Discovering...Love?

Sid's POV


I feel her tense up immediately in my arms and turn around to face me. I see her eyes widen in surprise. I search her face looking for any sign of an answer when suddenly she bursts out laughing. She continues to laugh, holding her stomach as she rolls around on the bed. Even though I have no idea what she is laughing about I can't help but chuckle myself, her laughter is infectious.

"Umm... hun... what's so funny?" I ask, impatient for an answer.

"It's just..." she says trying to get over her laughter, "It's just that I was going to ask you to move in with me after your parents left. I even talked to Mario about it. And Beth has been giving me grief nonstop about you already living here."


"Yeah the guys have been beaking me about it too," I admit.

"It's just we seem to be the last to know everything," she smiles at me, finally settling her laughter. "First with being in love and everyone knew about it but us, and then you breaking up with Victoria and I was the last to know, and now this."

"Yeah... so..." I ask impatiently.

"So... what?" she asks her face full of confusion.

"What do you think about moving in together?" I ask.

"Oh, sorry I thought I made that clear. Sidney I want you to move in with me," she smiles.

"So yes. I am moving in here and we are going to live together?"

"Yes," she smiles kissing my lips and snuggling into me.

"Good, because I'm already basically moved in," I smile wrapping my arms tightly around her.

"I know, Love," she smiles, her eyes again closing as she drifts off to sleep.

"I love you," I whisper planting a kiss in her hair and allowing myself to close my eyes. There is no answer as she has already fallen asleep.

Caitlin's POV

"Ruff, ruff."


"Ugh, Flash just a few more minutes," I mumble into Sid's shoulder.

The bed dips down slightly on one side and I feel a cold wet dog nose on the back of my neck.

"Ruff," Flash tries again nudging my shoulder impatiently.

"Is it 7:30 already?"I hear Sid mumble, not opening his eyes.

"According to Flash it is," I murmur.

Suddenly I feel Flash jump up completely on the bed and step over me, worming his way between Sid and I.

"Ok, Flash we're up," I laugh as he rolls on his back exposing his stomach for someone to pet.

"Good morning," Sid says opening his eyes and leaning over Flash to kiss me sweetly on the lips.

"Morning," I smile against his lips.

"Ruff!"

"Okay, alright, we're up, you happy, Flash?" I ask shifting off the bed and looking back to see Flash's tail begin to thump.

I laugh and roll my eyes, going into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Sid lays with Flash petting him. I make my way back to the room, changing into running clothes.

"Are you going to be here when I get back?" I ask Sid as I twist my hair up in a pony tail.

"Nope, early practice today. I have to be there in 45 minutes," he yawns looking at the red numbers on the alarm clock that is never used. There is no need for one when you have Flash.

"Alright," I say after successfully slipping on my shoes, "I'll see you when you get home then. Oh, and don't forget Beth and Zach are still here."

"I know," he says getting off the bed and walking around it, clad in only boxers. "I love you," he whispers as his arms find their way around my waist, pulling me against his bare chest.

"I love you too," I smile kissing him on the lips, "When did you want to move the rest of your stuff over?"

"I figured we could do that after Beth and Zach are back in there place," he murmurs against my lips.

"Okay, I'll see you when you get home," I say kissing him quickly before slipping out of his hold.

"Bye," he calls making his way to the bathroom as I make my way out of the bedroom and down he steps to greet the rest of my pack.

"Good morning guys, who needs out?" I ask as I'm greeted by impatient furry bodies.

I open the door, everyone sitting with much difficulty.

"Alright, outside!" I call, letting them out to do their business.

After letting them back inside a few minutes later, I take Bran, Flash, and Hawkeye out for a run. As my feet hit the pavement my thoughts begin to start up.

Would Beth be ok by herself now? I mean the baby was coming and Zach often had to work the night shift. I couldn't go over every night he wasn't there and after the baby came she wouldn't be able to come over here all the time. My dad was on night shift when I was little, and as a result as soon as we moved we got a dog. Partly because I wanted one, but my parents wanted a Newfoundland. They're great with kids, and I remember my mom felt a lot better at home with out my dad when she had a big dog there if she needed protection. That's what Beth needed, a dog. But she wouldn't be able to handle a puppy, not with a baby on the way.

I sigh, and look back at the dogs trotting behind me, tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths.

I could raise a puppy for her, and train it, but that would take too long. And any dog that I got from the shelter would take up a lot of her time, and with a baby on the way she didn't have that convenience. I could give her Sam, but he was a little bit higher energy for their life style, plus he needed someone to keep up with his training. She needed a mellow dog. A dog that was big, that would be child friendly, protect her if need be, was well trained, and relaxed.

I stop running. Koda. The dog I was describing was Koda. He would be perfect for Beth and her new family. But did I want to give him up? I mean, after all he was my dog and he did make up a huge part of my pack. Could I give him up?

I'm about to think further on the subject but I spot a car in my drive way that wasn't there before. I pick up my speed and recognize it as the car the Crosby's were driving last night.

I open the door to my house to see Mr. Crosby on the couch talking to Beth and Zach. My dogs greet me as I walk over to the living room, breathing hard because I had just sprinted down the road.

"Hey Cait, how was your run?"Beth smiles over her cup of tea from her seat on the love seat with Koda.

"Ummm... Great. Did you two sleep ok?" I ask Beth standing next to the couch and Mr. Crosby. I was wondering about why he was here, but I wanted to make sure Beth was ok.

"Yeah, surprisingly we did," Zach says from the Ikea chair.

"Good, good... Ummm... good morning, Mr. Crosby. Sid has early morning practice so he probably won't be here until sometime around 12," I say very confused as to why he is here.

"Good Morning Caitlin. And I'm not here to see Sid, I'm here to talk to you," he says, looking at me with a hint of a smile.

"Oh, umm... ok. I actually take the rest of the dogs out for a walk after my jog. And going for a walk is always a good time to talk, so if you wanted to walk with me..." I say nervously


"Sure, just let me get my coat," he says getting up and walking to he door. I look at Beth, who smiles at me and whispers a 'good luck.'

"Alright guys let's go!" I shout getting all the dogs up and to the door by Mr. Crosby.

We begin our walk in silence, the dogs walking behind us.


"Soooo... what is it that you wanted to talk about?" I ask not being able to take the awkward silence.


"Well, it was brought to my attention last night after you left that I don't know you very well, I would like to get to know you a little better, being that you are dating my son," he replies.


"Ummm... ok... what do you want to know?"I shrug.


"Why dogs?"

"Wow, um ok that's a pretty broad subject," I say in surprise.

"Well start from the beginning."


"Ok, ummm... where we lived when I was little we weren't allowed to have pets and I can't even remember a time when I didn't want a dog. And I have always had a special connection with them. We moved when I was 6, and I was pretty upset about it. But my parents promised that since we were moving into a house of our own, because we had been renting a house, that I could get a dog. So when I was six I got my first dog and then I got another dog when I was 11. The worst part of going off to college for me was that I didn't have a dog. Yes I missed my family, and I missed my friends, but I had had a dog since I was 6 years old. My first job was walking dogs for a pet hotel in the summers. I walked dogs for at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Instead of deterring me from dogs, it made me love them even more. It was then I realized that I wanted to work with dogs. So I went to college and graduated, then opened my own business. Word got around about what I was doing so... yeah," I say finishing up.


"Where did you go to college?"


"University of Maryland."

"Do you have any siblings?"


"Yeah, Ian. He's my 17 year old brother who lives in Maryland with my parents."


"I see, and how did you acquire all of these dogs?"he pushes.

"Well, most of them are rescues. I got Bran at the end of sophomore year in Montana on a skiing trip. He was at one of he shelters. Beth and her sister I have known since I moved when I was 6, they gave Koda to me as my 21 birthday present. Hawkeye and Flash I got at the same time from a shelter and Maggie I got soon after from a greyhound rescue organization, she used to be a racing hound. Oh, and Sam I adopted a few months ago after he bit me in a training session, his owners thought he was too aggressive and wanted to put him to sleep. I'm going to put him up for adoption soon. "

"That's interesting," was his simple reply.


"Are we done with the 20 questions?" I say as a joke.


That's when he does something I least expected, he smiles at me.


"No yet. How did you get involved with the rescue group?"

"Ah, SAR. Yeah, well I figured that my dogs and I were capable of helping out so we should."


"Alright one more question."

"Sure thing."


"Why did you fall in love with my son?" he asks with an even more serious tone, if that's even possible.

I stare at him blankly. What do you even... how do you even answer a question like that? I stop walking and ponder the fact for just a minute. My brow furrowing in thought.

"Mr. Crosby, I have answered all your questions honestly, and this answer will be no different," I say slowly, walking again.

He looks at me expectantly and nods for me to continue.

"I don't know," I say honestly.

"You don't know?" he says looking at me in confusion.

"Mr. Crosby, you want honesty, and that's what I'm giving you. I know that I love Sidney, I have since I met him almost 5 years ago. But I can't explain to you why I fell in love. I just did. Love is a peculiar thing. You see, if you ask me, none of us really mean to fall in love. It just happens. Love often ends in sadness Mr. Crosby. I found that out at a young age. You see, those first two dogs I told you about, they were my life as I was growing up. They taught me everything I know. My second dog especially...she was my best friend," I respond, looking into the window of the past.

"My best friend left me after only 4 years. She had cancer. 4 months after she was diagnosed, she died in next to me at home. An hour later, we took my other dog to the vet because she was sick. She went behind a white door and that's the last time I saw her alive. I lost my two best friends that day. That day my world came crashing down. Yet even through that immense heart ache and pain, I fell in love again. I love all of my dogs and I love Sidney, even though I know what can happen if I put my heart out there, I can't help doing so. You see Mr. Crosby, love just happens, you can't really control it. I love Sid's passion for the game, his goofy personality when he's out of the spot light, and how he looks at me as if I'm the only one in a crowded room. I love how his eyes change color when he is going through different emotions, his concern for the fans, and how hard he has tries in this relationship. I know I'm not the easiest person to live with, especially with all these dogs and my crazy work hours. But he's willing to try and to love me, and I think the least I can do is return the favor. So to answer your question, I don't know why I fell in love with Sidney, but I did and I can't help that. And I'm sorry that you are not okay with that, but it just happened."

I finish just as we turn back into the drive way, the dogs running ahead of us and up the porch steps to go in. Mr. Crosby stops at his car, motioning for me to stop as well.

"Thank you, Caitlin. You have answered all of my questions honestly, I can see that. I don't think any of the girls Sid has dated have ever answered so thoroughly."

"Of course, your Sidney's dad. I would expect nothing less from you," I shrug.

"And... I apologize for being so hard on you, I now see that you are quiet the young woman," he smiles.

"Thank you Mr. Crosby, I'll see you later?" I say sticking my hand out for him to shake.

He takes it firmly with a smile, "Thank you Caitlin, see you later."

I smile as he gets in the car. I am about to walk up to the porch when he rolls down his window.

"Oh and Caitlin?"

"Yeah?"

"You can call me Troy," he calls with a smile.

I grin in return and watch as he drives down the road.