Filles de Fleur

"Finally!” Marc huffed as he threw his front door open, “Where did you two go after practice? Philadelphia?”

“New York, actually.” Sidney chuckled as Margaux rolled her eyes.

“Vero’s been cooking all day-“

“And I’ve been waiting all day!” a familiar voice yelled from the kitchen and Margaux stopped short as her big sister rounded the corner.

“Marylene!” she screamed, running over and wrapping her arms around her neck.

Sidney smiled as the two of them said things to each other in rushed French and Marc chuckled, shaking his head at his younger siblings as he pulled them both into a bear hug, “I love having you two here together!” he shouted as Sidney made a mental note to call Taylor in the morning.

“How long has it been since you’ve seen Marylene?” Sidney asked Margaux as they headed for the living room.

“About…a week?” Margaux chuckled, leaning into his side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “She’s like the other half of me. Being only a few blocks from her is the one thing I miss about Montreal…besides speaking French…and the poutine.”

Sidney chuckled, kissing the side of her head as she slipped out from under his arm, running over to scoop her niece out of her sister-in-law’s arms.

“Ma belle Estelle.” she cooed, kissing the top of the little girls head before sinking into the wing backed chair adjacent to the couch. Sidney smiled at the sight, watching as she blew raspberry’s on each of the babies chubby cheeks, sending her into a fit of giggles.

Vero took a seat at the end of the couch closest to Margaux and Marc sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he watched his baby sister playing with his baby girl.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Marylene asked, glancing up at Sidney once the rest of her family was distracted. He nodded and they slipped into the kitchen and out on the back deck, taking a seat at the table over looking the Fleury’s sprawling backyard.

“I just want to apologize-“

“What for?” Sidney asked, looking over at her surprised as she sighed, looking away.

“If I know my brother, I know he hasn’t exactly been the most supportive when it comes to you and Margaux.” she shook her head as she looked back at Sidney.

It’s still hard to believe that this - broad shoulders, thick arms - was the awkward boy Margaux fell for a decade ago. There were still shades of that boy, the same smile, still blushing, ears still a little too big, though he grew into the nose she’d once teased him for. She used to wonder what Margaux saw in Sid, before all this fame, before the NHL, when he was just some kid who bumbled over himself whenever she was around.

Now she saw it, the way his eyes lit up when she mentioned Margaux and how he looked at her sister when she was holding Estelle, like he couldn’t wait for that to be his baby girl one day, they’d been here all of two minutes and it was painfully obvious how in love with her Mrgaux this boy was.

“I know that Sylvie is the youngest, but she was already eight when Marc and Vero got together. Margaux’s his baby, he will always be over protective of her more than any of us, not that she wants or even needs it. I love my sister, she’s…she’s-”

“The other half of you?” Sidney offered up Margaux’s words and Marylene smiled, nodding.

“Exactement. I am so glad that she’s been so in love with you all this time, it would kill me to see her brokenhearted, but she let this whole Rick thing roll right off her back.”

“If I thought for moment that she had loved me, there wouldn’t have been a Rick thing-“ Sidney shook his head as Marylene reached over and placed a hand on his arm, “I still can’t believe that asshole had the fucking nerve. He threw away ten years with the most amazing girl for a flight attendant.”

“To be fair, he spent nine of them knowing I’d never love him nearly as much as I loved you.”

Sidney looked over his shoulder at Margaux leaning against the door frame and Marylene smiled at her baby sister as she stood up.

“I’ll give you two a minute.” she muttered while patting Margaux’s shoulder as she slipped back into the house.

“Then he should’ve let you go, the three of us wouldn’t have wasted ten years-“

“I could’ve broken it off at any time,” Margaux shrugged, taking Marylene’s seat, “I never…even dared to consider the possibility we’d be together and he wasn’t the love of my life - not even close - but he was all I expected out of life. He was kind, he had a good job, he’s going to be great father some day, he loved me, how could I want more? Who was I to think I deserved anything better?”

The tears welling up in Margaux’s eyes broke Sidney’s heart, he stood up and grabbed both of her hands from where they rested in her lap as he kneeled down in front of her chair.

“You could have all those things and still have someone who…loves you the way someone like you deserves to be loved. Who does all the little things and a few the big ones that make you happy. Who takes you out just because, remembers every little thing you said to him, waits in line at Starbucks with a hat pulled down over his eyes, scared to death he’s going to get mobbed over a bottle of vanilla syrup.” he chuckled, pulling her hands to his lips so he could kiss them as she smiled at him, “That right there, I’d do anything for that smile.”

Margaux sniffled as he leaned in and kissed her forehead before pulling her up out of her seat, “Let’s go back inside.”

"Don't listen to anything Marc says tonight, alright?" Margaux smiled halfheartedly at him, "I love you."

"That's the only opinion that matters to me anyway." Sid chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they headed inside.

Vero shot her sister-in-law a questioning glance when she spotted the obvious remnants of tears in her eyes but Margaux shook her head as she smiled and Vero smiled back at the sight of Sidney with his arm around her little sister.

"So we still have a bit of time before dinner, should we play a game?" Marylene asked and Marc chuckled.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“How did I not see this coming?” Vero asked Margaux, shaking her head as Marc dropped the net into place at the far end of their cul-de-sac.

“I’m surprised you’re surprised.” Marylene chuckled, leaning on her hockey stick.

“You realize you don’t have the numbers to play street hockey?” Vero chuckled, shaking her head at her man-child husband as he stopped and thought about it, “Four people is a team of two, a team of one, and a goalie.”

Marc glanced over at Margaux and they both smirked as they took off running to the house a few doors down, knocking on the door as obnoxiously as possible as someone cursed in French on the other side.

A moment later a pretty blonde swung the door open and they both smiled widely at her, as they struggled to keep a straight face, “Hey Mrs. Letang! Can Kris come out an play!” Margaux giggled, unable to control herself.

Catherine laughed and yelled out to her husband, who walked over carrying the couples son.

“Street hockey?” Flower beamed, nodding to the net and Tanger frowned.

“I don’t know-“

“If you’re cleared to start practising, I’m sure you could play street hockey.” Catherine smiled, giving his bicep a reassuring squeeze and the loving look on Kris’ face as he looked down at his wife made Margaux smile.

“Vero made Tarte Au Sucre…” Marc smirked, knowing his best friend’s weakness for the French Canadian maple sugar pie.

“Winner get’s first slice.” Margaux chimed in and Kris smirked, handing Alexandre off to his wife.

“Oh it’s on.”

“These teams seem horribly one sided!” Catherine called, giggling with Vero as the two of them sat on the sidelines, Alex and Estelle in their laps and a glass of wine in hand.

“Tarte Au Sucre is on the line!” Tanger hollered, eyes never leaving his opponent as he lined up against Margaux. The game was boys versus girls, one goalie so changes in possessions meant the puck - or in this case orange ball - had to be taken out of the “zone” before goals counted.

Sidney chuckled as Margaux beaked Kris in French, his teammate not holding back as he retaliated. They were speaking too fast for him to keep up, but he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know.

“You two done?” Marylene asked rolling her eyes at her over competitive little sister. Marc ruined her.

“Ladies first.” Sid smiled, tapping the ball to the blade of Marylene’s stick as the filles de fleur rolled their eyes. In the blink of an eye they were off, Margaux easily deaking Kris before they knew the game was on.

“You ain’t going to get it!” Marc chuckled, shaking his head as Marylene went in for the goal, only to fake it to Margaux who knocked it in back door just as Kris caught up with her.

“First to ten?” Sid asked as Flower fished out the ball and tossed it to his captain.

“You’re on, babe.” Margaux smirked as they jogged back to the end of the Fleury’s driveway.

The boys easily tied it up before the sisters took back the lead with two insurance goals. By the time Vero and Catherine came back from checking on dinner and refilling their wine glasses, the score was Team Fleury nine - Team Penguins eight.

Margaux was closing in on the net when Sidney’s arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her off her feet as he passed the ball back to Tanger. “Interference!” she laughed as Sid set her down, kissing the side of her head before running back onside.

“The NHL Superstars have to cheat to beat two girls!” Vero beaked the Captain as he took a pass from Kris. Margaux winked at Marylene as she abandoned her spot checking Tanger and ran after her boyfriend. He was nearly at the net by the time she got a step ahead and he stopped short when her hand slipped up his chest and her lips met his.

He didn’t even care they were in the middle of a game, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close as the WAGs cat called from the sidelines.

“May I?” Tanger asked, nodding to the ball and Marylene chuckled as she tossed it to him, he turned around and whipped it at the pair, getting his captain right between the shoulder blades, “Do you mind, we’re playing a game here.”

“Asshole.” Sidney muttered to himself as Margaux giggled, slipping out of his grasp.

The game was scoreless for the next twenty minutes, not for lack of trying by either team.

“Come on! Dinners getting cold!” Vero yelled as Marc made another beautiful save on his teammates.

Marylene stole the rebound from Sid and the Fleury sisters raced off to the end of the driveway. Margaux battled hard against Tanger to get open as they made their way to the net, it was clear he was not letting up in front of his goal, so she took a page from Sidney’s book and took off behind the back of the net to the other side. She got a beauty of a pass from her sister and sniped it in five hole.

Sidney laughed as she threw her hands up, dropping her stick and jumping up as Marylene tackled her, the same way he celebrated his golden goal in Vancouver. The girls fell over onto the lawn, giggling as Marc jumped on top of them.

“Finally! Come on, let’s eat.” Vero chuckled, ushering everyone inside, even the Letangs.

Sidney chuckled when he walked into the dinning room to find Margaux sandwiched between Marylene and Estelle perched in her high chair. He settled for the empty seat beside Tanger across the table, tuning out talks of their up coming home and home versus the Flyers, smiling slightly to himself as he watched the sisters laughing at their side conversation. His heart did a backflip in his chest as Margaux glanced over at him and smiled before turning back to Marylene.

“So, I heard coach jumped ship from your table to mine for Skates and Plates tomorrow night.” Marc piped up and Sidney froze slightly before he could look over at his goalie, “I had to see for myself and imagine my surprise when I find Margaux and Sylvie swapped out-“

“Don’t be mad at Beau, it was my idea.” Sidney shook his head, taking one for the team. The credit belonged to Beau, he wanted to swap Sylvie out for a single at his table, but it was Sidney’s idea to take the single and Margaux for Dan and his wife, “Sylvie isn’t a kid anymore Marc. You need to stop treating her like one and let her make her own choices. She’s choosing Beau and you need to suck it up and be okay with it, even if you’re not.”

“You and Margaux are going to be the death of me, you know that right?”