27- Morning After

Ryan Miller was in heaven. He was in a soft, comfortable sleep in a wonderfully warm bed. The bit of rain still coming down from the night before was lulling him to continue sleeping. His arms were wrapped around something bare and beautiful.

Of course, like all good dreams, this one came to an abrupt end.

Ryan lifted his eyelids just in time to see Anna scream, push her way out of his embrace and fall on the floor.

"Don't look at me!" she snapped, stealing a blanket, "Oh my god...you're naked!"

"Yeah...so are you..." Ryan replied sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

"Ewww, ewww, eww..." Anna tied the blanket around her, grimacing at Ryan, "I really don't need to see that!"

"You've seen it twice." Ryan said a-matter-of-factly, covering up with a sheet.

"UGH! Disgusting!" Anna spat, running out of the room, "I can't believe I did this AGAIN!"

Ryan sighed and leaned back down in bed. So much for that one.

Anna practically jumped in the shower and used half of her shower gel and soap. She mumbled angrily to herself the whole time. How could she have been so stupid? Well, in one of the pregnancy books she read, it said he body could crave intercourse- but Anna never thought she'd be so desperate to do it with Ryan a second time.

As if the first wasn't bad enough.

"Your belly's popped."

Anna jerked her head out from behind the shower curtain. Ryan was standing in the bathroom, rummaging through the medicine cabinet- thankfully, wearing boxer shorts.

"Get out," Anna said gruffly, "You pervert."

"I noticed it this morning before you woke up," Ryan replied dryly, "That doesn't make me a pervert. In fact, you are the more perverse one."

"Yeah? How's that?" Anna sneered.

"You snuck into my bed and starting taking my clothes off," Ryan told her.

"You didn't say no."

"Like I was going to."

"You're sick," Anna told him, "Now seriously. Out."

"I've seen you naked twice, Anna."

"I know. And there will not be a third time."

Ryan took the Advil from the cabinet, stuck his tongue out at Anna and walked out.

"Close the door!" Anna screamed.

"Can't hear you..." Ryan said under his breath.

Two hours later the two arrived at the HSBC for the morning skate. Anna didn't admit it, but Ryan was right about her belly- it had grown seemingly overnight. She'd read briefly about it with Max, and it was perfectly normal in pregnancy. Her uniform was slightly tighter than usual.

"Hey kid," Pat Kaleta said when he saw Anna in the medical room, "You like Buffalo so far?"

"I've only been here two days," Anna said moodily, "So I don't know yet."

"We're yet to be Stanley Cup champs, but we're not all that bad," Derek Roy said with a wink, "Congrats, by the way."

"On what?"

Kaleta nudged Roy. He fell silent.

"He means welcome to the team," Kaleta said quickly, "So, uh, yeah. Let's go skate, D."

Derek followed Pat quickly out of the room. Anna raised an eyebrow, but decided to not say a word. Buffalo guys were so weird.

She was starting to set up the table when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"JESUS!" Anna threw her arms in the air as she turned to see Ryan in his full gear, "Don't you knock? EVER?"

Ryan looked at her timidly, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"What do you want?"

Ryan crossed his arms, "Well, I want to apologize. For last night, and this morning."

Anna was surprised, "Really?"

"Yes, really," Ryan continued, "It was my fault. And I'm sorry."

"So...we can forget about what happened? All of it?"

"I'm willing if you are."

Anna breathed a sign of relief, "Yes, yes I am."

"Good," Ryan gave her a tiny smile, "Ok, I'm out."

Anna leaned against the countertop and watched him walk out. Thank the lord for that one.

Little did she know everything would change in a matter of five minutes.

Jason Pominville coaxed Anna to come out and watch the morning skate instead of cleaning the medic room. Anna sheepishly explained that she was still nervous at the new facility, and Pommers guided her out, explaining she had no reason to be afraid. That was reassuring.

Once by the ice, Anna met the second goalie, Patrick Lalime. Lalime was a witty, funny guy whom she instantly liked. He reminded her a bit of TK, which made her heart ache slightly. She wondered when the Sabres would play Pittsburgh and she'd have to face her old friends again.

The whistle blew and Lalime took off to practice his time in net. Ryan skated past Anna to avoid awkwardness and decided to stretch instead by the blueline. Big mistake.

Sabres were shooting pucks everywhere and running drills, but Anna wasn't watch any of them. Ryan took to getting down on the ice and stretching his legs, placing his stick down for support. He moved his hips back and forth, eyes closed, trying to loosen up the muscles he would be using to make butterfly-style saves. His hips moved rhythmically, and Anna got a mental picture in her head. She'd known he had used that move for something completely different.

And she could not stand it.

"Ruff!" Anna called to Lindy, "I forgot to check up on the goaltenders. Should I start with Miller?"

Ruff nodded, "Make it quick, Evans."

Anna practically ripped off the door to the ice and shouted at Ryan, who confusedly skated over to her. She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the dressing room; her blood pumping so fast she thought her heart might explode. Once they got into the medic room she locked the door.

"What are we doing in here?" Ryan asked.

"Take off your gear, Ryan." Anna demanded, before tearing off his helmet and crashing her mouth into his. Never in his life had Ryan shed his goalie equipment so fast in favour of lying on the medical table.

Ten sweaty minutes later, Ryan returned to the ice just as Ruff was rounded them up for a pep talk.

"Geez, man, you been running more drills than usual?" Tim Conelly asked, seeing the beads of sweat running down Ryan's tired face.

Ryan just looked at him breathlessly, "You have no idea."