Flying High

1. Summer Drama

(Max’s POV)

Max was home for the first time since the playoffs had ended. The parades were over, the NHL awards had been successful for the team as a whole, Sidney won the Art Ross Trophy, the Hart Memorial Trophy, and the Ted Lindsay Award.

Nicole was the first woman to have her name engraved on the holy grail of hockey and won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and the Calder Memorial Trophy.
Geno took home the Conn Smythe Trophy after leading the series in assist and snagging the GWG in game seven.

Max was happy for the team but he had been dreading telling everyone about his upcoming trade – he still didn’t know where he was going and no one knew except for Nicole.
Max pulled his phone out and sent a mass text – it was easier than calling everyone individually.

TALBO>> hey guys, I want to be the first to tell you before you hear from anyone else; I will not be returning to Pittsburgh as a Penguin. I’ve enjoyed my time as a Pen but I think this is what is best for me and my career.

Max put his phone on silent as the messages poured in from his teammates. Most were understandably confused and wanted to know why the defenseman was leaving.
Flower suggested a going-away party at his and Vero’s home; this would allow the team to ask their questions and ultimately send Max off in style. The only person who didn’t respond to the suggestion was Nicole.

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(Max’s POV)

Max stood on Flower’s deck and surveyed the area. The team had showed in full force – even Geno had made a special trip from Russia to be there. Sidney and Jordan had been giving each other a wide berth since they had both arrived but had found themselves forced into conversation when Eric had called Sid over to talk hockey with the four Staal brothers.

Max rolled his eyes at the two grown men’s childish behavior – if they wanted a good season then they needed to get over what had happened.
The only person who wasn’t there was Nicole.

Max saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see Vero scurrying out of the house. She spotted Max and made her way over to the large man.

“Maxime, rassembler les gars et venir à l'intérieur . vous avez tous besoin de voir cela,” without another word, Vero turned and walked back onto the house. (Maxime, gather the guys and come inside. you all need to see this.)

Without a question, Max turned and walked over to the group with Flower, Paulie, Duper, Neal, and Geno.

“What’s up, Max?” Flower questioned, seeing clearly the puzzled look on his friends face.
“Your girl said to gather the guys and come inside. She didn’t really say much more,” Max answered gaining several confused looks from the group.

“That was cryptic,” Neal said before taking a sip of his beer.
“You think,” Max rolled his eyes.

“Well, let’s move. Vero wouldn’t say something like that unless there was a good reason,” Flower suggested; the group broke up and moved around the party, gathering Penguins and the three extra Staals.

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(Inside POV)

Vero was perched on the edge of the couch as the group of men made their way onto her home. She had been inside, gathering more refreshments, when the announcement caught her attention. Thankfully they had TIVO and she was able to replay the announcement.

“What is it, mon amour?” Marc-Andre wrapped his arms around the small woman before sinking down on the couch

“You must see this,” Vero handed the control over to the goalie. He gave her a questioning look – the same one that was mirrored around the room – and turned to the T.V.

"The Philadelphia Flyers sign Max Talbot to a five-year contract."

“Congrats man,” Paulie started to say but was cut off by Vero.
“Shhh, keep watching.”

All eyes turned back to the set, unsure of what the Frenchwoman was talking about.

“The Pittsburgh Penguins trade Nicole Green to the Chicago Blackhawks for the eleventh overall pick and the third round seventh pick of the 2009 draft.”

Several gasps escaped as the group took in the information fallowed by silence. Everyone moved at once, reaching for phones to call the absent woman. Tears fell from several of the wives eyes as they are filled in – they had all come to love the spunky little woman and couldn’t believe that she had been traded.

What no one saw was – or expected – was Jordan moving toward his Captain who had gone back outside. Eric realized his younger brother was no longer beside him but it was too late.

Jordan’s fist connected with the left side of Sidney’s face before he pulled back to swing again. The Captain hadn’t expected the sudden contact or the second that sent him flying off the deck and onto the ground below.

The two men tangled as fist and swears flew, before Eric, Marc, and Jared grabbed Jordan off of his teammate and Geno, Kris, and Paulie grabbed Sidney.

“You did this!” Jordan screamed at the dark haired man, “You had her traded! Didn’t you!”
“Fuck you, Jordan! I didn’t do anything!” Sidney yelled back at the taller man.
“Jordan calm down,” Eric tried to calm his brother.

“No! This is his fault, Eric. Nic wouldn’t want to leave,” Jordan said to his brother, his blue eyes had turned icy cold and were glued to his Captain.

“Maybe she did! Maybe she couldn’t stand being around you! All you did was screw up her life, Jordan!” Sidney was equally as angry and wanted to go at the blonde man again.

“Stop it! Both of you!” Vero charged out of her house, only to be caught around the waist by Flower – he wanted to keep her away from the two larger, angrier men.

“Guys cool off,” Duper stepped between the fuming men, “Let’s get Nicole on the phone. She will clear this all up.”

Both men looked at the older player and nodded; they would wait to hear from the woman in question. Several of the guys were still trying to get Nicole on the phone, Max included.

He reached her voicemail once again and left a message, “Nicole you need to call us. Please, don’t freeze us out……Call me back,” he hung up and turned to the group.

Kris spoke up, “Has anyone been able to reach her yet?”

No one answered.