O Captain, My Captain.

"So what's this I hear about a hot sister?"

"What?" Aubrey shot Nealer a confused look.

"Word around the locker room is you have a hot sister who would DIE to get with all of this," he pointed down to his body.

"I don't know what you've heard but I can assure you that she isn't DYING to get with you," she exaggerated her words. "She just thinks you're...ya know...hot, I guess."

"So you admit it? Your hot sister thinks I'm hot?"

"Is there something you need, Nealer?"

"You could introduce me to your hot sister when she and your parents come down for a game soon," he said suggestively.

"So I take it Sid told you?" Aubrey rolled her eyes.

"What? That you have a hot sister or that your parents are coming down?" he sounded confused.

"James," she shot him an icy glare.

"Whaaaat?" he whined.

"Focus!" she snapped. "Quit talking about my sister for like two seconds. Has Sidney mentioned anything important to you guys?"

"Like what kind of important information would he mention?" James sounded confused and she couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.

Aubrey stopped the minor interrogation for a brief moment and pondered the situation. She had no reason to believe that Sidney wasn't capable of telling his teammates about his growing relationship and she certainly didn't mean to be prying information out of Nealer. Her main goal was just wanting to make sure everyone was on board with them dating before the general public caught word.

"Liiiiike anything out of ordinary, not hockey-related, totally un-Sidney-like," she finally said.

"Uhhhh nothing out of the blue, other than Dan might be switching up the lines a bit with Duper out and that a few guys might be getting called up from Wilkes Barre. But that's hockey-related," he wracked his brain, his lips twisting up into a devilish grin. "Oh, and that you guys are dating."

Aubrey beamed and felt her face getting hot. Sid did tell the guys and she couldn't be happier. Everything was finally starting to feel official and there wasn't much anyone could do to change that. Her happiness suddenly turned to sadness when she remembered Duper and how he'd be sidelined for the rest of the season. When the incident happened, Aubrey felt sick. And when the team doctors told him that he'd need to get ACL surgery, it made her feel even sicker. Here was a guy who hadn't missed a game in over two seasons and was suddenly now confined to recovery due to a freak accident. It sucked, not only for Duper, but for the rest of the team.

"Is that the answer you were looking for?" James teased noticing the redness growing on her face.

"Yes," she smiled again.

"I'm not gonna lie, Aubrey. I was impressed when he told me," he said.

"Oh yeah?" she questioned. "And why's that?"

"I just wondered how Captain Tight-Wad bagged a cutie like you," he admitted.

"Stop!" she playfully smacked his arm.

"I'm serious!" he laughed. "I can't even begin to tell you how many of us wish we would've had the balls to ask you out...but it's too late now."

'WHAT?' she silently yelled to herself. 'Someone other than Sid wished they would've asked me out?' She couldn't tell if Nealer was telling the truth about what he said but the more she thought about it, why would he lie? And if it were true, how did she not pick up on the signals from the other guys? It's not like hockey players were subtle guys to begin with, she couldn't imagine them trying to hide feelings for her.

"Whatever, Nealer," she did her best to brush his comment aside.

"Hey every other girl in the city of Pittsburgh would've had her panties dropped by now if she found out any one us had a crush on them," he said matter-of-factly.

And he was right. As much as she was committed to Sidney and their now-serious relationship, she desperately wanted to ask him which guys on the team thought she was such a 'catch'. And as the logical side of her mind was rapidly consuming her thought process, she kicked it aside and decided to go for it. After all, she might be able to have a little fun with this.

"Okay, first off, ew," she winced. "And secondly, I don't believe you."

"You don't believe me?" he sounded surprised.

"No," she folded her arms across her chest. "I don't."

"Are you fucking out of your mind!?" he exclaimed. "Look at Bortz over here."

"What'd I do?" Bortz sounded confused.

"The guy's been CRAZY about you ever since you joined the team!"

"DUDE!" Bortz yelled at Nealer.

"Bortz, are you serious?" she questioned.

"No, Aubrey! Nealer's so full of shit," Bortz began to blush.

"Oh," her voice sounded a bit defeated as she watched him scurry off. Not that she needed to be upset, she was dating the guy of her dreams.

"He has a permanent boner every time he's around you, he's just a pussy," Nealer explained. "Uhhhh let's see who else..."

"Nealer," she stopped him. "Regardless of whether that's true or not, I didn't come talk to you for you to out your teammates. I just wanted to know if Sid had told everyone that we were together."

"But come on it's fun," he joked. "But on a more serious note, yes, he's told everyone or at least to my knowledge he has."

"That's such a major relief," she wiped a fake bead of sweat from her forehead. "Thank you."

"You're lucky you know," he said. "In the short two years I've known him, he's never outed a relationship like this. He's pretty good about laying low and only tells certain guys."

"So Kuni and Duper?" she laughed. "And I know that, Nealer."

"Pretty much," he smiled. "But, really. This is huge for him. He's already ready to tell the public and you guys have been dating for how long? Shit's serious."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm just afraid with everyone knowing, he's gonna get asked a million more questions, and none of which are important."

"Sid's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Obviously he doesn't care about people asking him about it or he wouldn't be so quick to come out with it, ya know?"

"You're right," she smiled. "You're not so bad with the whole advice thing, you know that?"

"So I've been told," he matched his grin. "But that's just between you and us. I don't need them chirping me and calling me soft."

"Secret's safe with me," she 'locked' her lips and threw out the imaginary key. "So what are you wanting to know about Chelsea?"

"Hot sister has a name?" he flashed her a devilish grin.

"Yes," she giggled. "And she thinks you're the sexiest thing to ever hit this planet."

"Thought you said she just thought I was hot?" he teased.

"Maybe I lied," she raised and eyebrow. "But she is planning on coming down for a game soon and she would be absolutely beside herself if she got to meet you. Why she thinks you're god's gift to the world is beyond me."

"So when do I get to meet her?" he rubbed his hands together, ignoring her jab.

"Whenever we can coordinate schedules."

"Busy girl, I like it. What else can you tell me about her?"

"Well she looks exactly like me except tanner and blonde. She teaches fourth grade at the elementary school back home and she thinks you have the greatest head of hair the world has ever seen," she said.

"That makes two of us," he smirked.

"She's definitely your speed when it comes to women," she said in all seriousness. "She's a handful."

"Is that a challenge I smelled?" he said pretending to sniff the air. "I've got plenty of skill when it comes to women like her."

"Well good luck," Aubrey smiled coyly. "Because you're definitely gonna need it."