All the Faint Lights

Chapter Twenty Four
-Caroline-
"Wha- What are you-" my eyes widened as his lips were pressed against mine, his hands cupping my face and eyes on us. My hands were on his chest and I was trying to process what had just happened here. Just a few hours ago, I was screaming at him, pushing him, even slapped him, now here he was, kissing me.

I was at the studio, showing Bran around and introducing him to RJ. Asher and Gordon were there and they were happy to see a familiar face. We had told them what happened at the restaurant, and as if on cue, James Neal storms into the studio, right up to me and kisses me. The guy who hasn't been able to say the right things to me since the day we met, was now kissing me, spilling everything on the table and showing me that he meant what he said in the parking lot, he liked me.

James pulled away, moved his hands to my arms and looked at me. I stared at him shocked and then just like that, he pulled away and walked right out of the shop, not saying a word, not looking at anyone else, he was gone.

"What just happened?" Gordon asked as I slumped against the wall and watched him leave.

"Damn! That was hot!" Bran yelled and I stared at the ground and pressed the tips of my fingers to my lips.

'...Fireworks...' I thought, that's what I felt when James kissed me, "Dammit!"

"Linny, wait!" Bran yelled, but I was running out the door and onto the sidewalk, seeing James walking to his car, on the phone and looking nervous.

"James!" I yelled and he turned around and looked like a deer in headlights.

"Linny, I-" I charged up to him, placed my hands on his neck and pressed my lips against his. His arms wrapped around my body and he held me close, picking me up off of the ground and I wrapped my arms around his neck. If it started to rain, it would have been the perfect love scene in a movie, but it was the middle of winter.

I pulled away slowly and stared at James, he still had me in the air, my arms were still around his neck, we were still standing in the middle of the sidewalk in downtown Pittsburgh and people were still walking around us. I gulped, not knowing what was going to happen now, "You called me Linny," James blushed and then looked down, "You've never called me Linny," I smiled and he looked back up at me.

"I know I've never been the nicest to you, I'm sorry- I'm sorry about all the mean things I said to you- I'm sorry about spying on you today, it was wrong, but I just thought-" I pressed my lips against his and then dug my fingers into his hair and slowly felt James putting me onto the ground, "Well you give me a chance, Caroline Donnelly?"

"Tomorrow night, my place, pick me up at six," I said and James smirked and nodded his head, "Take me somewhere nice."

"Yes ma'am," he said and I smiled and then kissed his cheek.

"We're starting over," I said and James smiled brightly and nodded his head.

-James-
I got in my car after watching Caroline walk back into the studio, still feeling her lips on mine. I knew I had a goofy smile on my face, I was happy that she was going to give me a chance. Jordan's description of her lips didn't give her justice, he said it was like fireworks, to me it was like an atomic bomb was going off, but it was a good atomic bomb, is there a good atomic bomb?

After I kissed her in the studio, I walked out and panicked. I called Sidney, I was going to tell him I was sorry, that I did something stupid, but just as I started, just as he answered after the third ring, Caroline ran out and jumped me.

The second that Sidney had stopped talking in the locker room, I was out the door hearing Sidney yell that I was screwing myself. I left that arena and stared at the green light in front of me, debating with my heart and mind. My mind telling me to go home while my heart told me to find her, to confess myself to her, but I knew that every time I talked to her, nothing ever ended right. I didn't plan on kissing her when I saw her, but when I saw her leaning against the wall in the studio hallway, talking with her brothers and friends, I couldn't help it, I couldn't control it, my mind lost in this battle.

I turned my car on and pulled out of the parking spot and started to drive, finding myself driving in the direction of Sidney Crosby's home. I needed to tell him that I was sorry, but I wasn't going to listen to my Captain's orders, there was just something about Caroline, I needed to be near here, be with her, I needed her to be mine.

"You have some nerve coming here," Sidney growled as he walked out of his house when he saw me pull up.

"I'm sorry," I said as I got out of me car and he walked over towards me and stared at me.

"So does that mean that you're going to listen to me? I haven't called Ray yet," Sidney said, dead serious on making sure that I was off the team.

My head and heart were in another debate, my heart won again, "I'm sorry that I can't follow your order's Captain," I said, probably sounding more like a soldier than a hockey player, "I can't listen to them, Sid, I can't stay away from her."

He looked at me angrily and I knew that I probably was going to be traded to a different team, "Why?"

I looked at him confused, "Why?"

"Why won't you follow them?" he asked and then looked past me, I turned around to see Trisha walking out the front door and looking at me. When I didn't answer quick enough, he asked me again.

"Because shouldn't I have a shot at being happy, Sid?" I asked and his glare didn't lessen, "I want what you have with Trish! I want that with Caroline!"

"You're really willing to give your career up?! For a girl?!" he growled and I looked at the ground and then back up towards Sidney. I gulped and then heard him sigh, "Did you get the girl?"

"We're gunna try, we're gunna start over," I said and then looked up at Sidney, "I do want to play hockey, I do want to be a Penguin, but I do want Caroline."

"You can't have your cake and eat it too," Sidney said and I scoffed, he was just repeating the words that our trainer told us when we screwed up on something.

"That's a piss poor saying to tell a hockey player," I shook my head.

"It is, isn't it," Sidney chuckled and I looked up at him shocked, "Do you love her?"

"Caroline?"

"Who else ya fuckin' idiot?!" Sidney yelled and I smirked.

"I don't know," I said and then rubbed the back of my neck, "Shouldn't I get the chance to see?"

"You should," he said and then sighed, "It's gunna be hard."

"If you can do it-" I said and then looked at Trisha, "Duper, Kuni, Glass- They're all married, they do it! Why can't I?"

"No more fighting with Staalsy," Sidney said and I nodded my head, "I mean it! None, I'm tired of it! We're a team!"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Don't fuck this up, Nealer! She won't give you another chance, and neither will I."

"I understand," I said and then felt Sidney place his hand on my shoulder.

"Go be happy," he said and I smiled brightly and nodded my head.

"Told you he would pass the test!" I heard and turned around to see Trisha walking over.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Out of the four of you, you were the only one to go after her, the only one will to risk his career to go after her," Trisha said and I looked towards the ground, processing everything that she was telling me, "Did you at least kiss her?"

"Atomic bomb," I smirked and Sidney laughed and shook his head.

"Is that good?" Trisha asked and I felt my face heat up as I nod my head, "God, don't tell her that."

"Staalsy said that kissing her was like fireworks," I said and Sidney snorted, "It was so much better."

"You're an idiot," Trisha laughed and I smirked and felt Sidney squeeze my shoulder.

"We're going out tomorrow night, we're starting fresh," I said and Trisha smiled and nodded her head.

"Where are you taking her?"

"To The Erie," I smiled, having their first date together planned for a long time.

"That's cool, Andy will hook you up," Sidney said and I smirked and nodded my head.

"It's romantic," I said and Sidney scoffed. The Erie being a little family restaurant on the outskirts of town, some of the guys usually go there when they want to be left alone, we were friends with the owner.

"I've never been there before!" Trisha said and Sidney looked at her.

"I'll take you someday," he said and she nodded her head.

"You better make sure that you plan this date perfectly!" Trisha said while looking at me and I smirked and nodded my head.

"I plan to."