I am Coming Home

Based off the song “Mama, I am coming home” by Ozzy Osbourne. They used this song for when Brad Richards came home. Here is the link to the video if anyone is interested in watching it:

A one shot fic based off  the Have A Little Faith In Yourself Series

Summary: Brad Richards finally returns to Tampa Bay for the first time after being traded.

Ronnie’s POV

St. Petes Time Forum in Tampa Bay, Florida

Times have changed and times are strange
Here I come, but I ain't the same
Mama, I'm coming home
Times gone by seems to be
You could have been a better friend to me
Mama, I'm coming home

January 19 2009, Brad Richards returned to the one city he grew up since he was 20 years old and knew that this return was going to be so emotional that he didn’t know if he was going to burst into tears when he stepped out onto the ice. All I know is that he asked me to be with him and I promise to be there on the bench with him cause Tampa did have a special place in my heart. I was on the bench with Brad when they won the cup in 2004 and this city helped me become a better person along with Brad.

Brad was sitting at his locker waiting for the game to start and he started tapping his skate, keeping his emotions with him right now. He looked around as he saw me talking to Marc Crawford about the game as I looked over and smiled at him.

“Coach, can you excuse me for awhile?” I asked.

“Yeah sure go ahead. I understand you and Brad have a big connection in this city,” Crawford answered.

I nodded as I walked over towards where Brad was and bending my knees. “You okay, baby.”

“Yeah, just memories filling through my mind right now from when I was drafted to when I won the cup to when I got that call I was traded to Dallas. I am going through so many kind of emotions right now: anger to happy to sad to wanting to cry when I hear the fans cheering for my name,” Brad whispered.

“I am so proud of you right now and it’s okay if you cry cause those fans are cheering on their former bolt who was traded to their team. I was the one who told my dad about you and he wanted you on this team cause he saw the same passion you had when he was playing. He knows you can be a leader on this team. Just go out there and play your heart,” I replied, smiling before kissing him on the forehead.

“You are amazing, you know that right?” Brad asked, looking at me.

“Yeah I do cause you are amazing to be around with,” I whispered.

Brad grinned at me before kissing me on the lips as James Neal and Brenden Morrow give out a few cat calls towards us. “Shut up, you two.”

“But it’s so adorable,” James snickered in the background before Jamie Benn smacks Neal on the shoulder as Neal rubs his shoulder.

Took me in and you drove me out
Yeah, you had me hypnotized
Lost and found and turned around
By the fire in your eyes

Marc Crawford gave the team a prep talk before the team got up and walked out towards the ice as they skated towards the ice and Brad skates around the ice, looking at the many signs the fans brought to the game. He grinned at one sign, Welcome home, Richie. Thank you for bringing Lord Stanley Cup to the Bolts in 04 and skated towards the bench as he saw me. He knew that he was going to make it.

A few minutes later, the anthem singer singed the national anthem and the fans cheered on their Tampa Bay Lightning. The puck dropped as Richards won the faceoff and passed the puck to Loui Eriksson who shot the puck at Mike Smith who saved the puck with his glove as they have a stoppage of play. The fans started cheering on as the song “Mama, I am coming home”  was blaring through the screen as Brad looked up and saw his name and a tribute video.

You made me cry, you told me lies
But, I can't stand to say goodbye
Mama, I'm coming home
I could be right, I could be wrong
Hurts so bad, it's been so long
Mama, I'm coming home

Selfish love yeah we're both alone
The ride before a fall
But I'm gonna take this heart of stone
I just got to have it all

I looked up with the team as I smiled and had a few tears in my eyes as I saw a clip of me hugging Richards after we won the cup. I smiled as Stu Barnes, one of the associate coaches rubbed my back. “This is is amazing, Stu.”

“I know…he deserves this,” Stu whispered.

“He sure does,” I replied as I looked onto the ice and saw Richards have a few tears in his eyes as he brushed them away. My guy was putting on the strongest face but I saw some tears of joy.

WELCOME BACK TO TAMPA BAY, BRAD RICHARDS, PA announcer Doug Newman announced as the fans gave Brad an overwhelming ovation.

Brad waved to the fans before he put the glove back on his hand went towards the face as the fans cheered him. He won the faceoff as he passed the puck to Loui Eriksson as he gave the puck towards Brad Richards who shot the puck and scored a goal.

Brad Richards scores a goal against his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning on his return to Tampa Bay, Ralph Strangis yelled.

He went over to celebrate the goal with Loui and James along with Stephane Robidas and Nicklas Grossman. He then went back to the bench as I went over and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Nice goal, baby,” I whispered.

“Thanks. It felt good,” Brad whispered.

I've seen your face a hundred times
Everyday we've been apart
I don't care about the sunshine, yeah
'Cause mama, mama, I'm coming home
I'm coming home

The game felt like it was going fast but Dallas was holding onto a 2-1 lead into the third period and Richards scored a goal and assisted on James Neal’s goal. He knew this day was special and it was getting better as Marty Turco kept saving every shot the Bolts were shooting him. Before we knew it, the game ended with a 2-1 victory and Richards getting the number one star. It was amazing cause Brad deserved it. This was his night.

You took me in and you drove me out
Yeah, you had me hypnotized
Lost and found and turned around
By the fire in your eyes

An hour after the game ended, Brad smiled after getting ready and talking to the reporters about his return to Tampa Bay. He felt great about the win against the team. The reporters left as I walked towards his locker and went into his arms when he got up.

I kissed his cheek. “Amazing game, baby. What an amazing game!”

“It felt amazing,” Brad replied.

We left the locker room, happy and relieved. The return to this city was amazing for the team but it proved how much the Tampa Bay Lightning missed Richards. We shared a special day as Brad returned to Tampa after being traded last year. I know that this day will stick with us for a long time.

I've seen your face a thousand times
Every day we've been apart
And I don't care about the sunshine, yeah
'Cause mama, mama, I'm coming home
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
I'm coming home