Emador- Yeah, I knew with her being a Gopher Girl, she would be friends with Harrer. (And don't forget the Bar Mitzvah, LOL.)

Miraclegirl- So glad to make your day! Don't scream, you might scare someone! LOL

Klinoa- Yeah, I should hug my Rizzo muse, but my Chevon muse might get jealous! LOL

Meadow567- No stuttering! Jimmy is enough! You'll just have to wait!

Darkdestiney2000- I am glad someone else sees them that way too. Actually, if I were a slash writer I'd make them a couple. LOL (Then again, my Chevon muse would be mad!)

Killerkeanegirl- I knew you were kidding! LOL I will hug Rizzo……well Patrick and cheer him up! LOL

Nascarchick- Close, but no cigar!

Lia06- He could make things better for me too. (Well Eddie Cahill could! LOL)

BellaLou- I can ramble on too, so don't worry about it! LOL How is the 'poor boyfriend'? hehe

Moi- Nah, we all picture these boys fresh from the shower! LOL (They're so cute, I wish there were more shower scenes in the movie!)

Nikkd03- Yay, you're back! Loved your review! And someone needed to be nice to poor Timmy! LOL

Thanksgiving Eve, 1979 Minneapolis

I knocked on Mac's door. I was at the dorms to pick up Jim as he was going to stay with my family for Thanksgiving and many of the other boys had planned holiday things. Mac, Janny, Rammer and Buzzy were each taking some out of town guys home for Thanksgiving with them. A few others were going to try to cook for themselves in the dorms.

"Hey Georgy, what are you doing here?" Mac asked when he opened the door.

"Just came to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and talk for a few minutes." I said and gave him a hug as I walked into his room.

"It'll be good to be home for a few days." Mac said.

"Yeah, Jim is staying with us for Thanksgiving. Friday I am dragging him to the day after Thanksgiving shopping insanity." I said and sat down on Mac's bed. "Janny go home already?"

"Yup, left about a half-hour ago. He loaded up Johnson, Christian, Strobel, and off they went." Mac said.

"Who is going home with you?" I asked.

"Silky, Rizzo, OC and Coxie." Mac said.

"Can I come too? I want to see your parents' faces when OC walks in." I said, referring to their old rivalry.

Mac smiled at me. "OC has promised to behave. And Rizzo threatened him if he doesn't."

I laughed. "Anyone going home with Harrer for the holiday?" I asked and Mac gave me a dirty look. "Hey, he is part of the team, no matter how we feel about it."

"I know. Truth is, Harrer is a good guy. Well you know him too. He is a nice guy. He can't help that Herb brought him in now." Mac said.

"I know, I kinda feel sorry for him. He really hasn't done anything wrong, but we're all looking at him like a skunk at a wedding." I said.

"That's because he's not one of us. He wasn't there when me and OC tried to kill each other at first practice. He wasn't there when we nicknamed the Coneheads. He wasn't there to hear you yelling about Johnson's johnson. He wasn't in Norway to be tortured with those endless Herbies." Mac said.

"I know Mac, but Herb is drooling over Harrer like I would be if Bo and Luke Duke walked in." I said and Mac chuckled.

"Does Jimmy know you're lusting after a couple of country boys?" Mac asked with a smirk.

"I don't think he would be exactly shocked considering a few weeks ago I made him watch the Country Music Awards so I could see Mickey Gilley and The Oak Ridge Boys. Their bass singer is cute." I said and Mac rolled his eyes at me.

"You two playing hockey between the sheets yet?" Mac asked.

"We tried but we couldn't get the net to fit under the sheets with us." I said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean. You two seem so close and happy, I was just wondering." Mac said.

"To be honest it is so hard not to. I mean every time I am with him, I just ah." I said and looked dreamy.

Mac laughed. "Well, just have him take you somewhere special like I said and let nature take over."

I smiled up at Mac. "And you won't be jealous that I lost my virginity to someone other than you?" I winked at him. "Then I won't be a virgin on our wedding night."

"Damn, I was hoping to train you to my specifications. It's so hard to unteach what another man has programmed a woman to do!" Mac said dramatically.

I laughed and threw a pair of socks at him. "You make women sound like robots!" I said but laughed because I knew he was kidding.

"Georgy, as long as you are happy and Jim is good to you, I support anything you do." Mac said as he sat down next to me.

"Thanks, Robbie." I said and hugged him. "You're a good husband."

Mac laughed again. "You better get going; I know how Velta starts getting things ready the night before."

"Yeah, and Jim is expecting me." I said and stood up. "Thanks for everything Mac. I'd be lost without you sometimes."

"That's what husbands are for." Mac said and hugged me again before I walked out of his room.

I walked down the hall to Jim's room. The door was open and Jim was inside throwing the last few things in a bag. I knocked on the doorframe.

"Hey Georgy, I'm almost ready to go." Jim said and zipped up his duffle bag.

"Did you call your dad and give him my phone number in case he would need to reach you?" I asked as I walked into the room.

"Yeah, Pop said one of my aunts is having him and the boys over for dinner tomorrow. He is glad I'll be with you since I couldn't go home." Jim said and walked over and kissed my cheek. "That is from him by the way. He told me to be sure to kiss you for him."

I smiled. "He is so great. How are the boys?" I asked referring to his younger brothers.

"Driving dad crazy while on holiday break from school, but good other than that." Jim said and picked up another bag. "Ready to go?"

"Let's roll, Dan-o!" I said and we walked out.

At home the minute Jim walked in my mom gave him a big hug. "Jim, it is so good to have you here for Thanksgiving." She said and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks for having me Velta." Jim said and hugged her.

It tickled me to see how much my mom liked Jim. Dad joined the fray and shook Jim's hand.

"Georgia, take Jim up to the guest room and help him settle in." mom said.

I took Jim's hand and pulled him up the stairs behind me. The guest room was next door to my room. I opened the door for him and turned on the light. Mom had put fresh sheets on the bed for him despite the fact that the room hadn't been used in awhile and had been cleaned after our last visitor.

"Make yourself at home. Feel free to use or do anything you like." I said.

"Thanks." Jim said and sat down his bags. "Are you really going to drag me shopping Friday? The stores are always such a mess."

"That's part of the fun. It's like a tradition to get out there among the Christmas shoppers and start the Christmas season." I said.

Jim smiled and pulled me into his arms. "Only you could make getting pushed and shoved by old grandma's trying to get the early-bird special on Santa throw-rugs sound fun." Jim said and kissed my forehead.

I laughed. "I am so excited to spend the holiday season with you." I said.

"Mom always loved Christmas. She would get up at like 6:30 in the morning and put on a big pot of coffee, for her and Pop. Then around 7:00 my two younger brothers would wake up and proceed to wake the rest of the house up. Then all 8 of us kids or whoever was still left at home once the older ones started moving away, would gather in front of the tree for a photo. Mom had one for every year from 1947 until 1976, which was her last Christmas. Then dad would put the Yule log in the fire place, and we would all start opening presents. The oldest child at home got to pass out presents as the rule, which infuriated my youngest brother." Jim said. I smiled at his story as he continued. "Once we finished opening gifts, those of us that were older would help the younger ones with their toys and batteries and such. And while we played with our new stuff, whatever it was, and mom would cook a huge Christmas dinner. When we sat down to eat, we would join hands and say grace, then dad would always carve the goose."

"Sounds wonderful." I said.

"It was." Jim said.

Later, after mom and dad had gone to bed, I was sitting in the living room, snuggled under an afghan, watching the 'Twilight Zone' while Jim was in the shower. It felt so good to be home relaxing, and have Jim upstairs showering. I knew he was going to miss being at home with his dad and brothers for Thanksgiving but, I was determined that he have fun while at my home.

I heard Jim come down the stairs. "Don't you ever get tired of this show?" he asked from behind me.

"No, I love this show. Wanna join me?" I asked and held open the afghan for him.

"Can't refuse an offer like that." Jim said with a smile and sat on the couch next to me.

I curled up in his arms and wrapped the blanket around both of us. I inhaled deeply as he always smelled so good, especially straight from the shower. We sat and watched the show, which in this episode had a young reporter trapped in a town with extraordinary physics.

"You know, if I can't be with dad and the boys for Thanksgiving, I am happy I can spend it with you." Jim said. I looked up at him. "In an ideal world, I could take you home with me so that I could be with you and my family for Thanksgiving."

I leaned over and kissed him. Jim slid a hand behind my neck to hold me in place. Jim deepened the kiss. I gently ran my knuckles down his cheek.

Jim pulled back and looked at me. "Georgia, I…I…I wanted to tell you that, well…I…I would like to have something to drink."

I smiled at him, hoping that one day he could actually get out those three little words.

"Help yourself to anything in the kitchen." I said.

"Thanks." Jim said and left for the kitchen.

That night I was asleep in my room. I felt something touch my hand. "Georgy, wake up." Jim whispered.

I opened my eyes. My room was completely dark so it took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I could see Jim kneeling next to my bed; he had my hand in his.

"Jim, is everything okay? Are you sick?" I asked sitting up in bed.

"No, nothing like that." Jim said and sat down on the bed next to me still holding my hand. "I just couldn't sleep."

"You sure you're okay?" I asked.

"Georgia, the reason I can't sleep is I have something on my mind, and if I don't just go ahead and say it, it's going to drive me insane. I have been lying in the next room, going crazy because there is something I want…need to say so bad and…"

"Jim, what is it?" I asked and squeezed his hand.

"I am just going to say it." Jim said and kissed my hand. "Georgia, I…I…I love you. I love you."

I felt lightheaded. I had waited so long to hear that. I leaned forward and gently touched his face.

"I love you too, Jim. I have waited so long to hear you say that. I love you too." I said and kissed him gently.

"I have tried so hard to tell you. But I just couldn't, but I had to because the emotion was…it's so strong…" Jim pulled my lips against his again.

Jim kissed me hard and I forgot to breathe I was so caught up in him. Jim moved onto the bed and gently pushed me down, lying beside me.

"I think I am dreaming." I said. "I feel like I am floating. Are you really here?"

Jim ran his hand gently down my face. "If you're dreaming, I am dreaming the same thing. I'm here and I love you." Jim said. "It's so much easier to say after the first time."

"I love you too, so much. I was so afraid to tell you because I didn't know how you would react." I said.

"Georgia, I don't know when or how, but I fell in love with you." Jim said. "I think I've loved you since you got scared about something eating the plane in Thief River Falls."

"I fell in love with you that day at the zoo." I said and kissed him again.

I was floating. Jim told me he loved me. And I loved him.

"Would you stay and hold me until I fall asleep again?" I asked.

"You know I will." Jim said and pulled me into his arms even tighter. Snuggled up against Jim, I went to sleep.