My note….Sorry about the typo in the last chapter(thanks Kelley, for the heads up), Mr. Brooks' name is definitely Jermaine. I must have been so frazzled after all the edits and rewrites, that I completely blanked and gave Mr. Brooks a new name :P Hopefully this chapter wont have any glaring errors, but if Jimmy suddenly becomes Johnny and Ashley, Ally...then it's all because my life is so completely insane right now.

HOOPS AND DREAMS

CHAPTER 10: FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Never in her wildest dreams did Ashley Kerwin think she would ever have the opportunity or the means to attend an Olympic event. Sure, there was the occasional mention, from her friends of a possible road trip out to Vancouver for the upcoming 2010 games. But Ashley couldn't take much purchase in that considering they were a group of struggling, cash deprived college students. Her mind then quickly drifted off to the stories she'd heard growing up from her parents, when games were held in Calgary...practically their backyard, in the early winter months of 1988.

Ashley smiled when she remembered her parents were there back then, at the games. So technically, she was there too...even though she was still a few months away from actually being born.

But now here she was, in the flesh, holding in her hands an all expense paid ticket for the summer games in Beijing China.

Ashley's smile spread across her face as she realized that of all the combined dreams and ambitions of their friends, Jimmy was the first one of them to actually have the opportunity to achieve his...as she could be there to witness it.

The decision to go, of course, wasn't an easy one for Ashley to make. Coming to these games would mean leaving home for over a week and missing some crucial time from school. It would be an emotional battle for her as well. Jimmy was an ass sometimes, that was an already established fact and they could both be self-centered and stubborn. But they were also oldest and dearest friends who knew just about everything there was to know about one another. So with their troubled past aside, it was that lifelong bond that would ultimately win out in the end...

Ashley's memories of the past few days subsided and she grinned from ear to ear, remembering the look on Jimmy's face tonight when he opened the door of his hotel room, to find her standing there. It was priceless....

"Ash?"

She smirked saucily, hands on hips. "You were expecting someone else?"

"Ah, no...ummm yeah, room service actually", he stammered.

Without missing a beat, Ashley pushed the cart she'd asked the valet to leave, into the room. Jimmy's stunned expression momentarily melted as his stomach reminded him just how hungry he was...but that faded as quickly as it came when he pulled the cover from the dish.

"Not exactly the same as the Kung Pao from China Palace back home, is it?", she queried, scrunching her face at the questionable looking entree on the plate in front of him.

Disheartened, Jimmy couldn't help but agree. "No, not exactly".

"Good thing I'm here then", Ashley quipped, pulling a large box out from underneath the covered cart, then sauntering over to the bed. She laid the box down and took a seat before lifting the lid.

"Pizza?", he asked in awe, pushing off toward her. "Where'd you get that?".

Ashley laughed. "The village is full of restaurants Jimmy. I must have passed three pizza places just on my way here", she answered, slipping off her shoes and drawing her legs up underneath her.

Jimmy let out a soft sigh and shrugged. "Between practices, sessions with the trainers, team promotion events and all that, I haven't made it anywhere other than here and the sporting complex". He nodded a thank you as he reached for the slice Ashley was offering. He was about to ask for answers to the questions that arose from her surprising, yet very welcomed arrival, but all words suddenly failed him. Jimmy's wide eyes slowly rose up to meet Ashley's.

"What, you think I'd forget?", she teased playfully and took a bite of her slice of extra cheese with double pepperoni, mushrooms and sausage. Jimmy's lucky pizza, the only kind he ate before a big, important game.

She saw him smile appreciatively as he discretely swallowed the emotion collecting in his throat before taking his own bite...yes, he thought, it definitely was a good thing she was there.

Jimmy wasn't kidding when he said his busy schedule hadn't left much time to do anything else but practice. As a result, Ashley spent most of her time sightseeing with Jimmy's parents...specifically, Mrs. Brooks. Something she didn't mind in the least.

Ashley aimlessly looked through the rack of clothing at one of the many shops her and Mrs. Brooks were frequenting, trying to pass the time until Jimmy's game. She glanced again at the uncharacteristically quiet woman standing across the rack from her, inspecting a souvenir sweatshirt. "This is nice, isn't it", the older woman commented without taking her eyes off of the garment.

Ashley smiled politely, it looked like every other sweatshirt they'd seen today. "Yeah, it's...um, cute".

"Well, I wasn't exactly talking about the shirt...", Mrs. Brooks replied, replacing the hanger to the rack. "I was actually referring to this", she added, motioning between herself and Ashley. The two women had begun developing a strong relationship back when Ashley and Jimmy had dated the first time. A special bond that never really lost it's importance even after they broke up then and one that was renewed after Jimmy was shot, and Ashley was again a presence in his life. Mrs. Brooks even once admitted to Ashley that she'd thought of her as the daughter she always wanted, but never had.

Ashley's grin widened as she answered with a sincere, "Yeah...it is".

Mrs. Brooks turned back to browsing. "But if you really want the shirt, I'd be happy to get it for...".

"Oh, that's really not necessary Mrs. Brooks".

"Please Honey, I insist".

"Really Mrs. Brooks, you don't have to", Ashley refused, looping her arm with the older woman's to guide her from this shop to the next. "You've already done so much by just inviting me to be here...".

Mrs. Brooks stopped in her tracks and turned to Ashley. "No Sweetheart, you're the one who's gone above and beyond" she corrected, earning a befuddled reaction from the younger woman. Mrs. Brooks managed a smile and took both of Ashley's hands into hers. "I want you to know how much we truly appreciate everything you've done for Jimmy this past year...", there was a slight hesitation as she glanced away.

"Mrs. Brooks really, there's no need to thank...".

"...especially after everything...".

The words tumbled over one another and both women found themselves laughing through their tears. Mrs. Brooks recovered first, giving Ashley's hands a squeeze before adding, "Having you here to support Jimmy, means more to him...and us...than you could possibly imagine". Ashley blushed at the compliment and was just about to dismissively reply that no matter what had happened in the past, her and Jimmy were still friends, and she wouldn't have missed this for the world...when they were interrupted by a booming voice.

"There are my good luck charms?".

Ashley spun around to Jimmy and his dad heading towards them. She smiled brightly, it was almost impossible to not get caught up in his infectious good mood. "Done already?", she asked casually.

Jimmy nodded and grinned back at her. "Coach let us cut out early. Says he wants us fresh and rested for the quarterfinal game tomorrow", he replied as he glanced between Ashley and his mother. "You two ladies up for some lunch? Because I'm starving".

They all let out a string of chuckles in reply. Mr. Brooks turned to his wife offered his hand to hers. She took it with a gracious smile, and they began to walk together. Ashley watched at the sweet exchange in awe, only to become suddenly aware that there was also a strong gaze set on her. It was then, when she finally glanced down to see Jimmy starring up at her, that she first noticed the twinkling sparkle in his eyes and the hand he held out to her. Ashley blushed slightly, but hesitantly slipped her hand into Jimmy's. After a soft kiss to her knuckles Jimmy laid Ashley's hand atop his shoulder...an act that symbolized holding hands, something they came up with early on when they were dating...and took off after his parents.

A strong mix of emotions quickly came over Ashley as she walked next to Jimmy. Her heart was swelling with what seemed to be a combination of happiness and contentment, while her stomach was churning with a familiar flutter of butterflies, ones that had nothing to do with her current state of hunger, and a tiny relentless voice in the back of her mind began muttering...' Oh God Ash. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?'

Okay, so I know this chapter is really short and kind of vague for such a loooooooong period between updates, but there is a good reason for that. You see, the next chap it the last one, so I needed this one to fill in some of the gaps before the story ends. I hope there are still a few of you out there who remember this story and are happy to see it finally updated. To all of my wonderful friends and readers out there...Happy belated Holidays and best wishes for the New Year.

Degrassi is not mine.