Chances Taken

-Maggie-
“How do you feel?” Emma asked as she helped me put my Penguins t-shirt on, not bothering to put my dress on because the material would be too tight against my new injury.

“It hurts like a bitch,” I said and she pulled me in for a hug.

“I was so scared,” she said and I sighed and hugged her back.

“You and me both, girlie,” I said and she gave me a small smile.

“Mike scared me when he went after James, I thought he was really gunna kill him,” Emma said and I looked at her confused, “It was really scary, he was shaking and everything.”

“Sorry,” I said and she sighed.

“Do you remember when we were like twelve and Joey Laners shoved you to the ground and made you scrape your knee?” she asked and I nodded my head, “How Mikey freaked out and nearly beat him to a bloody pulp?”

“Yeah.”

“It was worse than that,” she said and my eyes widened.

“I know Mikey’s got anger issues, but-“

“No but, ask the guys, we didn’t know what to do, he freaked,” Emma said and I looked towards the floor, “In fact, you don’t have to ask, just look at Neal’s face.”

I heard the guys come back into the locker room; Emma went out there and told them to shower before they came to see me. I sighed and pulled myself off of the table and groaned, grabbing onto the table as everything was a little shaky. I took a deep breath and then slowly bent down to put my sweats on, leaning against the table as I pulled them up, trying not to hiss in pain as I felt the ache of the cut.

I slipped on my sneakers and gave up on trying to bend down to tie them. Emma walked and looked at me, “Need help?” she giggled as she saw my laces sprawled on the ground and an annoyed look on my face.

“Please,” I said and she walked over and bent down and tied my shoes for me, “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” she said and then stood up and patted my shoulder.

I threw my hoodie on and zipped it up, fixing my hood and looking over at my bloody gear in the corner of the room.

“You need to hold still Maggie!” Doc yelled as he, Jack and Tyler, two of the trainers helped me onto the table and tried to get my gear off, “Hurry up and get it off so I can stop the bleeding!”

Curses were coming out left and right from my mouth, I was probably saying every word in the book. The burning in my side, the dizziness in my head, the nauseous feeling in my stomach at the sight of my own blood all over the ice, and the lack of knowledge on how I was hit hard for the second time this month.

“Maggie, Maggie listen to me,” Doc said as he cupped my face and looked at me, “I’m going to give you a sedative and get you all fixed up, all right?” I nodded my head at best as I could and managed to breathe out an ‘ok’, “All right, you’re going to be all right. You’re going to be all right, Maggie!”

“Maggie? Maggie? Earth to Maggie?” I flinched at the closeness of Emma, “Oh, sorry,” she said and I looked down and nodded my head, “Where’d you go?”

“Just thinking about when they brought my in here,” I said and she nodded her head, “Sorry.”

“It’s all right, you were dazed off for a while, some of the guys are dressed, they want to see you,” she said and I looked at her and nodded my head.

I stood up straight and slowly went to the door, Emma opened it and I looked out to see some of the guys finishing up on getting their suits on.

“Mags,” Mike breathed as he saw me, his shirt was on, but wasn’t buttoned. He hurried over towards me and pulled me in for a hug, “Are you all right?”

“I’ll be fine,” I said and Mike cupped my face and kissed my forehead.

“You had me scared,” he said and I looked down.

“Sorry,” I said and he hugged my again.

“Don’t hog her!” I heard and turned my head to see Max coming towards me; he said something in French and then pulled me in for a hug.

One after another the guys came and hugged me, being sure to watch my cut. Kris came over towards me and pulled me in for a kiss and I heard some of the guys cheering or giving cat calls. I smiled and leaned my forehead against Kris’.

“Get it, Tanger!” Jordan called and I giggled.

“You all right?” he asked and I smiled.

“I am now,” I said and Kris smiled and kissed my cheek.

“You had me scared,” he said and I smiled.

“Apparently I had everyone scared,” I said and he pulled back, “I don’t even remember what happened.”

“We’ll figure that out later,” Mike said and I looked at him and nodded my head. I turned my head towards Neal, he was in his stall getting dressed, the only one not to hug me.

I walked over towards him and the room was quiet, Neal looked up towards me and I saw the bruises on his face, “Next time Mikey goes to punch you, you might want to back up, his right hooks can hurt like a bitch,” I said and he blinked at me in confusion, “Just want to warn you, he’s got a bit of a temper.”

“I’ll remember that,” he said not louder than a whisper.

“Good,” I said and then turned around and headed for the door, “I’ll wait for you on the bus, I want to get out of here before the media comes.”

“All right,” Mike said and I went out the door, Emma following me.

“What was that about?” she asked as she came up next to me.

“I don’t want to think that this whole thing was on purpose, I want to think he feels really bad, so I’m trying to look past it,” I said and Emma stopped me.

“Who are you and what have you done with my Maggie?” she asked and I gave a small smirk.

“Hoping that this doesn’t happen again, I don’t like scars that much,” I said and she sighed and nodded her head, “Can you do me a favor?”

“Anything,” she said and I nodded my head.

“Can you give a message to the Hawks?” I asked and she nodded her head, “Tell them I’m all right.”

“I will,” she said and I thanked her and watched as she headed down the hallway and turned one way, while I went the other.

-Emma-
I walked towards the Blackhawks door and was stopped by a guard, “No, I work for the Penguins, I just need to give the boys a message.”

“Sorry, go back to your side,” he said and I sighed.

“I just want to tell them Maggie’s status,” I said and he looked at me, “Really, I’m being honest, they’re friends with her! You can come too!”

“What’s going on?” I heard and looked passed the guard and saw Jonathan Toews.

“Toews! Good, I’m friends with Maggie!” I said and his eyes widened.

“Is she all right?” he asked and I sighed.

“Yeah, she’s fine, she wanted me to tell you that she was all right,” I said and then looked towards the guard and stuck my tongue out at him, “Told ya!” I felt my arm being pulled and saw that Toews was pulling me into the locker room, “Uh, what-“

We were in the room and most of the guys were looking at me, some were only in the towels and I looked up at the ceiling awkwardly trying to hide my blush.

“Who’s the chick, Tazer?” I heard and wanted to glare at whoever said that, but boys, hot boys, with only towels, can’t promise that I won’t jump them.

‘…Stupid hormones…’ I thought.

“She’s friends with Maggie,” Toews said and that was like the magic word because instead of me jumping them, they were coming at me, asking all at once if she was all right and wanting answers.

“Ok, ya’ll who aren’t dressed need to back the hell up!” I said and some of the guys laughed, “Maggie’s fine, she wanted me to tell you, she’s getting on the bus now to avoid the media.”

“Now?” Kane asked and I nodded my head, he at least had pants on, but was shirtless.

‘…Holy mother of holy hotness!...’ I thought and bit the inside of my lip, “I’m gunna, you know, like- Yeah,” I said and just headed for the door, knowing that my face was redder than a tomato, ‘…I need a cold shower…’

I was down the hall and heading for the Penguins’ side when I heard someone yell out, turning around to see Kane, Toews, Sharp, Keith, and Crawford. They just said that they wanted to see her and I nodded my head and smiled, happy that Maggie had made so many friends.

-Maggie-
I was on the bus sitting next to Kris, wanting nothing more than to cuddle up next to him and sleep, but it hurt so much to do it, I nearly cried when I tried. Some of the guys were on the bus already, but we were waiting on a few others. I heard another person and looked to see Emma coming onto the bus.

“Mags,” she called and I looked at her, “You’ve got some visitors.”

I looked at her confused and she nudged her head to outside. I heard Kris sigh and looked at him, “They’re hawks.”

“They really wanted to see you,” she said and I nodded my head.

I slowly stood up and carefully and sadly painfully made my way off of the bus and was nearly attacked with hugs as soon as one of my feet hit the pavement.

“Ok, guys, that hurts,” I said wincing in pain as the quickly backed off.

“Are you all right?” Kane asked looking at me sacredly.

“I’m all right,” I said and he sighed, “Hurts like a bitch,” she answered before we even asked.

“What does it look like?” Sharp asked and I smirked and pulled out my phone.

“Mikey took a picture and I made him send it to me,” I said and got the picture and showed it to the guys who winced, “Doc measured it to be nine inches.”

“Ouch,” Crawford said and winced.

“Really?” I asked, “Did you really think that a nine inch cut wouldn’t hurt?” I smirked and the guys smirked and rolled their eyes.

“I’m glad you’re all right,” Kane said and pulled me in front another hug, wrapping his arms around my neck and I wrapped my arms around his chest, “You had me scared out there.”

“Mikey told me what you did,” I said and looked at him; he was a few inches taller than me. I smiled and kissed his cheek, “Thanks for helping me.”

“Any time,” he said and winked towards me.

“Let’s go Mags,” Coach said as he came towards the bus, we were just waiting on me. I said my goodbyes and hopped onto the bus to head back to the hotel for some well-deserved sleep.