13- Green, 14- Blue

12. GREEN

"What about this one?" Tyler Kennedy held up a limesicle green romper, complete with frills and polka dots. Anna grimaced, "Not in a million years would I dress my child in that, Tyler."

"Well it doesn't help that you don't want to know if you're having a boy or girl," Max added, trying on a baby hat, "So now you'll be stuck with a yellow nursery instead of a pink or blue one."

"My nursery was purple." Kris said to no one in particular.

Walking around Babies 'R' Us and shopping for child-rearing supplies wasn't exactly how Anna had planned to spend the day off. Rather, she'd be sulking at home, but after Max dragged her ass out of bed to go shopping, she had no choice. Besides, it was kind of fun.

"Ok, I found these," Flower cut in, placing a small pile of books in the cart, "I know Veronique has some of them. They did us very well."

Anna began to leaf through What To Expect When You're Expecting when suddenly her cell phone rang.

It was Dan Bylsma.

"Anna, could you please arrive at the arena one hour before practice?" the seriousness in Dan's voice made her blood run a little cold, "There is a staff meeting."

Anna nodded, "Yes, I can do that."

"Thank you," Dan said, not a hint of emotion in his voice, followed by the click of him hanging up.

"This is the shit!" TK exclaimed, banging on the rainbow keyboard of a miniature toy piano, "You HAVE to buy this!"

"No man, Baby Einstein," Kris said a-matter-of-factly, "The kid has to be smart."

"Which means it can't be like either of you," Flower said with a smirk, knocking TK and Kris' heads together.

Anna rolled her eyes as the three started wrestling. Max leaned on the cart next to her.

"How're you feeling today, kid?" he asked her.

Anna shrugged, "Oh, you know. Taking the vitamins, being careful with whatever I eat, not smoking or jumping on trampolines..."

"You don't smoke and hate trampolines anyway."

Anna laughed, "Good point."

-

14. Blue

Ryan Miller gripped his coffee cup nervously. Daniel Briere, his former teammate/captain/best friend was sitting across from him in Sally's, a low-key coffee shop in Buffalo. The last time he'd seen Daniel was during a fight between him and Tim Connelly. Danny had called all of sudden, stated he was on injured reserve, and needed to talk to Ryan as soon as possible. So now, here he was, with a ghost friend from the past.

Awkward.

"So," Ryan said slowly, "How's Philly?"

Daniel shrugged, a small smile on his lips, "It's alright. I miss everyone here, though. And the blue jersey is so much nicer than the bright orange."

Ryan smirked, "Sure you do."

"I do!" Daniel insisted, "Especially Roy and Staff. All the pranks we pulled, the awesome nights on the town...man, it was like junior days amped up 10,000. I mean, Philly's nice and all, but it's no Buffalo."

"Not to mention the fans want to kick your ass every time you screw up."

Daniel nodded, "Oh, you wanna believe it. Pronger's a big guy, but I swear, but this little old lady was ready to put him in a headlock the night we lost to Pittsburgh."

Ryan laughed. As much as he hated Daniel for leaving (the same went for Brian Campbell, who was currently a Blackhawk), it was nice to sit and chat with his old friend. The year he left, it was like the team's momentum went with him. Danny wasn't just the captain of the team, he WAS the team- their star, their leader. Ryan was awarded the face of the franchise shortly after Danny's departure; a nameplate he didn't exactly vie for, but one he sheepishly accepted. Now, seeing him sit in front of him, talking about how much he missed Buffalo, Ryan silently let his anger leave him. Danny was still the same kid he was the day he arrived in the busy New York state.

"Now enough about me," Daniel began, "I'm actually here for you."

Ryan raised his eyebrows, "Oh?"

Daniel shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "You know Anna Evans, right?"

Ryan felt a shiver run down his spine, "Um, sure."

"Ryan, I need you to be honest with me here," Daniel persisted, "Please."

"I know her," Ryan said quietly, "Yeah, sure."

"Look, I know what happened that night at Diesel," Daniel told him, "I know you both had a little too much to drink and went upstairs. And then to her apartment."

Ryan felt his stomach churn and his heart jump into his throat, "How did you..."

"Anna's a good friend of mine," Daniel said, picking up on Ryan's uneasiness, "And despite what I've been told, I think you have the right to know..."

Daniel reached into his jacket and placed Anna's ultrasound pictures on the table in front of them. Ryan turned completely white.

"She's three months pregnant, Ryan," Daniel told him, "You're going to be a father."

With shaking hands, Ryan reached out and lifted the pictures so he could look at them. Now that he thought of it, they hadn't used protection- drunkenness, fits of passion and no thought of consequence were what lined their actions. He couldn't breathe. This wasn't happening...

"Why," Ryan said breathlessly, "Why didn't she tell me?"

"Because," Daniel replied, "She thinks she can do this all on her own. Max Talbot, Fleury, Kris Letang, Tyler Kennedy and me are the only ones who know. Her sister as well. You saw the stunt she pulled on Godard the other night?"

Ryan nodded, feeling like he was drowning.

"It's going to cost her," Daniel explained, "And the entire team has been complaining about her violent mood swings. Since you've lost your last medic, Dan Bylsma is considering a transfer-"

"You can't be serious," Ryan said nervously, "That would mean-"

"And it's a perfect opportunity for you two to get to know each other," Daniel said calmly, "If you ask me." He paused. "Ryan, I know you're a good person, and I know how you feel about her. You're exactly what she needs right now."

"She probably hates me," Ryan said under his breath.

"Anna's stubborn, I will admit," Daniel said with a nod, "But I'd much rather her be with you than in Pittsburgh, where she still hasn't told her employers about the pregnancy. I doubt she ever will." He put a supportive hand on his friend's shoulder, "You deserve to be in your child's life. I know you'll be a great parent."

Ryan sighed, "If she lets me."

"Tonight she'll find out about the transfer," Daniel said, "Max Talbot has already come forward with her secret. By next week, she will be living here."

Ryan shook his head, "My god."

Daniel stood up, "Well, I've got to get going. My wife is waiting for me at home."

Ryan stood up with him, "And I've got to talk to the guys..."

"Would you like me to go with you?"

"I'd rather you not," Ryan said, "You know, might not go over well."

"I understand," Daniel replied, "Listen. If you ever need anything, Cecilia and I are a phone call away. I'll be out for at least a month. So don't hesitate to call us."

Ryan mused that when he met Daniel, Cecilia was still just his girlfriend. How times had changed. They even had a daughter now.

"Anna would never admit it, and she acts like she's all tough, but really," Daniel said, pulling his friend into a hug, "She needs you."

Ryan hugged Daniel back and whispered, "I hope you're right."