✓ 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐌𝐌𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, charlie conway

12 | knucklepuck time

Emma lets hope blast through her insides, and almost crumples to the ground in pure helplessness when an Iceland player dives towards the puck, tripping Russ in the process.

Adam is whacked afterward by Sanderson, who's sent into the penalty box by the ref.

"Get into the box, you big goon!" Ken yells after him.

Emma grips his shoulder and leads him away before he can say anything more.

Failure strikes again when the damn Robertson kid can't control his showboating.

"Damn it, Dwayne, you are so full of yourself!" Emma screams, flipping his helmet over his head.

Emma wipes the blur of sweat from her eyelashes when she takes her seat on the bench and spots an exchange of mischievous looks between Fulton and Dean.

They bring a small streak of victory to Team USA, checking several Iceland players into the boards.

Kenny wins them a goal, but his gloating goes too far when he implements what Russ's brother taught him, and he gets sent into the penalty box.

Bombay sends Emma back out onto the ice.

"Be careful out there, Em, they'll be gunning for you," Charlie says. 

"Aw, you're so adorable when you worry, Char. I'll be okay," she says, tousling his hair.

Emma gets checked into the boards multiple times, and she wishes she had taken Charlie's warning into more consideration. She furrows her brows when she notices Dwayne speeding towards her attacker with a lasso.

"Get up there! where I come from, we treat ladies with respect!"

Connie stops beside Emma.

"Thanks, Dwayne," Emma says.

"But she's no lady," Connie adds. "She's a Duck!"

— ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ —

"Did y'all enjoy that?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, so did they. Because they're still three points up and we're one period away from defeat," Bombay says.

"Damn, what a Debbie Downer, Bombay," Emma mutters.

"Well, if we can't beat 'em, we might as well keep our pride," Jesse says.

"Jesse, that's not pride. Sure, when Dwayne roped that big oaf, part of me cheered," Bombay says.

"Oaf is one word for him," Emma says bitterly.

Charlie laughs out loud, but stops when Bombay gives him a don't encourage her look.

"But guys, I've been there. I know how you feel. I wanted to cream that jerk that busted my knee in the minors. And I really, really, wanted to go after Stansson for that cheap shot. But you know what? My knee will heal. And if I become someone I'm not, if I sink to their level, well, then, I lost more than my knee. You understand?"

"Yeah."

Well, Emma wouldn't ever say this, but she didn't really understand at all, this talk about not sinking to their level. Wasn't this hockey? Haven't the noblest of players knocked out a few of other people's teeth at some point in their career?