This one follows the Christmas scene—Krista and Rizzo are now a cute and adorable couple; he comes to the bar to see her after practice every day when the boys aren't away for a game, she comes and sits on his lap during her breaks, and they generally give everyone around them toothaches. This one happens slowly, so read it slowly…

Six a.m. was way too early for Krista to be awake on any other day. She was the most senior waitress at the bar, and the only one not in school, so she closed almost every night and was more accustomed to being asleep at this hour. But the boys were leaving for New York today, and she wanted to see them off.

They were loading gear onto the bus when she rounded the corner of the building they spent so many hours practicing in. She stopped and watched them carry bags and suitcases out the back entrance of the rink and felt herself getting a little misty. She wasn't a crier, but this was a unique situation. Twenty of her best friends were Olympic athletes on their way to the Games to represent their country…

"Are you okay Krista?"

"Oh, Pav," she said sniffing a little. "Where did you come from?"

"Front door's locked," he replied. "I came around the side of the building just like you did."

"Sneaky," she smiled. "The quiet ones always are."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm, uh, just coming down with a little cold I think…"

Pav nodded knowingly and squeezed her shoulder. "I better help with the gear."

"Come here," she said hugging him, "in case I don't get a chance to before you leave…"

He hugged her back. "Come on, the boys are waiting for you."

She headed toward the bus, stopping along the way to say good-byes, give hugs, and wish luck to the players. She made it through about half of the team before spotting Rizzo. He saw her at the same time and walked over, wrapping his arms around her, winter coat and all.

She pulled him close to her and kissed him hello. His smile was still shy, even after a month of hello kisses, and she couldn't resist kissing him again.

"Maybe we could go somewhere else?" he asked.

"Our first kiss was in front of the whole team, including the coaches and Doc," she laughed.

"Yeah, I know…"

"Okay." She nodded agreement with his unspoken thought. He led her inside the building and over to an out of the way corner.

"I'm glad you came," he told her, brushing a lock of brown hair off her cheek.

"I wasn't going to let you skip town without saying good-bye," she replied taking his hands and smiling.

"Well, I tried…" That shy smile reappeared on his lips as he looked down at her, the smile that always made her heart flutter. She rested her forehead on his shoulder, and his arms went around her. He held her gently, not speaking for a few moments.

"I'm so proud of you," she told him quietly, sliding her arms around his neck and touching his cheek.

He kissed her forehead. "I couldn't have gotten this far without you."

She ran her fingers through his hair as his arms tightened around her. He leaned in and kissed her softly, wondering how he was ever going to be able to let her go.

She sighed and drew back after a few minutes. "You're going to miss the bus," she told him.

"Yeah, I should probably go," he answered reluctantly. "You're going to be there, though, right?"

"Yep. I started saving for this trip back in June. You guys just make the medal round, and I'll meet you there," she smiled.

He kissed her again, holding her tightly against him. Before releasing her, he touched his lips to her cheek and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

She smiled the smile she saved only for him. "I love you, too."

He took her hand and kissed it lightly, walking her back out to where the team was waiting. They parted about halfway to the bus, squeezing each others' hands. Good-byes were said, hugs exchanged, and the remaining gear loaded.

A hand touched her shoulder as she watched the boys pile onto the bus.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Gail Schneider asked, having come to see her husband off.

"How have you and Buzzy done this four times now?" Krista asked her. "We're going to see them in a week and a half and I can hardly stand it."

Gail smiled. "I know, but if you think it's bad now, wait until we get to Lake Placid. You're going to be a nervous wreck during the games."

Krista sighed as the bus pulled away, leaving the two women standing alone in the morning cold.