O Captain, My Captain.

"So Aubrey tells us you're from Canada?" Joyce sipped her coffee.

"Yes," Sidney smiled. "Cole Harbour to be exact."

"I've heard it's just beautiful up there," Joyce remarked setting her coffee mug down on the table.

"Most of Canada is," Sid said. "That's a big reason why I love being from there."

"That and the fact that hockey IS Canada's sport," Tom chimed in.

"You make a very good point, sir," Sid laughed.

"Please, please! Call me Tom!"

"You make a very good point, Tom," Sid smiled correcting himself.

The four of them were all powwowed in Aubrey's small living room, her parents on the small leather couch and she and Sidney sitting in the plush chairs facing them. After getting over the initial fear and awkward first introductions, everything was smooth sailing. Even though he had just met her parents all of thirty minutes ago, Aubrey could tell that they were infatuated with him. Her father never once took his eyes off him when he was talking, practically absorbing every word that came out Sidney's mouth. Her mother even mustered up enough interest to ask him hockey-related questions, something that surprised both Aubrey and Sidney.

"And you said you have a sister?" Joyce questioned.

"Yes. I have a younger sister named Taylor."

"And does she play hockey too?" Tom asked.

"She does," Sid beamed. "She's a goalie at Shattuck St. Mary's."

"Following in her big brother's footsteps," Aubrey patted his leg.

"Goalie, huh?" Tom sounded impressed. "That's a pretty tough position."

"No kidding," Sid laughed. "I don't know how she does it. I guess I just don't see the fun in having pucks intentionally aimed at me all the time, but she loves it."

Watching Sid talk about his younger sister with such admiration and pride was enough to plaster a permanent smile across Aubrey's face. She knew he had a soft spot in his heart for Taylor, even if he never really talked about her much in conversation all that often. She was his only other sibling and his baby sister at that, so naturally he loved playing the role of a proud big brother. And with a sister who had a good shot of one day making Canada's Women's Olympic team, who wouldn't?

All of a sudden there was a soft knock on the front door followed by loud groaning heard on the other side. As Aubrey slowly unlocked the door and pulled it open just a crack, she saw Chelsea standing on the porch about ready to collapse and she looked a hot mess. Her once soft, blonde tendrils from the night before were now tied up in a lopsided messy bun and her eyeliner was smudged in the bags under her eyes. The shapely dress she donned at dinner last night was now halfway zipped on the side with one sleeve hanging off her right shoulder leaving her red bra strap exposed. All evidence that she had had a wonderful night with Nealer.

"Morning, Sunshine," Aubrey smirked pulling the door wide open and allowing her big sister to stumble inside.

"Fuck off," Chelsea groaned. "I need to go to bed."

"Wild night?" Aubrey raised her eyebrows.

"Wild would be a complete understatement," Chelsea grinned, eyes half closed. "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!"

"For?" Aubrey questioned.

"Introducing me to that GOD you call James Neal."

"You're clearly still drunk," Aubrey laughed. "Because James Neal is not a god."

"I haven't had sex that good in a long ass time," Chelsea placed her hands on her sister's shoulders. "So again, thank you."

"Chelsea?" Joyce's sing-songy voice could be heard coming down the hall.

"Shit," Chelsea muttered to herself.

"Oh yeah. Mom and dad are here," Aubrey attempted to wipe away some of the smudged makeup from her sister's face.

"Yeah I got that," Chelsea spat.

"Morning, Chels-" Joyce stopped dead in her track. "Oh my."

"Hi, mom," Chelsea did the best she could to straighten out her dress.

"Where are your shoes?" Joyce questioned.

"Uhhhhh," Chelsea looked down at her bare feet. "I must have left them at James's house."

"Did Nealer drop you off?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah, he said he would've come in but he was already running late for a meeting with his agent or something," Chelsea said rubbing her eyes.

"Well it looks like you had a good night," Joyce smiled. "Why don't you go change into something that looks like it doesn't imply that."

"Thanks, mom," Chelsea rolled her eyes as she made her way down to the second bedroom where her weekend bag was.

"Chels made it back," Aubrey said as she and her mom rejoined her father and Sidney in the cozy living room.

"Oh, good," Sid gave Aubrey a knowing look wondering if Nealer would be texting him further details later.

"So Sid here was just telling me how you guys would like to give us a tour of the city," Tom piped up, not wanting to even begin thinking of the mess his oldest daughter looked like right now.

"Yeah. We thought it'd be cool to show you around since you guys don't make it down here too often," Aubrey smiled.

"Oh, wonderful!" Joyce exclaimed. "Where are we going?"

"Wherever you guys want. There's the Incline's, boat rides on the rivers, some kick-ass shopping downtown," Aubrey began listing off interesting things to do.

"If it's not too much to ask, I'd like to see the arena," Tom said. "I've never been to Consol."

"Yeah, Tom, absolutely. We can definitely show you around the rink," Sidney smiled.

"Fantastic!" Tom clapped. "Aubs, run down the hall and make sure your sister's still alive. The clock's a tickin'."

Aubrey rolled her eyes and smiled as she padded down the hallway and into the second bedroom to find her sister sprawled out on the bed in nothing but an old high school track and field t-shirt and the same lacy underwear Nealer had practically destroyed through the night before. Instead of waking her up from her much-needed slumber, Aubrey dug around for a pen and a piece of paper to leave Chelsea a note saying they would be out and about today and to call when she woke up.

She closed the door to the second bedroom as quietly as possible and walked across the hall and into her bedroom in search of a clean pair of jeans and an oversized sweater. Aubrey was anxious to see where this day would go. It would be the first time that she and Sidney would really be out in public as an official couple and with her whole family at that. Sure there would be room for speculation but she didn't care. As long as she was with the people she loved, that was all that really mattered. 'Wow,' she thought to herself. 'I love him.'

"Is your sister almost ready?" Tom asked as Aubrey emerged into the living room.

"Uh, I think Chels is gonna sit this one out," Aubrey grabbed her coat off the coat hook. "She's pretty exhausted."

"Well I don't want her to miss out on all the sight-seeing," Joyce said.

"Oh, she'll have plenty of time to see Pittsburgh later on down the road," Aubrey gave Sidney a subtle smirk, letting him know that she was recalling that Chelsea and Nealer had already made plans to spend time together next weekend.

"Well then if Chelsea would rather sleep, let's get a move on!" Tom clapped and headed towards the door.

"I can drive, Tom," Sidney dug around in his pocket for his keys.

"Good because you know your way around better than I do," Tom chuckled as he ushered his wife and daughter out the door towards Sidney's Range Rover.

Once they were all buckled in, Sidney put the car in drive and headed down the street and towards the city. It was going to be an adventurous day.