At Last

Following the Stars loss to the Maple Leafs the following night, the family room was more somber as people broke off into groups to talk about their holiday plans. Stella just wanted to go home, her heart no longer into the spirit of the holiday after her fight with Jordie. He hadn't called like he said he would and it made her feel even worse.

Jason rushed to the family room before most of the team, his game day suit rumpled and his tie askew after the game. He looked around for Stella and called her over when he spotted her.

"I know I said I'd take Alex tonight and pick you up on the way to the airport in the morning but something came up tonight. I'll just pick you guys up in the morning."

"That's not going to work. I made plans with Jordie since we'd be alone and I changed our plans on him." It wasn't a complete lie. She did have something in mind for Jordie to say she was sorry, if he was talking to her.

"Well you're gonna have to take a rain check on that because I can't take him."

"That's not how this works, Jason. If you want to be a part of Alex's life then you honor the commitments you make to him unless someone is dying. I made plans because you wanted him. Whatever it is that has come up on your end can be rescheduled."

"Come on, Stella. Don't be such a hard ass."

"I'm not being a hard ass. Welcome to parenting. I've had zero social life for six years unless I could find a babysitter or someone in my family that didn't have plans. And I paid them. So unless you're planning to pay me the twenty dollar an hour going rate, you're going to have to take a rain check."

"There's some blonde out here looking for you, Demers," Cody said as he came into the room. "What a smoke show." He slapped Jason's shoulder on his way past.

"That's why you can't keep Alex? Because of some easy lay? Good to know things haven't changed."

"Don't be a bitch, Stella," he bit out.

Something inside her snapped and Stella straightened to her full height and stared Jason down. "I only see one bitch here and it's you. I've got Alex and don't bother coming by tomorrow. We'll be with Jordie." She called out for Alex and he hurried over. Stella held out her hand to him and he grasped hers in his before she pushed past Jason out into the hall. She saw Tiffany standing there and she rolled her eyes, marching past her. When she saw Tyler, she walked up to him.

"Can I go in there?" She pointed at the locker room. She was sure she looked crazy because she felt insane and Tyler's eyes went wide before he answered.

"Umm, let me check..."

"Thank you."

Tyler stuck his head in the room. "Stella's coming in; everyone decent?" He popped his head out a moment later. "All clear."

"Can you watch Alex for like two minutes?"

"Sure," he agreed easily. "A-Dawg, wanna check out coaches office with me? Think he's got candy canes in there."

Stella smiled gratefully at Tyler as he led Alex away, just before Jason appeared, Tiffany trailing a few steps behind.

"We need to talk," he said, stepping between her and the door.

"We don't. Now kindly move before I kick you in the fucking balls," she gritted out. "I'm done with you guilting me about Alex. I knew you'd be a shitty father, just like you were a shitty husband. You are the same twenty year old little boy. Stay away from me, stay away from Alex." She shoved him aside and stepped into the locker room. She made a beeline for Jordie who was sitting in his stall.

"I'm sorry," she declared. "I should've told him no and I should've stood up for me and Alex and you. I want to go home with you. I want to meet your family, properly, and I want to spend Christmas with family, my family, and that's you and Alex."

"Stella," Jason said hotly behind her.

She whirled at his voice. "Shut up. I am done speaking to you tonight. I know you knew about Alex." She watched his eyes go wide as he took a step back. "I still talk to Jamie McGinn. Remember how you guys were roommates and I used to cook for the both of you? Yeah, we stayed friends. He knew, he's always known but I trusted him with my secret."

"You're friends with him?"

"Yep. He came back for part of another season after we met. We talk every so often, and when he got traded to Colorado, we'd have dinner the one time a year they played in Boston. He called me last night to see how things were going since you got here and he told me you saw pictures on his Facebook two years ago and he told you about Alex. You had a chance to reconnect and you didn't."

"I can't believe he told you that."

"Would you like to deny it?" Jason scowled. "Didn't think so. I thought Alex should know who his dad is, but I was wrong. You're a shitty example of a father. Go fuck yourself." She turned back to Jordie. "For the love of god, Jordie Benn, don't leave me hanging here. I've made a mess out of my life tonight and a complete fool of myself in front of your friends and teammates. If I'm going down, put me out of my misery."

Jordie stood. "I told you, Stels, I'm not going anywhere." She closed the distance between them by throwing herself into his arms.

"I thought maybe you were over it," she whispered. "I couldn't blame you if you were after last night."

"I'm never going to be over you, or Alex, ever." He held her to him and stroked her hair. "I love you, and everything that comes with it." He motioned to Jamie who tossed him a box that he caught easily behind her back.

"I was going to wait to ask you this but since we're just putting it all out there tonight," he smiled, flipping the box open as he went down on one knee. "Stella, you came into my life at a time when I needed hope and you and Alex have become everything to me, well, and hockey," he added. Stella giggled. "What I mean is, my life would suck without you."

"That's a Kelly Clarkson song," she interrupted.

"Well you make me listen to a lot of Kelly Clarkson," he pointed out. "Now hush so I can finish saying this." She made a zipper motion across her lips and let Jordie take her hand. "I know it means having to put up with Jamie for the rest of your life but will you marry me Stella?"

"Yes, I'll marry you Jordie." He stood and gathered her to him, lifting her off the ground and twirling her around as the guys left in the room cheered raucously. Someone stuck their head out the door and yelled out the news.

Tyler appeared with Alex in tow a moment later and the little boy walked up, putting himself in between Stella and Jordie. He tugged at Jordie's suit pant.

"Yeah bud?" He asked as he knelt down to his level.

"If you marry mommy, does that make you my dad?"

He looked up at Stella, at a loss for how to answer the question. "You've been his dad, Jordie, for awhile now. My dad can help us make it official if that's what you want."

"He can?"

She nodded. "When I told them about Jason re-entering our lives, my dad wanted me to take some precautions. And I'm gonna go out on a limb that you asked his permission since he's brought up you adopting Alex a couple times in the last couple of weeks."

"Guilty."

She smiled. "He can help us get the right paperwork filed if you want to adopt Alex."

"We'd all have the same name?"

"If that's what you want."

"That's exactly what I want."

"What about what I want?" Jason asked loudly.

"No one gives a flying fuck what you want," Jamie said even louder. "Or did you not understand Stella when she told you to go to hell?" He pushed him from the room and out into the hall. "I can forget all of this because we're teammates, if, and only if, you respect Stella's decisions. She's a Benn now, my sister, and no one, not you, not anyone, is going to make her unhappy. Do we understand each other?"

"Yeah, I got it," he muttered before stalking away, grabbing Tiffany's hand and leaving the building before Jamie walked back into the room.

"Thank you, Jamie," Stella said when he walked over to congratulate them. "And I'm sorry I'm totally screwing up your team dynamics."

"We'll figure it out," he replied. "Everything will work out."



Now that her secret was out, Stella wasn't looking forward to the first home game following the Christmas holiday. Things had been so relaxed with Jordie and his family that she hadn't given it a second thought, but on the flight home, it was all she could think about. Linda kept Alex for her that night when they played the Rangers so she could face everyone alone.

She was surprised when Cindy and Courtney didn't even bring it up, instead asking how Christmas was and trading stories about the break. They oohed and aahed over her ring, wanting to know if they had set a date or started planning.

After the game they headed downstairs and a few others stopped to congratulate her on the engagement. She saw Jason enter the room with Tyler and she turned away quickly. She felt a tap at her shoulder a moment later and found Jason behind her with a sheepish smile.

"Can we talk a minute please?" She nodded and they moved away from the others. Tyler caught her eye and smiled, motioning that he was watching. She smiled in return.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry Stella. I was an asshole last week and I regret my actions. I thought a lot while I was at home and you're right; I am a terrible father. I'm not ready to be that guy. But Jordie is. And all Alex does when we're alone is tell me about how great Jordie is. The kid loves him as much as you do. So I told Jordie that and we came to an understanding and I want to come to one with you too."

"I'm listening."

"I'll sign away my rights to Alex if that's what you really want."

"But?"

"But I'd rather not. I will sign an agreement though. I don't want custody and I'll never ask for custody. Jordie should adopt him, but I'd like to know him, let my parents know him. There's no harm in having three sets of doting grandparents, right?" He said hopefully.

"I suppose not. You're serious?"

"I'm serious. I'm here, we're gonna see each other. Just let me get to know him, hang out once or twice a month. Maybe if you're comfortable with it he can come out in the summer."

"I don't know about all that."

"It's your terms Stella. I'll live with whatever you want. Alex might have my eyes but he's yours, through and through. You've done an amazing job."

"Thank you. Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"You and Jordie....this isn't going to affect you, as teammates?"

"I don't think so, not since we talked."

"What does everyone else know?"

"That Jordie loves you and Alex and that you're a family."

"They don't think....anything about me, because of you?"

"They think I'm an idiot and that you're out of Jordie's league. No one thinks anything about you other than you are a great person and an even better mom."

"I need time to think about all of this."

"Yeah, of course. Take as long as you need."

She saw Jordie and Jamie walk in and they made their way towards them. Jordie leaned down to kiss her. "Hey."

"Hi," she replied. "Hi, Jamie," she smiled.

He hugged her quickly. "Sis," he teased. "I'm gonna find Segs. Holler if you need me."

She turned back to Jordie. "You're okay with this?"

"With Jason knowing Alex?" She nodded. "I'm okay with whatever you're okay with Stels, but as long as Jason doesn't try to undermine us as the authority in Alex's life, and he understands the boundaries, yeah, I'm okay with it."

"Oh."

"If you're not then that's fine too," he smiled, pulling her into a hug. "No one expects you to decide right this second. Now, I'm ready to go. We're picking Alex up from Linda and Bill's?"

"Yes."

"I'll see you guys at practice," Jordie grinned, pulling Stella to his side, arm wrapped around her shoulders.