Captain of My Life

Chapter Four
The guys were laughing at their rookies. They were leaning against the boards around me and watching as their rookies were whipped into shape by doing suicides.

"Man, this is stupid! I'm done here!" Kovnetski said and I sighed and looked at Sidney.

"You're the Captain, you put your pants on and show them who's boss," I muttered so that none of the others heard me.

"You're doing a fine job," he smirked, his arm comfortably laid across my lap.

"I'm not on the team anymore," I said sadly and Sidney sighed, "You're still the Captain, you need to show them that they can't walk all over you."

"Like you do?" he smirked and I scoffed.

"The kids and I are the only ones allowed to."

"Yes ma'am," he smiled and then stood up straight and skated over towards the rookies.

"Man Alex, your pregnancy is making your emotions go all over the place!" Brandon teased and I smacked him in the back of the head, "Ow!"

"Hey Geno," I called and Geno skated over towards me. Geno was on one side and Brandon was on the other, I sighed and shook my head and then smacked the two of them in the back of the head.

"Ow!" they yelled and looked at me, catching the other guys' attention, "What was that for?!"

"Do you know what this means?!" I growled as I pointed to the 'A' on their jerseys, "This means that you're 'Assistant' Captains," I stated and they looked at me, "So go assist!" I said and then pushed them in the direction that Sidney had skated in.

"Mean little pregnant woman she is," Brandon muttered as he rubbed the back of his head.

"What was that?!" I barked and he flinched and pushed himself faster over towards Sidney, "That's what I thought!"

"I was wondering what was going on," I heard and then turned around to see a smirking Mario, "But seeing you here, it all makes sense now."

"Hello Mario," I smiled and he walked over towards me and placed his hand on my shoulder and kissed my cheek.

"How's the little one coming along?"

"The little one's coming, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet," I smiled.

"Exciting," he said and I nodded my head, "So you've meet the rookies."

"Cocky little babies they are," I said and he nodded his head, "Why do you guys let them walk all over you?"

"That's the game, the people want young talent. They don't want to see our old asses."

"I highly doubt that," I scoffed and Mario smiled, "You guys are legends, why ruin that?"

"Who knows? So why's the door locked? I got a call from some of the rookies that they weren't able to come to practice because the door was locked."

"That's because they were late," I stated as I looked back towards the ice.

"Tough as always," Mario said and I nodded my head, "Well those boys are here."

"Where?"

"Changing in the locker room," he said and I looked back towards him.

"Bring them out here, I want to meet them before they put anything on," I said and Mario nodded his head and disappeared into the hallway.

"He's too soft on them," I heard and turned to see Marc standing next to me.

I heard my name and then turned my head to see four boys walking over towards me with Mario behind me. I looked over towards Kris and Marc to see that they were looking at the four as well, "These the other rookies?"

"Yeah," Kris muttered and I smirked.

"Hello boys," I said as I threw my legs to the other side of the boards and hopped off, throwing my sneakers back on, "So why we you late to practice?"

"Had things to do," the one said and I walked up to him, I was a little surprised that he would speak to me like that, no respect at all.

"Wow, is that how your mother taught you how to speak to women?" the three other rookies snickered and I looked at them and they snapped their heads back to the front.

"Boys, this is Alexandra Crosby," Mario introduced and I backed up and leaned against the wall.

"You might know her as Alexandra Conners," Marc said as he leaned against the wall next to me.

“No way!” I heard one of them mutter and then saw him smirk.

“So why’d you leave?” the one asked.

“To start a family,” I stated and he scoffed.

“You were on the top of the NHL, and you leave for family? Screw that, look at how much money you could have made!”

“Is that all this is about to you?” I asked, glaring at him and seeing him flinch at my venomous words, “Money? That’s pathetic! It was never about the money for me, I could give a shit about it, would have played for free. Just as long as I got to play the sport that I love.”

“Too much emotion.”

“Sweetie, if you don’t show emotion in this sport, in any sport, then you’re nothing. Good or bad, everything needs emotion.”

“He’s just a little whiner,” Marc said and I smirked and rolled my eyes.

“If you were still on the team, we wouldn’t need these pricks,” Kris said and I looked at him and then over towards Sidney to see that he was yelling at the rookies on the ice.

“I don’t see anything great about you! You or your fuckin’ husband!”

“Watch it!” Marc and Kris growled and I looked back towards the kid and slammed him against the glass.

I kicked his legs out from underneath him and he landed on his butt hard and then groaned. I threw my foot up to his shoulder and pinned him down. I glared at the kid and heard silence in the rink. I bent down towards the kid, putting more pressure on his shoulder and seeing him wince, “I don’t fuckin’ see anything great about you! You’re just another piss poor excuse of a hockey player who thinks that they’re on top when in reality they’re deep on the bottom. You can say what you want about me, I don’t give a shit, but don’t you EVER disrespect your Captain, he’s more of a player, and a man, than you’ll ever be,” I growled, putting more pressure onto his shoulder and feeling him grab my ankle, “You understand me?”

“Yeah.”

“Can’t hear you.”

“Yes.”

“Kid, you’re speaking to your elder here.”

“Yes, ma’am!” he groaned and I took my foot off of him and backed up, seeing a smirk on Mario’s face.

“You all right?” Sidney asked as he skate over.

“Just a little pissed that I didn’t wear heels today,” I growled and then heard Marc and Kris chuckle, “I’m gunna head out, gotta meet my dad.”

“All right.”

“Well you have fun with- whatever you want to call this, because this isn’t a team,” I said and Sidney sighed and nodded his head.

“We’re working on it.”

“I see now how you lost most of your games.”

“Don’t remind me,” he muttered and I kissed his cheek and said bye to my friends, and then left, heading to my father’s house to pick the kids up.

“Can I walk you out?” I heard and then turned around to see Dan there.

“Of course,” I smiled and then wrapped my arms around his.

“So what did you think?”

“Of the rookies?”

“Of the team,” he said as we walked over towards my SUV.

I leaned against the door and sighed, “Coach-“

“Alex, you and I both know that you don’t have to call me that.”

“I know, but you’re still my Coach to me,” I smiled and he nodded his head.

“So what do you think?”

“You have a serious problem,” I said and he sighed, “That’s no team in there, Coach, those rookies need to be taught manners, with a heaping pile of respect on the side.”

“I know,” he said and then rubbed his face, “So what are we gunna do?”

“We?” I asked confused and he nodded his head.

“I’d like you to become a Penguin again,” he said and sighed.

“Coach, I can’t, I have the kids- plus another on the way,” I said and as I crossed my arms, “I’d love to, you know I would love to be back out there with the guys, but I can’t. I had my fun, I showed the world what I could do, showed them that women can play with the big boys, but my time has ended, and my family needs me. Besides, you still have Sid and some of the old team in there.”

“Well, if you can’t come back as a player, at least come back as an Assistant Coach,” he said and I laughed.

“Coach- Dan, just call if you need me,” I said and then kissed his cheek, “I’ll be here if those pricks need to be whipped into shape again, and I’ll be sure to wear heels this time.”

“All right,” he smirked and I opened my door, “Drive carefully, Alex.”

“I will, thanks for the fun day, Coach.”

“Any time, Alex.”

I got into my SUV, started her up, and then headed off to my father’s place to get the kids, Coach’s ‘Assistant Coaching’ offer weighing on my mind.