The Team Comes First

Two

Jasmine couldn't sleep. She heard Tyler lightly snoring and sighed. She didn't mean what she said, she was just trying to win some games for the Stars. Of course it had pissed Tyler off that she put the team before him, but she did have a point. She would be part of the team for an almost guaranteed amount of time while her time with Tyler could be unpredictable.
Jasmine couldn't take just laying in the silence. She had to get up and do something so she grabbed her wallet and walked out of the hotel room.

Jasmine walked down to the streets of LA and smiled. She could get used to this 70 degree weather in the middle of March. She kept walking until she smacked right into someone.
"Jasmine?"
"James?" She asked
"Dude, I miss you!" Jasmine said hugging James Neal tightly.
"I miss you too Jas." He smiled.
"Why are you in LA and not in Pittsburgh?"
"I got a concussion and I came to see a doctor out here."
"That sucks."
"Don't you have a game tonight?"
"Yeah. You should come." She smiled
"Yeah, I should." He smiled.
"I would love that."
"Do you wanna hang out or whatever?" He asked.
"I would love to. I haven't seen you in what seems like forever." She smiled.

As they walked around the streets of LA they talked about their teammates.
"So Dallas has really changed, hasn't it?"
"Yeah. Jamie and I still have the Starbucks tradition." Jas laughed.
"So what's Tyler Seguin like? I heard he's a jerk."

When James asked that, Jas didn't quite know how to answer it. Did she say that Tyler was a jerk just because they got into a stupid and pointless argument?
"He's not. He's actually really sweet." She said and James look disappointed a reason Jasmine couldn't figure out.
"From what I heard he was one."
"Well, sometimes he can," Jasmine said thinking about their fight. "But no one's perfect." She shrugged.
"Has he ever been a jerk to you?"
"No." Jasmine lied.
"Jas, you're a horrible liar." James said with a hard face. "What did he say?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Jas."
"It's none of your fucking business." She snapped. "I can take care of myself. Shea's been treating me like a baby my whole life and people need to understand I can take care of my fucking self."
"I'm just looking out for you." James said quietly and Jasmine felt bad for snapping at him.
"I know, and I'm sorry, but I just want to be on my own, ya know? I'm just sick of being babied. I didn't enter the draft for nothing."
"It's okay, I get it. My mom bawled her eyes out when I got drafted, since I was her first kid, she constantly babied me. She was so concerned about me and all this other stuff."
"Finally, someone who understands!"
"I still can't cook though...." James said with a small smile.
"Well, if you have a few days off, come to Dallas or Sicamous and I can make some stuff. Maybe you can learn too."
"I hope you have insurance." James smiled and Jas shot him a perplexed look. "Might burn the house down." He said and she burst into laugher.

Jasmine swiped the room key and quietly opened the door, making sure not to wake Tyler. She tiptoed past the bed he was sleeping on and crawled into the other one. There wasn't anything she wanted to do more than climb into bed with Tyler. She wanted his warm body pressed against hers with his arm draped lazily over her midsection. That's when Jasmine felt safe and protected and now she had messed that up. She sighed as Tyler shifted in his sleep.
"No, Jas don't leave." He mumbled and Jas felt her heart break.
"I'm right here, Ty." She whispered hoping to turn his nightmare into a real dream.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled in his sleep.
"It's okay, Ty"
"I love you l, Jas."
"I love you too, Ty." She said and quietly got up and kissed Tyler's forehead. Jas crawled back into her bed and finally fell asleep.

Jas woke up and looked at the time. She and Tyler had to be down in the lobby to board the bus to the Staples Center in fifteen minutes. She walked over and gently shook Tyler.
"We have to go." She said and walked out the door while pulling her hair into a ponytail.

There was no point in waiting for Tyler since he wouldn't talk to her the whole way to the lobby. She sighed and pushed the down button on the elevator just as Tyler rounded the corner of the hallway and was walking towards the elevator. He stood beside her waiting for the elevator in silence. Jas felt like crying but she couldn't let Tyler see her like that. The only person who had seen her cry that was a part of the NHL (besides Shea) was James. The elevator opened and Tyler and Jas stepped in. Tyler stood against one wall while Jas stood against the one opposite of it.
"I'm sorry." Jas said quietly and Tyler remained silent the rest of the way down to the lobby.

When Jasmine stepped off the elevator she saw Jamie motion for her and Tyler to come over, but she simply shook her head. She walked over to one of the couches in the lobby and sat down closing her eyes.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't miss Jasmine Weber." She heard and her eyes snapped open.
"Are you stalking me or something?" She smiled at the man with the brown hair and ginger stubble.
"You never know." James shugged and sat beside her while she rolled her eyes.
"I need a restraining order against you." She smirked.
"Now why would you want a restraining order against me?" He smiled.
"That's true."
"You know it is."
"Are we getting a little cocky now that we've been in a playoff game?" She asked James with a smirk.
"Games." James said emphasizing the point that he had gone to the playoffs in the last years.
"I don't see a Stanley Cup."
"I'm working on that one."
"Maybe you should work harder." She smiled and saw Tyler staring daggers at James.
"I do work hard."
"Uh huh." She said not believing him.
"Maybe you should come train with me during the offseason." He suggested and Jas looked into his blue/green eyes.
"Yeah, the hell with Shea." She laughed and James smiled.
"Did you ever think about asking for a trade?" James asked and Jas glanced at Tyler, who was talking to Jamie and Jordie.
"I wasn't until now."
"Well Miss Weber, I may be able to put a good word in for you in Pittsburgh."
"Really?"
"Yep. Pittsburgh's looking for a good two way center and from how you play, you could definitely be an option."
"That would be awesome."
"I'm not going to tell Ray to his face, but I can get the guys talking about you and Ray usually takes what we all say and what the team needs."
"James!" Jamie said and walked over to he and Jas.
"Hey Jamie, long time no see." James smiled and gave him a man hug.
"How's Pittsburgh?"
"It's good. A lot colder than Dallas." James laughed.
"It was good seeing you, but Jas and I have to go."
"I'll be at the game."
"You got a ticket?" Jas asked and James nodded.
"It was tight, but I got one."
"Okay, so, I'll see you after the game?" Jas asked.
"Sounds good."
"Bye James." He said and wrapped him in a hug while she walked over to the rest of the team with Tyler glaring at her.

Jasmine had all her gear on when Tyler pulled her by the arm and dragged her to a private space.
"What the hell was that?" He snapped.
"Friends who haven't seen each other in awhile." Jas snapped.
"It sure as hell didn't look like that." Tyler snapped.
"Maybe I should just ask for a trade just to get away from you." Jas said with venom in her voice and walked away leaving Tyler standing there in shock.