Sequel: Flying High
Status: Finished! I hope everyone enjoys this story! Look for the sequel STARTING OVER

You Never Know

32. Telling

32. Telling

(Regular POV)

Mike led the group down the private hall used by nurses and doctors, to the elevators that would lift them to the correct floor. The faculty at the hospital had provided a private room on a quiet floor so that Nicole could rest in peace and the team could come and go without being hassled.

Mike was tense; he knew what was going on with Nicole and wanted to warn the men fallowing him, but it wasn’t his place. He had offered to stay in the room with Nic when she told Max and Sidney the news; she said she wanted to do that alone. She also wanted to talk to Max first since he would have been the father; a decision that would confuse all but Mike was in agreement; he would have wanted to know first if it were him.

They approached the door; it was closed. Mike turned to face the group.

“Nicole wants to talk to Max before anyone else goes in.”

This came as a surprise to everyone, especially Sidney and Max both. Max looked at his captain then back at the Capital.

“Non. Sidney is who she needs to see.”

Mike looked at the defense-man, “She asked specifically to see you first, then Sidney.” The Man went to protest again but Mike held his hand up to stop him, “It’s not my place to say why; it’s just how she wants to do this. You go first then Sidney.”

Mike crossed his arms, the two saw that arguing would get them nowhere; besides Nicole was stubborn, but she probably had a good reason.

Max walked to the door. He took one look back at the group then entered.
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(Max and Nicole POV)

The room was dark when Max entered. His skin crawled just being in the enclosed space; hospitals really crept him out. He could hear the soft beeping of the heart monitor and fallowed it into the room.

Nicole was lying on the bed, she looked like she was asleep. Max thought about turning and leaving the room but Nicole opened her eyes just as he was about too.

“Come in Max. I won’t bit,” She called out.

He walked over and sat in the chair that had been pulled up close to her; probably by Mike. The thought of the Capital player being so close to Nicole made his blood boil. The man had done nothing but incidentally have the same last name.

“You are thinking hard, Mon cher,” Nicole said with a slight smile; she was making fun of him and he knew it, seeing as that was the only French she could speak.

“How are you feeling, ma belle fille,” it wasn’t right for Max to call her this; she was no longer his girl; but it felt right in the moment.

“Better. But that is probably the pain meds,” she jokes again. The room falls silent.

“Your guard dog said you wanted to see me first, alone.”
“Yes, I trained him well,” she joked again.

“Why?” Max questions her. He is serious, a side that not many saw.

“I need to tell you something. I just don’t know how,” she says; Max sees the battle in her eyes; she is confused about where to begin and how to tell him. He fears she is extremely ill; maybe cancer. He has been to enough holiday visits to know how cancer can affect a person. This is his fear for her.

He takes her hand, “Just tell me, ma belle fille. Like a band aid; fast and painless,” He tries to joke.
Nicole takes a deep breathe, “I…..I was pregnant,” she tells him.

It takes a moment for the information to process; this was not what he had expected. Nicole was pregnant. She would be a mother.

Wait.

“What do you mean ‘was’?” he asks her.

“The abdominal pain that I was in was my body rejecting the baby. I miscarried, Max.”

He sees her fighting back tears; he takes her in close and holds her. A few tears fall onto his shirt; he can feel the wetness soak into his skin.

“It will be better, dear. But why did you want to tell me first? Shouldn’t you tell Sidney?”
“I am and will,” she pulls away and looks him in the eyes, “I figured it would be better to tell the father first,” Nicole bites her lip as this new information processes.

“I…I’m not….” Max trails off. Unable to finish the sentence.
“I was Seven weeks Max. Sidney and I have been together for only two. You are the only other man whom I have been with since I moved here more than five months ago.”
“I was going to be a dad?” he questions, still unable to grasp the concept.

“Yes.”

“Merde!” he exclaims, he would have been a father.

A father to a child with Nicole. All the dreams he had of the two flooded his memory. He had wanted that future with her; and she had wanted it too at one point. He turns to Nicole.

“What will you tell Sidney?” he asks thinking of his friend and Captain.
“The truth,” she says.
“How will he take it?”
“I don’t know Max. I don’t know.”
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(Outside the Room POV)

Sidney was livid. The Capital was guarding the door, baring anyone from entering until Max came out of the room; His girlfriend’s room. But moreover, he was angry at Nicole. Why did she want to see Max first? He seethe silently across the hall with his team surrounding him.

Mike just stared; he knew the Penguin wouldn’t try to start anything in a hospital. He could get as angry as he wanted but he would not enter the room angry at Nicole; she didn’t need that type of atmosphere right at that moment.

“You might as well get over yourself. Nicole is a grown woman and makes her own decisions,” he said to the opposing teams’ captain.

“Where the hell do you get off telling me what to do?” Sidney shot back, “That’s MY girlfriend in there. Not yours and not Max’s. I should be in there seeing what’s wrong. I should be the one she wants to see, not Him!”

“She does! She needed to talk to him first, you prat. She’ll explain everything to you; but you will NOT go in angry and take your jealousy out on her. She does Not need that right now,” Mike had moved across the hall to stand in front of Sidney; the team watched them warily. They were ready in case things got out of hand.

Pascal had watched the two exchange words and decided to step between the two men.

“Mike is right, Sid. Nicole doesn’t need this atmosphere. We do not know what is ailing our fille. You need to calm down or I will not let you enter.”

Sidney looked at the older man; he knew Pascal loved Nicole like a daughter and wouldn’t let anything or anyone near her if they would cause more harm in any way. He backed off; the anger leaving his tense body.

Just then the door opened revealing an exhausted looking Max. The man looked like he had lost a loved one; his eyes were filled with sorrow, the storm clouding the normal sparkle. He looked at the group; his eyes landing on Sidney.

“She wants you,” He said.

Sidney heart fell; he went to walk into the room but was stopped short by Talbot.

“Listen to what she tells you. She will need you now more than ever, mon ami,” Max patted Sidney on the shoulder and moved away. He sat on the floor opposite the door and placed his head in his hands.

The others did not know how to take this. Was Nicole seriously ill? Would they lose their dear fille? Their Королева льда? (Queen of the Ice.)

Sidney stepped through the door.
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(Sidney’s POV)

Sidney entered the room. He saw Nicole curled on the bed. Her small body looking tinier in the dim light; the color in her cheeks washed out, her hair dull lacking the normal shine. It was not a look he ever wanted to see but one he didn’t think he could ever forget.

“Sidney?” her voiced called him; pulling him further into the room.
“Hey, baby,” he cooed, taking her cold hand in his, “How are you feeling?” the warmth from his hands slowly leaking into her own.

“I’ve been better,” she joked with a smile. Sidney leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. The softness taking both of them from that stale place; stolen moments they both craved.

“What is wrong, Nic?” Sidney wasted no time getting back to business once the moment was broken.

Nicole drew a large breathe. Sidney could see the redness around her eyes; clear signs that she had been crying.

“Before you jump to conclusions, let me first say that I am Not dying,” she stressed the not to be sure that he heard it loud and clear. A look of relief broke across the distraught man’s face.

“That’s great…..”

“I’m not finished,” she cuts him off; she knows the best way to deal with her matter-of-fact boyfriend was to get straight to the point.

Sidney closes his mouth; the words dying on his lips; and waits for the rest.

“I was pregnant, Sidney. The pain I was feeling was me miscarrying. I was roughly seven weeks pregnant. Now I’m not.”

Nicole looked at the man sitting next to her hospital bed. His grip had tightened slightly as the information reached his brain and, like Max, he froze.

Suddenly Sidney was moving Nicole further over in the bed and climbed in. he took her in his arms in a tight embrace and held her. She cried, she didn’t know where the tears kept coming from, but they poured out against her Captains strong chest.

“I’m so sorry Nicole,” he offered in comfort. Sidney was smart enough to know that the time didn’t add up to it being his, but his girlfriend was hurting and he would do anything to end that pain.

“That’s why I asked for Max first because…..” Nicole choked out before Sidney cut her off.

“It was his. I know, baby. I understand. I know it’s not my place, but you have a hallway full of worried Penguins out there, would you like me to tell them?”

“Please.”

The couple sat in silence; soaking warmth from each other.

“Damn it!” he suddenly exclaimed.
“What?” She asked worried; she was afraid that he would pull away and this seemed like the moment she was awaiting for.

“I broke my promise,” he said.

“What promise?”

Sidney looked at her sheepishly, “I promised your brothers’ that I would look after you. That you would be safe. I didn’t hold up my end of the deal.”

“What was their end?” she asked truly curious.
“They said that they would fly out and kick my ass if I failed,” Sidney said giving her a smile; he was trying to lighten the mood. It worked.

Nicole let out a small laugh, “I’ll protect you,” she said snuggling into his warm body.
“My hero,” he whispered.

He held her as the tears slowly dried out. She needed him and he would be there, no matter what. He didn’t plan on the next phrase to pass his throat.

“I love you, Nicole.”
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(Max’s POV in the Hallway)

I sat on the floor as Sidney entered Nicole’s room. I couldn’t look at the men surrounding me. Their curious, concerned eyes would break the waterfall of emotions that I was holding back. The cracks were forming but I was determined to not let the dam break. I felt a body slide down next to me. It was Cookie.

“What is it?” I know he wants to know, hell all the guys do and they deserve to know; but Nicole asked that I not tell until Sid comes out. She was going to ask him to talk to everyone if he didn’t offer so that neither of us had to do so. She couldn’t handle saying it again after him, and she knew that I couldn’t either. She knew me so well.

“You will wait,” I tell the man next to me even though the remark is directed to all present.

Mike looks at me. He hasn’t moved from his post. He really was like a guard dog.

“Just tell us, dude,” Cookie presses; he never did know when to not press an issue; he really is a nice guy; that’s just how he operated.

“Non. It is not for me to tell, yet.”
“But….”
“Leave Talbo alone,” Flower comes to my rescue, “Nicole probably made him promise not to. He will not break that promise.”

“Not like he hasn’t broken promises before,” Cook says to our goalie.
“Fuck you, connard,” I say (asshole). I get up and move down the hallway to the waiting area.

The guys leave me in piece. Sidney stays in the room for a while. Some of the guys who weren’t here earlier arrive and start asking questions. I ignore them. Duper tells them to leave me alone.
G, Tanger, and Flower move down the hall near me but leave my space alone. They know me almost as well as Nic does.

Sidney finally comes out of the room. He sees the others have arrived but he ignores them. He comes straight for me. I bow up; I don’t know it he’s looking for a fight but I’m ready.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Regular POV)

Sidney walked out of the room nearly thirty minutes later. Nicole had fallen sleep in his arms and he wanted to let her rest. He left a quick note so she would know that he would be back later, he was running to pick up Rex and would take him back to be with Sam.

The group in the hall had grown; the players who were unable to be there earlier had finally arrived. But Sidney didn’t look at the group. His eyes landed on Max who had moved down the hall to the waiting area. He was standing propped against the wall; waiting for his captain to leave the room.

Sidney made a bee line for the defense-man. The other players had gathered in a loose circle around the two. Max met Sidney’s gaze; he wasn’t sure what the man intended but if it was a fight then he would be ready to swing; friend or not.

Sidney reached for the Frenchman. Max tensed. Sidney grabbed him by the shoulders and drew him in. He wrapped his arms around Max; pulling him into a tight embrace. The man was shocked but recovered quickly and reciprocated the action.

“I’m sorry, man,” Sidney said as he squeezed his friend.

Max pulled him tighter as tears spilled over. He had fought them off as he stayed away from the larger group; only allowing Geno, Kris, and Flower to sit near him. Sidney pulled away after a few moments.

“Thank you, mon ami,” Max said as his voice tightened, “Did she tell you that it was okay….”

“Yes. I’m going to tell everyone so neither of you have too. If you want, you could leave,” Sidney said cutting Max off and giving him an out before continuing, “Of course they’ll just hunt you down after,” he says motioning toward the group.

“Non, I will stay,” Max said as he took a seat next to Geno again. Mike moved nearer to Max and Sidney.

“What is wrong with Nicole?” Tanger asked; he was worried about his line mate and concerned about the interactions between the two men.

“What I tell you does not leave this area,” Sidney starts; looking at the Capitals around the waiting room.

The four share a look and all nod in agreement before Sidney continues, “Nicole was, unknowingly, seven weeks pregnant. She miscarried. That was the pain she was in.”

The waiting room falls silent; they all put the pieced together, the timeline, Nicole wanting to see Max first, Sidney’s reaction when he came out of the room, and realize that Max was the father. Would have been, the father.

The men who have kids show sympathy and compassion for both men. Some give both hugs, others simply slap them on the shoulder; not needing to show any more emotion than that. They are all family at the end of the day. It is a hard situation for the three to be in and have to deal with and they will be there for all three as best as they can.

They all ask to see Nicole but Sidney tells them to wait; that she was sleeping. They understand and make promises to come back the next day after morning skate. Duper, Kuni, and Flower promise to bring the girls; Nicole would want to see them.

The large group file out to the parking garage. Geno and Ovechkin talk on the way down and shake hands before parting. Mike goes with his team mates.

“Mike!” Sidney calls out. The Capital turns.

“Thank you, for taking care of her. We…I appreciate it,” he says offering his hand to the man.
Mike takes the out stretched hand, “No problem. Take care of her. Hold on to her. She’s one of a kind.”

“I plan on it.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Okay so it's 2 a.m. and i have finished chapter 32. I couldn't fall asleep with this chapter on my mind so what better way to fix that then to write it out.

I personally am proud of Sidney and how he has handled this bomb that has been dropped. I don't know too many guys who would stay. so glad he did!
Poor Max though, I believe he really did love Nicole, so this must have been heart wrenching for him.

As always let me know what you all think. Comments and suggestions are always welcomed!