? Kris broke his nose? We know that?" I asked.

She answered, "No, but did you see him? It looked to me a lot like the broken nose James my brother had a year ago."

I nodded, "Kris will be fine. Are you coming back to the house?" I didn't tell her that James Neal would be absent, and the house would be really quiet with out him.

She nodded, "Yeah, later. I just, I'm not done-" Before she could finish, she started to cry some more, and I wrapped her in a big hug while standing, and I swayed side to side as she cried in my shoulder.

One day soon, everything is going to be okay. James has had his out burst, Sidney has had his outburst, Jordan had quite an episode today, it's just me and March left. After she and I crack (well I suppose she did crack already, I'm holing her as she sobs into my shoulder in a fucking hotel room. You don't get a lot more broken then that)

But one day, everything will go back to normal, after there are a few more tests on this team's unity.