The Hockey Life - A Patrick Kane Fanfic

Part Ninety-Eight - The Future

PART NINETY-EIGHT: THE FUTURE

A few days after winning the Stanley Cup again, it was parade and rally day. Every day leading up to it had felt amazing. Every member of the Blackhawks organization was high on life, including Patrick and I. I wore Blackhawks clothing basically every day, but I made sure to save my cutest Hawks outfit for Thursday in hopes that it wouldn't rain like it was supposed to.

Fortunately, by the time the parade began, it was hot outside but not rainy. Tess and I rode the buses through the city with Jonathan and Patrick and as per usual, the turnout was absolutely insane and it was an extremely fun way to celebrate. The rally was no different and it included everything from singing to f bombs to dancing. Even after the festivities were all over, the streets of Chicago were still filled with waves of black and red that Patrick and I could see from our apartment window when we got home that afternoon. Jonathan and Tess came home with us and stayed until late that night, when the effects of the alcohol in their systems had worn off and they could get home safely.

"I can't believe we're having another Stanley Cup summer," I realized. The good thing about those summers was the fact that the team actually got to relax. They weren't all about training all the time. Sure, it was tough for everyone to come back into the next season after they were used to taking it so easy, but the break and relief of stress was worth it in my mind.

"I know, it's crazy," Patrick answered.

As the summer went on, we spent a lot of time celebrating with friends, family and team members. Pat and I both knew that some of his teammates would be traded, so we tried to enjoy our moments with them while they were still in Chicago. Sure enough, a whole lot of the team that I had come to know and love ended up being sent to other teams and replaced by players that we didn't really have good connections with yet. Timonen retired (luckily he got the Cup before he did so), and we also lost many others like Vermette, Carcillo, Oduya, Richards, Versteeg, Raanta, Saad, and Sharp. I absolutely hated trades, and this time it felt like I wasn't even going to know the team anymore when the 2015-2016 season arrived. I made sure to wish everyone who was traded good luck. It felt like friends were moving away and I'd never see them again, even though I knew Patrick and I would most likely get together with them when they played against each other. It wasn't goodbye forever or anything, but it was sad enough to feel that way.

***********************************

As per usual, I felt extremely ready for the hockey season to start back up once September arrived. As enjoyable as having summers off could be, it felt normal to have Patrick training again and for me to be back at the United Center, monitoring and working with players. It was strange, getting to know so many new people that I had never worked with before, but it was also fun. I felt in my element, getting back into the NHL atmosphere. I was keeping busy in more ways than one.

Not only was I focused on my job, but I had other things on my mind. I was trying to think ahead for the future. I had an idea for a one year anniversary present for Patrick in my head, and I wanted to get started on it. Although our anniversary wasn't until January and it was only September, I wanted to do a photoshoot for him. Something sexy, and I was thinking of making a calendar with the photos. I already knew of a photographer, from both our engagement and our wedding, and she didn't just focus on marriage related photos. She did a wide range of photography, plus she seemed to really enjoy working with Patrick and I, so I planned on contacting her. Maybe a calendar created from a photoshoot wouldn't take four months to make, but an anniversary gift wasn't the only part of our future that I was thinking about.

After spending a summer at parties with the sons and daughters of players running around, I had begun to think more and more about having kids with Patrick. We both wanted them, and we both had wanted to wait a little while so we could have some time to just enjoy our marriage. With our one year marriage anniversary coming up, I was beginning to feel ready to start a family with him. If he was on the same page with me and he was ready to start trying, I figured I should do the photoshoot soon, before I had a baby bump.

I decided to wait until the preseason began and Patrick was in a victorious mood to talk to him about having kids. The Hawks won their first preseason game at home against the Red Wings, so once we got home after the game, I brought it up to him.

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?" I asked, breaking up a kiss. We were both in the living room in our pajamas, watching some Netflix before we had to get some sleep.

"Yeah, of course," Pat responded. He seemed concerned. I knew the whole 'can we talk' method wasn't the best way to start a conversation, but it did set a serious tone.

"Well, we've been spending a lot of time around kids for the past few months, and I know we discussed that we were going to wait a little bit, but I was wondering if you felt ready to start a family yet. I've just been thinking about it a lot lately," I confessed.

"Being around kids has definitely made me want to have them," Patrick admitted. "Especially Sharp's little girls, they just make me melt," he added, grinning.

"So, you'd be okay with trying to have kids soon?" I questioned him.

"Yeah, I really think I would. And besides, it's kind of a nine month process, so we still have plenty of time to prepare."

"Thanks for the info, but I actually already knew that, surprisingly," I sassed him.

"Oh, shut up! So, when were you thinking of starting?"

"Well, I actually thought it all out. I figured if we started in October, then I'd have the baby in July. Hockey season would be over by then, so we wouldn't have to worry about you missing the birth or anything because of a game. That and if you guys win the Cup again, we'll be able to get a cute picture of the little guy or girl in the Cup," I explained, smiling at the thought of it.

"Wow, you really have put a lot of thought in this. Those are good points, though. So, we'll start trying in October? Or, in other words, in about a week? Or should we start a little earlier than that, in case it takes some time?"

"You'd seriously be okay with it this soon?" I asked, amazed that he was completely on board with everything.

"Yeah. I feel ready. And if that changes, well, I have nine months to get ready," he realized.

"Okay. Um, yeah. We can wait a week. Even if it takes a little time, we might still be able to have a summer baby. And if not, then we have more time to prepare," I concluded. "I can't believe we're actually going to do this!" I added excitedly.

"I know. God, my family is going to be so happy. My sisters have been wanting to be aunts for basically forever!"

"My family's going to be excited too. And Tess. Tess is probably going to be all over planning the baby shower. She should focus on her wedding, but I know how she'll be."

"Yeah, you're probably right." It was silent for a moment before Patrick spoke again. "I love you, Lean. So much."

"I love you too, Pat."

Hey guys. I'm truly sorry that it's been so long, but after months, I've finally managed to update. I lost inspiration from this story, and although I've had the plot of this whole story planned for a long time, I was having trouble figuring out how to go from one part to the next. I finally got things figured out and got some inspiration back. I've decided not to have the whole investigation situation in this story because it doesn't really go with how I wanted the story to go and plus, it feels like it keeps dragging on and who knows when it'll get settled. I just want to forget about it, honestly. But anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the update, and I'll try to get back to updating this story as regularly as I update my other stories and one shots. Thank you so much for your patience, and again, I'm sorry for disappointing you and keeping you waiting. Thanks so much for your support and for reading :)