What Goes Around Comes Around

"What the fuck? I see your car in the driveway--" he coughed before continuing. "and I use the key you gave me to check on you." He stopped talking and cocked his head to the side, looking beyond me. I turned and saw Peyton, standing and staring at the ground.

"Sidney..." He spoke, looking at me and then her. His gaze softened when he looked at her, her face blushing wildly from embarrassment. "There's a girl standing next to your couch." He informed me, still looking wary and confused.

"You might want to sit down." I gestured to the couch opposite of Peyton, and he sat down. I sat down across from him and Peyton took a seat next to me, still looking at the floor. I tapped her knee and she slowly met my eyes.

"It's okay." I tried to comfort her and she rolled her eyes, and stared at the ground again.

I looked up and saw Marc-André watching me curiously, his dark brown eyes quizzical. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I saw a quick glimpse of shock in his eyes before they just widened and glanced at Peyton.

"Are you gonna tell him or should I?" Peyton asked me, looking impatient and still embarrassed. I shook my head.

"Marc, this is--" she cut in before I could tell him.

"I'm Peyton Taylor Crosby, resident of Boston, Massachusetts, and daughter of Aurora Lanza and Sidney Crosby." Flowers jaw dropped, as he sat there, absorbing what the little girl had just said. He looked at me and then looked back at her, his gaze softening as she smiled at him.

"Well," he cleared his throat, collecting himself. "It's very nice to meet you, Peyton. I'm Marc-André Fleury, current resident of Pittsburgh PA, father of Estelle Fleury and husband of Vero Fleury."

"I'm so sorry about the whole maiming you with a frying pan thing. You just scared me." She apologized and laughed a little.

Flower smiled, doing exactly what I knew he would do. "No worries, kiddo. What you did was smart." He leaned forward and laughed. "And pretty damn impressive, I think you may have bruised a few ribs. You must get that power from your mother and not this wimp." He gestured towards me.

Peyton stood up and smirked at me. "I'm not sure who I got it from but it certainly wasn't him. I'm gonna go shower now." She took off towards the stairs, practically running away.

It was just Flower and I then. I could practically feel the tension clawing up my back as he stared at me in an unbelievable. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"In my head, I imagined so many different scenarios as to why you had gone AWOL and to why you had been acting so strange over the last couple of years. Depression was the top on the list, and words can't describe how afraid I was for you." He stood up and stretched, wincing as he grabbed his side. "But... That girl? I just don't know."

"Forgive me for saying this, but is she yours? She looks to be about 10."

"Oh yes. She's definitely mine." I took a deep breath and dragged my hand down my face. "Her mother was my girlfriend when I was about 16, back in Cole Harbour. I was the text book definition of a douche bag. She told me she was pregnant and I..." I stopped speaking and shut my eyes, too mortified to say anymore.

"Sidney," Flower said, his voice calming and serious. I looked up at him and he offered a small smile. "It's okay. I'm just in shock, that's all. I became a father less than a week ago and hell, so did you." His shit-eating grin was back, the exuberant Flower I knew and loved. I suddenly felt like the biggest idiot in the world, thinking that he wouldn't accept Peyton or that he would think less of me for this.

You are your own worst enemy

"So how did she like your parents?" Flower questioned, still smiling and cheerful. That look quickly slid off his face when he saw the blank look on my face. "Please don't tell me that you haven't told them."

"I was planning on doing that today, actually. I think my mother might kill me." I laughed nervously, half kidding and half serious. Flower just laughed with me, obviously trying his best to be supportive.

"I would be worried about your father, Sid. He's going to freak out." Flower stood and I stood with him, he gave me a pat on the back and a sympathetic look. "It'll all be okay though. Your child is the most important part of you."

"You sound like a bunch of chicks." Peyton strutted in, wearing a new outfit and her long hair wet from her shower. Marc-Andre barked out a laugh, taking an immediate liking to her, just as I had expected him to. She walked into the kitchen, looking through it and began shaking her head once she found nothing.

She looked at me accusingly. "How have you not died from malnourishment yet?" I raised my eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes, taking out a carton of leftover Chinese food. "I'm a growing child and I need actual food. I might starve if I go without food for another minute." She gave her best dramatic performance and then batted her big blue eyes, with the longest black eyelashes I've ever seen. Marc laughed out loud, very amused by her antics.

"We'll go get something to eat now, okay? We'll get whatever you want." I promised and she gave me a smug little smirk. She headed towards the door, I grabbed my jacket and keys before following.

She hopped into my car as soon as we got outside and I trailed behind with Flower. "She's a riot, Sid. I'm sure your parents will adore her. Will you come to the rink tonight to watch practice?" I nodded, blatantly lying and digging myself further into the shitter than I already was, knowing full well that our plane left for Boston tonight.

"I'll see you tonight, bud. Good bye, mon cherie." He called out to Peyton, giving her the biggest smile he could muster. She grinned and waved from the car.

"Au revoir!" I called out to my best friend as I sped away, to eat and then to confess the worst mistake of my life to my parents: leaving my witty and charming daughter.

/ / /

We had just finished eating and were back on the road again. I asked Peyton if she would be okay about meeting my parents and my sister, who were staying in Pittsburgh at the moment. She seemed very hesitant in agreeing to do so, which I completely understand. I understand how much of an awkward situation this is for her and I did not want to pressure her into doing anything she wasn't comfortable with. She agreed to though, always having been curious about the family members she never knew.

We were walking down the hotel corridor, towards the condo-like hotel room they were staying in. I looked down at Peyton and she looked very pale and shaky. I immediately stopped and she stopped with me, looking up at me in confusion.

"We don't have to do this, you know." I reminded her but she shook her head and kept on walking. "My sister is a really sweet girl, one of the coolest chicks on the planet." I told her as we waited for the elevator. "Her name is Taylor and if I heard you correctly earlier, that's your middle name." We stepped into the elevator and she still didn't say a word. "That means that your mom thought that Taylor was pretty bad ass too. Taylor is going to absolutely adore you, I swear." We arrived in front of their hotel room and I took a deep breath, knocking on the door. I heard some yelling before I heard footsteps, quickly walking towards the door.

The door swung open quickly, making both Peyton and I jump a little. My father stood there and the air of hostility that usually followed him around was there too. He stared at me, anger brewing in his eyes. Peyton shifted slightly and his attention was now focused on her. His eyes widened a little but they were back to their usual accusing slits in no time. His eyes met mine and I saw so many feelings in them: anger, disappointment, bitterness but surprise was not one of them. He knew.