Hey guys!
I just wanted to write a quick Author's Note before I upload the first chapter of this story.
I'm certain that many of you are aware of the whole Patrick Kane alleged rape situation. I want to clarify a few things quickly before I continue uploading chapters.
Firstly, this story is STRICTLY FICTIONAL. It is called a fanFICTION for a reason. In saying this, none of the characters/events in this story are related to what is happening in the lives of Patrick Kane, his family, his girlfriend, his friends, nor any of the other parties involved in this situation, currently.
Furthermore, everything that is included in this story (characters, events, actions, etc.) are in NO way, shape, or form affiliated with the current situation of Patrick Kane.
This is simply a friendly reminder that this is a FICTIONAL story, and therefore shall not be affiliated with the events that are currently taking place in the life of Patrick Kane and all of the parties involved.
I do hope that the situation that is happening at the moment in REAL life, does get resolved and figured out soon, however.
Thanks guys, and love you all,
-Becca xoxo
{Abigail}
The dress is beautiful.
It hugs my curves in all the right places, and it fits me absolutely perfectly.
I have never worn something that feels so... right.
It's black; elegant and simple.
Strapless, it falls just below my knees, with a beautiful dark belt around my waist.
I'm in love with it.
I look up at the mirror, and smile back at myself.
I'm happy with the way I look.
My light brown hair flows in loose curls to just above my breasts, my makeup is light and simple, and my outfit is wonderful.
My name is Abigail Quinn.
I'm twenty-six years old, and I have been dating the same boy for a long time now.
Despite our breakup a couple years ago, the two of us found each other through it all, and got back together.
I'm dating Patrick Kane, whom is now twenty-seven years old, and is still just as handsome as he always has been.
He plays on the Chicago Blackhawks, and has played for them his entire NHL career.
The two of us have been through a lot together in the past few years, and life has changed drastically.
For starters, I finished my photography degree from the University of Chicago, and am now the manager of my own photography studio, Abby's Images.
My business has been extremely successful these past few years, and I have a passion for what I do.
We also endured a huge loss a couple years ago, that has changed not only us, but everyone around us, immensely.
But, that is besides the point.
That's a whole different story.
It's Friday, June 17, 2016.
6:30 in the evening.
The Chicago Blackhawks have organized a team dinner, in celebration of their most recent Stanley Cup Championship.
Just under a week ago, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was absolutely incredible, one of the greatest rushes of my life.
Seeing the game in person, watching such an incredible event; I've never experienced anything quite like it.
And so, in celebration of that victory, the Blackhawks are having a team dinner at an extremely nice restaurant in Downtown Chicago tonight.
Suddenly, a knock on the door startles me.
"You ready to head out yet, Abby?" A deep, charming voice says from the other side.
I smile down at my feet, and notice the high heels I am wearing.
God, these heels are cute, I think to myself, giggling.
"Yes, and you can come in, you know." I say, shaking my head.
The door opens, and one of the most beautiful human beings to ever exist, enters the room.
Patrick.
My beautiful, wonderful, Patrick.
His jaw drops slightly as his eyes fall upon me, and his eyes widen.
The blue in his eyes shines magnificently in the lighting of the room.
We are in our bedroom, in the apartment that we share together, up on the eighty-fourth floor of Trump Tower Chicago.
"Wow," Patrick says, as his eyes move from my feet to my head.
"Abigail, you look stunning." He says, moving through the room and over to me.
I blush, and meet his eyes as he approaches closer.
I take both his hands in mine, and he looks down at me.
"Thank-you Patrick, as do you." I say, giggling.
He kisses me on the forehead, gently.
It's true, to be honest.
He does look stunning.
He's wearing a dark, beautiful suit that fits his body perfectly.
His face is freshly shaven, and his blonde hair is styled perfectly.
He smells of cologne.
He squeezes my hands, and then throws an arm around my shoulder.
"You ready to go?" He asks.
"Absolutely." I say.
The two of us make our way to the main floor of the apartment, and then out of the main entrance.
It's light out still, a result of it being summer here in Chicago.
It's a truly beautiful summer evening, and the sun shines through the windows in Trump Tower.
Patrick and I make our way into the elevator, and then begin descending down to the main lobby.
I catch Patrick's eyes as he carefully watches me.
"What is it?" I ask, laughing at his staring.
"Nothing." He shakes his head, quickly.
"Come on Pat, I know you too well. What's up?" I ask, looking at him from across the elevator.
The silence engulfs us for a few moments, before he speaks.
"I can't get over how gorgeous you look." He shakes his head.
I bite my lip, looking at the ground.
"Christ, I love you." I say, staring right back at him.
His eyes are a starry night.
A starry night in which galaxies, shooting stars, and comets dance throughout.
"I love you too." He says, as he takes my hand and the elevator doors open.
The two of us make our way through the underground parking lot, and finally make it to his car.
I get into the passenger side, and he gets into the driver's side, before we begin the short drive to the restaurant.
"What's this restaurant called again?" I ask, as I look over to him from the passenger side.
He looks back at me briefly, and then replies.
"Penny."
"Right." I say, nodding.
I rest my hands nervously in my lap.
I don't know why, but whenever there are big team dinners and all the Hawks wives and girlfriends are going to be there, I sometimes get restless.
I feel as if I don't always... fit in, with the rest of the girls.
Of course, there are a few of them that I absolutely fit in with, such as Chaunette, Andrew Shaw's girlfriend.
We have been friends for a long time.
But some of them can be intimidating.
They are all so beautiful, and I'm not sure if I can really... be like that.
"Darling, why are you nervous?" Pat asks, reading my thoughts.
He knows me too well.
"I'm not." I say, quickly.
"Sure." He says, rolling his eyes playfully.
I laugh, amazed at his ability to lighten the tension at any given time.
"You're beautiful, Abby. You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life, and you have no reason to believe otherwise." Patrick states, his eyes locked on the road.
I smile, watching him drive.
I smile, watching him do anything, in fact.
"Thank-you, Pat." I say, quietly.
And for the rest of the short drive, nothing is said.
Patrick and I arrive at the restaurant at about 6:55, just a tad bit early.
We make our way into the restaurant, and once we do, I am amazed at how beautiful it is in here.
The whole restaurant is clean and simple, and there are fountains placed everywhere.
Tables are positioned with white table cloths on them, and a large "stage" or "dance-floor" sits at the end of the room.
A good amount of other Blackhawks players and their wives/girlfriends are here already, simply mingling with one another.
I spot Andrew and Chaunette, and immediately start walking towards them, Patrick following me.
Andrew notices us, and smiles.
"Hey guys!" He says, laughing.
"Hey man!" Pat says, as the two of them bro hi-five.
Pat and Andrew begin laughing with each other about something, and I turn to Chaunette.
She looks adorable tonight.
"I don't know why, but I'm so nervous!" I shrug, laughing.
"Why!? You look stunning!" Chaunette says, smiling up at me.
Chaunette is just barely 5'2", and she's one of the cutest humans you will ever see in your life.
"So do you, Chaun." I say, quietly.
"I think tonight will be good. Just to get everyone together one last time before the summer starts... it should be good." Chaunette nods.
"That's true. Once the summer officially begins, the guys won't see each other too much." I say, nodding.
Chaunette nods, and then sips her wine.
And with that, everyone begins mingling.
The restaurant gets progressively busier over the next half hour, and soon the chatter is quite loud, as everyone is engulfed in their own conversations.
Patrick is in a conversation with Bryan Bickell, Brent Seabrook, and Andrew.
Chaunette and I are talking with Kelly-Rae Keith (who is actually pregnant with her and Duncan's second child, at the moment) and Amanda Bickell, but I am people-watching at the same time.
Everyone looks to be having a great time, and I am too.
We haven't really started to settle in at our tables yet.
My eyes scan the room, and I realize someone is missing.
Jonathan Toews.
I squint my eyes, trying to find him, but I can't amongst the crowd.
I look back to where Patrick is standing, and my eyes find Jonathan.
Of course.
Wherever Patrick is, that's where you will find Jonathan.
He laughs at something being said, one hand shoved in his pocket, his other hand holding a glass of wine.
His leadership throughout the playoffs this year was incredible.
There's no way the Blackhawks could have done what they did without him.
He's definitely one of the strongest and most respectable people I know.
He's been through a lot.
This whole team has been through a lot, especially with what happened two years back, at Christmas.
Throughout the season a couple years ago, the Blackhawks also lost one of their equipment managers, which was super tough on the entire team.
But now is not the time to mourn over such events.
Now is the time to celebrate the Chicago Blackhawks and their Stanley Cup victory.
After about forty-five minutes, people begin to settle down at their tables.
There are tons of tables, and about six people can fit at each one.
Patrick, Chaunette, Andrew, Jonathan, and I all sit together at one table.
We talk about a hundred different things, and order our meals.
"So, what do you guys have planned this summer?" Chaunette asks.
Patrick and I look at each other.
"We're staying in town, for most of the summer, and just hanging out. I'm not working this summer, so that should be good." I smile, nodding at Chaun.
She nods.
"How about you, Jonathan?" Chaunette asks, her eyes moving over to Jonathan.
"I'm going back to Winnipeg for a little while, hanging out here in Chicago... just enjoying some downtime." He nods, smiling.
"Whoa, Captain Serious relaxing!? I didn't think that was possible." Patrick laughs, shaking his head.
"Shut up Kaner." Jonathan laughs, rolling his eyes playfully.
I laugh at the boys.
The two of them are so close, it's unbelievable.
Jonathan doesn't live with Patrick anymore at Trump Tower, like they used to.
Only Patrick and I live there, in the exact same apartment as always.
We haven't moved.
Right after Ally died, Jonathan decided he couldn't live there anymore.
His memories haunted him too often.
And so, he moved to The Regatta, Chicago.
It's a beautiful apartment building, and he now lives there, by himself.
But, Patrick misses Jonathan a lot.
He misses his roommate, and that only made the two of them closer.
About halfway through dinner, the speeches begin.
They start off with Coach Quenneville, talking about how proud he is of this team, and all of that.
The microphone is then passed to Jonathan who talks about how incredibly hard this team worked to achieve this, and then Patrick and a few other guys say a few words.
The cheers and laughs are loud as the speeches conclude, and right then, the hostess announces something.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what a wonderful dinner-party we have got here! We are going to be slowing it down a little bit and we invite all the couples out there to come out on the dance floor for a dance!" She announces, smiling at the center of the stage.
I am not a dancer.
Never have been, never will be.
But Patrick always gets me to try new things.
And, we all know he is a good dancer... you know, with the Kaner Shuffle and all that.
Patrick immediately stands up, and extends his hand out.
I roll my eyes playfully, and take his strong, warm hand.
He leads me to the dance floor, and Chaunette and Andrew follow behind us.
All of the couples make their way down to the dance floor, and soon it grows crowded.
Patrick places his hands on my waist, and I wrap my arms around the back of his neck.
The music starts, playing the song "Never Say Never" by The Fray.
"Your favorite." Patrick says, looking down at me.
He looks so handsome tonight, with his blonde curls and his perfectly even skin.
I'm so in love with him.
"My absolute favorite." I correct him, giggling.
With that, the two of us begin to sway slowly to the smooth rhythm of the song, and so do all the couples around us.
"Don't let me go, don't let me go, don't let me go..." The song speaks.
I get a sudden spark of chills running up my spine.
This song... Jesus, it's so good.
Patrick's hands are warm on my waist, and his touch is soothing.
"I'm not one for dancing, you know," I shake my head.
He laughs.
"But for you, I am." I say, quietly.
"This love is ours." Patrick says, quickly.
I smile up at him.
"This love is ours" has been something that Patrick and I have said to each other for years now.
It's like our "motto" for our love. Whenever we talk to each other, those four words always manage to slip out of our mouths, without even thinking.
Even in our quick phone calls, those four words are always said.
We say it so much, and we always have.
I suppose it means that no matter what happens, we have each other. No matter who tries to take our possessions, they can't take what's ours.
And this love is ours.
Despite everything, this love is ours, and no one can take that away from us.
Patrick and I have grown to saying that every single day, in all honesty.
It's extremely unique.
I suddenly turn my head, and catch a glimpse of our table, through the multiple couples on the dance floor.
And there sits, Jonathan.
Alone.
No, Jonathan hasn't dated anyone since Ally died.
Not one girl.
Nobody expects him to "move on", but I don't think it's good for him to be alone this much.
He didn't come here tonight with a date, he came by himself.
And that's the way it has been for two years now.
Jonathan has never loved anyone like he loved Ally, and most likely never will.
But I strongly feel he just needs to start something with someone else.
Just to occupy his mind.
He isn't depressed. At least, he doesn't come across like it.
I don't know what goes on inside of his head, but he has been very strong, and I know that for sure.
But, he is empty.
Empty in one aspect of his life, anyways.
You can tell, too. Although he laughs, he goes out, he smiles, he talks... almost anyone that knows him can tell something is missing.
A part of him isn't fulfilled.
And it will never be fulfilled in the same way as it was.
"He needs to find someone else." I say, bluntly.
Patrick looks down at me, his face slightly confused.
"Jonathan?" Patrick asks, his eyebrows raised.
I nod.
Patrick shakes his head.
"He had found her, Abby." He says, quietly.
I close my eyes, sighing.
It's too painful to watch.
I shake my head, and finish my dance with Patrick.
The rest of the evening goes on quite quickly.
At about 11:00 in the evening, the dinner finishes, and everyone begins to leave.
Patrick and I make our way out to the car, and begin driving home.
The streets are now illuminated by streetlights, and everything seems to be calm and quiet.
The stars are reflected in the Chicago River as we drive, and the streets are busy, but calm.
Simply full of people, living their lives.
The silence in the car is immense, until Patrick breaks it.
"Dance with me, love." He says, his voice quiet.
I look over at him, my eyebrows furrowed.
His eyes reflect the street, and his jawline is clenched.
I can still make out the perfections on his face in the dim evening light.
"Excuse me?" I ask, laughing.
I'm confused.
What is he saying?
"Dance with me." He repeats, looking at me.
"I did. We had a great dance tonight, Patrick. What are you-" I say, but he interrupts me.
"Not like that, silly. Through life. Dance with me through life," He says, smiling.
My face is puzzled.
"Abby, what I'm saying is, why would one choose to simply walk through life, when one could dance through life? Everything is more vibrant and more brilliant when dancing. So what do you say? Will you dance with me through life?" Patrick asks, his voice calm.
A smile makes its way across my face, and I'm shocked at his brilliance.
He's so enchanting.
And it's at moments like these, when I realize he is the love of my life.
"Of course." I say, passionately.
"Good," Patrick says, before speaking again.
"Because Abigail Quinn, I don't want to dance if I'm not dancing with you."