A/N I'm back, baby!

Feet Part III

It didn't take Evelyn long to catch on.

"They'll like you just fine, Bobby," she said. He looked at her with wide eyes again, probably wondering where she got those-how did he phrase it? "Freaky mind probe powers"?-from and if she knew about the candy bar he sneaked to bed last night (she did).

"I don't care if they like me or not," Bobby said, lifting his chin up as if to prove a point. Evelyn smiled. Bravado or not, Evelyn had never met a twelve year old boy who didn't, on some level, want acceptance from his peers.

The sharp sound of blades cutting through ice ended their conversation short. Evelyn looked up and stood to shake Jim's hand.

"Evelyn," he said, his gloves rough and cold against her hand. "Good to see you."

He nodded at Bobby. "Good to meet you, Bobby," he said. "Evelyn's told me you're quite the hockey fan. Do you know what position you want to play?"

Bobby didn't exactly glare at the man, but the look he gave wasn't friendly. She was proud; he was getting better at meeting new people.

"Defense," Bobby said at last and Evelyn smiled.

Bobby took to the ice, not once wobbling.

Evelyn watch them, the drills and the practice plays and her heart leaped into her throat when another boy crashed into Bobby, but smiled to herself when he only got up and resumed playing.

"Did you have fun?" she asked on their drive home.

"Yeah," he answered slowly, his cheeks and nose still red from the cold. "Do I get to go back?"

"I hope so," she said. "You're going to need an awful lot of practice to win a Stanley Cup."

He smiled wide, one of the few, genuine grins that he gave her.

"But..." she said, watching the smile fade a little as she reached in the back seat. She grabbed a stack of papers and handed them to him. "I think that it should be 'Mercer's done it,' don't you?"