E P I L O G U E

S C O T T

"Scott," a voice whispered. I groaned and buried my face deeper into my pillow, sighing when I felt the bed dip slightly next to me. Elle (her voice made it obvious it was her. Plus, we kind of lived together) taped my shoulder, and I snuggled deeper under the blankets, "Scott, get the fuck up or I'll get Connor."

"No," I whined, looking out over the covers. Elle smiled down at me, and I just glared up at her, "You can't threaten me with Connor."

Elle just quirked an eyebrow, "Are you going to get up, then, Scotty?"

I grinned up at Elle, blinking sleepily, "Nope," I hummed, and she scoffed, mumbling that she would get Connor. I smirked at her and sat up higher in bed, "but you could definitely relax for a few minutes, babe."

Elle started to protest, and I laughed, lunging forward and wrapping my arms around her waist. Elle yelped and I laughed again, flipping her around and pulling her onto the bed with me. We were both a tangled mess with the blankets in seconds, but it wasn't hard to flip myself on top of Elle. I held myself up on my elbows and grinned down at her.

Elle rolled her eyes and I bent down to give her a quick kiss, ignoring her protest of my morning breath. Elle wrinkled her nose and I grinned, flopping down onto the bed next to her and cuddling right next to Elle. It was the moments like these - cuddling next to Elle and just being with her - that made waking up early a little more bearable.

I was half-asleep on Elle's shoulder when she rolled to the side, facing me. My eyes fluttered opened and I reluctantly rolled over a bit too, my arm caught between Elle and the bed.

"It's game day," she reminded me, like I could actually forget. My heart jumped at that and I couldn't help but grin, "Your first game playing for the Leafs!"

Flash forward two years, and things had kind of changed.

For one, Connor had moved across the hall, taking Kelly (and Miguel, thankfully) with him. I had stayed in our old apartment, and Elle had moved in with me. Things didn't change that much - Con still stayed in our apartment most of the time, and he still used our shower (the water was better, he claimed), but it was crazy to think that we were both living with our girlfriends in our own apartments.

I had gotten drafted to the Toronto Maple Leafs, as well as Edi and Jay. It was our first game today, and I still couldn't wrap my head around it. I had spent almost two years playing for the Marlies, and then I had gotten drafted to the Leafs - my goal since my childhood had happened to me, and it was insane to try and understand.

Yet, at the same time, nothing had really changed at all. Connor was still his obnoxious self, and my best friend, I was still in love with Elle, and she was still annoying and always had a comment. Coach Monroe still scared me, Edi still took naps on my couch during guys nights, and Jay still made superhero references and innopropriate jokes. Crazy things might have happened, but life was still the same. And I loved that.

One of the best things, though, I had to admit, was that Elle and I still had our practices. We still practiced before games, and, like always, she stole my jersey before every practice.

Elle kissed me again, and I blinked, coming back out of my thoughts. Elle flicked my temple, "C'mon, you need to get up. Jay and Edi are gonna be here soon, and you know Connor's gonna want pictures, and you need to warm up - "

"Fine, mom," I huffed, propping myself up on the one arm that wasn't under Elle, "Warm ups can be done anywhere."

And with that, I flipped myself over Elle again, back to the position we had been in a few minutes before. She looked up at me in surprise, green eyes wide, and I smiled, putting my arms on either side of her. I dropped down slightly, and then pushed myself back up, laughing loudly when Elle rolled her eyes at me.

"One," I hummed, bending down and kissing Elle. She just flicked me again and I snorted, holding myself up a little longer before dropping down and pecking her lips again, "Two."

"Sometimes I forget why I moved in with you," Elle said, sitting up to kiss me before I came down. I grinned at that, only pulling back when she dropped back down to the bed.

I smirked and hovered above her, "Because I'm an amazing cook," I offered, leaning up slightly. I sighed and stretched out, knowing that I'd have to get ready to go the rink soon, "and, you know. You're kind of in love with me. But I'm in love with you, too, so it works out."

Elle opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off when Connor's voice called out, "I think I might have walked in on a bad time."

I yelped and rolled off Elle (suddenly very aware that I was only in boxers), cheeks going bright red. Elle laughed and I sat up, glaring at Connor, who just stood at the doorway, grinning widely at me. His hair was messy, but he was in a Wilson jersey, and had a Toronto Leafs foam finger on, and it was kind of hard not to grin widely right back at him.

I stood up out of bed, searching through the mess of clothes I had on the floor. That was one thing that hadn't changed: my room (or the room I shared with Elle) was still a mess, "There's this thing called knocking, Con."

Connor frowned and tugged his keys out of his pocket, wiggling them in front of him, "Why would I knock when I have a key?"

"You shouldn't even have a key," I protested, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. Connor laughed and flopped into the bed, nearly elbowing Elle in the eye, "It's weird to come home to you on the couch instead of Elle."

Connor shrugged, a ridiculous grin breaking out on his face as he winked at me, "We both know you love coming home to see my face."

I laughed and pushed Connor out of the room, waving to Kelly who was sitting on the couch. Elle followed out after them, and I promised to be ready by the time Jay and Edi came to pick us all up. I closed the door behind me and turned, eyes locking on the blue and white jersey hanging on the back of my closet.

It was kind of insane to look at a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey with my name written on the back. It was insane to think that, in a few hours, I'd be playing my first game for the Leafs with two of my best friends.Thinking that a childhood dream I had was coming true was mind-boggling, but it was also one of the most amazing feelings in the world to know that I made it.

I got dressed quickly after that, stumbling out of my room at the same time Jay and Edi walked into the apartment. I snatched my hockey bag off the floor and grinned at Jay, who was already wearing his jersey. Of course he was - all he had been talking about for the past few weeks was about our game. I had been too, to be honest.

"Put your jerseys on," Connor said, and I tugged mine on. Connor grabbed me, Edi, and Jay, and tossed his phone to Kelly. He grinned at all of us, brown eyes practically sparkling as he adjusted his jersey, "This is our first game, so smile!"

Edi frowned, "Connor, you know you don't actually play for the Leafs, right, dude?"

"Do you like ruining happy moments?" Connor asked, and Edi grinned, holding up his hand in defense. Connor groaned and slapped his hand down, "This is a picture, I don't want your arm floating behind my head!"

Jay busted out in laughter, and Connor reached around Edi to slap the back of Jay's head. They both went silent then and turned to the camera, grinning widely at it.

"On three!" Kelly called, putting an arm around Elle's shoulder. They both laughed and counted down from three, "Say 'Toronto!'"

We all shouted out Toronto, and I grinned widely, unable to stop myself. With my three best friends by my side, and my other two best friends in front of me, it was impossible to do anything but smile.

Going to the Toronto Maple Leafs' stadium to watch a game was one thing. But actually skating on the ice, with a Leafs jersey on, and practicing in front of thousands of screaming fans was something else entirely.

My heart was thumping wildly against my chest, and, at that point, I couldn't differentiate my nerves from excitement. Of course it was terrifying, playing in such a known stadium in front of thousands of people, but it was fucking incredible. With the lights flashing, and the Canadian flag embedded on the ice out of lights, it was hard not to feel ecstatic.

I skated around the rink, grinning when I saw Elle, Kelly, and Connor sitting in the front row. Monroe was sitting in the row behind them, and I made sure I waved to him. Connor was screaming loudly and banging his hands together, and Kelly was up next to him, cheering and waving at me. Elle grinned at me, and I made a messy heart at her, winking when she laughed and made one back.

"Fuck yes!" I heard Connor shout. He threw his arm in the air, ignoring when people complained about him spilling popcorn everywhere, "That's my best fucking friend right there!" Jay and Edi skated by, and Con thrusted his foam finger at them, "And they're my best friends, too!"

Jay, Edi, and I all skated slowly, waving at Connor and flashing him thumbs-up. I pointed one gloved hand at Elle and blew kisses at her, grinning widly when she pretended to grab one. Jay grabbed my shoulder and tugged me along, but not before I turned and mouthed out, I love you to her. I wasn't sure if Elle saw, but she mouthed it back, anyway.

We skated off closer to the goal, where Edi had just gotten out of warming up with some of the guys. It was crazy to skate around the Toronto Maple Leafs rink, two of my best friends on each side of me. The flashing lights made me squint, but were also a reminder that this was real. This was happening. And, with that thought, I knew there was no chance I would stop smiling.

Edi turned to me, light blue eyes wide. His blond hair was already matted to his forehead, but he was grinning widely, "This is fucking insane. I can't believe this. We made it. We fucking made it. I love you guys."

I grinned at Edi and smacked the side of his helmet, "Love you too, man."

"You're all right. I kind of love you guys. Kind of," Jay grinned widely at us, brown eyes wide as he stared at us, "I feel like I should say a really good superhero quote, but right now all I can get is: I like this job - I like it!" I quirked an eyebrow at Jay, and his grin just widened, "Joker, Dark Knight. C'mon, Scotty!"

The whistle blew, and I knew that was our cue to skate over to the bench and hear the play for the game. The other team started skating off, and, one by one, our team started skating over to the bench. I took a deep breath, and turned, only to see Jay was still in his place, brown eyes wide, lips drawn into an 'o'.

"Come on, buddy," Edi called out over the noise, slapping Jay's shoulder. Jay just stood still and Edi sighed, shaking his shoulder this time.

Jay laughed and shook his head, "I would move, but I'm pretty sure if I do, I might piss myself from nerves."

I grinned at him and, together, the three of us skated over to the benches. There was something so unreal about standing with my team - filled with guys I used to watch on tv - and listen to the coach run through the plan. There was just something so unreal about having my dreams unfold before me; about having everything end up so unbelievably amazing.

I knew there was more to come. There would be more fights with Elle (God knows we got in daily arguments), and more times when Connor would crash at our apartment after a fight with Kelly. There would be more times that Edi heard a song and got upset about his ex-girlfriend, and more times Jay would keep singing I Knew You Were Trouble. Elle would still steal my jersey after our practices. There'd be more nerve-wracking dinners with the Monroes, but that was okay.

I took a deep breath and looked around the rink, my eyes locking on one cheering blond. Elle. Our story might have started on the Marlies rinks years ago, but it didn't end there. There was more to come in our lives and I was ready.

</ The. End. I can't believe this story is over, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't crying rn lol. I just want to say a MAJOR THANK YOU!!! You guys have supported this story from the beginning, and that means the world to me. You've all shown your love for everyone (lol connor's gotten a lot of love xD) and that means the world to me. I want you all to know - every comment, vote, and read meant the world to me. Seeing my characters grow up has been so insane, and it's so incredible that you guys have taken a liking to them (-:

So thank you. Thank you for always inspiring me, and loving Scott, Elle, Jay, Edi, Con, Kelly, and Monroe. Thank you for being such amazing readers, and I love you all! Thank you for shipping Scelle. I fucking love you all!

ALSO, I was thinking about doing a one-shot contest for this book. I'm not sure, but if enough people comment and say they would do it, I can post the guidelines for it tomorrow! So let me know!

LOVE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! :D