I just wanted to clarify that I did know that Rizzo was Italian. I just figured Italian and Spanish are pretty similar... Um, what else? Thank you so much for all the reviews, I was honestly surprised to get so many. I hope this chapter is up to par. Please review.


Marissa groaned as her phone rang. She poked her head out from under her covers and glanced at her alarm clock. 6:03. She growled as she picked up the phone. "This better be good."

"Well, it's a pleasure to talk to you too, Sweetheart."

She growled again, but there was a smile on her face. "You're way too happy this early in the morning, O'Callahan."

"Yeah, well, I got invited to try out in Colorado."

"What for?" Her smile widened at the guttural sound Jack made. She loved teasing her boyfriend this way.

"Marissa!"

"Jack!"

"It's for-"

"The Olympics, I know."

"Marissa-"

"Relax Jack. The Olympics are here, in New York, right?"

"Yeah, Lake Placid."

"I'll see you then."

"I haven't made the team yet, baby."

"You will." She yawned.

Jack laughed, he had always been amazed at the confidence that the singer had in him. "I'll let you go. You're tired and I have a plane to catch."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too. Sweet dreams."

She grinned and burrowed back underneath her covers. Talking to Jack always made her feel all lightheaded and loved. Her dreams would definitely be sweet.


"Erin! Hey, Er!"

The brunette turned at the sound of her name. She was surprised when her brother and her boyfriend came running up to her. Robbie scooped her up and spun her in a circle. When Robbie set her down Buzz pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. "Uh, guys, I know I said I was okay with all of this…" He gestured wildly between his sister and his friend "but could you please not do that in front of me?"

Erin laughed and pulled away from Buzz slightly, but stayed close enough for him to keep one arm wrapped around her. "What's got you two so excited?"

"You'll never guess."

"You got invited to try out for the Olympic hockey team." It was hard to keep a straight face at her brother's expression.

"Who told you?"

"First Jannie, then I ran into Rammer and Val, then Eric and Neal, and finally Verchota."

"Oh." As quickly as Robbie's face fell it brightened again. "Well you're coming right?"

"Coming? Coming where?"

"To Colorado." Buzz answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I can't."

"Why can't you?" Robbie asked.

"Why can't she what?" The three turned as Ann-Marie, Erin's good friend, wandered up to them. Erin and Buzz looked to Robbie to answer.

"Um… well… Uh…"

"Why can't I go to Colorado." Erin interrupted, taking pity on her big brother.

"Why would you want to go to Colorado?"

"Me and Robbie got invited to tryout for the Olympic team." Buzz said, puffing out his chest. He withered a bit when both girls laughed at him. "Hey!"

"Relax, Buzz." Erin said wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly for a minute.

"Seriously," Ann-Marie said; she hugged Buzz first then she hugged Robbie. Erin and Buzz barely managed to suppress their laughter at Robbie's incredibly red face. "that's really great." The blonde then turned to Erin "So why don't you want to go?"

"It's not that I don't want to." She defended, "It's that I can't."

"Why not?"

"First of all I don't have the money for a plane ticket and second, I have work. Plus," She addressed Robbie "I don't think mom and dad would appreciate me gallivanting across the country with my boyfriend to see hundreds of young hockey players."

"Hundreds?" Erin nodded at her friend. "Can I come?"

Erin giggled at her friend's comment before her brother drew her attention away. "First of all," Robbie mimicked "Buzzy and I have taken care of the ticket, second you haven't taken any time off in over a year, except a night or two for an away game, and lastly I'll be there. Mom and dad know nothing will happen with me around."

Erin snorted "I'm sorry, aren't you the one that introduced me to Buzzy in the first place?"

Robbie glared at her "Shut up."

"You should go."

"I can't," Erin, protested "I have to save my time off for the actual Olympic games."

"That's what you're on about?" Ann-Marie asked. "Don't worry about it. This tryout thing's only a week, right?" Buzz nodded. "Laina and I can cover your shifts. You should go."

"But-"

"Go!" Ann-Marie insisted, backing away from them. "I'm going to talk to Laina right now!"

"But-"

Robbie smirked at her "I guess you're coming, huh?"

Erin glared at her brother "Shut up."

"Er-"

"Um… well… uh…" She mocked.

"Not fair Erin." She stuck her tongue out at him and stomped away. "Oh, that's real mature!" The two hockey players looked at each other briefly before rushing after her. "Erin! Hey, Erin, wait up!"


"Holy crap…" Erin muttered as she was jostled for at least the hundredth time.

Buzz draped an arm about her shoulders and pulled her against his side. "Just stick with me, Er."

She just shook her head. "You're so lame sometimes."

Buzz laughed and was about to respond when he was interrupted "Buzzy!"

"Hey, Phil!" Buzz dragged Erin with him as he went to greet their friend.

"Hey Erin."

"Philly." She nodded at Verchota, then turned to Buzzy "I'm gonna go make my way to the stands, okay?" Her boyfriend nodded and kissed her lightly. "I'll be cheering for you." He nodded again and watched her until she disappeared from his line of vision, then he turned back to Verchota.


Erin made her way into the rink's bleachers, after a lot of pushing, catcalling, and butt pinching. She looked around and spotted a group of girls sitting high up, behind one of the nets. She smiled as she went up to introduce herself. "Hey," She had to raise her voice to be heard above the noise of hundreds of hockey players making their way onto the ice.

Two of the girls, the ones who were sitting slightly away from the rest of the group smiled in greeting. "Hi."

Erin made her way over to the two girls. "I'm Erin."

"Ava." The dark haired girl smiled, introducing herself. "Ava Tyler, and this is Ashleigh."

"Are you here for one of the guys?" The blonde, Ashleigh asked as Erin sat down.

"A couple actually," She shrugged, "but mostly for my brother and my boyfriend."

"You're dating one of the players?"

"Yeah." Erin nodded. "Buzz Schneider. He's number 25, in the Gophers jersey."

"A Gopher, eh?" Ashleigh smiled.

"Don't tell me." Erin groaned, "You're here for a Terrier."

"Dave Silk." She nodded and smiled proudly.

"And you?" Erin asked the brunette.

Ava held her hands up in her own defense "I'm not here for a Gopher or a Terrier. I'm a Bulldog."

"Still Minnesota." Ashleigh pointed out, a smile on her face.

"True enough." Ava laughed.

"So, boyfriend? Brother? Cousin? Nephew? Son?"

Ava laughed again. "Boyfriend and brothers actually. My triplets, Adam and Aaron, and my boyfriend Bah."

"I'm sorry," Ashleigh, asked "Bah?"

"Yeah," Ava shrugged "You know, like a sheep?"

"I'm not even gonna laugh." Erin smiled, "My boyfriend's called Buzz." She looked over at the larger group of girls, as they started giggling and sighing as the boys started scrimmaging. "What about them? They here for guys too?"

Ava rolled her eyes "Some of them, maybe, most of them are just hockey groupies though."

"Ugh." Erin rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. Then her brother appeared on the ice. "Whoo! Go Robbie! Kick some ass!" She laughed, as far away as she was she could still see her brother's face turn red. She turned to Ava and Ashleigh with a wicked glint in her eyes "He hates it when I embarrass him like that."

"So do my brothers." Ava grinned, a similar look in her eyes "But the Tyler boys have yet to appear."

"Let me know when they do." Erin smirked.

Ashleigh just laughed. "You guys are evil." The groupies looked at the three girls in disgust.


"Hey," Buzz nudged Robbie "Isn't that Erin?"

Robbie looked up at the bleachers and groaned when he saw his sister, along with a blonde and another brunette, shouting at a couple of scantily clad girls. "Shit."

A couple of the guys around them looked up when they heard Robbie swear. "Ava?"

Robbie and Buzz turned towards the voice. "You know one of them?"

Bah shook his head "Unfortunately the black haired one is my girlfriend, Ava. And if I know her at all, one of those…" he cleared his throat, "Inappropriately dressed girls is going to go down if they don't back off soon." True to his word, Ava lunged at one of the groupies; Erin and the mystery blonde restrained her. Barely. "Avery!"

Ava stopped struggling suddenly and looked down to the ice, where Bah was calling to her. "Don't call me Avery, Harrington! And shouldn't you be skating or something?"

Bah shook his head, but returned to the ice. At least he'd distracted her, momentarily.

Buzz sighed when he saw the girls' fight start back up. He nudged Robbie again. "What should we do about that?"

Robbie groaned when he saw that it was now Ava and the blonde restraining his sister. "She'll kill one of them."

"That's why I asked."

"Erin!" Robbie sighed; she hadn't heard him. "Erin! Erin McClanahan, get your ass down here now!" He watched as she stilled for a second, took one last swipe at the groupie, then start down the bleachers followed by the blonde and brunette.

"What do you want Robbie?" She asked angrily as he and Buzz skated over to her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Me?" she blinked at her brother innocently, "Nothing. Why?"

"Leave."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"But Robbie-"

"Erin, leave before you get kicked out and before me and Buzzy lose any chance of making the team."

"If anyone should leave it should be those skanky, bubble headed…"

"Twits? Bimbos? Whores?" Ava filled in.

"Whores." Erin nodded.

"Er, come on! Just go, please?"

"But-"

"McClanahan! Schneider! What the hell are you two doing?" Everyone looked up at the sound of Herb's voice. "Get out there or leave! We don't have time for this!"

Robbie looked at his sister, his eyes pleading with her. "Fine." Erin huffed. "What time are you done?"

"3:00" Buzz answered, as he and Robbie started skating away.

"I'll be back at three!" Buzz nodded as he got back into the drills. Erin sighed and turned to Ashleigh and Ava. "You guys gonna stay?"

Ava looked back up into the stands and clenched her fists. She shook her head. "Someone'll probably end up dead if I stay."

Ashleigh shook her head too. "If I have to listen to one more of their insipid little comments I'll pull out my own hair."

Erin laughed. "Robbie, Buzzy and I stopped at this little diner for breakfast, we could go there."

"Sure." Ava shrugged, "Why not?"

Ashleigh nodded, "Let's go."

Erin sneered at the haughty looking girls one last time, before leading her new friends out of the arena. "Sluts."


"Why can't we get in?" Erin asked the middle-aged security guard for about the fiftieth time. She checked her watch. 3:07.

"Only family allowed."

"We are family." Ava said, exasperated. "I'm Ava Tyler, my brothers, Adam and Aaron, are in there right now."

"So's mine." Erin nodded fervently. "And this is Ashleigh Beauchamp, my-"

"Cousin." Ashleigh filled in quickly.

"Right, my cousin. So let us in now!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, I can't let you in there."

"Why not?" Erin was ready to rip her hair out… or scratch the security guard's eyes out. Whichever came first.

"Only family allowed."

"We. Are. Family." She said through clenched teeth. Fortunately, for the security guard, some of the guys started streaming out of the building.

The three started looking around frantically for someone they knew. Finally Ava spotted one of her brothers. "Aaron!"

The brunette hockey player looked around until he spotted his sister. "Ava!" He waved at her. "Over here!"

"See?" Ava growled at the stoic guard. "Family." She turned to Erin and Ashleigh "Come on." She led her friends towards her brother. "Aaron!" By the time they reached him Adam, who was identical to Aaron, had reached him as well. Ava smiled at them. "So?"

"We didn't make it." Adam shook his head despondently.

"Really?" Aaron nodded just as unenthusiastically. "Aww…" She hugged both of her triplets "You guys…"

"Bah made it." Aaron grinned at his sister's unasked question.

"Really?" Adam nodded, a huge smile on his face as Ava squealed. "I'm definitely telling Mom and Nana that you squealed when your boyfriend made the team."

"Don't you dare!"

"Yeah," Erin deadpanned, "Next thing you know she'll be giggling."

Ashleigh laughed. "God forbid."

"She was giggling?" Adam asked, completely serious.

Erin looked at the hockey player strangely. "Um, no?"

Aaron shook his head "McClanahan, right?"

Erin nodded. "Yeah. How did you-" Then she remembered the scene she had been a part of earlier. "Oh, right."

"Your brother's Robbie McClanahan?"

She nodded again. "Did he?" Aaron nodded. "Yes! What about Buzz Schneider?"

"Schneider?" Erin nodded. "Yeah. He made it too."

"No way!" Erin was practically dancing.

Ashleigh looked at the brothers timidly. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but Dave Silk?" Neither of Ava's brothers had a chance to answer as twenty-six guys barreled out of the rink into the front parking lot. Ashleigh spied her boyfriend in the crowd and started towards him. "Dave!"

"Ash!" the brunette's smile got even wider when he spotted her. He picked her up and spun her around. "Ash! I made it!"

Ashleigh laughed. "I know! I'm so proud of you!"

"Gag me." OC said from beside the couple.

"OC!" Ashleigh smiled and hugged her friend "You made it too?"

"Looks like." He nodded.

"Anyone else from the U?"

"Jimmy Craig and Rizzo."

"Rizzo?" The blonde asked excitedly. "Rizzo's here?"

Silk shook his head as his girlfriend ran off to find the Italian. "She wasn't even that excited to see me."

OC just laughed.


Ashleigh found Rizzo speaking with Erin, Ava and a handful of other players who had made the team. "Rizzo!"

"Ash?" Rizzo stumbled a bit as she launched herself at him. "Ashleigh, what are you doing here?"

"I came to support Dave. I can't believe you made it!"

"I haven't made it yet." The big forward said, setting the blonde down.

"What do you mean?"

"Herb chose 26 of us, only 20 are allowed on the team."

"You'll make it." Ashleigh grinned, hugging the Italian.

"We'll see." He said draping an arm about his friend's girlfriend. "Do you know everyone, Ash?" The blonde shook her head shyly, but smiled at Erin and Ava. "Rob McClanahan, Erin McClanahan, Buzzy Schneider, Mike Ramsey, Steve Janaszak, Mark Johnson, Mark Pavelich, Phil Verchota, Ava Tyler, and Bah Harrington."

Ashleigh smiled at everyone briefly and shook their hands. "I'm Ashleigh Beauchamp." She grinned at Erin and Ava. "I'll see you guys later, I gotta get back to Dave. Rizzo, I want you to call me." Rizzo nodded as the blonde ran off.

"You guys know her?"

Erin nodded, "Yeah." She glanced at her watch. "Look, guys, if we're going to make it to that bar for 7:30 I've gotta go get ready."

Ava nodded her agreement. "It takes time to become this beautiful." Bah doubled over in laughter at his girlfriend's completely serious tone of voice. "Hey!" She elbowed her boyfriend in the gut.

"Ow… Ava!"

The brunette just rolled her eyes. Then she grabbed both Bah and Pav by the arms and started leading them away. "I'll see you tonight Er!"

Erin nodded, despite the fact that her friend couldn't see her, then she turned to her fellow Minnesotans, plus Johnson and Rizzo. "Shall we?"