With all of this reveal about Matthew's fractured sternum and how he still played I've been wondering how Caroline would react to it. Would she let him play? Stand her ground and tell him not to? Would she try to get him to sit out? I miss the WLTAY universe so much! I've reread it already since playoffs started. I hope to see more bonus chapters if you're still wanting to write them!
so, for wltay-verse sake– let's pretend that this situation took place later on down the line ((lets say its the era w both ethan is 13 and scarlett is 2 and care tech is prego w payson but they don't know it yet)) so ethan and scar are the only kids and it's the 2028-2029 season, bc obvi the story takes place during the 2023-2024 szn<3333
BUT OHHHH 100% care would not be for him playing!!!!
obvi its important to know that care is v much well aware matt is a grown man and can make his own decisions, but she is also not afraid to voice her opinions as well when it comes to suggesting what he should do about the injury bc yk obviously she knows there’s chances of injuries w hockey, so when he gets injured and has to get checked out, she’s not too worried, but the moment it was discovered just how serious his injury was ((bc HELLO a fractured sternum!!!!!)) she would immediately be on the side of caution and tell him maybe he should sit out.
like when they're back at home and the kids are all in bed and yk he played it cool w ethan and scarlett so it didn't worry them, but when it's just him and care, she's sitting there in bed watching him kind of slowly get into bed and she's all "okay, tell me what they really said" bc she knows obvi he played it safe for the kids.
and he tells her that yk "they said i probably fractured my sternum" and she's all "probably?" bc is sus of how he said it and she knows they took him to the hospital after they saw him after the game ((aka he told ethan he just had to yk do some press stuff so he wouldn't worry)) and yk he finished getting into bed and he's all "okay, so i fractured my sternum." and yk care's all just in shock and concerned obviously and he kinda cuts it off w a "they think it happened when i hit the ice after that hit from kolesar. but i'm fine, i promise–"
and ma'am is all like "fine?! matthew you're walking like you're 70 and in need of a double hip replacement," and she kind of motions at him all "you can barely breathe without looking like you're in pain."
"it's fine, care. they gave me some 800 ibuprofen for tonight, and i should be better in the morning."
OFC this is an answer that ms caroline tkachuk DOES NOT appreciate bc she follows up w a "its a broken bone, matthew. ibuprofen doesnt fix a broken bone. you can't play like this."
to which matt's obviously all up in arms bc "it's the stanley cup finals, care! it's at most three more games of my life. who knows when it'll happen again?"
"it happened before, matthew. five season ago–"
"exactly, care! five seasons! it took me five seasons to get to another stanley cup!"
and yk they're not exactly fighting, but it's not calm either yk?? and care's not trying to parent him or keep him from his dream, but she also knows he's in full on hockey tough guy mode and will do anything without letting something stop him from reaching the stanley cup again yk???
so not wanting to fight anymore, she says "fine, we'll see how you feel in the morning," and they go to sleep.
so obvi it's next morning, matt gets up for morning skate when care's up w scar and he gets back by the time everyone is awake and yk he's still trying to play it cool but its considerably hard for him since he woke up more sore this morning. and when its time to wake him up from post game nap to eat yk, ethan asks if him and scar can go do it ((and since fam is in town, we'll keep it true and say brady was staying over and helped matt out of bed)) but care says "yk what, let's let beebee do it and you guys can help me set up dad's plate"
so brady goes up and care doesn't really hear a lot of movement upstairs, so she tells ethan to watch scarlett and she'll be right back– so she goes upstairs and actively sees brady trying to help matt stand up out of their bed and ma'am immediately is like "absolutely not, you're not playing tonight"
and matt's all "care, i was just laying down too long" ((while he's yk, still pushing through trying to breathe normally))
"that's bullshit and you know it matthew. look me in my face and tell me that brady didn't have to help you sit up in bed, that it doesn't hurt you to breathe or that you can stand yourself up right now. if you can do that and wholeheartedly believe it's the truth, then i'll drop it."
and yk mans already knows she's going to see through him, but he still tries to play it tough and yk kinda moves brady aside and prepares to push himself out of bed. he does it but obvi it's super shaky at first and brady and caroline are kinda standing closeby in case he falls and he stands himself up but is kinda out of breath and hurting when he's standing there and he's all "i'm telling them im playing tonight, care. i can't let this opportunity pass me up, who knows how many good years i have left." ((cue the male dramatics lmfao))
in true caroline fashion, ma'am is not thrilled and is all "i don't think you understand how serious this injury is matthew. you play tonight and take another bad hit or bad fall and you could further hurt yourself matthew and your career could be over. are you ready to even think about that possibility at 31???"
and ofc matthew's all "i'll be fine, care. i've been playing this game a long time, i can still play tough and be safe."
SO PULLING THE MOM CARD, CARE'S ALL "would you let ethan do it??"
"that's not fair."
"of course its fair. if ethan had the very same injury as you and you, as the adult knew the repercussions of what would happen if he played, would you let him play?"
POOR BRADY IS JUST STANDING THERE LIKE 👁👄👁 "maybe we should just let him go see the trainers–"
and care's all "shut it brady" and turns to matthew like "well, would you? would you let your son risk his life and career for three games?"
so they just kind of stand there staring at each other and matt's finally like "no," and before care can say anything he adds on a "but i'm not ethan."
to which care adds a "but you are to your mom and dad"
ANYWHO ITS LIKE ARUING W A BRICK WALL AND CARE KNOWS THAT ITS NOT GETTING ANYWHERE SO SHE JUST HUFFS AND IS ALL LIKE "fine, if you want to play tonight matthew, then do it."
and yk they go on w the day and matthew plays game four ((much to caroline's dismay)) and ofc she and the kids go to the game and yk care is v much not thrilled about him playing and everytime hes on the ice she's panicked and at the end of the night when they're home and getting ready for bed there might be a slight silence between them bc obvi she's pissed but yk they do the kids nighttime routine and then go to their room
but she helps him shower ((bc showering after the game was too painful)) and get ready for bed and she's helping him into bed and once he's comfy and she makes sure hes got everything he needs, she gets on her side and even her just getting into the bed kind of moves him and obvi that hurts and so she's just worried the whole time and when they're settling down into bed matt kind of moves his arm out to her so he can hold her hand and she does
and he's all "you were right, i shouldn't have played tonight. some of the guys had to help me get my gear on and i should've known that was a sign for me not to play...but care, it's–"
"i know...it's the stanley cup finals. and im sorry if it seemed like i was dismissing you, but matthew...this is a v scary and serious injury." and she kinda hears him yk trying not to breathe too hard or anything bc yk pain and she's like "hurt?"
"like hell," and she can see hes super emotional bc they both kind of know that that was most likely his last game of the season bc of how much pain hes in and so shes just being super comforting w him and soft night yk
Wow! A new part to your amazing Baby Beau story and a new part to What Life Throws at You from @raysofcrosby ?! This is like the birthday of my dreams!! Thank you!!
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I hope you like it!! I won’t be posting it until tomorrow afternoon/evening at the earliest tho because I just sent it to my beta and she usually reads my work over in the morning. Happy birthday!! xx
honestly, this is peak matthew w scarlett AND payson at the asg weekend 😭 mainly scarlett bc payson would be too busy causing chaos w the players around them
it’s been eight years since caroline marsh watched matthew tkachuk pack up his old ‘96 dodge ram and drive away from their hometown. it’s been eight years since she watched him chase his dream, all while leaving her behind to pick up the pieces. it’s been eight years since life shot it’s biggest knuckle puck at her, changing her life forever at a time when she thought she had it all. and here he was…back in their small hometown. no longer the 17-year-old boy who she had loved more than anything, but a man who had accomplished one of his childhood dreams…and had unknowingly accomplished the other, eight years earlier– becoming a father. there will always be a piece of her heart that belongs to matthew tkachuk, but she’s not the same girl he left behind all those years ago. a lot can change in eight years, but maybe it’s true what they say. what’s meant to be…will always find a way.
in which matthew tkachuk’s entire season is at stake over four seconds and a little trash talk– resulting in a late night drive and a red eye flight.
part two – bad news brady
in which caroline marsh’s date is crashed by the middle tkachuk sibling who comes bearing some world crashing news.
part three – curiosity killed the cat
in which matt leaves the house for the first time in a week and finds himself bumping into caroline in the middle of the sandwich meat section…and a little boy excited about hockey cards.
part four – loose lips sink ships
after a stressful week, things take a turn for the worst when caroline’s carefree grocery shopping trip turns into her worst nightmare. but when night falls and she indulges in one too many glasses of wine, she ends up making what could be a fateful mistake.
part five – more treats than tricks
it’s halloween and matt makes well on his promise to help ethan work on his wrist-shot before trick-or-treating and a night of passing out candy to trick-or-treaters leaves matt feeling a little nostalgic for halloween’s past. and when the night comes to end, he gets a little halloween surprise of his own.
part six – count your blessings...or your secrets
a stressful few weeks full of changes and frustration leaves matt feeling less than thrilled for the thanksgiving holiday and having more questions than answers. but another day helping ethan work on hockey gives matt more than he was expecting and changes everything he ever knew.
part seven – eight years earlier...
the summer before senior year is going to be great. family trips with the tkachuks, days spent lounging at the pool and quality time with matt before he heads off to ontario– caroline is ready for it all. until small experiences start to add up and she finds out some news that will change everything. but when reality comes crashing down, caroline finds herself making one big decision that changes everyone’s lives and turns into one huge secret that they’ve all sworn to keep.
part eight – should i stay or should i go?
caroline and matt try to recover from a long overdue conversation gone wrong, where things just continue to get worse on both ends. matt makes a phone call to an old friend to get some fatherly advice and is stuck with a decision to make.
part nine – keep this love in a photograph
still reeling from betrayal, chantal gives matt an overdue gift that leads him down a road to all the things he missed. after some advice, he ends up back at caroline’s door and the two have a much needed, second conversation, finding himself wanting to mend the wounds from the last eight years.
part ten – fun, games and starting over
an unexpected visitor comes out to join the family outing at ethan’s hockey game. but a post game dinner celebration leaves matt and caroline wondering about how things could’ve been different.
part eleven – birthday revelations
a conjoined birthday party means gifts and…a cupcake fight? matt has a conversation with the most unexpected person, leaving him to ask himself just what he sees happening for the future. the families watch brady and the blues take on a familiar foe, leaving the crowd riled up and as the night draws to a close, caroline pulls him aside to give him one last birthday gift.
part twelve – safe and sound
it’s new year’s eve which means a new year and new beginnings are on the horizon. what starts off as a fun and relaxing day with family, quickly turns into a race against time in the matters of life and death. and when tensions come to the boil, matt’s left at a crossroads of whether to go with what feels right and what’s the right thing to do…but both roads lead him exactly where he wants to be at the end of the night.
part thirteen – the morning after
it’s the morning after a hospital stay and matt and caroline find themselves subject to…interesting converstions with ethan– who makes quite the unsual request. matt let’s ethan in on his secret to staying cool and calm whenever he finds himself in a frustrating situation and a persistent jonathan leaves caroline finding solace in the four walls of the tkachuk family home.
part fourteen – consequences
matt’s night out with friends turns into a frantic, drunken 2 am unannounced visit to caroline’s after learning some unnerving news and things get way out of hand. chantal helps ease his fears with another overdue gift. and on his apology tour the next night, matt and caroline sit down to put everything out in the open…but unbeknownst to them, they’re not alone. and as the night draws to a close, caroline is faced with a horrifying discovery.
part fifteen – may the truth set you free
the weather is getting colder as everyone’s driving around town searching for ethan. a short trip down memory lane sparks something in matt’s mind, giving him an idea as to where ethan could be. ethan reveals he knows everyone’s big secret and matt is faced with trying to figure out how to help him heal. and when faced with the harsh reality of the aftermath of last nights events…caroline makes a big decision.
part sixteen – you got me
after housing ethan at the tkachuk household for two days, matt takes notice of just how miserable both ethan and caroline are and takes it upon himself to step in and intervene as peacemaker for them and their families as well…with only one condition. matt learns of his fate for the rest of the season.
part seventeen – call it what you want
while ethan is at an appointment, matt and care have an important conversation about what they’re going to do when it comes to letting the world know their news. matt tells care and ethan about his eventual return to calgary. ethan wants to spend more time with matt and matt’s left wondering where he stands with care.
part eighteen – almost is never enough
it’s the week of valentine’s day and an accidental injury during an after school rink session leaves ethan with a black eye and matt left to tell caroline what happened. ethan feeling insecure about his black eye asks matt for advice on what to get a girl for valentine’s day and matt’s more than willing to help him after gaining some insight on how valentine’s day in the marsh home usually goes. ethan delivers some shocking news to caroline both. caroline receives a heartfelt gift and dinner from matt and ethan and when the night comes to a close, matt’s left struggling with his own feelings and where exactly they fit in.
part nineteen – take a break
matt and caroline have an important conversation regarding ethan and when matt tries to have his own conversation, it results in them taking the first steps of getting matt his rights. tempers fly at a youth hockey game and ethan wants matt to teach him how to fight, despite caroline’s displeasure.
part twenty – i heard goodbye
a hot day out in the garden quickly turns steamy indoors, with matt and caroline finally giving in to the tension that’s been building for months…only for the euphoria of the moment to come crashing down and leading caroline into the arms of the one person she knows she can count on.
part twenty-one – here comes goodbye
after a conversation with andrew, caroline is ready to confront both jonathan and matt about what happened. matt gets surprised by a confrontation with heather after she shows up to his house unannounced where the two come to an understanding about his feelings and role in what had happened between him and caroline. tired of her running away and mad from his conversation with heather, matt takes matters into his own hands minutes before emma’s bridal party starts and confronts caroline, giving her an ultimatium. reeling from the aftermath, caroline confesses to jonathan what happened between her and matt and confronts heather about her going to matt’s house, resulting in an emotional blow up between the two lifelong friends. at the end of it all, caroline is left with the reality of what has happened and seeks help from an unlikely source.
part twenty-two – this is me trying
matt kept his word when he said he’d give caroline all the space she needed and now it’s three weeks later and their day-to-day lives have moved away from the routine they’d become so accustomed to. caroline struggles to find the words she wants to say in her much needed and deserved conversation with matt, as well as just when to have it. it isn’t until an impromptu speech at an important appointment and some choice words from ethan after a hockey game, that caroline finds herself needing to get her thoughts in order and knows just the place to go. one block down, matt can’t sleep and takes a late night drive.
part twenty-three – begin again
time dwindled down fast and now it’s time for matt to head back to calgary, leaving both his family, caroline and ethan behind. not wanting to go back to calgary without leaving some things unsaid, matt finds himself spending his last night in st louis with caroline and ethan, and after promising to spend his last day in st louis with ethan, he finds another way to have his much needed conversation.
part twenty-four – till forever falls apart
with matt back in calgary, caroline and ethan are left trying to adjust to their new normal, which is proving more difficult than expected. a close betrayal introduces the world to the family's secret, creating chaos in ways ethan, caroline and matt weren't ready for. matt worries that the chaos might change caroline's mind about their future.
part twenty-five – last kiss
caroline and ethan step foot in calgary for the first time with matt there to greet them at the airport. at an organized dinner, ethan’s introduced to extended family, while caroline gets some insight from someone who’s been close to matt since he started playing in calgary. what’s supposed to be a post-game celebration turns south quick by an unsuspected guest, leaving caroline questioning whether or not her and matt are doing the right thing with their relationship. matt and ethan celebrate caroline on mother’s day and caroline gives matt an out that’s his for the taking if he wants it.
part twenty-six – you are the reason
while he doesn’t want to, matt fulfills caroline’s request and takes time to decide whether he wants to have a life with her and ethan or to take the out she gave him. caroline has second thoughts about her proposition, while she and ethan are still having trouble adjusting to matt’s absence. it’s time for game six– an important game to both brothers– one wins and one looses, but at the end of the night, there’s still an important decision to be made and the choice could make or break everything.
epilogue – always been you
caroline and matt have finally found themselves on the same page regarding their relationship and with that stressor behind, they’re free to spend time with each other and their families, while trying to work around their situation once the summer ends and their separate day to day lives come back in full swing. six months after the conference championship, caroline had a sudden realization that changes everything and come the following fall, she and ethan find themselves adjusting to a big change, but one that’s worth leaving everything behind for.
** a wltay: au-verse – eight years earlier...
when small experiences throughout the summer before senior start adding up, caroline and matt find out some news that could change their lives forever.
** bonus chapter #1 – hey now, you're an all-star
ethan and caroline get to tag along with matt to the 2025 all-star game, where ethan’s on the hunt for one very specific player to sign his jersey– nathan mackinnon. while on the ice during an event, ethan lets slip a secret about caroline, successfully embarrassing her in the process. matt gets to experience seeing ethan enjoy all of the things he got to do as a kid with his dad.
** bonus chapter #2 – i cross my heart
from the moment matthew and caroline made the jump to start dating again, there’s only been one thing on his mind– marrying his childhood sweetheart and the girl he’s loved for as long as he could remember. ask her parents for their blessing? check. buy the ring she’s always wanted? check. plan a proposal with the help of ethan and their family and friends? check. plan the wedding of her dreams and maybe down a little too much wine to destress? double check. now all there’s left to do is bring the wedding to life and be surrounded by their close friends and family as their fairytale ending comes true, and to make a special announcement that signifies this is just the beginning for their little family.
** bonus chapter #3 – two pink lines
with their wedding two weeks away, matt, caroline and ethan have a lot to look forward to: the wedding, the honeymoon, their first summer vacation as an official family and then settling into their new home in calgary. but a nagging feeling days before they're set to fly home to st. louis for the wedding has caroline wondering if maybe it wasn't just the three of them after all...but four. and when the tests she takes with matthew by her side in the bathroom of their empty apartment, all turn positive, they take their first steps onto the journey of welcoming another baby into the family. From 12 weeks all the way to 39, her first week home and four months later it's not all a smooth ride, but in the end when they welcome the brand new addition to their family of three, they discover it was all worth it in the end.
** bonus chapter #4 – first date jitters
12 going on 13, home for the summer and surrounded by friends and family– there’s a lot that ethan’s got lined up for his summer vacation. but there’s one important thing on his 12-year-old mind that he’s finally old enough to do, and that’s go on a date with his childhood best friend, former teammate and first ever crush– melody hastings. and when she says yes, he’s on top of the world. until it comes for his first ever date and he realizes that not only is he really nervous, but his parents and baby sister are going to be there the entire time too. what could be worse? ask matt and caroline who have to watch their firstborn take his first step into the world of relationships while trying not to completely embarrass him.
** a wltay christmas special – all i want for christmas is you
it’s christmas time in the tkachuk household and the holiday season is in full swing! eight stockings, eight pairs of matching pajamas, specialized ornaments on the tree picked out during a beloved family tradition–it’s a very merry time indeed. the countdown to christmas morning is ongoing and it’s a fun, tradition filled time where there’s nothing but love and family surrounding them as matt and caroline continue to make longlasting and heartwarming memories to last a lifetime.
do any of the tkachuk kids have a pregnancy scares? And how would caroline and matthew handle that? (And why is it payson??) ;)
i've v briefly brushed on this topic w ethan earlier this year on how matt and caroline would react, here but i never considered the other kids 💀 but aklsfjsdf leave miss payson alone!!! she's an angel!!! 😩
if any of the kids were to have a pregnancy scare, i really don't think it would be ethan. just because straight off the bat once he's in high school and yk kids start talking about it, etc, matt and caroline are v open w him about safe sex and stuff, not only bc they absolutely don't want to be young grandparents ((perf karma for their parents lol)) but bc caroline knows what it's like to be a teen parent and like any parent, wants better for her kids, but they would both b v supportive regardless.
HOWEVER, on that note, despite matt and caroline being v open w the kids about safe sex yk if there did happen to be a pregnancy scare, i honestly think it honestly would either be scarlett or theo, MAYBE payson ((lil angel<33)) once they're old enough.
scarlett is the first girl, so for matt it's kind of uncharted territory and for caroline, she relies v heavily on how her mom and chantal talked to her about safe sex yk?? so once she's old enough and starts dating, caroline is v open w her about yk birth control and safe sex and how protection is key no matter birth control or not ((pretty much w all of the kids)) so we'll put scarlett at like 16/17 and she's been dating her boyfriend for a good bit– one day, let’s say it’s around winter semester exams in HS ((and miss scarlett got caroline’s smarts so yk she’s in honors and ap courses)) miss scarlett goes to caroline one night when they’re all getting ready to head out to one of payson’s hockey games ((miss ma’am is in middle school at this time so it could either be for her school or league/travel idk how that works in missouri which is where they are at this point in time)), matt’s already there w payson, oliver and the twins bc caroline had some school stuff to do and scarlett was taking extra study time— so it’s just her and caroline at home at this point. caroline’s all ready to go and when scarlett comes in she’s all “are you ready to go?” and miss scarlett just blurts out “my period’s late” bc yk ma’am has been internalizing her panic and caroline’s all standing there like 🧍🏻♀️👁👄👁 and is like “okay,” and yk that’s kinda all she can get out bc miss scarlett is PANIC rambling about how yk her and her boyfriend have been safe and she’s always taken her pill but she thinks maybe a condom broke or something— like full on panicking!!! but have no fear bc despite matt’s snipping ((bc let’s be real, caroline would have him get one and he’d be like okay cool!!!)) they still keep around pregnancy tests and caroline has her take two ((one for yk balance just in case)) and both are ✨negative✨ so caroline’s like yk you could just be a little stressed w school, so let’s wait a few days before we do another one and then we’ll head to a doctor — but have no fear, miss scarlett got her period the next day and came running to caroline like “yay” and matt’s just like “huh?? why weren’t you ever happy like that?? you were always grouchy” 💀
payson...lord dear little angel, ma'am is just a "i mean, i think i'm good, but yk i'm actually not sure so i got a test 🤪" kind of pregnancy scare yk?? ma'am absolutely will tell matt first bc she tagged along w him at the store and just plainly tosses a pregnancy test in the basket and he’s like “excuse me??? who is that for?? did your mother tell you to get them??” ((scarlett will be off at school bc she’d be 19 and it wouldn’t be amelia bc she’d literally be 12)) and payson’s all “no it’s for me” and man’s about drops right in the middle of the store 😭 like literally cannot come up w the words to speak so all he does if they cut their trio short, calls caroline ((who’s out w yk the moms and taryn and emma)) and is like “YOUR DAUGHTER has something to tell you” and ma’am is confused and payson’s just like “dad’s being dramatic bc i put a box of pregnancy tests in the cart, tell him to chill out i think im fine i only got them just in case” 💀 so it’s a tense ride home and they’re greeted by a calm yet stressed caroline and matt needs to decompress on the couch, so caroline takes payson to their room and yk takes the test and it’s negative and yk caroline gives her a little “be safe, and pls don’t give your dad a heart attack” speech and then sends her on her way before going to check on matt who at this point is sitting on the couch w a beer in his hand all dramatic like “pls tell me im not going to be a grandpa,”
now theo– he's like a slightly less chaotic payson in this situation bc he's still pretty panicky about it, but he doesn’t blatantly just blurt it out without a care in the world yk?? HE ALSO doesn’t go to matt and caroline immediately— he actually tells ethan first at a workout they’re doing in the off season ((he’s 16)) and ethan’s ((who is a whole ass family man at this point)) is like “ummm…okay, uh, did she take a test??” And theo’s all “i dunno she just said she was worried bc she had missed some pills and stuff” 💀 so ethan’s like “okay, you definitely need to talk to mom and dad” just bc he knows like they’ll be able to help him more than he can— so one weekend theo has a plan yk??? like mans has his girlfriend come over before they go out on a date and has matt and caroline sitting right there in the living room and is like “soooo she might be pregnant??” and matt’s like “is that a question??😭” and theo’s just like “no??” AND HIS POOR GIRLFRIEND is red in the face and trying to get him to stop bickering w matt and caroline notices and is like “both of you shut up” and yk asks the girlfrined id she wants something to drink and she says sure and caroline takes her into the kitchen and is like “i don’t know if theo’s told you, but yk i had his older brother when i was 18, so i might be able to help you if you want??” and this little adorable teen is all “thank you mrs tkachuk, but everything’s okay now…” kind of hinting that yk— no baby bc period is there and caroline’s like “okay sounds good! here’s a bottle of water, enjoy your date” and yk go back into the kitchen and shuts down the matt/theo bickering and sends them on their way and matt’s all “ethan knew about this and didn’t even give us a ‘hey, just so you know so you don’t have a heart attack on the couch’ heads up!!! what a little asshole 😩” and then care’s like “she’s not pregnant,” and matt’s about to question how caroline knows that and then is like “okay great, i need a drink”
Payson is most likely to have a crush on Sidney Crosby and when the penguins play the flames she somehow weasels her way into their locker room to find him and when she does she’s just “you’re cute, wanna be my boyfriend 🤪🤪🤪” while Matt is just screaming internally
ok but miss ma'am really would. bc it wouldn't be the first time she wanders off in the arena as imagined here.
the year she's born, sid would be like going on 43 akljsdf so hypothetically, if he's still playing around the time she's 4/5, there would b a very big chance of her just...finding her way into the visiting teams locker room looking for matt.
but instead she finds a bunch of strange men she doesn't know in suits since they just got there [and maybe care brought her and scarlett along bc they needed to drop something off matt and ethan forgot at home, but miss payson is a freaking little ninja i tell you, so she sneaks off] and they can tell that she clearly doesn't belong there thanks to her 'daddy' jersey sporting matt's number and miss ma'am just wanders over to sid's locker, but she's a cute little kid with pigtails and is like "hi, i like you" akljsd and sids just like "well hi, where's your mom and dad?"
and payson literally takes it upon herself to sit in the locker next to his and is just swinging her legs and shrugging like "i dunno, i got bored. i thought daddy was in here." so obvi they know whose kid it is and someone goes down to the locker room to inform matt that his kid is loose akljflksdf in the meantime sid's like "so what's your name?" and she's all "payson rose tkachuk. what's yours?" [bc kids and their full names you know 💀] and he's all "oh, uh...sidney." and paysons [since he didn't say his FULL name] is all giggling like "that's not your name, it's too short." so man tells her his full name and she's like "my brother has your poster on his wall." 😭 and he's like "really? how old's your brother?" and she's just shrugging like "i dunno, old. he plays hockey here too, with my daddy and beebee. what's your favorite color?"
sid just entertains her questions bc cute kid and also wonders where the heck her parents are alkjdfsd and no sooner than he goes to reply to payson's question of "are you gonna fight my daddy?" guess who comes rushing into the locker room?
matthew all half dressed and flustered with ethan behind him like "payson rose what did we say about walking off without telling anyone?" and she's all " 🥺 but i was looking for you, daddy." and matt's just profusely apologizing as he waves for payson to come over and she's all "but daddy, i'm talking to my new friend 🥺" and he's like "that's nice pay, but they have to get ready to play a game like daddy and ethan have to. you've got to go back home with mommy."
and sid helps her down off of the locker and miss ma'am is just pouting and standing there and matt and ethan are both embarrassed by the passing second and ethan's like "i'll play hair salon with you at home tonight if you say bye to everyone and come over so we can leave." and payson LOVES playing hair salon, so miss ma'am just runs across the locker room without a second word, but before matt or ethan can grab her hand, she runs back over to sid all blushing and cute and is like "you're my new friend, right? sidney crosby?" and hes just like "sure, payson rose tkachuk, i'll be your new friend. but only if you stop running away from your parents, that's not very safe, okay?" and she just nods with a smile like "okay" and just hugs his leg lkajdsfklsd bc miss ma'am is so small and sid was already standing and when they leave the locker room miss ma'am just doesn't stop talking about her new friend sidney crosby for weeks lsfjsdf
and during the game sid asks ethan or matt if they could stay a bit and meet him in the hall somewhere before they left. so after the game that night before the pens leave, sid ends up giving payson his stick that he signed 'to my new friend payson, you're my coolest friend by far. remember your promise! your new friend,' and then all autographed 😭😭 and payson's small so she doesn't really understand how big of a deal sid is bc to her, matt's the best player alive, but to matt and ethan, who both grew up watching sid play they're like 👁👄👁 and literally put it out of reach of her bc she always wants to use it to play with skldjglskf
