***Steve's POV***

"You know, I trusted you with my team, and look what you've gone and done. Anaheim? We lost to Anaheim?"

Shanny leans in the doorway, his hands tucked in his pockets. "Stevie, did you ask me to come over just so you could yell at me?"

I laugh. "As much fun as you are to yell at, I did in fact have other motives. So get over here and sit down."

He does, eyeing me nervously. "You're still making me feel like I'm in trouble."

"I think you're just paranoid," I tell him. "Have you done something to get you in trouble?"

He stares downward. "That depends. Are you trying to interrogate me?"

It seems to be my week to set off sensitive people. "I'm trying to talk to you, Bren. Friends do talk to one another, you know."

He sighs. "Sorry. What did you want to talk about?"

"Well first of all, I'd like to know what's bugging you." I tilt my head. "Is this about the goal?"

He closes his eyes. "About the goal, about losing every other game, about worrying about you and your knee..."

I could hit him, I really could. "For the millionth time, I'm gonna be fine, ok? This is just a precaution." I soften my voice. "And the goal will happen, ok? I promise, as soon as you and everyone else stops thinking about it, the puck will go in the net"

He smiles, tiredly. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't really help, but I know." He runs a hand through his hair. "So. What else did you want to talk about?"

I take a deep breath. "I talked to Boyd."

He looks away. "Yeah, I know. Look, I'm sorry, I didn't know he was going to get so upset..."

I rest my hand on his arm to stop him. "After that. I heard you and Boyd's fight in the locker room."

His eyes widen in surprise. "You did?"

"Yeah, it was kind of hard not to hear, really." I pause. "What I'd really like to know is how you thought I was supposed to help in the situation."

He shrugs. "I don't know. I really don't. I guess...I guess I figured that you'd know what to do. You're good with upset people. I thought you'd use your Super Stevie Senses to make it better."

I pat his shoulder. "I appreciate your confidence, but I was really just as clueless as anyone else would have been."

He smiles. "Well, I know that now. So...what happened when you talked to him after the big fight?"

I shift to a more comfortable position. "Let me ask you a question. How hard would it be to convince someone, Sean maybe, to go after Doug Weight next time we play St. Louis?"

Shanny blinks in confusion. "What does Weight have to do with any of this?"

I rub my forehead, all my anger rushing back to me. "Turns out Boyd was involved with someone back when he played for Edmonton. Weight found out, went into a homophobic fit, and made Boyd's life a nightmare until Boyd got the concussion, at which time Weight told him that he was unfit to play hockey because he was gay. Hence why the poor kid is so terrified of me and why he was so scared about you telling me."

There is a long stretch of silence, until Shanny mutters "Fuck, is he ok?"

"I think so. He was...upset when he told me about it. Weight really screwed up his head." I sigh. "I think he’ll be ok though. I told him that it wouldn’t happen again and that I wasn't pissed at him. I think that helped."

Shanny nods, thinking for a second. "I bet it wouldn't be hard to get Sean to go after Weight. I mean, he checked Tie Domi, it’s not like he's gonna be afraid or anything. This is assuming, of course, that Weight's back when we play them."

I pick idly at the fabric of the couch. "I'm not sure which seems more appealing to me, him still being injured, or seeing someone kick his ass."

Shanny turns to look at me. "You're really pissed about this, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. What that bastard did goes against everything that a captain should stand for.."

"No, Stevie." He sounds amused, and I know from years of experience that when Shanny sounds amused, bad things happen. "Oh, I'm sure you're pissed off about him violating the sacred captain's code, or whatever. But I think you're really pissed because he did it to Boyd."

I know where he's going with this and I refuse to indulge him in going that way. "Yes, because I get mad when people hurt my team mates."

Shanny slides closer. "But especially when people hurt Boyd."

I close my eyes. "This really isn't funny, Bren. I mean it."

"I'm not trying to be funny. I'm trying to get you to admit the truth."

I'm going to kill him. "There is no hidden truth to admit. I told Boyd I wanted to be his friend. That's it."

He laughs. "What about the dream you had while we were at the Olympics?"

"Dream would be the operative word there."

Shanny just shakes his head. "Dreams mean something. And besides, I know you. You don't mad. Ever. You get frustrated but you don’t get mad. Until now. Until Weight."

I cover my eyes. "I'm closing my eyes and counting. By the time I get to ten, you better be out of my house and doing whatever it is you're supposed to be doing bedsides bothering me. "One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine...ten."

I open my eyes. He's still there. "Just think about it," he says, smirking, and then walks out the door.

Sometimes, I really hate that guy.

What if I missed you
You got caught in the sun
What if I did something
Never to be undone
- "Caught In the Sun", Course of Nature

Part 15 | Part 17