Disclaimer- Well according to my bank account I'm still poor so I guess I don't own them.

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"Sweet Nancy, look at this place!"

Nigel fairly gaped with astonishment at the sight of Fenway Park, filled to capacity with fans literally hanging from the rafters.

"Nigel, close your mouth. Ah' swear, but you'll go home with more flies then popcorn and peanuts in your stomach." Wren teased, then shivered with pleasure at the squeeze the tall Brit gave her hand. As they went down the steps to their coveted field level seats, Wren stole a look to see Jordan and Woody below them, figuring out who'd sit where.

As they approached, Wren grinned to see Max entering from the other side with Garret and Sarah, and secretly rejoiced at ending up next to the stocky former cop. She had spent many evenings at his bar since coming to Boston, sharing tall tales and rounds of pool with him.

Max had rapidly come to look on the blonde as a second daughter. Seeing her heart-shaped face, he gave her a bear hug and quietly told her, "Wren, thanks from the bottom of my heart for this. I'd forgotten how much fun Jordan had as a child going to the games with me. I really threw away a lot when I left all those months ago."

"Oh, you didn't really throw it away, Max. You just forgot about it for a while. It's not too late for you or Jordan. I guarantee it!" Wren impulsively put a hand on his arm.

"Thanks, sweetheart." Max gave her a sigh, then smiled as Jordan leaned over to him.

"Dad, look. They've got red cotton candy instead of pink. You know you want to but me some!" Jordan said excitedly.

"Sure, sweetheart, let me do the honors." Max chuckled, then bought a couple of bags, rewarded with a smile from Jordan that reminded him of the times his little girl had been perpetually happy. Before fate had conspired to steal Emily from both of them.

Soon father and daughter and Woody were swapping baseball stories, leaving Wren to study her other friends; Sarah and Garret were now eating hot dogs and Bug was sharing his nachos with Lily, his shy grin broadening with every smear of cheese sauce on her mouth. These people were quickly becoming a second family to her. She'd originally thought to remain in Boston only long enough to see Sarah back on her feet, but the inducements to stay were becoming overwhelming; especially in the form of a certain tall Anglo.

"Penny for your thoughts, luv?" Giggling, Wren looked up at the object of her affections, and then lost all coherent thought as she stared up into his magnetic eyes.

"Would you please rise for our National Anthem."

Tearing her gaze from his, Wren stood, pulling Nigel up with her. "I'll share them with you later, no charge, sugah." Staring straight ahead, trying not to blush, she missed the tender look he gave her. Suddenly they were singing, his soft tenor and her full alto blending with the voices of the thousands of other fans. Max exchanged amused looks with his daughter and Woody, and then added his full Irish voice.

It was enough to bring tears to Wren eyes, being able to share this game with all her new friends. Suddenly it struck her, she'd forgotten to tell Sarah and the others the best part of her news.

"Do you want something to eat, luv?" Nigel's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, honey. Yes, I'd love a hot dog, with mustard, onion and piccalilli." She told him teasingly and then laughed as he repeated "piccalilli?"

"What, the great Fenway doesn't have piccalilli, you know, the chopped pickles?" She pantomimed to him, enjoying her joke and then grinned as he suddenly nodded.

"Wren, my sweet, you mean relish, don't you?" His smile deepened as she blushed again.

"See what you do to me, Nigel. I forgot these Yankees like to describe condiments, not just give them a name." She winked.

Max just about choked on his beer as he caught the exchange. "Jordan, if he doesn't get it by now…"

"Oh, he will, or I'll let Woody spell it out for him!" She smirked. Her fiance caught his name, then seeing the spectacle of Wren's wink undoing his friend, got the gist.

"Anything for the woman who'll tame Nigel, and," he lowered his voice, "who can get away with calling your father a 'Teddy Bear'."

"And you say you're not romantic." Jordan whispered, then not caring who was looking, kissed him.

"All right, lovebirds, game time! Save it for after the Sox win!" Max pretended to grouse.

Unfortunately, it was more the Braves than Red Sox; the smoking pitches of Smoltz and the bullpen were more than Damon and company could handle. As the innings piled up and the Sox wasted the few chances they had, Sarah and Wren tried to keep a lid on their enthusiasm. Unfortunately, when Andruw Jones drove in his second run, Wren lost it.

"Way to Go, Andruw! Whoooohooo!" She leapt up screaming, and then an empty peanut bag just missed her head.

"Go back to Atlanta, ya redneck!" A rough voice yelled in back of them.

Furious, Nigel bolted up from his seat, "What barbarian threw that?"

"I did, you freak. Go back to the South, or wherever you came from!" A beefy, sweaty man stood up, then a woman's voice yelled, "Sit down, Irving, and stop acting like a drunk!"

"I am not drunk, and no stinkin' Braves fan roots in my section!" The oaf hollered at his companion. Before he could utter another word, two of Fenway's finest were in back of him, having seen Woody and Max's signals.

"Come on, mister, it's time you learned some manners!" One of them said, as the other picked him up by the collar and dragged him up the steps.

Wren shook her head; then smiled her thanks at her friends. "Ah can always depend on Boston's finest to stand up for a lady!" she trilled, cracking up all her friends and the rest of the fans around them as well.

"And as for you…." She turned to Nigel, whose face was finally returning to its normal pallor. She stretched up and planted a kiss on his cheek, to the hoots of the fans around them.

Rattled, he managed a weak "my pleasure," then took her hand and pulled her down into her seat to watch the rest of the game.

Much to the rest of the group's displeasure, the Red Sox stranded two in the bottom of the ninth and lost three to one. Chuckling, Sarah and Wren consoled the others by offering to stand the "losers" to a round at the Pogue.

"Second-best news I've had all day." Garret smirked, and then lifted an eyebrow at Wren when Bug asked innocently, "What's the first, Dr. Macy?"

He nudged Wren, who put an innocent smile on her face. "Well, thanks to the pleadings of my former Archeology teacher, I'm going to be volunteering at a dig over by the new college housing on Walingford Green. I get to supervise ten 'probies' in exchange for the thrill of uncovering a possible Pilgrim graveyard."

"Wren, that means you'll be here for the rest of the summer, right?" Jordan was ready to burst with excitement; she'd have both her wedding coordinators present longer then she thought.

"Stop rubbing your hands with glee, Jordan. Of course I'll be here; your own personal wedding drudge." Wren teased, giving her a hug.

All the way out of the park, Wren couldn't help but notice Nigel had been eager to hold her hand, walk on the outside of her as they strolled to Bug's car and generally demonstrate that he was determined to watch over her.

"So far so good." she thought, as she rode to the Pogue with Bug and Lilly; Nigel had ridden his motorcycle to the game. She couldn't let the night pass without some sign that Nigel was interested in moving further into a relationship with her. Wren took a deep breath; tonight or never she decided.

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A/N- Make us smile, review please.