Collision // Freddie Andersen

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Lydia hated her life. 

She didn't really, but she probably should. Of course with the timing of her move to Toronto, she was in the busy time of her internship while her boys were fighting for the Stanley cup. She would come home from a game, usually to head out to a home playoff game, or to an empty home. 

Right now the Leafs were playing the first round of the playoffs against the Bruins, a matchup that never failed to get the tempers rising. It was currently 2-3 Leafs, and that night they were playing on Toronto ice and Lydia had made it out of the Blue Jays stadium with just enough time to make it to the ACC. 

"Hey," Lydia practically panted as she entered the WAGs suite and saw Steph and Aryne. "Yall excited?"

"Can you sit down and let us get you some wine, you're giving me anxiety," Steph laughed as Lydia blushed. 

"Sorry, I just thought I wouldn't make it, nothing went my way today at work."

The girls all looked to the ice when the announcer called the team skating onto the ice. 

"I'm nervous," Steph and Aryne agreed quietly as they watched the boys stand there for the anthem. 

The game was brutal. The Bruins were fired up, and were chirping and picking fights that the boys weren't letting get to them. Until the three minuted were left in the third. The score was 3-2 Leafs, and Marchand was  on a breakaway, heading straight to Fred who was strong in the net. Marchand went for a trick shot as he saw Mo coming in from his left, but he ended up colliding with Fred and knocking the net around as well as laying Fred out. 

"Fuck," Stella gasped as Fred laid there without moving, and Mo yanked Marchand away from the Tender, shoving him and yelling as Auston and the linesman skated over to check on Fred. Lydia's face paled when she saw Goat ushering the trainer out. "I gotta go down," Lydia frantically grabbed her bag and looked for her coat. 

"Hey babe, breathe" Steph handed her her coat. "We'll come with you, just don't get too worked up yet." 

Lydia tried to listen, but she couldn't get the vision of Fred laid out on the ice out of her head. The three women rushed down the hall and got into the elevator, coming out on the main floor and making their way to the locker room. Lydia paced back and forth after texting Fred that she was down here, not wanting to barge in if he was with a doctor. 

"Hey," Auston's rough voice came from the tunnel.

"Is the game over?" Steph asked in confusion. 

"Nah, I just checked the rat a little hard and got a minor so they sent me down," Auston hugged Lydia. "I'll check where he's at and bring you in Lyds." Lydia paced the hall again, waiting for Auston to come back out. 

"He's ok," Auston came back out, grabbing Lydia's hand and leading her through the locker room and into the therapy quarters. "Here you go," Auston ushered her into a room when Fred was sitting with his shirt and pads off and a trainer wrapping his ribs.

"Honning," he reached out to her as soon as she made it thorugh the door. "Come here."

"Fuck Fred," she was surprised to feel choked up. She had seen Auston go down countless times, but it had never felt like this. "I was so scared."

"I know, its ok babe, I'm ok," the two of them stood in a half embrace until the trainer finished and left the room. 

"What's the verdict?" She asked as she looked at the wrap and guessed he had bruised ribs. 

"Just a bruised rib and some swelling," he gazed up at her, loving the way her eyes had focused In the face of a medical challenge. "Come here," he pulled her down to press his lips to hers softly, pulling back when he heard the boys begin to come into the locker room. 

"Come home with me tonight?" he asked as she stood back up.

"Of course bubba," she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Want me to wait for you to finish media?"

"No honey, go sit in the car and get warm." She hummed in acceptance before pressing a kiss to his forehead and heading outside. He didn't have much that night, able to get out fairly quickly. But it was long enough for Lydia to fall asleep in the passenger seat of his car. He drove them home quickly, waking the blonde up gently so she could follow him up to his place.

"You were tired," he commented as she leaned against him in the elevator, her eyes sliding shit again. 

"Im emotionally drained I think, that scared me tonight a lot," she expressed shyly, avoiding his eyes as they got off the elevator. 

"Lyds, that is nothing to be ashamed of," he stopped her in front of his door. "I am so lucky to have someone like you who cares about me like this," he kissed her softly before leading her into the apartment for bed.