The Long Day Is Over

"Hey, Harper?" Glancing over her shoulder as she gathered her things in the lounge and got ready to head home Harper raised her eyebrow at Leanne as she came bustling into the lounge in full on San Francisco winterwear.

Being from Philly Harper would probably never find sixty degrees that cold, truthfully she wasn't sure she would ever climatize to the west coast weather, after all, she had been here four years and had yet to wear nothing more than a sweater and maybe a jean jacket when all the locals brought out winter jackets.

"What's up?" She asked as she stuffed her head into the neck hole of her sweater quickly, then stuffing her arms through, glancing at her watch for a quick second. She really had to get out of here, or she was going to miss her flight.

"I have a big family emergency and I was wondering if you could take my shifts this weekend? I'll switch another two days later, I swear." Why did this always seem to happen right when she was about to head out to Nashville for the very first time?

She didn't exactly feel bad when she said, "I wish I could but I'm heading out of town in like two hours."

"Oh shit."

"Try Matt, he's always looking for extra shifts." Harper told her, gathering her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. She glanced at her watch once more before she pulled her phone from her backpack and checked to see if Brad was outside or not, he was.

"Thanks!" Leanne called out as Harper left the lounge and made her way out through the ambulance bay and to the street where Brad told her that he was parked.

She climbed into the vehicle, tossed her backpack on the floor at her feet and Brad joked, "Jeez, you're cutting it close here."

Her flight left San Francisco in two hours and would arrive in Nashville at eight-thirty. She had packed the night before and had booked her flight knowing that she was on the weird mid-morning to late afternoon shift she hated so much.

She was quick to ask Brad, "Did you bring my bag?"

"Shit! I knew I forgot something." He exclaimed, straight face and all until Harper turned to look at him with a death glare and then he laughed. She reached out and hit him in the shoulder as he told her, "Relax Harp, I brought your bag, I printed out your flight stuff, and I did a sweep of the apartment looking for anything you might have forgotten."

"I didn't forget anything." Harper stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

Brad reached into the pocket of his hoodie and produced her passport between two fingers and said, "Good luck trying to get out of the city without this."

Harper reached out and snatched it out of his fingers before he could pull it away from her and she made sure to say, "Thanks."

He grinned over at her and told her, "You'd crash and burn without me."

"Yeah, yeah I'm forever indebted to you, take it out in trade, sometime in the future." Harper told him with an eye roll.

Brad told her, "Bring me home a Malkin autograph and we can call ourselves even."

"Ugh." Harer exclaimed, adding in, "You're lucky I appreciate this ride."

"I know."

When he pulled up to the curb Harper reached into the backseat for her small bag, and she tucked both her passport and flight print offs into the kangaroo pocket of her sweater as she got out of the car. She told Brad, "See you in a few days, thanks for the ride."

"Have fun!" He called out as she headed into the airport, she turned just enough to wave before she entered the building.

She got herself checked in and through security with forty minutes to spare so she grabbed herself something to snack on while she waited for her flight. Once she sat down in one of the chairs by her terminal Harper pulled her phone from her pocket with the intent to busy herself on Instagram and Twitter.

No one knew she was on her way to Nashville aside from John and Bristol, and now, as she looked at the message waiting on her phone, apparently James.

'What time does your flight land?'

She sighed and responded.

'Eight-thirty. How do you even know about my flight?'

'Because I'm psychic.'

'Bristol asked if I would pick you up, since I know the area better and all.'

She couldn't help but type out a hurried, almost panicked response to him.

'You didn't tell Roman did you?!'

'Relax Harpoon, I can keep a secret.'

She was just about to text him back to say that he was the worst at keeping secrets when he sent her another message, one that made her smile.

'Most of the time.'

'This is supposed to be a surprise, so help me god American Crew if you ruin it I'll kill you.'

She laughed out loud at his response.

'Okay, first of all American Crew, ha ha very funny I don't even use that much gel anymore if you must know. Secondly, relax, seriously, I haven't told him. I haven't even told Stammer. I have literally told no one.'

'That's impressive.'

'I know, right? I'm proud of myself.'

They called her flight so Harper sent him a quick message to say that they were boarding and she would see him in a few hours before she stuffed her phone into her pocket and she pulled her passport and ticket out as she approached the desk.

Once she was settled in her seat Harper sent Bristol a text to let her know she had just boarded and they would be leaving soon so she would text her when she got in and as she hit send another message came through. This one was from Roman, and it made her smile as she read it.

'I know you're still at work, but I'm gonna be out with some of the guys for a little bit and we'll be a little late and I know your shift ends late so... Facetime later tonight? If you're not too tired.'

She desperately wanted to answer him but she knew if she did and then disappeared for hours it might confuse him, or worse; give away her surprise if James hadn't by then. So she simply pretended she never read it, turned her phone onto airplane mode, plugged headphones in and turned on music. She stuffed her phone into her pocket and got comfortable, hoping she could catch some much-needed sleep over the next few hours.

She woke up to a flight attendant gently shaking her shoulders, so she pulled her headphones out and looked at her in confusion. The attendant smiled and told her politely, "We landed."

Harper took a look around and her cheeks flushed at finding out that she was the only one left on the plane. She got up and gathered her two bags and headed off of the plane. As she navigated her way through the terminal and to the baggage claim Harper pulled her phone out and took it off airplane mode.

She sent Bristol a picture of the baggage claim to let her know she got in safe, knowing that John and Bristol were together and she would let him know as well. James had told her that he was running a little behind but would be there within the next five minutes, and so she waited as the baggage carousel started moving and Harper was finally able to grab her bags. She turned to find James standing next to her, he didn't announce himself when he arrived, so she jumped, hand on her chest and he let out a loud laugh.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulled her into his side and as they headed out to where he parked he said, "It's good to see you Harpoon."

She rolled her eyes but smiled and said, "You too."

"So I have something for you." James stated once they got into the car. Harper's brow raised as he reached into the backseat and then tossed something gold onto her lap. He informed her, "I figured you probably forgot one of your own and... sure it's not as nice looking as our team jersey's but this will do."

She unfolded what was an NHL All-Star game jersey with '59' and 'Josi' on the arms and back and she smiled. She told James, "I'll have you know I most certainly... did forget a jersey."

He let out a laugh as he stopped to pay for their parking before leaving the airport altogether. As they drove he asked her, "So... this is really a big surprise for him? He has no clue you're even here?"

"Nope, not a clue. I planned this all by myself." Harper told him and when he shot her a look of disbelief she sighed and admitted, "With Brisol and John's help... but Roman has no idea. As soon the roster came out I booked the time off and planned the trip."

"What's with all of you guys and these All-Star weekend surprises, gosh. Like you're surprising Jos, John's proposing to Bristol, Steven's bringing some chick to meet everyone." James muttered.

"Wait what?" Harper asked him, brows both raised in surprise.

His cheeks went deep red, even the tips of his ears pinked up and he glanced at her as he asked, "You didn't know John was proposing?"

"Of course I knew he was proposing! They're my best friends, I know everything. I helped John pick out the ring in September. Jeez, get with the program American Crew." Harper exclaimed and James rolled his eyes at her. She then went on to say, "I was talking about Steven bringing a girl here."

"Oh, right... yeah... he's bringing some girl he's been seeing for a while." James told her, and Harper had to admit she was a little hurt that Steven hadn't mentioned anything about her, not even when they had gotten together for dinner in San Jose the month before. James, either not noticing Harper's deflation in mood or just ignoring it, went on to explain to her, "I guess they've been seeing each other since he got back to Tampa in August, some girl he met last year but nothing panned out then. No one's met her, not even John. All I know is that her name is Jordyn and that's it."

Not letting it get to her Harper smiled and asked him, "And what about you? Is Savi making a last minute trip here for this?"

Seeing as he had been added in as a replacement Harper wasn't sure if James had been planning on spending his break with Savi or not, or if him being added in meant she was coming here. Frankly, she didn't understand the two of them at all; were they together, were they not together? No one ever knew.

James shrugged his shoulders and stared at the road ahead of them as he told her, "That would all come down to whether her fiance was okay with it or not."

Harper snapped her head over to him and she asked him in surprise, "Wait... fiance? What?"

He nodded his head and explained, "Yeah, I guess she got together with some old boyfriend and they got engaged last week."

With a sigh, Harper reached out and gave his forearm a gentle squeeze before she told him, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine... I mean it's not but at the same time I couldn't expect for her to wait around for me forever, you know? It is what it is." He was taking it a lot better than she expected but Harper knew him well enough to know that eventually, he would call her, probably weeks down the line, needing her to just listen while he ranted and she would be there.

"Well... I can split time with your jersey and Roman's this weekend." Harper told him with a smile and James let out a laugh at her words.

"I'm good, you can wear your boyfriend's jersey all weekend, he deserves it." James told her with a smile and Harper nodded her head.

She asked him, "You want to grab lunch or something while I'm here? Just the two of us?"

"When do you leave?" He didn't want to take any time away from his teammate but he couldn't deny the fact that it would be nice to spend even an hour or two with Harper alone.

"Tuesday morning." Harper told him, she had John ask James when they left for their first road game after the break so that she could get the most time out of her short visit with Roman.

"How about lunch Monday?" James asked her, and when she nodded he smiled. He then told her, "He's gonna be so happy to see you."

Before Harper got the chance to respond to him James' phone on bluetooth started ringing through the car speakers. It was Shea, and when James hit talk he didn't even get the chance to speak before Shea did, asking, "Where are you? You're late...again."

James rolled his eyes as Harper stifled her laughter and he told him, "Yeah, I know. I lost track of time. We'll be there in like five minutes."

"We?" Shea asked and Harper reached out and pinched James' arm hard.

He yelped and rubbed his arm as he told Shea, "I'm almost there, hold your horses."

He hit the phone button to disconnect their call and turned to Harper with a guilty look on his face, "Sorry."

She sighed dramatically but shrugged her shoulders and said, "You're a bunch of hockey players, they won't figure it out."

"Ha ha." James muttered, pulling into a parking lot before he said, "We're here."

Harper followed him into the restaurant, waiting as he gave his name to the hostess and they were lead through the restaurant to wherever their group was seated waiting for them. Her stomach was doing gymnastics, and she thought she might lean over and hurl at any minute. For some reason, all of a sudden, she was nervous about just showing up like this despite the fact that Roman had done it on several occasions.

The heckling about being late started the minute the guys all saw James, and he simply rolled his eyes and looked at Roman and said, "You should shut up or I won't ever do anything nice like this for you again."

His brow raised but his eyes caught on Harper before he could ask James what he had meant. Both brows shot up in surprise as Harper stood slightly behind James still, hands clasped together with a small smile on her face.

"Surprise?"